"You're that Aburame from the Hidden Leaf Village."
The Third Mizukage looked at Aburame Shiken, his gaze carrying a faint sense of looking down on a junior.
"I didn't expect the Third Mizukage-sama to remember a nobody like me."
"Insect Cloud."
A dense swarm of insects surged forward, enveloping the Third Mizukage.
"Kid, that's rather impolite, don't you think?"
The Third Mizukage formed two streams of water in his hands.
"Water Style: Water Whip."
With several sharp lashes, the powerful water whips shredded the insect cloud into pieces.
"A trivial trick."
"Barrier: Aburame Hundred-Insect Sealing Grand Formation."
"Phase Exchange."
The swarm that had been shattered and scattered behind the Third Mizukage suddenly flickered.
Over a hundred barrier insects shot out instantly, targeting him directly.
"Hundred-Insect Sealing Barrier—activate."
A black barrier instantly enclosed the Third Mizukage.
"Barrier Collapse: Annihilation."
The barrier immediately began to fracture irregularly, distorting even the surrounding air.
With a loud bang, blue water splashed everywhere.
"Water Iron Cannon: Rapid Fire."
Biubiubiu—
Aburame Shiken's body was pierced repeatedly, revealing countless black insects within.
"Insect clone?"
"Same to you, Mizukage-sama. Wasn't that a water clone just now?"
How could those be the same?
My water clone is only for avoiding damage.
But you… you've been using insect clones all along.
"I didn't expect this generation of Aburame to be so cowardly."
"Thank you for the praise, Mizukage-sama. Being cautious is the greatest compliment I can receive. If something doesn't have at least a one-in-a-trillion certainty, I won't do it."
The Third Mizukage almost rolled his eyes.
One in a trillion?
Do you even know how big that number is?
Wait… someone this cautious appearing in front of me—
Doesn't that mean…
"Insect Sea Descends."
Tree World Birth—though not a single word matches, it gives off an equally unsettling feeling.
...
Along the Hidden Leaf Village's coastal defense line, insects suddenly emerged one after another, shaking off the dust from their bodies.
The Leaf ninjas who had already retreated stared at the battlefield they once held.
It had turned into… insects.
"I-I… we were standing on these things while fighting?"
"Hey… I'm not under some genjutsu, right?"
"So this is the power of the Aburame Clan?"
The other Leaf ninjas all turned their gaze—
"Wait… what are they doing?"
Only then did everyone notice—
More than a hundred Aburame clan members stood quietly at the edge of the insect sea, chatting casually.
"Hey, guys, how about I go first later?"
"Get lost. Why should you go first? I'm the eldest in my family—I'm first this time too."
"Screw you, what does that have to do with anything? This kind of thing should obviously be me."
"I'm first."
"I'm first."
...
"Enough arguing. We'll go in order—oldest first."
Aburame Shibi gave the command.
Everyone quieted down, but no one stepped forward to line up. It seemed no one wanted to be at the back.
"Sigh…"
A sigh sounded.
Several elderly ninjas with graying temples stepped forward.
"U-Uncles…"
Aburame Shibi's lips trembled.
Smack, smack.
The leading elder patted Shibi's face, then his shoulder.
"Child, having you and Shiken is the Aburame Clan's blessing. And thank you—for giving us the chance to burn brightly once more."
"These past years, I've been very happy. My family… thank you for taking care of them."
Drip.
Tears slipped down Shibi's face before he realized it.
"No crying. And obey Shiken's orders. If you act on impulse, who will take care of our families?"
The elder scolded sternly.
"Yes!"
Shibi responded loudly.
The elder smiled, then led the others to the very front.
"Never thought that at over forty, I'd still get to contribute to the Hidden Leaf Village and the Aburame Clan. Hahaha!"
"Yeah. My wife's gone, my kids are grown. Education, jobs—all arranged. Monthly subsidies too. If I'm hungry, I just eat at the clan cafeteria. When has the ninja world ever had a life like this?"
"That's right. The Aburame Clan got itself a great clan head."
"A single meal's kindness deserves repayment with one's life. Let alone the grace of being given a life worth living. Luckily, Shiken needs a death squad—otherwise, these old bones of ours buried halfway in the ground wouldn't know what to do."
"Hahaha!"
Watching his elders, who were about to walk to their deaths, still laughing and chatting calmly—
Shibi couldn't help but recall…
...
Years ago, when the Aburame Clan had just begun its transformation—
"This won't work! The meaning of being a ninja is to take missions. If our clan stops taking missions, are we supposed to starve? Absolutely not!"
Aburame Shikuro said, "Shibi, calm down. Why don't we hear Shiken out first before discussing?"
"What's there to discuss? We're ninja! How can we go dig coal like some lowly laborers?"
Aburame Shiken replied, "Looking down on coal miners, are you? Call it nicely and you're a ninja. Put bluntly, you take missions, the village takes a cut—you're just a servant of the village. What's so noble about that?"
"You want to betray the village?!"
"Betray the village? Never thought about it. But if our people can't survive, then what's wrong with betraying it?"
"Y-you—"
That single sentence left Shibi stunned.
"Here. This is the future welfare plan for the Aburame Clan. Can you achieve this just by taking missions?"
Shibi picked up the booklet Aburame Clan Welfare Plan that Shiken tossed to him and began reading.
"How is this possible? Free clan cafeterias, free medical care, unified education, job placement… how could this ever be achieved?"
"Mining coal makes it possible. Money won't be an issue. After that, as long as you don't embezzle and I don't embezzle, these things are very simple."
"How did you even come up with this idea?"
"I just want to treat our own people better. These are things some people claim can't be done—I want to see if that's really true."
...
Shibi's thoughts shifted again—to before the Third Shinobi War—
"In this war… Shiken needs people… to use their lives to activate… that forbidden technique of the Aburame Clan. Is anyone… willing?"
Shibi spoke haltingly, not even daring to look at his clansmen.
When no one responded, he understood.
After all, this was choosing people to die. How could anyone be willing?
"I'll go."
"I'll go."
"Cousin Shibi, I'm your cousin—let me cut in line for this one!"
"Get lost! Cutting in line at the cafeteria is one thing, but for this, you don't have the qualifications. Move aside—I'm signing up first."
"He's not qualified? Then I am! I'm already thirty-six—you should respect your elders!"
"If you're old, retire already. This kind of responsibility belongs to us young people."
"You brat!"
"You old!"
...
...
Back to the present—
"ROAR!"
"ROAR!"
Two massive creatures broke through the insect swarm's blockade.
"Ahhh!"
"Ahhh!!!"
"Die! Aaaaah!"
"Shiken, Shibi… this old man thanks you, on behalf of my family, for this life."
From the Aburame side, overwhelming chakra erupted into the sky.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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