Miki was led away by the three, in the direction of the clan's compound.
Along the way, the three walked ahead in silence, with Miki following closely behind.
No, the Mushi-Hime was still a bit dazed, her mind hadn't caught up, and she didn't feel much like talking. This silent scene, however, was typical of the Aburame Clan.
Still, the old man's dark, almost purple, Sengoku samurai armor was truly cool.
Though it looked like it wasn't easy to move around in.
Noticing the Mushi-Hime's frequent glances, the old man Shiyū spoke, "Mushi-Hime."
"Yes," the Mushi-Hime responded.
"Do you like it?"
"Hm? A little bit."
"Don't worry, it'll be yours when I die. Not many years left."
"..." What should I say now?
"Then you do your best," the Mushi-Hime replied indifferently.
"Hahahahaha! Truly my granddaughter!" The old man was delighted to see the Mushi-Hime talk back and said, "So much vitality! The little ones in the family are all too docile, without the backbone of the Sengoku era!"
"Big brother, times are different. These little ones don't have to go to the battlefield at five or six years old, so it's understandable if their personalities are a bit softer."
During the First Great Shinobi War, with the Second Hokage and the old Sengoku veterans around, Konoha hadn't been desperate enough to send Ninja Academy children to the battlefield.
"Hmph! I know!" Shiyū said unhappily, seemingly glaring at his younger brother, then turned to the Mushi-Hime and said, "This armor is made from the shell of a Parasitic Giant Insects. It's sturdy and has excellent Chakra conductivity, capable of withstanding many types of Ninjutsu attacks."
Parasitic Giant Insectss are super-sized Insects. His father's notes were full of envious drool over these things.
Their ability is gigantification.
It's a Yang Release technique, similar to the Akimichi Clan's Multiplication Technique.
However, once they get big, they can't shrink back down.
Their lethality is quite sinister: they burrow into the human body, absorb the opponent's Chakra, and then burst out after growing to a massive size.
For many Shinobi, this is already an extremely terrifying and fatal killing move.
"Why don't I have this kind of insect?" The implication was that she wanted them.
"Fourth Brother," the old man Shiyū said, and one of the old men behind him took out a handful of insect eggs, handed them to the Mushi-Hime, and said with a smile, "I am your Grandpa Old Man Zhibao."
"Thank you, Grandpa," the Mushi-Hime sweetly accepted them, then looked at the other old man.
The old man coughed and said, "My kind of insect is a bit dangerous; you'll have to ask your Great Grandpa."
"Give them to her!" The old man Shiyū waved his hand.
"I am your Grandpa Old Man Zhihui," the old man said, pulling out a purple crystal and giving it to the Mushi-Hime.
"Your Grandpa Old Man Zhibao's insects are big, and my insects are small," Old Man Zhihui said with a hint of pride. "They're called poisonous insects, but they're actually non-toxic. Because they're so small, they can only attack cells, which creates a 'poisonous' effect of cell destruction. Like the Parasitic Giant Insects, it's an application of Yang Release: the Super-Shrinking Technique."
"It's quite terrifying, these nanobots. Their name is Parasitic Minute Bugs."
Nodding, the Mushi-Hime tucked the Parasitic Minute Bugs's sealed crystal into her pocket.
Worth it! This name change is great!
The Mushi-Hime looked at her grandfather.
"Hmph, my Insects are just ordinary Insects, not these flashy mutated things of theirs."
"However, Insects themselves can evolve infinitely. As the number of battles increases and generations of Insects are replaced, Insects alone can evolve to their most perfect state, countering all kinds of Earth Release."
"Because I fought a lot with the Uchiha when I was young, my Insects can even interfere with and release Genjutsu. Also, their heat insulation is excellent. As an Aburame, you should know about the secret technique, Insect Sphere."
That's the clustered attack method.
The Mushi-Hime nodded.
"Hmph, igniting a person in the center of my Insect Sphere is as easy as drinking water."
The little old man put his hands on his hips.
Is this the Aburame Clan's Kage-level strength?
Loved it, loved it.
Too bad two cheaters appeared during the Sengoku period.
Kage-level was still too ordinary.
"Grandpa is truly amazing," the Mushi-Hime applauded, then immediately changed the subject: "Hand it over."
"Hahahahaha, your personality is quite like mine, not like your cowardly father's." With that, the old man gave Miki a handful of insect eggs.
For the sake of the gift, Miki didn't bother to expose the fact that he was completely cowardly when facing Madara and Hashirama.
Miki looked at the insect eggs in her hand. They were normal-sized insect eggs, but unlike the usual milky white, they were a beautiful ruby red, sparkling translucent in the sunlight.
Very dazzling.
They just looked too fragmented, like they weren't worth much.
Miki casually stuffed them into her pocket.
"I've given you the things; whether you can tame them is up to you," the old man Shiyū said solemnly. "If you mess up, you could die."
"Hm?" Miki was confused. Could this thing kill people?
"What do you think the Aburame Clan's Insects are?" the old man Shiyū asked.
"Weapons?" Miki wasn't very sure, then added, "Convenient tools? They clean quite well."
"Truly my granddaughter," the old man Shiyū nodded approvingly and said, "That's right, Insects are important tools for our clan. Recently, because of that boring Will of Fire, the children in the clan actually treat insects as boring companions."
"Remember, Mushi-Hime, Insects are tools. For our clan, it's a relationship of dominator and dominated, never companions. Insects, these thoughtless beast-monsters, will turn on you once you are at a disadvantage."
"And our companions have always only been our own clan members!"
The old man's tone was exceptionally serious and stern.
"Big brother, that's already in the past. Don't look at things with the eyes of the Sengoku period anymore. Now, everyone in Konoha is a companion," the old man Old Man Zhibao said quietly. "Times are different, you know. If we leave Konoha, there's no place for us anymore."
"Little Mushi-Hime, Grandpa Old Man Zhibao knows you have a cold personality and your own opinions, but while you're in Konoha, even if you have to pretend, you must pretend to like it here. When you see certain things, you must pretend not to see them."
Miki glanced at the old man Old Man Zhibao and said, "I understand, Grandpa."
"Hmph, Konoha is not to be trusted. Uchiha Madara's fate is a lesson!" The old man Shiyū snorted unhappily. "And what do you know! That dead monkey, the Third Hokage, is already eyeing you. He didn't learn any Ninjutsu from his sensei, but he's got all of the Second Hokage's ruthlessness and dark heart. You need to be careful of that kid."
Miki remained silent.
"These Shinobi, instead of focusing on training and practice, are obsessed with power struggles. It's utterly laughable!"
"Mushi-Hime, if you can reach the heights of Madara and Hashirama in the future, you'll be able to live freely and do as you please, sweeping aside all opposition with your strength."
"Can Insects achieve that level?"
Miki asked. Where did this old man get his confidence?
"I can't! You can!"
"Huh?"
"That kid, the Third Hokage, he's just looking at your abilities as if it's some spectacle. Bloodline Limit, truly short-sighted."
"Grandpa, do you know what my ability is?"
"No idea!" The old man Shiyū said bluntly.
"..."
Scared me, almost thought my cheat was locally produced.
"However, I know your dominant control over Insects and your ability to modify them."
The old man Old Man Zhibao reached out and said, "Give me some of that five-spice, milk-flavored stuff to taste."
Indeed, amateurs watch the show, while experts see the way.
God of Shinobi?
Heh heh.
Miki extended her hand, and a group of large-bottomed insects crawled onto her palm, then committed suicide on the spot, their bodies separating from their abdomens, leaving behind candy-like pellets. Under Miki's command, their incomplete bodies resiliently crawled away, returning from her palm to the embrace of Mother Earth.
"What beautiful Insects."
The three old men said in unison.
It was precisely because they knew how difficult seemingly simple things were that they uttered such exclamations.
The three old men picked up the candy pellets and munched on them, crunch, crunch.
"Mmm, quite fragrant."
"Indeed!"
"Fragrant!"
"Old Man Zhibao, it's more fragrant than your roasted Parasitic Giant Insects."
"Parasitic Giant Insects thigh meat is still very tender."
They truly are from the same clan, sharing a common perversion.
Under her mask, Miki's lips curved upwards, and a sense of satisfaction rose within her. She popped a candy pellet into her mouth, a crunch echoing.
Hmph~ Good thing you guys know good stuff.
"I have to try roasted Parasitic Giant Insects."
Miki mumbled.
In life, only the mouth must not be let down.