"Stage two, stage three, and adult phase—
Let's prepare three separate comparison groups. It'll make later analysis easier."
Souma closed his notebook.
The younger Aburame shinobi were still stunned, while Shibi had already begun converting a fresh cluster of insects.
He was used to this.
As clan head, Shibi was neither impulsive nor careless.
If he hadn't been impressed by Souma, he would never have agreed so readily.
This boy was a genius—
And right now, they needed each other.
This was the Aburame clan's chance.
If they missed it, then Souma grew even further…
Who would need whom?
No one could say.
Souma sharpened his focus, carefully observing the insects' behavior. Then—
The moment he detected a subtle change, he released senjutsu chakra, gradually increasing the density as it enveloped the transforming kikaichū.
At first, the chakra was faint.
Then more…
And more…
Torune and Mutō exchanged a look—a realization striking them with absolute clarity:
The clan head's judgment was right.
This chakra—
Too powerful, too extraordinary.
If even a single insect succeeded in evolving under it, then granting Souma one contract slot was nothing.
No—
Not just one.
If Souma's students or children needed contracts in the future, the Aburame clan would happily grant them.
If their kikaichū truly evolved into something comparable to a holy land, what was a mere contract slot worth?
The only concern remaining was—
Once a "Saint Insect" emerged… who would it listen to?
They were worried.
But compared to the potential benefits?
A risk worth taking.
Throughout the process, Souma used threads of chakra to pluck out samples. By the end, when the insects had fully transformed into kikaichū, ten bottles were filled.
"Success?" Shibi immediately asked.
Souma shook his head.
"They've absorbed senjutsu chakra, but whether they transform successfully… we'll have to observe them."
"Then we move to the next group?"
"Mm. This time we intervene starting from phase three."
With the first trial done, everyone worked much faster.
Before long, twelve insects of various stages were sealed in bottles.
Then came the adult phase group.
That part was easy—
Shibi, Torune, and Mutō released kikaichū and provided senjutsu chakra.
Those capable of absorbing it were collected.
"What next?" Shibi asked.
"This kind of power requires slow accumulation and long-term change."
Souma turned toward him.
"Do you have a way to track them after releasing them?"
Shibi fell silent.
Not because it was difficult—
But because it had never occurred to them to track insects after releasing them.
Souma immediately understood.
"Then we'll take the simplest approach. Mark each insect, release them, and station watchers so they don't leave the area."
"Where do you want to release them?"
"Forest of Death."
Souma answered without hesitation.
"Block off a section. Every ten days, recapture them and examine their condition. Death or mutation is normal—don't panic."
"Understood."
Souma removed each insect from the bottles and carefully carved small markings onto their bodies using a needle of chakra—
So fine and sharp it could barely be seen.
The three Aburame shinobi felt their eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
Such minuscule chakra control—
Such delicate precision—
It was a level they had never even heard of.
Souma soon finished and departed.
Just as he'd said—
This evolution couldn't be rushed. Remaining here would accomplish nothing.
More importantly—
His senjutsu stores were running low.
He needed his real body to gather natural energy; relying on shadow clones was too slow.
After watching him leave, Mutō finally broke the silence.
"Clan head… I apologize. I shouldn't have doubted him. With his ability, it really might not be difficult for him to decipher that poison."
Shibi's gaze sharpened.
"Souma is not petty. But you must remember—
He is our clan's opportunity."
"Yes!"
Mutō bowed deeply.
"And Shino's side—after a few days of testing, the results are confirmed. Take people and learn the method."
"Yes!"
…
The next day, Asuma arrived.
Not for the Aburame matter—
But to retrieve the "insights" Souma had promised the Fire Temple.
Souma handed him a booklet.
"These are my notes."
"This much?" Asuma blinked.
After a moment, he handed it back.
"You've seen the Sealed Iron Wall technique, so you should understand—use the Fire Temple's sealing method to seal this."
Souma took out a scroll, sealed the booklet inside, then applied a sealing formula.
Only then did Asuma accept it.
Inside were Souma's deductions—
But he made no mention of Kannon: Thousand-Armed Kill, even though he had already reverse-engineered its theoretical basis.
He simply hadn't tested it.
The Thousand-Armed Kill was powerful—an integrated offense and defense—
But once invoked, one couldn't move and could only passively counterattack.
That went against Souma's philosophy.
There was no absolute defense.
Victory required initiative.
He could modify the technique…
But with his current senjutsu reserves, he couldn't power it. Not unless he wanted to stand motionless like Master Dilu, embodying the "Immovable Wisdom King."
So for now—
A chicken-rib technique: valuable, but not worth consuming.
After giving Asuma the notes, Souma briefly explained his cooperation with Aburame, asking Asuma to inform Dilu.
Asuma didn't think it was necessary.
Senjutsu chakra may have originated from the Temple's "Talisman of the Sage Clan," but Souma hadn't revealed any secrets—
He was simply using it to evolve insects.
But since Souma insisted, Asuma added it to the letter.
After he left, Souma headed back to the Forest of Death to absorb natural energy.
Asuma released a messenger hawk to deliver the scroll.
The next day, Dilu received it.
He had mentally prepared many times for Souma's brilliance.
But when he saw the thick booklet, he still nearly broke.
At that moment, he had only one thought:
Has the Fire Temple's research on Sage Talent been… this pathetic?
No way… right?
He remembered their achievements clearly—
The Thousand-Armed Kill, the Wrathful Vajra—these were strong techniques.
Suspicious, he read the booklet.
An hour later, he closed it.
And fell into deep contemplation.
What is true disparity?
Disparity is—
While the Fire Temple researched justu,
Souma researched the foundation itself.
No techniques appeared in the notebook.
Just Souma's guesses, analyses, and verified deductions of what "that special chakra" truly was.
He even described the hypothetical state of "energy suffusing the entire body."
A mere hypothesis—
But Dilu had used the Thousand-Armed Kill.
He recognized the resemblance immediately.
The Thousand-Armed Kill projected energy outward to form a Buddha.
Souma's theory turned that power inward, strengthening the self.
He couldn't help recalling Souma's casual remark—
"Why didn't I think of that?"
Indeed.
None of this was impossibly difficult.
Even someone who had never seen the Thousand-Armed Kill—
Only heard fragments of knowledge—
Souma had still deduced the core concept.
Yet the Fire Temple had guarded the secret art for a hundred years…
Achieving nothing.
A complete waste of potential.
A disgraceful squander.
Dilu felt his face heat with shame.
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