A Failed Grand Entrance

A failed grand entrance.

A mass of black bugs swept toward Hyuga Satoru and the other two like a dark cloud blotting out the sky.

We're fighting already? Not even a warning?

Hyuga Satoru's scalp tingled. Just as he tried to leap out of the swarm's encirclement, a dense chorus of insect cries came from behind him. In an instant, a huge group of Parasitic Destruction Bugs began biting into his back.

"If Parasitic Destruction Bugs bite you, they'll suck you dry of Chakra."

Behind the swarm, Aburame Shibi adjusted the black sunglasses on his face. Let's see what this Dual Bloodline Limit of yours can do.

However, the moment his words fell, arcs of electricity suddenly burst from Hyuga Satoru's back. All the biting insects went rigid, crackling as they fell to the ground, giving off a scorched smell.

"Lightning Release? This kid learned Lightning Release too?"

Aburame Shibi revealed a surprised expression.

Compared to Hyuga Satoru's composure, the other two were not nearly as relaxed. Uchiha Rin gripped a Kunai in each hand and attacked the swarming bugs. Sharp, cold flashes sliced through the air, splitting the Parasitic Destruction Bugs in two as the ground gradually became covered in insect remains.

But this could not last. Before long, tiny bites from the Parasitic Destruction Bugs appeared on her arms.

"Bugs are seriously disgusting." Uchiha Rin's eyes were full of disgust.

She gave up attacking the bugs and abruptly leaped backward, jumping out of the swarm's encirclement and into the air. Her hands rapidly formed seals.

At the same time, the dense insect swarm surged after her like a cloud of black mist.

Scorching Chakra welled up from her throat. Uchiha Rin took a deep breath and spat toward the black mist from midair.

"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique."

A massive orange-red fireball instantly swallowed the pursuing insects. Charred ashes fell from the sky, carrying a smell like roasted meat.

Her toes touched down, and Uchiha Rin calmly looked at the insect corpses scattered across the ground.

"Although Wu keeps mocking the Great Fireball for never killing anyone, flames are undeniably devastating against tiny bugs like these."

Aburame Shibi, standing behind the swarm, nodded slightly.

"Taijutsu ability: A. Ninjutsu: A+. Her combat instincts and overall qualities are both quite good."

"Only..."

He looked toward Anko. Within the black mist-like swarm, Anko could only keep slashing at the encircling bugs with her Kunai. Her exposed arms were covered in dense red bite marks, and after so much Chakra had been drained by the bugs, her movements had become sluggish as well.

"A ninja squad is a team. No matter how outstanding one's individual ability is, ignoring one's teammates will only take them so far."

Aburame Shibi silently shook his head.

Even a Jonin would find it difficult to escape if surrounded by his Parasitic Destruction Bugs. The fact that they had held on this long was already impressive, but their teamwork still had plenty of room for improvement.

As Aburame Shibi silently analyzed their situation and made plans for their future training, the bugs around him suddenly began issuing warnings.

He had barely raised his head and had not yet seen anything when his vision abruptly went black.

A Shuriken cleanly slit his throat.

His pupils suddenly dilated.

How? I had my guard up. When did this happen?

The question had barely arisen before it vanished. His entire body suddenly swelled, then burst apart into countless black bugs that scattered in every direction.

"We're saved."

The bugs around them stopped attacking. Anko dropped onto the ground and panted heavily.

"You okay?" Hyuga Satoru pulled her to her feet.

"I'm fine. Just got a few extra marks on my arms. I know the Healing Technique anyway, so it won't affect me. But where did Teacher Shibi go?"

Anko curiously looked around. The dense black bugs stood frozen in place like they had crashed, while Aburame Shibi had vanished without a trace.

"That guy was never here in the first place." Hyuga Satoru shrugged.

Several hundred meters away, atop a large tree, Aburame Shibi awkwardly scratched his head.

"This is beyond embarrassing. I wanted to give them a show of strength, but my Bug Clone got taken out!"

They were all geniuses, especially Uchiha Rin. If he did not show them what he could do, it would be hard to keep them in line.

He had intended to suppress them with a Bug Clone, dampen their arrogance, then make a dashing entrance at the right moment and dispel the clone amid their shock and admiration.

It had been the perfect entrance. At least, that was what he had thought.

However, the Bug Clone had been destroyed...

Remembering Hiruzen Sarutobi's instructions not long ago, his expression could not help but darken.

"Lord Hokage, I have disappointed you."

"If you enjoy this book, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time."

"Shibi, I have a mission for you."

"Lord Hokage, please tell me."

"Three students from the Ninja Academy have graduated early. They are all promising seedlings, and I want you to serve as their instructor."

"Um... Lord Hokage, you can ask me to kill people, but teaching students is beyond me."

"Ah, Shibi. I know the Aburame Clan dislikes contact with people, and you are especially so. Every mission you carry out is done alone. But ninja are, after all, professionals who work as a team. Teaching students will also be valuable experience for you."

"Shibi, do not disappoint me."

"Fine..."

Aburame Shibi troubledly scratched his head. Teaching students was not something he was good at to begin with, and his carefully planned dramatic entrance had now completely failed.

But how had the Bug Clone suddenly died?

Aburame Shibi was deeply puzzled. Though it was only a clone, its strength was enough to rival an ordinary Jonin.

The last image sent back by the bugs was a Shuriken???

Magnet Release?

No matter how strong it was, it was still only a clone. Its frailty could not be changed. Shadow Clones burst with a poke, and Bug Clones were not much better.

Aburame Shibi pondered.

Yet from that distance, someone had manipulated a Shuriken through the swarm's dense defenses and given it enough power to kill the Bug Clone in a single blow. It seemed Hyuga Satoru's Magnet Release was far more formidable than he had imagined.

That kind of sneak attack was impossible to guard against.

The question now was how he was supposed to face the three of them. Aburame Shibi's head began to ache.

"Why hasn't Teacher Shibi shown up yet?"

At the training ground, Anko looked around through the frozen swarm but could not find Aburame Shibi anywhere.

"Can't you tell?" Uchiha Rin curled her lip. "He's fooling us. He used a Bug Clone to ambush us, while his real body is hiding who knows where."

"So are we fighting or not?"

"It ended halfway through?"

"Did we pass the test?"

Anko launched into her three deadly questions.

At that moment, a man wrapped from head to toe in a loose robe jumped down from a nearby tree and walked toward the three of them. After waving his hand and recalling the swarm, he spoke.

"You... all did very well."

"To defeat one of my Bug Clones shows considerable strength. You have all passed the assessment."

His voice was still as gloomy as before, but unlike earlier, it no longer carried that same calmness.

"Huh? It was only a Bug Clone? I thought Teacher was just that weak." Anko said with wide eyes.

Aburame Shibi took critical hit x1.

"Uh... it was merely a test. You all passed it perfectly."

Still unwilling to give up, Aburame Shibi tried to salvage the situation. Damn it, if he lost this much face at their first meeting, how was he supposed to be their teacher afterward?

"Then Teacher should make the next test a little harder. My body only just warmed up. That was boring."

Uchiha Rin rolled her shoulders a few times and spoke with a completely indifferent expression.

Aburame Shibi took critical hit x2.

Brats... don't get so full of yourselves!

Aburame Shibi lightly gritted his teeth. This was exactly why he hated brats. Teaching students was far too troublesome. Having bugs was enough.

Uchiha Rin and Anko both looked toward Hyuga Satoru. Hyuga Satoru thought for a moment.

"It was pretty weak."

Aburame Shibi took critical hit x3.

His fists clenched involuntarily, and even his hair seemed to tremble with rage. Aburame Shibi felt fury surging through his body. Just as he was about to explode, it was as though someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him, and he wilted.

"Fine..."

His voice became weak and lifeless, and Aburame Shibi looked like a wilted cucumber.

"Consider this assessment my mistake. To make up for it, I'll treat everyone to barbecue. Let's call it a celebration for the formation of Team 3."

"Yay! Barbecue!" Anko, the foodie, was the first to cheer, tears of anticipation flowing from the corner of her mouth.