Shihui Aburame strolled down the street.
Six years had passed since the Nine-Tails' Attack, and prosperity had returned to Konoha.
But this was the calm before the storm.
A group of rice haulers would soon arrive on the battlefield.
The Aburame Clan belonged to Konoha's third tier.
The first tier consisted of the Hyuga and Uchiha.
The second tier consisted of the Sarutobi, Shimura, and Ino-Shika-Cho-in other words, the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi.
The third tier consisted of the Aburame and Inuzuka Clans.
The Aburame Clan had no Kekkei Genkai, but they had secret techniques, and all their ninjutsu involved insects.
Their abilities were extremely well-rounded, covering reconnaissance, combat, defense, healing, and sensory detection. They could practically call themselves the Order of Balance.
But knowing a little of everything also meant mastering nothing.
By the middle and later stages of the original story, the Aburame Clan were less useful than bystanders.
I can't do anything at all.
Shihui Aburame suspected that without Gu, he might die to some unidentified AOE from a clash of giant mechas-in other words, collateral damage.
"Big brother."
The sudden voice startled Shihui Aburame.
He glanced around before finally spotting Shino Aburame, whose presence was practically nonexistent.
Just like in the original story, he wore sunglasses and a white trench coat.
Members of the Aburame Clan came with built-in presence concealment. Let your attention slip even slightly, and you would overlook them.
"Here."
Shino Aburame held a notice out to him.
Konoha Ninja Academy.
Reading the words on it, Shihui Aburame felt a stir of anticipation.
The Ninja Academy meant more characters from the story, as well as more achievements.
Now I'm really becoming an elementary school kid.
After returning to his room and fixing himself a bag of fries, Shihui Aburame went out into the courtyard.
It was time for his daily training.
But he was not training with Gu. He was practicing Medical Ninjutsu, a technique called the Chakra Scalpel.
After obtaining the Rejuvenation Gu, Shihui Aburame had naturally come up with an idea.
He wanted to become a medical ninja and take Tsunade as his teacher.
As everyone knew, if you wanted to live a long life in Konoha, you needed someone backing you from above.
A man or a woman would do, but Shihui Aburame would definitely choose a woman.
The Aburame Clan's previous geniuses served as cautionary tales.
Aburame Torune and Aburame Ryoma, for example.
Shimura Danzō had chosen them and filled them with the Will of Root, ruining them and turning them into sex... no, loyal scapegoats.
Shihui Aburame had no desire to dedicate his heart to an old man.
After thinking it over, Tsunade alone suited his wishes best.
Because she would never leave a child hungry.
Greatness needed no further explanation.
The trouble was that Tsunade spent years away and did not want to return to Konoha.
Although there were always more problems than solutions, Shihui Aburame still came up with a plan.
The only people who could contact Tsunade and get her to return were Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The former was roaming the Shinobi World, impossible to reach, spending his days keeping young women warm for his research and searching for the legendary Child of Prophecy.
The latter was the Third Hokage. Since they were both in Konoha, he was easier to approach.
Although Hiruzen Sarutobi drew plenty of criticism, he would not turn down something that benefited Konoha.
Through Shibi Aburame's connections, Shihui Aburame got himself into Konoha Hospital.
As he gradually revealed his exceptional talent, his father was delighted.
Shihui Aburame proposed becoming Tsunade's student, and Shibi Aburame decided to give it a try.
He brought the request to Hiruzen Sarutobi, offering an extremely generous payment for the apprenticeship.
It was called an apprenticeship, but it was more like a commissioned mission.
Because Shihui Aburame knew Tsunade was short of money, he used Money Release.
Sorry, money really does let you do whatever you want.
Hiruzen Sarutobi already wanted Tsunade to return. Now that he had another reason, he agreed.
Before long, Tsunade replied.
She wanted Shihui Aburame to learn the Chakra Scalpel within a month. Only then would she consider coming back to take a look.
The Chakra Scalpel was a Medical Ninjutsu technique that most medical ninja had to learn, and it was fairly difficult.
Generally, only Chunin or Jonin could master Ninjutsu. To Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shibi Aburame, this was a rejection.
Having Shihui Aburame, who was not even a Genin, learn the Chakra Scalpel was simply a pipe dream.
But miracles did exist.
The Rejuvenation Gu had given Shihui Aburame the finest possible talent for becoming a medical ninja.
Primeval essence, a weaker version of senjutsu chakra, provided him with sufficient chakra-roughly 0.3 Kakashis.
A Kakashi, a unit of measurement commonly used for ninja, referred to the chakra reserves of the Jonin Kakashi Hatake.
Besides, Tsunade had asked him to learn it, not master it.
Once his primeval essence ran out, Shihui Aburame stopped.
"I should be able to learn it before school starts."
Shihui Aburame estimated his progress and could not help feeling a little excited.
He had been a fan of Tsunade's balls in his previous life, after all.
"Let's keep at it."
Shihui Aburame returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the bed.
Gu Masters had nine major ranks, from rank one to rank nine. At rank six, they became immortals, undergoing a qualitative leap from the preceding ranks.
His goal was to reach rank five first, so he could cut loose.
This world had no Primeval Stones, or at least Shihui Aburame had yet to find any.
He could only absorb energy from the world around him to slowly replenish his primeval essence.
Once his primeval essence was full, he began directing it to nurture his aperture.
To advance, Gu Masters needed to constantly scour their aperture walls with primeval essence. It was a lengthy process.
Night fell.
Moonlight spilled through the window.
Hinata Hyuga sat at her desk, resting her cheek on one hand as she stared into space.
Under the pressure, her little cheek spread outward, turning from a steamed bun into a pancake, but it still did nothing to diminish her cuteness.
"Only when the tide strikes the rocks can it create beautiful spray."
As Hinata Hyuga gazed at the moonlight, those words echoed in her ears again.
Could she do it?
Every time she faced her father's expectations, she always messed things up, disappointing him again and again.
"Don't think about anything. Throw a punch first."
Shihui Aburame's face surfaced in Hinata Hyuga's mind.
She did not understand why he was so decisive.
A new day arrived.
Hinata Hyuga had forgotten when she fell asleep.
But she still felt deeply moved when she woke.
She had dreamed of yesterday's scene, of Shihui Aburame appearing like a hero and saving her.
Only, she did not know his name.
"Young lady."
A maid's voice came from outside the door.
"Come in."
Hinata Hyuga put on her clothes.
As usual, she sat down in front of the mirror.
The maid helped comb her hair.
"I'd like to go out today."
Hinata Hyuga worked up her courage and spoke.
"Go out?"
The maid was a little taken aback.
It was the first time she had heard Hinata Hyuga make such a request.
"I'm sorry, but Lord Hiashi has ordered that you may only go out once school starts."
The maid shook her head, refusing the request she had made for the first time in her life.
Hinata Hyuga bit her lip, feeling a little unhappy.
She knew why.
She had gone missing while out yesterday, sending her father into a furious rage.
There were still four days until school started.
Would he enroll?
Hinata Hyuga suddenly thought of her cousin, Neji Hyuga.
Ever since he had been branded with the Caged Bird Seal, they had grown further and further apart.
He often said that the Hyuga Clan was a cage.
Today, Lady Hinata wanted to go out.
(End of chapter)