Chapter 12 : Take care of the Clan in Future

"Mushihime, has your body finished building a nest?" Old man Hiyou asked, chewing on jelly beans.

"No," Maki replied, shaking her head. The term 'nesting' referred to the process of insects creating holes inside the body.

"Sure enough," the three old men exchanged glances, then turned their attention to Maki. "How did you manage it?"

Maki found it a bit cumbersome to explain, so she simply removed her clothes. Layers of parasites covered her clothing and young body. As her usual attire was a bit oversized, the difference wasn't apparent.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, it's amazing; the insect swarm remained calm," exclaimed Old man Zhihui. "It's as if they didn't build a nest at all."

"Did the instructions your father left to guide you through this?" inquired Old Man Hiyou.

"There are instructions," Maki confirmed. "But time is not on my side. At my age, it takes two to three years just to complete the nest-building process. The body is ravaged by bugs, then heals, and this cycle continues until the bugs establish a stable nest within."

"It's a painful and time-consuming ordeal," she added. "Besides, it's so inefficient that I don't see the need for it."

Shiho interjected, "General Clansmen at your age, let alone having fighting ability, would be considered geniuses if they could get out of bed and walk."

Zhihui chimed in, "If it were the Warring States Period, the clan would start building nests in infancy, developing a certain fighting capacity by the age of five or six, assisting in intelligence collection and other tasks. However, most would be short-lived."

"There's no way. Infants and young children can't suppress parasitic bugs on their own, so the nest-building behavior is rough, resulting in incomplete internal structures and hidden injuries," explained Zhihui. "Historically, adults with half of their hearts chewed out claimed there are dangers around during this period."

Old man Hiyou continued, "When the parasitic bugs build their nests and claim their master, the Aburame clan learns to control the parasites. The time required for this varies depending on each person's qualifications, ranging from two to three years to five or six years to make the bugs obey orders like arms."

"So, when we heard the rumors, the three of us agreed that it was impossible! If it is the blood inheritance limit, it is even more impossible!" exclaimed Zhihui.

"Mushihime, do you know why?" inquired Maki, shaking her head, indicating her limited knowledge of the Aburame clan's history.

"If there is such a thing as the Blood Succession Limit, our clan would already have it," said Old Man Hiyou. Maki's attention shifted to him.

"That's it; it's a parasite," Old man Hiyou smiled. "If the limit of blood inheritance is Ninjutsu plus escape, engraved in genes and passed on to future generations, then the parasite is Yang escape plus life. It is also engraved in genes and passed on to future generations, a creation for the generations to come."

"The only difference is that the Blood Successor Family carves into their own blood, step by step, and every step at the right time. Meanwhile, we carve into the bug, with ample room for trial and error," explained Hiyou. 

Maki, despite knowing that the old man wouldn't believe her, opened her mouth to speak. "Our parasites are the ultimate form of Yang escape, the miracle of life."

"In a way, parasites are perfect, but they're definitely not diverse enough. So, does our clan have the technology of Yang escape to transform parasites?" asked Maki.

"No," replied Old man Hiyou firmly. "It's not us who escape from the River; it's the parasites. The instinct to absorb chakra and convert it into vitality is engraved in the parasite's genes. We are just people who control the parasites, the brains that have coordinated the evolution of parasites for thousands of years. It is impossible to awaken the blood inheritance limit."

Maki, now curious, asked, "Who is the parasite?" She pondered if it was a parasitic capitalist lying on the fruits of the parasite's labor.

Nature, however, was wonderful, showcasing a typical symbiotic evolution. It was hard to say who parasitized whom. The bug wanted to eat while lying down, and the Aburame clan wanted to make money while lying down. The two found common ground.

Maki put on her clothes, returning to her normal appearance. She questioned, "So, how did grandpas get their special parasites?"

"Well, it suddenly became like this one day," Hiyou explained. "It is obviously related to the independent evolution of parasitic insects."

Zhihui, reminiscing about his childhood, shared, "I had a serious illness as a child. After recovering, I was covered with poisonous insects. However, only a few in the clan have experienced such exceptions."

The probability of natural selection determined the outcome. Either evolution happened gloriously or ended with the host's demise. The parasites seemed anxious, with more failing, turning into tiny bugs, possibly designed to combat viruses.

"Zhihui was almost poisoned by his own bug when he was a child, but luckily he was saved," Maki nodded, understanding the chaos bugs could cause.

Shiho, sharing his story, added, "I am the parasite of the predecessors in the successor clan. My parasite, which has been fighting with me all my life, is still in the process of evolution and has not reached the final stage."

"Inherit?" Maki was a little confused. "Does that mean there are still people who can't inherit?"

"That's right. Zhihui's poisonous bugs and my bugs are both difficult to inherit," explained Hiyou.

Maki, intrigued, asked, "Why?" even though she probably had a good guess.

"Building a nest is a crucial first step. This is how most people in the clan subtly become part of the parasite swarm. In other words, you can't drive out parasites without building a nest. You are an exception, Lady Mushihime," clarified Hiyou.

"We need to produce chakra for the parasites to eat. So, what will be the consequences if we don't produce chakra?" Maki inquired.

"If it weren't for the secret transmissions summarized by our clan throughout the ages and the physique of our clan, outsiders attempting to use parasites would be consumed. After building a nest, the parasitic bugs remember the breath of their owner. Even if they are of the same race, transplanting parasitic bugs from others has the same risk," Hiyou explained.

Zhihui's poisonous insects were particularly dangerous to the tribe. "The first step is to survive the parasites entering the body. However, Shiho's parasites are much less dangerous, and many people in the tribe have inherited them from past generations."

Hiyou, looking at Maki, added, "And you, Lady Mushihime, with your dominance over the parasitic insects, can easily inherit the secret treasures left by our clan over the generations."

Hiyou, overcome with amusement, laughed loudly. "Mushihime, you will become the most terrifying in the history of Aburame, no, in the history of the ninja world!"

Maki, under her mask, curled her lips, the villainous smile looking rather fishy.

"I'm joking," Maki said quietly. "Old man, Hiyou, what do you want from me?"

"I just want to see my children and grandchildren grow up safely and happily, and the family to flourish," Hiyou stated seriously. "Instead of becoming a useful tool in the hands of some people."

"Your uncle Shiho's abilities and talents are too mediocre, and he will only be an elite jonin his whole life. After us old guys die, facing a behemoth like Konoha, the clan will have no other option but to remain silent in order to survive."

This old man was not an ordinary, sensible person. Later, when Danzo approached Aburame to ask for someone, the then-Aburame clan leader couldn't say no, even if it was his own son. If it weren't for the nephew of the same clan who came to the rescue, he could only pretend that he never gave birth to this son.

"I promise you," Maki said solemnly.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha," Hiyou laughed heartily and boldly. "Starting tomorrow, we three old guys will teach you how to practice. But first, go get your little cuties. Our seniors have left us many powerful cuties, but they have always been suffering from a lack of use."

"I am looking forward to it," Maki smiled. Her tone warmed when talking about the little cuties.

She was genuinely looking forward to it.