Chapter 44
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Somewhere on the path among the buildings around the eastern part of Zhong Hai.
In the shadow, a man leaned his hand against the wall from the towering structure while sweats trailed down his sharp chin, raining the concrete surface beneath his feet as his average-build chest rose and fell.
The man was around 25-26 years old, bleached spiky hairstyles and stubble filled his face below ears. He wore a grey patternless camouflage suit with short length sleeve. A pair of leather gloves and short boots donned at their rightful place.
"We shouldn't stop," he said with haggard tone.
Behind him, a woman at her 22-23 years old rest both her hands on her knees. her hair reached up to her ears and short bang covered her forehead. She wore the same suit as the man, only in far different size.
"But you have been run since we left, not to mention carrying me before," her eyes trembled with concern.
His free hand wiped the sweat from above his eyes, "It doesn't matter, we have to get away as far as we can..."
The woman stayed for a while before she nodded, then her heart-shaped face turned over her delicate shoulder, "I hope Fenris is fine."
*Bam!*
"That damn prick! Hawke told him to stay put yet he still decided to go!" The man slammed his hand at the wall beside him.
"Perhaps he did the right thing, if he stays, he might share the others fate," the woman shook her head. Her body shivered at the images of her teammate overwhelmed by the bright yellow lights.
"Whatever, he better have not appeared before us again or I swear I kill him myself," the man rose and clenched his fist till his leather glove let out tearing sound.
"Carver..." the woman sighed, she straightened her back, "let's just leave."
Carver nodded, he walked forward and peeked at the corner, time was in the mid-evening, so pedestrian still come and go on the street. Cars raced on the road and several night-time kiosks appeared at the sidewalk.
He noticed a distro on the other side of the road, "We should be able to ditch our clothes there, then we mingled to lose him."
With the woman approval, they walked out from their hiding, blending their figure among the people and quickly entered their objective.
Thirty minutes later they came out with completely different appearance; Carver wore a white T-shirt with big "E" on the middle, a brown leather jacket, and long jeans pants while the woman has a blue shirt, silver denim jacket, and jeans short-skirt.
The woman circled Carver's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. They appeared like a couple having a date. They strolled along the road, visited several shops, even bought things like accessories. Carver sometimes whispered in her ears which she responded with either red face or giggle. She, times to times, would sway his arm and acted like a spoiled brat when they passed certain stores.
A moment later, they arrived at their destination which is a rundown motel, the place has two floors and the location quite isolated from a busy part of this side of the city.
"Do you think we lose him?" the woman said with a small voice.
"Yeah, I don't see anyone suspicious or have a feeling we're followed."
They entered the lobby with only a counter desk at the front of the entrance and wooden bench with a red cushion at the right side.
"One twin bedroom," Carver said as soon as they reached the counter. The receptionist was a middle age lady with a chubby face and plump body, she smiled upon seeing their arrival and gave out a key to the room, Carver may fail to notice it but the woman beside him sure didn't, she saw something wrong with this middle age lady, Despite it was only a small difference but her right cheek somehow fatter than her left one, her body covered in white trimmed, green kimono but it oversized her own body, it has shown from the wide gap around her neck, and lastly, the most noticeable, her hand was awfully slender and slim for a chubby woman like her.
The woman frowned, but she said nothing, Carver took the key and put it inside his jacket, he pulled her hand and sauntered away.
"Carver..."
"Ssh, we ran through the back exit."
"You knew?" surprise flashed before her eyes.
Carver nodded, "When I asked for the room, there is no doubt or confusion in her eyes even though we clearly entered the motel as a couple."
"Ah..." the woman bitterly smiled, "you think... we have the chance to escape?"
"Doubtful," he shook his head, but his eyes revealed a strong resolve, "but I make sure you do, even if I have to sacrifice myself."
"Carver, you-"
"Find Fenris if you can, or stay hidden until it's safe," Carver turned his head and grinned at her, "you're our rabbit, luck will never fail you."
Tears welled up in her eyes, she brushed it with her hand, "I will."
They turned around the corner and saw a red door with a green sign on the top of it, the transparent glass on the door showed a view of a dark alley. They stopped right at the door and looked at each other. They close their eyes and the air around them change.
Carver's stubble grew longer along with his hair, they connected and formed bushes that surrounded his face. His mouth propelled forward while his nose retracted, three white strips grew between his lips and nose, each on the respective side. His body got taller few inches and his chest became broader.
The woman, on the other hand, didn't change that much, her hair still the same and body sized didn't change, she grew a pair of long ears on the top of her head, and two pieces of tooth that grew under her puffy upper mouth.
They both stare to each other eyes, Carver placed his hand on the door, the moment she motioned her head, he pushed it open and they leaped outside.
*Biri!* *Biri!*
*Bzzz!*
Not a second they reached outside, not even, they managed to touch the cold surface. Two lightning's bolt banged them from the sky.
"Arrghhh!"
They screamed their lungs out as the yellow force creep on their skin and wrecked their nerve. for whole five seconds, these two poor souls suffered the thought of dead might be better than living.
Their body crashes to the ground, twitching all over. Sometimes several bolts appeared lingering, proving despite they no longer get a jolt, their body still paralyzed.
Carver looked at the woman's eye slowly lacked the luster she once has, he gritted his sharp teeth and growled.
*pa.* *pa.* *pa.*
Not far from them, a man sat on the edge of the motel's roof, clapping sluggishly yet every time his palm met, it thundered in the desolate area.
The man jumped down and landed with a heavy stomp. He never once stopped clapping as he makes his way toward them.
"Congratulation! for figuring out the trap that was set for you! You guys are good..." that man said with a loud voice.
His face looked no younger than the woman or older than Carver, his skin was ruddy but slight pale in color, he has undercut hair on both sides and short shaggy style at the top. His yellowish head shone like a beacon in this gloomy and dirty alley.
"Hah, for the record, this whole trap thing was not my idea..." The man shook his head, he rubbed his sharp chin with his thumb, "I'm more like... frontal type person you know? Facing the enemy head-on, no sissy hit or wussy attack..."
The man roamed the area, then he suddenly stopped and looked at the moveless bodies who laid on the ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry where was my manner..." his hands wandered on his black quilting vest, "where is my introduction card..."
His hand reached out for a pocket on his short pants with grey colored army pattern, he fished out sort of small white rectangle sheet, his eyes squinted as he read it out loud, "My name... is Chu Feng, Martial Artist Alliance Killin group."
Carver and the woman trembled upon hearing Chu Feng's word, Martial Artist Alliance?! They are this strong?!
"I know, I know, what you guys are thinking, 'Aaah, how they are so strong?!' right?" Chu Feng curled his lips, "meh, don't overrate us. In fact, except me, the rest of our people is weakling and bunch of loser."
"Chu Feng, you might want to take that back," from the exit's door, a middle-aged woman strolled with a faint smile. This is exactly the previous weird receptionist.
Chu Feng rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes, except sister Wu, no one else."
The Wu lady giggled and leap forward, by the time she landed beside him, her previous chubby face has gone, replaced with a smooth and clean face. She wore a tight-fitting leather shirt and pants that emphasize her curvaceous figure. Her captivating and full breast, toned abdomen and slim waist, heart shape and plump butt. Coupled with her raven bob haircut, she was a deadly distraction.
"That's a good little brother hehe..." The Wu lady placed her hands behind her hip.
Chu Feng snorted, "You're quite happy for someone who failed with their trap."
"Failed?" she put up a confused expression, "they still get hit in the end doesn't it?"
"It was my doing, not you!"
"Oh..." she sighed and shook her head bitterly, "little bro, it seems you still have a lot to learn."
"Don't call me little bro! I have a proper name!" He glared at her.
"Ok, little bro..." she nodded while smiling.
"Argh, I don't care anymore!" Chu Feng swung his hands before crossed them in front of his chest and threw his face away from her.
She put her hand on her red attractive lips and tittered. She glanced at the petrified people on the ground, strolled closer and crouched beside Carver, "You guys are lucky since the higher-ups tell us to bring you in for questioning, if not, my little bro here already smite you into a dust."
"I don't have smiting power..." Chu Feng frowned.
"It's a figure of speech little brother, " she shook her head, "when I said you need a lot to learn, I mean it."
"Whatever, let's just took them." Chu Feng walked forward and prepared to grab Carver.
*bang!* *bang!* *bang!*
Three-cylinder thing dropped between Carver and the woman, they exploded and let out a blinding light.
The four people in the vicinity suffered an inability to open their eyes, as soon as they managed to do it, the woman already gone, replaced by three despicable used flashbang.
Carver startled but immediately replaced with a joy, he does not have a slightest negative mood to get left behind.
Chu Feng turned around and wanted to chase them, but the Wu lady stopped him, she shook her head, "There is no need to go after them, we accomplished our task just by taking in one. Besides, as long they still in China, sooner or later they'll be found."
Chu Feng stayed still for a while then nodded afterward. He grabbed Carver easily with one hand and they immediately left the area.
a mile away from their place, a man with silver hair and golden eyes moved his legs as if there is no tomorrow, in his bosom, a woman with a pair of long ears held her eyes tightly, the aftereffect of the glaring light from before still make her unable to move them away. The man moved toward the dark and disappeared in the night.
3 hours later
On Zhong Hai's east greeny roadside which stretched hand in hand with the Yangtze River, street lights spread thinly with many little fellows dancing around the lights. This was a quiet scene that rare to come by for the acclaimed metropolis city.
Close by was the meandering river that seemed to have no end, like a belt of jade that fell from the firmament, mutually echoing with the Milky Way in the skies, and mirroring a long string of white buildings by the river...
This was the most expensive hospital in Zhong Hai, the quiet and secluded environment let their patients recuperate better. But similarly, the bills that came with it were so high that ordinary folks would jump back in fright.
On a spacious and serene corridor, Naruto sat on a bench in front of the intensive care unit, a special room for any patient that required any immediate and expert attention. He sat with closed eyes, arms crossed and one leg on the top of another. He seems asleep but if one looked closer, one of his fingers kept tapping on his arm.
"Are you one of his relative?"
A person in green opened the room's door, the unique smell of medicine and aromatherapy slipped away.
"I am... his son in law..." Naruto stood and approached the person.
The person nodded and signaled him to come. Inside the room, Lin Kun laid on the white bed with machine strapping to his body, several monitors placed beside him and liquids hooked at the hanger on his left.
"Mr. Lin's has received severe damage on his many nerves, a lot of system on his body has been unable to function properly and his heart has shown a sign of failure. burned on his skin cause problem in cells regeneration and... his head experienced major trauma which makes him very possibly enter a vegetative state."
Naruto eyes looked at Lin Kun in complicated light, "Is there any chance, for his recovery?"
The person sighed, "If I have to be honest, it's very small, even if he does, there is a chance of memory loss, and with his damaged nerve, he unable to move even a muscle."
Naruto frowned, "What's need to be done?"
"We can do several operations to replace any of his malfunction organs and healed part of his injuries, but it will not increase the chance of his recovery from what I said before."
Naruto nodded, "Thank you, doctor, I talk with his daughter about this."
The doctor patted Naruto shoulder, "If there is any meaning, he's already very lucky to be alive, because of survival from this kind of accident almost close to impossible." Then he left the room.
Naruto stood still for a moment then walked closer to the bed and stared at the Lin Kun. His mind recollected back at harbor's warehouse.
The clones clear up the rest of the boxes and pull out Lin Kun from his buried state. They laid him in front of Naruto as he crouched and grasped Lin Kun wrist. Naruto closed his eyes for seconds before he slowly opened them again.
"His vital sign is very low, at this rate he won't make it to the hospital."
Naruto pondered with his fingers on his chin, "Small healing won't do the work, and a healing formation also can't do."
He only knew basic healing technique which use to heal very small injuries or prevent some continuous bleeding.
He knew a formation that could help people recuperate or recover from injury but the premise is that he need help from various medicines and herbs to make it operatable.
"Maybe I can freeze him?" Naruto then punched his own head, "that won't work you, idiot. He's not a super soldier who can stand super low temperature for years."
"Damn it, what should I do!" He scratched his head in frustration.
"..." he suddenly stopped moving, he brought down his hands, and mumbled: "Death Control Possessed Blood..."
'Curse technique that allows the user to share the pain inflicted on him to any person that had been marked by the curse, it's a pretty effective curse but also suicidal since it only effective to kill if the user killed himself.'
"I don't know whether this will work but if it did, I can support Lin Kun's life temporary with mine and set the clones to take him to the hospital."
Naruto's gaze seemed wavering, then he slapped his cheeks with his both hands, "Enough hesitating!"
With certitude in his eyes, Naruto bit his own lips like he did back in the boutique, as blood spilled from it, he wiped the blood with his finger and started drawing on the ground beneath him, he had to draw a circle first then a triangle later in the inside, since the formation have to be as large as him, he bit his lips multiple times and repeated the process. It took him three minutes to finaly complete it, luckily the drawing wasn't complex.
Than he grabbed Lin Kun hand and gave a small cut with his nail, he took his bead of blood and quickly returned to the formation. Then he place the blood on his tongue and pushed out two finger from his right hand.
He took a glance at Lin Kun before bitterly said: "Mr. Lin, if you still bully Ruoxi after this, I'll personally kicked your ass to purgatory."
"Release!"
*Zoom!*
Black colored dye emerged from Naruto's feet and made its way toward Naruto's head, a white line started making a pattern on his body and eventually make their debut on his face. The duo color completely groomed him similar to a skeleton on Halloween's night.
But his appearance was the last thing he worried about, as soon as the transforming was complete, his face twisted in an ugly way and veins started popping on his body. He felt like his heart was shredding and the rest of his organ was churning, hot rod as if placed on his skin and great hammer pounding his head.
But Naruto stood on his ground, with clenching hands and gnashing teeth, he roared, "Go!"
The clones picked up Lin Kun and rushed outside. Leaving behind the desolate place and their lonesome creator.
Five minutes pass.
They still unable to find any hospital, while they did spot some clinic but they were impossible to treat a patient with a condition like Lin Kun. Naruto knew what happen because they can communicate telepathically, with a brain that started crumbling down, Naruto not even once stop giving out direction.
Lucky for him, his regeneration power triggered and his body began repairing itself, but the pain from his organ being healed only to be ripped again was enough to put any normal people in despair.
Blood filled his mouth as he coughed them out of the formation. A bitter smile showed on his face, it has been so long since he taste any pain like this, and Lin Kun, of all the people, was the one who hit the jackpot.
Naruto glanced at his surrounding, whoever a person or people who did this must be extremely strong, he also noticed the cause of charred corpses and the burned feeling in his skin was not resource from a fire but more like coming from lightning or thunder.
A simple zap from this element is enough to kill a normal person, at least enough to cripple them. Their basic property is disruptive, meaning to interrupt any kind of movement or paralyzes their target, making them vulnerable from the following attack, then comes their second property which is piercing, and the third property is instant movement.
Naruto closed his eyes, tried to suppress the endless pain in his guts. His knee was getting weaker, his once stand tall body little by little loss their altitude.
It seemed so easy to just lay down and wait for this until it's over, when the thought of stop resisting clouded his mind, Naruto suddenly snapped his eyes open, his posture returned stand tall and the negative thought from before has vanished.
His eyes once again observed his surrounding, he even shutting them down for a while then he opened them with an unsure expression.
"Who's there?" he said with a loud voice but hesitated tone.
There's no response. In the place where a sound of needle dropped comparable with a sound of honking horn, it's impossible to move without making noise, at least for Naruto's ears.
Is it just my imagination? Naruto frowned, with his high sensitive senses, acute sixth sense and senjutsu, it's impossible to sneak up on him without any method, even if they did use some method, he'll still capable to detect them by the energy they consume to use that method. Even the ethereal being will not escape his detection.
Maybe it was, Naruto patted his cheek and telepathically communicated with his clones. There's no way someone could sneak up on him and caressed his cheek without him noticing.
"Naruto!"
A voice belonging to a woman pulled him back to the present time, Naruto turned around and saw Ruoxi stood at the door's way with Wang Ma on her tail.
"Naruto... my father... he... he..." Ruoxi halted her speech, her eyes looked at the man that always treated her like a rotten apple, laid unconscious with a machine as his lifeline. Her heart trembled, her face dulled, and her eyes lose their brightness.
Wang Ma behind her already sobbed at Lin Kun's predicament. Naruto nipped toward Ruoxi, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her toward his chest.
"Ruoxi, I'm so sorry..." Naruto hugged her with one hand on her back and the other on her head.
Ruoxi startled as she felt his warm body and smelled his masculine scent, it didn't give her peace instead it release the flood inside her watergate.
"Hummm!" she placed both her hand on her face and buried them together into his chest.
Naruto spoke no word, he just slowly rubbed her back and let her tears flowed to their satisfaction.
No matter how bad daughter and father relationship, they still family, a bond gift by the god, she didn't choose to be his daughter and he didn't choose to be her father, both are human, surrounded by their imperfectness and complexity of emotions.
For Naruto, who don't know about his parent, and don't even care if they exist, the closest thing to family he ever had was only an enormous fox, a perverted old man, and a naive maiden.
He didn't understand how this family mechanism work, he only knew, those three was meant a whole world to him.
(***)
"So there was only a small chance for him to recover?" Ruoxi frowned as she listened about Lin Kun condition from Naruto.
"Yeah, the doctor also said they can do surgery to replace his dysfunctional organ and healed part of his injuries, but awoke him from a vegetative state? They pretty much helpless."
She rubbed her temple while her eyes gazed at her father, "Does the doctor still available? I want to talk to him."
"I don't know... but we can try..." Naruto nodded and strolled to the door.
"Wang Ma, is it alright if you wait here alone? We'll be back soon."
Wang Ma let out her everyday smile, "I'll be alright young miss, you do what you have to do."
Ruoxi nodded and followed Naruto leaving the room.
In the long hallway, a man and young woman walked shoulder by shoulder, Naruto put his hands in his pants and his eyes looked at many posters about health advice such as smoking problem, drug addiction, healthy foods, and others. They line up on the wall next to him.
Ruoxi, on the other hand, didn't have much interest in them, she moved her foot in a steady pace and saw only the path lie ahead.
"You look pretty in that," Naruto suddenly spoke without looking at her.
"Um?" Ruoxi glanced at him with doubt on her face.
"I never see you in a muffler and white coat before."
"You never see doesn't mean I don't have them," she chuckled.
"Yeah..." Naruto scratched his head, "now that I think about it, I never see you wearing anything else outside your business suit and home clothes."
Ruoxi tittered, "What do you expect? So far we only met either in the company or at home, should I wear a fancy gown or dazzling dress in a home?"
"Oh yeah, you should do that, then we lit up some candle, ordered the best ramen in the city, put on some classical music..." Naruto turned his face at her with a teased smile.
"After that, we walked into the backyard, with moonlight illuminates our path and stars cheer on the background, you and me, we waltz till our heart satisfied."
"I held your waist and put it close to mine, you hold my hand and hugged my back, we swayed right and left in rhythm, four eyes gazing at each other..."
Ruoxi couldn't help but projecting Naruto's word inside her mind, there, she saw two people, held closely into each other embrace, she heard the tempo of the music guide their feet, she looks at their face, his smile was so radiant and her glee was full contentment.
"Aaand... If I'm lucky, you be charmed and we end up rolling in a sheet until tomorrow morning,"
*prang!*
Her romantic and electrifying dream shattered and piece by piece started crumbling down.
"You perverted jerk!" Ruoxi face turned flaming red, her eyes emitted dangerous glare. Her tiny fist raining down on his body.
Naruto laughed while putting a defensive stance, "Ok, ok, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
After awhile Ruoxi finally calmed down, she snorted and threw her face away from him.
Naruto wryly smiled while scratched his cheek, "But seriously though we should get out sometimes, lunch or dinner."
"So long you're the one who paying," she said without facing him.
"Yosh! I introduce you to the best ramen restaurant in Zhong Hai!"
"It's a promise."
"It's a promise."
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Somewhere on the path among the buildings around the eastern part of Zhong Hai.
In the shadow, a man leaned his hand against the wall from the towering structure while sweats trailed down his sharp chin, raining the concrete surface beneath his feet as his average-build chest rose and fell.
The man was around 25-26 years old, bleached spiky hairstyles and stubble filled his face below ears. He wore a grey patternless camouflage suit with short length sleeve. A pair of leather gloves and short boots donned at their rightful place.
"We shouldn't stop," he said with haggard tone.
Behind him, a woman at her 22-23 years old rest both her hands on her knees. her hair reached up to her ears and short bang covered her forehead. She wore the same suit as the man, only in far different size.
"But you have been run since we left, not to mention carrying me before," her eyes trembled with concern.
His free hand wiped the sweat from above his eyes, "It doesn't matter, we have to get away as far as we can..."
The woman stayed for a while before she nodded, then her heart-shaped face turned over her delicate shoulder, "I hope Fenris is fine."
*Bam!*
"That damn prick! Hawke told him to stay put yet he still decided to go!" The man slammed his hand at the wall beside him.
"Perhaps he did the right thing, if he stays, he might share the others fate," the woman shook her head. Her body shivered at the images of her teammate overwhelmed by the bright yellow lights.
"Whatever, he better have not appeared before us again or I swear I kill him myself," the man rose and clenched his fist till his leather glove let out tearing sound.
"Carver..." the woman sighed, she straightened her back, "let's just leave."
Carver nodded, he walked forward and peeked at the corner, time was in the mid-evening, so pedestrian still come and go on the street. Cars raced on the road and several night-time kiosks appeared at the sidewalk.
He noticed a distro on the other side of the road, "We should be able to ditch our clothes there, then we mingled to lose him."
With the woman approval, they walked out from their hiding, blending their figure among the people and quickly entered their objective.
Thirty minutes later they came out with completely different appearance; Carver wore a white T-shirt with big "E" on the middle, a brown leather jacket, and long jeans pants while the woman has a blue shirt, silver denim jacket, and jeans short-skirt.
The woman circled Carver's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. They appeared like a couple having a date. They strolled along the road, visited several shops, even bought things like accessories. Carver sometimes whispered in her ears which she responded with either red face or giggle. She, times to times, would sway his arm and acted like a spoiled brat when they passed certain stores.
A moment later, they arrived at their destination which is a rundown motel, the place has two floors and the location quite isolated from a busy part of this side of the city.
"Do you think we lose him?" the woman said with a small voice.
"Yeah, I don't see anyone suspicious or have a feeling we're followed."
They entered the lobby with only a counter desk at the front of the entrance and wooden bench with a red cushion at the right side.
"One twin bedroom," Carver said as soon as they reached the counter. The receptionist was a middle age lady with a chubby face and plump body, she smiled upon seeing their arrival and gave out a key to the room, Carver may fail to notice it but the woman beside him sure didn't, she saw something wrong with this middle age lady, Despite it was only a small difference but her right cheek somehow fatter than her left one, her body covered in white trimmed, green kimono but it oversized her own body, it has shown from the wide gap around her neck, and lastly, the most noticeable, her hand was awfully slender and slim for a chubby woman like her.
The woman frowned, but she said nothing, Carver took the key and put it inside his jacket, he pulled her hand and sauntered away.
"Carver..."
"Ssh, we ran through the back exit."
"You knew?" surprise flashed before her eyes.
Carver nodded, "When I asked for the room, there is no doubt or confusion in her eyes even though we clearly entered the motel as a couple."
"Ah..." the woman bitterly smiled, "you think... we have the chance to escape?"
"Doubtful," he shook his head, but his eyes revealed a strong resolve, "but I make sure you do, even if I have to sacrifice myself."
"Carver, you-"
"Find Fenris if you can, or stay hidden until it's safe," Carver turned his head and grinned at her, "you're our rabbit, luck will never fail you."
Tears welled up in her eyes, she brushed it with her hand, "I will."
They turned around the corner and saw a red door with a green sign on the top of it, the transparent glass on the door showed a view of a dark alley. They stopped right at the door and looked at each other. They close their eyes and the air around them change.
Carver's stubble grew longer along with his hair, they connected and formed bushes that surrounded his face. His mouth propelled forward while his nose retracted, three white strips grew between his lips and nose, each on the respective side. His body got taller few inches and his chest became broader.
The woman, on the other hand, didn't change that much, her hair still the same and body sized didn't change, she grew a pair of long ears on the top of her head, and two pieces of tooth that grew under her puffy upper mouth.
They both stare to each other eyes, Carver placed his hand on the door, the moment she motioned her head, he pushed it open and they leaped outside.
*Biri!* *Biri!*
*Bzzz!*
Not a second they reached outside, not even, they managed to touch the cold surface. Two lightning's bolt banged them from the sky.
"Arrghhh!"
They screamed their lungs out as the yellow force creep on their skin and wrecked their nerve. for whole five seconds, these two poor souls suffered the thought of dead might be better than living.
Their body crashes to the ground, twitching all over. Sometimes several bolts appeared lingering, proving despite they no longer get a jolt, their body still paralyzed.
Carver looked at the woman's eye slowly lacked the luster she once has, he gritted his sharp teeth and growled.
*pa.* *pa.* *pa.*
Not far from them, a man sat on the edge of the motel's roof, clapping sluggishly yet every time his palm met, it thundered in the desolate area.
The man jumped down and landed with a heavy stomp. He never once stopped clapping as he makes his way toward them.
"Congratulation! for figuring out the trap that was set for you! You guys are good..." that man said with a loud voice.
His face looked no younger than the woman or older than Carver, his skin was ruddy but slight pale in color, he has undercut hair on both sides and short shaggy style at the top. His yellowish head shone like a beacon in this gloomy and dirty alley.
"Hah, for the record, this whole trap thing was not my idea..." The man shook his head, he rubbed his sharp chin with his thumb, "I'm more like... frontal type person you know? Facing the enemy head-on, no sissy hit or wussy attack..."
The man roamed the area, then he suddenly stopped and looked at the moveless bodies who laid on the ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry where was my manner..." his hands wandered on his black quilting vest, "where is my introduction card..."
His hand reached out for a pocket on his short pants with grey colored army pattern, he fished out sort of small white rectangle sheet, his eyes squinted as he read it out loud, "My name... is Chu Feng, Martial Artist Alliance Killin group."
Carver and the woman trembled upon hearing Chu Feng's word, Martial Artist Alliance?! They are this strong?!
"I know, I know, what you guys are thinking, 'Aaah, how they are so strong?!' right?" Chu Feng curled his lips, "meh, don't overrate us. In fact, except me, the rest of our people is weakling and bunch of loser."
"Chu Feng, you might want to take that back," from the exit's door, a middle-aged woman strolled with a faint smile. This is exactly the previous weird receptionist.
Chu Feng rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes, except sister Wu, no one else."
The Wu lady giggled and leap forward, by the time she landed beside him, her previous chubby face has gone, replaced with a smooth and clean face. She wore a tight-fitting leather shirt and pants that emphasize her curvaceous figure. Her captivating and full breast, toned abdomen and slim waist, heart shape and plump butt. Coupled with her raven bob haircut, she was a deadly distraction.
"That's a good little brother hehe..." The Wu lady placed her hands behind her hip.
Chu Feng snorted, "You're quite happy for someone who failed with their trap."
"Failed?" she put up a confused expression, "they still get hit in the end doesn't it?"
"It was my doing, not you!"
"Oh..." she sighed and shook her head bitterly, "little bro, it seems you still have a lot to learn."
"Don't call me little bro! I have a proper name!" He glared at her.
"Ok, little bro..." she nodded while smiling.
"Argh, I don't care anymore!" Chu Feng swung his hands before crossed them in front of his chest and threw his face away from her.
She put her hand on her red attractive lips and tittered. She glanced at the petrified people on the ground, strolled closer and crouched beside Carver, "You guys are lucky since the higher-ups tell us to bring you in for questioning, if not, my little bro here already smite you into a dust."
"I don't have smiting power..." Chu Feng frowned.
"It's a figure of speech little brother, " she shook her head, "when I said you need a lot to learn, I mean it."
"Whatever, let's just took them." Chu Feng walked forward and prepared to grab Carver.
*bang!* *bang!* *bang!*
Three-cylinder thing dropped between Carver and the woman, they exploded and let out a blinding light.
The four people in the vicinity suffered an inability to open their eyes, as soon as they managed to do it, the woman already gone, replaced by three despicable used flashbang.
Carver startled but immediately replaced with a joy, he does not have a slightest negative mood to get left behind.
Chu Feng turned around and wanted to chase them, but the Wu lady stopped him, she shook her head, "There is no need to go after them, we accomplished our task just by taking in one. Besides, as long they still in China, sooner or later they'll be found."
Chu Feng stayed still for a while then nodded afterward. He grabbed Carver easily with one hand and they immediately left the area.
a mile away from their place, a man with silver hair and golden eyes moved his legs as if there is no tomorrow, in his bosom, a woman with a pair of long ears held her eyes tightly, the aftereffect of the glaring light from before still make her unable to move them away. The man moved toward the dark and disappeared in the night.
3 hours later
On Zhong Hai's east greeny roadside which stretched hand in hand with the Yangtze River, street lights spread thinly with many little fellows dancing around the lights. This was a quiet scene that rare to come by for the acclaimed metropolis city.
Close by was the meandering river that seemed to have no end, like a belt of jade that fell from the firmament, mutually echoing with the Milky Way in the skies, and mirroring a long string of white buildings by the river...
This was the most expensive hospital in Zhong Hai, the quiet and secluded environment let their patients recuperate better. But similarly, the bills that came with it were so high that ordinary folks would jump back in fright.
On a spacious and serene corridor, Naruto sat on a bench in front of the intensive care unit, a special room for any patient that required any immediate and expert attention. He sat with closed eyes, arms crossed and one leg on the top of another. He seems asleep but if one looked closer, one of his fingers kept tapping on his arm.
"Are you one of his relative?"
A person in green opened the room's door, the unique smell of medicine and aromatherapy slipped away.
"I am... his son in law..." Naruto stood and approached the person.
The person nodded and signaled him to come. Inside the room, Lin Kun laid on the white bed with machine strapping to his body, several monitors placed beside him and liquids hooked at the hanger on his left.
"Mr. Lin's has received severe damage on his many nerves, a lot of system on his body has been unable to function properly and his heart has shown a sign of failure. burned on his skin cause problem in cells regeneration and... his head experienced major trauma which makes him very possibly enter a vegetative state."
Naruto eyes looked at Lin Kun in complicated light, "Is there any chance, for his recovery?"
The person sighed, "If I have to be honest, it's very small, even if he does, there is a chance of memory loss, and with his damaged nerve, he unable to move even a muscle."
Naruto frowned, "What's need to be done?"
"We can do several operations to replace any of his malfunction organs and healed part of his injuries, but it will not increase the chance of his recovery from what I said before."
Naruto nodded, "Thank you, doctor, I talk with his daughter about this."
The doctor patted Naruto shoulder, "If there is any meaning, he's already very lucky to be alive, because of survival from this kind of accident almost close to impossible." Then he left the room.
Naruto stood still for a moment then walked closer to the bed and stared at the Lin Kun. His mind recollected back at harbor's warehouse.
The clones clear up the rest of the boxes and pull out Lin Kun from his buried state. They laid him in front of Naruto as he crouched and grasped Lin Kun wrist. Naruto closed his eyes for seconds before he slowly opened them again.
"His vital sign is very low, at this rate he won't make it to the hospital."
Naruto pondered with his fingers on his chin, "Small healing won't do the work, and a healing formation also can't do."
He only knew basic healing technique which use to heal very small injuries or prevent some continuous bleeding.
He knew a formation that could help people recuperate or recover from injury but the premise is that he need help from various medicines and herbs to make it operatable.
"Maybe I can freeze him?" Naruto then punched his own head, "that won't work you, idiot. He's not a super soldier who can stand super low temperature for years."
"Damn it, what should I do!" He scratched his head in frustration.
"..." he suddenly stopped moving, he brought down his hands, and mumbled: "Death Control Possessed Blood..."
'Curse technique that allows the user to share the pain inflicted on him to any person that had been marked by the curse, it's a pretty effective curse but also suicidal since it only effective to kill if the user killed himself.'
"I don't know whether this will work but if it did, I can support Lin Kun's life temporary with mine and set the clones to take him to the hospital."
Naruto's gaze seemed wavering, then he slapped his cheeks with his both hands, "Enough hesitating!"
With certitude in his eyes, Naruto bit his own lips like he did back in the boutique, as blood spilled from it, he wiped the blood with his finger and started drawing on the ground beneath him, he had to draw a circle first then a triangle later in the inside, since the formation have to be as large as him, he bit his lips multiple times and repeated the process. It took him three minutes to finaly complete it, luckily the drawing wasn't complex.
Than he grabbed Lin Kun hand and gave a small cut with his nail, he took his bead of blood and quickly returned to the formation. Then he place the blood on his tongue and pushed out two finger from his right hand.
He took a glance at Lin Kun before bitterly said: "Mr. Lin, if you still bully Ruoxi after this, I'll personally kicked your ass to purgatory."
"Release!"
*Zoom!*
Black colored dye emerged from Naruto's feet and made its way toward Naruto's head, a white line started making a pattern on his body and eventually make their debut on his face. The duo color completely groomed him similar to a skeleton on Halloween's night.
But his appearance was the last thing he worried about, as soon as the transforming was complete, his face twisted in an ugly way and veins started popping on his body. He felt like his heart was shredding and the rest of his organ was churning, hot rod as if placed on his skin and great hammer pounding his head.
But Naruto stood on his ground, with clenching hands and gnashing teeth, he roared, "Go!"
The clones picked up Lin Kun and rushed outside. Leaving behind the desolate place and their lonesome creator.
Five minutes pass.
They still unable to find any hospital, while they did spot some clinic but they were impossible to treat a patient with a condition like Lin Kun. Naruto knew what happen because they can communicate telepathically, with a brain that started crumbling down, Naruto not even once stop giving out direction.
Lucky for him, his regeneration power triggered and his body began repairing itself, but the pain from his organ being healed only to be ripped again was enough to put any normal people in despair.
Blood filled his mouth as he coughed them out of the formation. A bitter smile showed on his face, it has been so long since he taste any pain like this, and Lin Kun, of all the people, was the one who hit the jackpot.
Naruto glanced at his surrounding, whoever a person or people who did this must be extremely strong, he also noticed the cause of charred corpses and the burned feeling in his skin was not resource from a fire but more like coming from lightning or thunder.
A simple zap from this element is enough to kill a normal person, at least enough to cripple them. Their basic property is disruptive, meaning to interrupt any kind of movement or paralyzes their target, making them vulnerable from the following attack, then comes their second property which is piercing, and the third property is instant movement.
Naruto closed his eyes, tried to suppress the endless pain in his guts. His knee was getting weaker, his once stand tall body little by little loss their altitude.
It seemed so easy to just lay down and wait for this until it's over, when the thought of stop resisting clouded his mind, Naruto suddenly snapped his eyes open, his posture returned stand tall and the negative thought from before has vanished.
His eyes once again observed his surrounding, he even shutting them down for a while then he opened them with an unsure expression.
"Who's there?" he said with a loud voice but hesitated tone.
There's no response. In the place where a sound of needle dropped comparable with a sound of honking horn, it's impossible to move without making noise, at least for Naruto's ears.
Is it just my imagination? Naruto frowned, with his high sensitive senses, acute sixth sense and senjutsu, it's impossible to sneak up on him without any method, even if they did use some method, he'll still capable to detect them by the energy they consume to use that method. Even the ethereal being will not escape his detection.
Maybe it was, Naruto patted his cheek and telepathically communicated with his clones. There's no way someone could sneak up on him and caressed his cheek without him noticing.
"Naruto!"
A voice belonging to a woman pulled him back to the present time, Naruto turned around and saw Ruoxi stood at the door's way with Wang Ma on her tail.
"Naruto... my father... he... he..." Ruoxi halted her speech, her eyes looked at the man that always treated her like a rotten apple, laid unconscious with a machine as his lifeline. Her heart trembled, her face dulled, and her eyes lose their brightness.
Wang Ma behind her already sobbed at Lin Kun's predicament. Naruto nipped toward Ruoxi, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her toward his chest.
"Ruoxi, I'm so sorry..." Naruto hugged her with one hand on her back and the other on her head.
Ruoxi startled as she felt his warm body and smelled his masculine scent, it didn't give her peace instead it release the flood inside her watergate.
"Hummm!" she placed both her hand on her face and buried them together into his chest.
Naruto spoke no word, he just slowly rubbed her back and let her tears flowed to their satisfaction.
No matter how bad daughter and father relationship, they still family, a bond gift by the god, she didn't choose to be his daughter and he didn't choose to be her father, both are human, surrounded by their imperfectness and complexity of emotions.
For Naruto, who don't know about his parent, and don't even care if they exist, the closest thing to family he ever had was only an enormous fox, a perverted old man, and a naive maiden.
He didn't understand how this family mechanism work, he only knew, those three was meant a whole world to him.
(***)
"So there was only a small chance for him to recover?" Ruoxi frowned as she listened about Lin Kun condition from Naruto.
"Yeah, the doctor also said they can do surgery to replace his dysfunctional organ and healed part of his injuries, but awoke him from a vegetative state? They pretty much helpless."
She rubbed her temple while her eyes gazed at her father, "Does the doctor still available? I want to talk to him."
"I don't know... but we can try..." Naruto nodded and strolled to the door.
"Wang Ma, is it alright if you wait here alone? We'll be back soon."
Wang Ma let out her everyday smile, "I'll be alright young miss, you do what you have to do."
Ruoxi nodded and followed Naruto leaving the room.
In the long hallway, a man and young woman walked shoulder by shoulder, Naruto put his hands in his pants and his eyes looked at many posters about health advice such as smoking problem, drug addiction, healthy foods, and others. They line up on the wall next to him.
Ruoxi, on the other hand, didn't have much interest in them, she moved her foot in a steady pace and saw only the path lie ahead.
"You look pretty in that," Naruto suddenly spoke without looking at her.
"Um?" Ruoxi glanced at him with doubt on her face.
"I never see you in a muffler and white coat before."
"You never see doesn't mean I don't have them," she chuckled.
"Yeah..." Naruto scratched his head, "now that I think about it, I never see you wearing anything else outside your business suit and home clothes."
Ruoxi tittered, "What do you expect? So far we only met either in the company or at home, should I wear a fancy gown or dazzling dress in a home?"
"Oh yeah, you should do that, then we lit up some candle, ordered the best ramen in the city, put on some classical music..." Naruto turned his face at her with a teased smile.
"After that, we walked into the backyard, with moonlight illuminates our path and stars cheer on the background, you and me, we waltz till our heart satisfied."
"I held your waist and put it close to mine, you hold my hand and hugged my back, we swayed right and left in rhythm, four eyes gazing at each other..."
Ruoxi couldn't help but projecting Naruto's word inside her mind, there, she saw two people, held closely into each other embrace, she heard the tempo of the music guide their feet, she looks at their face, his smile was so radiant and her glee was full contentment.
"Aaand... If I'm lucky, you be charmed and we end up rolling in a sheet until tomorrow morning,"
*prang!*
Her romantic and electrifying dream shattered and piece by piece started crumbling down.
"You perverted jerk!" Ruoxi face turned flaming red, her eyes emitted dangerous glare. Her tiny fist raining down on his body.
Naruto laughed while putting a defensive stance, "Ok, ok, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
After awhile Ruoxi finally calmed down, she snorted and threw her face away from him.
Naruto wryly smiled while scratched his cheek, "But seriously though we should get out sometimes, lunch or dinner."
"So long you're the one who paying," she said without facing him.
"Yosh! I introduce you to the best ramen restaurant in Zhong Hai!"
"It's a promise."
"It's a promise."
Somewhere on the path among the buildings around the eastern part of Zhong Hai.In the shadow, a man leaned his hand against the wall from the towering structure while sweats trailed down his sharp chin, raining the concrete surface beneath his feet as his average-build chest rose and fell.The man was around 25-26 years old, bleached spiky hairstyles and stubble filled his face below ears. He wore a grey patternless camouflage suit with short length sleeve. A pair of leather gloves and short boots donned at their rightful place."We shouldn't stop," he said with haggard tone.Behind him, a woman at her 22-23 years old rest both her hands on her knees. her hair reached up to her ears and short bang covered her forehead. She wore the same suit as the man, only in far different size."But you have been run since we left, not to mention carrying me before," her eyes trembled with concern.His free hand wiped the sweat from above his eyes, "It doesn't matter, we have to get away as far as we can..."The woman stayed for a while before she nodded, then her heart-shaped face turned over her delicate shoulder, "I hope Fenris is fine."*Bam!*"That damn prick! Hawke told him to stay put yet he still decided to go!" The man slammed his hand at the wall beside him."Perhaps he did the right thing, if he stays, he might share the others fate," the woman shook her head. Her body shivered at the images of her teammate overwhelmed by the bright yellow lights."Whatever, he better have not appeared before us again or I swear I kill him myself," the man rose and clenched his fist till his leather glove let out tearing sound."Carver..." the woman sighed, she straightened her back, "let's just leave."Carver nodded, he walked forward and peeked at the corner, time was in the mid-evening, so pedestrian still come and go on the street. Cars raced on the road and several night-time kiosks appeared at the sidewalk.He noticed a distro on the other side of the road, "We should be able to ditch our clothes there, then we mingled to lose him."With the woman approval, they walked out from their hiding, blending their figure among the people and quickly entered their objective.Thirty minutes later they came out with completely different appearance; Carver wore a white T-shirt with big "E" on the middle, a brown leather jacket, and long jeans pants while the woman has a blue shirt, silver denim jacket, and jeans short-skirt.The woman circled Carver's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. They appeared like a couple having a date. They strolled along the road, visited several shops, even bought things like accessories. Carver sometimes whispered in her ears which she responded with either red face or giggle. She, times to times, would sway his arm and acted like a spoiled brat when they passed certain stores.A moment later, they arrived at their destination which is a rundown motel, the place has two floors and the location quite isolated from a busy part of this side of the city."Do you think we lose him?" the woman said with a small voice."Yeah, I don't see anyone suspicious or have a feeling we're followed."They entered the lobby with only a counter desk at the front of the entrance and wooden bench with a red cushion at the right side."One twin bedroom," Carver said as soon as they reached the counter. The receptionist was a middle age lady with a chubby face and plump body, she smiled upon seeing their arrival and gave out a key to the room, Carver may fail to notice it but the woman beside him sure didn't, she saw something wrong with this middle age lady, Despite it was only a small difference but her right cheek somehow fatter than her left one, her body covered in white trimmed, green kimono but it oversized her own body, it has shown from the wide gap around her neck, and lastly, the most noticeable, her hand was awfully slender and slim for a chubby woman like her.The woman frowned, but she said nothing, Carver took the key and put it inside his jacket, he pulled her hand and sauntered away."Carver...""Ssh, we ran through the back exit.""You knew?" surprise flashed before her eyes.Carver nodded, "When I asked for the room, there is no doubt or confusion in her eyes even though we clearly entered the motel as a couple.""Ah..." the woman bitterly smiled, "you think... we have the chance to escape?""Doubtful," he shook his head, but his eyes revealed a strong resolve, "but I make sure you do, even if I have to sacrifice myself.""Carver, you-""Find Fenris if you can, or stay hidden until it's safe," Carver turned his head and grinned at her, "you're our rabbit, luck will never fail you."Tears welled up in her eyes, she brushed it with her hand, "I will."They turned around the corner and saw a red door with a green sign on the top of it, the transparent glass on the door showed a view of a dark alley. They stopped right at the door and looked at each other. They close their eyes and the air around them change.Carver's stubble grew longer along with his hair, they connected and formed bushes that surrounded his face. His mouth propelled forward while his nose retracted, three white strips grew between his lips and nose, each on the respective side. His body got taller few inches and his chest became broader.The woman, on the other hand, didn't change that much, her hair still the same and body sized didn't change, she grew a pair of long ears on the top of her head, and two pieces of tooth that grew under her puffy upper mouth.They both stare to each other eyes, Carver placed his hand on the door, the moment she motioned her head, he pushed it open and they leaped outside.*Biri!* *Biri!**Bzzz!*Not a second they reached outside, not even, they managed to touch the cold surface. Two lightning's bolt banged them from the sky."Arrghhh!"They screamed their lungs out as the yellow force creep on their skin and wrecked their nerve. for whole five seconds, these two poor souls suffered the thought of dead might be better than living.Their body crashes to the ground, twitching all over. Sometimes several bolts appeared lingering, proving despite they no longer get a jolt, their body still paralyzed.Carver looked at the woman's eye slowly lacked the luster she once has, he gritted his sharp teeth and growled.*pa.* *pa.* *pa.*Not far from them, a man sat on the edge of the motel's roof, clapping sluggishly yet every time his palm met, it thundered in the desolate area.The man jumped down and landed with a heavy stomp. He never once stopped clapping as he makes his way toward them."Congratulation! for figuring out the trap that was set for you! You guys are good..." that man said with a loud voice.His face looked no younger than the woman or older than Carver, his skin was ruddy but slight pale in color, he has undercut hair on both sides and short shaggy style at the top. His yellowish head shone like a beacon in this gloomy and dirty alley."Hah, for the record, this whole trap thing was not my idea..." The man shook his head, he rubbed his sharp chin with his thumb, "I'm more like... frontal type person you know? Facing the enemy head-on, no sissy hit or wussy attack..."The man roamed the area, then he suddenly stopped and looked at the moveless bodies who laid on the ground."Oh, I'm sorry where was my manner..." his hands wandered on his black quilting vest, "where is my introduction card..."His hand reached out for a pocket on his short pants with grey colored army pattern, he fished out sort of small white rectangle sheet, his eyes squinted as he read it out loud, "My name... is Chu Feng, Martial Artist Alliance Killin group."Carver and the woman trembled upon hearing Chu Feng's word, Martial Artist Alliance?! They are this strong?!"I know, I know, what you guys are thinking, 'Aaah, how they are so strong?!' right?" Chu Feng curled his lips, "meh, don't overrate us. In fact, except me, the rest of our people is weakling and bunch of loser.""Chu Feng, you might want to take that back," from the exit's door, a middle-aged woman strolled with a faint smile. This is exactly the previous weird receptionist.Chu Feng rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes, except sister Wu, no one else."The Wu lady giggled and leap forward, by the time she landed beside him, her previous chubby face has gone, replaced with a smooth and clean face. She wore a tight-fitting leather shirt and pants that emphasize her curvaceous figure. Her captivating and full breast, toned abdomen and slim waist, heart shape and plump butt. Coupled with her raven bob haircut, she was a deadly distraction."That's a good little brother hehe..." The Wu lady placed her hands behind her hip.Chu Feng snorted, "You're quite happy for someone who failed with their trap.""Failed?" she put up a confused expression, "they still get hit in the end doesn't it?""It was my doing, not you!""Oh..." she sighed and shook her head bitterly, "little bro, it seems you still have a lot to learn.""Don't call me little bro! I have a proper name!" He glared at her."Ok, little bro..." she nodded while smiling."Argh, I don't care anymore!" Chu Feng swung his hands before crossed them in front of his chest and threw his face away from her.She put her hand on her red attractive lips and tittered. She glanced at the petrified people on the ground, strolled closer and crouched beside Carver, "You guys are lucky since the higher-ups tell us to bring you in for questioning, if not, my little bro here already smite you into a dust.""I don't have smiting power..." Chu Feng frowned."It's a figure of speech little brother, " she shook her head, "when I said you need a lot to learn, I mean it.""Whatever, let's just took them." Chu Feng walked forward and prepared to grab Carver.*bang!* *bang!* *bang!*Three-cylinder thing dropped between Carver and the woman, they exploded and let out a blinding light.The four people in the vicinity suffered an inability to open their eyes, as soon as they managed to do it, the woman already gone, replaced by three despicable used flashbang.Carver startled but immediately replaced with a joy, he does not have a slightest negative mood to get left behind.Chu Feng turned around and wanted to chase them, but the Wu lady stopped him, she shook her head, "There is no need to go after them, we accomplished our task just by taking in one. Besides, as long they still in China, sooner or later they'll be found."Chu Feng stayed still for a while then nodded afterward. He grabbed Carver easily with one hand and they immediately left the area.a mile away from their place, a man with silver hair and golden eyes moved his legs as if there is no tomorrow, in his bosom, a woman with a pair of long ears held her eyes tightly, the aftereffect of the glaring light from before still make her unable to move them away. The man moved toward the dark and disappeared in the night.3 hours laterOn Zhong Hai's east greeny roadside which stretched hand in hand with the Yangtze River, street lights spread thinly with many little fellows dancing around the lights. This was a quiet scene that rare to come by for the acclaimed metropolis city.Close by was the meandering river that seemed to have no end, like a belt of jade that fell from the firmament, mutually echoing with the Milky Way in the skies, and mirroring a long string of white buildings by the river...This was the most expensive hospital in Zhong Hai, the quiet and secluded environment let their patients recuperate better. But similarly, the bills that came with it were so high that ordinary folks would jump back in fright.On a spacious and serene corridor, Naruto sat on a bench in front of the intensive care unit, a special room for any patient that required any immediate and expert attention. He sat with closed eyes, arms crossed and one leg on the top of another. He seems asleep but if one looked closer, one of his fingers kept tapping on his arm."Are you one of his relative?"A person in green opened the room's door, the unique smell of medicine and aromatherapy slipped away."I am... his son in law..." Naruto stood and approached the person.The person nodded and signaled him to come. Inside the room, Lin Kun laid on the white bed with machine strapping to his body, several monitors placed beside him and liquids hooked at the hanger on his left."Mr. Lin's has received severe damage on his many nerves, a lot of system on his body has been unable to function properly and his heart has shown a sign of failure. burned on his skin cause problem in cells regeneration and... his head experienced major trauma which makes him very possibly enter a vegetative state."Naruto eyes looked at Lin Kun in complicated light, "Is there any chance, for his recovery?"The person sighed, "If I have to be honest, it's very small, even if he does, there is a chance of memory loss, and with his damaged nerve, he unable to move even a muscle."Naruto frowned, "What's need to be done?""We can do several operations to replace any of his malfunction organs and healed part of his injuries, but it will not increase the chance of his recovery from what I said before."Naruto nodded, "Thank you, doctor, I talk with his daughter about this."The doctor patted Naruto shoulder, "If there is any meaning, he's already very lucky to be alive, because of survival from this kind of accident almost close to impossible." Then he left the room.Naruto stood still for a moment then walked closer to the bed and stared at the Lin Kun. His mind recollected back at harbor's warehouse.The clones clear up the rest of the boxes and pull out Lin Kun from his buried state. They laid him in front of Naruto as he crouched and grasped Lin Kun wrist. Naruto closed his eyes for seconds before he slowly opened them again."His vital sign is very low, at this rate he won't make it to the hospital."Naruto pondered with his fingers on his chin, "Small healing won't do the work, and a healing formation also can't do."He only knew basic healing technique which use to heal very small injuries or prevent some continuous bleeding.He knew a formation that could help people recuperate or recover from injury but the premise is that he need help from various medicines and herbs to make it operatable."Maybe I can freeze him?" Naruto then punched his own head, "that won't work you, idiot. He's not a super soldier who can stand super low temperature for years.""Damn it, what should I do!" He scratched his head in frustration."..." he suddenly stopped moving, he brought down his hands, and mumbled: "Death Control Possessed Blood..."'Curse technique that allows the user to share the pain inflicted on him to any person that had been marked by the curse, it's a pretty effective curse but also suicidal since it only effective to kill if the user killed himself.'"I don't know whether this will work but if it did, I can support Lin Kun's life temporary with mine and set the clones to take him to the hospital."Naruto's gaze seemed wavering, then he slapped his cheeks with his both hands, "Enough hesitating!"With certitude in his eyes, Naruto bit his own lips like he did back in the boutique, as blood spilled from it, he wiped the blood with his finger and started drawing on the ground beneath him, he had to draw a circle first then a triangle later in the inside, since the formation have to be as large as him, he bit his lips multiple times and repeated the process. It took him three minutes to finaly complete it, luckily the drawing wasn't complex.Than he grabbed Lin Kun hand and gave a small cut with his nail, he took his bead of blood and quickly returned to the formation. Then he place the blood on his tongue and pushed out two finger from his right hand.He took a glance at Lin Kun before bitterly said: "Mr. Lin, if you still bully Ruoxi after this, I'll personally kicked your ass to purgatory.""Release!"*Zoom!*Black colored dye emerged from Naruto's feet and made its way toward Naruto's head, a white line started making a pattern on his body and eventually make their debut on his face. The duo color completely groomed him similar to a skeleton on Halloween's night.But his appearance was the last thing he worried about, as soon as the transforming was complete, his face twisted in an ugly way and veins started popping on his body. He felt like his heart was shredding and the rest of his organ was churning, hot rod as if placed on his skin and great hammer pounding his head.But Naruto stood on his ground, with clenching hands and gnashing teeth, he roared, "Go!"The clones picked up Lin Kun and rushed outside. Leaving behind the desolate place and their lonesome creator.Five minutes pass.They still unable to find any hospital, while they did spot some clinic but they were impossible to treat a patient with a condition like Lin Kun. Naruto knew what happen because they can communicate telepathically, with a brain that started crumbling down, Naruto not even once stop giving out direction.Lucky for him, his regeneration power triggered and his body began repairing itself, but the pain from his organ being healed only to be ripped again was enough to put any normal people in despair.Blood filled his mouth as he coughed them out of the formation. A bitter smile showed on his face, it has been so long since he taste any pain like this, and Lin Kun, of all the people, was the one who hit the jackpot.Naruto glanced at his surrounding, whoever a person or people who did this must be extremely strong, he also noticed the cause of charred corpses and the burned feeling in his skin was not resource from a fire but more like coming from lightning or thunder.A simple zap from this element is enough to kill a normal person, at least enough to cripple them. Their basic property is disruptive, meaning to interrupt any kind of movement or paralyzes their target, making them vulnerable from the following attack, then comes their second property which is piercing, and the third property is instant movement.Naruto closed his eyes, tried to suppress the endless pain in his guts. His knee was getting weaker, his once stand tall body little by little loss their altitude.It seemed so easy to just lay down and wait for this until it's over, when the thought of stop resisting clouded his mind, Naruto suddenly snapped his eyes open, his posture returned stand tall and the negative thought from before has vanished.His eyes once again observed his surrounding, he even shutting them down for a while then he opened them with an unsure expression."Who's there?" he said with a loud voice but hesitated tone.There's no response. In the place where a sound of needle dropped comparable with a sound of honking horn, it's impossible to move without making noise, at least for Naruto's ears.Is it just my imagination? Naruto frowned, with his high sensitive senses, acute sixth sense and senjutsu, it's impossible to sneak up on him without any method, even if they did use some method, he'll still capable to detect them by the energy they consume to use that method. Even the ethereal being will not escape his detection.Maybe it was, Naruto patted his cheek and telepathically communicated with his clones. There's no way someone could sneak up on him and caressed his cheek without him noticing."Naruto!"A voice belonging to a woman pulled him back to the present time, Naruto turned around and saw Ruoxi stood at the door's way with Wang Ma on her tail."Naruto... my father... he... he..." Ruoxi halted her speech, her eyes looked at the man that always treated her like a rotten apple, laid unconscious with a machine as his lifeline. Her heart trembled, her face dulled, and her eyes lose their brightness.Wang Ma behind her already sobbed at Lin Kun's predicament. Naruto nipped toward Ruoxi, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her toward his chest."Ruoxi, I'm so sorry..." Naruto hugged her with one hand on her back and the other on her head.Ruoxi startled as she felt his warm body and smelled his masculine scent, it didn't give her peace instead it release the flood inside her watergate."Hummm!" she placed both her hand on her face and buried them together into his chest.Naruto spoke no word, he just slowly rubbed her back and let her tears flowed to their satisfaction.No matter how bad daughter and father relationship, they still family, a bond gift by the god, she didn't choose to be his daughter and he didn't choose to be her father, both are human, surrounded by their imperfectness and complexity of emotions.For Naruto, who don't know about his parent, and don't even care if they exist, the closest thing to family he ever had was only an enormous fox, a perverted old man, and a naive maiden.He didn't understand how this family mechanism work, he only knew, those three was meant a whole world to him.***"So there was only a small chance for him to recover?" Ruoxi frowned as she listened about Lin Kun condition from Naruto."Yeah, the doctor also said they can do surgery to replace his dysfunctional organ and healed part of his injuries, but awoke him from a vegetative state? They pretty much helpless."She rubbed her temple while her eyes gazed at her father, "Does the doctor still available? I want to talk to him.""I don't know... but we can try..." Naruto nodded and strolled to the door."Wang Ma, is it alright if you wait here alone? We'll be back soon."Wang Ma let out her everyday smile, "I'll be alright young miss, you do what you have to do."Ruoxi nodded and followed Naruto leaving the room.In the long hallway, a man and young woman walked shoulder by shoulder, Naruto put his hands in his pants and his eyes looked at many posters about health advice such as smoking problem, drug addiction, healthy foods, and others. They line up on the wall next to him.Ruoxi, on the other hand, didn't have much interest in them, she moved her foot in a steady pace and saw only the path lie ahead."You look pretty in that," Naruto suddenly spoke without looking at her."Um?" Ruoxi glanced at him with doubt on her face."I never see you in a muffler and white coat before.""You never see doesn't mean I don't have them," she chuckled."Yeah..." Naruto scratched his head, "now that I think about it, I never see you wearing anything else outside your business suit and home clothes."Ruoxi tittered, "What do you expect? So far we only met either in the company or at home, should I wear a fancy gown or dazzling dress in a home?""Oh yeah, you should do that, then we lit up some candle, ordered the best ramen in the city, put on some classical music..." Naruto turned his face at her with a teased smile."After that, we walked into the backyard, with moonlight illuminates our path and stars cheer on the background, you and me, we waltz till our heart satisfied.""I held your waist and put it close to mine, you hold my hand and hugged my back, we swayed right and left in rhythm, four eyes gazing at each other..."Ruoxi couldn't help but projecting Naruto's word inside her mind, there, she saw two people, held closely into each other embrace, she heard the tempo of the music guide their feet, she looks at their face, his smile was so radiant and her glee was full contentment."Aaand... If I'm lucky, you be charmed and we end up rolling in a sheet until tomorrow morning,"*prang!*Her romantic and electrifying dream shattered and piece by piece started crumbling down."You perverted jerk!" Ruoxi face turned flaming red, her eyes emitted dangerous glare. Her tiny fist raining down on his body.Naruto laughed while putting a defensive stance, "Ok, ok, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."After awhile Ruoxi finally calmed down, she snorted and threw her face away from him.Naruto wryly smiled while scratched his cheek, "But seriously though we should get out sometimes, lunch or dinner.""So long you're the one who paying," she said without facing him."Yosh! I introduce you to the best ramen restaurant in Zhong Hai!""It's a promise.""It's a promise."
