Shino comfortably sat in the base's lounge, feeling more calm and composed than ever before, unaffected by the chaos and destruction running rampant outside.

Karin gently set down a cup of tea in front of Shino, before joining him on the sofa.

Leaning in towards Shino, her eyes bore into Shino's face, asking in a soft voice, "Overmind, do you need anything else?"

The tranquility of their hideout was a stark contrast to the mayhem taking place on the surface, and the beauty was certainly asking for it despite her young age, but Shino's focus remained unwavering. Important matters first.

Shino picked up the teacup and took a sip. While Shino savored the tea's flavor, his focus still remained unbroken. He manipulated his 13-year old clone outside like a skilled puppeteer, keeping his attention fixed on the impending battle's developments.

Gracefully setting down the teacup, he finally responded in a soft voice, "Not for now, Karin."

"Mmm," Karin absentmindedly responded, continuing to gaze at Shino's face, a faint blush appeared on her face.

As the war dragged on, the number of casualties continued to mount. However, there was something odd about the battlefield.

Despite the overwhelming death toll, there seemed to be a distinct lack of corpses. It wasn't until both sides began to notice the pattern that a chilling realization set in - something was taking the bodies!

But what? And why? The answer remained elusive, but ninjas had been already been dispatched to investigate the reason.

"Alina, has the biosphere grown enough to support the execution of Project Queen?"

[Affirmative, Overmind. The available biomass and creep expansion has exceeded the estimated requirement by 10%.]

The harvest had already met the quota. There was no need to overstay.

"Good, recall the army."

[Affirmative, Overmind. Executing hibernation protocol… distributing signal through network...]

Although drastic mutations were applied to give a complete overhaul to the appearances of the drones that participated in the operation, there is a high chance they've been noticed. So, it's time to stay low for a while.

So, after completing the final harvest, the horde of zergs vanished into the depths of the earth, traversing through the labyrinthine decoy tunnels and taking refuge in pre-dug caverns.

Even the tentacles of the creep obediently retracted themselves, returning the biosphere to its lurking mode.

"Alina, what is the estimated time for the completion of Project Queen?"

[Overmind, after the data aggregated from recent research, the estimated time of completion is 31 days. Will Overmind initiate Project Queen now?]

"Much shorter than I thought…" Shino's thoughts drifted away for a moment, his mind lost in contemplation as he stared into space.

A feed was displayed in his mind, showing the end of Orochimaru, who only came to show off his new jutsu to his teacher.

But since he failed to hand in a research paper with comprehensive analysis of the old man's abilities, his teacher punished him for not doing his homework properly.

Poor Uncle Snake got spanked so hard on his hands that they became paralyzed, and he could only run away from Konoha crying.

But with that snake gone, Shino was finally relieved. So, he shifted his attention to the red-haired beauty who had been eyeing him with obvious infatuation.

However, he didn't hesitate for long, "Karin."

Karin didn't seem to hear his call. With some drool leaking from her mouth and a deep blush on her face, it was clear she seemed to be lost in some fantasy.

"Karin!" When Shino's voice rang out again, Karin was jolted back to reality.

"Y-Yes, Overmind! Do you have any orders? I will do anything you want- even if- even if it's-" Karin's eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and anticipation, but Shino didn't play games with her.

"Karin. It's time for you to prove your worth."

"Eh? Prove my worth? Do you mean- if you want- ehehehe…" Karin giggled to herself for a while, lost in her fantasies, but after hearing no response, she finally peeked at Shino.

Noting Shino's somber expression, Karin's laughter gradually faded away, her playful demeanor replaced with trepidation. As if already guessing something, her lips pressed together and she bowed her head.

Her fingers gripped the hems of her clothes, struggling for a moment before she spoke up in a subdued tone, "If it's what the Overmind wishes, I am willing."

Shino let out a deep breath, his hand reaching out to caress the girl's fiery head. As his fingers brushed against her soft locks of hair, Karin's eyes fluttered shut and she leaned into his touch, savoring his comforting presence and the warmth coming from his palm.

But the warmth didn't last forever.

Retracting his hand, Shino stood up, issuing his command in a sharp and decisive voice, "Let's go."

Karin nodded, slowly opening her eyes, now reflecting a mixture of courage and sadness.

When Shino headed towards the lab, he could hear Karin trailing behind him, each of her timid steps like a whip on his heart.

Yet Shino had a determined look etched on his face.

Entering the lab, a strange purplish coffin-like box rose from the ground.

The container was completely wrapped in the viscous creep, and if one looked closely, they could see tiny neural parasites wriggling in and out of the slime.

Its grotesque appearance completely unnerved Karin, yet she braced herself to resist running away.

As the coffin lid creaked open, Karin felt a wave of fear wash over her, as if a predator had set her as its prey. The dark interior of the coffin yawned before her, beckoning her forward.

Yet, she stood frozen in place, head bowed, trembling. She had willingly reached out for the hand of salvation, and now there was no turning back, but... but-

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands reached out and grasped her trembling hands. She felt a rush of warmth spreading from his hand into hers, stabilizing her.

She looked up, gazing into the eyes of the same young man who had saved her.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, begging for an answer to her confusion. He was the one who was pushing her into the abyss, yet he still showed her kindness. It was almost unbearable.

"Scared? Do you regret it?"

The gentle voice seemed to cut through the thick atmosphere of the lab.

Karin bit her lips and shook her head, trying to hold back her emotions, but the unceasing tears streaming down her face betrayed her true feelings.

Once again, her heart skipped a beat when she felt the reassuring strokes on her head. The hand soon lowered to gently wipe away her tears, and she could feel his unwavering confidence as he gave her hope, "I will be waiting for you, out here."

Understanding the underlying message of his words, Karin slowly looked up, meeting the man who now had his glasses removed, letting her glimpse into those deep, profound eyes of his. Her heart skipped a beat as she lost herself in the abyss of his gaze once more.

"Trust me," he added with a smile, his words ringing with a sense of conviction.

Ah... his smile, devoid of any fear or doubt, was contagious.

Karin felt a sense of peace wash over her. Raising her hand, Karin's fingertips caressed his face, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her cheeks warmed up, displaying a pink hue as she responded with a small nod. "I trust you," she said in a soft voice. "Only you."

Karin then broke away from him.

With her heart pounding in her chest, Karin took a deep breath and marched towards her destiny.

When she approached her final destination, the gaping maw of the coffin below seemed to be calling out to her, daring her to take the plunge. And without a second thought, she stepped forward into the darkness, leaving behind everything she had ever known.

The slimy, cold embrace of the organism tightened around Karin's legs, pulling her slowly but relentlessly into the abyss below. She could feel the darkness enveloping her, and with each passing moment, she knew that she was getting closer to the point of no return.

Despite the fear that crept up within her, she couldn't resist one final urge to look back at the young man.

His smile, still present on his face, gave her a sense of hope, and she returned his gift with a smile from her heart. Even if it's her last one... it's worth it.

The coffin lid closed with a heavy thud, melding together with its container and sealing the fate of its occupant.

The lab remained eerily quiet as Shino stood there in the stillness, feeling lost inside.

But time ticked on, and soon, Alina's familiar voice echoed in his mind, reminding him of his duties.

[Overmind, please confirm the start of Project Queen by contacting the infestation unit.]

Alas... this was a choice he couldn't hide from.

Calmly, Shino approached the coffin, his eyes fixated on its writhing form. As his hand made contact with its surface, a surge of electricity pulsed through his body, causing him to shudder.

[Overmind has confirmed the initiation of Project Queen. Alina will be disabled and system will revert to legacy mode. Alina is being downloaded into reality, please do not disconnect from infestation unit… 1%… 5%...]

Shino silently stood in front of the coffin in a daze.

[95%...98%...99%… Overmind, please make your final choice for Project Queen.]

"Final choice?"

[Replacement Mode (90% Success Rate) or Merge Mode (67% Success Rate)?]

Shino hesitated, his expression caught in a moment of indecision.

As the indecisive man stood in a daze, the strange coffin seemed to pulsate with an otherworldly energy, as if beckoning him to make a choice…