Finding no "easy pickings" didn't mean Tetsumaru would simply walk away and do nothing. The Exploding Locusts were already airborne; once those things took flight, there was no calling them back.
Furthermore, these Suna ninjas specialized in Earth Style, and their defensive capabilities had far exceeded his initial estimates. He had to draw their attention before the locusts arrived to ensure the payload found its mark.
Tetsumaru performed a quick scan through the signal network, only to find there were no more insect reserves in the immediate vicinity.
With no other choice, he leaped down from his Scythe-Mantis, sliced his palm, and performed the Summoning Jutsu. He brought forth over twenty medium-sized hives, releasing roughly 100,000 large insects.
The composition of this swarm was a messy hodgepodge: locusts, beetles, poisonous scale-moths, centipedes, scorpions, and spiders. In Tetsumaru's eyes, these were all "obsolete" models destined for the cull—perfect for one final use.
Since he only needed to hold their attention for two minutes, he didn't bother with complex maneuvers. He simply issued a direct attack command.
Led by two unburdened Scythe-Mantises, the swarm crested the ridge and surged toward the Suna fortress in the valley below.
"Retreat! Move out!"
Seeing the charge begin, Tetsumaru led his three disciples down the eastern slope and began a full-tilt sprint to the south. This time, he pushed the Mantises to their absolute limit, no longer caring if they dropped dead from exhaustion.
The Sand ninjas reacted instantly, shifting their earthen walls to face the new threat. Over a dozen Earth Style: Stone Spear jutsus were launched at the two leading Mantises. It took a second, third, and finally a fourth volley of spears before the two giants were finally pinned and killed.
By then, Suna's attention was firmly locked onto the ridge where the giant insects had appeared.
Two minutes later, the massive formation of Exploding Locusts reached the battlefield. Hearing the thunderous roar of the first detonations, Tetsumaru signaled his disciples to dismount. He ordered the four remaining Mantises to continue fleeing along the valley floor as decoys.
He then led his students into a nearby stream, the four of them sprinting across the surface of the water.
After a kilometer of water-running, they entered a section of forest that had yet to be touched by the swarm. Here, the three disciples received a masterclass in what "caution" truly meant: they leaped through the canopy for two kilometers, waded through a second stream, hopped across a field of boulders to leave no footprints, and finally dove into a fast-moving river to be carried downstream to a small waterfall.
By the time they reached their destination, they had traveled seven or eight kilometers in a winding loop. The waterfall was less than three kilometers from the Suna fortress as the crow flies. Looking back toward the valley, the four of them saw clouds of Iron Sand swirling in the sky, systematically shredding the remaining flying insects.
"The Kazekage has arrived," Nara Yoshito whispered. Despite being so close to a Kage, he didn't feel any sense of danger. Along their route, his teacher had released over a hundred "Decoy Bugs" that mimicked a squad's chakra signature, not to mention the four Shadow Clones he'd deployed. The trail of false leads they'd left behind was enough to drive any tracker to madness.
Beneath the pool at the base of the waterfall lay a hidden entrance—an inlet to an underground river. The exit was located near a secret base several dozen kilometers to the east. Tetsumaru had pre-cleared the tunnel; once they submerged, they would be home free.
The squad had practiced drifting through this tunnel once before. It was fast, invisible, and completely untraceable. The Kazekage stood no chance of catching Team 121 today.
"Let's go. We'll rest when we hit the base."
"Hiro, keep an eye on O. Don't let this idiot swallow enough water to pop his stomach."
"Yes, Sensei."
"Hey! Don't look down on me, Sensei! I won't drink a drop this time!"
"Yoshito, you're with me. Hold onto my combat appendages."
"Got it, Sensei."
Yoshito moved behind Tetsumaru while O moved behind Hiro. The two boys deployed their own attached insect limbs, clamping onto their teammates' gear.
Everyone pulled out their water skins, emptied them, and recapped them to trap air for buoyancy. In two groups, they leaped into the pool, clawing through the rocky crevices to dive deep. Once they hit the underground current, they relaxed, letting the rushing water carry them away from the battlefield.
The sun dipped below the horizon. The Sand ninjas, exhausted after a day of being toyed with, finally gave up the hunt. Aside from a few sentries, the majority made camp in a wide valley.
In the center of the camp stood the Kazekage's tent. Inside sat the "Strongest Kazekage," staring at three bodies covered in white sheets. He was flanked by rows of grim-faced Jonin.
"Jonin Sunabachi, Jonin Ketsugan, Jonin Kansen, Jonin Shakama, and Jonin Mine... confirmed KIA."
"Chunin casualties: sixty-seven. Genin: two hundred and forty-three. Wounded: one hundred and forty-nine."
The Suna Jonin, Gankansen, finished reading the casualty report in a dry, rasping voice before silently closing the scroll.
The actual number of wounded was far higher than 149; by Suna standards, you weren't "wounded" unless you were missing a limb or incapacitated. A few deep gashes didn't count.
"Read the latest update from Intel," the Kazekage commanded darkly.
"Yes."
Gankansen unfolded a new sheet of paper. "The primary target is identified as Aburame Tetsumaru. Clan: Aburame. Rank: Konoha Tokubetsu Jonin. He was active in the Land of Rain a year ago, known by nicknames such as 'Maiming Swarm Demon' and 'Giant Insect Messenger.' He specializes in high-volume manipulation of enlarged insects."
"Transferred to the Land of Rivers one year ago. Since then, his swarm capacity has seen exponential growth, including the introduction of giant insect models exceeding human proportions."
"Previous engagements with this target have left zero survivors. Detailed combat data is unavailable."
"Combat Assessment: Jonin to Elite Jonin level. Recommended counter-force: two Jonin squads or one full Company."
"..."
Elite Jonin level, my foot, many thought. Recommended counter-force of one company? We just had a full battalion and three companies wiped out today.
How could a monster like this only be a "Tokubetsu Jonin"? Wasn't that just a polite term for a Senior Chunin?
The Jonin in the tent looked sick. They thought of the sky-blotting swarms, the valley that exploded all at once, and those house-sized locusts diving in an endless cycle. Two of the Jonin actually shuddered.
The most rattled were the survivors of the two "Great Explosions." The carnage from the Valley Blast and the Fortress Bombardment had been far worse than even Tetsumaru had hoped.
In the Valley Blast, Tetsumaru hadn't even had the time to aim the mines. The bugs had simply followed their instincts to hide in dark, sheltered crevices. As it happened, those were the exact spots ninjas chose to hide in during a cleanup. The Sand ninjas had literally been sitting on the mines when they blew. Almost the entire unit was hit, though the immediate death toll was surprisingly low.
The few powerhouses who survived the first blast were then hammered by the second wave of Exploding Locusts, followed by the Scythe-Mantis charge.
In the Fortress Bombardment, the Suna ninjas had been distracted by the "trash" swarm Tetsumaru used as bait. They failed to intercept the first flight of forty Exploding Locusts; over twenty of them successfully breached the interior.
The enclosed space of the earthen fortress acted as a pressure cooker, amplifying the blasts. The first wave alone leveled the structure, instantly killing Jonin Ketsugan and over eighty others. It was the second-most devastating blow of the day.
If the Kazekage hadn't arrived to intercept the subsequent 120 locusts, the losses would have been total. As it was, those locusts still succeeded in pinning a Kage down for thirty minutes.
"Do not blame Intel," the Kazekage said. "They worked hard. They secured this data from within Konoha in a single day, and it cost us several high-value sleepers."
"This is a bizarre ninja, the likes of which we have never seen. Before yesterday, none of us had even heard of him."
"Even the internal files from Konoha are a joke compared to his performance over the last forty-eight hours."
"What 'zero-casualty commander'? What '100% mission success rate'? What 'excellent mentor for Genin'? What kind of garbage intel is this?"
The Kazekage stood up, his voice booming. "One squad. One Tokubetsu Jonin and three Genin. Yesterday they gutted our supply lines. Today they launched a dozen head-on assaults, and four lethal strikes claimed three hundred of our men."
"Is he really that strong?" the Kazekage asked, looking at three Jonin standing together.
"We can't be sure," one replied. "He is incredibly cunning and cautious. Aside from Sunabachi, he didn't engage anyone in direct combat."
Fuyi (the survivor from the box, now promoted or acting) added, "Based on the remains of Sunabachi and the physical evidence, the Konoha ninja's Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are at a standard Jonin level. His durability, however, is extraordinary."
A masked Suna ninja voiced his doubt. "Is he really an Aburame? Standard Jonin-level Ninjutsu and Taijutsu?"
"We've spent two days killing bugs. He's an Aburame, alright."
"But the Aburame aren't known for their physical stats. They specialize in Kikaichu. For one to reach Jonin-level in Taijutsu while also commanding a swarm this size... it's strange."
"Idiot, what's strange about it? Have you not seen the scale of his secret arts these past two days?"
"How can a ninja this powerful be just a Tokubetsu Jonin?"
Wait.
It's a conspiracy!
The Kazekage and his Jonin felt a chill of realization.
"Of course! It has to be! We killed over five million bugs today. That's not the power of one man; that's the power of an entire Hidden Village."
"A powerhouse capable of fighting a hundred men, hidden in total obscurity until he hits us with a sucker punch? Definitely a conspiracy."
The tent devolved into a cacophony of speculation and theorizing.
The Kazekage cut them off. He looked around the room and asked the only question that mattered: "Do we move forward, or do we retreat?"
The Suna Jonin: "..."
Silence reigned. The situation was clear: most of their supplies were gone, they'd lost 30% of their total force in a single day, and they were combat-ineffective.
But...
Whoever was the first to say "retreat" would be the one to shoulder the blame for the defeat. That was a black mark so heavy even a Kazekage didn't want to carry it. For a mere Jonin, it wouldn't just be a death sentence; their entire clan would be disgraced and ruined.
The Jonin kept their heads down. The Kazekage's gaze swept across them, the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward.
Their silence was a clear message: You are the leader of Sunagakure. You make the call. The blame is yours.
After fifteen minutes of agonizing silence, the Kazekage, feeling his face burn with shame, dismissed them all.
Back at the secret base, the three boys were at their breaking point. They patched their wounds, forced down some food, and collapsed into sleep. Tetsumaru took the first watch.
After writing his report and launching a messenger hawk, he had one more massive project: the post-battle audit. He had deployed over six million insects today; counting the losses was going to be a nightmare.
Fortunately, he didn't have to do it himself. Tetsumaru removed his head-armor and fished out the Eye of Truth (his sensory Brain Bug) from the back of his cowl. He placed it into a specialized vat of nutrient fluid. Tonight, this Cerebrate would run the numbers through the network and calculate every loss point.
Tetsumaru began his own mental review of the battle, scrutinizing every detail. He ran several simulations in his head before finally confirming he hadn't made any critical errors.
He was satisfied. He had achieved all his objectives. And thanks to a bit of luck, the casualty count had exceeded his goal of three hundred.
Tomorrow, the Sand wouldn't dare split into units smaller than three hundred. An army of three hundred marching together moved at a snail's pace. The remaining 150 kilometers would take them at least five or six days.
With a little more harassment, he was confident he could stretch that to seven. Two days had already passed. His mission was as good as accomplished.
The thought made him smile.
Uchiha Hiro's pride, Yoshito's intellect, O's simple-mindedness—all of them were buzzing with the thrill of having successfully played a Kage for a fool. They felt like they were at the peak of their lives; even if they died tonight, they'd have no regrets.
Otherwise, would a slippery fox like Yoshito have risked a close-quarters engagement with Suna elites?
But Tetsumaru was a transmigrator. Beneath his gentle exterior lay a level of pride and self-esteem that put an Uchiha to shame. Being chased by the Kazekage for two days, unable to even show his face... it was incredibly stifling.
But he had no choice. If he'd faced the Kazekage directly, he'd have had to burn his trump cards and risk his life, and the entire campaign would have collapsed.
Ultimately, it came down to the fact that he wasn't strong enough. He didn't have the confidence to crush a Kage-level opponent yet.
Tetsumaru's greatest strength was his unique, industrial-scale "Zerg" system: the endless swarms of standard insects, the heavy-hitter Scythe-Mantises, and the total information dominance over the theater.
Today proved this system worked against ninjas. He could overwhelm standard Jonin with ease. Against a battalion led by Jonin, he just needed time to secure a total wipeout.
After four years of war, his bio-weapons had matured. In many ways, they were already superior to the Aburame's traditional Kikaichu.
Tetsumaru was now the premier insect-user of the clan. The "Great Insect Arts" he had pioneered would undoubtedly become the foundation of a brand-new heritage for the Aburame.
As his Grand Chakra Circulation grew stronger and his swarm's lethality was proven, he began to grow dissatisfied with merely bullying low-end ninjas.
The Kazekage...
I really want to see if I can take him.