"Inside the Forest of Death? That's one solution, but…"
Kakashi's expression turned a bit odd.
He remembered that some of the Aburame clan's insects also lived in the Forest of Death now.
Was the forest becoming an insect research base?
"That area near the mountain side shouldn't interfere with anyone's training," Souma said. "What I'm really worried about is whether they'll expand uncontrollably and damage the forest."
In the Demon Desert, the giant ants had limited resources, making it impossible for their colony to grow too large.
But in a resource-rich environment like the Forest of Death…
The outcome could be very different.
Kakashi wasn't a biology expert, so he looked toward Tenzo.
Tenzo stared right back.
Neither had the slightest idea.
Fortunately, Souma wasn't planning to ask them.
"Forget it. This is already the best option we have. I'll restrict the giant ants later and try to keep them confined to that section of the forest."
He still had no idea why these ants were able to grow so huge in the first place.
So naturally, he had no way of knowing whether the next generation would retain their giant size.
If the next generation shrank back down…?
Given everything, the Third Hokage's arrangement was the most reasonable plan.
Souma began communicating with the ants.
Moments later, the colony adjusted its heading and started moving diagonally toward the Forest of Death.
Outside the Forest of Death
The Aburame clan had been waiting for a long time.
Even though the Third had warned them that their kikaichū might disrupt the ants, how could a clan that loved insects not come watch?
After a long wait—
"They're here!"
Their kikaichū had already detected the incoming colony.
Soon, the "vanguard" of giant ants entered visible range.
Aburame Shibi couldn't hide the excitement flashing across his face.
More than twenty giant ants.
They weren't all combat-capable, but what mattered was that this was a reproducing colony.
A whole breeding line—
Far more valuable than just a few individuals.
"Precious. Every one of them is precious…"
Aburame Muta practically trembled.
"I told you, cooperating with Souma only brings benefits."
Shibi pushed up his glasses.
The ants didn't belong to the Aburame clan, of course.
But as collaborators, if they wanted to raise some of the ants' offspring as kikaichū, Souma would never refuse.
And without Souma, none of this would exist.
"The Demon Desert… should we…"
Aburame Torune didn't finish the thought, but everyone understood.
If these ants came from the Demon Desert, there were definitely more.
"Don't."
Shibi shook his head. "When insects change environments, their traits can shift dramatically. Leaving the Demon Desert colony intact gives us a stable comparison. If we ruin it, we lose everything."
"Yes, Father."
Torune bowed his head.
"You all return first. I'll speak with Souma."
"Yes, sir!"
Souma sat atop a soldier ant. Kakashi and Tenzo lay comfortably on two others, riding without a single bump.
Tenten and Kazusa had already returned to the village—once they neared the Forest of Death, it wasn't convenient for them to follow further.
And since both needed to head home and shower, Kakashi simply sent them back.
"That's so smooth… not even a jolt."
Kakashi was genuinely envious.
"They're not properly summoning beasts yet—they only listen to me. If I can cultivate them for a few generations, I'll give you one."
Souma grinned.
Riding ants really was stable—great load-bearing strength, six legs, and barely any shaking even on rough terrain.
"Then I'll look forward to it," Kakashi said happily.
Souma smiled internally as well.
Once Kakashi got used to riding an ant everywhere, he'd assign one to pick Kakashi up every morning—
Goodbye tardiness.
Perfect plan.
Tenzo lay on his back, contemplating life.
Soon, he would no longer be ANBU—he'd be stepping into the open as a jonin squad leader.
Although…
It didn't feel like this team needed leading.
But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
The three of them circled the outer edge of the Forest of Death.
Shibi had been following them for a while but hadn't approached.
Souma sent a shadow clone to greet him, and meanwhile stepped into the forest to replenish natural energy.
His cells' stored natural energy had nearly been depleted—he needed a quiet environment to recover.
"Shibi-senpai, why don't you come over?" the clone asked.
"The kikaichū may disturb them," Shibi explained.
Souma understood.
Of course—he didn't want the kikaichū causing chaos in the ant colony.
However—
"You're overthinking it. They're bold enough to attack ninja; kikaichū won't scare them. By the way—how are our experimental batches?"
"Very successful!"
Shibi's voice immediately grew excited.
He summarized the three groups.
Souma pulled out his notebook.
"Group One shows stronger exoskeletons, but little change in size."
"Group Two has significant size growth and increased chakra…"
"Group Three has both traits, but high mortality."
After jotting everything down, Souma frowned slightly.
Shibi pushed his glasses.
"For strengthening kikaichū, Groups One and Two are the more practical paths."
Souma nodded.
Group One focused on quality, preserving Aburame secret technique compatibility.
Group Two increased size, boosting combat capacity but reducing compatibility.
Group Three was chaotic and unstable.
"When I have time, I'll raise a batch of reinforced kikaichū for testing."
"Good."
"Oh—do your kikaichū include ants?"
"They can."
Shibi answered immediately, a bit too enthusiastically.
Souma blinked.
"I mean ordinary ants. Convert them, and we can compare them with the giant ants. Might give us clues about what causes the differences."
"…That also works."
Scientific comparison was necessary.
After their discussion, Shibi followed the giant ant colony, while Souma's clone slipped deeper into the forest.
The Colony Site
The nesting area had been prepared in advance.
All the explosive tags buried around had been dug out and removed by kikaichū, leaving barren yellow earth—perfect for ant burrows.
Souma pointed at the slope.
"This will be your home from now on."
The giant ants tapped their antennae together, cheering.
Souma quickly gestured for silence using ripples of natural energy.
"But listen carefully. Your nest must remain within this area. You are not allowed to expand outside it."
"For food, we'll bring some regularly, and you may gather the rest nearby."
"Understood?"
They nodded immediately.
It wasn't obedience—
It was satisfying.
Compared to the Demon Desert, this environment was paradise.
And with Souma promising food, survival pressure vanished completely.
The only restriction was limiting expansion—
But they could accept that.
They exchanged signals rapidly.
Approved!
Some workers immediately began digging.
Such efficiency.
Souma gave them a mental thumbs-up.
Then he glanced around… and looked at Tenzo.
"Tenzo-senpai, since you're here, why not make a few trees for them to eat?"
"???"
Hello? I'm an ANBU captain, not a landscaper.
Tenzo looked deeply offended.
"Ahem, Tenzo," Kakashi chimed in, "it's just a little chakra. And it's for maintaining the Forest of Death."
Tenzo let out a hollow laugh, but still formed hand seals and used Wood Release to produce several trees.
The ants immediately swarmed them, shredding trunks and branches with terrifying mandibles, dissolving leftover wood with their acidic saliva.
A shiver crawled down Tenzo's spine.
He could already imagine how terrifying these ants would be once they developed combat strength.
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