Three Idiots

"Your companions seem to be on the verge of being discovered. Are those people using bees? Such insects are quite rare." Shibi Aburame's sudden shout brought Yang Xing back to his senses.

Yang Xing stared unblinkingly ahead, ready to spring into action at any moment.

Deep within the small grove, the trio had clearly taken the wrong route.

Or rather, they had lost the trail of Yang Xing's chakra signature.

Without the Sharingan, even Kakashi was at a loss regarding the current situation.

"Where did that guy run off to? Hey, your name is Kakashi, right? Did you notice anyone else, or that stuck-up bug uncle?"

"It's no use, my sensory ninjutsu isn't working." Kakashi withdrew his hand from the seal, his expression grim as he scanned the surroundings. "I can't sense any traces of them. Either they've already left this ten-mile radius, or they have some special method to conceal their presence."

"Yang Xing-kun, he won't be in any trouble, will he?" Rin Nohara muttered, her face full of worry.

Hearing this, Anko couldn't help but turn her head and point at Rin. "When it comes down to it, isn't it because you didn't keep a close eye on him, little girl? Why didn't you stop him when he ran off earlier?"

Rin frowned, feeling a bit indignant herself. "You didn't notice it either, did you?"

"Are you blaming me, then?"

Seeing the two girls on the verge of an argument, Kakashi couldn't help but interject. "I say, you two, we should focus on finding..."

Anko and Rin both snapped their heads toward him. "Shut up, Kakashi!"

Kakashi: "..."

Watching the girls' sour expressions—especially the usually gentle Rin, who was showing such a stubborn side—Kakashi could only offer a wry smile and a soft sigh before turning his gaze back to the front, focusing intently.

It was a good thing he did, for he spotted a few creatures flying toward them.

Aside from the one that was larger than the rest, they seemed calm, yet it was enough to raise Kakashi's guard. He signaled the girls, "Hey, do these things look like the insects from the Aburame Clan to you?"

"Really?" The two girls turned their heads and immediately spotted the bee.

"It's a bit large, but it looks like it's being controlled by someone."

"Then it's highly likely to be that Aburame Clan ninjutsu. Doesn't that clan use insect-control techniques? Perhaps they discovered us and are coming to signal us." Kakashi analyzed with a serious expression. Just as he was muttering this, the bee suddenly turned around and began flying rapidly back the way it came.

Kakashi was startled, and without a second thought, he took off in pursuit. "Oh no, it's getting away! Let's follow it quickly."

"Right!"

Rin and Anko didn't hesitate to follow suit.

Not far away, the two who had been hidden by the insects watched the scene.

"It seems your companions have been lured away by the other side's insects." Shibi Aburame noticed the group chasing after the bee and couldn't help but ask Yang Xing, "Tell me, are those people idiots?"

Yang Xing: "..."

"While I do think Kakashi can be a bit foolish, he shouldn't be that brainless. They likely mistook that bee for your insects and assumed we were over there, which is why they followed without hesitation."

"Then that is my fault." Shibi's expression shifted, and as the realization hit him, his face showed a hint of panic. "My mistake. Shimatta... no, this won't do. I can't let these people die, or our Aburame Clan will be finished."

Failing a mission was one thing, but failing a mission while losing several of Konoha's "pawns" would result in severe repercussions.

If that happened, the Aburame Clan would never again be favored by the Konoha high command.

Whether to protect them or for the future of his own clan, Shibi didn't want to linger. He prepared to charge forward immediately.

But before he could move, a small hand grabbed his arm.

Looking back at the kid's face, Shibi was taken aback.

"Alright, alright, Uncle, your bugs aren't suited for the vanguard." Yang Xing's expression was serious as he spoke, word by word. "Let me go first. Kakashi and the others won't die. I'll go help them, and when the time is right, you can provide support. Trust me, I can wipe this entire group out right here."

As he finished, the smile on his lips didn't match his young age at all.

Perhaps it was because Yang Xing could see through his insects, or perhaps the sheer conviction in the boy's voice when he spoke of total annihilation, but Shibi hesitated.

He only wavered for a second before nodding. "I understand. You must save them; we cannot let these people launch a sneak attack on Konoha."

"Understood." Yang Xing nodded and bolted out first.

He didn't break his stride, running at full speed while keeping his eyes locked on the group in the distance.

Kakashi and the others had been lured by the insects.

Caught off guard, they ran straight into the enemy group.

Not expecting to find this group of strangely dressed individuals after following the odd bee, Kakashi grew wary. He stopped abruptly, reaching out to hold back Rin and Anko behind him.

"What's wrong? That's not Yang Xing. Who are these people?"

The group ahead also froze upon seeing the three of them.

"Huh? Where did these brats come from? Were we discovered? How are they here, and how did they know we were coming? Where did we go wrong?"

"Hey, hey, Shunsuke Mizunagare, don't panic. They're just a few kids. Let's just finish them off; it's no big deal if we were spotted."

"Yama Kaede, don't be careless. Especially that masked kid—his strength is quite decent." It was clear that one of the jonin recognized Kakashi, and he remained wary of the boy's capabilities.

"That's just because you're too weak; how could a Water Style jutsu like yours ever compare to our Water Flow Clan?" The man named Yama Kaede sneered, raising his voice even further: "The insect arts of our Water Flow Clan are the strongest ninjutsu of the Tsuchikage."

Whoosh!

As his voice fell, countless bees surged out from the surroundings.

They were a dense, swarming mass, and each bee was the size of an average adult.

Seeing bees of such size and such a sudden maneuver, Kakashi's face turned pale.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of bees surrounded the three of them instantly.

This sheer number made the trio's hearts tighten; this was different from the water surface last time. Right now, these thousands of bees were physical entities, and the way they stared at them with predatory intent made the two girls, Rin Nohara and Anko, look visibly distressed.

I was careless; I didn't expect those bees to be controlled by these guys. Kakashi sensed that the situation was dire.

It was more than just dire; it was a dead end.

The enemy had no intention of waiting for them to think. As soon as the thousands of bees swarmed in, Yama Kaede raised a finger and laughed sinisterly: "Finish them."