Chapter 36: Aburame Ryosuke, A Jōnin Strikes
Inside the ROOT headquarters, a shinobi in a cat-faced mask knelt on one knee. His voice was steady and emotionless:
"Danzo-sama."
From his seat above, Shimura Danzō cast a cold, shadowed gaze on the ninja.
"Aburame Ryosuke. Your evaluation mission is to capture Uchiha Tonan and bring him here. If he resists, eliminate him and extract his Sharingan. However, understand that killing him will reduce your evaluation score. Only by completing this mission cleanly can you become an official ROOT operative. And failure…"
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to.
Ryosuke bowed deeply. "Understood, Danzo-sama." He rose and vanished like mist.
After a beat, Danzō tapped the armrest of his chair rhythmically. From the shadows behind him, another masked shinobi stepped forward and knelt.
"Torune. Monitor the mission from afar. If the ANBU or Uchiha catch wind of this, trigger the cursed seal. We can't afford loose lips."
Torune bowed. "Yes."
The winter moon hung high and cold, casting its pale light over Konoha like a blade of ice. Inside the quiet Uchiha district, Tonan was deep in slumber. Outside, the village's patrolling officers wandered leisurely, chatting in pairs like bored cats on night duty.
The war had only recently ended. Tension had softened, and the air smelled more like stew than blood.
"Hey, you heard about Tonan?"
"Which part?"
"He graduated early. Kid's barely six—turning seven soon—and already a genin."
"Tch, that's freaky even for an Uchiha. Kid's a prodigy."
"Sure, but don't forget—he keeps the clan at arm's length. Seems closer to the higher-ups in the Hokage office."
"Can you blame him? Kid's had it rough. His parents were cold as frostbite, then his one true friend gets killed by another Uchiha."
"Oi, that wasn't the clan's fault."
"You don't know the half of it. Word is, Kotoura and Nanako treated him like an underachieving academy dropout—always disappointed, never proud. The boy had to scrounge for love like a starving ninken."
"That bad, huh?"
"When his parents died, I saw him bawling like a rainstorm. Damn near broke me."
"Well, they were his blood, cold or not. Doesn't mean he hated 'em. Just… longed for something warmer."
"Makes sense when you say it like that. But wait—where'd you hear all this?"
"My mother told me. She got it from someone high up."
"Your mom? Wasn't she grocery shopping with mine that day?"
SLAP!
"Gah! What was that for?"
"Nothing. Just saw a bug."
Overhead, hidden by tree canopies and night fog, a mass of insects crept toward the outer edge of the Uchiha district.
The clan area was split between two zones: the inner city-like zone where the elites nested, and the outer section—more rural, like the clan's backyard. That's where Tonan's modest courtyard sat—humble, but far enough from the gossip grapevine.
His father, Kotoura, had once dreamed of buying a home in the central district. But real estate in Konoha moved faster than a summoning scroll at a Chuunin Exam. Prices soared. Ambition? Crushed under mortgage rates. So, here they stayed—on the fringe.
Ryosuke's swarm crept forward, using the trees like sentries. He reconvened atop a large tree, reverting to his human form. His gaze locked on a quiet little courtyard.
Body Flicker.
He was gone in a blur.
Inside the house, Tonan's eyes snapped open mid-dream—three tomoe spinning like sirens.
Anbu? No—doesn't feel like Sarutobi sent this one. If it's ROOT…
His mind raced back to the Sharingan sample hidden in that test tube. A midnight visit usually meant someone wanted your eyes—or your life.
All over the village, his chakra-tagged white pigeons perched inconspicuously on eaves and rooftops. Their Sharingan eyes lit up, scanning the village like a surveillance network powered by paranoia and spite. With a Byakugan boost, Tonan zeroed in on vital positions—
Hokage office: empty. Hiruzen's not looking for me.
No time for further analysis.
Ryosuke was already at the door. His hand reached out—
CRACK!
A shadow whipped toward him, cold wind trailing its edge like a blade dipped in ice.
DING!
He barely blocked it with a kunai. As he prepared to unleash his parasitic insects, Tonan suddenly stepped back and bowed apologetically.
"Ah! Sorry, Anbu-sama. I thought you were an enemy spy."
Does he think I'm Anbu? Interesting. This'll make my job easier.
Ryosuke grunted, masking his surprise with stern authority.
"Uchiha Tonan. Hokage-sama has summoned you."
"Understood, Anbu-sama." Tonan sheathed his kunai and looked relaxed, like a cooperative puppy.
Ryosuke stepped closer and grabbed his arm—mimicking preparation for a teleport, but really commanding insects to slip into Tonan's body like parasites through a crack.
Too smooth. Suspiciously smooth.
Suddenly, the insects gave off a spike of chakra—an emergency signal.
Shit. It's genjutsu!
Ryosuke instantly dispelled the illusion.
He was still at the door. Tonan's hand was inches away from him.
"Gotcha." Tonan's voice had gone cold and clinical.
"Lightning Style – Ground Travel!"
A burst of electricity shot from his palm.
Perfect for frying bugs and their hosts. Tonan's plan was clean: paralyze first, cremate second.
BOOM.
But all that hit the ground was a log.
Substitution Technique.
Ryosuke's real body landed atop a scorched tree, cloak fluttering.
SWISH—SWISH—SWISH—SWISH!
Four Fūma shuriken tore through the air from different directions. They cut through the tree branch Ryosuke had just vacated and embedded themselves into the enclosing wall.
That trap would've boxed me in if not for Insect Transformation. This kid doesn't fight like a genin. He fights like he's been fed nothing but trauma and training scrolls.
Ryosuke hit the roof and finally saw Tonan standing calm in the courtyard, eyes sharp, kunai ready.
No more games.
Ryosuke's fingers blurred through seals.
"Secret Technique – Insect Tide!"
A grotesque tidal wave of insects surged from his body like a living shadow. The sky turned black above Tonan.