The next day passed without much fanfare. It was filled with the usual schedule: cultural studies, basic physical training, shuriken practice, and a detailed breakdown of fundamental taijutsu techniques.
The three elder Aburame knew these lessons like the back of their hand. Since all the basics were covered by the academy, they didn't bother interfering. Instead, they focused on teaching Maki things the school couldn't.
If there was anything worth noting, it was the progress of Maki's insect swarm. Several of the specialized strains she'd cultivated had started forming small, structured colonies. They maintained the core traits of parasitic insects—
rapid hatching and chakra absorption.
However, since Maki didn't supply them with chakra, the offspring hatched naturally and went through a larval phase. These larvae were soft, protein-rich, and defenseless—perfect blank slates.
The queen, guided by instinct encoded in her genes, tended to them with care.
Once the larvae matured, they would take on different roles in the colony and fully assume control over the hive's functions. The queen herself would focus solely on laying eggs.
With that, Maki had reached her first major milestone:
a self-sustaining swarm of parasites that could reproduce without depending on chakra.
This marked a turning point—she was beginning to break free from chakra's limitations.
Compared to relying on the limited chakra reserves of a human host, nature's resources were vast and unending. If this process continued without failure, it would open up even greater possibilities.
For now, her job was observation—ensuring the swarm could maintain its miniature society without collapsing.
That was nature's true test.
---
After school ended, Naori approached Maki.
Her focus shifted from the insects to the present as she looked at Naori and sighed, though she wasn't sure why.
"What's wrong?" Naori asked, a bit surprised.
"It's nothing," Maki replied. "I still have training left, and I shouldn't keep people waiting."
Those three old men might throw their backs out if they stand too long…
"Then let's go together," Naori said with a grin.
"Alright."
Maki cleared her desk, tucked her books into the drawer, and left the school with Naori beside her.
On the way…
That Uchiha boy—Yashiro—trailed them again, one street farther than the last time.
Persistent.
Naori was chatting happily beside her, and Maki responded every now and then, half-listening as her mind drifted.
When they reached the same park from the night before, the two parted ways naturally.
Naori waved with a smile as they split paths.
That girl… Maki thought, then turned and walked away.
---
At the training grounds, only one of the Aburame elders were present—Zetsugan . Kurozane and Kaigan were nowhere in sight.
"No small talk—just start," barked Zetsugan with his usual booming presence.
A night's rest had clearly recharged him.
Without hesitation, Maki accepted the sword.
She drew it and held it in a curled arm. Her grip was clumsy, uneven—her muscles too tense, her form unrefined.
Zetsugan frowned.
Maki clearly had no foundation in swordsmanship. Jumping into live combat like this was reckless.
"You should learn the basics, Kurohime."
"I've read a few books on swordsmanship," Maki said.
"Have you actually practiced?"
Maki shook her head.
"Do you think you can learn it without practice?" he asked.
"Of course not," Maki replied. "But isn't it the same with taijutsu?"
What she meant was simple:
Just throw yourself into it and learn along the way.
"You can learn the basics of taijutsu in school," Zetsugan said seriously, "so it's fine to jump straight into combat training to build practical experience. But swordsmanship is different."
"If your sword form is poor, if the blade doesn't move straight, how do you expect to land a clean hit? Since you've chosen the sword, your foundation is crucial."
"Daily repetition builds muscle strength, power, endurance, and precision. It's not just physical training—it's teaching your muscles the correct form so they move instinctively. In battle, that instinct could save you fractions of a second."
"And those fractions often mean the difference between life and death."
He pointed at the sword. "Now, pick it up and swing it a thousand times."
Maki blinked but didn't argue. She walked to the side and began swinging the blade through the air.
"Kurohime, you must master the sword—not be mastered by it."
What is he even talking about? she thought, pouting slightly as she kept swinging.
"Your form is wrong!" Zetsugan snapped. "That posture will only make things harder!"
"Then explain the proper posture!" Maki retorted, panting after only two minutes.
Zetsugan simply replied, "You have to understand it with your heart."
That's useless, she thought. In the end, she had to figure it out herself.
She kept going. After nearly an hour, her arms trembling and barely able to grip the sword, she finally completed all one thousand swings.
"Forget swordsmanship," Zetsugan muttered. "Come learn ninjutsu from me instead. It suits you better."
"I won't," Maki replied through clenched teeth, catching her breath as sweat dripped from her chin.
"Then how about another thousand swings? Think you can handle that?"
"Just… give me a minute," she said, leaning on the sword to rest.
Why insist on the sword?
Maki had thought this through. She knew she wasn't cut out for pure taijutsu. While direct punches were satisfying, her physical capabilities had limits.
But swordsmanship? That was different.
To put it simply, if she punched someone like Tsunade, it would do nothing. But if she cut her with a blade, even Tsunade would feel it. The difference in lethality was clear.
Given that, why waste effort on inefficient methods? She would put everything into the option with the higher return.
After a few deep breaths, Maki stood up and resumed training.
Partway through, she stopped.
Wait... why am I even practicing this move?
Tang Bamboo—a vertical overhead slash named for its resemblance to a split bamboo stalk—was completely unsuited to her. It required strength and could be easily blocked.
Moves like Tang Bamboo, Kasaya Slash, and their variants were visually flashy but inefficient for someone like her. She lacked the brute force to break guards.
Instead, what she needed was a technique that played to her strengths—speed and precision.
A thrust.
A piercing strike uses the sword's tip, a small contact point that maximizes pressure and ignores most blocks. It's fast, difficult to predict, and perfect for someone nimble.
Speed is power.
Other moves? Maki dismissed them. She would focus solely on the one fatal strike.
Like Fu Hongxue, the legendary swordsman who mastered a single draw technique, she would push her speed to the absolute limit.
Maki shifted her stance and practiced only thrusts, again and again, until her body remembered the motion.
Zetsugan watched her silently. When he saw her focused expression, even he nodded in approval.
As darkness fell, Maki finally stopped.
Then, she took a breath.
"Let's try this."
Secret Technique of the Insects: Dance of the Butterfly - Phantom.
Suddenly, she lunged. Her sword shot toward Zetsugan like a flash of lightning.
In that instant, a thousand shimmering sword lights exploded before his eyes. It was dazzling—so fast, so elegant, it looked like a butterfly spreading its wings.
His first thought: Impossible.
His second: Danger.
By the time his mind caught up and tried to move, his body couldn't react fast enough. He barely managed to shield his vital points.
But it didn't matter.
There was no pain.
He looked closer—and saw only a single blade lightly resting at his throat.
No wounds. No flurry of slashes.
Just Maki, smiling.
"Surprise~"
No... shock.
"Was that genjutsu?" he asked.
Maki nodded. "That's right."
"Your flame-sending insects… terrifying, as always."
He frowned. "To use them this precisely, in only two days..."
Normally, the illusions produced by flame-sending insects are uncontrollable. They induce hallucinations, but the content is random.
Yet Maki had somehow manipulated them to create a specific illusion.
She hadn't just commanded the swarm. She was the swarm.
"Kurohime," Zetsugan said slowly, "you truly are the greatest genius in our clan's history."
"As Big Brother said, you've already surpassed us in controlling insects."
Maki smirked and rested the sword on her shoulder.
"So? What did you think of that sword technique?"
"Excellent," Zetsugan said without hesitation.
_________
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