Upon returning to the Land of Rain, Aburame Tetsumaru received his orders: he had been promoted to Chunin Captain.
Following the instructions in his mission scroll, he quickly arrived at the edge of a marsh to wait for his teammates. Wrapped in his high-collared trench coat, Tetsumaru walked effortlessly across the misty wetlands. Now that he had mastered the Summoning Jutsu, he had finally shed that massive, cumbersome backpack. The sense of freedom was intoxicating.
Even better, he could finally wear the Aburame clan's signature windbreaker. It was windproof, waterproof, and even with two layers of insects clinging to his body beneath the fabric, he still looked lean and stylish. He was quite pleased with himself.
The snail that had occupied his head for the better part of a year was now hidden beneath his hood. Its name was officially history; the latest version of the Eye of Truth resembled a streamlined motor-scooter helmet. Tucked under his hood, it left his head looking slightly larger than average, but the tell-tale silhouette of a giant gastropod was gone.
The busy months at home had served as a good recovery period. He had grown significantly taller and filled out a bit more.
As he waited, a milky white fog drifted over the marsh in the drizzling rain. The soft patter of droplets falling onto the soil, plants, and water was nearly silent.
No one here?
Tetsumaru wasn't so sure. In this gloomy, rainy weather, his dragonflies and giant moths couldn't fly, and the Eye of Truth's visibility was severely hampered. He released a swarm of Kikaichu instead. Gorged on chakra, these insects were almost entirely unaffected by the rain and fog, maintaining their usual flight speed.
The swarm swept a three-hundred-meter radius. No shinobi were found.
However, the observant Tetsumaru noticed that the Kikaichu were actively avoiding four specific spots. He paused, a realization dawning on him: those spots were rigged with anti-reconnaissance measures.
It seemed at least one teammate had already arrived.
Whether they were actually at those four spots, however, was another matter. "The hollow is real, and the real is hollow"—the shinobi of this world might not know the exact proverb, but they played the same games fluently. There was a good chance someone was hiding in one of them just to bait a sensor.
But in the shinobi world, everything ultimately boiled down to chakra. No matter how clever the trick, it couldn't bypass the energy itself. That was why the Byakugan remained the ultimate scouting tool.
Fortunately, Tetsumaru had mastered a functional alternative before he'd even graduated. He closed his eyes, centering himself, and used Insight to observe his own Grand Chakra Circulation.
Through the lens of Insight, his stable and precise circulation acted as a mirror, reflecting fluctuations from external chakra sources. By observing these "ripples," he quickly determined that the chakra signatures at the four suspicious points were incredibly weak.
In contrast, there were two powerful chakra sources: one fifty meters to his left and another ninety meters to his right.
They were both early, and they were both hiding.
With their positions pinned, Tetsumaru used the ultrasonic sensors of his Eye of Truth to map their postures. Their methods of concealment became clear.
Wait—neither of them was "hiding" in the physical sense.
the one on the left was leaning against the trunk of a dead tree, while the one on the right was crouched on a rock, hands resting on their knees.
Genjutsu. Both of them are Genjutsu masters.
Tetsumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was a new Chunin Captain; his subordinates wouldn't be Jonin. Despite the fact that his mission record had exceeded the promotion threshold several times over, on paper, he was still a fresh Chunin. They wouldn't assign him veterans. Were they senior Genin or fellow new Chunin?
The key was that the Genjutsu these two were using was natural and persistent, showing almost no signs of the caster's hand. Moreover, their styles were completely different.
A classic line from a certain detective anime echoed in Tetsumaru's mind: "There is always only one truth!"
These two ninjas hiding themselves with Genjutsu... one was an Uchiha with a two-tomoe Sharingan, and the other was a Kurama with an awakened bloodline.
Combined with himself, this was a squad of three ninjas whose combat power far exceeded the norm for Chunin. What kind of bizarre lineup was this?
Tetsumaru immediately decided to keep a card close to his chest. He would only use Kikaichu secret arts for now, keeping his Flight-Locusts and other specialized bugs hidden. He commanded the insects attached to his body to enter a dormant state.
Preparations finished, Tetsumaru had no interest in playing "ninja games." He waved his hands to both sides, and two swarms of Kikaichu erupted from his sleeves, launching an attack on the seemingly empty spots.
Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!
The Kikaichu couldn't "see" the enemies, but they followed the command of the secret art to swarm the designated coordinates.
Aside from extreme forbidden techniques like Izanagi, Genjutsu could not overwrite reality. Faced with a physical attack, the two hidden ninjas were forced to react.
The figure on the right scrambled, slipping and rolling to dodge, but failed. The Insect Sphere engulfed their head, drawing a high-pitched scream. It was a girl.
The figure on the left, however, wove signs with blistering speed. In half a second, he unleashed a Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique, using the blast to clear a gap in the swarm and leap to safety.
Once they moved, the Genjutsu shattered.
A boy in traditional shinobi attire with the Uchiha crest on his back stood revealed, his expression darkening until it was as black as the bottom of a pot.
I was found. And there's another person here I didn't detect.
Uchiha Akira was filled with a mix of regret and annoyance. After awakening his two-tomoe Sharingan, he had grown overconfident. Instead of showing off, he had ended up looking like a fool and potentially exposing the secret of his eyes.
He and Tetsumaru both turned to look at the other teammate, who was still screaming. Her Genjutsu was still active, so they couldn't see her—only hear her wails.
Tetsumaru caught a slight discordance in the sound. No way...
He immediately wove a sign to end the secret art and recalled the Kikaichu. The screaming stopped instantly, followed by a long, relieved exhale.
After a bit of rustling, the Genjutsu finally dissipated. A young girl with bright eyes and clear features appeared before them. It was obvious she had just taken a moment to touch up her makeup.
"I am Aburame Tetsumaru, assigned as the Captain of Squad Aburame. Are you my subordinates?"
"Yes, Captain!"
"My, my, the Captain is so impressive. I thought it would be Lord Aburame Shige. The Aburame clan really does have a lot of Jonin, doesn't it?"
The girl was thirteen or fourteen, dressed quite flashily for a war zone. That didn't bother Tetsumaru. What did bother him was her tone—slick, overly familiar, and vaguely disrespectful. He had little patience for this kind of "troublemaker" personality, especially when they were under his command.
Tetsumaru stared at her through his sunglasses and said, one measured word at a time: "When you speak to me, you will not use that tone. If there is a next time, you will not speak at all."
The girl flinched, her mouth snapping shut in genuine fear.
"Now, report your names, ages, ranks, and specialties. A brief overview of one specialty is enough." Tetsumaru pointed at the Uchiha boy. "You first."
Martial dominance, verbal intimidation, and direct orders—with three moves, Tetsumaru seized control of the conversation and established his authority as the leader.
However, neither of them was truly cowed. The girl, though silent, had a glint in her eyes that suggested she was itching to push her luck again. The boy kept his eyelids heavy, trying to feign a look of intimidated submission.
"I am Uchiha Akira, fourteen years old. Chunin. I specialize in Fire Style and Genjutsu."
...! Tetsumaru's heart skipped a beat. No way. I can't be that unlucky.
"I am Kurama Yun, thirteen years old. Genin. I specialize in Genjutsu. My Taijutsu and stamina aren't very good."
Akira narrowed his eyes. Tch. Playing the weakling. I don't know if this brat arrived before or after me. If she was here first, she saw my eyes. If she arrived after, she managed to slip in right under my nose while using Genjutsu.
Either way, this girl's Genjutsu was terrifying.
Hmph. Stupid Uchiha, Yun thought, catching Akira's murderous sidelong glance. He realized I saw his two-tomoe Sharingan. I'll have to watch my back so he doesn't try to silence me. Maybe I should look for an opening to take him out first...
Neither of them noticed that Tetsumaru's Eye of Truth, aided by his Kikaichu, provided him with a 360-degree view. He caught every micro-expression on their faces.
Good grief. What kind of freaks are these two? Are they really planning to assassinate each other? Were their previous teammates "disposed of" by their own side?
Tetsumaru was nearly ready to lose it. A squad where the subordinates were plotting to kill each other was a death trap.
He thought back to his first squad with Captain Ueno. Ueno had been gruff but caring, looking after the rookies and trusting Tetsumaru when he was still a "green" graduate. That trust had helped him survive his most dangerous period.
He had been incredibly lucky.
But Captain Ueno's luck hadn't been bad either. He'd had three reliable subordinates: a steady veteran, a hidden powerhouse in the form of a "Youth" progenitor, and a transmigrated Aburame.
Regardless, the beautiful "rookie phase" was over. What lay ahead was a grueling period of expansion and responsibility.
The more he looked at these two, the more they annoyed him. He barked out a curt order: "Enough."
"Now that identities are confirmed, we have a mission to perform. If there are no other questions, follow me."
The boy and girl instantly straightened their clothes, their expressions turning solemn. "Yes, sir!"
Once a Captain issues a formal order, it cannot be refused. Insubordination carried severe penalties—and this was a war zone. A Captain had both the power and the obligation to execute a subordinate for disobeying orders.
Indeed, it was a responsibility. If a subordinate's refusal to follow orders led to a defeat, the entire squad's lives were at risk. If the Captain survived and returned, they would be held personally accountable. If the consequences were severe—such as the destruction of other squads, a failed campaign, or the loss of a strategic outpost—the Captain could be executed for the failure.
Because they carried such weight, Captains in Konoha were often ruthlessly strict. Some Genin had met their end simply for being too "cheeky" at the wrong time.
The idea of "talking back" to a Captain, as seen with some future protagonists, simply didn't exist in Konoha Year 32.
Tetsumaru took the lead at the front.
Normally, a Captain would stay in the middle to coordinate, but this new Squad Aburame was full of strangers. Since Tetsumaru had superior scouting abilities, he chose to lead the way himself.
Kurama Yun walked second, thirty meters behind the Captain and fanned out five meters to the left. Her claim of having a weak constitution wasn't a lie; while most Kurama were normal, those who awakened the clan's Genjutsu bloodline without going insane often paid a steep price in physical health. Weak bodies and terrible Taijutsu were the norm.
Uchiha Akira followed at the rear, thirty meters behind Yun and fifty-five meters behind the Captain, fanning out to the right.
Tetsumaru led them quickly to their destination: a clearing deep within a forest.
The journey had improved his opinion of his two subordinates slightly. Despite their young ages, they were both experienced and possessed a solid sense of group movement.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Selecting a spot in the northwest corner of the clearing for concealment, Tetsumaru signaled them to close within five meters. "Kurama, Genjutsu camouflage."
"Yes, sir," Yun replied seriously.
She wove signs, using a secret technique to pull the "eerie" fluctuations from within her mind. After a strange ripple in the air, the three of them became transparent, vanishing into the atmosphere.
It was a remarkable effect. Even Tetsumaru and Akira couldn't see their own bodies. The sense of touch and feedback remained, of course, or they would have panicked.
While Yun maintained the jutsu, Tetsumaru pulled a mission scroll from his pouch—his proof of assembly—tied it to the ring of a kunai, and threw it into the center of the clearing.
Uchiha Akira watched Yun work, experiencing the effect of the technique firsthand. He felt a bit more at ease. This Kurama secret art was powerful; it was true transparency. Only when moving at high speeds could one detect a slight refractive shimmering at the edges.
This confirmed his theory: Kurama Yun had simply arrived at the marsh early, rather than slipping in behind him.
Whatever. The Captain probably knows anyway. Silencing her would be too difficult.
Yun, however, was burning through chakra to maintain the Genjutsu. Combined with the physical exertion of the run, she couldn't suppress a light, ragged panting. She immediately swallowed a soldier pill and closed her eyes to rest, praying the upcoming mission wouldn't involve intense combat. If it did, she'd be a dead weight.
Tetsumaru heard the breathing and the sound of the pill. He understood the situation immediately but said nothing, mentally adjusting his plans to keep Yun in a support role if a fight broke out.
The three of them waited in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
Soon, more squads began to arrive. Seeing the kunai in the center, the arriving Captains followed suit, tossing their own scrolls into the pile before taking cover.
There was a clear hierarchy in the quality of the squads. some hid perfectly; others were a bit sloppy. None, however, were weak. The Captains engaged in a silent game of "hide and seek," using their concealment and sensory skills to test one another. It was a common "game" among veterans—a way to find a bit of joy when meeting comrades on the battlefield.
The eighth squad to arrive was a pure Hyuga unit. Four Hyuga ninjas didn't even bother to hide; they stood arrogantly in the center of the clearing. Their leader activated his Byakugan, scanning the surroundings. He gave a cold snort every time he "found" someone, continuing until he had spotted everyone in the vicinity.
Tetsumaru's squad was no exception. Between the X-ray vision and the ability to see chakra directly, the Byakugan was a cheat code for short-to-mid-range reconnaissance.
But it was also incredibly annoying. What was the point of hiding now? What happened to the "game"?
The seven other Captains emerged from their hiding spots, all of them glaring at the lead Hyuga with irritation. It was a classic Hyuga Main House member—talented with their eyes, but insufferable in every other way.
Furthermore, Main House members rarely saw the front lines and lacked genuine war experience. They required several elite guards to protect them, which was a waste of resources in a theater where scouts were already in short supply.
Worse, Main House members were notorious for sacrificing branch members to protect themselves or fulfill their own whims. Most Konoha ninjas had worked with the Branch House before; they didn't take kindly to people who painted their own records with the blood of their comrades.
However, the Hyuga's methods ensured the Byakugan remained safe from enemy hands. The Hokage had nothing to say on the matter, so the other ninjas could do nothing but glare.