Shibi Aburame was completely dumbfounded.
He stared at the remains of his insects—wiped out like shrimp tossed into boiling water—his eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.
Crushed.
Overrun.
Erased by other insects.
In over thirty years of mastering the Aburame clan's poison techniques, this had never happened.
And the most absurd part?
The one controlling those superior poison bugs was an Uchiha.
Since when did the Uchiha stop playing with eyes and fire—and start playing with insects?
And worse… playing them better than him?
Before Shibi could even process it, a calm voice rang out again.
"Aburame clan members attempted to assassinate the Uchiha heir, intending to provoke internal conflict within the village."
"Take them."
Kai's tone was flat, almost casual—like brushing dust off a sleeve.
Yet the words themselves sent a chill through everyone present.
A great Konoha clan… taken down just like that?
"Yes!"
The Second Elder of the Uchiha stepped forward, eyes blazing.
Scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan spun violently as years of suppressed fury finally found release.
He'd hated the Aburame for a long time.
Making the Uchiha wait outside?
Arrogant to the end.
They deserved whatever came next.
His figure blurred into a crimson afterimage as he charged straight into the main hall.
"You—!"
Shibi snapped out of it and hurriedly formed hand seals, attempting to summon a final defensive insect wall.
Then reality struck him like a hammer.
His insects… were gone.
"Y-you… where did your poison insects come from…?"
His voice faltered. The iron-hard stance he'd held for decades crumbled without him even realizing it.
Bugs were everything to the Aburame.
And yet—
They'd been utterly crushed in their own domain.
There was no pride left to stand on.
He thought yielding might change something.
He was wrong.
Crack—
A small hand suddenly closed around his throat.
Kai's expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
Detached.
Cold.
His fingers tightened.
Grrrk—
Skin and bone rubbed together with an ugly sound.
"Clan Head!"
"Damn it, stop!"
"Are you trying to destroy the Uchiha along with us?!"
"Fight him!"
Kai's action ignited the Aburame instantly.
Several jōnin exploded into motion, sleeves tearing open as freshly bred insects poured out.
Others drew kunai, abandoning subtlety altogether.
They rushed him.
And met only a pair of indifferent eyes.
"You're sure," Kai said softly, his youthful voice cutting through the chaos,
"that you want to do this?"
Not loud.
But it landed like thunder.
"Ugh…!"
Shibi's throat let out a strained whine, but he still forced the words out.
"St-stop… stop!"
Resistance?
Maybe he'd considered it before.
The Aburame relied on sheer numbers. With enough insects, even Danzō could be held at bay.
But now—
Faced with absolute force, Aburame pride was nothing but a mantis raising its arms to block a carriage.
Impossible.
Only then did Shibi finally understand why the Third Hokage—so proud, so stubborn—
Had folded so easily the previous night.
Why there hadn't even been a real fight.
His mind flashed back to the Monkey King Enma, who had appeared and vanished without explanation.
"Perhaps… Lord Enma didn't withdraw because he was injured…"
"But because… he was frightened."
The thought made Shibi shudder.
He looked at the boy gripping his throat—barely reaching his neck.
Fear flooded in.
Not the kind he'd ever felt toward the Third Hokage.
This was deeper.
Instinctual.
And so he desperately tried to stop his clan.
But it was too late.
The Aburame hesitated.
The Uchiha did not.
Shh—shh—shh!
Dozens of Sharingan snapped open in unison.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Technique!"
No hesitation.
Fire roared forth.
BOOM—! BOOM—!
Explosions, collapsing buildings, and screams blended into one deafening storm.
The Aburame defensive barriers were like paper.
In less than five minutes—
Their clan grounds were ablaze.
Under countless watching eyes, the heart of the Aburame compound was swallowed by fire.
Creak—crash—
Walls fell. People cried.
Any remaining resistance was completely erased.
Kai tossed Shibi to the ground.
From above, sunlight pierced through smoke and ash, outlining Kai's small figure in chilling clarity.
"So this is the Aburame clan's 'pride'," he said calmly, like commenting on the weather.
"Just as fragile as your insects."
"Second Elder. Inventory every vault, ledger, and seal."
"Arrest all Root members."
He paused, sweeping his gaze across the ruined compound.
"If anyone hides information—"
His voice spread clearly through the deathly silence.
"Treat them as missing-nin. Execute on the spot."
Those last four words carried killing cold.
With a thought—
[Nano Poison Insect Control (Blue)]
A silent command spread.
Purple nano-scale poison insects scattered instantly.
PSSHT—!
"AAAH—!"
In a corner of the compound, a masked ninja's sleeve suddenly exploded outward.
A Root mask was clearly visible inside.
His arm blackened and swelled instantly.
Foam bubbled from his mouth as he collapsed.
Uchiha members reacted immediately, dragging him away.
The sight filled every Aburame with fury—
But not one dared speak.
They could only watch as their people were taken.
"Figures," Kai muttered, turning away.
"Political power really does come from the barrel of a gun."
He didn't linger.
Instead, he headed toward the Nara clan.
Other clans could be subdued with force.
But the Nara?
Father and son together were practically an SSR combo.
And those were worth keeping intact.
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