Ideals

"Those are some impressive insects." Although he hadn't used his full strength, he had still used seventy to eighty percent. An ordinary member of the Aburame clan absolutely couldn't have blocked it this way.

Even if they could, it wouldn't be with this many insects.

Then the answer was that this child's Kikaichū were stronger than those of every other member of her clan.

Was it a mutation caused by a Kekkei Genkai?

As he thought, Third Hokage flashed forward and drove a punch straight at the back of Mimi's head, in the blind spot of her vision.

Under her mask, Mimi curled her lips. Her combat vision covered every direction, three hundred and sixty degrees without blind spots, whether above or below, day or night.

Sometimes, she felt like an old man managing a surveillance room filled with monitors.

There were plenty of amusing things to watch.

Although so many things happened at once that her brain sometimes struggled to process them all, it wasn't a serious problem.

Behind Mimi, the swarm erupted. A mass of insects as large as several door panels surged toward Third Hokage, descending over him in a crushing wave.

These things would burrow into flesh. Unless one was a member of the Hyuga, it was best not to let them touch one's body.

Even for Third Hokage.

"An troublesome ability." He was referring to the insects protecting their master. As he spoke in a low voice, Third Hokage had already retreated rapidly to a safe distance.

Watching the ninja widen the distance between himself and the insects, Mimi curled her lips.

She knew this weakness very well.

When the insects' flying speed was up against an even faster opponent, they often couldn't catch up.

Even after Mimi had optimized them and increased the structural strength of their bodies, they were still Kikaichū.

To deal with this, clan members often arranged traps with their insect swarms to prevent their prey from escaping.

Mimi, however, planned to optimize the structure of their wings. Dragonflies were highly suitable as the kings of flight.

With a speed of one hundred kilometers per hour and a burst speed of forty meters per second, they were already fast enough to deal with ninjas.

The trouble was that dragonfly wings weren't elytra like those of Kikaichū. They were easily damaged and difficult to fold away, so insects like that couldn't be stored inside the body.

Carrying an Insect Jar like the other clan members wouldn't hold very many, either.

The solution was the Summoning Technique, but Mimi didn't have it.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Faced with the swarm that continued pursuing him relentlessly, Third Hokage formed hand seals and released a ninjutsu.

He had deliberately shouted it aloud to give her a warning. Was he that afraid of accidentally killing her?

Looking at the enormous fireball carrying an intimidating wave of heat, Mimi didn't dodge.

With a lift of her hand, more insects rose from her body and flew around her, forming a mass of Black Mist larger than the fireball before drifting toward it.

Attack against attack!

Third Hokage raised his brows in surprise.

According to common sense, insects couldn't possibly fight fire head-on.

Unfortunately, this was Fire Release transformed from Chakra. In essence, it was Chakra in a state of violent motion.

And Kikaichū specialized in devouring Chakra.

When the two collided head-on, a subtle fragrance wafted through the air. The Fire Release was like a wave that had stopped advancing, blocked in place by the Kikaichū.

For a time, the charred corpses of insects covered the woodland grass in a thick layer.

"If this is all you've got, you'll die here." With an indifferent threat, Mimi reminded him that she was about to use her ultimate move.

"Secret Technique: Insect Cage."

As her words fell, dozens of pillars made from insects rapidly thrust up from the ground within a hundred-meter radius. They shot into the sky and connected together, forming a gigantic, terrifying Birdcage.

Third Hokage turned his head and looked at the Insect Cage trapping him and gathering strength. Unable to help himself, he asked,

"When?"

"When you threw the shuriken."

Mimi answered, but in reality, she had carefully set up the trap the moment he entered her safety zone.

In a woodland clearing, fallen leaves, flowers, grass, and trees covering the ground were all natural hiding places for insects, making it difficult for an enemy to notice the swarm's movements.

"Sinai."

Her outstretched hand suddenly clenched into a fist. Receiving the command at the same time, the Kikaichū swarm poured down like the sky collapsing.

Was there still time to form hand seals?

An ordinary Jonin wouldn't have made it.

But Third Hokage wasn't ordinary. As the public face of Konoha's strongest ninja, he wouldn't fall to a trick like this.

Earth Release: Earth Wall Array.

Walls of earth rose on all four sides, immediately followed by a roof sealing it shut.

Like a torrential downpour, crackling impacts rang out without pause, and the entire Earth Wall Array trembled faintly under the assault.

With the thickness of Earth Release, this degree of impact wasn't enough to break through. However, the insects had mandibles.

"Begging for death."

Mimi looked at the defensive position completely surrounded by the swarm and gave a cold snort.

Inside the Earth Release, Third Hokage watched scattered Kikaichū rapidly break through the earthen wall and burrow into the soil one after another. He couldn't help frowning.

Was the Aburame clan really this troublesome?

As he thought, he calmly formed hand seals.

"Let me teach you a lesson first. Under no circumstances can you let an enemy leave your sight." Third Hokage murmured as he activated his ninjutsu.

This time, he didn't kindly offer a warning. Third Hokage had become slightly serious.

Through the insects' vision, Mimi watched the ninja slowly sink underground within the Earth Release and let out a soft laugh.

That was why one absolutely mustn't create blind spots in one's vision.

The essence of a ninja battle was an intelligence war. Gathering information was of the utmost importance.

Mimi raised both hands and formed hand seals in earnest.

Three Body Technique: Transformation Technique.

Mimi was no genius. For a ninja to release a ninjutsu, forming hand seals was basic knowledge.

"It's over!"

With a furious roar, a hand broke through the ground and suddenly seized Mimi's calf. As the arm pulled her downward with force, Third Hokage's entire body simultaneously emerged from underground.

At that very moment, Mimi's entire form scattered under the force acting on it, transforming into a swarm of flying insects.

Insect Clone!

It was when I activated the Earth Release: Underground Headhunter Technique.

Truly excellent combat awareness.

The next second, after coming into unguarded contact with the Insect Clone at close range, the Shadow Clone couldn't withstand the insects' bites. Its entire body exploded into smoke.

I let my guard down.

Near the woods, Third Hokage held his smoking pipe between his teeth and took a depressed puff.

This child.

She really was a genius.

The sound of branches and leaves cracking underfoot rang out in the woods.

Third Hokage turned to look. Within the shadows between the trees, a tiny figure slowly walked out onto the woodland path.

Before Third Hokage could ask anything, Mimi greeted him warmly to his face.

"Third Hokage, sir, have you seen an idiot who claims to be a spy?"

Hearing this, Third Hokage took a deeply aggrieved drag on his pipe before saying, "Really? Is there someone like that?"

"Oh? That's strange. Since Third Hokage was nearby, how did that idiot manage to sneak in?" Mimi continued, deliberately or otherwise emphasizing the word "idiot."

Third Hokage smoked gloomily.

This child had definitely noticed something. He needed to think of a dignified explanation.

"Since Third Hokage is here, then I won't worry about that idiot."

Third Hokage breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, Third Hokage, sir, are you taking a stroll here?"

"That's right, that's right. What are you doing here, little girl?"

"I'm taking a stroll too." Mimi spoke somewhat coldly, giving a slight bow as she prepared to leave.

"Wait."

Mimi looked toward Third Hokage.

Watching Mimi, who never played by the rules, Third Hokage asked quite abruptly,

"Do you have any ideals, little one?"

"Ideals?" Mimi didn't want to answer such a boring question, so after laughing, she said coldly, "My ideal is the stars and the sea."

"The stars and the sea?"

Third Hokage looked at Mimi with a puzzled expression.

He didn't really understand that kind of ideal.

"I want to fly into the sky..." Mimi said with great seriousness. "And stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun."

Third Hokage opened and closed his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

He didn't really understand it, but he was deeply shaken.

What a strange child.

"Don't you want to become Hokage?"

Nowadays, many children wanted to become a powerful Hokage like the Second Hokage.

"No." Mimi flatly refused.

"Why?"

"Why not dance instead?"

"???"

Third Hokage felt that there was definitely something seriously wrong with this child.

"Then do you want to become the Hokage's disciple?"

"No."

"Why is that?"

"If I don't even want to become Hokage, why would I become the Hokage's disciple?"

Mimi shot back.

Third Hokage took a deep drag on his pipe and said, "Look, I know many ninjutsu and am known as the god of ninjutsu in the Shinobi World. Do you want to learn ninjutsu?"

"Really?" Mimi raised her hand, which was covered in crawling Kikaichū, and asked, "Can you teach me this?"

Third Hokage took another deep drag on his pipe.

"Isn't there some other ninjutsu you want to learn?"

"There is."

Third Hokage's eyes lit up. "What do you want to learn? I'll teach you!!"