The diet of the Luminescent Insects was remarkably simple: they required only a few shards of fluorite—stones containing trace amounts of radioactive material.
However, the light they emitted was not radioactive; it was a unique form of biological energy that bathed the basent in a glow as bright as day.
Shisui looked around his new laboratory. No longer did he have to grope around in the dark, making the place feel like so sinister, forgotten dungeon.
He also realized that this consistent light source allowed him to cultivate certain plants, which helped release oxygen and eased the burden on his Floating Insects.
With the first level of the hive laboratory fundantally established, Shisui finally allowed himself a mont of rest. However, on his tenth day as a Chunin, his leisurely life ca to an abrupt end.
Morita, the Chunin from the administrative office, arrived at his door once more. "Chunin Takigawa, here is your new appointnt. The village requires you to lead a squad."
"Oh? Ti flies," Shisui said, sitting in his courtyard washing vegetables. "It feels like I've only been resting for a couple of days."
Since Chiho had broken up with him, she hadn't visited once. Consequently, Shisui had been preparing all his own als.
Morita watched him as he sat there in his apron, steam rising from a pot in the kitchen, and teased, "Takigawa-kun, you're not getting any younger. It's about ti you found a mistress for this house."
Shisui smiled. "Unfortunately, Chiho and I parted ways days ago. It's a pity, really; the atmosphere was quite nice at the ti."
"Oh? What kind of atmosphere?" Morita asked, his interest piqued.
Shisui waved him off with a laugh, letting the subject drop. "That's all in the past. Morita-san, did you co here today to assign a mission?"
Seeing him turn to business, Morita straightened his posture. "Not exactly. Primarily, I'm here to let you choose your future teammates." He handed over a folder containing three sets of files.
The first two were ninja nad Atuo and Ryohei. Much like Shisui's persona, they were the sole survivors of their previous squads.
The last was a new graduate nad Junishiha, a fifteen-year-old boy. He was dark-skinned and ordinary-looking, but noted for his steady temperant.
His father had died young, and he had been raised by his mother, helping with farm work from a young age.
Shisui took one look and shook his head. Their combat potential was abysmally low. Only Junishiha showed a glimr of talent, mostly because he was a blank slate who hadn't been taught bad habits yet—but even that was a stretch.
Shisui's goal was to stay under the radar and slack off. If he had a squad like this, he wouldn't be able to "fish in troubled waters." If he consistently returned unhard while his teammates died, it would eventually raise red flags.
It was better to choose teammates who wouldn't require constant saving—or those he was already familiar with.
"Are there no other options?" Shisui asked.
"Takigawa-kun, you're making this difficult for ," Morita sighed, looking conflicted.
Shisui imdiately reached into his pouch, pulled out a stack of bills, and quietly pressed them into Morita's hand.
"It's not a matter of money..."
Shisui then added a small nugget of gold. He had been converting his currency into gold for years; he knew that in tis of war, paper money devalues while gold only rises. As expected, the gold loosened Morita's tongue.
"Well, seeing as we have a good relationship, I'll help you out this once. But just this once."
"Of course. My lips are sealed," Shisui promised instantly.
Morita pulled out two more files. To Shisui's surprise, he recognized the nas. One was Natsuhi's team.
They had returned from their mission a few days ago, but one mber had been forced into retirent due to a permanent injury, leaving a vacancy.
However, joining that team would an Shisui wouldn't be the leader, as Aoki was still very much alive.
"Natsuhi? She's back already?"
"I saw that girl at your door before," Morita winked. "What do you think? Want to join her squad?"
Shisui shook his head. "No. Natsuhi and her captain, Aoki, are a couple. I have no interest in being the third wheel."
"Heh, so what? Takigawa-kun, you don't understand—the things you have to fight for are the most rewarding."
Shisui smiled but felt a wave of internal exhaustion. He flipped to the next page. It was Naoto's team.
Calculating the ti, they should have returned days ago, but perhaps they had been delayed or picked up another task on the way back.
"Is this team back yet?"
Morita shook his head. "Not yet, but we received word they'll be back in a few days. I can guarantee all three are healthy and intact."
It sounded like a classic "death flag."
"I'll take this team," Shisui decided. "The captain and I are good friends, and I'm familiar with the mbers."
"True, Naoto has grown quite a bit. It's a sha he hasn't quite t the rit requirents for Chunin yet, or I'd be giving him an application form too."
Shisui frowned. "Is the village that short on Chunin?"
"Sigh," Morita exhaled. "The war outside is intensifying. The Stone and Leaf are practically in a total war across the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass.
Even though we in the Land of Waterfall remain neutral, our borders have been harassed frequently. It looks like the Land of Earth is testing our defenses."
He lowered his voice. "The higher-ups seem determined to hunker down and save ourselves. Ninja are being told to reduce outside travel and avoid high-risk missions.
I suspect the village will initiate a complete lockdown soon. Life is going to get difficult."
Difficult? Shisui thought. Only for those who relied on the outside world for excitent or vices. For a village that was self-sufficient, it ant safety.
After Morita left, Shisui retreated to his room to think. Peace was indeed a fleeting thing.
To maintain his "lay-flat" lifestyle, he needed better intelligence to stay ahead of the village's shifts or the war's approach.
He couldn't afford to be stingy with his Primordial Energy anymore. He needed to accelerate his research into specialized "Surveillance Insects"—creatures designed specifically for deep-cover infiltration and information gathering.
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