"How old are you this year?" Shinho Aburame casually asked while chatting with Mabui, as Tsunade was still deeply engrossed in gambling. They didn't interrupt her.
"A woman's age is a secret, you know?" Mabui replied with a smile.
It wasn't often she had a chance to chat like this, especially with someone as young as Shinho. Surprisingly, his age and appearance made her lower her guard without realizing it.
Too bad he was from Konoha. If such a genius appeared in Kumogakure, he'd be treated like royalty.
"How much longer do you think your teacher is going to keep gambling?" Mabui asked, casting a glance at Tsunade's busy figure.
"She'll run out of money soon, don't worry," Shinho responded, waving his hand dismissively.
"Shouldn't you be rooting her to win, as her student?" Mabui asked, a bit surprised.
"You don't know her reputation?" Shinho shot back with a wry smile.
"Reputation?" Mabui hesitated. "The Legendary Sannin?"
"No, she's known as the Legendary 'Sucker' for a reason," Shinho explained, shaking his head. "She loses way more than she wins when it comes to gambling."
Mabui couldn't help but smile slightly at his expression. This kid was rather endearing, especially today without his usual sunglasses. She found him quite likable.
Suddenly, Tsunade's frustrated voice echoed through the casino.
"Damn it!"
"I'm sorry, but you're out of funds," the dealer said with a smile as he swept away her last stack of chips.
"Just you wait!" Tsunade growled, turning sharply to look for her "bankroller." But she froze when she caught sight of Mabui.
"Teacher," Shinho called out, waving to get her attention.
"Tsunade-sama," Mabui greeted with respectful formality, standing up. "I am Mabui from Kumogakure."
"Shinho already told me the details. I accept your terms," Tsunade said, throwing one last glance at the gambling table. "Let's go treat your injured."
"Thank you," Mabui sighed in relief. This had gone more smoothly than she anticipated.
"Shinho, go find Shizune," Tsunade instructed. "We'll meet you at the entrance."
She assumed Shizune was still at the inn.
Shinho scanned the crowd out of habit, but the disguised Shizune was no longer visible among the casino patrons.
"Understood," Shinho replied, leaving the casino and heading back to the inn.
As he approached the entrance, someone suddenly covered his eyes from behind.
A familiar scent immediately eased his guard.
"Guess who?" Shizune's playful voice asked with a giggle.
"Tsunade-sama is waiting for us outside," Shinho replied, uninterested in playing games.
"Fine," Shizune pouted, ruffling his hair before asking, "I saw some Kumogakure ninjas. What's going on?"
"We're going to treat someone. The fee is thirty-five million ryō," Shinho said, grabbing her mischievous hand before she could ruffle his hair further.
"That much?" Shizune's eyes lit up with excitement. "I've never seen that much money at once, even after all this time with Tsunade-sama."
But you've seen bills in the billions, Shinho thought to himself, realizing just how much she'd had to endure.
Gambling really was destructive. Luckily, in this world of ninjas, Tsunade had the strength to back up her debts. If it was anything like in his previous life, Shinho was sure even the closest family members or friends would run for the hills from her.
Under Mabui's guidance, they made their way to Kumogakure's temporary base.
"It's definitely an Exploding Bug," Tsunade said after examining Karai on the bed.
"Can you save him?" The Fourth Raikage asked anxiously.
"Of course," Tsunade responded, raising her chin proudly. "This is a simple procedure. My student can handle it."
"Tsunade," the Raikage's tone hardened, clearly displeased, "we paid for your expertise."
He didn't trust anyone but Tsunade herself to perform the procedure, and C, standing behind him, looked equally skeptical. If even Tsunade's students could outperform his years of medical training, then what had he even been studying for?
"Don't worry," Tsunade smirked. "No one understands medical ninjutsu better than I do."
"Raikage-sama," Mabui interjected with a calming tone, "we should step back and allow them to perform the procedure without interruptions."
"If something goes wrong, you will face the consequences," the Raikage growled, stepping aside begrudgingly.
"Shinho," Shizune called as she prepared a syringe, "I'll need you to assist with stopping the bleeding."
"Got it," Shinho replied.
Tsunade casually strolled to the window, her golden hair fluttering in the breeze as she gazed out. Her composed demeanor projected the image of a seasoned master, as if the outcome were already a foregone conclusion. To the Raikage, Mabui, and C, it only further cemented her reputation.
Shizune took up the scalpel and carefully made an incision on the swollen area.
Blood began to flow, and Shinho raised his hands, covering the wound with soft, green chakra.
"That's the Mystical Palm Technique?" C's voice shook with disbelief.
Both Shizune and Shinho were younger than him, especially Shinho, who looked far too young to master such an advanced technique. The sight made him question everything he'd learned.
Meanwhile, the Raikage couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Konoha's genius ninjas were simply too numerous. During the last Great Ninja War, just as the tide seemed to turn against Konoha, Minato Namikaze had emerged, holding off both him and Killer Bee.
The Flying Thunder God Technique had been a nightmare to deal with. It was a small mercy that Minato had perished during the Kyuubi attack.
Mabui, on the other hand, was increasingly convinced. Shinho would undoubtedly be a force to reckon with in the future.
As time passed, the metallic scent of blood filled the air.
Eventually, Shizune extracted a large, white Exploding Bug from Karai's body. She swiftly decapitated it with her scalpel.
Shinho noted another flaw with the Exploding Bugs: once removed from the host, they lost their ability to resist.
"How's Karai?" the Raikage asked, his voice filled with tension.
"He's stable now," Shizune confirmed after a glance at Tsunade. "His chakra stopped draining once the bug was removed."
For a ninja, chakra was akin to their life force. The Exploding Bug had been draining Karai's chakra, leaving him increasingly weakened.
"Now, it's your turn, Raikage-sama," Shizune said, turning toward him.
The Raikage nodded, fully convinced after witnessing Karai's recovery.
"No anesthetic," the Raikage said firmly.
According to his plan, he still needed to hunt down the Nokizaru Group afterward. If he took the anesthetic, he'd have to wait until the next day.
Shizune didn't argue. For someone like the Raikage, who lived life on the edge of a blade, pain was trivial.
Since Karai was still lying on the bed, the Raikage simply sat down to undergo his procedure.
For a brief moment, Shinho felt like he was witnessing a scene out of a legend—like Hua Tuo performing surgery on General Guan Yu, scraping poison from his bone. Except Shinho's version was a bit more irreverent, akin to a meme.
But Shinho had already secured thirty-five million.
The Raikage's surgery went even smoother than Karai's, as the Exploding Bug inside him was still relatively small.
"All done, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said after finishing the procedure and cleaning up the blood.
Tsunade's face lit up with a smile.
"How are you feeling, Raikage-sama?"
"Impressive," the Fourth Raikage grunted, clearly still maintaining his usual rough attitude. He wasn't one for pleasantries—whatever was on his mind, he'd say it directly.
"There's one more thing," Mabui interjected at just the right moment, "We need Tsunade-sama's help to subdue the Nokizaru Group."
"The Exploding Bugs are mine," Shinho Aburame said, cutting in before Tsunade could refuse.
Tsunade hesitated, glanced at her student for a few seconds, and then nodded in agreement.
Mabui let out a breath of relief. Shinho was clearly the key to handling Tsunade.
If she had such a talented student, she'd likely treasure him as well. It was understandable why Tsunade would treat Shinho so highly.
"I've already pinpointed the location of the Nokizaru Group" Mabui explained as they walked, "They're hiding in the forest outside the city. I suspect they've been tracking Raikage-sama."
"How bold!" The Fourth Raikage clenched his fists in fury. "Mabui, lead the way!"
"Follow me," she said, picking up her pace.
The group—composed of the Raikage, C, Tsunade, Shizune, and Shinho—trailed behind her.
As they moved, Mabui briefed them on the Nokizaru Group's details. The Raikage hadn't directly engaged with them before since his focus was on rescuing his injured guards.
The Nokizaru Group had five members, all somewhere between the strength of Chunin and Jonin. Their greatest threat came from the Exploding Bugs they bred.
But now, with Tsunade's medical expertise, the Raikage had no more concerns.
"We're here," Mabui said, halting at the edge of a dense forest. "C, use your sensory jutsu to detect any incoming Exploding Bugs."
"Understood," C responded, already activating his sensory abilities.
"Exploding Bugs enter through breathing," Tsunade reminded them casually, "Hold your breath."
Shinho summoned his White Jade Gu to enhance his own defenses.
"Three hundred meters ahead," Cee reported.
Without hesitation, the Raikage launched himself forward, chakra surging around him as a blue lightning aura enveloped his body, turning him into a human cannonball.
"Boss! Look out!" one of the Nokizaru Group members yelled, but it was too late.
The Raikage's elbow crashed into the chest of their leader, a middle-aged man with white hair.
Crack!
The sound of bones shattering filled the air, and blood gushed from the man's mouth, spraying across the ground as he was sent flying.
Shinho quickly threw a smoke bomb, cloaking the area in a thick cloud of smoke, enveloping all five of them.
Mabui and C exchanged confused glances, but they didn't question it. Tsunade, however, paused, her eyes narrowing.
Was Shinho trying to protect her from the sight of flying blood? Who told him about her condition? Was it Katsuyu?
As Tsunade pondered, the battle erupted.
The white-haired leader lay motionless on the ground, his life snuffed out in an instant. The remaining four members of the Nokizaru Group barely had time to react before the Raikage lunged at them.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" a young man with black hair yelled, forming hand seals rapidly and releasing a massive water dragon from his mouth to charge at the Raikage.
But before it could reach him, a towering earthen wall shot up from the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall," another Nokizaru Group member in gray robes called out.
The Raikage vanished in a flash, darting around the water dragon and slamming straight through the earthen wall, sending rocks flying.
Suddenly, a blinding white light flared up.
"It's the Exploding Bugs!" Cee shouted in warning.
The Raikage immediately stopped breathing, his sharp instincts kicking in.
"The Exploding Bugs are coming toward us! Be careful!" C continued, closing his eyes to focus on his sensory jutsu.
At that critical moment, Shinho slipped on his sunglasses and extended his hand.
Seventy-seven of his mutated Parasitic Destruction Insects swarmed out.
The Exploding Bugs were invisible to the human eye, but not to the insects.
In an instant, Shinho's bugs divided into five groups, surrounding and trapping the Exploding Bugs mid-air.
"Damn it! The Aburame clan!" the gray-robed youth's grin faltered.
When it came to manipulating insects, no one could compare to the Aburame clan. He quickly pulled out a smoke bomb, trying to create a diversion and escape.
"Right to the front, two hundred meters," Cee reported.
The Raikage pivoted, his speed unbelievable, and reached the spot in an instant. His kick connected, and the gray-robed man fell, lifeless.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" the black-haired youth reappeared behind Shinho's group, realizing that the Raikage was too powerful to take on directly. His last-ditch effort was aimed at Shinho himself, hoping to take down the weakest link.
The water dragon roared as it hurtled through the air, heading straight for Shinho.
But before it could land, Tsunade took a step forward and shattered the dragon with a single punch.
"Die!" the black-haired youth roared, a kunai flashing as he appeared at Shinho's left side, aiming for his neck.
Clang!
The kunai struck, but it stopped dead, unable to penetrate Shinho's skin.
The black-haired youth froze in disbelief. Is this kid even human?
"Moonblade Gu!" Shinho calmly activated his Gu worm, channeling his vital energy.
"Close your eyes," he instructed, as a crescent-shaped energy blade flew from his hand, and Tsunade closed her eyes.
With a spray of blood, the black-haired youth was bisected, his body falling in two pieces.
"Second brother!" a voice bellowed in anger.
The air around them suddenly heated up as a blazing fire whip lashed toward Shinho.
Tsunade, still closing her eyes, remained frozen in thought. She hadn't expected a day would come when her student would be the one protecting her.
"Left side, one hundred and twenty meters," C reported urgently.
Shinho raised his hand, summoning his Water Arrow Gu. A sharp stream of water shot out like an arrow, colliding with the flames, instantly creating a thick mist.
"Moonwhirl Gu!" Once again, Shinho launched the crescent-shaped blades, this time curving through the air unpredictably, made even more difficult to track thanks to the smoke and mist.
A scream echoed as the temperature in the air dropped back to normal.
"One person left," C said urgently. "He's running! Straight ahead, four hundred meters."
The Raikage dashed after him.
Moments later, the ground shook violently, signaling the end of the battle.
"The Nokizaru Group really was nothing more than a group of insects relying on Exploding Bugs," Mabui said with a shake of her head.
In the ninja world, a Jonin from the five great nations wasn't necessarily equal to a Jonin from the other minor villages, or rouges. Take Midori Aoi for example—he was just a Chunin in Konoha but became a Jonin in Amegakure.
Of course, there were also special cases like Kakuzu and Hidan, who transcended traditional rankings.
Shinho's attention turned to the five Exploding Bugs, still trapped within the swarm of his Parasitic Insects.
He suddenly recalled an old saying: among Gu worms, hierarchy was absolute.
He focused his energy, channeling the aura of his Healing Hand Gu, a powerful rank-five Gu worm. His energy enveloped the Exploding Bugs.
The moment the bugs sensed his vital energy, they froze.
Seconds later, they submitted to his control.
He had successfully tamed them.
While Exploding Bugs had their flaws, they were more valuable than their downsides. Shinho smiled inwardly. The Aburame clan had just gained a new tool.
As for cultivating these Exploding Bugs further? That was a task he'd have to leave to his father.
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