Chapter 435: The Demonstration
Across the boundless ocean.
Beyond the massive island, the giant avian creature flapped its colossal wings.
Every single freshman watched intently, waiting for the demonstration to begin.
They wanted to see just how incredible this legendary freshman orientation ritual truly was.
Besides, with so many jonin gathered here specifically for this display, it had to be mind-blowing.
"Shino, you go first," Naruto said to Shino Aburame.
"Right."
Wearing a subtle smile, Shino stepped forward to the front edge of the platform and addressed the freshmen: "What I'm about to demonstrate is the power of the Aburame clan's insect manipulation. Watch closely."
Bzzzzz!
Without making any flashy hand seals, the cuffs, collars, and various openings of his high-fashion streetwear began to emit a deep, vibrating hum.
The next moment, an infinite swarm of black bugs poured out from his body.
More and more and more.
It was completely overwhelming.
Like a vast storm cloud rolling across the sky, the insects surged forward and blanketed the island below.
Bzz!
"Insect Feast."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Resembling a dense cloud of arrows raining down from the heavens, the bugs plunged downward, targeting every single tree across the island.
Crack...
"Those bugs are so creepy! I want my mommy!"
"That's the Aburame family's insect technique—the Destruction Bugs! I can't believe he can release that many at once. Incredible!"
While some were terrified, others weren't scared at all, watching the spectacle with rapt attention and wide-eyed fascination.
Then, they witnessed the hundreds-of-meter-tall ancient trees below get completely wiped out in the blink of an eye.
Countless wild beasts began fleeing in every direction.
Judging by how frantically they scattered, this clearly wasn't the first time they had experienced this; the animals scampered away with practiced familiarity.
A few fierce beasts attempted to fight back.
Spitting out flames, lightning, and other ninjutsu, they tried to retaliate against the invading swarm.
It was like a plague of locusts.
Whether it was giant trees, ferocious beasts, ninjutsu, or other flora, the moment the swarm touched any organic matter, it was devoured instantly.
"If he used that against us, we'd be completely wiped out in a single second... So this is the secret technique of the Aburame clan?!"
Boruto's eyes bulged as he stared at Shino's terrifying display.
Could even the legendary friend of his old man and his own personal idol, Sasuke Uchiha, pull off a scale like this?
Keep in mind that the island was massive, filled with giant plants and colossal beasts, yet it was being systematically leveled by a single attack.
The devastated island was now pitted with deep craters, stripped of any semblance of its original scenery.
This was easily on par with the villain's Shinra Tensei from that massive Pain Invasion blockbuster movie where his dad played the starring hero.
He never imagined that this soft-spoken, seemingly unremarkable teacher could be this powerful.
Standing beside Boruto, Mitsuki kept a steady, amused smile as he listened to his classmate's muttered awe.
Boruto wasn't the only one.
Every other member of the new generation dropped their jaws in absolute shock.
Was this really just part of an orientation ritual?
Did it seriously have to be on this scale?!
"Hmph, that's pretty impressive alright, but our clan's secret techniques can achieve just as wide a range. I'm definitely going to surpass this bug-using teacher one day!" declared a young girl wearing cat ears and a green tactical vest.
Standing right beside her, a boy with a center-part hairstyle and overalls chimed in, "It really is amazing though. How on earth are we supposed to reach that level? Maybe only the secret techniques of your clan, Isawani, can pull off such large-scale attacks!
I heard that during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Captain Tonbo used your clan's secret technique to summon a gigantic cat god standing over a thousand meters tall, going toe-to-toe with the legendary Madara Uchiha's Susanoo."
Izuno Wasabi tossed her head proudly. "That's right! My old man was trained by Captain Tonbo himself. Even if he isn't the strongest guy around, since Captain Tonbo made my clan's secret arts look that cool, I'm definitely going to master them too!"
"Too bad my dad didn't quite grasp the true essence of Captain Tonbo's teachings, but I won't fall behind either," Fuma Shiki said, clenching his fists tightly.
Their fathers had all been trained by Captain Tonbo as children.
And every single one of them held Captain Tonbo up as their ultimate benchmark.
Seeing this spectacle today genuinely stoked the fires of their ambition.
"Hmph, I won't end up any weaker than that teacher—in fact, I'm going to surpass him," vowed a young boy adorned with three ribbon-like markings on his clothing and bearing the crest of the Hozuki clan, looking thoroughly unconvinced.
His family's secret techniques were capable of massive area-of-effect destruction as well.
According to stories from his elders, as long as one mastered the clan's Shinatudahikogu technique and possessed a sufficient reserve of chakra, pulling off world-shattering moves like this was entirely within the realm of possibility.
Bzzzz!
As the demonstration concluded, Shino recalled every single insect back to his body.
The opening performance should have provided more than enough shock value.
Shino wore a proud, satisfied smile.
Surveying the fresh-faced kids and catching the awe in their eyes, he felt wonderfully vindicated.
He was finally shedding that old label of being the "guy with zero presence."
Because of the Aburame clan's natural tendency to have low presence, Tobitake Tonbo had personally guided him on how to counteract it, helping him find a reliable solution.
Shino was now capable of utilizing a specific secret technique to artificially boost his own vital life energy, granting him a much stronger sense of presence despite practicing insect-manipulation arts.
After all, he was an academy instructor now.
He was no longer just the silent assassin or frontline shinobi he used to be.
"Shino, your ninjutsu has improved again. Looks like you haven't slacked off on training over the years," Naruto remarked with a grin as he watched the bugs return.
Though Shino hadn't commanded much presence in his youth, he had always provided everyone around him with a profound sense of security.
Today, he was a Two-Star Insect-Manipulation Shinobi—the strongest bug master in the world second only to Shibi Aburame.
Over the years, he had continuously innovated, developing countless practical uses for his insects. Aside from combat applications, he had even engineered bugs that produced delicious foods and useful household tools.
He was a bug master in the truest sense of the word.
Shino replied, "Of course. Unlike you, I don't have to spend all day chained to the Hokage's desk, and my dad handles most of the clan's administrative duties anyway."
He hadn't inherited the title of clan head.
Instead, he chose the path of an educator.
Being a teacher naturally meant he lacked the surplus time required to manage clan politics, so Shibi Aburame remained at the helm of the Aburame clan while personally training the next generation's successor.
Naruto paused for a moment, a rueful thought crossing his mind.
It was true—over the years, the heavy burden of the Hokage's office had severely cut into his personal ninjutsu training time.
Fortunately, Konoha's modern training systems were robust enough to keep him sharp.
His own personal growth over the years hadn't lagged behind either.
"Alright, Shino's performance is wrapped up. Next up is my turn—the Blue Beast of Konoha, Might Guy!"
Might Guy boomed at the top of his lungs, eager to display his burning youth as he began running through a series of dynamic stretching exercises to warm up.
"Hold on, Guy! Warm up all you want, but let the younger kids finish their performances first so we can let them bask in the spotlight," Tobitake Tonbo interrupted, waving a hand to stop him.
If Guy went right now, the sheer visual impact of whatever followed would pale in comparison.
A good show required a gradual buildup of layers.
"Very well!" Guy flashed a gleaming thumbs-up.
Naruto chuckled as well. "Konohamaru, why don't you take the stage next? Let me see your progress over the years. If you want that Eighth Hokage seat, personal strength is just as important as public recognition!"
Hearing this, Konohamaru grinned broadly.
You bet it is.
The Eighth Hokage position was rightfully his.
Now it was his turn to take the stage, and his display was guaranteed to blow their minds.
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