Hinata, Shino, and Shikamaru quickly spotted Suzumebachi, Kurobachi, and Jibachi.
"You brat from the Aburame Clan!" Suzumebachi, recalling the fallen ninja of the Kamizuru Clan, snarled with a ferocious expression. "Die!"
Without another word, she raised her hands, releasing a swarm of bees from her sleeves.
"It's those exploding bees again!" Hinata's sharp eyes caught sight of them, and she immediately warned the others.
Secret Technique: Kikaichu!
Upon hearing this, Shino didn't dare let them approach. Kikaichu surged from his hands, intercepting the oncoming swarm at the fastest possible speed.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The bees exploded mid-flight.
This time, however, Shino and his teammates were prepared and had already distanced themselves before the blasts.
"Shino, watch out for the ground!" Hinata stabilized herself and quickly shouted.
The ground beneath Shino's feet cracked open, and Jibachi leaped out, thrusting a kunai toward him. But at the moment of impact, his movement suddenly froze.
Jibachi's expression changed slightly — he couldn't move at all.
"You don't need to thank me, Shino." It was Shikamaru who had timely caught him with his Shadow Imitation Technique.
Without hesitation, Shino directed his Kikaichu to swarm toward Jibachi. But just then, a mass of bees burst out from Jibachi's body, completely enveloping him.
"Shikamaru, behind you!" Hinata shouted while rushing forward.
Bee Honey Technique! Kurobachi raised his hands, and a dozen bees shot out from his sleeves toward Shikamaru.
Hearing Hinata's warning, Shikamaru frowned slightly and had no choice but to give up control of Jibachi, sprinting ahead until he caught up with Hinata.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!
Hinata moved past Shikamaru to intercept the incoming bees, striking out with both palms.
However, as her first palm struck a bee, she noticed something strange — the bee burst open, splattering beeswax onto her hand. She immediately felt a powerful stickiness.
"Shikamaru, retreat quickly!"
Hinata decisively abandoned her Gentle Fist technique and used the Konoha-Style Body Flicker Technique to dodge away.
Though confused, Shikamaru trusted her and continued running.
"Too late!" Kurobachi clapped his hands, detonating the bees all at once.
A large spray of beeswax erupted in all directions.
Hinata had already fled far away thanks to her Body Flicker, but Shikamaru's speed was slower — the sticky substance drenched him from the waist down.
His expression changed drastically. The beeswax acted like a powerful glue, binding his hands and feet together. In mid-retreat, he stumbled and fell.
Thousand Bee Stings Technique! Seeing this, Kurobachi swiftly formed hand seals, pressing his advantage.
The surrounding bees twisted their abdomens, releasing a storm of poisonous needles aimed straight at Shikamaru.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!
Hinata clapped her palms together, sending an invisible shockwave that dispersed more than half the poisonous needles.
Secret Technique: Insect Wall Technique! Shino's Kikaichu arrived just in time, blocking the remaining barrage.
"Let's take out this Byakugan girl first!" Jibachi lunged forward, coordinating with Kurobachi to attack Hinata from both sides.
Shikamaru was stuck and unable to move, while Hinata — with her Byakugan — was clearly the greater threat.
Shadow Clone Technique! Hinata, her face tense, formed hand seals and created a Shadow Clone.
Though the pressure was immense, she refused to back down — not for herself, but for her teammates, and for Kitazawa, who had always guided her.
Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms! The two Hinatas charged forward together.
"Damn it!" Shikamaru gritted his teeth, burning with frustration as he tried to break free from the beeswax.
Shino instinctively wanted to help, but was immediately blocked by Suzumebachi's swarm.
"Hmph, you'd better take care of yourself!" Suzumebachi sneered coldly.
Between them, bees and Kikaichu clashed fiercely, tearing each other apart.
Shino said nothing. Shikamaru had lost the ability to fight, and Hinata — outnumbered two to one — wouldn't last long. He had to defeat Suzumebachi as soon as possible.
His eyes narrowed sharply. Without hesitation, he threw a flash bomb.
The instant the blinding white light erupted, countless tiny Exploding Insects — invisible to the naked eye — also flew out with it.
Suzumebachi instinctively reacted, leaping back and tossing a massive beehive in front of her.
But the expected fierce attack never came. The white light faded.
Suzumebachi stood atop the beehive, scanning the area. Shino was still in place — nothing seemed different.
"What did you just do?" she demanded suspiciously.
Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon! Shino didn't answer. He used his Chakra to form an insect cocoon, from which more Kikaichu hatched.
"Playing tricks, huh?!" Suzumebachi snarled, infuriated, and unleashed another wave of exploding bees.
But suddenly, her body trembled violently — her Chakra was being drained.
She looked down, only to see her chest bulging unnaturally… and she could feel something wriggling inside.
Fear consumed her.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Shino's insects once again neutralized the explosions.
"What the hell did you do?!" Suzumebachi's voice shook.
She no longer dared to use her Ninjutsu. She had realized too late that the Exploding Insects had invaded her body when she used the Bee Bomb Technique.
Shino remained silent.
Secret Technique: Summoning Insects! He raised his hand toward Jibachi, who was attacking Hinata.
The nearby insects immediately surged forward like a black tide.
Jibachi had no choice but to stop his assault on Hinata and turn to defend himself.
Hinata's pressure immediately eased by more than half.
After helping his teammate, Shino immediately manipulated his Kikaichu to charge toward Suzumebachi.
"Jibachi, save me!" Suzumebachi, desperate for her life, dared not use Chakra and turned to flee.
But without Chakra's boost, her speed was far inferior to that of the Kikaichu.
"What's going on?" Jibachi had just dealt with the insects, and when he turned around, he saw Suzumebachi running for her life.
He was about to rush to her aid, but he was a step too late — Suzumebachi had already been enveloped by Kikaichu.
Reacting swiftly, Jibachi appeared before Shikamaru and seized him by the collar.
"You brat from the Aburame Clan! If you dare to kill her, I'll kill your teammate!" he roared.
Shino immediately stopped, though he didn't withdraw his Kikaichu. The insects merely stopped attacking, forming a living barrier around Suzumebachi.
Kurobachi and Hinata each backed away, returning to their respective sides.
"We exchange teammates," Shino said calmly, glancing at the captured Shikamaru.
"Alright," Jibachi agreed at once.
Only Shikamaru looked downcast. He had completely become a burden today. If not for him, Shino and Hinata might already have defeated Suzumebachi and her group.
For the first time, Shikamaru felt the weight of his own weakness.
Thanks to Kitazawa's special training, he had learned the three Secret Techniques of the Nara Clan in advance. Because of that, he had always believed mastering them at his age was enough — that there was no need to push further.
But in his fight with Kurobachi, he had been caught by the beeswax because he had relied too much on intellect and too little on physical skill.
If his Konoha-Style Taijutsu were sharper… If he had learned the Body Flicker Technique or the Konoha-style version of it, he could have dodged.
Even without those, being more cautious might have allowed him to predict Kurobachi's ambush.
His mindset was flawed.
First, because he had never faced true danger on previous missions.
Second, because he always sought to slack off.
And third, because he believed that intellect alone could win battles.
But now, Shikamaru understood — intelligence meant little in the face of absolute strength.
"Before we exchange, you must take out this damned thing!" Suzumebachi demanded frantically.
"What do you have inside you?" Jibachi asked in confusion.
"It should be some special kind of insect," Suzumebachi replied, gritting her teeth. "It's draining my Chakra — and when it's all gone, I don't know what'll happen, but it definitely won't be good!"
"You brat from the Aburame Clan, take it out!" Jibachi tightened his grip, making Shikamaru grimace in pain.
"I can't take it out," Shino said quickly. "Only Teacher Kitazawa can remove it."
"Kitazawa? Why does that name sound familiar?" Jibachi froze for a moment.
"He's Tsunade's student — the Fifth Hokage of Konoha!" Kurobachi suddenly shouted, his expression changing drastically.
"Impossible! Isn't your teacher that black-haired woman?!" Suzumebachi's heart sank; she finally realized the magnitude of the trouble they were in.
Kitazawa's name was feared throughout the ninja world.
"Teacher Kitazawa had something to attend to, so she temporarily had her lead the team," Shino replied evenly.
Hinata saw the panic in their faces and once again realized just how terrifying Kitazawa's reputation truly was.
Jibachi, Kurobachi, and Suzumebachi fell silent — filled with deep, gnawing regret. They wished they had investigated before acting, but hatred had blinded them.
"They're Kitazawa's students! If we capture them, Lord Tsuchikage will definitely protect us!" Suzumebachi suddenly exclaimed, grasping at straws.
"Aburame brat, if you don't take the insects out, there'll be no trade," Jibachi sneered. "Here's an idea — you take your teammate's place."
"Shino, no!" Shikamaru instantly understood their intent and shouted, "If you're captured, Hinata and I won't be able to win!"
"If you don't switch, I'll kill him right now!" Jibachi squeezed tighter.
Shikamaru's eyes widened — he couldn't breathe. His whole body was suspended mid-air, dizzy and suffocating.
Was he going to die here? He closed his eyes. If I had another chance, he thought, I definitely wouldn't be lazy again.
Suddenly, the grip vanished. He was dropped to the ground.
What's going on? Shikamaru opened his eyes — just in time to see Jibachi's head fly off his shoulders.
Kitazawa caught him mid-fall and gently set him down.
"You…" Kurobachi turned toward Kitazawa in shock.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!
Kitazawa extended his left hand, casting a Genjutsu — then, with a swift twist of his right, his chakra blade Zangetsu pierced Kurobachi's heart.
Kurobachi's mouth opened soundlessly before he collapsed, slipping into eternal darkness.
"Teacher Kitazawa?!" Shikamaru's eyes lit up, his voice trembling with relief.
"Teacher Kitazawa!" Hinata relaxed completely, rushing over to his side.
"Shino, kill her." Kitazawa's voice was cold as his gaze fell upon Suzumebachi — the last survivor.
Without hesitation, Shino commanded his Kikaichu to strike.
Suzumebachi screamed, but the sound was abruptly cut short within seconds.
Hinata turned away, unable to bear the sight, and unconsciously clung to Kitazawa's arm.
Shikamaru, having just faced death, was no longer the same — his fear had turned into quiet resolve.
"You all did very well," Kitazawa said, glancing at Hinata with a small smile.
"Sorry, Teacher Kitazawa," Shikamaru murmured. "I was the one who dragged everyone down."
"You're young — it's normal for your strength to lag behind theirs. Go back and train hard."
Kitazawa smiled reassuringly.
Shikamaru froze. He wasn't scolded. But somehow, that tone made him feel even more guilty.
[Current mission: Improve Shikamaru's lazy personality.]
[Mission Reward: Shadow Imitation Shuriken.]
[Host has completed the mission, reward issued.]
The sudden appearance of three lines of text made Kitazawa raise an eyebrow. It seemed the trap he'd set for Shikamaru had worked.
"As a ninja, there will be many more life-or-death moments like this." Kitazawa patted Shikamaru's shoulder and said, "The only thing you can do is become stronger."
"I understand, Teacher Kitazawa!" Shikamaru said with a solemn expression.
"Shino, your handling of this situation was the best. I'm giving you a perfect score." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said.
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa." Shino's heart swelled with joy. It was his first time getting a perfect score in a practical combat exam.
Hinata subconsciously looked up at Kitazawa. She wanted a perfect score, too.
"Hinata, you were able to hold on for so long against two opponents, and your response was not bad." Kitazawa patted her head and said, "You also get a perfect score."
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa!" Hinata immediately broke into a happy smile.
The perfect score wasn't important — what mattered most was that it represented Kitazawa's recognition of her.
Shikamaru sighed in his heart. He definitely wouldn't get a perfect score — perhaps not even a passing grade.
"Shikamaru, although you were captured, you didn't betray your teammates, so I'll give you an excellent score, ninety-one," Kitazawa said with a slight smile.
Shikamaru couldn't help but be stunned. A perfect score was one hundred, and he'd gotten ninety-one — even higher than his previous practical combat exam scores.
This made him feel incredible. But on the other hand, he was greatly moved; Teacher Kitazawa was truly a good person.
"Why are you all chatting? Did you forget about me?" Kurenai walked up to them, smiling.
"I trust Teacher Kurenai's strength; dealing with a Queen Bee is no problem." Kitazawa blinked and said.
Kurenai immediately glared at him. There were still three students present — why call her "Teacher Kurenai"? Couldn't he wait until night?
"Shino." Kitazawa threw him a summoning scroll for storage and said, "Pack up their bodies."
"They aren't even Jonin. What are you taking them back for?" Kurenai asked, puzzled. "And I remember the Kamizuru Clan has long since declined — an outlying ninja clan in Iwagakure."
"I don't want the information in their brains." Kitazawa knew she had misunderstood and explained, "Their insect-controlling ninjutsu is quite good; the Aburame Clan can learn from it."
"Thank you, Teacher Kitazawa." Shino reacted.
Although the Kamizuru Clan was defeated by the Aburame Clan, their ninjutsu indeed had merits.
For example, the Exploding Insects and the strongly adhesive beeswax had caused them great trouble in the recent battle.
"That's true." Kurenai nodded.
"You all rest for a moment, then continue back to Konoha Village." Kitazawa looked at her and said, "My business isn't finished yet."
"Mm." Kurenai didn't ask further, simply saying, "You go do your business; don't worry about us."
Kitazawa didn't feel worried.
The reason was simple. ANBU ninja followed all students on missions outside the village. This was a condition he'd promised Tsunade.
In fact, when Shikamaru's life was threatened just now, the ANBU should have intervened. But because of Kitazawa's command, they didn't appear.
However, Shikamaru and the others didn't know about the ANBU's presence.
After all, with Sarutobi Hiruzen, Maruboshi Kosuke, Kakashi, and Kitazawa present, the ANBU had no chance to act.
Kitazawa bid farewell to Kurenai and the others and headed towards Iwagakure.
A moment later, Konan appeared, following behind him. She subconsciously glanced at Kitazawa, her eyes flickering.
Konan had watched Hinata and their battle — as well as Kitazawa's final handling of the situation — from start to finish in the shadows.
How to describe it? He was truly a good teacher.
Konan then thought of Gato's shipping company and the Underwater Exploration Team, and she added another thought in her heart.
He was also a very special ninja.
"There's no need to engage with Iwagakure ninja; our target is rock blue powder," Kitazawa said casually.
Iwagakure's strength was much greater than Hidden Mist Village's. If they were surrounded by a team led by the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, that would be troublesome.
However, although rock blue moss was precious, it wasn't enough for Iwagakure to send out all its forces.
Konan nodded. She also didn't want to clash with Iwagakure.
After all, the Akatsuki Organization was currently a very rule-abiding mercenary organization. The Land of Earth still had many major clients for the Akatsuki Organization.
The two traveled cautiously, finally arriving at the mountains near Iwagakure by noon.
"Let's search separately." Kitazawa looked left and right and said, "Once we find it, we'll meet under this tree."
All the surrounding mountains could potentially produce rock blue moss, so they had to explore them all.
Searching together would be a waste of time; if they searched separately, Kitazawa could also use his Byakugan.
"What if you encounter Iwagakure ninja?" Konan thought for a moment and asked. If she encountered them, she could simply fly away.
"If I get into a fight with them, with your strength, you'll definitely sense it. At that time, you can fly over and take me away." Kitazawa thought for a moment and said.
He could actually fly, too — for example, using Magnet Release — but he didn't want to expose it for now.
Besides, how rare was an opportunity for Konan to carry him? He definitely had to experience it.
"Mm." Konan nodded and walked to the left.
Kitazawa, on the other hand, walked to the right.