Chapter 131: Super Soldier Serum! Marvel Ren Arakawa Makes His Move!
"Team Seven, huh?"
Kakashi held the feather Uchiha Ren had used earlier, then looked at Yakumo Kurama in the distance, who was feeding the immobile Uchiha Ren with chopsticks. He had his answer.
He instantly appeared in front of her, startling Yakumo Kurama so much that she dropped the bento in her hand to the ground.
Uchiha Ren huffed angrily, "What a waste!"
Kakashi didn't respond, speaking as if to himself, "You three have seriously violated regulations. Therefore, the team is disbanded!"
Yakumo Kurama's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
As the eldest daughter of the Kurama clan, she had been entrusted with great expectations by her family since childhood.
Her ancient clan's bloodline limit would produce a genius successor every few generations, and she happened to be the lucky one this generation to inherit a powerful bloodline limit.
But now, her clan was in decline, no longer the prestigious family it once was in the Land of Fire.
This time, she had finally gotten an opportunity to train under one of Konoha's powerful Jonin, only for it all to be ruined in the blink of an eye. Yakumo Kurama's emotions collapsed, and she plopped down onto the ground.
The dust kicked up by Yakumo Kurama's movement choked Uchiha Ren, making him squint. At the same time, he lamented how fragile children's mental states were in peacetime.
On the other side, Neji Hyuga, a genius of the Hyuga clan, showed little difference from an ordinary child in his reaction.
Losing the chance for early graduation also meant he would have to continue facing the useless courses he had long since mastered at the Ninja Academy, and once again have to deal with those so-called 'elite' brats day in and day out.
Thinking of this, both of them wilted like frosted eggplants.
Seeing their state, Kakashi didn't say anything more.
But his action of standing still and not leaving implicitly suggested that there was still a turn of events.
"Don't cry." Uchiha Ren's voice was unusually serious. He looked at Yakumo Kurama. "What's there to cry about? Remember, you're a shinobi! Shinobi aren't allowed to cry!"
"But! But..." Yakumo Kurama sobbed, but Uchiha Ren cut her off.
"We're already amazing! This guy's cheating; he's eaten more rice in his life than we've taken craps!"
A dark line appeared on Kakashi's forehead. "What kind of talk is that?"
Uchiha Ren ignored Kakashi. "Among our age group, no one has done better than us three. Neji, thanks to your intelligence gathering, I knew about this guy Kakashi's abilities."
Kakashi: "Huh?"
A complex expression flashed across Neji's face, and he turned his head away.
"Yakumo Kurama, even though this is the first time I've met you, I feel that in time, you will definitely become the strongest Genjutsu user in the shinobi world!"
Yakumo Kurama stopped sobbing. "The strongest Genjutsu user? A female Genjutsu user?"
Uchiha Ren shook his head. "The strongest Genjutsu user. Drop the 'female'."
"Ah! Really?!"
"That's how I see it."
Kakashi couldn't watch any longer. "You only have a three-tomoe Sharingan..."
Uchiha Ren continued to ignore Kakashi. "Yakumo Kurama, believe me! One day, you will become the most trusted Genjutsu user among your comrades! Go for it!"
Yakumo Kurama's eyes were glistening with clear tears, which flew off as she nodded vigorously. "Mhm! I will do it!"
Seeing such a cheesy scene, Hatake Kakashi's heart, which had been frozen solid during his time in the Anbu, melted once more.
He sighed, took out the bells, and handed them to Yakumo Kurama.
"Huh?" Yakumo Kurama was stunned. She looked up at Kakashi. "Why? Why?"
Hatake Kakashi brought out the same reasoning he would later use on Team Seven: "Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash! I've seen how you've looked out for each other. Congratulations. From today onwards, you are members of Team Kakashi!"
"Rea-really?!"
Yakumo Kurama cried tears of joy, and Neji Hyuga breathed a sigh of relief.
Only Uchiha Ren remained calm, asking Kakashi, "When will you teach me Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
---
In a S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost in a small town in New Mexico, Stephen Fang curiously surveyed his surroundings.
Agent Coulson unreservedly introduced the items around them. He pointed to a uniquely shaped gun in a display case and said, "This is alien technology we recovered from a beach many years ago. The energy cannon it fires can suck a tank into a black hole."
"Then why didn't you use this thing against the Destroyer just now?" Stephen Fang said irritably.
"Uh..." Coulson scratched his head awkwardly. "Because this gun needs a very, very long time to charge before use, and when fired, the target needs to be moving slowly, and besides..."
"Alright, alright, what about this?" Stephen Fang pointed to a glass jar and asked.
"That's truth serum. You'll tell the truth after drinking it."
Stephen Fang swallowed, thinking that if Konoha's Interrogation Department got their hands on this, a lot of their shinobi would be out of a job.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had many interesting things, but after half a day of looking, Stephen Fang still hadn't found any clues about what he was looking for.
It made sense. A device for genetic modification that could slow the body's aging process and enhance superhuman physical abilities certainly wouldn't be left lying around here.
At the very least, they wouldn't let an 'anti-hero' like him, who had just come into the picture, get near it.
Coulson saw that Stephen Fang had almost finished looking around and extended an invitation on behalf of Nick Fury.
"Mr. Stephen Fang, we've had many misunderstandings before. Through this battle, we've learned that you are also a hero who fights to protect America. You..."
Before Coulson could finish his flattery, Stephen Fang suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "I'm not fighting for some damn America! I'm fighting for the people!"
"Uh..." Coulson nodded awkwardly, then also escalated the sentiment. "For, for humanity!"
Coulson waved his hand, and Black Widow walked over, carrying a briefcase.
She opened the briefcase and took out an intercom. Besides that, there were clothes, shoes, and other equipment with various obvious functions.
"Take these. If necessary, we will use this to contact you," Coulson said. Just as he was about to close the case and hand it to Stephen Fang, the latter turned his head and began studying the black hole gun from earlier.
"There's no need to contact me. I'm not cleaning up your messes," Stephen Fang stated his position. "I'll only interfere with things I want to. Don't even think about asking me to do things I don't want to."
Coulson could only nod and put the briefcase away. "In that case, Mr. Stephen Fang, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) has withdrawn the nationwide warrant for your arrest. In addition, your identity has been registered in all major systems. Your current rank is no less than that of a major general! At the same time, your ID..."
"Not necessary," Stephen Fang waved his hand dismissively. "I only needed that motherfucker's approval to be here. Who do you think you are?"
Black Widow finally understood. The reason Stephen Fang hadn't left, and had instead wandered around this S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost, was probably because he was looking for something he hadn't found.
"Mr. Fang, why don't you just tell us what you want? I can ask the director on your behalf."
Stephen Fang clapped his hands in approval. "You really asked the right person! I do want something. Can you give me an injection?"
At S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawkeye, Nick Fury, and Black Widow had all undergone scientific modifications.
Although their enhanced strength was nothing compared to even a random Genin, it was better than nothing.
The key was that it could also slow down aging, which Stephen Fang considered one of the more achievable enhancement methods.
Natasha Romanoff naturally knew what Stephen Fang was talking about. She looked at Coulson, then back at Stephen Fang. "This technology isn't particularly mature yet, and..."
"If it's not mature, then give it to someone smart to work on. Give it to Tony Stark. I just need him to give me one shot, can you live with that? Who knows, you might even get a batch of super agents out of it, to prevent alien invasions or whatnot."
He turned to Coulson. "An ordinary gentleman like him could be drowned by an alien's spit. I might not need it, but doesn't he?"
"Well..." Natasha Romanoff was still hesitating because she had absolutely no authority in this matter. Everything at S.H.I.E.L.D. had to go through Nick Fury.
At that moment, a pitch-black figure appeared at the doorway.
Nick Fury looked just like he did in the 90s arcade game "The Punisher." He puffed on a cigar, wearing an eye patch that revealed only one eye, and scrutinized Stephen Fang.
"The Super Soldier Program can be restarted to protect Earth from alien invasion. But Mr. Stephen Fang, you must agree to one of my requests."
"Speak."
"Next time, if a crisis similar to the 'Hammer' incident occurs, can S.H.I.E.L.D. invite you to join the operation to defend Earth?"
Stephen Fang didn't rush to answer, stroking the black hole gun. "That depends on how high the concentration of the Super Soldier Serum you inject into me is."
Nick Fury exhaled a smoke ring. "I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
(More to come)
(end of chapter)