Gekko Hayate left with a satisfied heart, looking forward to tomorrow.
After Hayate departed, Yōsuke looked toward an empty patch of ground not far away and muttered as if talking to himself:
"Come out…"
The moment his voice fell, countless insects gathered from every direction, forming the figure of a hooded, sunglass-wearing man.
There was no need to guess—this man was Aburame Ryōma, sent by Danzō.
Yōsuke, filled with curiosity, said:
"So this is the legendary Kekkei Genkai? Pretty amazing."
Ryōma replied in a flat voice tinged with pride:
"This is not a Kekkei Genkai. It's the secret technique unique to our Aburame clan—the Secret Technique: Parasitic Ring Insects."
A massive swarm of insects surged out from Ryōma's body, roaring toward Yōsuke like a thick mist.
Seeing such a dense mass of insects buzzing toward him, Yōsuke felt a wave of discomfort.
"Breath of the Sun, Fourth Form: Burning Bone – Radiance!"
Yōsuke gripped the Ame-no-Murakumo sword tightly, spinning as he released flaming slashes. Under the scorch of the flames, the insects couldn't even get close—they were nearly completely incinerated.
Ryōma seemed unsurprised that his insects were destroyed so easily. He crouched and pressed his hands to the ground.
"Secret Technique: Spindle Formation!"
He used the parasitic insects to form a spiraling drill-like attack that burrowed toward the enemy like a spinning spindle.
"Breath of the Sun, Fifth Form: Solar Flower – Thrust!"
The tip of Yōsuke's blade touched the pointed tip of the insect drill, and flames instantly spread through the entire mass of insects. Crackling sounds and the smell of burning filled the air.
For the first time, Ryōma's perpetually expressionless face twitched.
Everyone knew the Aburame clan's insects feared fire, but Ryōma's had survived extreme, harsh environments and were selectively bred for superior resistance—fire, cold, everything.
Yet Yōsuke's Sun Breathing flames burned them just like ordinary insects, unable to withstand even a single exchange.
Ryōma had no intention of retreating. His earlier attacks were only probes. A ninja's duty is to complete the mission even in unpredictable circumstances.
He used the Body Flicker Technique, disappearing instantly and hiding in the darkness, suppressing every trace of his presence as he observed Yōsuke.
This was Yōsuke's first real fight against a ninja. His earlier battle with Uzumaki Kushina was completely different—her attacks were fierce and straightforward, nothing like an assassin hidden in the shadows.
Yōsuke didn't move recklessly. He stood in place, carefully sensing the surroundings.
Ryōma remained patient. He placed his palm on the ground, letting several insects burrow underground.
After that, he quickly formed a sequence of hand signs.
"Secret Technique: Hail!"
Large numbers of insects poured out from his body, forming countless tiny spheres that scattered across the battlefield.
Parasitic insects loved consuming chakra. Yet the feedback Ryōma received from them was that they felt no appetite at all for Yōsuke.
Meaning Yōsuke possessed an extremely small amount of chakra.
Ryōma didn't know how Yōsuke produced those flame slashes, but based on available intel, he concluded that Yōsuke had no means to handle a truly large-scale insect attack.
Seeing the battlefield littered with insect spheres, Yōsuke felt a headache coming.
He could easily wipe them out using his Blood Demon Art—but the overwhelming demonic aura it emitted would definitely be sensed by Konoha. That ominous aura did not come from the Ame-no-Murakumo sword, but from Yōsuke himself.
Right now, the major incident occurring in Konoha was the only lead that might reveal the whereabouts of the Priest Master. Yōsuke didn't want trouble before that.
He had no choice but to rely on Sun Breathing forms.
"Breath of the Sun, Sixth Form: Dragon Sun Halo – Head Dance!"
Like a dancing fire dragon, Yōsuke moved at high speed, his flames burning through the surrounding insect spheres.
But even after his attack ended, almost half of them were still crawling about.
Seeing Yōsuke pause, Ryōma thought, "Now's my chance."
"Secret Technique: Insect Swamp!"
After forming the final sign, the ground beneath Yōsuke turned into a swamp formed entirely of insects.
The insects he previously sent underground had been for this very moment.
Yōsuke was dragged into the insect swamp, which then rose into the air, enclosing him into a sphere—and suddenly compressing.
A loud explosion followed, and both the swamp and Yōsuke vanished in midair.
Yōsuke disappeared from the battlefield, but Ryōma didn't relax. He continued suppressing his presence, hiding in the shadows.
That explosion wasn't enough to reduce Yōsuke to dust—at most it could heavily injure him.
Since Yōsuke was nowhere to be found, it meant he was now hiding just like Ryōma.
Ryōma ordered his insects to search for Yōsuke.
Suddenly, the insects inside his body issued a warning.
Absolute trust in his insects made Ryōma instantly abandon his hiding spot.
A split second later, a powerful slash struck the place he had just been.
If he had moved a moment later, he would have been struck—if not killed, then gravely injured.
Ryōma looked back toward Yōsuke, and his pupils contracted sharply. Despite that devastating blow, Yōsuke was completely unscathed.
In the instant the insect swamp rose into the air, Yōsuke had used a Sun Breathing form to cut open a gap and escape, hiding himself immediately afterward.
Ryōma, fully focused on manipulating the swamp, had no idea Yōsuke was already free, leaving himself exposed.
The moment Yōsuke discovered Ryōma's location, the battle was already over.
Yōsuke questioned him:
"You're a ninja of Konoha. Why did you attack me?"
Ryōma didn't answer directly.
Instead, he said respectfully:
"Ubuyashiki Yōsuke… Danzō-sama wishes to meet you."
"Danzō? Who is that?"
Yōsuke had been in Konoha for days but had never heard the name.
Ryōma's voice involuntarily carried reverence:
"Danzō-sama is one of Konoha's leaders—its very Root. He is the one who will bring change to this village."
Yōsuke frowned. Ryōma's current state reminded him of the demons under Muzan—like someone who had been brainwashed.
Still, since this man was part of Konoha's leadership, Yōsuke decided he would accept the invitation and meet him.
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