The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Iruka Umino finished his lecture, gathered his materials, and left the classroom promptly, wasting no time.
"Shi—" Ino Yamanaka started to call out to Shinho Aburame, but before she could finish, Shinho stood up and walked directly toward Hinata Hyuga. Without saying a word, the two left the classroom together, moving in perfect sync.
Ino bit her lip. Even Shino Aburame, who was following behind them, didn't seem to notice her frustration. She felt a pang of disappointment.
Hinata beat me to it again. If things continued this way, her position would become increasingly precarious.
Maybe I'm approaching this the wrong way.
While she was lost in thought, a sudden scream from Sakura Haruno grabbed her attention. Looking up, Ino saw Sakura reaching out dramatically, her voice full of anguish. It was as if she had been turned into an ice sculpture in the falling snow, frozen in place.
But Sasuke Uchiha didn't react at all—he ignored her completely.
"See you tomorrow, Sakura," Naruto Uzumaki, dressed in his green jumpsuit, called out as he caught up with Sasuke, walking side by side with him.
Huh?
Sakura was stunned. Sasuke-kun has always been so distant from Naruto. When did they become close? Am I even worse than Naruto? What's going on?
Naruto's casual "See you tomorrow" felt like a message to her—Watch closely, this is how you use Sasuke.
Sakura was utterly defeated. Ino stifled a laugh, suppressing her urge to giggle. She was worried that laughing at Sakura's misfortune might negatively affect her karma.
At the Forest of Death, Shino Aburame glanced back and noticed Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki trailing behind them. A look of confusion crossed his face.
Why aren't they catching up?
When they arrived at the training cabin, Shino finally understood. Since when had my brother set up such strange equipment?
"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto was full of energy. "Let's have some good old-fashioned hand-to-hand sparring!"
"???"
Shinho Aburame shot Naruto a bewildered look. Hand-to-hand sparring? Really?
But as odd as it sounded, the term was fitting.
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, though he understood what Naruto meant. Despite his comment, Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes before stepping onto the high bar and getting into position. Naruto, meanwhile, was running around the area doing handstands. Soon, the courtyard was filled only with the sound of heavy breathing.
"Shino, let's head inside," Shinho said as he opened the door.
Shino snapped out of his thoughts and followed Shinho into the courtyard. It was his first time here, and he curiously looked around.
So many beautiful flowers?
Shino let out a soft "hmm," puzzled.
Since when did my brother like flowers? Could this be for Ino Yamanaka?
Glancing at Hinata, who was obediently following Shinho, Shino couldn't help but gasp inwardly.
Brother, you're really not afraid of getting into trouble, are you?
He instinctively took a half-step back.
When the inevitable conflict between your "choices" happens, I definitely won't help you. Or maybe... he might just help them instead.
"Summon your parasitic bugs," Shinho suddenly said. "Your three strongest."
Although Shino didn't understand why, he complied. He extended his hand, and three parasitic bugs emerged from his sleeve.
"Show me their attack power," Shinho said, pointing to a tree just outside the courtyard.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the three bugs flew out and struck the bark. Though they didn't cause any immediate damage, the sound of gnawing soon followed. Ten seconds later, a fist-sized hole had been eaten into the tree.
"Call them back," Shinho instructed, a plan forming in his mind.
"Brother, what's going on?" Shino was about to ask when his eyes widened in shock. He saw Shinho's parasitic bugs.
They're... different. Flashier, somehow.
It felt like comparing a cheap knockoff action figure to an authentic, high-quality one.
Mom, father, am I really your child? Did you find me in some matchbox?
Shino's first thought was that this must be some form of favoritism from their father. But that didn't make sense. Their father, Shibi Aburame, used the same type of parasitic bugs as Shino did.
"Go ahead," Shinho said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he watched his bugs attack the tree.
When they hit the bark, the surface caved in immediately. The bugs began gnawing at the tree, much faster than before. In ten seconds, the tree split apart completely, severed in two.
Shino stood there, dumbfounded.
I'm definitely not their real child. The difference in power is simply insane!
And this was just with three bugs. He couldn't imagine what it would be like with a larger swarm.
"Shino, do you want one?" Shinho asked as the three parasitic bugs returned to his hand.
"Of course," Shino admitted.
As a member of the Aburame clan, controlling better bugs was an irresistible temptation. The allure of a superior bug was no less than the temptation of a seductive, high-heeled woman to most men.
"Here, take one," Shinho said, handing him the smallest of the mutated parasitic bugs.
He wanted to see if the bug could be fed chakra and if it could reproduce with regular parasitic bugs.
"Thanks, brother!" Shino said, overjoyed.
Though it was only one bug, the strength of the Aburame clan's parasitic bugs came from their ability to breed and form a vast swarm. The potential was enormous.
"All right, you can go now," Shinho waved dismissively.
"…"
Shino's mouth twitched.
Fine. You're the big brother, so I'll listen.
As he left the courtyard, Shino glanced over at Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. He stopped in his tracks. Sasuke was drenched in sweat as he leaped into the air, soaring over the high bar. As expected of the Uchiha.
Shino had no intention of joining them. As a bug handler, his focus was on the insects, not physical training.
"Hinata," Shinho said after Shino had left, turning to face her.
"I-I'm here," Hinata stammered, immediately responding.
"No need to be so nervous," Shinho smiled.
Hinata lowered her head, embarrassed. She wasn't this shy around others, but when it came to Shinho-kun, she couldn't help herself.
"Challenging Neji isn't going to be easy," Shinho said seriously. Even with the power of the White Boar Gu supporting her, Hinata still wasn't strong enough.
"Mm," Hinata nodded obediently.
"I can't guarantee anything," Shinho said after a moment. "But with more training, you'll definitely improve."
"Thank you, Shinho-kun," Hinata said, warmth flooding her heart.
I need to find a way to repay him. She realized that giving Shinho her allowance wasn't enough to express her gratitude.
"Attack me," Shinho said, gesturing for her to begin.
After a moment of hesitation, Hinata activated her Byakugan. She quickly closed the distance, and the two began sparring.
After exchanging several moves, Shinho thought to himself, Just as I suspected.
In theory, without using any Gu or monstrous strength, Shinho should have been at a disadvantage. He had only learned basic Taijutsu, while Hinata was using the Hyuga clan's famed Gentle Fist. But despite this, Shinho was able to suppress her attacks.
Even so, he could feel the pressure from her strikes.
The Gentle Fist really does live up to its reputation as one of the strongest Taijutsu styles.
In the end, it seemed Shinho was the one benefiting most from this sparring session.
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