Aburame Tetsumaru was the last to arrive at Team 121's hidden base.
His insect wings had carried him as far as the tunnel entrance, but he'd been forced to abandon the entire Attached Insect Limbs Bio-Armor right then and there. Even without the gear, he was tall and muscular; there was simply no way he was squeezing through the narrow emergency shafts while wearing that bulky chitinous shell.
He didn't dare stop to rest. He dove into the tunnels to lose any Suna pursuers, emerging on the other side and pushing forward without pause until he reached the designated rendezvous point at midnight.
What a hellish day.
Tetsumaru hadn't been in such a pathetic state for years—not since his direct confrontation with the Jinchuriki, Roshi.
Back then, he had merely been a supporting player, a "spectator" to the real powerhouses. Now, he was capable of facing a Kage head-on. He'd even had a genuine opportunity to kill the Kazekage when the man was blinded by fury.
His time under Orochimaru hadn't been wasted. In those few years, his strength had undergone a qualitative transformation; he was finally beginning to touch the boundary of the Kage level.
On the other side of the day's events, his three students had successfully escaped via the tunnels. However, those emergency exits were short. Upon emerging, all three had been spotted by Suna's outer perimeter guards and hunted relentlessly. It was only through a series of pre-set traps and sheer grit that they managed to break free.
Except for Uchiha Hiro, everyone was in rough shape. Nara Yoshito and Inuzuka O were both wounded—especially O. That simpleton had been cornered twice and forced into desperate, life-or-death struggles. He'd managed to secure three kills, but at the cost of severe injuries.
Neither Hiro nor Yoshito knew the first thing about medical ninjutsu. They had done their best to wash O's wounds and wrap them in bandages, but they could only watch in terror as the blood continued to seep through. As O grew increasingly pale and lethargic, the two boys had spiraled into a helpless panic.
By the time Tetsumaru arrived, Inuzuka O had slipped into a semi-comatose state from blood loss.
When the two frantic Genin saw their captain, they practically collapsed in relief. The emotional dam broke, and tears and snot flowed freely as they realized O's life was finally in capable hands.
In Konoha, the Aburame were known for more than just their cryptic insect arts; they were renowned for their versatility. Every Aburame ninja underwent rigorous medical training, mastering various healing and detoxification techniques. A few flesh wounds weren't going to defeat their captain.
Tetsumaru took one look at O and realized the boys' first aid was woefully inadequate. Without wasting a second, he performed a Summoning Jutsu, calling forth a Supply Hive to begin treating the boy's trauma.
When fighting Suna ninjas, one could never simply stop the bleeding and call it a day. Aside from elite Jonin and the Kage, the Sand were even more prolific with poison than the Rain. O's wounds were turning a sickly black, with tiny, translucent blisters forming around the edges. The blood oozing out was thick and dark. He had been hit with at least three different toxins.
Fortunately, Konoha had been dealing with Suna for years. A close-quarters clan like the Inuzuka possessed naturally high poison resistance. Furthermore, because his "novice" teammates had done such a poor job with the bandages, the wounds hadn't stopped bleeding—an accidental blessing that had helped flush out some of the toxins and kept O alive until now.
Tetsumaru stripped away the amateur bandages and immediately started an IV line for blood and fluid resuscitation. Once the toxins were diluted, he used his Kikaichu to inject the corresponding antidotes. He didn't let out a sigh of relief until he saw the blood flowing from the wounds turn a healthy, bright crimson.
Next came the structural repairs. He prioritized the life-threatening abdominal wound before systematically moving to the others, suturing tissue or applying surgical adhesive.
Years of practicing Ninjutsu Meridian Mastery had made his use of Kikaichu as surgical tools second to none. He could use the bugs like hemostatic clamps to pinch off vessels, suture torn arteries, and even reconnect severed nerves and tendons with microscopic precision.
Soon, the severe internal repairs were finished, leaving only the superficial closing of skin. With O finally out of danger, Tetsumaru finally had the chance to breathe. He looked up at his other two students and nearly burst out laughing.
The usually arrogant, poker-faced Uchiha Hiro and the perpetually lazy Nara Yoshito were both slumped on the floor, faces smeared with tears and snot, necks craned at awkward angles as they stared intensely at O.
"You two, get over here and help," Tetsumaru commanded. "Consider this a lesson in field surgery."
"Yes, sir!"
"Who did the bandaging on his thigh?"
"I did," Hiro answered sheepishly.
"The technique was completely wrong. You tied it way too tight. When bandaging near the base of a limb, the tension must be moderate. Too loose and you won't stop the bleeding; too tight and you'll block the arteries entirely. In the worst-case scenario, you'll cause necrosis of the limb."
Tetsumaru pointed to O's right toes. "When I got back, these toes were already turning purple. If they'd turned black, the tissue would have died, and we would've had to amputate."
"When bandaging, you must wrap a layer of cloth around the thigh first to prevent the tie from biting into the skin. Look, the ligature marks are still visible."
"The cleaning of the wound was decent, though. Next time, use at least two more layers of clean cloth. The padding should completely cover and extend past the edges of the wound to provide even pressure."
"After bandaging, you apply a tourniquet above the wound. Again, use padding. The tourniquet should be a narrow band or cord. Tie a knot, insert a senbon, twist it to tighten, and then tuck the end under the band to secure it."
"A tourniquet must be tight enough to significantly slow blood flow. Yoshito, Hiro—feel the pressure of this."
Once they had felt the tension, Tetsumaru continued finishing the superficial wounds—cleaning, suturing, and dressing.
He moved with incredible speed, finishing within ten minutes. O was now clean, his bandages neat and professional. It was a sight that brought an immediate sense of relief to the room.
Tetsumaru then spent a few minutes tending to Nara Yoshito's injuries. Most were minor, but a gash on his head required sutures; Tetsumaru took extra time to ensure there would be no scarring.
"Alright, fifteen minutes are up. Loosen the tourniquet on O's leg."
"Huh?" Hiro and Yoshito blinked in surprise.
"A tourniquet is a temporary measure. It must be loosened for a few minutes every quarter-hour to allow blood circulation to the limb."
Tetsumaru directed Hiro to pull the senbon and untwist the band, all while keeping a close eye on the dressings.
"The wound might start bleeding again once the pressure is released. If it's not severe, wait five minutes for the blood to circulate before tightening it again."
"We're in luck—the bleeding has stopped for good. You can remove the tourniquet now."
"Generally, after three or four cycles of tightening and loosening, the blood will clot completely."
"The only exception," Tetsumaru added, "is if the blood is literally spraying out in a jet. In that case, you never loosen it. Losing a leg is better than losing a life."
Tetsumaru rattled off a long list of emergency medical tips. His subordinates listened with rapt attention. These "bloody" lessons, learned in the heat of a real crisis, were etched permanently into their minds.
With the wounds stabilized, Tetsumaru switched O's IV to saline. This was the first time blood transfusion and intravenous therapy had been used in the Shinobi world; contemporary medical ninjas hadn't mastered such "mundane" methods yet.
However, the two medical novices didn't know that, and neither did Tetsumaru. In his mind, Konoha's medical ninjutsu was top-tier, so he simply assumed they already used these basic techniques.
Because of this misunderstanding, the technology didn't spread. For a long time, countless ninjas would suffer prolonged recoveries from blood loss that could have been fixed in a day.
...Not that Tetsumaru particularly cared.
The IV fluids quickly replenished O's hydration, blood proteins, and electrolytes. Tetsumaru had added a cocktail of antibiotics, broad-spectrum antitoxins, painkillers, and a micro-dose of stimulants.
The combination of the fluids and a ninja's naturally resilient constitution worked wonders. Not long after Tetsumaru had cleaned himself up, Inuzuka O opened his eyes.
By then, Hiro and Yoshito had regained their composure. They had reverted to their usual poker-faced and bored expressions, depriving Tetsumaru of the classic "three Genin crying and hugging" scene.
Tetsumaru felt a twinge of regret. The camera he'd secretly prepared hadn't seen any use.
He blamed the primitive technology. If cameras weren't so bulky and the development process so tedious, he never would have missed the chance to capture the boys' pathetic crying faces when he first arrived.
Once O was awake, Tetsumaru prepared some convenience food. The four of them ate their fill and settled in for some much-needed rest.
He left the guard duty to his insects. Suna would be far too busy tonight to worry about hunting Konoha ninjas anyway.
During his trip back, Tetsumaru hadn't been idle. He had mobilized over five million insects. The moment the sun set, he had ordered a relentless, all-night siege on the Suna forces.
A mindless swarm attack like that wouldn't cause heavy casualties, but it would force the Suna ninjas to huddle together to minimize losses. More importantly, it would force the Kazekage to return to the main army to maintain order.
Sigh. What a shame. I let the Kazekage's life slip through my fingers. I doubt I'll ever get an opportunity like that again. Then again... it's probably for the best. Killing a Kage is more trouble than it's worth for someone like me.
At the height of the battle, the Kazekage had been so consumed by shame, rage, and shock that he'd focused entirely on the visible threats. He'd ignored his own immediate surroundings, allowing Tetsumaru to tunnel directly beneath his feet.
Tetsumaru was highly confident he could have succeeded in a sneak attack, but a sudden, overwhelming sense of dread had stopped his hand. The window of opportunity had closed, and another never opened.
Now, in the quiet of the base, he understood why he'd hesitated. The Ninja World was essentially a feudal society. There was a rigid social order: only people of a certain "status" were allowed to achieve certain feats.
A mere Aburame branch member wasn't "supposed" to kill a Kage. Fighting a Kage to a standstill to protect his students was already pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable.
Tetsumaru wasn't like a certain "handsome, wavy-black-haired" protagonist from other stories—the kind of guy whose godfather was the Anbu Commander, whose master was Jiraiya, whose best friend was Minato Namikaze, and who spent his free time soaking in hot springs with Tsunade or in laboratories with Orochimaru.
That kind of person was a true scion of the Hokage's lineage—the core of the core. Someone like that could stand at the gates of the Mist and kill the Mizukage, then comfortably soak up the fame.
But Tetsumaru? He was just a branch member of the Aburame. If he committed "Regicide" on a Kage, how would the Third Hokage see it? How would Danzo "the Scapegoat-Kage" interpret it? How would his own clan leader and elders react?
Besides, he had no intention of being a shield for Sakumo Hatake.
After careful analysis, Tetsumaru realized with a bit of gloom that his Aburame heritage—which had provided so much early support—was starting to become a shackle.
The battle record he'd set today was already at the absolute limit of what his clan could imagine. He had far outshone the "mainline" children of the clan. Once the war ended, the conservative factions of the Aburame would undoubtedly start making life difficult for him.
Unless, of course, his power became great enough to simply flip the table. He didn't need to be Hashirama Senju, but he'd need to be strong enough to suppress the Hokage, Danzo, and the Sannin all at once without taking a scratch.
Everything came back to the same problem: his power was still insufficient.
If he wanted to keep growing his strength in the open, he needed a status upgrade—something like becoming Orochimaru's official apprentice. But he and Orochimaru were like-minded researchers; neither of them wanted to mess with the dynamic of their current relationship.
Besides, Tetsumaru was certain that Orochimaru's political views were destined to clash with the Hokage's. Defection was only a matter of time.
If Tetsumaru became his apprentice now, he'd be forced to defect with him. The Hokage would never allow such a powerful follower of Orochimaru to stay in the village; if he didn't run, he'd be "purged."
The conclusion? Once the war was over, he needed to work even harder on "digging holes."
Whether it was quietly increasing his power or preparing an escape route for a future defection, having more holes in the ground was always the right answer.
His mind began to drift. Tetsumaru finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.
Four hours later, just before dawn, Tetsumaru woke up. He quietly roused his three disciples, and they moved to a different secondary base to continue their rest.
By the time they reached the new hideout, the sky was beginning to grey.
Tetsumaru couldn't fall back asleep. He began processing the data from his swarm. The all-night harassment had, as expected, yielded very few kills. A mindless insect tide was simply too easy to defend against.
Insects were a threat at night, but they were useless in the clear light of day. Tetsumaru ordered the swarm to retreat—though he made sure the Landmine Insects stayed behind in the "corpses" of the fallen bugs, hoping for a few lucky kills.
The team was safe. There was no need to waste more resources.
Half an hour later, Tetsumaru did a final headcount. He had deployed five million insects last night, yet the number responding to his "check" command was over six million. He'd somehow gained a million bugs overnight.
What the hell?
Then, it clicked.
During the initial battle, he had deployed a staggering eleven million insects. The sheer volume was so high that even the Kazekage's Iron Sand couldn't crush them all.
He'd been so busy fighting the Kage while managing a swarm of that scale for the first time that his commands had been incredibly blunt—basically just "Select All + Attack." He hadn't bothered to check the casualty reports.
It turned out that a huge portion of the bugs hadn't died; they'd just been injured, stunned, or buried under sand and corpses.
The battlefield had been within the range of his "night raid" order. The bugs that were wounded but alive had responded to the call, digging themselves out of the sand to join the evening's harassment.
His attack order last night had been the crudest of his life—a literal "Select All + A" (Attack-move). He'd expected them to be wiped out; instead, he'd come out a million bugs richer. A pleasant surprise indeed.
_______
+80 chapters on: patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls