Aburame Shiki returned to his residence—an old, slightly worn house, but still kept in good condition.
It had belonged to his parents and was now more than enough to support him on the path of a shinobi.
The Aburame clan always took care of their own. Nearly everyone was connected by blood to some degree, and their bonds were close-knit. Their secret techniques were uniformly taught, their discipline strict, their unity strong. There were no major internal disputes—only a quiet, shared dedication to the clan.
Shiki's parents had died in the war, but he had never been treated poorly. The clan ensured he had food, shelter, and care since childhood.
"The first step went perfectly. I've become a key trainee within the clan. My strength will grow quickly from here."
Shiki grinned as he lay on his bed.
He hadn't expected things to go this smoothly.
Now he possessed both parasitic insects and the Phosphorus Insect—and the attention of the clan's upper ranks.
This was a remarkably good beginning.
Once trained properly, he could rapidly increase his strength and begin the next phase of his plans.
"Chakra… that's the main issue." Shiki sighed. Being so young, he simply didn't have much chakra yet.
"The combination of parasitic insects and Phosphorus Insects is a shortcut to becoming a jōnin. I'm only limited by my chakra reserves."
His lack of chakra prevented large-scale and long-duration insect techniques—a major restriction on his combat capability.
The Aburame clan wasn't known for abundant chakra like the Senju or the Uzumaki.
"No need to rush. There's time."Shiki stared silently at the ceiling, thinking. A few years would be more than enough for his strength to skyrocket.
"I still have to enter the Academy. That's the tradition for Konoha's high-class clans."
The Academy, founded by the Second Hokage, had flourished under the Third. Tobirama Senju's political wisdom was undeniable—he created institutions that distributed benefits evenly, stabilizing relations between Konoha's clans.
The Academy seemed minor among his reforms, but its impact was immense.
It recruited both clan children and civilians, giving talented civilians a chance to rise. This won the Hokage faction loyalty from commoners while also limiting the unchecked growth of the great clans.
Only those who graduated from the Academy could hold important positions.This had become an unspoken rule.
Every clan possessed secret, hidden forces—shinobi who never attended the Academy. Konoha's leadership recognized them but refused to grant them influence.
Without the teacher-student bonds of squad life, without teammates, without the "Will of Fire," such individuals were politically isolated.
Thus, every clan was forced to send their geniuses to the Academy, hoping they would occupy vital positions in the future.
It pushed all clans closer to the Hokage faction.And it made it easier for the Hokage to evaluate each clan's strength and decide whether to suppress or support them.
Of course, the Uchiha were an exception. No matter how strong or weak the Uchiha were, the leadership suppressed them. They were branded dangerous from the start.
That was the legacy of Tobirama-sensei.
Shiki turned over, his sunglasses still on, feeling slightly dazed after staring at the ceiling too long.
"Actually… there are so many opportunities suitable for me in the Naruto world."
The Spirit Transformation Technique.Hashirama Cells.Samehada of the Seven Ninja Swords.The Split Technique of the Second Tsuchikage.The Star of Hoshigakure.The Eight-Tails' severed horn.Edo Tensei.The Pure Land pathways of the Sage of Six Paths.
These were all possibilities Shiki had listed for himself.
Honestly, he wanted every one of them.He couldn't wait.
"But I need more strength," Shiki whispered.
To seize these opportunities, he had to interact with Konoha's high-level figures.
Without enough strength, even the Will of Fire was just empty talk—and sometimes even dangerous.
Trusting elders like Homura and Koharu blindly would be asking for trouble.
To negotiate benefits, one needed to be at least a jōnin.
Earning enough merit to gain access to the Scroll of Seals would be extremely difficult—and might grant only a single jutsu.
Thinking about this led Shiki inevitably to Orochimaru and Shimura Danzō. They were shortcuts to learning forbidden techniques quickly.
But both were dangerous men. Without strength or value, he would be consumed without hesitation.
"Oh, life isn't easy…" Shiki sighed.
"But it's not hopeless. Even if my strength won't soar immediately, my usefulness can."
In his previous life, Shiki had a good habit: making full use of whatever resources he had.Otherwise, the Original Gu technique would never have evolved enough to help him form a "golden finger."
"Now that the Phosphorus Insect has been assimilated by the Original Gu, I have full control. Using it only for offense would be wasteful."
One hundred percent control meant Shiki could freely choose whether the Phosphorus Insects were harmful or harmless to others.
Although his fusion of parasitic insects and Phosphorus Insects had shocked Shiwei and Shihei, Shiki felt that wasn't enough.
The true feature of the Phosphorus Insect was its nano-scale nature.
"There's no need to think only in terms of combat. Nano-scale insects could be used in healing. They have incredible medical potential."
"And also… human experimentation. Nano-scale assistants would definitely interest Orochimaru and even Danzō."
Shiki wasn't worried that Orochimaru would covet his body. He had no kekkei genkai—no Uchiha or Senju bloodline. He was just an ordinary Aburame.
Even if he was slightly special, he wasn't valuable enough to justify Orochimaru's attention.
Besides, his body was already full of parasitic and Phosphorus insects. He wasn't suitable for Orochimaru's reincarnation techniques anyway.
Imagine Orochimaru saying:"Shiki, I want your body."
And the body replying:"Apologies, Lord Orochimaru, but I'm already mostly insects."
His safety was guaranteed.
As for Shimura Danzō, Shiki wouldn't mind approaching him either. Danzō possessed many resources. Becoming his disciple—not a disposable tool—would make Shiki part of the Hokage faction's inner circle.
A powerful backing.
After thinking for a long while, Shiki finally closed his eyes.Those goals were still far away.
For now, he needed rest.
Tomorrow, he would undergo training personally led by Aburame Shiwei.He had to be at his best.