Chapter 12: Aburame clan

"Kurohime, has your body finished forming a nest yet?"

Chewing on a jellybean, old man Zetsugan asked casually.

"No," Maki replied without hesitation, shaking her head. She had nothing to hide.

By "nesting," they meant the process of cultivating insect chambers inside one's body.

"Thought so," the three old men exchanged looks before focusing on her again. "Then how are you doing it?"

Too much trouble to explain, so Maki simply removed her shirt.

Layers of insects were packed tightly over her body, clinging not only to her skin but also underneath her oversized clothing. The sheer number of them was startling—but they weren't rioting.

"Tsk, tsk. Incredible," said old man Halven, eyes wide. "The swarm isn't out of control. But it's not like you've built a nest either…"

"Didn't your father leave behind any instructions?" Kaigan asked.

"He did," Maki replied. "But I didn't have the time to follow them."

Not nearly enough time, really. Nesting usually took two to three years at her age. The process involved letting the bugs tear into your body, then healing, then doing it all again until the parasites stabilized inside.

It was painful. It was slow.

"And honestly, it's too inefficient for me to bother with."

"Kids your age in the clan usually can't even walk on their own after starting the process," said Kaigan. "Let alone fight."

"If it were back in the Warring Clans Era," Zetsugan added, "nesting would begin in infancy. By five or six, children were already helping with recon or sabotage. But the price was a short life."

"Infants can't suppress the parasites," Kaigan continued, "so their bodies are left riddled with hidden damage. Some adults had half their hearts chewed away without even knowing. It's a miracle any of them made it past twenty."

"And after the bugs finally make their nest and bond to a host," said Zetsugan, "that's when the real training begins—learning to command them. That takes years, depending on the person. Two if you're gifted, six if you're not."

"So when we heard the rumors about you," said Kaigan, "we didn't believe it for a second."

"If it were a bloodline limit, it'd be even more impossible."

"Kurohime, do you know why?"

Maki shook her head. She didn't know much about the true history of the clan.

"If something like a bloodline limit existed in our family," Zetsugan said, "we'd have known about it by now."

She looked up at him, curious.

Zetsugan smiled. "The parasites are our bloodline limit."

"If bloodline abilities are about carving ninjutsu and chakra release into your genes," he said, "then parasites are about life energy—Yang chakra—and creating something just as deeply rooted. Something that grows."

"The difference is, clans like the Hyuuga carve power into their bodies, with no room for mistakes. But we? We carve our legacy into insects. We can try, fail, and try again."

"They say everyone in the Hyuga clan has awakened their eyes," Kaigan added with a smirk. "Well, every one of us has bugs. And when it comes to intelligence gathering… who really wins?"

Maki opened her mouth but said nothing.

Forget it, even the old man wouldn't believe it.

"Our parasites are the ultimate form of Yang release, the miracle of life."

In a way, parasites are perfect, but they're definitely not diverse enough.

"So, our clan has the technology of Yang release to transform parasites?" Maki asked.

If that were the case, it would save Maki a lot of trouble.

"No," Old Man Zetsugan replied firmly. "It's not us who use yang release, it's the parasites."

The instinct to absorb chakra and convert it into vitality is engraved in the parasites' genes.

"We are just people who control the parasites. We are the brains that have coordinated the evolution of the parasites for thousands of years. It is impossible to awaken the blood inheritance limit."

Who exactly are the parasites?

Maki opened her mouth. Isn't this just a parasitic capitalist living off the labor of the parasites?

However, nature is truly remarkable. This is a typical example of symbiotic evolution.

It's hard to say who parasitized whom.

The bad bug wanted to eat while lying down, and the Aburame clan wanted to make money while lying down. The two got along perfectly.

Maki put on her clothes and returned to her normal appearance.

"So, how did the grandpas get their special parasites?"

"Well, it suddenly happened one day," Zetsugan said. "However, it's clearly related to the independent evolution of parasitic insects."

"Kurozane had a serious illness when he was a child. After he recovered, he was covered with poisonous insects."

"But it's not like other clan members haven't also suffered from serious illnesses. A few have gone through similar situations as Kurozane in history, but they're rare exceptions."

It's a matter of probability and natural selection. The parasites either evolve gloriously or die with their host. The parasites are under pressure.

Apparently, most of them failed.

They turn into those tiny bugs, likely to kill viruses.

"Kurozane was almost poisoned by his own bugs when he was a child, but luckily he was saved."

Maki nodded. The bugs going wild was to be expected.

"As for Kaigan, he is the parasite of the predecessors in the successor clan."

"And my parasite, which has been fighting with me all my life, is clearly still in the process of evolution and hasn't reached the final stage."

"Inherit?" Maki asked, confused. "Does that mean some people can't inherit?"

"That's right. Kurozane's poisonous bugs and my bugs are both difficult to inherit."

"Why?" Maki asked, although she had a pretty good guess.

"Building a nest is a very important first step," Zetsugan explained. "This is how most people in the tribe gradually become part of the parasite swarm."

"In other words, without building a nest, you can't host parasites properly. You're an exception, Kurohime."

"And we must produce chakra to feed the parasites. So, what happens if we don't?"

"If not for the secret knowledge passed down through our clan and our unique physique, outsiders who tried to use parasites would be devoured."

"Once a nest is formed, the parasites remember their host's scent. Even among our own people, transplanting someone else's parasites carries great risk."

"Kaigan's poisonous insects are especially dangerous—even to our own. The first hurdle is surviving their entry into the body. On the other hand, kurozane's parasites are far gentler. Many in the clan have inherited them over generations."

"But you, Lady Chong, with your absolute command over the parasites, can easily inherit the secret treasures left behind by our ancestors."

At this, Zetsugan burst into laughter.

"Kurohime, you will become the most terrifying ninja in the history of the Aburame clan—no, in the entire ninja world!"

"Hahahahahahahaha!!"

Under her mask, Maki curled her lips slightly.

That laugh… it's so villainous. It almost sounds fishy.

"Then, should I aim for the position of Hokage?" she asked calmly.

"You want to be Hokage?" Old man Zhiyou raised a brow.

"Not at all," Maki replied.

"No matter what you choose to do, when you grow up, I won't be around to see it—and no one will be able to stop you," Zetsugan said. "So do whatever you want."

"Then let's unify the ninja world," Maki said dryly.

"Kurohime," Old Man Kaigan interrupted, "fear alone can't control people's hearts."

"I was joking," Maki said quietly. "Old man Zetsugan, what do you really want from me?"

"I just want to see our children and grandchildren grow up safely and happily. I want to see our clan thrive," Zetsugan said, his voice turning serious. "I don't want to see us become tools in someone else's hands—too afraid to even say no."

"Your uncle Shiro... he's too average. He'll never be more than an elite jōnin."

"Once us old men are gone, and we're left to deal with giants like Konoha, the clan will have no choice but silence. Just to survive."

This old man... he wasn't just wise—he was painfully aware of reality.

Years ago, when Danzo approached the Aburame to request someone, the clan head couldn't refuse.

Even if it meant giving up his own son.

If a nephew hadn't intervened... he would've had to pretend that son was never born.

"I promise you," Maki said seriously.

"Hahahaha!" Zetsugan laughed heartily, a bold joy in his voice.

"Starting tomorrow, we three old men will train you personally. But first, go collect your little cuties. Our ancestors left behind many powerful ones—but no one's had the strength to wield them."

"I'm looking forward to it," Maki smiled.

The moment she spoke of her 'little cuties,' her voice softened.

She really meant it.

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