Konoha's First Eternal Genin

Hanzo was startled by the Insect Clone. He truly had not expected such a durable target to be a clone.

Once the Insect Clone was dispersed, its Chakra scattered away. Without its protection, the beetles and Kikaichū were quickly killed by the deadly poison, leaving corpses all over the ground.

The corpses of the Kikaichū and other insects were quickly corroded by the poison, leaving beetle carcasses scattered everywhere. Their insides had been completely dissolved, yet their shells remained intact.

Hanzo curiously picked up a beetle and was surprised to find that it was this kind of insect that had blocked his scythe blade. Although the shell left behind after death was clearly less durable, cutting open one of these beetles with his scythe still took considerable effort.

"Good stuff." Hanzo immediately began collecting all the beetle shells from the ground. Such hard material could easily be processed into ninja tools or protective gear. The impoverished Land of Rain had nothing like this.

The delighted Hanzo failed to notice tiny cracks in the ground, absorbing the poisonous mist in the air and the toxic liquid flowing across the ground.

At the eastern gate of the Konoha camp, Aburame Tetsumaru was overjoyed. The insects he had buried had indeed collected Ibuse's pure deadly venom. This was a huge profit.

Those insects did not need to be retrieved immediately. Although their poison resistance had improved greatly, they still could not withstand Ibuse's venom. When death came, they would burrow downward and ultimately bury themselves a meter underground.

The storage organs inside these insects were artificial glass bottles. Once filled or once the insects died, they would seal shut directly, so there was no need to worry about leakage.

As long as they fought their way back within half a year and reoccupied this camp, they could recover a large batch of Ibuse's concentrated poison mist and pure venom.

Ibuse's venom was far more potent than the poison used by Aburame Tetsumaru's insects, but its toxicity dissipated too quickly, making fresh venom difficult to collect.

Ibuse's venom was extremely valuable. Konoha had always offered rewards for it. Besides selling it, they could use it themselves. Whether for tempering concealed weapons or making poison mist bombs, it could effectively increase lethality.

Aburame Tetsumaru also wanted to analyze the venom's exact composition, replicate it, and perhaps even create an even deadlier poison.

Science was all about analyzing and replicating things, then overwhelming the enemy with sheer quantity.

Aburame Tetsumaru ran back at incredible speed and had already caught sight of the commander's group. Orochimaru had arranged for them to retreat directly.

The mission of Aburame Tetsumaru and the eight Chunin squads was harassment. The main resistance force consisted of several Jonin squads led by Orochimaru. Since Hanzo had come personally, Chunin were unsuitable as the core of the defense. They could be poisoned to death by him too easily.

The first wave of enemies rushing over was a large group of Rain Ninja carrying umbrellas. The moment they saw that Hanzo had not come, the Konoha Ninja's eyes turned red. How could they describe their feelings? They had been stifled all night and had finally encountered opponents they could slaughter freely.

What followed was beyond description. It was simply too brutal.

In general, the gap between ninja from small countries and villages and ninja from major countries was truly obvious. More than sixty Rain Ninja, all using Water Release, all using Ninja Art: Rain Senbon.

Several Rain Ninja Chunin used Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu, only to be thoroughly suppressed at once by faster and more powerful Water Release from the Konoha Ninja. They could not stir up another wave.

Before the Konoha Ninja could clean up the battlefield, the earth began to tremble.

Earth Release: Core Earth Exploration

Everyone immediately jumped up, avoiding the damaging effects of the earthquake created by the jutsu.

"The Iwa Ninja are here."

Orochimaru and two Konoha Jonin immediately used opposing jutsu.

Earth Release: Earth Flow River

A surging mudslide poured into the shaking ground. Before long, the muddy earth stopped trembling, and all the cracks and fissures were filled.

More than twenty Iwa Ninja appeared before the gate. Their orderly, staggered formation revealed eight combat squads. The way these ninja positioned themselves displayed the fundamental quality of ninja from a major nation.

Just like when the Ueno Squad had patrolled before, any B-rank jutsu could only cover one person, yet it would be met by the combined defense of three.

There were more Konoha Ninja now, so following convention, they took the initiative to attack. Wind Release, Earth Release, and Water Release mixed with a Fireball Jutsu crashed toward the enemy.

Wait, which idiot had used a Fireball Jutsu? It was raining.

The Iwa Ninja on the other side likewise began defending according to convention, raising layer after layer of Earth Style Wall to withstand every attack.

"Now, begin!"

Orochimaru bit his finger and used the Summoning Technique, calling forth a giant python more than forty meters long that drew everyone's attention on the battlefield.

"A Ryūchi Cave summoning technique. It's Orochimaru." Someone among the Iwa Ninja began issuing orders. "Prepare the Yomotsu Hirasaka Technique."

The appearance of the giant snake was also the signal for Konoha's attack. Dazzling electric light suddenly flashed from the north and south.

Lightning Release: Earth Walk

Lightning Release: Lightning Ball

Lightning Release: Lightning Strike

Bolts of lightning struck the earthen walls erected by the Iwa Ninja. Several Lightning Balls even rolled over the walls before exploding. Amid the flashing electric light, screams immediately rang out without end.

Konoha's greatest advantage was that it could find specialists for every kind of jutsu, making arrangements extremely convenient. The downside was a lack of specialization. If Kumogakure had launched this wave of attacks, none of the Iwa Ninja would have survived.

Of course, Orochimaru knew that a few Lightning Release jutsu could not end the battle. Before the electric light had fully faded, he directed the giant snake to charge forward menacingly. In one move, it smashed down the tall earthen walls and split the Iwa Ninja formation in two.

The other Konoha Ninja followed closely behind Orochimaru, taking advantage of the Iwa Ninja's confusion to kill them.

When fighting Iwa Ninja, one had to prioritize disrupting their order and throwing them into chaos. Only then could their weakness of slow reactions be fully exposed.

The twenty-some Iwa Ninja were battered senseless in the melee and were quickly wiped out completely.

Orochimaru immediately arranged for the Konoha Ninja to retreat to the next blocking position. After a round of Iwa Ninja jutsu, the environment here had become even more suitable for Iwa Ninja combat. Continuing to fight would only grow more dangerous.

"All Jonin will remain for now to observe the situation. All Chunin and Genin, retreat immediately."

At that moment, a thin figure stepped forward and said, "Sir, please allow me to remain as well."

Maruboshi Kosuke. A famous man.

Aburame Tetsumaru recognized the thin, black-haired ninja at a glance. His traits were too obvious: a Genin carrying such a huge pot on his back, daring to take part in a mission that even Jonin considered dangerous.

"Senior Kosuke stays. Everyone else, retreat immediately."

Maruboshi Kosuke was undeniably an Elite Jonin. In terms of strength, he did not lose to Orochimaru, so Orochimaru immediately changed his orders without the slightest hesitation.

Yet this order made many ninja preparing to retreat hesitate. Some revealed conflicted expressions, as though they wanted to speak but held themselves back.

Orochimaru sharply noticed the detail. After thinking for a moment, he spoke again. "There will be plenty of battles ahead. Everyone, hurry to the next defensive line and make preparations."

Once he said that, the ninja felt much better. No one hesitated any longer, and they began retreating.

Maruboshi Kosuke was an old ninja, so he naturally noticed the change as well. He knew that stepping forward had placed psychological pressure on the others.

He immediately apologized to Orochimaru. "Sorry, I caused you trouble."

"No need for that. It is also my duty. Senior, I will need you to fight hard in the battles ahead."

"Duty calls."

The first defensive line was southeast of the camp's eastern gate, not far away. Its core position was a hill only eight or nine meters tall.

When Aburame Tetsumaru arrived, the Konoha Ninja who had reached it ahead of them were reinforcing the hill with Sealing Technique. That height of eight or nine meters could not be underestimated. Against an Iwa Ninja skilled in Earth Release, such a difference in elevation could double the power of his Earth Release jutsu.

This was Konoha's current problem in facing the Earth-Rain allied forces. Normally, when fighting Iwa Ninja, finding a swampy body of water as a battlefield would grant a tremendous advantage. But in such places, the Rain Ninja held an even greater advantage. Although encountering a few Rain Ninja squads was usually as easy as chopping melons and vegetables, when enough Rain Ninja gathered, they also had elite experts. Raising waves in a swampy area could be deadly.

The ones in charge of the sealing work were dedicated Sealing Squad ninja. One of them was an acquaintance of Tetsumaru's and had once created the Sealing Technique for the Aburame clan's summoning chamber.

The Sealing Squad captain chose the Soapwood Stake Rock-Sealing Method. It used eighteen sealing pillars to stabilize the earth veins. Within the sealed area, Earth Release could not manipulate rock or soil unless one could control the entire sealed area as a whole.

The Sealing Squad ninja were responsible for making the sealing pillars, then designated locations for others to hammer them into the ground. The key was that Earth Release could not be used, or it would damage the sealing effect.

Thus, the entire position turned into a construction site, with groups of Konoha Ninja grunting as they hammered in stakes.

No one carried hammers around, so everyone used different methods to replace the function of a sledgehammer. Some smashed with their fists, some tied rocks to branches to make stone hammers, and some used Kunai to dig holes.

The work was quite difficult. It rained year-round in the Land of Rain, so any raised ground was bound to be stone. Driving stakes into rock was naturally very difficult.

The construction progress lagged far behind. The Sealing Squad captain in charge was extremely anxious. This concerned the lives of more than three hundred Konoha Ninja.

The moment the Aburame Squad arrived, they were assigned a stake. A Sealing Squad ninja pointed at a white cross mark on the ground and loudly gave his instructions. "Right here! It must be buried before dawn!"

Uchiha Kei held a pillar taller than himself. He stomped the ground with his foot and confirmed that solid rock lay beneath him. He was immediately dumbfounded. How could they finish this mission in time?

"Don't worry. When it comes to labor, we Aburame clan ninja have the most methods." Aburame Tetsumaru looked at the sky, which was already beginning to pale at the horizon. "No problem. We can make it."

He then summoned the Tool Insect Hive and released more than a hundred Mole Crickets.

The Mole Crickets, each now as large as a baby's arm, surrounded the spot marked by the cross and began hammering with the appendages behind their heads. Crushed stone immediately flew everywhere.

This bodily structure, derived from the mantis shrimp, possessed immense destructive power after storing force. The strikes were simply too powerful. Again and again, a Mole Cricket would strike at a bad angle and send itself flying more than ten meters into the air. The Mole Crickets waiting around the perimeter would then immediately take its place.

Before long, cracks had been smashed into the rock. The Mole Crickets sprayed acid into the fissures while continuing to hammer fiercely. Amid the white mist produced by the acid's corrosion, they quickly dug out a hole and rapidly worked their way deeper.

Kurama Yun greatly disliked large, ferocious insects and had fled far away the moment the Mole Crickets appeared. But seeing the progress move so quickly, she could not help smiling.

Uchiha Kei was even happier. The Aburame Squad captain was too capable, while Kurama Yun's stamina was too poor, so whenever labor was needed, the captain would simply dump it on him. His reason every time was: "A coward doesn't mind doing more work, right?"

Whenever there was physical work, the captain threatened to send him to his death if he disobeyed. The key was that it worked every time. Uchiha Kei had a massive psychological shadow from it. He had even developed a habit. Whenever a Sealing Squad ninja came over to assign work, he would automatically take the huge stake and assess the ground material and available time.

Yet the captain had brought out a pile of insects and finished the work himself. Uchiha Kei felt delighted, and even those ferocious Mole Crickets became more pleasing to the eye the longer he looked at them.

Soon, the hole was deep enough. Uchiha Kei and Aburame Tetsumaru worked together to plant the stake, then called over a Sealing Squad ninja for the final handling.

Their speed immediately alerted the Sealing Squad captain. He hurried over, took one look, and then dragged Aburame Tetsumaru away to provide support elsewhere, leaving behind Uchiha Kei and Kurama Yun covering their mouths and snickering.

"Keep it up, Captain."

"Work hard, Captain."

"Ha ha ha ha ha~~"

After laughing for a while, Uchiha Kei noticed that the sky was beginning to brighten. He felt a little hungry. "Kurama, do you have anything to eat?"

"No. Captain has all of it stored with him."

"Oh, good thing Captain left his backpack behind."

Uchiha Kei unceremoniously rummaged through Aburame Tetsumaru's backpack and found a pile of food. Seeing that quite a bit of it was food he liked, Kurama Yun could not maintain her reserve either. She opened an umbrella against the rain, and the two began eating.

The first time Aburame Tetsumaru passed nearby, he even chuckled. These two subordinates were quite good at finding leisure amid work.

The second time he passed closer by, Aburame Tetsumaru recognized that the two were eating his food. His anger immediately flared, and he gave a hard "Hmph."

The captain's accumulated authority startled Uchiha Kei so badly that his hand trembled. Kurama Yun switched into her mature big-sister mode, and the two of them sped up their eating, looking as though they intended to finish every last bite of the good food.

By the third time he passed by, the food had already been completely eaten, the umbrella had been put away, and the two subordinates had each hidden themselves. They refused to face their captain at all. Aburame Tetsumaru began seriously devising a plan for revenge.

After dawn, they finally finished the work. Aburame Tetsumaru returned to where he had left his backpack and found, after checking it, that all the food had been completely cleared out. Only two boxes of Military Ration Pills remained.

He gave a cold chuckle and used the Summoning Technique to summon the Insect Hive, returning the exhausted Mole Crickets.

Then Aburame Tetsumaru summoned the Supply Insect Hive. The hive was a cabinet two meters high and one and a half meters wide. It could hold far more than a mere backpack, and the variety of supplies inside was much richer as well.

Rich enough to build a fire and cook a pot of delicious beef hot pot.

Once the fresh beef hot pot began to boil, its fragrance spread everywhere. Paired with reheated white rice, it was absolutely delicious. The two subordinates quickly followed the scent back and hid nearby, drooling.

Aburame Tetsumaru was so angered at the moment that he overlooked the fact that those two had at least eaten their fill. The ones truly tormented by the hot pot's aroma were the other nearby Konoha Ninja, who had just finished working and were starving. The moment they smelled the hot pot, they nearly went mad.

Most of the ninja only had cold rice balls. Some who favored minimalist preparations carried only Military Ration Pills. Harassed by the fragrance until their saliva streamed, they could not help glaring viciously at Aburame Tetsumaru's hot pot.

Under the intense stares of everyone around him, Aburame Tetsumaru immediately came to his senses. Of two evils, he chose the lesser. He obediently invited everyone to share the food. The tense atmosphere vanished at once and quickly became lively.

In the end, Aburame Tetsumaru's large pot of beef hot pot received unanimous praise. Not a single drop of broth was wasted. The only problem was that he himself did not get enough to eat.

You two just wait.