Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 15 Aburame Shisei's Enticement Operation

"Sigh, I've worked so hard to save up for so long, and half of it is gone in one go. I hope the bugs I've cultivated this time will have some unexpected use."

First of all, that virus certainly can't directly affect the body, but based on the changes just now, this original virus should have a certain probability of being able to graft genes.

Although this thing was an accidental creation, it has great potential. If the genes of all the members of the Uchiha, Senju, Uzumaki, Kaguya, and Hyuga clans were grafted onto one body, it would be very likely to create a body belonging to the Otsutsuki clan.

However, the success rate of this product is too low, with a gene failure rate as high as 97.7%. And this is only for one set of genes. When six sets of genes are combined, the success rate increases exponentially to almost zero.

So this thing seems great, but it still needs further research and adjustments, so there's plenty of time to get busy in the future.

At the very least, we need to develop various microscopic instruments and figure out how this virus works. Such instruments simply don't exist with our current scientific level. We need to learn, create, and improve them ourselves, and if necessary, we also need to train a group of scientists.

Thinking about this, Aburame Shiki felt a headache coming on. "Never mind, I'll think about it later."

He defected because he wanted to lie low and not wait a few more years until the world's technological level improved before searching for scientists.

If you're going to try to train someone yourself using your own brain, then forget it.

As I pondered, the sky became misty again, and soon, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

The once dry road became muddy, and the convoy began to slow down.

Having entered the border of Taki no Kuni, they had traveled less than a hundred miles and had not yet encountered a village.

A section of the road ahead was suddenly washed away by the rain, and piles of mud and rocks that had slid down the hillside were piled up. It would take at least half a day to clear and pass through.

"Let's rest here," Aburame Shisei said to Ida Ryuji as he jumped down from the front of the vehicle. "It looks like we're not going to make it through today, so we might as well set up camp now."

Ryuji Ida nodded quickly: "Lord Takikawa is right. Keita, have everyone stop and prepare to start a fire and cook."

The convoy stopped in a relatively dry open space by the roadside. Three ronin readily helped unload some of the cargo and cut some branches around the open space to start a fire.

Their attitude was much friendlier than before, and they even offered to help the servants set up simple tents.

Aburame Shisei leaned against a tree, observing quietly. He noticed that the slightly overweight ronin would occasionally glance at him out of the corner of his eye while working, his gaze carrying something unsettling.

By midday, the servants had already lit three bonfires, set up iron pots, and were cooking simple mixed grain porridge.

Ryuji Ida took out some dry rations from the carriage and distributed them to everyone: hard flatbread and pickled vegetables.

You Nu Zhicheng took a pancake, broke off a small piece, put it in his mouth and chewed, then frowned.

"Lord Ryukawa, is this not to your liking?" Ryukichi Ida asked somewhat anxiously upon seeing this. "I'm so sorry, but we merchants can only afford such simple food on the road..."

"It's not Mr. Ida's fault." Aburame Shige waved his hand, revealing a gentle smile. "It's just that these dry rations really don't taste very good. How about this, I'll go to the nearby woods and see if I can hunt some game."

He stood up and dusted off his clothes.

Ryuji Ida quickly tried to dissuade him: "How can this be! You are a ninja lord, how can we let you go hunting for us..."

"It's alright, I'm just killing time anyway," Aburame Shisei laughed. "I'll be right back, you guys get ready."

His gaze inadvertently swept over the three ronin. Then, he turned and walked into the woods beside the road, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Beside the campfire, on a tree branch, several clumps of black grass clung, attracting tree sap. Three ronin sat around a fire a little further away.

"Brother," the slightly overweight ronin said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the direction where Aburame Shisei had disappeared, "this is a golden opportunity, a chance that won't come again."

The ronin leader silently ate his pancake, his eyes unfathomable.

"That kid went into the woods alone, it's the perfect opportunity to strike," the slightly overweight ronin continued. "Look at him, so delicate and tender-looking, he's obviously never been in a life-or-death situation. If the three of us go at him together, we can definitely catch him off guard and succeed."

Another tall, thin ronin licked his lips: "Ninjas always have some good stuff... ninja tools, scrolls, and maybe even training methods for ninjutsu. If we can really get our hands on some, maybe we brothers can become ninjas too."

Become a ninja?

These words echoed in the ronin leader's ears like a curse.

His name is Kurosaki Ichiro, thirty-three years old, and he used to be a bodyguard samurai in a minor noble family. Seven years ago, his family was destroyed in a political struggle, and he fled with two colleagues, becoming a ronin ever since.

Over the years, they've worked as bodyguards, thugs, and even occasionally bandits. Each time, they risked their lives, yet they always struggled to make ends meet.

He had seen real ninjas, those high and mighty beings who could take dozens of lives with a single ninjutsu and earn more in a single mission than they could in several years.

On what grounds?

Kurosaki Ichiro had honed his swordsmanship for twenty years and even refined his chakra; all he lacked were a few ninjutsu techniques! If he could obtain them from this Takigakure kid…

"Big brother, don't hesitate."

The slightly overweight ronin, named Nakamura, was the strategist among the three. He continued to incite them: "Since that kid is a ninja from Takigakure, even if he doesn't have any hidden ninjutsu, if we kill him and use the headband to exchange for the bounty, we'll still make a good amount of money. Besides, that merchant Ida has some valuables on him; if we take them all, we can live a carefree life for quite a while."

Kurosaki Ichiro's breathing became heavy as he recalled the years of wandering and the contemptuous looks the ninjas had given them.

He looked at his hands, which were covered in calluses and scars, and the dry food in his mouth became difficult to swallow.

"Damn it." Kurosaki Ichiro spat out the dry rations in his mouth. "We've always lived with our heads on our hips, so one more time won't make a difference."

Nakamura smiled and said, "Big brother is wise."

"But be careful."

Kurosaki Ichiro said, "That kid dared to go into the forest alone, he might have something to rely on. The three of us will act together. Nakamura, you will use your shurikens to ambush from the side, Kenta, you will flank from behind, and I will hold him off from the front. We need to be quick and not give him a chance to use ninjutsu."

"clear!"

Kenta nodded emphatically, a hint of greed creeping into his eyes. He had noticed before that Aburame Shisei had three scroll-like objects on him. Those objects could be ninjutsu, or they could be space scrolls.