[Genius always has no shortage of followers, but genius never looks back.]
[So yeah, same old saying—the Godfather's value just keeps rising.]
[Feels like everyone in the Genius Society is kinda heartless.]
[No way, Screwllum and Herta are relatively decent.]
[Screwllum's a machine after all, and Herta... hard to say, she's pretty arrogant, but we don't really know her true personality.]
— —
"Handing over Subject No. 3 to Ape 22? Why!?" Master Kucha slammed the desk in fury, completely unable to believe the message coming from the other end of the communication.
The other side, however, remained calm and replied in an extremely composed voice, "The answer is simple: you won't graduate. According to Ape 22's report, you're leading the experiment in the wrong direction."
"No, let me go find her and get this straight!"
The scene shifts.
The Umbra Headmistress stood on the stage, delivering a passionate speech.
"It is my great honor to represent Laboratory 17 and expound our philosophy to everyone present — As all you wise minds can see, the universe today is like a box of abandoned bananas.
To save the worlds marching toward decay, humanity must retreat! Retreat! Retreat further! Rebestow infinite possibilities upon civilization, allowing 'Erudition' to bloom once more in seven-colored radiance!
Do not fear the harsh judgments of the world. A great undertaking always requires the dreams of ordinary people as kindling, but becoming kindling is happiness itself. Rotten wood only achieves its highest value when it burns.
Let everyone fulfill their potential, let everything be used to its utmost! Everyone, we must make every 'monkey' in the experiment understand this happiness — and burn together with them in bliss!"
The crowd shouted: "Burn! Burn! Burn!"
Master Kucha stood below the stage, not joining the chorus, only shaking his head slightly.
After everyone else had left, Master Kucha approached the now-alone Headmistress.
"Ape 22, what the hell is going on?!"
"I've already graduated. From now on, you should call me 'Ape 22.'" The Headmistress's tone carried a trace of arrogance. "And why? That one exhausted the Institute's efforts — a new human cultivated through atavistic experiments to select the genes. Yet you turned her into a madwoman. The research apes have decided: from now on, I will take charge of cultivation."
Master Kucha grabbed the Headmistress by the shoulders. "I don't care who's in charge, but you can't continue the experiment. She'll be ruined."
"No problem. I've already started cultivating No. 4. If something goes wrong, we'll just replace her with a new one."
"Master's secret curse." Master Kucha roared, "That's a child we raised from infancy. Don't you have even a shred of morality?!"
"Morality? You're lecturing me about morality?" The Headmistress sneered coldly.
"In Bax-Ⅱ, morality means every family's second son must be sacrificed to Nanook; in the Pegasus Interstellar Duchy, morality means bipedal beings must become slaves to quadrupeds; on Kapakara Star, morality means people with blue eyes are forbidden from stepping onto the streets."
[This passage is actually quite profound and satirical.]
[Reality has plenty of examples, like the caste system next door with the Ah San.]
[Where there are people, there is oppression — an eternal truth.]
[Pay attention to the Headmistress's eye color, everyone. So guess why she says this — and now she's working under Dr. Primitive. What does that imply?]
[Chilling when you think about it.]
— —
"Morality has bound those people's wisdom and ended the futures of those worlds. That's why Dr. Primitive selected them as targets for atavistic experiments."
The Headmistress's words grew more fervent; she deeply identified with her faith.
"Our sacrifices aren't for such vulgar things — but for a future where humanity is happy, the universe progresses, and the Doctor is satisfied!"
Master Kucha opened his mouth, then closed it, ultimately choosing silence.
[What a fanatic.]
[I've been rained on, so I must destroy every umbrella in the world.]
[The most tragic thing about people like her is that she firmly believes in what she's doing and has discarded her entire soul, humanity, and morality.]
[Such a pitiful person.]
The scene shifts, the frame changes.
Rappa approached the Headmistress. "Umbra Headmistress, are you... destroying Galactic Ninja Scrolls? Why?"
The Headmistress was tearing page after page from the picture book in her hands. "Isolating cognition is the first step in curing a memetic virus. The genius-level intellect you should have had was strangled by this trash. Tear it up. Tear it yourself."
"Th-this is the secret treasure of the Dazzling Ninja Hero. We absolutely cannot..."
"Strange. I remember you were always obedient. Whatever Ape 75 said, you did. Why are you disobeying me?" Before the words finished, the Headmistress slapped Rappa across the face.
Smack—!
The sound of the slap echoed through the entire laboratory.
[Well done. She's courting death!]
[Nice hit. When Rappa gets her revenge, don't cry about it.]
Though Rappa showed little expression, she could still feel "pain"!
"Hss... this muscle tissue is really tough. Feels like slapping a rock." The Headmistress gently rubbed her right hand that had delivered the slap.
"Karate... why karate?"
The Headmistress practically roared, "Hurry up and tear up this trash!"
"If you perform well, both Ape 75 and I can benefit. You don't want to disappoint him, right?"
"Master Kucha..." Rappa took the already tattered Galactic Ninja Scrolls.
"I understand now. This must be Master Kucha's trial — to test my shinobi heart of detachment..."
The screen went black, and only the sound of paper tearing could be heard.
The scene switches again.
"Ape 22, you can't dispose of her!"
Master Kucha and the Headmistress were once again locked in argument.
"No. 3 is also a failure. She broke into the containment room, caused widespread chaos, and spoke disrespectfully to the research apes. On that alone, she's already failed."
"But you know it was just an accident."
"I'm a research ape, not a banana teacher. You raised her into this damned state. The laboratory should hold you accountable."
"You bastard..."
The Headmistress left with her signature arrogance.
Rappa quietly emerged from the shadows. As a ninja, one must excel at disguise.
"Master Kucha... did I do something wrong?"
Master Kucha gave a smile. "No, Rappa. You did very well. A true ninja hero should single-mindedly follow their own shinobi path. You thwarted the evil ninja's plot and saved many innocents. Without a doubt, you already possess the true bearing of a ninja."
Rappa's pupils shone with light. "Am I... already a true ninja?"
"Of course — Ninja Disciple Rappa." Master Kucha's tone was solemn.
Rappa knew her master must have something important to announce. She knelt on one knee. "Your disciple is here."
"You have been my disciple for five years. You endured the torment of harsh training without fear, faced trials without retreat. You have mastered hundreds of ninja techniques.
Today, I bestow upon you the title of 'Dazzling Ninja.' You shall become our vanguard in subjugating evil ninjas, leading Ninja Capital forward.
Rappa: I thank Master Kucha. Your disciple is deeply honored...
Take this scroll. It contains the essence of Dazzling Ninja techniques. It can unleash colors that evil fears, shattering all evil ninja formations.
Splash it across 'Ninja Capital.' Use ink and color to dispel the city's gloom and raise the banner of resistance against evil.
Rappa: What should your disciple draw?
I don't know, my disciple.
You may draw anything — whatever interprets the scroll in your heart. This is your own ninja technique.
— So, decide for yourself."
Rappa lowered her head, hiding her expression. "Yes!"
[Sigh, it echoes the earlier plot again.]
[So this kind of knife — miHoYo, you're really something.]
[Old Mi is like that. No knives, no life. No knives, he feels uncomfortable. No knives, the writers struggle to move forward.]
[So this is the truth of everything?]
[The truth is one sharp knife.]
[Seems Master Kucha hasn't completely lost his humanity.]
[Or rather, Rappa ignited his humanity. Now, to protect Rappa, this is the only way.]
[Without knowing Master Kucha's past, I can't judge if he's a good person. But at least for Rappa, Master Kucha isn't a bad one.]
— —
Rappa soon found the "formation eye" and painted graffiti on it.
This action also brought irreversible consequences.
In the laboratory.
"Ape 75, what the hell is this? The entire institute is covered in electronic graffiti — the security system is crashing!" The Umbra Headmistress frantically switched between multiple computers, her fingers nearly sparking.
"I don't know — must be a hacker intrusion. I'll handle it right away."
"Hurry! If we don't fix it soon, the Galaxy Rangers will come knocking!"
At that moment, Rappa slowly descended from the ceiling in front of Master Kucha.
"Master Kucha, your disciple has placed Dazzling Ninja Seals throughout Ninja Capital."
"Well done, Dazzling Ninja. Now the evil ninjas' formations can no longer restrict our communication ninjutsu. Come quickly, Galaxy Rangers — let's end this absurd farce early."
"Stop! Ape 75, what are you doing!?" The Umbra Headmistress's shout came from the side.
"Ape 22..." Master Kucha was remarkably calm at this moment.
"To deceive test subjects, deceive academic partners, deceive research apes — the greatest sin of Laboratory 17 was letting an academic fraud like you slip in!"
Rappa blinked. "Umbra Headmistress... what are you talking about?"
"Rappa, she is a subordinate of the evil ninja."
Rappa froze in place. "What? Umbra Headmistress... is a renegade ninja?"
The Headmistress refused to yield, commanding the combat apes she had cultivated to charge at Master Kucha.
"Dazzling Ninja, today's trial changes to... defeat the renegade ninja!" Master Kucha faced the danger without fear.
Rappa exhaled deeply. "Yes! Allow your disciple to demonstrate the Dazzling Ninja technique I just comprehended."
With an extremely eerie movement technique, Rappa dodged every attack from the combat apes one by one.
Relying on her body's functions and extraordinary reflexes, she incapacitated the combat apes in just a few exchanges.
Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, the Headmistress could hardly believe her eyes.
Why? Why couldn't these combat apes — personally cultivated by the research apes — defeat a failure who wouldn't even obey orders?
"Impossible... this batch of combat apes was personally cultivated by the research apes..."
"See? This is what they call a 'failure.'" Master Kucha pointed at Rappa.
"This experiment was conducted by all of us together. We personally turned her into what she is now — exceptional intellect, transcendent perception, immense power...
Tell me, in what way has she failed?"
"You — how dare you question the Doctor's theories? The research apes must have their own considerations!" The next moment, the Headmistress suddenly laughed. "The security system will recover soon. Prepare to face Dr. Primitive's wrath, you self-unaware kindling!"
"You're wrong. Dr. Primitive... couldn't care less about mere mortals like us." Master Kucha turned his head, carefully examining Rappa once more. "Rappa, the trial is over. Leave."
"But, Master Kucha..."
"Rappa, go."
"Yes." Rappa formed hand seals and vanished from the spot at incredible speed.
After watching Rappa leave, Master Kucha pulled a gun from his pocket.
The moment she saw the weapon, the Headmistress's back was drenched in cold sweat. "You — you actually hid a weapon? What are you going to do—"
"Ape 22, thanks to you, I've come to understand. Morality really is hypocritical and shallow... so I've decided to abandon it." With that, he aimed the gun at the Headmistress's head.
"Friend! Put the gun down. We've been classmates for so many years, you can't—"
Before she could finish, Master Kucha interrupted. "Umbra Headmistress, recite your death poem."
The screen went black.
Bang—
"This is karma • retribution."
[Master has awakened.]
[Between genius and Rappa, Master chose to be human.]
[You didn't realize you were wrong — you realized you're going to die.]
[Master is a real man.]
[Honestly, I really admire Master Kucha. At the very least... at the very least, he chose to wrap Rappa's life as a test subject in a lie. Really...]
[This is karma • retribution!]
[He ended his former partner and killed the misguided words of the past.]
[Though he was Dr. Primitive's subordinate, though he was once blinded by blind devotion, at this moment he finally felt he was not a monkey, but a human.]
— —
Rappa walked through a corridor filled with red lights.
Alarms blared incessantly.
She only knew she had to complete the final trial Master Kucha had given her.
"Leave this place!"
The screen went pitch black.
Only Rappa's breathing could be heard. "So the air outside Ninja Capital... smells like this."
"Hey, kid, you okay?"
"First meeting. May I ask... who might you be?" Rappa had completely changed.
Dressed in white, her face covered in blood and paint.
A massive collar encircled her neck, attached to a broken chain.
The newcomer, whose appearance was unclear, said, "Galaxy Ranger. I received a distress signal. Ninja hero slang, this place really is Dr. Primitive's territory — as hard to find as ninja hero slang bananas hidden in the forest."