Parasitic Insects Challenge Senju

"Who is the other holder?"

Chiba stared at the pale tree roots wrapped around his wrist, letting them drain his chakra without continuing to channel Wood Release.

[Target is in the deep layer of the seal, life status cannot be confirmed.]

"Give me the location."

[Connection blocked by the Tree of Inheritance.]

The voice from within the wall sounded again.

"The candidate has not yet succeeded, touching the legacy of the First is forbidden."

"Is the other holder the First Hokage?"

"Insufficient clearance."

Chiba raised his hand and grabbed the pale tree roots, pressing his poison vines against them as purple veins spread along the root bark.

"Then give me the clearance."

"Awaken the Tree of Inheritance, pass the three trials of the clan head."

"What is the first trial?"

The leaves on the stone door extinguished one by one, and the roots wrapped around his wrist retracted behind the door.

"Defeat the gatekeeper."

The stone door closed again, and the underground passage returned to silence.

Chiba looked at the pale ring marks left on his wrist and turned to walk up the stone steps.

Who the gatekeeper was and why the other template holder was sealed underground were answers he could not get for now.

Since the door had appeared, he would be able to push it open sooner or later.

The taijutsu instructor was temporarily replaced the next day.

Mizuki stood in the center of the training ground holding a student roster, first having everyone run a few laps around the field, then placing wooden kunai at his feet.

"We aren't practicing fixed forms today; we're switching to free sparring."

Kiba was the first to raise his hand.

"Mizuki-sensei, I want to challenge Chiba!"

"The injury on your hand hasn't healed yet."

Mizuki flipped a page of the roster, his gaze shifting away from Kiba.

"Pick someone else."

"I can fight without my right hand!"

"When you learn to follow orders, then we can talk about conditions."

A few laughs broke out in the crowd. Kiba kicked a pebble away, and Akamaru tucked his head back into his collar.

Chiba stood at the end of the line, his gaze fixed on Mizuki's hands as he flipped the roster.

This ninja, who would eventually steal the Scroll of Sealing, still held his status as a teacher, and there were no obvious issues with his words or actions.

But when Mizuki arranged the free sparring, his gaze lingered on him twice.

"Senju Chiba."

A student wearing narrow-framed goggles stepped out of the line.

His jacket collar was tightly fastened, his sleeves were longer than his wrists, and the old-style insect crest of the Aburame clan was embroidered on his chest.

"My name is Aburame Shinraku, from a branch family."

Chiba glanced at him.

"Something you need?"

"I heard you defeated Inuzuka Kiba with one punch and claimed to be the last bloodline of the Senju."

Shinraku raised his sleeve, and a black beetle crawled out along the back of his finger, its wing casing marked with gray-white spots.

"I want to see how much weight the name Senju still carries."

Kiba squeezed out from the side.

"Hey, if you want to challenge him, just do it. Why bring me into this?"

"The defeated have no right to interrupt."

"Say that again!"

Akamaru poked his head out of the collar and bared his teeth at Shinraku, but several beetles crawled out from the hem of the opponent's trousers.

As soon as the swarm approached, Akamaru retreated back into Kiba's arms.

Shinraku lifted his chin.

"The Inuzuka nose is nothing special."

"Enough."

Mizuki raised a hand to block Kiba.

"Aburame Shinraku has requested a spar. Chiba, you may refuse."

The surrounding students began to whisper.

"Shinraku's insects can eat chakra, right?"

"I heard he drained the upperclassmen until they fainted last time."

"No matter how strong Chiba is, it's useless if he can't hit anyone."

"The Aburame clan naturally counters those who only know how to fight close-quarters."

Naruto pushed past two students in front and poked his head out.

"Chiba, don't agree to it! Those bugs are disgusting if they crawl into your clothes!"

"Are you afraid of bugs?"

Chiba asked.

Naruto immediately puffed out his chest.

"I'm not afraid! I'm worried you'll cry if you lose!"

"Then shut up and watch."

Chiba walked into the arena and tossed the training kunai back into the wooden crate.

"I accept."

Shinraku did not move forward immediately.

"You aren't using ninja tools?"

"Against bugs, it's not necessary."

Whispers broke out among the onlookers again. Kiba clutched his still-bandaged wrist and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, Aburame! Don't be fooled by his look; his punches are ridiculously heavy!"

Shinraku pushed up his goggles.

"Bugs don't compete with him in strength."

Mizuki retreated to the edge of the field and raised his right hand.

"Sparring begins. Attacking vital points is prohibited. The match ends when one side loses the ability to resist."

As his voice fell, Shinraku spread both arms.

A large swarm of black insects poured from his sleeves, splitting into several groups along the ground to seal off Chiba's front and back.

Chiba did not retreat.

The swarm crawled over his shoes, spread up his trouser legs, and quickly covered his arms.

"It's over."

Shinraku pressed his fingers together, controlling the swarm to cling tightly to Chiba's skin.

"As soon as my parasitic insects touch your body, they will follow your meridians and drain your chakra. No matter how strong you are, you won't be able to use it."

"Is that so?"

Chiba looked down at the back of his hand.

The leading beetles had already opened their mouthparts, and their abdomens began to swell, but the chakra they inhaled did not return to Shinraku's body.

A hint of warmth radiated from Chiba's chest.

The natural energy he had entered into his Sage Body the previous night flowed out along with his chakra. The beetles' wing casings flipped open one after another, and their crawling paths became chaotic.

Shinraku's raised fingers tilted to one side.

"Come back!"

The beetles did not obey the command.

After the natural energy burrowed into their bodies, their tiny frames could not maintain balance. They fell from Chiba in droves, rolling on the dirt ground.

A few others flapped their wings and collided with their companions, throwing the carefully arranged insect formation into disarray.

Mizuki took half a step into the field.

"Aburame Shinraku, has your swarm lost control?"

"Impossible! They have been fed with my chakra since they hatched!"

Shinraku bit his fingertip and smeared blood onto the insect crest on his sleeve.

"Come back, all of you, come back!"

The scattered beetles turned reluctantly, only to crawl a short distance before flipping over on the ground.

Chiba bent down and pinched one.

There was a faint trace of natural energy remaining in the insect's abdomen. The Sage Body simply repelled the parasites, severing the chakra connection between the insects and their controller.

"What did you feed them?"

Shinraku stared at the motionless beetle.

"Chakra."

Chiba released his hand, and the beetle fell back into the dirt.

"But they can't eat it."

Kiba's laughter erupted from the side.

"Who was it that said the defeated have no right to interrupt?"

"Shut up! The match isn't over yet!"

Shinraku pulled an insect jar from behind his waist, tore off the seal, and dumped the contents onto the ground.

More gray-spotted beetles crawled out. They were larger than the previous batch, and their mouthparts carried a dark red hue.

Mizuki's expression changed.

"Shinraku, the parasitic insects used for practice aren't supposed to be aggressive. What did you bring?"

"Combat insects raised by the branch family."

Shinraku grabbed his sleeves, and the insect hive holes on his arms opened one after another.

"They don't just absorb chakra; they burrow into the skin!"

The crowd backed away. Hinata grabbed Naruto, who was trying to get closer.

"Don't go over there. The chakra flow of those insects is wrong."

Naruto shook off her hand.

"Mizuki-sensei is still right there. Chiba won't be in trouble, right?"

Sasuke did not reply, his gaze fixed on Shinraku's right hand.

Hidden by his sleeve, that hand was not forming signs, nor was it controlling the swarm.

It was reaching toward his ninja tool pouch.

Chiba saw the movement as well.

"Bugs are useless, so you're ready to switch to something else?"

"Don't get cocky."

Shinraku ripped open his ninja tool pouch, and the sound of metal clashing echoed from the opening.

Chiba did not move, only tucking his hands into his pockets.

What Shinraku pulled out was not a wooden training kunai, but a sharpened short blade.

"I'll let you know that the name Senju should have been buried in the dirt a long time ago!"

Before the short blade could leave his hand, Chiba had already decided to cripple the hand holding it.