"Swarm—strike!"
The Aburame ANBU sent their insects hurtling toward Uchiha Munetsuki. The sheer number of bugs created a roaring windstorm, a black tornado of writhing bodies that tore through the forest, crushing everything in its path.
"Foolish." Munetsuki stepped back, keeping his distance, hands moving swiftly through hand seals.
Serpent—Sheep—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!
He inhaled sharply, gathering chakra in his throat.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball, three meters in diameter, surged forward, scorching the air with blistering heat. The insect swarm collided with the fireball and exploded instantly.
A sizzling, burnt odor filled the air. The black swarm vanished in flames, leaving only smoke.
"Deploying a swarm en masse to block the Sharingan's sight… not a bad tactic," Munetsuki muttered, scanning for the enemy amidst the smoke. "But never forget—fire release is the Uchiha clan's specialty."
Aburame insects could severely disrupt and hinder the Sharingan, but the clan's reliance on their insects meant they suffered massive losses against high-level fire techniques. Once their insects were gone, their user was almost defenseless.
"Don't get cocky, little Uchiha," the Aburame ANBU hissed. "You think a fireball like that can burn away my swarm?"
Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon!
Hundreds of pre-placed chakra cocoons shattered at the call of their master. Crackling shells burst open, and from the forest, thick black clouds of insects rose like storm clouds, blotting out the sunlight. Waves of buzzing, crawling life surged toward Munetsuki.
This many…
His eyes widened. The sheer scale of the swarm triggered a flash of insight. Only a genius of the Aburame clan could control this many insects… Ryoma.
"Ah, the Uchiha knows me?" Ryoma's voice carried a hint of surprise but little hesitation.
Munetsuki's brow glistened with sweat. The situation was slipping beyond his control. Aburame prodigy, second only to the clan head in insect mastery, one of the most skilled infiltrators the ANBU has ever seen, trusted by Danzo himself.
"Uchiha boy, surrender, and I may spare you. Resist, and by Danzo's orders, I am authorized to execute you on the spot."
"Damn Root, how dare you!" Munetsuki gritted his teeth, anger burning in his eyes. "Do you even realize I'm assigned to the ANBU by the Hokage himself? If I die here, what excuse will Danzo give?"
"You tried using genjutsu on Konoha's Jonin and conspired with the Uchiha for rebellion," Ryoma said coldly, a sardonic smile in his gaze. "How does that sound as a justification?"
"That's slander!" Munetsuki said, incredulous. "The Hokage will never believe you!"
"You're mistaken, little Uchiha," Ryoma sneered. "Even if it sounds absurd, he will believe it. Blame your bloodline; it's inherently cursed."
Swarm—Cluster!
The insects roared down like a black tide from the sky. Outnumbered and facing a swarm far larger than before, Munetsuki had no choice but to focus all his chakra in his throat.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A colossal wave of flame erupted, searing everything in its path. Though a mid-level technique, the sheer amount of chakra behind it turned it into a roaring inferno, vaporizing the air and incinerating both vegetation and insects instantly.
Without pausing to see the result, Munetsuki bolted toward the forest edge.
I must report this to the Hokage.
He surged forward, breaking the soil beneath his feet.
"Trying to escape?" Ryoma suddenly appeared, summoning a mass of insects that wrapped around his arms and struck like iron clubs.
Munetsuki barely blocked the impact. The force jolted his arms painfully, hurling him backward, carving a trail in the earth. Blood sprayed from his mouth. Damn it—my focus was on the swarm, I didn't see him coming.
Ryoma twisted in midair, kicking off a tree trunk and lunging again. Munetsuki rolled backward, throwing shuriken while adjusting his stance.
Buzz!
Shuriken arced skillfully from all directions.
Secret Technique: Insect Wall!
But Ryoma didn't flinch. He formed a wall of insects around himself, absorbing every projectile.
"Die, little Uchiha!"
Just as Ryoma surged forward, Munetsuki smiled. He yanked his right hand back, clenching his teeth.
Whiiir—
Ryoma halted abruptly, as if pulled by invisible strings. Fine, nearly invisible threads wrapped around his body, impossibly strong even for his insects to sever.
Uchiha shuriken control… Ryoma realized too late.
"Exactly." Munetsuki manipulated the threads, forming hand seals. "Fire and Sharingan are not the only tools of the Uchiha. Today, you die, Ryoma."
Serpent—Dragon—Rabbit—Tiger!
Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!
A concentrated, blazing line of heat shot forth like a roaring dragon, instantly engulfing Ryoma and his insect wall. The flames cut through the swarm and immolated him completely.
"Ahhh!" Ryoma screamed as he fell, consumed by fire.
"I win." Munetsuki panted, eyes locked on the flames.
"Is that so?"
A sudden voice from behind made his skin crawl.
"You're celebrating too soon, little Uchiha—Secret Technique: Insect Quagmire!"
The ground beneath him turned into a viscous, sucking mire. Insects swarmed his body, draining chakra, rendering him powerless. Only his head remained above the muck.
"Lesson one for a Jonin: never drop your guard," Ryoma said, stepping forward with a mocking smile. "Until your opponent is truly defeated, anything can happen. But now, it's too late."
Raising his hands, Ryoma summoned insects toward Munetsuki's eyes.
Yet Munetsuki laughed, calm as ever.
"Ah, nothing," he said softly, a faint, confident smile on his lips. "Thank you for the show, Ryoma."
A strange dizziness overcame Ryoma. The forest around him shifted. Flames vanished. The scorched earth healed. The battlefield, the swarm, everything—it was as if none of it had ever happened.
An illusion…?
Cold dread surged through Ryoma as he realized he'd been tricked without noticing.
Munetsuki stepped from the shadows, calm and composed, glasses perched on his nose, a serene smile on his face.
"And when did you start thinking that I wasn't using illusions, Ryoma?"