Kato Dan was the son of a small, unremarkable ninja family—one of countless such clans in Konoha. They had a few relatives, a shared surname, and one or two secret techniques, but no influence, no prestige.
Much like Dan himself.
Now eighteen, he'd been a shinobi for six years—experienced, cautious, competent. He'd gotten through dozens of missions without more than a scratch. Until now.
This time, the injury was serious. His legs were bound between wooden splints, and the doctor's hands were carefully checking for movement.
At least I'm still alive, he thought. Luck or misfortune, who can say?
"I still can't move my legs," he admitted. "Feels like… maybe half a year of recovery. Will it affect my career?"
The doctor's expression turned grave. "It's hard to say. You might recover fully. But if the damage lingers… your mobility could be affected. I'd recommend resting and stepping back from active duty for now."
Dan's gaze drifted past the window, catching a glimpse of a blonde figure walking by. He froze for half a second.
Beautiful… like a princess.
"That's not possible," he said at last, forcing himself back to the conversation. "I have goals I need to achieve—and I still need to make money."
"I understand," the doctor replied. "The village has a disability stipend. It's enough to get by for a while."
"What about mystical palm Jutsu? Isn't that supposed to be incredible? Princess Tsunade invented some kind of super-healing ninjutsu, right?"
The doctor shook his head. "That technique won't help you. And mystical palm Jutsu requires an approval request. Your case… isn't likely to qualify."
Dan's chest tightened. It wasn't the thought of hard work that bothered him—it was the thought of his little sister having to shoulder the burden too.
"But… there is one option," the doctor added reluctantly. "If you insist, you could try the Medical Development Department. I wouldn't normally suggest it."
Dan narrowed his eyes. "Why not?"
"It's nothing major. But you might… leave with a bit of a psychological scar." The doctor sighed. "You'll need to be prepared for that."
"If it can heal my leg completely, I'll try it."
"The Medical Development Department's on the third floor. Everyone there knows who you're looking for. You can ask the nurses."
"You almost said something just now," Dan said, suspicious.
"No," the doctor replied too quickly. "You misheard."
"…Alright."
With a cane in hand, Dan began the slow limp through the hospital's halls. He wasn't familiar with the place—it was his first time being admitted—and every step made him wince.
"Medical… Development… Department," he muttered, trying to remember.
A nurse with a tray of equipment passed by, and he stopped her politely. "Excuse me, could you tell me where the Medical Development Department is?"
The nurse's expression changed in an instant. As a shinobi, Dan caught it immediately—pity, discomfort… and the faintest trace of amusement.
What's so funny?
"It's at the end of this corridor. Last room on the right. Oh—and if the door's closed, don't open it. Just wait in the hall."
Dan frowned. "And if I do open it?"
"You'll regret it," she said with sudden seriousness. "Worse than death."
"…Got it." He gave a wry smile. "Sounds like I'll be meeting quite the character."
But before he could ask more, the nurse hurried off.
Dan stared down the long corridor. For a moment, he hesitated. Then he gritted his teeth.
You're already here. No turning back.
He limped to the far end and sat on the bench outside the door.
What's the worst that could happen?
He chuckled to himself. Come on, Kato Dan. You're a grown shinobi. No matter what's inside, face it head-on. If you can't even do that, what kind of Hokage candidate are you?
His self-motivation was cut short by a sudden BANG.
The door burst open, and a massive man tumbled out—rolling, crawling, scrambling away in sheer panic.
Dan froze. He knew this man. Among the chunin, he was infamous for enduring enemy torture for an entire week without breaking.
A tough guy.
An unshakeable guy.
And he looked like he'd just stared into hell.
Dan had always admired men like that.
Tough guys. Heroes. The kind you dreamed of becoming when you were young.
But now, that same "tough guy" was sobbing like a child—tears and snot running freely, sheer terror etched into every line of his face.
"I'M DEAD!" he howled.
"HELP!"
"MOTHER—!"
Dan just stared, stunned. What the hell…?
A moment later, the source of the terror revealed itself.
A dense black cloud of insects burst out of the room—furious, writhing, alive. The swarm wrapped around the chunin in thick, shifting layers, dragging him back inside.
His fingernails clawed against the floor, scraping deep grooves as the insects pulled him along. The sound was shrill enough to make Dan's teeth ache.
His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Nope.
He lurched upright with a shout, spun around, and hobbled away as fast as his cane would let him.
What was that?! What WAS that?!
Is this even a hospital?!
Halfway down the hall, frustration surged—his cane was too slow. He tossed it aside and broke into a limping sprint.
Only one thought filled his mind:
Get out. Get out. GET OUT.
These legs? I don't even need them anymore—just let me live!
"Sa—"
He froze mid-word.
A wall of black insects had risen ahead, completely sealing the corridor. Thousands of tiny beetles pressed together, squirming and clicking in a sound that made his scalp crawl.
That's when it hit him.
The rumors from the Academy.
The terrifying insect girl, three years below him.
A bad-tempered monster who… liked to feed people bugs.
His body trembled involuntarily.
"Hey," came a voice from behind him, cold and lazy. "We're here. Where do you think you're going?"
Dan turned stiffly, like his neck was rusted.
There she was—the Aburame princess. Konoha's insect princess. The one you never offended unless you had a death wish.
Every boy in his old class had shuddered at the mere mention of her name.
"I, uh… need to pee," Dan said with a brittle smile, all trace of his usual calm gone.
She stood there in a pure white hooded robe, red-buttoned clogs on her feet, her face hidden behind the legendary mask she supposedly never removed.
Her figure was slender, graceful—impossibly at odds with the nightmare stories surrounding her. For some reason, Dan's gut told him she was beautiful under the mask.
"Come here." She waved him over.
"Yes, ma'am!" Dan jumped forward like a rookie genin summoned by a jounin commander.
What else could he do? Ten years ago, he couldn't have beaten her even as a toddler, and nothing had changed since.
Elite chunin or not, this was a monster on par with Princess Tsunade—maybe worse.
I'm dead, Dan thought. I'm actually going to die.
The nurse's earlier warning echoed in his mind, and his eyes stung with the threat of tears.
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