When Shinho came to his senses, Aoi Rukosho had already been reduced to a skeleton. The destructive power of the parasitic insects was evident—especially when it came to disposing of bodies.
Shinho didn't react much. After all, in his previous life, he enjoyed watching gory movies. Although reality was much higher resolution—even multidimensional, it wasn't to the point of making him queasy.
Shinho's thoughts drifted to Yamanaka Ino. Making a corpse "speak" wasn't easy. In the Hidden Leaf Village, the person in charge of that task was none other than Ino's father, Yamanaka Inoichi. He was the captain of Konoha's Intelligence Division, capable of controlling minds and extracting thoughts for information. Kind of like Professor X, but a much weaker version.
It wouldn't hurt to strengthen ties with Ino. As it usually was, being Hokage wasn't just about being powerful—it was also about reliable connections and relationships.
"Shinho."
Shinho Aburame's father, Shibi Aburame, called out, "Ibiki and I will report to the Hokage. What should we say about the Sword of Raijin?"
If they followed his plan, they could easily fabricate a story about Aoi Rukosho escaping successfully. However, there was a bit of risk in that. Since Shibi Aburame now saw Shinho as an adult, he decided to seek his input.
"It's simple," Shinho said with a faint smile. "I like the sword, so my teacher will give it to me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had always wanted Tsunade to remain in the village. When Shinho had become her apprentice, Hiruzen had already hinted that he was keeping an eye on his progress. Now was the perfect time to showcase the results.
The Sword of Raijin, a weapon once wielded by Tobirama Senju, being given to Tsunade's student would undoubtedly signify the deepening bond between them. No one understood Hiruzen Sarutobi better than Shinho—well, maybe Danzo?
By the time the next exam rolled around, a few essays on the Will of Fire with perfect scores would have Shinho living comfortably in the village.
Shibi Aburame blinked, then broke into a satisfied smile. It seemed Shinho had already gained Tsunade's trust and favor. That was undoubtedly excellent news for the Aburame clan and Shibi alike.
"Dad," Shinho asked, sheathing the Sword of Raijin, "Is there anything else?"
"No," Shino Aburame smiled, "Go have some fun."
After a moment of thought, Shinho made his way to the Chunin Exam arena. Since Aoi had been dealt with so quickly—in less than an hour—the Chunin Exam was still in full swing. The audience stands were bustling with excitement.
Shinho glanced at the arena, where two genin were fighting. Hmm, he didn't recognize them. Scanning the area, he soon spotted Hinata Hyuga. She was sitting next to Yamanaka Ino, though she seemed distracted.
Shinho had a pretty good idea why. It was likely because of Neji Hyuga, who wasn't sitting too far away.
Neji Hyuga, the only member of the Konoha Twelve who would eventually die. In the early days, his hatred for the main Hyuga family and his so-called destiny was driven by the death of his father, Hizashi. But after the Chunin Exams, he experienced a great transformation, accepting his fate and becoming strong on his own.
The main reasons for this shift were Naruto Uzumaki's infamous "Talk no Jutsu" and the letter Hizashi left behind. In the end, Neji died protecting Hinata. How sudden it all was. He had such grandeur in the early stages, only for his story to end abruptly.
Both inside and outside the narrative, Neji couldn't escape his fate. Shinho pondered as he made his way toward Hinata.
"Shinho-kun!"
Yamanaka Ino was the first to notice him, her face lighting up with joy.
"Sh-Shinho-kun."
Hinata jumped in surprise. Instinctively, she turned her head, but since Shinho was standing so close, her face brushed against his arm.
The unexpected contact left Hinata frozen. By the time she realized what had happened, her face had turned bright red.
Shinho-kun's scent, she thought, feeling lightheaded.
Shinho, noticing her reaction, gently placed his hand on her face to steady her.
Soft, but burning hot.
The warmth from his hand sent Hinata over the edge. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she fainted into his arms.
"…"
Shinho and Yamanaka Ino exchanged looks, both putting on awkward smiles. If I say I didn't do anything, would you believe me?
Thankfully, Hinata wouldn't report him to the police. In reality, Yamanaka Ino was a little envious. She wanted to lean on Shinho-kun too.
"Hinata?"
Shinho called her name twice.
Hinata woke up, her face as red as a freshly steamed bun, heat practically radiating off of her. She stared down at her fingers, pressing them together, too embarrassed to even glance at him.
"I bought some snacks," Shinho said, clearing his throat to break the tension. He pulled out the takoyaki he had bought on the way.
"Thank you, Shinho!"
Choji Akimichi immediately perked up, snatching his share.
Shinho chuckled. As expected, the Akimichi clan never lost when it came to food.
He wondered when Ichiraku Ramen would hold an eating contest. Maybe then, he could give Hinata a little surprise.
"Shinho-kun, sit here," Yamanaka Ino said, sliding over to the left to make room.
Chouji and Kiba Inuzuka also shifted left. On Hinata's right was the aisle, so Shinho sat between her and Ino.
"Thanks," Shinho said, sitting down. He caught a whiff of a pleasant scent from his left.
"Here," Shinho said, spearing a piece of takoyaki with a toothpick and holding it out to Hinata.
"T-Thank you," Hinata whispered, taking the toothpick from him.
Shinho then turned his attention to Ino, who was gazing at him expectantly. He repeated the gesture. Ino's lips curled into a small smile, but instead of taking the toothpick, she leaned forward, opening her mouth. Her pearly white teeth and pink tongue pressed against the takoyaki as she bit into it.
Sakura Haruno clenched her fists unconsciously.
Damn it!
She wanted Sasuke-kun to fill her mouth with takoyaki, but alas, that dream would never come true, not in the near future.
At the same time, Uchiha Sasuke was in a training yard. With a loud thud, he leapt high into the air and landed in a sand pit.
Gazing up at the night sky, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if this method was working. He stood up, forming hand seals. Chakra gathered in his mouth, and he exhaled.
A fireball, the size of a volleyball, took shape in midair.
Sasuke's eyes widened. It got bigger!
His previous fireballs had been the size of ping-pong balls. Sasuke couldn't stop the smile from creeping up his face.
He was confident that it wouldn't be long before he fully mastered it. When that day came, he would defeat Neji Hyuga first, then take down Shinho Aburame. After that, he would rule the Ninja Academy.
"Sasuke!"
Naruto Uzumaki's voice rang out from a distance. Sasuke turned around, his eyebrow twitching. Two figures clad in green bodysuits were approaching.
"What's this?"
Naruto pointed at the high jump bar with a curious expression.
Sasuke leapt into the air, flipping over the bar. After landing smoothly, he said nonchalantly, "Like that."
"So cool!"
Naruto was brimming with excitement. "What else can you do?"
Sasuke frowned slightly. Fine, he thought, I'll show you. He then demonstrated the entire set of jumps.
Might Guy, observing from the side, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Interesting, he thought. At least it wasn't as boring as running.
With a powerful leap, Might Guy grabbed the horizontal bar, hanging upside down in midair. The next second, he spun like a windmill.
Sasuke stared in shock, completely dumbfounded by what he was seeing.
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