The purge, ostensibly aimed at eradicating Orochimaru's remnants, once begun, was like a turning wheel, showing no signs of stopping.
Over the next ten-plus days, as the initial batch of Shinobi Clans' Ninja were arrested and imprisoned, and several true "Orochimaru remnants" were successfully interrogated from among them, the scope of the purge immediately began to expand at an incredible pace.
Initially, Root's methods were relatively gentle, but as manpower began to run short, and even the Konoha Military Police Force was forced to become involved, everything began to tilt in an unpredictable direction.
Every day, dozens of Shinobi Clans' Ninja were imprisoned, and in the Village, which had gradually quieted down from its usual bustle, several battles occurred daily.
The Shinobi Clans' alliance, which had originally maintained patience and attempted to force Hiruzen Sarutobi to comply as he had in the past through economic means, gradually became agitated, fearful, and uneasy.
However, the Konoha Village system's strength lay in the fact that it was not a complete civilian government, but a strict military group disguised as a Village, with extremely stringent disciplinary requirements in critical moments.
And the main personnel responsible for carrying out the purge, Root, were a group of tools who neither treated others as human nor themselves as human.
This accumulation of favorable conditions created the extraordinarily high efficiency of this temporary "Internal Security Department."
Kunai, handcuffs, blank confessions.
With this set, the circulating criminal population in the Root base immediately spewed out huge blank profit margins at an incredibly fast pace.
Power, status, wealth, position.
Konoha's internal factions, which had originally been panicking due to the purge, immediately realized the immense benefits that might exist in this operation and promptly began to act.
There aren't that many fools in this world.
If someone truly says something foolish in public, it only means he is working very hard to speak for the group he represents.
Therefore, after these few days of purges, the entire Konoha's public opinion began to change its tune rapidly, on an hourly basis.
From initially condemning Orochimaru for publicly betraying the Village, to dissatisfaction with Root's brutal actions, then to the argument that some Shinobi Clans' Ninja should not be judged in such a way, and then gradually shifting to speaking out for newly promoted civilian Ninja, stating that Shinobi Clans' Ninja should not occupy so many resources that rightfully belonged to the Village… The speed of these changes in public opinion was unprecedented in the history of Konoha Village.
These shifts in public opinion involved both the jostling and guidance of various interests, as well as the covert efforts of Root and Danzo Shimura.
But no matter what, everything began to develop in their favor.
Thus, before the Shinobi Clans could even react, they found themselves bewildered, realizing that the only ones left in the entire Village still denouncing Root and upholding justice for innocent Shinobi Clans' Ninja were themselves.
All of this happened within a mere ten-plus days.
Even these Shinobi Clans themselves hadn't realized that while they were indeed the military foundation of Konoha Village, the basis for maintaining the fighting strength of the Konoha Ninja army, the number of civilian Ninja, driven by the Ninja Academy's decades-long development, had already reached a quantity sufficient to shake their status.
Civilian Ninja merely had less talent; they weren't blind, nor were they unintelligent.
They could clearly see that these Shinobi Clans' Ninja, with their inherited Ninjutsu and Bloodline Limits, grew stronger, were promoted, held high positions, received generous pensions, and enjoyed special statuses they could not attain, all at a speed they could only dream of… With this daily accumulation of dissatisfaction, how many people would truly stand by them from a purely self-interested perspective?
Precisely because of this.
Everything that followed became a matter of course.
"Be careful!"
"Get out of my way, you inferior trash!"
An Inuzuka Ninja, having scaled the courtyard wall, roared as he charged into the alley, along with his Ninja dog, attacking the patrol team blocking their path.
The Tornado Fang, sweeping like a whirlwind, left deep scratches on the walls on both sides of the alley, accompanied by a rumbling sound.
However, before his figure could dart into the street, two rotating Fūma Shuriken were already seen flying towards him.
The distinct whistling sound of metal, as soon as it collided with the Tornado Fang, emitted a series of sharp friction noises.
This sudden collision forced the Inuzuka Ninja to change his direction of breakthrough.
Unfortunately, before his figure could leap from the wall, another person in front had already completed their hand signs.
"Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!"
Gelatinous water shot out, forming a rope-like strip that quickly coiled around his recently halted figure.
The Inuzuka Ninja was about to jump to escape, but he suddenly found that his legs, touched by the sticky water rope, were unable to move, as if glued by a viscous substance.
"Damn it!"
Before he could struggle further, several patrol members swarmed him.
In just a few moves, the Inuzuka Ninja, attempting to escape, was tied up in a bundle with his Ninja dog.
"Phew…"
Watching this scene, Iruka Umino couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
It was he who had sensed the movement earlier and gone to investigate, almost getting caught in the oncoming Tornado Fang.
"Iruka, you're too careless."
Mizuki pulled out the Fūma Shuriken from the ground and reminded him with dissatisfaction, "I just told you to stay further away, didn't I?"
"Ah ha, I was too slow to react."
Iruka Umino scratched his head, embarrassed.
After so many years in teaching, his skills had indeed declined significantly compared to when he first became a Chunin.
"It's good that there were no casualties."
Izumo Kamizuki carried the Ninja dog in one hand and the Inuzuka Ninja in the other, looking effortless. "I heard that Squad Three next door lost two people yesterday while apprehending a suspect."
"Regardless of their character, these guys still have a solid foundation of strength."
"Tch, the power of the Shinobi Clans is not something you common peasants can imagine."
"If it weren't for the numerical advantage, you bastards wouldn't stand a chance against me…"
The Inuzuka Ninja, still bound on the ground, looked indignant and shouted loudly.
"Shut up!"
Mizuki glared at him angrily, but a hint of malicious pleasure was hidden in his eyes: "I've long been annoyed by you guys who hoard your skills."
"If you hadn't hidden all your Ninjutsu, we wouldn't have to reinvent old stuff that already existed."
"You just learned a bit more than us, and you really think it's your own ability."
"Serves you right!"
He was a person with strong jealousy, and now that he had a rare opportunity to kick someone when they were down, how could he let it go?
"Alright, Mizuki."
Iruka Umino tried to mediate a couple of times, then turned to the Inuzuka Ninja and said, "Didn't I tell you that you just need to cooperate with the Internal Affairs Department's investigation? We're not going to kill you."
"Now that you've run away, your whole family will have to pay a large sum of money."
"Stop pretending, you lowlifes!"
The Inuzuka Ninja, however, looked disdainfully at his good-natured demeanor: "Who doesn't know that Internal Affairs Department is here to deal with us Shinobi Clans?"
"So many people are arrested every day, countless people confessing for no reason, do you think we don't know anything?!"
"Isn't that because you collectively disobeyed orders?" Izumo Kamizuki's expression was cold. "The Shinobi Clans' Secret Jutsu Disclosure Order has been out for ten days now. The development of artificial Bloodline Limits is research that can benefit every Konoha Ninja and significantly enhance their strength."
"It's inevitable that you, who go against the Village's path, will be struck down."
"You bastard—!"
The Inuzuka Ninja's struggles suddenly intensified, shaking constantly while being held in mid-air, trying to bite him.
Izumo Kamizuki merely watched with disdain, his expression cold.
He and Kotetsu Hagane had been guarding the Konoha Gate for quite some time.
His rank was still Chunin.
His life was clearly about to skip thirty years of detours, becoming a gatekeeper old man prematurely.
The reason was simple.
No background, no talent, no resources, and no noble benefactor.
Neither training nor promotion ever came to him; he seemed destined to be trapped within the gates of Konoha his entire life, seeing no hope.
But ever since Root began pursuing Orochimaru's remnants a few days ago, an opportunity arose.
The Ninja Academy was temporarily suspended, the Village halted missions, and a large number of idle Ninja were gathered to search for and blockade fleeing individuals and Ninja Clan territories.
Initially, he was unwilling to fight these fellow Village Ninja.
After all, what was the point?
However, when scrolls of various Ninja Clan secret techniques and jutsu were sent from the Root base and distributed to them, everything began to change.
Knowledge, by its very nature, only holds value when it circulates.
Yet, all of this was hoarded by these individuals, who, though called Shinobi Clans, were in reality monopolistic groups within Konoha.
It seemed they would rather let these documents rot in the library than allow people like them to improve.
After realizing this, everything he did began to feel justified.
I trained hard for years, why should I be inferior to your genetic inheritance over generations?
Just because you were born well?
This resentment was not apparent during his school days, but over the years as he grew from a young gatekeeper to a young adult gatekeeper, and watched his former classmates rise steadily, it accumulated even more deeply.
The conflict between civilians and Shinobi Clans was just missing such a small catalyst.
Coincidentally, the great purge arrived.
"Enough, Izumo."
Iruka Umino tried to be patient and continued to persuade, "At least finish the mission first."
"Hmph."
Izumo Kamizuki then closed his mouth.
The commotion on the street only lasted a short while, but it could be heard clearly from the courtyards within the streets on both sides.
Nara Shikamaru sat quietly under the outer eaves of the courtyard corridor, a Shogi board in front of him. The Rook piece in his hand hovered in mid-air for a long time without being placed, his eyes quietly gazing at the empty seat opposite the board, seemingly lost in thought.
This posture was maintained for a long time before the piece was gradually put down, but it was placed off the board.
He turned his head, looking at the high courtyard walls, his lips tightly pressed.
Although he was only seven years old this year, as the son of the Nara Clan head, with a mind even superior to his father's generation and an IQ exceeding two hundred, and having read extensively since childhood, he naturally had his own unique perspective on society and life.
It was only now that Nara Shikamaru suddenly realized that this world might be very different from the image he had conceived.
The human facade is truly an excellent disguise; the true nature of one's heart, no matter how many thousands of times one has read about it in books, is not as deeply remembered as seeing it once in reality.
"So, the internal conflicts within the Village have already accumulated to such an extent?"
"Still too naive."
As a child, there was a natural information barrier between him and adults; many things often had to develop to an undeniable point before he could belatedly realize the seriousness of the situation.
However, as the son of the Clan head, having naturally inherited the excellent intellect of the Nara Clan, he seemed unfit to express any neutral opinions.
Whether it was the Shinobi Clans or the civilians, they were all essentially fighting for their inherent interests and positions.
Both sides believed in their own justice, so whose was correct, and whose was wrong?
The only thing that made him slightly uneasy was one point.
"This time, who exactly is manipulating all of this from behind the scenes?"
Nara Shikamaru cupped his chin, subconsciously muttering softly.
The precise entry point of the problem and the decisive execution truly made him somewhat fearful.
Under such sharp and continuous attacks, even the already loose alliance within the Shinobi Clans would probably be gradually divided, wouldn't it?
Indeed, it was happier to be a child who knew nothing.
Just as Nara Shikamaru was thinking this, he suddenly heard a hurried footsteps from the room.
Turning his head, he saw his father, who hadn't left the room for three days, putting on his Konoha vest with a tired face and striding out the door.
Nara Shikamaru was startled and subconsciously called out, "Dad?"
"At a time like this, what are you going out for?"
Hearing his son's voice, Nara Shikaku forced a smile and casually said, "Just a bit of trouble."
"I might not be home on time tonight, remember to eat with Mom first."
"Oh…"
Nara Shikamaru responded softly, watching his father's gaze as he stepped out the door, his mood inevitably heavy.
After a long while, the young man let out a soft sigh, looking like a miniature adult.
As the son of the Clan head, he naturally had a position that he could not avoid.
"This is really troublesome."
Nara Shikaku exited the door, the expression on his scarred face gradually becoming serious. He still carried an unknown note in his pocket, his mind constantly pondering.
It wasn't until he followed the location marked on the note into an alley and then into the basement inside that he looked at the figure in front of him and said coldly, "Using such complex cipher to lure me here, I imagine you're not in the mood for small talk. Let's be a little more direct."
"Who are you?"
The short man in the basement turned around, revealing a slightly youthful face with his mouth and nose covered by bandages, and calmly said, "My name is Hiruko."
"If you've read Konoha's Scientific Research Outlook Reports from issue thirty-five to forty-two, you should have heard the name."
Nara Shikaku frowned: "Someone from Root?"
"Your intelligence is quite good."
Hiruko nodded coldly: "As expected of the Hokage's strategist."
After learning the other party's Root identity, Nara Shikaku's expression inadvertently softened a bit. He sat down on a wooden chair nearby and looked at him calmly: "You underestimate your own reputation, Jonin Hiruko."
"To have once achieved illustrious Meritorious Service alongside the Sannin during the Second Ninja World War, then to have retired to a secondary role due to scientific research, and still continuously produce high-quality papers—that's not something just anyone can do."
"To make a long story short, you should be aware of the current situation of our Nara Clan, or more precisely, the Shinobi Clans' Ninja."
"Given your background, you probably don't like mutual speculation among politicians. I can tell you clearly that if your intelligence can improve our current situation to a certain extent, then the price I can pay is far more than you imagine."
Listening to his words, Hiruko instinctively frowned at first, but by the time Nara Shikaku finished speaking, his frown involuntarily relaxed.
A great reputation is never undeserved.
The other party was clearly mentioning the memory he least wanted to bring up, yet he managed to praise him in a way that felt very comfortable, and his logic was clear and precise enough.
Negotiating with smart people was indeed much easier than confiding in fools.
However, he naturally wouldn't show this emotional change in front of Nara Shikaku, his tone still cold: "I regret to say, I probably can't give you as much help as you imagine."
"The only sufficiently weighty piece of information is this one."
"The person currently pushing the purge of the Shinobi Clans within Root, or rather, the Internal Affairs Department, is not Danzo Shimura."
Nara Shikaku's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously narrowed his eyes, the scar on his face twitching for a moment.
Hiruko's voice continued, "Aizen Sōsuke, I wonder if you've heard that name."
"Although it's hard to believe, based on my own judgment, most of Root's actual power, especially the real authority to push forward this operation, is essentially controlled by him alone."
"I don't know the specific situation of Danzo Shimura."
"If we consider the worst-case scenario..." At this point, Hiruko's lips, hidden beneath layers of bandages, seemed to twitch upwards, and he quietly looked at the man opposite him, saying in a low voice, "He's probably been completely controlled by him."
"How is that possible?!"
Nara Shikaku finally couldn't hold back, instinctively exclaiming, his eyelids wide open.
He, as the Hokage's strategist, had heard much about Root's methods; most of their pawns were subjected to various seals, serving Danzo Shimura's autocracy entirely.
Forget controlling him; even breaking free from his control was an extremely difficult task.
The Aburame Clan and the Yamanaka Clan had supplied Root with talent for many years, but even they couldn't ascertain the whereabouts of their own clan members.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi found it hard to bypass Danzo and directly mobilize Root's forces.
Danzo Shimura's control over his department was evident.
Aizen Sōsuke.
If he remembered correctly, he should be Kakashi's peer, right?
So young, from an ordinary background, and just a research Jonin.
Nara Shikaku couldn't imagine such a possibility.
"As I said, this is just my speculation."
Hiruko's voice gradually grew colder as he watched him quietly, stating calmly, "As for what to do, that's your Shinobi Clans' business."
"I don't really have any need for the rewards you can offer; I just hope... your efforts can make him reveal a slight flaw."
"Please don't underestimate that man."
With that, Hiruko truly turned and left, not sparing Nara Shikaku another glance.
He alone remained standing, deep in thought.
Unfortunately, he faced the same dilemma as his son.
Too little information.
"Aizen Sōsuke..."
Nara Shikaku murmured the name, his brows furrowing tightly.
For the first time, he felt that this name, which often appeared on the Hokage Building staff list, was so unfamiliar.
Also, what was the conflict between Hiruko and this man? Could they use it to their advantage?
Nara Shikaku pondered as he stepped out of the basement, walking home.
However, just as he turned a street corner, he suddenly heard a scream from a room opposite.
"Ah—!"
He guardedly looked up.
Immediately after, he saw a hazy, mist-like purple miasma suddenly burst out from the courtyard of the house across the street.
"Beep beep wah—!!"
Whistling alarms from the surrounding streets were incessant, accompanied by screams from the center of that courtyard, and the sharp cries of children.
Nara Shikaku stared at the courtyard, his eyes widening.
Was that Aburame Shigehira's house?
"Torune! Stop!"
In the courtyard, Aburame Shigehira struggled to maintain the suppression of a large number of nano-poison insects, trying to confine the purple smoke in front of him to a certain area, constantly roaring.
However, the continuously rising purple waves came one after another, ceaselessly gushing out from Torune Aburame's body, as if they would never end.
Around the child, three bodies lay dead.
Two of them wore Root uniforms, and one was his wife's younger brother.
At this moment, Aburame Shigehira's heart was filled only with regret.
As one of the few nano-poison insect users in the Aburame Clan, and a high-ranking member, he clearly knew how dire the situation in the Village was. Yet, seeing his wife's younger brother, who was fleeing and being pursued, pleading with him, a high-ranking official, to intervene, he reluctantly agreed out of consideration for his deceased wife.
As a result, Root tracked him to his home based on his traces.
Not only that, they completely disregarded his dignity as a strong individual, directly acting against his wife's younger brother, which Torune happened to witness.
As his son, Torune Aburame was also a rare nano-poison insect user, but he was still in the adaptation period, having only recently had the insects implanted.
Merely sensing a huge Chakra fluctuation, under external force and internal shock, the unstable nano-poison insects in his body immediately began to rampage, corroding his body while indiscriminately poisoning everyone around him.
Now, he alone had to maintain the situation.
Controlling both the spread of the poison insects and Torune's rampage was not as simple as one plus one equals two.
Now, hearing the increasingly dense "wah wah" whistling sounds outside, and sensing the growing crowd on the streets, how could Aburame Shigehira not know that things had become serious?
Urgency, anger, anxiety.
All sorts of emotions converged in his chest, making him, too, become irritable with the changes in the poison insects.
Nano-poison insects were not ordinary poison insects; their virulence and widespread diffusion capabilities far exceeded normal imagination.
Aburame Shigehira couldn't imagine what kind of consequences would ensue if this toxicity were to spread among the crowd.
Just as he began to consider whether to take Torune and flee Konoha, becoming fugitives, the front courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.
"No—!"
Aburame Shigehira instinctively shouted.
What appeared in his sight was a tall, unfamiliar young man with glasses, a katana at his waist, and a gentle, calm expression.
Purple mist permeated the courtyard, the child's wails seemed to pierce eardrums, and the intense toxic gas emitted by the nano-poison insects was enough to paralyze one's entire body with just a single whiff. Yet, this young man seemed to ignore it all, walking step by step towards them.
As if noticing Aburame Shigehira's tension, the young man opposite him subtly gestured with his eyes and smiled gently, "It's fine."
Aburame Shigehira was startled by his words.
The next moment, he saw the young man raise a hand towards the direction where the purple smoke was rising.
Then, he pressed it down.
"Boom!"
In an instant, Aburame Shigehira felt as if his soul trembled with the other's movement for a moment, experiencing a dislocated sensation of his entire body vibrating with it.
The surrounding atmosphere surged like a tornado, a strong wind danced, and a heavy pressure gradually forced the scattered nano-poison insects to converge, forming an invisible membrane. It tore through the rampaging Chakra, pressing down on every tiny nano-poison insect that was too small to be seen with the naked eye.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion.
At this moment, Aburame Shigehira felt as if he could hear the wails from the depths of the souls of every nano-poison insect he had raised since childhood within his own body, continuously transmitting extreme fear.
So much so that even he, the 'insect nest', was affected at this moment. The Chakra he originally used to control the poison insects was gradually crushed and squeezed under this intense pressure.
He watched in a daze as the purple mist formed by the nano-poison insects, under that continuously pressing hand, fearfully swarmed back into Torune's body as if fleeing, losing its frenzy, leaving only an empty white.
How... how was this done?
Aburame Shigehira stared at the young man in front of him, his expression blank as if in a trance.
The other person seemed to read his mind, smiling gently at him, "Don't worry."
"It's just a simple Genjutsu targeting the soul."
Aburame Shigehira pursed his lips, his throat feeling dry.
Targeting the soul?
Simple Genjutsu?
Even creatures as minuscule and invisible as nano-poison insects could be affected to this extent?
If this was considered simple, then what was his lifetime of insect-control techniques to be considered?
"Who are you?"
He didn't even realize that his voice was dry and hoarse.
The young man opposite him still maintained his humble and polite demeanor, nodding slightly to him, "Nice to meet you for the first time, Lord Aburame Shigehira."
"I am Aizen Sōsuke."
Aburame Shigehira was startled by his words, seeming a bit awkward.
Because of their physique and secret techniques, most of the Aburame Clan members were homebodies, so he had never heard that name.
However, immediately after, the other's actions made him tense up.
Aizen Sōsuke stepped forward, single-handedly lifting the unconscious Torune Aburame, and with his other hand, picked up his deceased wife's younger brother, preparing to leave.
"Please wait."
Aburame Shigehira's voice was urgent, "I understand that my wife's younger brother is under suspicion."
"But Torune is just a child, please, by all means..."
"I apologize, Lord Aburame Shigehira."
Aizen Sōsuke's smile remained as gentle as ever as he turned his head to look at him, "In this Village, there are only Ninja and non-Ninja."
"Furthermore, two Root members have already paid the price with their lives due to Torune Aburame's actions."
"For the rest of his life, let Torune serve Root to atone for some of his sins."
"This..."
Aburame Shigehira's expression froze; first, he was subconsciously somewhat relieved, and then immediately became urgent, "But, but Torune is only ten years old."
"Please understand."
Under Aizen Sōsuke's deceptively gentle exterior, his voice was calm to the point of being cold, "Moreover, precisely because he is still a child, he can have such treatment."
"You should understand, shouldn't you, Lord Aburame Shigehira?"
"..."
Aburame Shigehira watched him, standing powerlessly in place. Although the other person was walking step by step towards the door, he found it incredibly difficult to take even the first step, as if all his mental energy had been drained by that simple yet profoundly shocking 'Genjutsu' scene.
Nara Shikaku, who had already arrived nearby, stood among the crowd, quietly watching the tall figure.
Aizen Sōsuke... was it?
Nara Shikaku had also witnessed his 'Genjutsu' just now, and his mood grew even heavier.
This incident seemed far more complicated than he had imagined.
After Aizen and his group gradually moved away, his gaze returned to Aburame Shigehira, who stood in the center of the courtyard with a blank look, and he sighed, shaking his head slightly.
Finally, after an unknown period of standing.
Aburame Shigehira seemed to have finally made up his mind, suddenly raising his head and striding towards the door.
"Lord Head!".
"Please give your command!"
"The current situation has developed to a point where we can no longer tolerate it!"
The words echoing in the center of the room's main hall were clearly audible, and the anger in the voice was undisguised.
Aburame Shigehira looked at the clan members kneeling before him, and at the leader at the very front of these people, one of the strongest in the clan—Aburame Shigehira—and habitually fell silent.
He had already heard about what had just happened.
Although the Aburame Clan did not have a fixed clan territory, due to the physique and secret techniques of its members, most of them actually lived near forests, often just a few steps apart.
For such an incident to occur, and for someone forcibly abducted by Root to be one of their clan's foreseeable strongest individuals in the future, it was unrealistic to say that Shibi Abibi had no qualms whatsoever.
But how could the clan members know how dire the current situation was?
The economic suppression and politically conservative strategies originally formulated at the Shinobi Clans' meeting had not only failed to work but had also led to them losing a large amount of benefits due to Root's incredibly high efficiency.
The internal restraints of the Shinobi Clans, originally intended to avoid direct conflict with the Hokage's faction, had now become a sharp sword of appeasement for the internal affairs department, blatantly pressed against their backs.
They dared not act, nor dared to simply accept defeat.
Moreover, if one were to say that this 'Internal Affairs Department' had pushed them to the point of having to resist, it didn't seem to be entirely the case; most of these high-ranking Shinobi Clans were still left with a glimmer of hope.
Furthermore, in this short period, many civilian Ninja had also been drawn to their side through public opinion and organization, making these Shinobi Clans' Ninja incredibly passive.
Politics, economy, military, public opinion—a full-scale retreat.
Even Aburame Shigehira himself couldn't understand how a situation that was originally fine had suddenly turned like this.
Naturally, when facing these radical clan members, he became even more hesitant to respond.
However, his silence this time did not work.
As if anticipating his reaction, the eyes of these clan members grew increasingly hostile.
"Please give your command, Lord Head!"
In the crowd, a young Aburame Ninja spoke again, pressing him.
It wasn't just him.
Most of those present shared this attitude.
"Sigh."
After a long pause, Aburame Shigehira finally rose from his seat and sighed, "I'll find a way."
"Lord Head, this..."
Aburame Shigehira was about to say something more when Aburame Shigehira interrupted, "Things haven't reached that point yet."
"The Aburame Clan cannot have its bloodline cut off today."
"Shibi."
"Please trust me this once."
Upon hearing this, Aburame Shigehira knelt in place, silent for a long time, and finally said nothing more.
Aburame Shigehira did not continue to wait for their reaction, instead walking step by step towards the study, opening a passage leading underground.
He stepped into this dark space, looking at the winding long shadow that swayed slightly in the candlelight ahead, and bowed, saying, "I apologize for disturbing you suddenly without permission or prior arrangement."
"Also, this is an apology for my previous doubts about you."
"As you said before."
"That man indeed possesses incredible power."
"..."
Aburame Shigehira's voice echoed slightly in the empty secret room, but he was met with silence.
The always silent man did not get up, but remained in his bowed posture, waiting quietly.
"Hiss hiss..."
Suddenly, the faint rustling of a snake's tongue sounded from the shadows ahead, exceptionally clear in the dark secret room.
"Those minor matters, I don't care about."
"Shibi-kun."
Accompanied by this hoarse voice, the long shadow in the candlelight ahead slowly supported its winding body, revealing its form in the bright firelight.
It was a snake with entirely white scales.
He looked at the man before him with his golden vertical pupils, and a meaningful smile appeared on his human-like snake face, his tone calm, "At least, now we have a good start."