After a small incident during break, the school day quickly came to an end.
Perhaps embarrassed by being beaten by a girl, the boys who got hit didn't report the matter to the teacher.
But Shigeo Aburame knew this wasn't over.
As a transmigrator and a fan of *Naruto*, he had an intimate understanding of many things happening in Konoha Village.
This was precisely why he was working to befriend Minato Namikaze.
After all, Minato would one day become the Fourth Hokage.
The man known as the "Yellow Flash," with his dazzling Flying Raijin Jutsu, could strike fear into his enemies and single-handedly change the course of a battle!
Though Minato was still young now, befriending him was undoubtedly a win—an investment guaranteed to pay off in the long term.
Especially on the battlefield, having a strong ally watching his back would greatly improve his chances of survival.
Of course, it would be even better if he could avoid the battlefield entirely.
To achieve that, Shigeo had carefully crafted the persona of a frail and sickly individual. His record? Taking a month-long sick leave and staying home without going anywhere.
With such a reputation, if he were ever assigned a mission requiring him to go to the battlefield, he could fake an illness to avoid danger.
As for the *Will of Fire*—that could just be something he recited as a slogan. Until he had the ability to protect himself, staying safe in the village was far more practical.
And whether anyone would notice his feigned illness didn't concern him. Because he was "truly sick."
This had to do with the special ability he brought when he transmigrated—a unique power he called *Insect Synthesis Jutsu.*
As the name suggests, it allowed him to combine insects with other objects.
But the jutsu had its cost. Each use consumed a large amount of his mental energy, or chakra.
If his chakra wasn't sufficient, not only would the synthesis fail, but he'd also fall unconscious from chakra depletion.
When he first awakened this ability, he had a whimsical idea to combine a destruction bug with a brick. The result felt like someone smashed his head with that same brick.
The excruciating pain left a deep impression on him.
Since then, while he hadn't stopped using his power entirely, he became much more cautious.
Through numerous experiments, he discovered that the amount of chakra consumed depended on the size and complexity of the materials he was synthesizing.
Additionally, insects couldn't be combined with other living creatures. The weak consciousness of the insect would be completely erased, making it uncontrollable.
However, combining insects with inanimate objects worked perfectly.
The newly synthesized insects would even inherit the properties of the objects used.
For instance, combining a destruction bug with a sesame seed created a destruction bug with a sesame aroma.
Combining a grasshopper with a roasted chestnut resulted in a grasshopper that tasted like roasted chestnuts.
He also created peanut-flavored ladybugs, banana-flavored longhorn beetles, pineapple-flavored rhinoceros beetles, and hawthorn-flavored green caterpillars.
While their appearances left much to be desired, their flavors were genuinely impressive!
It was worth mentioning that once, while sampling a new insect's flavor, he was caught by the clan head. Since then, his clan had been issuing him extra food every month.
Shigeo thought it was all a misunderstanding, but he didn't explain or eat insects in public again.
After all, the Aburame clan was a prominent family in Konoha, and as a member, he needed to maintain some decorum.
Moreover, he didn't want anyone discovering his unique abilities. He knew the saying well: *The tall tree catches the wind.*
Of course, just because it was his power didn't mean he wouldn't use it. He just had to pick the right time and place.
Synthesis consumed a lot of chakra, so he used it sparingly during school hours, lest he collapse mid-walk from exhaustion.
But while faking illness, he could use it liberally to keep his chakra levels low. That way, he could stay out of danger without alarming medical ninjas.
He'd tested this many times, and each time the medical ninjas diagnosed him with the same conclusion:
"No serious illness, just a weak constitution requiring rest."
For the Aburame clan, this diagnosis was nothing out of the ordinary.
The Aburame used their chakra to feed their bugs, which lived inside their bodies and fought via secret techniques. Occasionally, a mishap would lead to chakra depletion and temporary debilitation.
Shigeo's frequent bedridden state wasn't unheard of, especially as he was a war orphan. The clan took good care of him, ensuring he never had to worry about his next meal, even if he spent much of his time lying in bed.
Of course, the label of "useless" came with the territory.
But Shigeo didn't mind. Being "useless" was better than being dead, and he wasn't truly useless.
He was simply cautious.
With the Second Shinobi World War looming, followed closely by the Third, peace wouldn't come for at least twenty more years.
Given how unreliable his abilities seemed, surviving in such turbulent times required caution and strategic alliances.
There was no other way.
So Shigeo resolved to play it safe—stay low and avoid unnecessary risks.
His ultimate goal? Survive until Minato became Hokage. Then, he'd leverage their friendship to land a safe, stable job—like teaching at the ninja academy.
To that end, Shigeo took his studies seriously at school, even if his chakra exhaustion occasionally made him drowsy.
To counter this, he'd invented an ingenious solution: combining a destruction bug with a memory card from a camera to create a *recording bug*. This bug could store and replay footage from two hours earlier.
By linking the bug to his mind, he could review lessons he'd missed in secret. It was both discreet and efficient.
Using this method, he maintained his image as a model student, impressing his teachers.
Shigeo prided himself on his ability to cultivate the perfect persona.
The arrival of Kushina Uzumaki presented a new opportunity to bolster his reputation.
In the storyline, Kushina was destined to become Minato's wife and the mother of Naruto, the child of prophecy—a pivotal figure.
If Shigeo hoped to secure a safe future by leaning on Minato, leaving a good impression on Kushina was essential.
Of course, he couldn't overshadow Minato. That would backfire spectacularly.
He believed he had balanced things well so far—he'd give himself a solid 98 out of 100. Two points deducted to keep himself humble.
Recalling the trouble Kushina was about to encounter in the original plot, Shigeo turned to Minato and said, "That new student seems to be in trouble. Let's follow her and check it out."
Minato thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
With their plan set, the two quietly followed Kushina after she left the classroom.
*(End of Chapter)*