Aburame Tetsumaru returned to the reconstructed camp. After navigating a gauntlet of passwords and document verifications, he finally gained an audience with Orochimaru.
"Lord Orochimaru, here is the reply from the Hokage."
Orochimaru took the scroll. Since it had already been cleared by the ANBU, he opened it casually, scanned the contents, and then held it to a candle flame until it turned to ash.
Watching the paper curl and blacken, Orochimaru's lips quirked into a smirk. "Tetsumaru, what is it you want this time?"
Tetsumaru smiled. "I've encountered a problem I can't seem to wrap my head around. I was hoping for your guidance."
Two months ago, Tetsumaru's gamble had paid off. He had become Orochimaru's first true subordinate.
And that wasn't a joke—he really was the first.
In Konoha Year 32, Orochimaru was only twenty-two years old. He was young, having only recently proven himself on a Tier-1 combat level. By appointing him to replace Jiraiya as the Deputy Commander of the Rain Country theater, the Third Hokage was essentially positioning him to wrestle control of these thousands of elite shinobi away from the current Commander.
Jiraiya had toiled in the Rain Country for two years, earning immense prestige. However, he had also proven that no matter how high one's reputation, a single person cannot command an army without a framework.
Orochimaru's political acumen was sharp. He knew he needed to build his own inner circle—loyalists who could act as his hands and eyes to manage the rank-and-file.
This was where his youth became a hurdle. Older ninjas couldn't swallow their pride enough to bow to a junior, and Orochimaru didn't think much of the younger generation—until Aburame Tetsumaru proactively approached him.
Tetsumaru's terms—loyalty in exchange for safety and knowledge—aligned perfectly with Orochimaru's worldview. He found the transaction deeply satisfying.
Since the joint Iwa-Ame raid on the main camp, Orochimaru had reassigned Squad Aburame as his direct-response unit. They handled his security, acting as his messengers and executing high-difficulty surgical strikes.
In accordance with the difficulty of these missions, Orochimaru would impart knowledge: ninjutsu theory, chakra refinement nuances, shape transformation, and elemental affinity training.
Tetsumaru would digest this information at a blistering pace. By the next debriefing, he would present Orochimaru with highly specific, insightful questions, thoroughly satisfying Orochimaru's burgeoning desire to play the mentor.
Gradually, their interaction evolved beyond one-way teaching. Through his questions, Tetsumaru began to subtly introduce a new cognitive framework. Though this "scientific" system was still in its infancy, its rigorous logic and grand structural vision left Orochimaru astounded.
Their exchanges grew more frequent and moved beyond the realm of chakra and ninjutsu. They discussed biology, history, mythology, politics, economics, and military theory. They talked about everything, and their bond deepened into a genuine, familiar closeness.
Even Jiraiya and Tsunade suspected Orochimaru was preparing to take a second official apprentice. However, both parties denied it. They didn't care for labels; they simply continued their collaboration.
Tetsumaru was open about his goal: immortality. Orochimaru, at this stage, hadn't yet solidified that ambition; his current drive was to master every jutsu and uncover the ultimate secrets of chakra.
They weren't master and disciple. They were "comrades"—two individuals with shared interests who respected each other's vision and chose to walk the same path for a time. In their eyes, the bond of a comrade was purer and more intimate than that of a student or even a spouse. There was no need to clutter it with social labels.
Beyond the philosophical, their union brought concrete benefits.
Orochimaru gained a powerful subordinate who allowed him to intervene directly in specific affairs and vet other potential recruits, drastically accelerating the formation of his faction.
Tetsumaru no longer had to worry about being assigned meat-grinder missions. His tasks were carefully curated by Orochimaru—challenging enough to be rewarding, but manageable enough to be efficient.
Even Uchiha Akira and Kurama Yun noticed their lives becoming more structured and predictable. Their initial grumbling about being "forced" into Orochimaru's camp had long since vanished.
The two also exchanged their respective knowledge systems—with certain reservations, of course.
From Tetsumaru, Orochimaru gained the "Genetic Hypothesis" and a systematic classification of species. These provided a skeletal framework for his research, allowing him to systematize his disparate experiments. In return, Tetsumaru gained something even more vital: the raw experience of the chakra system. This filled the gaps in his "Chakra Periodic Table" as effectively as if a steel industry had suddenly received ten thousand unique alloy formulas.
Both were more than satisfied.
Tetsumaru's greatest discovery had been the Chakra Runes, but his limited access to high-level jutsu had prevented him from verifying his theories. Without empirical data, his hypotheses were just empty speculation.
Practical experimental data was essential. Without it, he was like a chemist trying to build a periodic table while missing the atomic weights and chemical properties of half the elements.
The knowledge Orochimaru provided was top-tier. It descended from the Third Hokage, who learned from the Second, Tobirama Senju—whose knowledge was the culmination of the Senju Clan's thousand-year legacy.
The Senju were the world's premier ninjutsu clan, famed for their monstrous chakra reserves. Having more chakra meant more practice, more experimentation, and more mastery. A thousand years of refinement from the most proficient ninjutsu lineage in history had effectively mapped out every possible variation and application of chakra.
This was the missing link in Tetsumaru's system. It was the bedrock of all his future research. He had even considered the "brute force" method of simply learning every jutsu in existence one by one.
It was a clumsy way to do it, but effective. He thought of his previous life—how his predecessors had spent sixty years replicating every foreign alloy experiment to ensure their nation's independence.
With Orochimaru's help, it was like a fledgling power receiving a massive technology transfer from a superpower. Tetsumaru was ready for takeoff.
What exactly did he gain?
First, he fully deciphered the functions of over forty primary runes and the effects of multi-rune chaining. He could finally begin "writing" these runes directly into the biology of his insects, achieving unprecedented levels of bio-organic reinforcement.
Second, he integrated runes into his own body. Using his Grand Chakra Circulation as a core, he created the Secret Technique: Domain Field Barrier. Within the thousand-meter radius of this barrier, he could transmit chakra to any of his insects wirelessly. He was finally free from the limitation of needing physical contact to empower his swarm.
Third, he refined the Aburame secret arts. By combining his Insight ability, the insects' sensory arrays, and chakra radiation, he perfected the Field Barrier. He could now share the senses of every insect within the barrier, effectively granting him a "God's Eye" perspective over a one-kilometer sphere.
Within this range, Tetsumaru could feel what every bug felt. He could command them as effortlessly as his own fingers and refill their chakra at will.
After a brief period of adjustment, it became second nature. Like riding a bike, he didn't have to consciously think about balance or grip; he simply thought of an action, and the swarm responded.
He finally understood the true meaning of: "I am the Swarm."
The Domain Field Barrier was the first true "tech point" he had lit on his Zerg-inspired technology tree.
Another major breakthrough was the creation of the Larva. Using cockroaches as a biological template and combining Orochimaru's biological insights with rune-editing, Tetsumaru created a creature that could crawl around a "Hive" and pupate into any specialized insect he required.
The Larva was a masterpiece of biological engineering. In terms of technical complexity, it was second only to a "Queen" or a "Hive" itself. It was the foundation of the Zerg's "Swarm" strategy, solving the problem of reproduction speed and versatility.
Though Tetsumaru's version was still a "Lite" build—it couldn't yet hatch every one of his insect variants—the problem of high-efficiency mass production was solved. From now on, drowning his enemies in a sea of chitin would no longer break his bank account.
After concluding his discussion with Orochimaru, Tetsumaru returned to his tent. He greeted his subordinates and distributed the mission bonuses.
After three months of Tetsumaru's "mentoring," Uchiha Akira had become increasingly mature and thick-skinned. He had learned the art of navigating people—telling the truth to men and lies to monsters.
All three knew that Akira's development meant he would soon be leaving the team. Like Tetsumaru, he was being groomed to lead his own Chunin squad.
Kurama Yun's departure would be even sooner. She was set to leave the team the following day—not for a promotion, but for retirement.
The "Kekkei Genkai Disease" was the curse of the powerful bloodline clans. For the Kurama, the awakening of their power often came with a split personality and physical deterioration.
After a year of relentless combat, Yun had brought great prestige to her clan, but the toll had been absolute. She now possessed eleven distinct personalities. The "main" persona—the young girl they knew—was so weak she could barely remain conscious for four hours a day.
Furthermore, her overwhelming Yin Release was destroying her body's internal balance. Her heart and lungs were failing, and the harsh conditions of the front line had given her chronic stomach issues that couldn't be ignored.
As her Genjutsu reached god-tier levels, her life was flickering out.
The wealthy Kurama Clan had paid a fortune to have Lady Tsunade examine her. The verdict was final: she was no longer fit for service. She was to retire immediately and return to the village for palliative care, which might buy her a few more years.
Squad Aburame was about to dissolve. Tetsumaru felt a pang of genuine regret. Though they had started as a mess of suspicion and petty infighting, three months of life-and-death combat had forged a deep bond of brotherhood.
Once the money was split, Tetsumaru made a suggestion. "Why don't we have a barbecue tonight? Consider it a send-off for Yun."
Yun clapped her hands and cheered. "Oh, I love barbecue! That sounds wonderful!"
The overly sweet, high-pitched voice was a dead giveaway: this was the "Killer" persona. Akira and Tetsumaru instantly bolted three feet into the air, narrowly dodging two shuriken.
Akira scrambled for distance while Tetsumaru blurred forward. With lightning speed, he delivered a sharp, painful flick to Yun's forehead.
"Ow...!"
Yun collapsed, clutching her head. Her eyes welled with tears as she bit her lip, looking like she wanted to cry but didn't dare.
Akira and Tetsumaru both exhaled in relief. Lucky strike; the flick had forced the "Little Girl" persona back to the surface. However, as her mind continued to fracture, the original Yun was becoming increasingly timid and fragile.
"Don't cry. I've got fruit juice for you. And chicken wings," Tetsumaru coaxed.
After a lot of effort, the young girl was calmed down, and the three successfully started their bonfire.
"Cheers!" x13 (including the other personalities).
A party always attracts freeloaders. What started as a small squad dinner eventually ballooned into a joint event for four different teams.
Uchiha Fueka was the first to raise a glass, congratulating his cousin Akira on his upcoming promotion. He lamented that he was also a Chunin now but had no hope of leading a squad, launching into a drunken critique of his own captain.
His captain, a commoner named Mitsui, promptly dragged him away and gave him a "noogie" so severe it nearly unscrewed his head.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio—Nara Mao, Akimichi Daidou, and Yamanaka Ame—had luckily survived the war intact as a team. All three had recently been promoted to Chunin.
It was a rare reunion for the Academy classmates. They immediately began swapping intel on their peers.
"Hyuga Tokuma was transferred to the Eastern front. He's likely fighting the Mist right now."
"Has anyone seen Inuzuka Takeshi lately?"
Tetsumaru raised his hand. "I saw him and his dog, Takeshi, about two and a half months ago in the Land of Rain."
"Mao, do you have anything?"
Nara Mao shook his head regretfully. "Nothing. No idea where he was sent. His security clearance has been bumped up recently. My guess is he's on a high-level escort mission."
A brief silence fell over the group. Tetsumaru broke it. "It seems our luck is holding. No one has gone missing yet."
He raised his glass of juice and smiled. "Everyone is safe. That's worth a toast."
"Cheers!"
They gulped down their drinks, and the festive atmosphere returned. The party lasted until two in the morning before the dozen or so ninjas finally dispersed.
Tetsumaru extinguished the fire. He had no energy to clean up the mess; he simply left the wreckage for the morning and crawled into his tent for a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next morning, the Kurama Clan representatives arrived. They brought official retirement papers signed by the Hokage, the Commander, and Orochimaru.
Tetsumaru meticulously verified every document and identity tag. He even woke up Yun to have her confirm she recognized the men.
Once satisfied, he woke Akira, and together they walked Yun to the edge of the camp.
"See you back in the village."
"See you there."
The "Little Girl" persona was in control. She was a sobbing mess of tears and snot, but she managed to make a promise: "When the war is over, I'm buying everyone barbecue. I promise! All you can eat!"
Akira laughed brightly. "We'll hold you to it."
Tetsumaru smiled as well. "We'll bring all our friends. It'll be a feast."
They finally managed to send her off. Both men let out a long breath.
"Akira, when do you head out?"
"Right now. No point in dragging it out."
"Right. Take care of yourself."
"You too."
Squad Aburame was officially disbanded.