Outside the western region of the Land of Fire, near a village called Stone Crane Village, three figures appeared.
All three wore high-collared trench coats, sunglasses, and carried large cylindrical containers on their backs.
Their outfits were identical; only their heights and builds differed slightly.
These three were none other than Aburame Shibi and two other jōnin from the Aburame Clan.
Wearing the same emotionless poker faces, the trio strode toward Stone Crane Village.
The village was named after the surname "Ishikaku" (Stone Crane), which was the most common family name among the residents.
Within the Land of Fire, aside from Konohagakure, there were many other shinobi clans and ninja factions.
These clans either maintained cooperative ties with Konoha or with the daimyo's government, thereby earning the right to remain in the Land of Fire.
The Ishikaku Clan, residing in Stone Crane Village, was one such ninja family.
"Who are you people?"
The approach of Aburame Shibi's group quickly alarmed the village. Three men and one woman appeared, closing in while maintaining a guarded posture.
"Orders from Lord Danzō: the Ishikaku Clan is to send five young members to join Root."
Aburame Shibi spoke coldly.
"Impossible! We absolutely will not send anyone else to Root!"
One of the villagers, a burly middle-aged man, suddenly erupted with emotion.
Years ago, Konoha adviser Shimura Danzō had sent men to demand that the Ishikaku Clan send five young members to join Root.
Out of fear for Danzō's authority, the clan reluctantly complied and sent five of their own.
But once those five entered Root, all contact was severed—no messages, no updates. It was as if they had vanished.
Only recently did a Root shinobi arrive to inform them that all five had died—and then had the audacity to demand another five replacements.
With the previous tragedy still fresh, the Ishikaku Clan adamantly refused the request.
No one expected that, just days later, Danzō would send people again.
"Today, five of your people will come with us. If you resist, we'll pick them ourselves and take them by force."
Aburame Shibi's tone was ice-cold.
"Don't even think about it! You won't take a single one of us!"
"We'll fight you if we must!"
The four villagers were furious, their eyes practically spitting fire.
One charged forward with a kunai, targeting one of the Aburame jōnin.
Another hurled a barrage of shuriken at a second jōnin.
A third performed an Earth Release jutsu, turning soil into a hail of stone bullets aimed at Shibi.
The last used an underground travel technique, tunneling beneath the earth to ambush Shibi from below.
But faced with the sudden assault, none of the Aburame trio changed expressions. Their faces remained calm, even indifferent—only one of the jōnin moved.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
A swarm of black insects burst out from the jar on his back.
Some formed a wall to block the shuriken and stone bullets.
Others swarmed the kunai-wielding attacker.
The jōnin himself stepped swiftly forward and delivered a powerful kick, launching the subterranean attacker into the air.
Then, the insects split into four swarms, diving at the four villagers like a cloud of enraged hornets.
"AAAHHH—!!"
The insects flew so swiftly that the villagers couldn't dodge in time. They were engulfed and began screaming in unbearable pain as they were bitten.
Writhing on the ground, they shrieked and thrashed in agony.
Moments later, the insects returned to the jar. The four villagers now lay bloodied and motionless. Whether they were dead or alive was unclear.
Still expressionless, Aburame Shibi and his companions walked into the village.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Urgent alarm bells rang out across Stone Crane Village.
Figures rushed toward the village entrance. Upon seeing their fallen comrades, they roared in rage and attacked the invading Aburame trio.
But all three of the intruders were powerful: the weakest among them was a jōnin, while the strongest was an elite jōnin.
Though not on the level of the top-tier powerhouses, they were still far beyond what a small clan like the Ishikaku could resist.
As wave after wave of insects attacked, Ishikaku shinobi collapsed one by one, screaming, covered in blood, and left motionless.
"These five—we're taking them."
Having crushed the resistance, the three Aburame calmly gathered five unconscious youths from the Ishikaku Clan, using their insects to lift and carry them out of the village.
Though some villagers glared with fury and others with helpless despair, none dared to resist again.
The strength gap was too vast. Any further resistance would only mean more unnecessary deaths for the Ishikaku.
They could only watch as the Aburame trio carried the five unconscious boys away.
Once outside the village, the three turned and began the journey back toward Konoha with their captives.
This wasn't the first time they had done something like this.
To gain Danzō's favor, words alone weren't enough.
They not only had to send clan members to Root—but also had to act on Danzō's behalf.
Like now: suppressing rebellious minor clans.
How did Root get its recruits, exactly?
Many of them came from incidents just like this.
"Who's there?"
Suddenly, the three halted. Behind their sunglasses, their gazes sharpened.
A lone figure stood quietly ahead.
They hadn't sensed any presence—only when they drew close and the path cleared of trees did they finally notice him.
He wore a black cloak with red clouds. A spiral mask covered his face, leaving only his right eye exposed.
"That outfit… you… you're… the Wood Release bloodline ninja?!"
Shibi's pupils contracted sharply behind his shades.
The Wood Release user—an elite-level shinobi who had once taken on twelve elite jōnin at once, killing eleven and letting only one escape. A shadow-level threat.
And now, they had encountered him?
Shibi's heart sank. This could mean death.
"What? He's the Wood Release ninja?!"
The other two Aburame jōnin—usually expressionless—now showed visible fear.
The Aburame were known for their emotional restraint, but even they couldn't remain calm in the face of true terror.
"Using Konoha's name to oppress its allied clans—is this how Konoha acts now?"
"Uchiha Obito" sneered.
He was not truly Obito—but Uchiha Fugaku in disguise.
After learning that Shibi had left Konoha, Fugaku had quietly followed, tailing the trio in secret.
He had witnessed the entire assault on Stone Crane Village and the abduction of the five Ishikaku youths.
He had once compared Shibi to a parasite—now, that judgment felt spot-on.
Willing to become Danzō's lapdog, using force to plunder those who allied with the village this behavior trampled on the ideals upon which Konoha had been built.
Calling Shibi a parasite was, if anything, too generous.