The shinobi of Sunagakure had no idea that on the very day negotiations began, Orochimaru had already ordered the Konoha forces to begin their withdrawal.
The army retreated in three waves—no, four. Abura Tetsumaru, having successfully earned the "disdain" of nearly everyone due to his swarm's hygiene, was forced to operate independently and bring up the rear.
On the surface, he had brought over ten million insects from the village. To maintain the illusion of heavy losses, Tetsumaru decided to bring back exactly one million.
In reality, these large insects were obsolete scrap in his eyes, but he had carefully cultivated the image that these "Ninja Insects" were incredibly expensive, successfully swindling a massive amount of military funding from the village. Now, he was caught in his own web; he had to play the part to the end. One lie necessitated a thousand more to cover it. To avoid being audited or exposed, he had to haul those million bugs all the way ho.
A million was a staggering number. Combined with the hundred tons of various tals he had scavenged, Tetsumaru had to command his insect army to act as their own pack mules for the return trip.
Wherever the massive swarm passed, not a blade of grass remained. They left behind a trail of sli, droppings, and molted husks—a sight the Konoha ninjas had seen enough of over the last few days. Naturally, no one wanted to march anywhere near that buzzing, squelching nightmare.
"If I have to be last, then I'm last. I don't care," Tetsumaru muttered. He actually ant it; the delay gave him precious ti to dissect the Giant Ants. He needed to study the advantages of their physical structures and analyze how those traits were expressed at the genetic level.
Once Konoha got bogged down in a war with the Sky Ninja, or he got caught up in the inevitable clan and village politics, there would be no ti for research.
First and foremost, the Giant Ants were chakra-based organisms. They produced their own chakra, with reserves far exceeding those of a mutated Scythe-Mantis.
Inside the ant's body, over fifty internal diaphragms fixed their organs in place—a vital structural upgrade. The Scythe-Mantis relied on over a hundred Hook-Worms to hold its insides together; with these diaphragms, he could ditch the parasites, significantly reducing the unit's nutritional requirents.
The ants also possessed a rudintary vascular system with valves. They could maintain blood circulation without high blood pressure, effectively guaranteeing the ant's stamina and high-intensity mobility.
The respiratory spiracles and tracheal structures were incredibly complex, weaving into every corner of the body. Their intricacy and total length far exceeded the vascular system, and even outstripped the lymphatic vessels.
In terms of efficiency, this respiratory system outperford human lungs. However, the complexity made them highly susceptible to bacterial infection and airborne toxins. Tetsumaru wasn't sure yet if they could replace his "respiratory parasites."
The digestive system was even more impressive. The inner walls of the ant's abdon were incredibly tough and thick, housing a symbiotic bacteria that could digest wood with extre efficiency, converting long-chain polysaccharides into simple sugars.
This allowed the ants to eat literally any organic matter—even wood—and extract enough nutrients and energy to sustain a four-hundred-kilogram fra.
The only drawback was the digestion speed. It was too fast; they had to eat constantly and, consequently, excreted constantly. That was a trait he didn't dare copy directly.
Even a cursory dissection provided Tetsumaru with a mountain of inspiration for improving the Scythe-Mantis. He was itching to get to work.
Unfortunately, ti was a luxury. The armistice was signed on the first day of talks. Two days later, it was ti for Tetsumaru to move out.
He put his research on hold and led his disciples and the massive swarm back toward the Hidden Leaf.
Throughout the journey, his mind was occupied with blueprinting the "Scythe-Mantis 2.0." It wasn't until they reached the borders of the Land of Fire that he realized he'd left over twenty million insects behind in the Land of Rivers without instructions.
Tetsumaru hurriedly used remote commands to disperse the stragglers to various Broodmothers. By the ti he finished dealing with the backlog, a full day had passed, and he was reassigned to the periter of the Death Forest to guard a vital warehouse complex.
As the ten thousand ninjas from the western front returned to the Leaf, the influx of manpower ant that every strategic point was now bristling with defenders. The Sky Ninja could no longer find a single weak point in Konoha's armor. It was their turn to be "stunned".
Konoha simply had too many ninjas. For every Wind Style the Sky Ninja dropped, the Leaf returned twenty-fold in Wind, Fire, and Lightning.
Frustrated, the Sky Ninja were forced to fly at the extre limit of their range. At that altitude, the potency of their Ninjutsu plumted, and their accuracy dropped to less than ten percent. Warehouses that used to be destroyed in a single pass now remained standing even after the attackers were forced to return to base to refuel. It was a pointless exercise.
Soon, the northern front was recalled, followed by the main force from the east. Manpower was now at an all-ti peak. The mont a Sky Ninja appeared, a mob of Leaf ninjas would chase them from the ground, leaving the attackers with zero breathing room. Their efficiency hit rock bottom.
With the defense secured, Konoha sat in an impregnable position. Now, it was ti to counter-attack. Large squads were dispatched to find the Sky Ninja's ho base—after all, n can't stay in the sky forever; they had to land sowhere.
Consequently, Tetsumaru and his team fell into a state of total idleness. They couldn't leave their posts, and they couldn't practice intense cultivation while on duty. Boredom set in, and the team had to find their own fun.
Tetsumaru thought, Finally, ti to research the Scythe-Mantis. Let's go!
"Sensei, we're three missing one!"
"Huh?"
Make no mistake: this was Tetsumaru's fault. In his younger, more naive years—before he had fully "dosticated" his new body—an impulsive urge had led him to teach his classmates Mahjong.
At first, it was just kids playing, so the reach was limited. But now those kids had grown up, and the ga had spread like a plague through the shinobi ranks.
"I'm busy. Play without ."
"We're three missing one! We just need you!"
Day 1 back in Konoha: Pulling an all-nighter for Mahjong. Day 2: Treating the class to BBQ and playing Mahjong. Day 3: Reassigned to the warehouses on the other side of the Death Forest. Played Mahjong all night. Heard news that a Sky Ninja was finally captured sowhere else. Day 4: More Mahjong. Tetsumaru felt a deep sense of sha and vowed to pull himself together tomorrow. Day 5: Still Mahjong. Day 6: Drank too much. Slept through the day in a daze. Day 7: Mahjong. Damn, Mahjong is actually going to conquer the world at this rate. Day 8: Mahjong—no, wait. The Sky Ninja arrived.
The Sky Ninja had learned the hard way how dangerous the Leaf was, but they were in too deep to quit. They were attacking the village's heart; they couldn't just walk away without one last gambit.
They deployed their ultimate weapon: The Aerial Fortress.
This was pure chakra "black technology." A massive stone stronghold suspended in the sky, boasting incredible defense and devastating weaponry.
The fortress also possessed significant production facilities and vast stockpiles of supplies. With this base as a backbone, the Sky Ninja no longer feared Konoha's numbers.
So what if you have more people? We'll just rain fire from above. We have a fortress; we can grind you down until your village is ash.
When this "out-of-spec" monster appeared, the Konoha ninjas were flabbergasted. The altitude was too high to reach, and the fortress was so well-stocked that waiting for them to run out of chakra or ammo was a pipe dream.
The Leaf could only endure the bombardnt until their casualties beca unbearable or their structures were leveled.
The Aerial Fortress's next target was the warehouse group guarded by Tetsumaru—specifically, the nearby Konoha Barrier node.
Konoha's biggest weakness was its lack of flight capabilities. That was why the Sky Ninja had been able to bully them for so long. Tetsumaru was the exception; he had his hideous Attached Insect Limbs Bio-Armor, and his Thruster Bugs could get him to that altitude before they burned him alive.
But he didn't dare charge up there alone. The Sky Ninja were professional pilots; their aerial maneuvers were fluid and agile. His Bio-Armor was a lawn dart—it went fast in one direction, and the wings on his back were only good for gliding. His maneuverability was non-existent.
One man against hundreds of ninjas and a floating fortress? That was a suicide run.
However, this was the Hidden Leaf. Since the air raids began, the Hokage had issued an ergency decree for the Abura clan to hatch every flying insect they had. In twenty-two days, using accelerated growth techniques on Tetsumaru's private stash of eggs, they had produced 1.7 million flying ninja insects.
Combined with the million locusts Tetsumaru brought from Suna and his stockpile of 400 Explosive Flight-Locusts, the Hokage finally decided to teach the Sky Ninja a lesson.
This was why Tetsumaru had been moved five days ago. According to Nara Shikato's analysis, this was the most likely route for a heavy strike from the southeast.
Konoha had organized a special unit for this mission, led by Tetsumaru. It included eleven Abura Jonin who had mastered the swarm command techniques, plus Tetsumaru's three disciples. This was the entirety of Konoha's "Air Force."
To support them, several Ino-Shika-Cho teams were assigned. The Naras provided tactical support, the Yamanakas provided crowd control, and the Akimichis... well, they could turn into giants. The Hokage was clearly desperate; what good is being ten ters tall in an air battle?
Additionally, there were several Genjutsu specialists, a crowd of Fire Style users, and a Hyuga for reconnaissance. The total ambush force numbered over a hundred.
This also included seventeen Anbu who thought Tetsumaru didn't know they were there, and four Root agents who thought they were even more invisible.
It was this peanut gallery that had made Tetsumaru so cautious he'd stopped his research. He definitely hadn't turned to Mahjong just because he was "itchy" for a ga. Definitely not.
This hand... a "Pure One Suit." Waiting on the two, five, or eight of characters. I'm also holding the three and four. I'm set. Just waiting to draw the winning tile.
With this lineup and over two million bugs, Tetsumaru was confident. Even if they couldn't win, he could ensure a clean retreat.
Fighting on the edge of the Death Forest gave him another edge: his main Broodmother was hidden beneath the Central Giant Tree. With the infrastructure boost to his communication network, he could command three million insects with ease.
The ambush team was equally confident. They had run drills under Tetsumaru's command. The sight of millions of insects blotting out the sun was a man-made natural disaster. Wiping out a hundred Sky Ninja would be child's play.
They had waited six days. Finally, the Sky Ninja appeared. But as Nara Shikato stared at the gargantuan stone fortress floating in the clouds, his jaw dropped. The ti was right. The place was right. But the "prey" was very, very wrong.
What now? Do we engage or not?
Shikato had spent too long as a staff advisor to the Hokage. He had developed the habit of "many plans, but little decisiveness." Faced with a sudden variable, he froze.
But he didn't need to make the call. Though Shikato held the highest official rank in the unit, actual battlefield command didn't belong to him.
"Sensei, what's the word?" "Tetsumaru-kun, do we move?" "Tetsumaru-ge, should we hit them?"
The communication snails in Tetsumaru's hand erupted with a chorus of anxious questions. He didn't hesitate. "We hit them. It's a winnable fight. Why wouldn't we?"
Nara Shikato snapped out of it, sounding frantic. "Abura-san! The enemy is completely different from the plan. You cannot make a rash decision!"
Tetsumaru completely ignored the "Grand Strategist."
"Everyone, listen up. Except for the Giant Insect Squad, all units are to initiate full defense and counter-fire. I want you to be loud, I want you to be fierce. Draw the Sky Ninja out of the fortress."
"Giant Insect Squad, hold your position. Wait for my mark."
His three disciples responded instantly. "YES!"
The Abura Jonin hesitated for a heartbeat before responding in unison. "Understood."
Aside from the Ino-Shika-Cho teams, the Genjutsu and Fire Style specialists waited a mont before echoing back, "Received."
Nara Shikato: "..."
This was the downside of spending too much ti in the central command office. Without a solid combat record to back his na, the front-line ninjas would simply ignore him when the kunai started flying.
The ninja with the most experience and the biggest body count automatically seized the "conch." At this mont, rank and title ant nothing—reputation earned in blood was the only currency that mattered.
The Anbu looked at each other, exchanging quick glances before their leader replied, "Anbu understands."
The remaining Anbu said nothing, quickly preparing for combat.
The Root agents did nothing and said nothing. They apparently had no intention of exposing themselves.
These Root guys are brainwashed into stupidity, Tetsumaru thought. Forget the Domain Field—they're literally holding my snail-phones. Do they really think they're hidden just because they aren't talking?
Tetsumaru couldn't be bothered with them. A mature Root agent was like one of his bugs—just a tool. Like a kunai or a blade. Why get angry at a knife?
To be honest, he hadn't planned on taking the lead today. But the mont that massive structure appeared in his Domain Field Barrier, his eyes lit up with predatory glee.
Whether it was an anti-gravity array or so other form of forbidden tech, Abura Tetsumaru was going to have it.
This chakra-tech flight system was incredible. To lift a stone fortress of that mass... the power efficiency was off the charts. It was a ready-made propulsion system for a planetary or deep-space warship.
And the energy source? The movie lore ntioned an artificial Zero-Tails. If not that, it probably drained chakra from villagers. If Tetsumaru could get his hands on those two pieces of technology, he could build a lean, an, steel warship and power it with a few hundred thousand Ninja Insects.
He wouldn't just "take off" taphorically—he could finally reach the point where he never had to do anything he didn't want to do ever again.
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