"Hahahahaha!"
Old man Kaigan burst into a loud, wicked laugh, clearly enjoying someone else's misfortune.
Finally, he said with a smirk, "Kurohime, you're on your own now. This old man won't be sticking around."
He limped away on his cane, chuckling to himself.
Maki watched him go.
When a ninja ages, their body begins to decline rapidly. Years of burning through chakra in youth often shortens their lifespan. Making it to fifty or sixty was already considered impressive.
Back in the Warring States Period, most didn't even live to thirty. Going to war at five or six years old was normal.
In the Aburame clan, the toll was even worse. The secret insect techniques severely damaged internal organs—especially when hosts began carrying nests as infants.
Despite Kaigan's efforts to act strong, Maki had noticed since yesterday: his strength was spent.
He had admitted as much himself—just a few years left to live. His early bond with the insects had likely ruined something vital inside him.
That was also why most Aburame weren't skilled in taijutsu. Their physical strength was often below average, worn down from the inside.
Maki looked at Kaigan's retreating back, then turned to face Zetsugan once more.
She hated the eager, expectant looks of her elders. Hated how they silently demanded she live up to something.
But she couldn't ignore them.
So, she trained. Not just for them—but for herself, too.
Even if it looked like she was doing it for Kaigan… her resolve was her own.
"Understand?" Zetsugan asked, watching her closely.
"Your arms are longer than mine," Maki grumbled.
In this short, compact body of hers, she was at a disadvantage in nearly every way.
"Anything else?"
"Your wrist strength is better too."
"Then what are your strengths?" Zetsugan pressed.
"Dexterity?" she offered.
"Barely counts," he replied. "What else?"
"Maybe I should use a weapon. A sword or something. You wouldn't mind, right Grandpa Zetsugan?"
"A weapon, huh?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Swordsmanship is just another form of taijutsu."
"Good idea."
While they talked, the microscopic battle between their parasites came to an end.
Zetsugan's insects had eliminated the venomous invaders Maki had sent into his body.
On the surface, the purple hue on Maki's hands twitched briefly—then settled.
But Zetsugan hadn't escaped unscathed. Maki's insects had attacked as well.
He glanced down at his hands.
"As long as there's physical contact, you'll get attacked. A normal ninja would've been dead by now."
"But he wasn't a normal ninja."
"Exactly. You won't always be able to touch your enemy."
Zetsugan folded his arms, speaking from experience.
"Your taijutsu needs to focus on how to land that touch. If you can plant your parasites, you've already won."
It was a simple principle. Brutal, but effective.
"You can coat parasites on metal—but it's not easy."
"But with your control, Kurohime, it might be possible."
"Your wrist strength is still too weak. That's the Aburame bloodline's flaw. And as a girl, yours is even lower."
"You should avoid direct confrontation. That's your taijutsu—don't clash head-on."
"Using weapons can help."
"But swords are heavy. A burden on your frame."
"Aren't there lighter swords?" Maki asked, eyes narrowing with interest.
Simplicity is good.
Simplicity means being easy to understand, easy to learn.
After thinking for a moment, Old Man Zetsugan turned to look at Old Man Kurozane.
"Brother… I don't know how to use a sword"
Old Man Kurozane replied, "There are lighter swords."
With that, he summoned a swarm of carrier bugs to send a message.
"When I was young, I collected all sorts of things. If you want anything else, just ask Grandpa."
"Thank you, Grandpa," Maki said with a sweet smile.
"Kurohime," Zetsugan called, drawing her attention again. "Because parasitic insects are microscopic and their wings are degraded, they can't fly quickly. They rely on close contact to infect a host."
"So, do you know how to extend their attack range?"
Maki paused, then answered, "Wind."
It was common knowledge: viruses spread through the air.
If the insects couldn't move fast on their own—use the wind to carry them.
"Correct," Zetsugan nodded. "That's where Nintai comes in—taijutsu that incorporates elemental chakra. Stronger than regular ninjutsu."
"Since you lack wrist strength, speed is your path forward. That's why this style was developed."
"But to learn Wind Nintai, you must first master wind chakra nature transformation."
He looked at her. "So tell me, what is wind?"
"What does wind look like?" Maki muttered, thinking. "It's a change in temperature."
"Huh?" Zetsugan blinked, glancing at Kurozane.
Brother… I don't get what she just said.
"Temperature?" Kurozane raised a brow. "Why do you say that?"
"Wind is caused by solar radiation. The sun heats the earth's surface, warm air rises, cold air moves in to fill the space. That movement? That's wind."
"Kurohime, what you're describing is a natural phenomenon," Kurozane explained. "But with chakra, we can simulate the idea of wind. Whatever you imagine, you can shape it."
Old Man Zetsugan raised his hand. Without a single seal, a gust of wind blew upward, carrying a swirl of purple mist.
"Wind is a rare chakra nature. In the chakra paper test, if the paper splits in half—it's wind nature."
"Most people think wind means cutting or slicing, but that's only one part of it. Wind's form also includes speed—and speed is power."
He inhaled sharply. A cloud of dense, violet mist blasted from his mouth in a sudden gust.
"This is Muji Ninjutsu—no hand signs required."
Maki narrowed her eyes.
So that's what it was—momentum. A vector.
Like Asuma's wind blade: it wasn't just about sharpness, but about manipulating direction and force. Mechanical motion, wind speed—momentum being transferred.
If a fan pushes air, chakra becomes the fan. The more pressure you apply over an area, the stronger the resulting wind.
I get it now!
Maki clapped her hands together, inhaled deeply, and tried to exhale.
Nothing happened.
A mouthful of nano-scale poisonous insects, mixed with saliva, nearly shot out—but she swallowed it back.
Not yet, her hands seemed to say.
Maki awkwardly lowered them.
"Do you understand?" asked Zetsugan.
"I'm just trying," she replied honestly.
"The key is to apply pressure over an area to stir up air oscillation," Zetsugan advised. "Practice that."
"Okay," Maki nodded obediently.
She adjusted her mask. It was starting to get in the way of her ninjutsu—maybe it was time for a new one.
"If you can get the hang of this," Zetsugan said, "you'll be ready to learn my secret ninjutsu. And since you already have wind chakra you'll save a lot of effort."
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