Watching Uchiha Akira walk away, Tetsumaru suddenly felt a surge of playfulness. He cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Akira! Work hard! Don't you dare bring shame to that legendary name of yours!!"
Akira: ( °ー°〃)
He stood there, stunned, for a long while before realizing his captain had already vanished. A vein popped on Akira's forehead as he roared at the empty air, "Damn that captain! There he goes again, saying things that don't make any sense!"
He spitefully thrust his middle finger toward the forest, then paused, realizing the gesture was something his captain had taught him. He blinked, then burst into a hearty laugh—the kind that brought tears to his eyes.
Once he'd had his fill of laughing, Akira wiped his eyes, a genuine smile on his face as he set off on his own path.
Goodbye, everyone. I hope we all make it through this.
Having sent off his last subordinate, Tetsumaru was now a "commander of one." He silently activated the Secret Technique: Domain Field Barrier. This was a technique triggered by the runes engraved directly onto his meridians, requiring no hand signs whatsoever.
The method of engraving had been characteristically crude: he had commanded Kikaichu to crawl into his body and literally gnaw the patterns into his flesh. Carving eight runes was no easier than the time he'd manually cleared the meridians in his face. The agonizing itch, the burning ache, and the sharp stings were a hellish combination. By the time the first rune was finished, Tetsumaru had almost reached his breaking point.
Fortunately, the remaining seven weren't near his head, so he felt safe using anesthesia. He hadn't expected that while the numbing agent stopped the pain, it did nothing to suppress the soul-deep crawling sensation and the itching. It was an "agony-adjacent" experience he would never forget.
Still, the physical engraving was actually the easiest hurdle; the wounds healed within a day. Once the secret technique was successfully triggered, he entered the truly difficult phase.
The human eye is our most powerful sensory organ, responsible for receiving about 80% of external information. Losing your sight causes immediate, extreme disorientation.
So, what happens when you suddenly gain thousands upon thousands of eyes?
Just as extreme darkness and extreme light both result in blindness, suddenly gaining thousands of viewpoints caused a massive cognitive collapse. Years ago, when Tetsumaru had linked with the vision of his dragonflies through standard Aburame arts, the thousands of compound-eye inputs had made him so nauseous he'd vomited on the spot. He'd never quite adapted to it until he'd used a "Snail-type Eye of Truth" as a buffer to filter the data.
The Domain Field Barrier was far more powerful than standard arts, and its side effects were slightly more refined. Among the eight runes powering the barrier, four were dedicated to coordinating visual signals, while one handled auditory and tactile input.
However, a holistic visual feed synthesized from thousands of eyes was fundamentally different from the binocular vision he was born with. There were no shortcuts here; Tetsumaru had to adapt through sheer mental willpower.
He moved with stiff, robotic steps. In his mind's eye, he could simultaneously see in front, behind, to the sides, and from dozens of overlapping aerial angles. Every person nearby, every individual leaf, every blade of grass, and every clod of dirt—it was too much data. He only dared to take a step once he had verified his balance and orientation. Only by moving at this snail's pace could he guarantee he wouldn't fall flat on his face.
This was an improvement. On the first day, he hadn't even been able to sit up. He'd felt as if he'd been spun in circles eight hundred times, unable to tell up from down.
His tactile senses told him he was lying down, but his vision told him he was walking, jumping, and even flying—inputs shared from the bugs that were currently confusing his own physical reality.
Thankfully, the Domain Field Barrier could be deactivated, giving him a chance to breathe. The problem was that the runes were etched onto his meridians; the moment his chakra reached a certain velocity, the technique activated automatically.
How could he fight like this? Forget combat—at the rate he was going, if he ran too fast and his chakra triggered the barrier, he'd likely lose his sense of direction and slam head-first into a tree.
"I am the Swarm... I wonder how Sarah Kerrigan felt. Was she as miserable as I am?"
Tetsumaru stepped toward Orochimaru's tent. Just as the thought of opening the flap crossed his mind, a swarm of insects flew ahead and pulled the curtain aside for him.
Half a second later, Tetsumaru stepped inside. This "bug-reflex" that beat his own physical movements was another thing he had to get used to.
Orochimaru naturally noticed the change. He chuckled. "I felt your chakra approaching from a distance, yet it took you forever to actually get here. And your face is pale. What happened?"
"Lord Orochimaru, I need to request leave."
"Your reason?"
Tetsumaru gave a wry smile. "It's a long story. Do you have the time?"
Orochimaru set his pen aside and sat up straight. "Of course. When my most reliable subordinate has a problem, it takes priority."
He glanced irritably at a foot-high stack of paperwork. "Besides, these documents are all boring political games. It doesn't matter if I read them or not."
Following the events of two months ago, Orochimaru had gained significant authority. However, power struggles aren't just about who has more prestige; they're about who has the larger organization—the more "useful subordinates."
The High Commander had arrived with a full administrative staff, far outclassing the solitary Orochimaru. He had easily buried Orochimaru in a sea of paperwork, slowly reclaiming much of the authority he'd lost.
It was only because Tetsumaru had proactively joined him—bringing a wave of Chunin and Jonin into his orbit—that Orochimaru had any documents to sign at all. Otherwise, he likely would have been relegated to being a "mascot" for the front lines again.
Thus, Orochimaru had time. Curious about his first subordinate's condition, he led Tetsumaru into his private laboratory, locked the door, and listened.
When dealing with a "scientist" like Orochimaru, you either keep everything a total secret or you explain it fully. Partial lies wouldn't work. So, Tetsumaru started from the beginning: the Jutsu Insects.
He covered the Jutsu Insects, the Chakra Runes, the Grand Chakra Circulation, the rune engraving, the new secret technique, and the sensory overload he was currently suffering.
As Tetsumaru spoke, Orochimaru's eyes grew increasingly bright. His mouth drifted open. By the time the explanation reached the Grand Chakra Circulation, his disbelief had transformed into pure, unadulterated awe.
Tetsumaru talked for an hour and a half before finally concluding with his current predicament.
"Incredible... truly incredible..." Orochimaru murmured to himself. "Tetsumaru, you've blazed a path toward a completely new Nin-do. No, it's more than that. I don't even know how to describe it. In short: it is magnificent."
The more Orochimaru thought about it, the more excited he became. He began pacing the room. "You've given me quite the conundrum. How could I possibly let this knowledge pass me by? I must learn it."
He stopped and looked at Tetsumaru. "But what could I give you in exchange? Knowledge this precious... what could possibly be of equal value?"
Tetsumaru had expected this. He named his price. "Lord Orochimaru, you can trade with ninjutsu, kinjutsu, and sealing arts. To me, those are equally priceless."
Orochimaru blinked, then burst into laughter. "Of course. Of course! How foolish of me. The value of knowledge is subjective; the things I know will be worth far more to you than they are to me."
"Very well. I will trade you forty ninjutsu, three kinjutsu, and two sealing arts in exchange for the Chakra Runes, the Rune Steam Chamber technology, and Ninjutsu Meridian Mastery."
"Deal!"
"Which ninjutsu or kinjutsu do you have in mind?"
"The Shadow Clone Technique, the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, the Four Symbols Seal, and the Object Sealing Technique."
"Oya, quite the practical selection. No problem at all."
Orochimaru turned to a desk and began writing. "Come find me tonight. I'll have the scrolls for all these techniques ready for you."
He handed the paper he was writing on to Tetsumaru. "In the meantime, your leave is approved. One month should be enough for you to adapt to your new state. Don't stay at the front; follow the supply unit back to the village tomorrow."
Tetsumaru took the paper. It was indeed a signed permit to return to the village and a one-month leave. He blew on the ink to make sure it was dry, then tucked it away solemnly.
"Lord Orochimaru, I'll go prepare. I'll see you tonight for the exchange."
"Go on," Orochimaru said, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Close the door on your way out. I can't wait to test out some new inspirations."
The exchange went smoothly that night. Orochimaru had even been thoughtful enough to seal the dozens of scrolls into a single Object Sealing Scroll for easy transport.
The journey back to Konoha was uneventful; no ambushes or "unfortunate" encounters.
However, when he reached home, he found the house empty. His parents weren't there. He checked with the neighbors, who told him that both had left—likely out of the village entirely.
With no other choice, Tetsumaru cleaned up his room himself and restocked his groceries, focusing on emergency rations.
While shopping, he noticed that Konoha had become incredibly prosperous. The markets were full, and the streets were crowded. As the heart of the war machine, the village's economy was booming now that the conflict had entered full swing.
Once settled, Tetsumaru began his adaptive training. Every day before dawn, he would climb the Hokage Rock and activate his Domain Field Barrier as the sun rose.
Training in a safe environment with large blocks of uninterrupted time yielded excellent results.
Within five days, he had basically adapted to the barrier state and the sensation of insects acting as his surrogate hands. He could now clearly distinguish when he wanted to use his own limbs versus the swarm.
The rest was just "grinding"—slowly habituating himself to switching between his normal state and the barrier state until it became second nature.
He used his remaining time to study the ninjutsu and kinjutsu. He put the sealing arts aside for now; the amount of foundational knowledge required was too vast to master in a month.
On the seventh day, a letter arrived from the Rain Country front. It was from his father. It had apparently crossed paths with him on the road and been redirected back to the village.
The content was simple: his father informed him that his mother had been drafted to serve in a field hospital on the Eastern front (facing the Mist). His father had also been drafted for a mission in the Land of Tea and might be away for more than a month.
After reading the letter, Tetsumaru was in a foul mood. Didn't we agree not to draft the whole family? What is this?
To hell with the "Will of Fire." To hell with the Hokage.
The Second World War had been raging for two years. The Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Mizukage had all appeared on the front lines. Only the Hokage and the Raikage remained in their villages. The Cloud only had minor skirmishes with the Mist and hadn't fully committed to the war; for them, staying home was appropriate. If the Raikage went to the front, it would signal a total escalation.
But for the Hokage to stay home was inexcusable. He hadn't moved when the war with Sand started, nor when the Rain and Stone joined in. Now that the war with the Mist had begun—a three-front war—he still sat in his office.
You couldn't even criticize him because he'd sent his own son to the front. What could you say?
Pah, Tetsumaru thought bitterly. My entire family has been dragged into this, and you only put up one son? Besides, you're a top-tier Kage-level shinobi. Your presence on the front line would be worth ten times more than your administrative work in the village.
The logistics and supply lines weren't even that impressive. The front was still plagued by shortages, and supply errors were a daily occurrence.
I really wonder what's going on in the Third's head. What is he so conflicted about?
Fine. Just wait until you finish off the old guard from the Warring States era and then get out of the way. Otherwise, you'll end up a disaster for the village just like in the original story.
He pushed the frustrating thoughts aside and focused on the jutsu.
First, he mastered the Shadow Clone Technique he had dreamed of for years. After years of reading fanfiction, he finally had the "cheat" technique in his hands.
It was definitely a technique built for those with "Chakra by the Ton." It took Tetsumaru only a day to master it.
It functioned differently than the scrolls suggested. A clone didn't necessarily take "half" your chakra; there was a limit to how much a shadow clone could carry. Once that limit was reached, no more chakra could be pumped in, and forcing it would cause the jutsu to fail.
According to his tests, without drawing from his Grand Chakra Circulation, Tetsumaru could create four "max-capacity" shadow clones. If he used the minimum chakra required to maintain them, he could create fifteen.
The best part, as the legends said, was the return of memory and experience upon dispersal. It truly was a cheat—and importantly, Tetsumaru didn't find the feedback overwhelming.
Furthermore, perhaps because his mind was fully mature and he could suppress his stray thoughts, his shadow clones didn't have the bizarre or rebellious personalities often seen in other ninjas. A pleasant surprise.
By the twelfth day, he mastered the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique. This one required drawing chakra from his Grand Circulation. He could generate over thirty clones at once, though dispersing them all at once created a significant amount of mental pressure.
It was definitely a kinjutsu. He could feel that if he summoned hundreds of clones and they were all destroyed instantly, the sudden feedback of multiple "deaths" could be lethal.
By the twenty-fifth day, Tetsumaru had mastered all forty ninjutsu. Orochimaru had chosen them carefully: primarily Wind Style, with Water and Fire as secondary, and a few Earth Style spells. They perfectly suited his needs.
Essentially, every jutsu Tetsumaru had previously collected at the Academy or from the clan—including his own haphazardly modified spells—was now obsolete.
For his final five days, Tetsumaru planned to relax, enjoy some good food, and tend to his insects.
However, the moment he opened his Domain Field Barrier inside his own home for the first time, he froze.
"What... what the hell is this?"