The man with the scar on his head was ruthless. The moment he realized his group had been poisoned by Aburame Hatsuizumi's insects, he didn't hesitate—he took his blade and carved out the flesh from his calves, where the yellow spider had bitten him.
To avoid leaving a blood trail, he used Katon (Fire Release) to cauterize the wounds, sealing them shut. He didn't even make a sound.
Leaders in every industry possess extraordinary qualities, and the same held true for the rebel army's commander. Though he lacked special ninjutsu, his reaction speed and survival instincts, honed through years of battle, were first-class.
Seeing no way out, he considered surrendering—lowering himself to a pathetic, subservient act in exchange for survival. But when he looked into Aburame Hatsuizumi's cold eyes, he abandoned that thought.
This girl wanted to kill him.
That was his gut instinct, one sharpened by years of dodging death. If he stayed and waited for an opportunity, others might live, but he was certain—he would die.
With the exit sealed off, his only option was to blend into the environment. The uncut forest was their designated meeting point for this very reason.
Unfortunately, even their best-hidden Bug Surveillance Squad was useless against Aburame Hatsuizumi's abilities. The uprising ended before it even began.
She strolled through the dense trees, calm and composed. Earlier, she had planted a specially crafted insect in the pool of blood left by the scarred man. This was a temporary tracking insect, one designed to hunt down the owner of a given blood sample.
It had a short lifespan—only half a day—but that was more than enough time. She even gave it a name: Chishio Sagashi-mushi (Blood-Seeking Hunting Insect).
Holding the tracking insect in one hand, she also examined a small experimental device she had taken from Kabuto. It was something Orochimaru and Guren had developed together—potentially to be mass-produced for their subordinates.
However, since it was still in the experimental phase, it had plenty of flaws. Still, Aburame Hatsuizumi had managed to "acquire" a few of them for herself, reasoning that if they were going to be tested anyway, why not let her have some fun with them?
"The Blood-Seeking Hunting Insect is reacting strongly. He should be nearby."
She pocketed the insect and gripped her Shigure tightly, scanning the surrounding forest. There were no visible clues.
"Oh? Found you~" she said playfully.
Her katana was already drawn. The katana's edge shimmered, as if covered in a thin mist—light could barely reflect off it. This was because the katana was too sharp.
Aburame Hatsuizumi's steps were light, but the scarred man, camouflaged as tree bark with the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique), could feel his heart pounding in sync with her movements.
She was walking slowly—torturously slow. He had no way of knowing whether she had truly spotted him or was just messing with him.
His Transformation Technique was polished to near perfection, honed through countless battles where he had to escape pursuit. It had saved his life many times before. If he moved now and gave himself away, there would be no second chances.
Aburame Hatsuizumi stopped next to an ancient tree, its thick brown trunk scarred by the marks of insects and claws.
She didn't hesitate.
She swung her katana in a diagonal arc. Though her swordsmanship was amateurish, the katana itself was unnaturally sharp—and she wasn't relying on skill alone.
The edge met the tree trunk, and it was like cutting through butter. The once-sturdy bark was sliced away effortlessly. The force of the slash penetrated deep, even cutting leaves midair as they fell.
Clang!
The sharp sound of the katana resonated, like rain cutting through the night. The massive tree, which would have required several people to wrap their arms around, split in half with a clean, mirror-smooth surface—smoother than even the finest-polished stone.
But there was no blood.
The tracking insect was only a temporary creation, and its accuracy wasn't perfect.
The camouflaged man, drenched in sweat, could feel the cold bite of fear. The tree he had been clinging to was only a few feet away from where she had struck.
"Damn it... She's a monster," he cursed internally.
Aburame Hatsuizumi didn't swing again immediately. Her fingers twitched slightly—proof that the last attack had taken a toll on her arms.
Executing such a devastating cut didn't mean she had reached the level of a master swordswoman. She had used disposable insects to amplify the katana's sharpness for a single strike.
These insects were one-time-use creatures, designed to explode on impact, maximizing destruction in an instant before vanishing.
Even with the Insects reinforcing her arms, the recoil left her hands swollen. She wouldn't be able to repeat the move so soon.
Massaging her fingers, she smirked at the still-quiet forest.
"This sword technique is too much trouble. Better stay hidden, or the next one will really hurt~"
She licked her lips and pulled out a scroll, unraveling it to reveal a collection of firearms.
One by one, she retrieved small, pistol-like weapons—experimental ninja tools that Kabuto had let her borrow.
Picking up one that resembled a Mozambique shotgun, she twirled it in her fingers before pointing it at a tree in the distance.
Click, click, click.
She squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened.
Both she and the scarred man, still hidden, hesitated.
Just as he started to relax, she clicked her tongue in annoyance and threw the gun away.
BOOM!
A fiery explosion erupted, sending flaming shrapnel flying. The entire tree was obliterated, scattering burning splinters everywhere.
The man's Transformation Technique was flawless, but the impact wet part of the bark he had disguised himself as, making its color slightly different.
Aburame Hatsuizumi didn't notice. She was too busy having fun.
"Huh... this thing is pretty cool!"
She took out another experimental weapon, alternating between shooting and throwing them. If a gun failed, she'd just hit it twice and toss it away, watching with amusement to see if it exploded.
Dual-wielding prototype shotguns, she moved through the forest like a one-girl warzone, each explosion illuminating her slightly crazed smile.
"This is way more efficient than swords. No need to think—just pull the trigger!"
Her philosophy was simple: All fear comes from insufficient firepower.
As long as she had enough bullets, she'd shoot anything that dared to show a health bar.
Puff!
No matter how well the man hid, the sheer area of destruction was impossible to escape. The explosion sent him sprawling, his disguise breaking apart as he scrambled to get up.
He still held onto a sliver of hope—that if she was too entertained, she might forget about him.
But as he crawled, a long leg suddenly pressed down on his hand.
Aburame Hatsuizumi stood over him, spinning a new pistol in her fingers.
"I... I can be useful..." he gasped, knowing full well that his only chance was bargaining.
He had survived countless ninja villages by offering his insurgency expertise to the highest bidder.
But she wasn't listening.
She pressed the cold barrel of the gun against his cross-scarred forehead, still talking to herself, her finger tightening around the trigger.
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