In the Uchiha Clan's district, within the clan leader's residence, Aburame Shizan and Fuma sat across from each other, silently sipping the clear, sweet tea.
Internally, Shizuyama couldn't help but marvel, "This tea is truly remarkable. Compared to the leaves served by the Third Hokage, this is in a league of its own. As expected of the Uchiha Clan, who excel in commerce—even their guest tea is so exquisite."
If Fuma had known what he was thinking, he would have found the notion of the "Uchiha Clan, skilled in commerce" amusingly peculiar.
However, this tea had nothing to do with wealth. It was a gift from the Daimyo's estate to Tsunade, something theoretically reserved for the Daimyo's enjoyment alone.
Since Tsunade was away and wasn't fond of tea anyway, Fuma had, without hesitation, claimed the leaves for himself, turning them into his personal stash.
At the moment, the spacious room was filled only with the sound of spoons stirring tea, creating a slightly awkward and peculiar atmosphere.
The Aburame clan had a unique homogeneity. Beyond their similar attire, their personalities were nearly indistinguishable—reserved, steady, and calm in the face of adversity.
They were practically the "quiet and honest people" of the ninja world.
Aburame Shizan, as the clan leader, was no exception to these traits.
Fuma glanced at Shizan but said nothing, instead focusing on sensing the chakra and emotions flowing within the clan leader.
Chakra was an extraordinarily versatile power—it served as the energy for ninjutsu, a vessel for the soul, and could even influence a person's personality and genetics.
To a ninja with exceptional sensory abilities, chakra was like a résumé. Each unique signature told a story about its owner's character.
Fuma activated a portion of the power from the Box of Ultimate Bliss, which he had acquired from Satori, granting him unparalleled sensory abilities.
While its range was smaller than Kushina's God-Sensing Mind that spanned dozens of kilometers, its ability to perceive emotions far surpassed it.
"Dense, solid... Chakra like a rock. This is a steadfast ninja. Yet, there's a hint of tension and confusion in his emotions that contradicts his chakra's characteristics. It seems his visit today involves discussing something significant."
Fuma smiled slightly. Considering the recent events involving the Hidden Cloud and Orochimaru's letter, he was confident he had discerned Shizan's purpose for visiting.
While Fuma observed Shizan, Shizan was also using his insects to sense Fuma.
Despite being low-profile, Shizan was confident in his abilities. If he were to ambush a ninja, even the Third Hokage might unknowingly fall into a trap, leading to an inevitable countdown to his demise.
His confidence wasn't unfounded. As the strongest leader in the history of the Aburame Clan, he commanded a terrifying species of nano-poisonous insects.
These insects were nearly undetectable and had immense destructive power. They could infiltrate human cells, feeding on them while reproducing at an exponential rate, causing a person's body to collapse within seconds.
For most ninjas, contact with these insects meant certain death.
Even Kage-level ninjas could only delay the inevitable by using chakra to suppress them, akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.
In the original timeline, the Fourth Raikage once faced a similar crisis. A mercenary group used explosive insects to endanger not only his subordinates' lives but his own.
Without Tsunade's intervention, the Raikage would have suffered a catastrophic explosion within his body, leading to either death or severe injury.
Compared to the mercenary group's explosive insects, which detonated upon absorbing chakra, Shizan's nano-poisonous insects were even more terrifying, capable of dismantling cellular structures entirely.
This unique biological warfare gave the Aburame Clan their confidence. Like the Hyuga Clan, they maintained a deliberate distance from the Hokage's authority, keeping their clan members out of the ANBU or Root organizations.
However, the Aburame Clan's autonomy would later wane. Events in the original timeline would force them to bow to the Third Hokage and Danzo.
By the time Shizan's son, Aburame Ryoma, came of age, members of their clan had already joined Root against their will.
By the next generation, Danzo would brazenly demand members of the clan, even targeting Aburame Shino, one of the Konoha Twelve, with no regard for their dignity.
At present, however, the Aburame Clan was still strong and independent, capable of saying "no" to both the Third Hokage and Danzo.
But now, as the feedback from his insects disrupted the balance within his body, Shizan felt a disturbance he had never experienced before—a riot among his insect colony.
Behind his dark glasses, his expression grew stern as he worked to calm the chaos. Cold sweat ran down his back as he realized the gravity of the situation.
His sensing insects screamed in panic, even the normally fearless nano-poisonous insects expressing rare unease.
"This is unprecedented. The insects feel as though they're facing a natural predator—one they desperately wish to escape from."
Fuma noticed every nuance of Shizan's turmoil, his sharp perception leaving no detail unnoticed.
"So, even the reserved and quiet Aburame Clan harbors such intricate emotions beneath the surface. It seems they think far more deeply than Tsunade imagined."
With a slight chuckle, Fuma broke the silence, pulling out a sealed container from a scroll and placing it before Shizan.
"Lord Orochimaru mentioned in his recent letter that you'd be visiting the Uchiha Clan," Fuma said.
"The Uchiha Clan and the Aburame Clan haven't had much interaction since the founding of the village. But that doesn't matter. I believe you already have your own thoughts about the reputation and current state of the Uchiha."
Shizan nodded slightly. As the Aburame Clan leader, he admired Fuma's welfare policies, seeing them as achievements only someone truly capable could accomplish.
"Before we delve into further discussions, let me show you this."
He gestured to the container, which held a colony of mutated parasitic insects, a result of Orochimaru's experiments.
Shizan's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected to encounter something so precious before the negotiations even began.
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