"I'm back."
"You're home early today. How was school?"
Sword Star's mother, Kiko, leaned halfway out of the kitchen and asked with a smile.
Kiko was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with gentle features and an expression that always seemed to be smiling.
"It was fine. Nothing special," Sword Star replied. "Oh, right. Two friends are coming over for dinner tonight. Will that be too much trouble?"
"Not at all. It's rare for Sword Star to bring friends home. Mom couldn't be happier." Kiko said with a beaming smile. "I'll just add a couple more dishes. It's no trouble at all..."
But—
The way you rolled up your sleeves and raised a cleaver, ready to go all out, made it hard to believe you were merely "adding a couple more dishes."
"How about I help out?" Sword Star offered.
"No need!" Kiko waved her little hand. "Don't underestimate a full-time housewife."
He absolutely wasn't underestimating her. If every housewife had your combat power, a hundred thousand White Zetsu would be no more than a dish.
A piece of cake.
The kitchen was presumably Kiko's domain, where no one else was allowed to point fingers. Otherwise, the consequences would be severe. Once, Sword Star's dad got carried away and started lecturing with great passion. The result was a whole week of saltless stew.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Leave the food to me!" Kiko declared energetically.
"Alright, then I'll go check on the Insect House."
Sword Star took off his sunglasses and coat, removed the weights from his hands and feet, and headed to the Insect House.
As the name implied, the Insect House was where the Aburame Clan raised insects.
The Aburame Clan fed insects with their own chakra, allowing the insects to parasitize their bodies and then controlling them.