11 Chapter: 11
Kaori's consciousness resurfaced from the depths of unconsciousness, her mind swimming in a state of limbo. She struggled to make sense of her surroundings as she gradually regained awareness of her mind. Time seemed to lose all meaning as she drifted into a state of vegetativeness.
Flashes of memories, fragmented thoughts, and fleeting sensations of struggle and hard work danced in the void. It seemed as though her mind was being forced to merge with her body, instincts were overwritten by new ones and those that had traveled with her through the afterlife perished as they were overtaken by those of a Shinobi.
Kaori's body lay still on the cot, the only signs of life the gentle rise and fall of her chest with each shallow breath. As consciousness slowly returned to her, she became aware of a profound sense of exhaustion weighing down on her limbs. Every muscle ached, and her mind felt as though it had just been wrung dry.
Gently, Kaori managed to open her eyes, her vision blurred and unfocused. She blinked several times, blinking away the fog that clouded her vision, finally clearing her senses and taking in her surroundings. The dim light filtering through the ventilation window of the dormitory cast its long shadow over her face. As she tried to sit up, a wave of dizziness washed over her, making her feel as though her brain had gone out for a swim.
She steadied herself, taking slow, deep breaths to regain her composure. Pushing herself upright, even though her newly formed muscles protested with residual soreness from the rapid myogenesis.
*GASP*
She took in a deep, shuddering breath, the air filling her lungs with much-needed oxygen. As she steadied herself, Kaori realized something,
*CRACK*
*CRASH!!!*
Her hand had just pushed straight through the cot, making a hole in the wood. If that wasn't enough, her legs had made a hole through the wall while she struggled to sit up straight,
'This is gonna be a pain to explain.'
Slowly, she began to take stock of herself, assessing the changes that had taken place within her body. She flexed her fingers experimentally, feeling strength coursing through her veins like a current of raw power. Her muscles felt taut and sinewy, and she could sense an unreal amount of chakra pulsating within her.
[Success!]
'FUCK YOU!'
[Hm? You were warned as to the pain you would experience once using the card, were you not? I see no point in your anger.]
'You said it would be painful, not that my body would literally melt you rusty piece of junk!'
[The System is a holographic projection deep within your mind. It has no mineral composition to experience a severe malfunction such as rusting.]
'Oh, shut up will ya!'
In fact, she knew the system was not to blame but...
'Goddamn, that hurt like hell!'
Kaori cursed under her breath as she gingerly rose to her feet, feeling the unfamiliar, but not unwelcoming, strength coursing through her veins. Despite the residual pain lingering from the transformation, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the newfound power surging through her body.
With a deep breath, she focused her mind on the system's voice,
'Stat.'
[Name: Kaori Hanada(Suzume/Sparrow)]
[Age: 18]
[Chakra: 29,000]
[Physique: 12,250]
[Affinity: Fire(Lv.2) Wind(Lv.1)]
[Chakra Control: 71% (60%)]
[Skills:
- Ninjutsu...
- Fire Style...
- Taijutsu..
- Genjutsu...
- Kenjutsu: Chakra Blade(NEW)(Lv.1/5)...
- Bukijutsu...
- Sensory Ninjutsu: Mind's Eye of Kagura(NEW)(MAX)]
[Talent:
- Ninja Nobody(Green)
- Tranquility(White)
- Snake's Bite(Light Blue)
- Uzumaki Bloodline(Red)
- Enhanced Vitality/Life Span(Red)
- Advanced Fuinjutsu Talent(Red)]
[Evaluation: A Chunin from the Hidden Leaf Village. Member of Konoha ANBU Black Ops. Even though Chakra and Physical strength are similar to a Special Jonin. Combat skills are only at the level of an Elite Chunin due to lack of experience. Possess the Uzumaki Bloodline and have special sensory abilities, as well as extraordinary talent in the art of Fuinjutsu. Possible Elite Jonin.]
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she focused on the system, trying to keep away the dizziness from her mind,
'Explain the Sensory ninjutsu.'
She had heard of it before, but her knowledge of the Jutsu was severely limited,
[Mind's Eye of Kagura is a powerful sensory technique that grants an Uzumaki exceptional perception. They can sense the presence, movement, chakra, and nature of others with incredible detail, even over long distances and through obstacles. It is one of the rarest forms of Bloodline ability awakened by the members of the Uzumaki clan.]
'Hmm?'
Suddenly, she had a new idea. Perhaps she could identify herself as a Sensory type ninja and stay out of the upcoming war... well, that was a pipedream considering she was an ANBU. But she could try and stay out of the front lines in Hoshigakure!
'Sounds like a plan to me.'
It was then that she noticed an extremely sticky sensation on her body...
'Wait, is that blood.'
Considering she had just undergone a complete physique reconstruction, it was only natural for some blood to be shed. It's just that...
'There's too much blood!'
Seems like her body rejected most of her original blood, perhaps that was another reason for her dizziness.
Painfully aware of what the consequences of severe blood loss were, Kaori stumbled over to her ninja gear and ripped open a brand new Medic-Kit, taking out a 'Plasma Pill' and popping it into her mouth before rushing into the shower to wash off the blood as quickly as she could.
She didn't have enough time for a proper wash, so she compromised with a quick shower. As the cold water cascaded over her body, Kaori felt a sense of relief wash over her, both physically and mentally. The blood that had just coated her skin was quickly washed away, leaving behind a clean and refreshed feeling.
Once she had roughly cleared herself of the blood, Kaori stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Feeling refreshed, she opened her wardrobe and felt her eyes twitch as the only thing she saw in there were ANBU uniforms and masks... along with a single civilian dress and a Chunin flak jacket.
With a sigh, she quickly dressed in the black uniform, wiping the blood from the arm guards and armored jacket. She re-packed and double-checked her inventory before making her way to the gate.
[You may wish to reconsider your appearance.]
'Hm? What's wrong with it?'
She looked down and checked her uniform, it wasn't violating any codes or regulations... well, not too many at least.
[Hint: Look in a mirror.]
'Look in the mirror? What are you on... WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!?'
Kaori took a glance into the small mirror sticking to the shower door and, much to her surprise, was greeted by a tall, red-headed beauty. The woman had slightly more well-defined features, that were hidden well under the ANBU uniform, with a crimson wave of hair instead of Kaori's usual jet-black locks and a pair of crimson eyes instead of the usual dark green ones.
'What the fuck happened?'
[*SIGH*]
'Quit sighing and answer my damn question!'
[The Bloodline transformation changed your body to fit the optimal image of a Uzumaki, which consists of thick red hair, a lean body, and crimson, blue, or green eyes. There's even been a change in your temper, if you have cared to notice, and a bit of airheadedness that made you overlook these features while you were showering.]
Now that Kaori thought about it, she was indeed getting agitated a bit too quickly. And was she truly busy enough to overlook her own hair while showering? No, she didn't think so either.
'Hey, is there any way to change my body back?'
[Transformation jutsu should do the trick.]
'That's... NOT WHAT I WAS ASKING!'
Once again, she found herself losing her temper too quickly. Realizing this, she took a deep breath and made an effort to calm herself down. She let out a sigh and glanced at the clock, groaning as she saw that there were only two minutes left before she had to report to her Captain.
'Alright, but we will have a long discussion on this topic later! You got that!?'
[...]
*Hmph!*
'Partial transformation Jutsu!'
*PUFF*
As the puff of smoke vanished, the red-headed woman was replaced by the usual brunette called Kaori. Completely disguising her increased height and red hair.
[...]
'Alright, let's get to it then!'
