Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Deep underground, the centipede dragged its broken body, moving swiftly through the underground worm tunnels.

Inside the carriage, the survivors of the oil women's tribe huddled together, some weeping, some silent, and some bandaging the wounds of their companions.

Yu Nu Zhiwei stood at the very front of the carriage, her back to everyone.

His clothes were torn, his face was covered in blood, and he had burns on his arms, but he stood ramrod straight.

"Zhiwei..." His wife walked to his side and gently took his hand. She didn't speak, but just held his hand tightly.

Aburame Shiki turned his head, looked at his wife, and then at their son in her arms. The six-year-old boy was already quite mature for his age in Konoha; he knew what was happening, so he didn't cause any trouble but sat there quietly.

Even though he was curious about the giant centipede, he kept that curiosity to himself.

"We survived." Aburame Shiki's voice was hoarse, as if she were saying to herself.

After a moment of silence, the wife said, "I don't mind."

Her voice was soft but firm, "But I want half of the new bugs you got from that little girl."

Aburame Shiki paused for a moment, then smiled.

It was a smile that was both awkward and slightly bitter. "...Okay."

Shino Aburame looked at her parents, wondering what secrets they were whispering and what deals they were making in private.

If it's because of that sister, can he also get some benefits?

That's what he thought, but soon he saw a scene that would shatter his entire life.

The older sister actually sat on her father's lap in front of her mother, hugged his neck, kissed him, and then went to another deserted workshop.

-

The defection of the Aburame clan caused a huge uproar in Konoha. Although the Third Hokage tried to suppress the news immediately, how could such a major event be kept secret?

The news spread rapidly through the village like bird flu.

"The Aburame clan has defected?"

"I heard that even when the Hokage himself took action, he couldn't wipe them out completely."

"They sought refuge in the Land of Waterfalls."

"Even the Aburame clan has run away, what are we going to do?"

The common people raged and cursed, but undercurrents were stirring among the ninjas. A small number of orphaned civilian ninjas began to secretly defect during missions.

Some succeeded, but disappeared into a corner of the mainland.

But most attempts failed; the secret agents were not to be trifled with. After the defectors were captured, they were met with interrogation rooms and execution grounds.

However, there are still exceptions.

Mizuki is a Chunin of Konoha. He was an average student in his youth, neither particularly outstanding nor unremarkable. He usually appears honest and simple, and has a good relationship with his colleague Iruka.

But he hated Konoha's system, hated those high-ranking noble families, and hated his fate of never being able to rise above others despite his desperate efforts.

After news of the Aburame clan's defection reached him, Mizuki made a decision. He knocked out his friend Iruka, stole a map of the defenses around Konoha, and escaped Konoha under the cover of night.

They evaded three waves of ANBU pursuers along the way and were eventually picked up by the people of the Sound Village at the border.

"Lord Orochimaru sent me to pick you up."

The person who came to pick him up was wearing the uniform of the Sound Village and had no expression on his face.

Mizuki followed him into the Sound Village's stronghold, feeling both fear and excitement.

He has finally left Konoha and can finally start a new life.

"Have new test subjects arrived again?" Kabuto, dragging his weary body, pushed up his glasses. "Let's give him an anesthetic injection first."

-

Returning our focus to Konoha, Kyoko Yamamura is a medical ninja from Konoha. An orphan with no family or background, she climbed to her current position step by step through her own efforts.

After the Aburame clan defected, Konoha began a large-scale screening of unstable individuals, and Kyoko Yamamura was placed on the list of key individuals under observation.

It wasn't because she was doing anything outrageous, but because her resume was too clean, so clean that it aroused suspicion, as clean as a blank sheet of paper.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem at all, but now it's worth investigating, especially since she has a classmate named Yakushi Nono, who is said to have had a good relationship with her during their childhood and were in the same orphanage.

She knew she was being monitored by the secret service, but she kept quiet and continued to work diligently at the hospital.

He knew his chance had come when a noble young master specifically asked him to treat him. On the night of her mission, she first used an anesthetic to incapacitate her companions, and then, during a duel with an Anbu ninja, she unleashed a powerful burst of strength, using medical ninjutsu to kill them and escape Konoha.

However, she didn't head to any large cities or seek refuge with anyone. Instead, she ventured alone into the deep mountains and forests. The mountains stretched endlessly, the primeval forests were dense, and the desolate land was uninhabited.

She wandered in the mountains for three days and three nights, lost and unable to find her way. Just when she thought she was going to starve to death in the deep mountains, a completely different scene suddenly appeared before her eyes.

Green mountains and clear waters, birds singing and flowers blooming, waterfalls cascading down cliffs, shimmering with rainbow colors under the sunlight.

She was stunned.

Where is this place?

She clearly remembered that the mountains in this area were all barren, so how could there be such a paradise on earth?

Filled with doubts, she stepped into this paradise.

Until she saw two six-year-old boys digging a large pit and burying the body of a middle-aged man.

Startled, she took a step back, but tripped over the gravel beneath her feet.

One of the red-haired youths said fiercely, "Should we kill him?"

"No, she might have accidentally wandered in," the blond boy stepped forward to stop her.

"Hmph, you'll die sooner or later." The red-haired youth put down the sand in his hand and stepped forward to ask, "What use are you?"

Kyoko Yamamura trembled with fear. She hadn't expected the outside world of Konoha to be so terrifying, that a mere six-year-old child could possess such destructive power. And this was all she had done was casually wander into the deep mountains and forests.

I don't know what Konoha has the nerve to boast that it's the number one ninja village.

"Don't kill me! I know medical ninjutsu. I can teach you medical ninjutsu."

"Saving people? I'm not interested." The red-haired boy turned his head away.

"I'm interested, I'm interested!" The blond boy hurriedly stepped forward, afraid that his friend would do something outrageous.

And so, Kyoko Yamamura was lucky enough to survive.

Later she learned that this was no longer the Land of Fire. Although the people in Peach Blossom Valley were few, they were all terrifyingly powerful. And the graves outside the mountains were where those two teenagers had killed people.

That's not entirely true; most of them died voluntarily, supposedly to atone for their sins.

But who would willingly die when they are perfectly healthy?