The Calm Before the Storm 12

Kaji stood his ground, his body battered and bruised, the weight of exhaustion hanging heavy on him. His chakra was nearly depleted, and his body screamed in pain with every movement, but he had no choice. The Iwa pursuers were closing in, and he couldn't let them catch Tetsuma and Shikuro. His team needed more time.

Summoning the last of his strength, Kaji slammed his palm into the earth. Two insect clones emerged from the ground, identical to him in appearance, moving quickly to disorient the pursuers. The clones ran in different directions, zigzagging through the trees to confuse the Iwa shinobi, each one mimicking his movements as perfectly as possible.

As the pursuers hesitated, Kaji used the opening to form a series of quick hand seals, gathering what little chakra he had left. In a burst, a swarm of smaller insects appeared, shooting out from the ground in every direction. Giant beetles swarmed towards the Iwa shinobi, stinging them with venomous precision. The enemy shinobi tried to swat them away, but the insects were relentless, their bites causing irritation and slowing their movements.

Kaji gritted his teeth and moved with what little energy he had left. He threw kunai at the Iwa shinobi, trying to take down as many as possible before they could recover from the distraction. But with each passing moment, his vision blurred, and his strength faded.

He quickly activated his next technique, summoning a mass of sticky webs from the ground. The webs spread out rapidly, entangling the Iwa shinobi and forcing them to fight against the sticky trap. Some of them were completely caught, their limbs immobilized by the thick strands. It bought him a little more time, but he could feel the weight of his exhaustion dragging him down.

Kaji staggered back, struggling to keep himself upright as his clones continued to run and confuse the enemy. He could hear the Iwa shinobi regrouping, and he knew he had to act fast. His body was giving out, but he forced himself to keep moving. The last of his chakra went into summoning his final insect jutsu—massive beetles that rushed at the remaining pursuers, their huge mandibles ready to tear through anything in their path.

But even as the beetles tore through the Iwa shinobi's lines, Kaji could feel his strength fading fast. His vision blurred, and he could feel his body beginning to collapse. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up.

Kaji's body was nearly spent. His chakra was all but drained, and every movement felt like it took a little more of his life force with it. But there was still one last option.

With great effort, he placed his hand on the earth and focused, tapping into the very core of his being. Deep within him, hidden in the folds of his chakra network, were the Kochu insects — tiny, but incredibly lethal insects that he had bred within his body, a technique that was unique to him as an Aburame. They were always there, waiting to be summoned.

Kaji focused, pulling them from deep within, feeling the tiny creatures stir. They were like his very blood, an extension of himself, living within him from birth, and now, they were ready for their final task.

"Come forth," Kaji whispered, his voice hoarse, as he released his control over them.

The ground beneath him trembled as hundreds of tiny Kochu insects swarmed out of his body in a cloud of movement. The insects were smaller than the usual Aburame swarm, but their venom was far more potent. They were lethal in ways that could break down even the toughest defenses, corroding the flesh of anyone unlucky enough to come into contact with them.

The tiny creatures spread out, swarming in the direction of the Iwa pursuers. Their bodies formed an undulating mass of quick-moving life that darted toward the shinobi with an almost predatory precision. As they scurried forward, they latched onto the Iwa shinobi, quickly crawling up their legs, arms, and bodies.

The first scream came from one of the Iwa shinobi as the insects burrowed beneath his skin, their venom causing his blood vessels to constrict in agony. His body twitched violently, but before he could react, the Kochu had already infested his insides, and his screams were silenced as his body collapsed.

The Iwa shinobi scrambled to get the bugs off, but it was futile. The Kochu were relentless, biting, burrowing, and infecting with their venom. The pain was unbearable, and as the others tried to swat the insects off, more and more swarmed onto them, embedding themselves in their clothing, skin, and armor.

Kaji, barely standing, gave a weak smirk, watching as his bugs did the job. His clones, though still keeping the Iwa shinobi distracted, were now moving with more purpose, scattering and weaving through the trees. The insects were doing their work, creating chaos and sowing confusion among the Iwa pursuers.

But the drain on his body was too much. He staggered backward, his legs weak, and his vision spinning. The sheer volume of chakra needed to control his Kochu insects was overwhelming. He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up.

But he had done what he could. He had given Tetsuma and Shikuro the best chance to escape. With a final burst of energy, Kaji sent his last command to the insects, forcing them to swarm the remaining Iwa pursuers in one final push, as he fell to his knees, completely drained.