— The second condition is that I want your clan's unconditional support.
Even through Shino's dark glasses, you could see his eyes twitching.
What kind of idiot would accept conditions like that?
However, to his surprise, his father, instead of kicking Yashin's ass out of the house, remained silent, as if he were actually considering his words.
— You realize that what you're asking for is excessive, right?
"Is that what you think? From my perspective, it's quite reasonable. I'm giving Shino the chance to be more than a mediocre jonin and the rest of his clan the chance to support me. They should be grateful."
By this point, it was clear that Yashin was mocking the father and son. Or, to be exact, he was being petty.
The twisted grimace on his face, torn between annoyance and contempt, made that clear.
Shibi could only sigh.
Although he knew the pink-haired was exceptional, what he had revealed today—and, above all, his maturity, whether in his insight or his manner of speaking—went far beyond what he had expected.
His little tricks—like mentioning Chōji, the stiff posture, the absence of anything to drink nearby—instead of pressuring or making the boy uncomfortable, had only managed to irritate him.
He hadn't expected his shrewdness to extend even to such aspects.
After all, Shino—the son Shibi had always been so proud of—had surely failed to notice even half of what was wrong with that meeting.
There was no doubt about it: underestimating an opponent for something as trivial as age is a death sentence.
Shibi was lucky that this was just a simple meeting and not a battlefield.
However, given Yashin's nature, if he didn't do something to remedy what had happened, the outcome could very well be the same.
"All right. If those are your only conditions, we can negotiate further based on them."
Even so, Shibi was the head of the Aburame clan.
As exceptional and dangerous as Yashin was, right now he was nothing more than a civilian; Shibi couldn't bow his head before him. But a concession like that, surely the pink-haired would understand.
In the end, Shibi's expectations weren't betrayed when the boy set his cup down on the counter before returning to his previous spot.
— Very well. I'm glad the head of the Aburame clan is so open-minded.
Shino had no idea what was going on, so he simply stopped trying to analyze the words of the two old foxes and just listened.
— So, what's bothering you about my terms?
Although Shibi had a lot to say, when he opened his mouth, he realized he didn't know where to start.
Every single term of the so-called conditions felt out of place, giving him the sense that if he approached the matter from the wrong angle, he'd end up missing the point.
In the end, he could only start with a general question.
— What do you mean by the Aburame clan's unconditional support?
— Hmm… nothing much different from how things are now, I suppose. Cleaning up any messes, acting as a front so the village doesn't drag me into any of their dirty business, and so on. I also don't expect them to turn against Konoha if I order them to. Not that they'd be much help anyway. What I do expect is for them to give me a proper place to work with containment chambers, organic farming, and that sort of thing.
Instead of wasting any more words, Yashin pulled a piece of paper from his montsuki before holding it out to Shibi.
As soon as he opened it, the Aburame nearly spat blood.
He knew the pink-haired's appetite was insatiable, but to ask for so much… did he think he was Orochimaru or something?
A fully equipped containment chamber and a biological cultivation chamber.
Incubators.
Genetic sequencers.
Chakra monitors.
Advanced hormonal regulation devices.
…
He couldn't even get most of those things without drawing attention due to the precedent set by the Sannin.
Even so, after reading the excessive list of items, he folded the paper and nodded in response.
— I don't think I can get everything done in a short time, but I'll do my best. Still, what's in it for us if we support you like this?
— You liked the honey ants, right? Every so often, you can ask me to help you create a specific type of insect. If it's possible, I'll do it, and if not, well, at least you tried, right?
— That sounds like an empty promise.
— It is. But it's not something you need to worry about either. You know I have a hobby of playing with bugs from time to time. All those results, whether successful or not, you'll receive at no cost. I'm sure they'll be useful to you. And so you don't feel like I'm ripping you off, how about two guaranteed successes a year that will be useful to you? I doubt you guys can do any better than that.
Shibi knew it was a scam, but he couldn't just turn down the offer.
Successfully modifying a single trait in an insect often takes years. Generation after generation that can often amount to nothing.
Getting research data along with two of the boy's successes per year wasn't a bad deal. After all, every specimen the boy had presented so far had more than just one modified trait.
However, the problem was that, aside from the research results, they could already buy the insects Yashin was offering them.
Now he had to shell out a ridiculous amount of money to get the same results.
How many years would it take to recoup his investment this way?
But turning it down wasn't an option either.
Given Yashin's personality, he would most likely cut off any kind of collaboration.
— All right. If that's all, I agree.
Perhaps never in his life had Shibi sighed as deeply as he did that day.
"Before we move on to your other condition, I have another question."
The satisfied Yashin said nothing, simply waiting for the other party to speak.
"Do you ever plan on becoming a renegade ninja?"
Unlike the pink-haired, the question made the distracted Shino snap to attention and refocus on the conversation.
Shibi didn't know what to expect after asking that question, much less whether to believe the answer; however, for the next topic, it was something he had to resolve.
— Probably.
There was no doubt or hesitation in his reply.
— Sooner or later, this village will be too small to satisfy me.
Beneath his frivolous satisfaction, beneath that unchanging detachment and annoyance that always dwells in his eyes, one could see boundless ambition.
— But that's not what worries you, is it? The problem lies in whether or not I'll be an enemy of Konoha. But you're asking the wrong person. It's Konoha that must consider whether or not it wants to make an enemy of me.
Unbridled arrogance and ambition in a body as useless as it is small.
Even so, Shibi couldn't mock his words.
But he couldn't accept them either, unlike Shino, who looked at Yashin with a complex mix of admiration.
That confidence, backed by his talent—even with all its limitations—was enviable.
In the end, Shibi found no satisfaction in that answer, but he didn't feel any aversion to it either.
Seeing how conflicted his son seemed, he decided to let him decide.
"Shino. The other condition… is your life, so the decision is yours."
The young heir to the clan didn't know how to respond.
He hadn't expected the focus to shift back to him.
He fixed his gaze on his father and then on his peculiar friend.
He hadn't known him for very long—not even a year—but he felt he already knew him well enough.
Proud, amoral, foul-mouthed, frivolous, ruthless—like a force of nature.
Thinking of him that way, there was nothing good about him, but even so, he had become his only friend. Someone with whom he could talk about any nonsense and act without any pretense.
Realizing this made him wonder if there was something wrong with his own personality as well.
If not, how could he feel so relaxed around someone like Yashin?
Instead of rushing to accept a proposal he didn't fully understand, he decided to ask Yashin a question.
"If I accept, what are you going to teach me?"
Although Shino wasn't obsessed with power, he was, after all, just a kid.
Who at that age would want to be just another face in the crowd?
Shino, who had always been self-conscious about his lack of presence, was absolutely certain he didn't want to end up as a mediocre jonin.
Yashin, with his foul mouth and blunt language, had told him that if he followed him, he could escape that fate.
He was willing to believe him.
Deep down, he knew that whatever the other person said to convince him might tempt him to accept.
After all, Yashin Haruno never told lies, nor did he make promises he couldn't keep.
However, instead of receiving an answer, what he heard was a merciless taunt.
"Teach you? Who do you take me for? Your babysitter?"
The laughter and the look full of contempt brought the Aburame back to his senses.
" It seems there's a misunderstanding. Beyond the basics, the rest will depend on you. I don't have time to waste carrying around trash. If you manage to keep up, fine, but if not… then you might as well be buried.
Instinctively, Shino clenched his fists.
Suddenly, he felt the urge to punch his teammate's arrogant face.
But somehow he held back.
He already knew it was impossible for that jerk to speak like a human being, and yet, after his proposal, he expected him to treat him like a teammate.
However…
In the end, he smiled defiantly.
— Don't you know you should never spit in the face of the heavens? How do you think you'll feel if I learn enough and it's me who leaves you in the dust?
Finally, the look of contempt faded from Yashin's face.
"You brat, what are you talking about? I am the sky. So what if I spit upward? Not even my own spit can stain me."
Both boys began to laugh—a sinister yet restrained laugh.
Shibi, confused, could only watch them in silence.
He had never seen that side of his son before.
In the end, all he could do was smile and shake his head.
For some reason, he felt old.
Although he had planned to ask why the pink-haired suddenly wanted subordinates, after seeing the interaction between the two, he decided to let it go.
That was no longer his place to meddle.
Perhaps he was making a mistake by allowing all of this; however, as a father, he felt he wasn't wrong.