Maki drew her sword again, took a deep breath, and began thrusting it forward repeatedly. The blade was heavier than she expected, and her strikes were clumsy and uneven—it was her first time using it, after all.
After dozens of consecutive thrusts, she looked toward Zetsugan.
"Well? What do you think?"
"Think about what?" he replied, though his eyes hinted that he already had an idea.
"This move—Butterfly Dance: Storm. It's supposed to accelerate to five hundred times normal speed and unleash hundreds of thrusts in a single instant."
"Huh. Interesting idea," Zetsugan admitted. "But the way you described it—no, it's not possible. Not with your current wrist strength. Honestly, probably not even in the future."
"That's because you couldn't do it," Maki shot back. "Even a scaled-down version of the Butterfly Dance would still be incredibly lethal. Let's set a small goal for now—ten thrusts in an instant."
"That's a solid start," Zetsugan agreed. "But don't underestimate it. Even getting off ten clean thrusts that fast is tough. The Second Hokage had a technique—Dance of the Three Suns and Moons. He'd use shadow clones and strike from three angles—left, right, and above—all at once. Just three blows, but paired with the Flying Thunder God Slash, it was deadly."
In other words, even three strikes in an instant was already a high-level feat.
Maki tilted her head. "Then maybe we tweak the idea. Replace shadow clone shuriken with... shadow clone swordsmanship."
"And the Flying Thunder God could work with it too," she added.
The infamous Yellow Flash of Konoha had once taken out fifty jōnin in an instant with that technique. It wasn't even human.
"Good idea," Zetsugan said, nodding. "But you'll need strong ninjutsu fundamentals for that. And frankly… I'm not confident in your ninjutsu."
"I don't need ninjutsu," Maki replied. "Just enough wrist strength... and Sage Mode."
Zetsugan raised an eyebrow. "Where did you hear about that?"
"For me, Konoha has no secrets. There are bugs everywhere," Maki said, smirking.
"Then practice in secret," Zetsugan warned. "If anyone finds out, there'll be trouble. And don't go messing with other people's jutsu—you'll get more than just a slap on the wrist."
"I'm not stupid," Maki said, feigning offense. "It's not like I'd randomly use jutsu I don't understand."
"Good. Keep it that way."
"And stop lecturing me. Silence is golden!"
"You're a riot," Zetsugan muttered under his breath. "No one even talks to me these days…"
Maki's mind wandered to Naori's face.
Aside from Hyuga Hitomi, who had spoken to her before knowing better, the only real interaction she had was a brief conversation with Tsunade.
It was kind of funny, actually.
Most of the other kids avoided Maki entirely.
At that moment, Kurozane spoke up, concern in his voice. "Kurohime, there aren't any kids your age in the clan. If you get a chance, try to make some friends."
"Fourth Brother," Zetsugan said quietly, "the kids in the clan won't want to play with her. Kurohime has already walked further than they'll ever go. No one her age in the clan can handle that. Maybe outsiders could, but I worry she'd accidentally kill them. Geniuses… are lonely."
He ended with a sigh.
He remembered how other children had avoided him too, afraid of the venomous insects in his body.
"It's pretty cruel, honestly," Maki said with a wry chuckle. "Not that I care."
"You…" Kurozane gently ruffled her hair. "You'll figure it out."
"Old man, touch my head again and I'll release the bugs," Maki warned.
She flinched slightly but didn't move away entirely.
"Alright, alright. No more head pats," Kurozane said, laughing.
He was kind, even if Maki didn't enjoy being close to anyone.
"Hey, Zetsugan," Maki asked suddenly. "Wanna hear my thoughts on swordsmanship?"
"No need," he replied. "Just follow your instincts and keep working hard."
"Surprise me someday."
"You got it."
Maki gave a confident nod.
The day's practice was officially over.
After saying goodbye to the others, Maki took Kiko home.
As soon as Maki walked away, old man Zetsugan collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
"Can you still hold on?" Kurozane asked.
"It's not a big problem. I won't die just yet," Zetsugan replied in a low voice.
"Let's just hold on until Kurohime grows up a little more."
"No problem," Zetsugan said solemnly.
"Kurohime wants to learn the sealing technique," Kurozane added. "The Third said so."
"What are the conditions?"
"No conditions," Kurozane said. "There's no war in Konoha right now. The younger generation is capable enough to handle outside missions. There's no need for us."
"What did your brother say?"
"Find a way," Kurozane replied. "Every one of Kurohime's requests has been granted."
"So… are you on Princess Tsunade's team now?" Zetsugan asked.
"That depends on what the Third thinks."
"Hmph. The Sarutobi clan's rising a bit too fast."
"The Senju will show themselves eventually," Kurozane said. "It's not our place to worry."
"Then we wait," Zetsugan sighed. "I don't know about that woman from the Uzumaki line. It's a bit far-fetched for her to stand for the Third."
"Did you forget something?" Kurozane said.
"What?"
"Hyuga, Uchiha, Kurama… the old ones aren't finished yet."
"Ugh. Troublemakers."
"Which is why staying neutral is in our best interest."
"That sealing technique…"
"If that woman from Uzumaki is still a decent grandmother, she'll pave the way for Tsunade," Kurozane said. "The opportunity will come."
---
On the way home, Maki took out a silk moth and popped it into her mouth.
Her flying parasites began to return one by one.
"Uzumaki Mito," she muttered.
The opportunity had come.
The insect girl walking beside her looked at Maki eagerly.
Seeing this, Maki casually tossed her another silk moth.
It was bloated and covered in flesh, too fat to fly.
Kiko pounced and swallowed it mid-air.
"What a glutton," Maki chuckled.
After eating, Kiko looked up at Maki with longing eyes.
These special silkworm moths were best eaten raw — sweet, fragrant, and rich in taste. No unpleasant aftertaste, no fishiness. Just pure flavor.
They were so good that going a day without one felt wrong.
Back on Earth, silkworm moths had been known for their nutritional value — high-quality protein, fat, and active substances that served both medicinal and dietary purposes.
The moths Maki raised had even greater effects. They worked like enhanced military rations — refreshing and restorative. Just one was enough to recover from fatigue.
No side effects, no addiction.
Their main strength lay in their vitality. Maki hadn't fully grasped the principle behind it yet.
Still, moderation was key. Eating too many could lead to overstimulation.
They were top-tier, no doubt.
Fortunately, Maki had strong self-control.
A delightful snack, nothing more.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that the silkworm moth's full potential hadn't been unlocked.
If this was all it could do, was it even worth cultivating?
Military rations were cheaper and more convenient.
Then again, maybe these moths had once inspired the creation of ration pills. Or perhaps they were bred for that very purpose.
But something nagged at Maki — like she'd missed something important.
What was it?
After thinking for a while, she let it go and shifted her thoughts elsewhere.
Under the moonlight, her shadow stretched long across the ground. The insect girl followed behind her, carefully stepping on Maki's shadow, giggling with innocent joy.
The child was learning.
Her first step: understanding the world — like a newborn exploring life.
"Mom. Mom. Mom…"
Kiko called out mindlessly.
"Shut up," Maki replied without missing a beat.
"Mom. Mom. Mom…"
"Shut up."
And so the two walked home, repeating the same words, endlessly amused by each other.
___________
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