Despite Aburame Shigeo's preparedness, he hadn't expected the Nine-Tails to appear so abruptly.
"Boom!"
"Roar!"
Amid the crashing sound of collapsing buildings and a deafening beast's roar, the Nine-Tails suddenly manifested in the middle of the Hidden Leaf Village, shattering the tranquility of the surrounding countryside.
"The Nine-Tails... it's the Nine-Tails!"
"Run!"
"Help!"
Villagers screamed and scattered in panic, though many were struck down by flying debris and massive tree trunks. Even the mere shockwaves from the Nine-Tails' presence were enough to spread despair.
A large number of Leaf ninja quickly arrived, guiding the chaotic crowd to safety while trying to fend off the Nine-Tails' onslaught. However, the power of a Tailed Beast was not something ordinary shinobi could withstand. A casual strike from it caused severe casualties among the defenders.
"We can't let it continue destroying the village! We have to drive it out!"
The Third Hokage, clad in full ninja gear, ordered the nearby ANBU with urgency.
"Buy me some time—I need to prepare a jutsu!"
"Yes, sir!"
The ANBU squad immediately obeyed, launching an attack on the Nine-Tails. Shuriken, explosive tags, smoke bombs—every tool at their disposal was hurled at the beast.
Although their efforts barely harmed the Nine-Tails, they managed to provoke its wrath.
"Roar!"
With a furious roar, the Nine-Tails swung its massive claws, swatting the ANBU like flies. Many were killed or gravely injured, but their sacrifice gave the Third Hokage enough time to complete his jutsu.
Summoning his trusted companion, Enma the Monkey King, he transformed the summon into an extending staff and used it to force the Nine-Tails out of the village's borders.
"We've finally pushed it out!"
Watching the beast being driven back, the Third Hokage's expression remained grave as he shouted further orders to the Leaf ninjas.
"Don't let your guard down—keep attacking!"
"Yes, sir!"
Following Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, waves of Leaf shinobi charged toward the Nine-Tails, sacrificing their lives to hold it in place.
"Hold it back until the Fourth arrives!"
"We can't let it get any closer to the village!"
"Damn you, Nine-Tails!"
The battlefield was filled with cries of defiance and anguish. Shinobi fell with every passing second, but none wavered in their resolve. Each fought desperately to protect what they held dear.
On a treetop in the distance, Aburame Shigeo watched the scene unfold. His eyes flickered with anger—and helplessness.
The Hidden Leaf's protection of its Jinchūriki had been too airtight. Uzumaki Kushina's delivery time and location were tightly guarded secrets. Even Shigeo's subtle probing of Minato Namikaze had yielded no useful information—the man was too steadfast.
Clearly, Obito Uchiha had located the site only thanks to White Zetsu's invasive abilities. And from the looks of things, he had succeeded.
"If this keeps up, events will unfold just like the original timeline," Shigeo muttered, adjusting his sunglasses as his eyes narrowed.
"But I can't just sit back and watch. I have to try something."
With that, his body dissolved into a swarm of black insects, which buzzed away with a whoosh.
---
This was Shigeo's *Bug Teleportation Technique*, a method he had developed by combining the Bug Clone and Substitution Jutsu. It functioned similarly to Hanzo's Water Teleportation Technique. While not as fast as Minato's Flying Raijin, it was still an exceptionally swift jutsu.
In an instant, Shigeo appeared above the Nine-Tails.
"Roar!"
The beast immediately spotted him. Its crimson eyes, each marked with three black tomoe, fixed on him fiercely. A massive claw rose in preparation to strike.
"Humph."
Shigeo smirked and bit his finger, quickly forming hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Boom!"
A huge cloud of white smoke erupted in the night sky, and three enormous toads descended, slamming the Nine-Tails into the ground.
Toads Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro had all arrived!
Standing atop Gamahiro, Shigeo, draped in a red hooded robe, gazed down at the Nine-Tails with an indifferent expression.
"Kurama, calm yourself."
For a brief moment, the battlefield fell silent. The Leaf ninjas all froze, their eyes widening in astonishment and confusion.
"That's the Toad Summoning Technique from Mount Myōboku! But... that's not the Fourth Hokage or Jiraiya-sama. Who is he?"
"That outfit—he looks like someone from the Aburame clan."
"To summon creatures of this scale... he must be extraordinary!"
While the stunned Leaf ninjas whispered among themselves, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled.
"Jiraiya has more than one disciple. Well done, Aburame Shigeo! Keep it under control!"
At the mention of Shigeo's name, the onlookers gasped in unison.
"A member of the Aburame clan?!"
Oblivious to their reactions, Shigeo remained focused on the Nine-Tails. He couldn't afford even a moment of distraction when facing a beast of such magnitude.
And his caution proved justified.
Pinned beneath the three giant toads, the Nine-Tails began charging its most devastating attack—the Tailed Beast Ball. A dark sphere rapidly formed in its gaping mouth.
Shigeo's expression turned grim as he stared at the growing orb. A Tailed Beast Ball was unimaginably destructive, and he knew he couldn't withstand it. But if he dodged, the Leaf Village and its defenders would surely suffer catastrophic damage.
"This is bad," he muttered, cold sweat dripping down his face. He leapt onto the Nine-Tails' back without hesitation.
"Secret Technique: Bug Sphere!"
With a sharp command, a torrent of black parasitic insects poured out from his robes, engulfing the Nine-Tails' body like a flood of tar.
The beast's form appeared to shrink as the insects drained its chakra. The Tailed Beast Ball it was preparing stalled and began to dissipate.
The Leaf ninjas below erupted into cheers.
"He did it! Incredible!"
"The Aburame clan is amazing!"
"Aburame Shigeo-sama, finish it off!"
But Shigeo wasn't celebrating. He knew better.
The Nine-Tails, famed for its near-limitless chakra, wouldn't be subdued so easily. The *Bug Sphere* was merely a temporary solution—and a fragile one at that.
As expected, the parasitic insects started bursting apart like firecrackers under the strain of the Nine-Tails' chakra. The technique quickly unraveled, and the beast's body regained its full, fearsome size.
Worse still, the halted Tailed Beast Ball resumed its rapid growth, nearing its critical mass.
Shigeo's pupils contracted, and his face turned steely.
"No choice—I have to use that!"
He prepared to unleash his trump card: the forbidden *Blood Insects*. Even at the cost of crippling his own abilities, he couldn't allow the Nine-Tails to release its attack.
But before he could act, a gentle voice spoke in his ear.
"You've done well, Shigeo. Leave the rest to me."
*(End of Chapter)*