Hanzo of the Salamander looked at his summoned beast, which was currently "playing dead" in a fit of stubborn exhaustion. He didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
Behind him, several Jonin looked equally dejected. With Ibuse on strike, the Ame-nin had no source of high-grade toxins. They couldn't exactly treat their leader like a human battery and strap him into a vat to pump him for venom.
Try that, and Hanzo would likely kill them before the first drop was drawn.
The memory of being tormented by the swarms was still fresh, and the Ame ninjas were universally terrified that the Konoha bug-user would once again descend upon them.
"In the end, a Great Nation is still a Great Nation," one whispered. "A mere swarm of insects has us gasping for air."
"Should we ask Lord Onoki for aid?"
Hanzo turned back, his voice steady. "No need. We wait. Let's see how the situation develops first."
"With that much poison drenched into the soil, it's bound to have an effect eventually."
"Yes, my Lord."
Hanzo was right about one thing: Aburame Tetsumaru had finally backed off. Now that the Ame-nin had pushed the Land of Rain into "Wasteland Mode," the environmental damage was catastrophic. Hanzo likely wanted to skin him alive. If Tetsumaru continued to stir the nest, he'd almost certainly provoke the "Half-God" into a personal manhunt.
Tetsumaru had no desire to replicate the legendary feat of the Sannin. He didn't have a Hokage for a teacher to make Hanzo hesitate; given his recent track record, Hanzo would beat him to death without a second thought.
In times like these, it was best to let one's patron handle the fallout.
Inside the command tent, Orochimaru didn't even look up from his paperwork. "Go to the laboratory and wait for me. I'll be there shortly."
After a brief wait in the lab, Orochimaru arrived. He casually picked up a file from the desk and tossed it to Tetsumaru. "Take a look. If you're satisfied, I'll trade this for the Domain Field Barrier."
Tetsumaru flipped through it while shaking his head. "Lord Orochimaru, this won't work. The barrier involves the core secret arts of the Aburame. I don't have the authority to trade it."
"Read it. Read the whole thing before you speak."
Orochimaru let out a cold, rasping laugh. Only two months had passed since Nawaki's death, yet he looked like he had aged ten years. His "human scent" was fading by the day; he looked more like a serpent than a man now.
Tetsumaru fell silent and focused on the document. It was a set of experimental records detailing Orochimaru's research on snakes—specifically, body-enlargement mutations and multi-rune engraving experiments. The subsequent sections on advanced evolution had been redacted.
"Will you trade?"
"Lord Orochimaru, the Domain Field Barrier is still based on clan techniques..." (You'll have to sweeten the deal.)
"The things you've already traded me contain the foundations of the Aburame arts anyway, don't they?" (Don't try to high-ball me, or I'll tell your parents.)
"The previous exchanges only touched on superficial concepts. The clan wouldn't care about those." (I'm not scared. Pay up.)
"Those 'superficial' jutsu are quite powerful. Does the Aburame clan really value them so little?" (Are you sure about that?)
"Don't joke, my Lord. You didn't lose out on those trades either." (You're an accomplice now, so I'm definitely not scared.)
The two men—serpentine vertical pupils meeting dark sunglasses—stared at each other for several seconds before simultaneously breaking into a smirk.
"Very well," Orochimaru said smoothly. "I'll include the data for a body modification technique."
"..." Now it was Tetsumaru's turn to be rattled. "Soft Physique Modification? My Lord, are you trying to become my teacher?"
"Ha. In your dreams. You smell like a hive; you're not suited to be my disciple."
"Oh."
Orochimaru reached under the table and hauled up a massive stack of documents, slamming them onto the desk. "These are the full experimental records. I don't feel like sorting them. Take the lot."
Then, he leaned forward and "vomited" a scroll from his throat, tossing the wet cylinder to Tetsumaru. "And there is the Soft Physique Modification."
Tetsumaru used two Flight-Locusts to pick up the damp scroll with an expression of pure disgust. He wiped it down, organized the files, and sealed the entire haul into a storage scroll. Then, he pulled a pre-prepared scroll from his vest and handed it to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru took the scroll and, without opening it, swallowed it whole. They had traded enough times now that a fundamental level of trust had been established.
"Tetsumaru, stop provoking the Ame-nin for a while."
"Understood. That's actually why I came to see you. How should we proceed?"
"As sharp as ever. I want you to take a few missions. Leave the Rain Country theater and rotate to another battlefield for a bit."
Tetsumaru frowned. He didn't want to leave the Land of Rain because his Broodmother was still active. If he was gone for too long and the hive went rogue, it could cause an ecological disaster.
Anyone who researches biology fears the "miracle of life." A high-reproduction organism left unchecked can lead to an invasive species crisis. Insects, being at the bottom of the food chain, can destroy an ecosystem from the ground up, triggering a mass extinction event.
Orochimaru sensed his hesitation. "I don't know what you're worried about, but you must leave. If you stay away for a while, the heat will die down. Just like... well, you know."
Just like Nawaki-senpai's death, Tetsumaru thought. It had ended in silence.
Even when Tsunade discovered that her brother's internal organs were missing and tore the Hokage's office apart in a rage, the incident had still faded from conversation within two months.
"Yes. Life is more important than anything else. Once you're dead, nothing matters." Tetsumaru made his decision. If the Broodmother had to be stopped, it would be stopped. If it couldn't be stopped, it would be destroyed.
No matter how important or expensive the hive was, it was an external tool. If it threatened his safety, he had to let it go.
Orochimaru let out a long, weary sigh at those words. "My parents died, and now no one remembers them but me. Nawaki died, and in a few days, no one will care. Life is so fragile. Tetsumaru... I used to think your ideal of immortality was a joke. Now I see I was wrong. To live forever is the only ideal worth having."
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru waved him away. Tetsumaru shouldered his storage scroll and left the lab.
Through his Domain Field Barrier, Tetsumaru caught a final glimpse of the lab before the door closed. He saw Orochimaru silently lick a tear from the corner of his eye before standing up to clear the workbench.
As the door shut, the lab's seals cut off Tetsumaru's connection, trapping the dozen insects he'd left inside. He didn't care about the loss; he was rich enough now that a few thousand bugs were just a drop in the bucket.
Orochimaru knew about Tetsumaru's habit of leaving "eyes" everywhere. He'd likely perform a full decontamination of the lab in a moment, erasing any trace of the bugs.
Tetsumaru picked up a B-rank "Sentinel" mission: infiltrate the Land of Vegetables (Bear Country) to observe the conflict between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth. The mission included a bonus: capture a prisoner. If he brought back a Jonin—even just a head—the mission would be upgraded to A-rank.
He chose this mission because it was far away, offered a lot of autonomy, and had a flexible timeframe.
His first task was to handle the Broodmother. He'd hoped to put the hive into hibernation and bury it for future use. However, the Cerebrate (Brain Bug) had grown too large—over fourteen tons. It had completely lost the metabolic capacity for hibernation.
If it couldn't sleep, it needed constant energy. He couldn't bury it. Furthermore, the constant activity of the supply insects would leave a trail that would eventually be discovered, exposing one of his greatest secrets.
It was unacceptable. Weighing his options, Tetsumaru finally pulled out a vial of pure, concentrated purple Salamander venom and injected it directly into the Cerebrate.
He waited until the brain bug went rigid, and then waited longer until the tissues began to soften. Finally, he used twenty explosive tags to collapse the underground chamber, burying the remains forever.
After scrubbing all surface traces, Tetsumaru set off for the Land of Vegetables.
With the near-holographic perception of his Domain Field Barrier, Tetsumaru's scouting ability surpassed even the Byakugan, provided he didn't move too fast for the swarm to keep up. His journey was flawless.
The mission itself was equally smooth. He was an expert at tunneling, hiding his chakra signature, and utilizing his 1,500-meter sensory radius. He was arguably one of the most effective scouts in the world.
By the sixth day, he had mapped out the "Wind-Earth" war. The Sand were strategically on the defensive but tactically aggressive, yet they were being systematically dismantled.
The Iwa commander was Akatsuchi. He followed the standard Iwa style: slow, steady, and methodical. He built fortified bunkers, seized every water source, and controlled every village, slowly strangling the Sand's breathing room.
Iwa would win, but it would be slow. They hadn't advanced three kilometers in a month. This war was going to last a long time.
Interestingly, while the Sand and Stone were tearing each other apart, the ninjas of the Land of Vegetables were fighting a desperate, bloody war against the ninjas of the Land of Stones to the southwest. Both small countries had been caught in the wake of the Great War, their economies ruined. To survive, they had turned their blades on each other. It was the tragic reality of being a small nation.
Having gathered his intel, Tetsumaru prepared to withdraw. He intended to sneak into Hoshigakure (Hidden Star Village) to see the legendary "Star" and catch a glimpse of the Mysterious Peacock Method. A ninjutsu that granted flight was a rare find.
However, as he was slipping toward the village, he was suddenly spotted.
"Come out, you sneaky little rat!"
Tetsumaru felt the kunai, shuriken, and tantō on his person—as well as the beetles and locusts tucked into his gear—suddenly jerk and pull him toward the surface. What kind of jutsu is this?
Tetsumaru leaped out of the ground. He gripped a vibrating kunai to parry a hail of shuriken, then retaliated with a volley of his own.
To his surprise, his shuriken swerved in mid-air, missing the enemy entirely, while the shuriken he had just parried looped back around to aim for his spine.
Tetsumaru stopped dodging. He flooded his Armor Beetles with chakra, forcing them to lock their carapaces tight.
Clang! Clang! Clang! The shuriken slammed into the beetles and bounced off. The blades were either chipped or bent by the impact.
"Suna ninja... what is your name?" Tetsumaru asked, looking at his opponent. The man wasn't on the list of known Sand Jonin.
"Konoha ninja, I am Chisago of the Magnet Style, a newly promoted Jonin of the Hidden Sand," the man replied arrogantly. "Remember the name, for it is the name of the man sending you to the Pure Land."
Magnet Style, I've heard of. Chisago, I haven't. Sounds like a dead man walking, Tetsumaru thought. This guy's Magnet Style wasn't like the Third or Fourth Kazekage's; it was troublesome but didn't feel overwhelmingly powerful. Is he really a Jonin?
"Heh. You really think four of you can kill me? Are all Sand ninjas this delusional?"
"Foolish Leaf ninja. It isn't four of us. I can kill you by myself."
The arrogant Chisago suddenly went cold and calm. "Preparations complete. Die."
From Tetsumaru's back and flanks, three rare ninja tools—Vajra Pestles—flew toward him. They were much heavier than kunai and spun with lethal velocity as they lunged for his vitals.
As the pestles struck, the three Sand Genin following Chisago sneered.
"Another fool blinded by the Captain's act."
"Lord Chisago's arrogance is the perfect mask. Everyone falls for it."
"A mere Leaf ninja... the Captain's Vajra Pestles can even pierce through Iwa armor."
Chisago, however, looked tense. "Shut up! The fight isn't over!"
The "Tetsumaru" who had been hit smirked and instantly dissolved into a thousand Kikaichu.
"An Insect Clone! He's an Aburame!"
Chisago's hands blurred through seals. "Magnet Style can control your bugs too!"
Magnet Style: Blade of Repulsion!
A powerful magnetic wave swept outward. The scattered Kikaichu were caught in the field and forced into a tight, spinning ball. They collided with each other at high speeds, being pulverized into dust in seconds.
"Hmph. Your Magnet Style is decent," Tetsumaru's voice echoed from an unknown location as he, too, began to weave seals. "But I wonder... how much mass can your magnetic field actually handle?"
Suddenly, the ground around the Sand ninjas began to heave and roll like the sea. A ring of earth and stone surged toward them.
Chisago gasped. His magnetic senses detected a massive amount of metal moving beneath the soil. Before he could shout a warning, a literal sea of insects burst from the earth. Some took to the sky, while others charged across the ground.
The three Genin subordinates only had time to cast a single jutsu before they were swallowed by the swarm. Their screams were cut short.
Chisago knew that against a swarm of this scale, blades and kunai were useless. He gritted his teeth and unleashed his full power.
Magnet Style: Wide Realm of Heaven!
Rings of magnetic force pulsed outward, pushing back the metal-reinforced insects. But Tetsumaru's bugs were large, heavy, and packed in dense formations. The magnetic force was spread too thin; it could push them, but it couldn't kill them.
The insects were shoved back, hit the ground, flipped over, and immediately charged again.
As the swarm grew, Chisago found it harder and harder to push them back. The circle was shrinking. Eventually, he reached his limit. He could no longer push the wall of insects away, and a literal wall of chitin and wings rose around him.
The swarm towered over him, cutting off the light. Chisago let out a final, desperate howl of terror.
The scream was muffled as the insects completely enveloped him. In the sound of thousands of tiny legs scratching and mandibles clicking, he was heard no more.
A few minutes later, the magnetic pressure vanished. The towering ball of insects collapsed into a heap.
Chisago of the Magnet Style was dead.