The swarm hit Seiran like a tidal wave of living shadow.
He had half a second to register the buzzing wall of black before the insects descended on him. His skin crawled as parasitic bodies latched onto his exposed arms and neck, their tiny mandibles piercing deep.
"Once these bugs bite you, they'll drain your chakra dry," a voice called from somewhere within the writhing mass.
Seiran didn't hesitate. Electricity crackled across his palms—a sharp, hissing sound that filled the air. The current raced through his body and into every insect clinging to him. They went rigid instantly, then fell like burnt confetti, leaving the acrid stench of charred exoskeletons.
From behind the dispersing swarm, Shibi Aburame pushed his dark sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. "Show me what a dual-bloodline wielder can really do."
But Seiran was already moving.
The other two weren't faring better. Rin slashed through the encircling insects with both kunai, cold steel flashing. Bisected bodies fell in scattered pieces, but the swarm just kept coming. Red welts erupted across her arms where the bugs had managed to land.
"These things are disgusting," she hissed, abandoning her close-range approach. She leaped clear and began weaving hand seals with practiced speed. The insects surged after her like living smoke.
Chakra boiled in her throat. She took a breath and unleashed it.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
The massive orange sphere erupted into the air, vaporizing the pursuing swarm in an instant. Charred ash rained down, carrying the scent of roasted meat. Rin landed lightly on her feet, scanning the destruction.
"Everyone talks about how flashy and slow the Great Fireball is," she muttered, "but fire's perfect for dealing with tiny pests."
Anko, meanwhile, could only slash desperately at the insects closing in on her. Her kunai carved through countless bodies, but not fast enough. Red welts covered her arms. As the insects drained more of her chakra, her movements grew sluggish.
Shibi Aburame watched from behind what remained of his swarm, his expression unreadable.
"Physical abilities: A. Ninjutsu: A-plus. Combat awareness... quite good." He paused, his gaze shifting to Anko's struggling form. "A shinobi squad is a team. Even an excellent individual can't survive long without their teammates supporting them. They've lasted this long—that's commendable. But their teamwork..." He shook his head slightly. "There's room for improvement."
He was already formulating a training plan when his insects suddenly sent a warning signal—sharp, urgent.
Shibi looked up.
A shuriken cut cleanly through the air.
Thwip.
It snapped the throat of his insect clone.
His pupils contracted. Impossible. I'm protected by the entire swarm. When did—?
The clone's body swelled and burst, dissolving into a cloud of black insects that scattered into the wind.
"We're clear!" Seiran called out.
The swarm around them froze mid-attack, then dispersed. Anko collapsed to her knees, breathing hard. Seiran helped her up.
"You good?"
"Yeah. Just some marks. I'll heal them later." Anko wiped sweat from her forehead and looked around. The black insects had vanished entirely. "But where's the teacher?"
Seiran shrugged. "Never was here. That was a clone."
---
Several hundred meters away, perched in the high branches of a massive cedar, Shibi Aburame scratched his head in frustration.
"This is embarrassing," he muttered to himself. "I wanted to give them a proper demonstration, but I didn't expect the clone to get destroyed like that."
Some of them were genuinely talented. Especially Rin. If he didn't establish his authority, keeping them in line would be a nightmare.
His plan had been simple: suppress them with the clone, strike decisively, then withdraw with dramatic flair while they watched in awe.
It was supposed to be perfect.
But the clone had been killed.
He recalled the Third Hokage's words from earlier, and his mood darkened further.
"I've disappointed you, Lord Third."
---
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been clear enough. "Shibi, I have a mission for you. Three Academy students graduated early. They're all excellent prospects. I want you to be their instructor."
Shibi had hesitated. "Lord Third, I'm comfortable with assassination missions, but teaching students..."
"I know the Aburame clan prefers solitude," Hiruzen had said, leaning back in his chair. "And you work alone on every mission. But shinobi are a team-based profession. Teaching students is training for you as well."
"Don't let me down, Shibi."
Now, sitting in the tree, Shibi realized exactly how badly his introduction had gone. Teaching students wasn't his strength, and his "insect demonstration" had spectacularly backfired.
But how had the clone died so suddenly?
Shibi was genuinely puzzled. Even as a clone, it possessed strength comparable to an ordinary jonin. A shuriken shouldn't have been enough to destroy it outright—Shadow Clones popped from a single hit, sure, but his insect clone was far more durable.
Unless...
The user had manipulated a shuriken through the entire swarm with enough precision and power to one-shot the clone. From that distance. Through all those insects.
Seiran's Magnet Release was far more powerful than he'd anticipated.
This kind of magnetic ability was nearly impossible to defend against.
Shibi felt a headache building behind his eyes. He had three genuinely strong students and absolutely no idea how to manage them.
---
Back at the training ground, Anko stared at the scattered insect corpses. Still no sign of Shibi.
"He's pranking us," Rin said flatly. "He made a clone to test us, and his real body's hiding somewhere else."
"So... we didn't actually fight yet?" Anko asked.
"Half a fight doesn't count as a full test," Rin countered.
"Did we pass?" Anko asked the question that mattered.
A man wrapped in a dark robe dropped from a nearby tree. He walked over to them and raised his hand, dispersing the remaining insects with a gesture.
"You three..." His voice was still measured, but something had changed in it. "You're all fine. One of my insect clones was defeated. Your strength is quite impressive. You've passed the test."
"Wait—that was just a clone?" Anko's eyes went wide. "I thought the teacher was actually weak?"
Shibi felt something crack inside him.
"It was... a test," he said carefully, trying to salvage the situation. Damn it. If I lose this much credibility on day one, how am I supposed to teach them?
"Then next time, make it harder," Rin said, stretching her shoulders with a bored expression. "I barely warmed up. It was boring."
Something in Shibi's eye twitched.
Rin and Anko both looked at Seiran. He considered for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah. Pretty weak."
Shibi's fist clenched involuntarily. His hair seemed to tremble with barely contained rage. He opened his mouth to respond—
Then he simply wilted.
"Okay," he said quietly, his voice hollow. He looked like a deflated balloon. "This assessment was my mistake. To make up for it, I'll treat you all to barbecue. Let's celebrate the formation of Team Shibi."
"Barbecue!" Anko's eyes lit up, tears nearly spilling over. "Yes!"
Even Seiran and Rin's expressions softened slightly.
Shibi Aburame sighed into the void. This was exactly why he hated teaching. Just having bugs was so much simpler.