Secret Techniques of the Aburame Clan

"Due to certain reasons, the relationship between a specific clan within the village and the village itself has soured. Iwagakure learned of this and attempted to launch a large-scale offensive."

"Whether the intelligence is authentic remains unknown, so we need you to verify it."

After Aburame Tatsuma, standing behind Danzo, finished speaking, Nonō across from them clenched her fists.

She then replied: "You have found the wrong person. The current me is merely the director of this Orphanage."

Danzo frowned slightly: "You should be well aware of the reason why the Orphanage's funding has yet to be finalized."

The voice of Aburame Tatsuma sounded from behind once more: "The funds might be obtained sooner or later, after all, it is something the Fourth promised. But this place is quite remote, after all. Do you intend to hire some ninjas for protection? To prevent the money from being stolen, or perhaps those children..."

Orochimaru chimed in: "Children of unknown identity have their uses; I have a great need for..."

The rest of the words were left unsaid, but Nonō already understood the other party's meaning clearly.

She had no choice but to agree...

Perhaps she could find another way to secure funding, but the children in the Orphanage...

As a former elite of the Root Division, Nonō knew all too well how the Root Division utilized orphans.

Yes, utilized. Whether it was brainwashing them into weapons of war or using them directly for human experimentation, either path was hell for the children.

"Hoo... I understand."

When the opponent holds your weakness in their hands, surrender comes all too quickly.

Danzo's gaze flickered slightly, and Orochimaru behind him also smiled.

"This intelligence mission cost me a subordinate, so this time I need to take a child from you..."

"No!"

Before the words were finished, Nonō stood up and firmly refused. The children of the Orphanage were her weakness, but they were also the pillars that helped her turn from darkness toward the light.

Outside the room, Kabuto clenched his fists tightly, as if he were making some kind of resolution in his heart.

"Smack!"

A hand suddenly landing on his shoulder nearly scared him to death. He turned his head, only to find it was the red-haired big brother who had treated him to barbecue a few days ago.

"You..."

Sora smiled and replied: "You want to rush in and agree? Do you even know what kind of place the Root Division they speak of is?"

Kabuto shook his head: "I just don't want the Director to suffer. As for me... it doesn't matter."

Sora's gaze turned toward the room, where a dark shadow was gradually expanding.

"Go wait for me to the side."

He waved his hand to push Kabuto away, then slashed horizontally with the long blade in his hand.

"Bang!!"

"Swish!"

The wooden door was smashed to pieces, but the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands that surged out were also severed by the horizontal cut.

The power is getting a bit hard to control.

Retracting the long blade, Sora frowned slightly. The explosive growth in vitality and physical ability had made his speed, strength, and Chakra worlds apart from before.

But along with it came a sharp decline in the control he had already grown accustomed to.

Uh... I didn't break Kabuto's shoulder just now, did I?

"Red hair, the Uzumaki Clan? You are not a ninja of Konoha. It seems my laboratory will soon have an excellent new specimen."

Orochimaru licked his lips with his long, scarlet tongue, as if he were facing a delicacy.

"Seriously, you are truly f*cking disgusting!"

As the words fell, Sora moved both hands, and the eight Flying Thunder God Kunai in his ninja tool pouch were thrown out.

Although his aim wasn't great, at least two of them headed toward the enemy, while the other six landed in different positions.

"Such poor aim; it reminds me of the ninjutsu of a certain white-haired fellow."

Orochimaru was just about to deflect them casually, but the next moment, the three-character formula on the approaching kunai caused the snake pupils in his eye sockets to shrink rapidly.

"Flying Thunder God!"

Amidst the exclamation, a kunai pierced into his heart from behind.

"Pfft!"

"You guessed right, Orochimaru."

Sora's voice sounded from behind Orochimaru's ear, but the next moment—

Orochimaru, whose heart had been pierced, felt no pain at all. He even turned his head instantly, his softened, elongated neck bringing his face right behind Sora.

"Swish!"

The Kusanagi Sword extended from Orochimaru's mouth and stabbed directly into the back of his neck, followed immediately by a horizontal slash.

"Pfft."

A puff of smoke rose; it was a Shadow Clone Technique.

"As one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, you were never my target."

Sora flashed behind Danzo and thrust his kunai downward in an instant.

"Clang!"

The kunai was blocked by a long blade. Sora looked at Aburame Tatsuma, who stood before him. "From the very beginning, your attention wasn't on me, but fixed on the perimeter around Danzo. How truly loyal."

Aburame Tatsuma remained expressionless, replying indifferently, "The mission of the Root Division is to protect Lord Danzo. The Fourth's Flying Thunder God Kunai is fast, but it is merely speed."

"Bzzzz..."

A massive swarm of black insects flew from his body, shrouding Sora like a black mist.

"Swish!"

Sora, who had flashed backward to avoid the Kikaichū, chuckled. "No, it is you who knows nothing of the terror of the Flying Thunder God Kunai."

"Poof."

Flames ignited and clung to the Flying Thunder God Kunai as Sora hurled it violently toward Danzo.

"Clang!"

The first flaming Flying Thunder God Kunai had barely been deflected when the second arrived, with the third following close behind.

"Swish!"

Sora appeared behind Aburame Tatsuma in an instant, and the next moment, his kunai split the man in two.

"Pfft!"

"Bzzzz..."

A massive swarm of black insects rose into the air; it was an Insect Clone Technique.

"Uzumaki-kun, what gave you the illusion that a single Flying Thunder God Kunai would be enough to deal with me?"

Beneath that cold, sinister voice, Orochimaru extended a hand, and several giant snakes lunged out, coiling toward Sora.

"Swish!"

Sora, having vanished after a flicker, suddenly appeared behind the Aburame Tatsuma who had just materialized. This time, it was the real body.

"Snap!"

An arm was severed from the shoulder, blood spraying everywhere, yet Sora frowned.

As a member of the Root Division, Aburame Tatsuma possessed no shortage of combat experience; that last strike seemed to be a deliberate physical contact initiated by his opponent.

"Hoo..."

The pain of the severed arm caused cold sweat to bead on Aburame Tatsuma's forehead, but compared to Obito, this guy's pain receptors seemed non-existent.

"To leave you behind at the cost of one arm—I find that to be a very worthwhile trade."

Aburame Tatsuma continued, his face devoid of emotion. "The power of space-time ninjutsu needs no elaboration. The reason you dared to strike at us is largely because you can leave at any time, isn't it?"

"Leaving markers in other locations so that if things go south, you can simply depart—that must be your greatest reliance."

Sora paused slightly, feeling something squirming inside his body.

This is...

Aburame Tatsuma had been staring at Sora the entire time, and seeing this, he said, "The Parasitic Giant Insect has already begun to devour your Chakra, and soon it will rapidly expand and multiply, until..."

There was no need to finish the sentence. As a member of the Aburame Clan in Konoha who possessed secret techniques, it had to be said that they truly held the ability to change the tide of battle.

(Note: The timeline here is actually a bit messy, as the segment where Danzo forces the Orphanage could potentially occur during the Third War, since Aburame Tatsuma mentioned: a large-scale offensive might be launched during the war. Therefore, I have altered this line, using the movements of the Uchiha as the catalyst. Think of it as the butterfly effect.)