2 Chapter 2 : Secret Laboratory

"No one's coming?"

"Don't be so shy. Let the teacher demonstrate it first."

"my name is Ogawa Masaru. I enjoy wine; I detest war, and my ideal is to become an excellent teacher."

"Do you know how to introduce yourself?"

"Who goes first?"

Encouraged by Ogawa, someone soon began introducing themselves, and the class atmosphere seemed to return to normal.

Meanwhile, standing in the corridor, Maki's mind was occupied with the task of introducing herself to the class. Though she seemed lost in thought, she had entered another perspective—that of a bug.

Due to an inexplicable connection, Maki was controlling parasitic insects far away in the Konoha Forest. Through their perspective, she captured rare or special insects, providing her with a unique and fantastical outlook.

Experience the immersive sensation of controlling an insect swarm.

Unlike other clansmen, controlling parasites required secret techniques, and it was far less straightforward than Maki's abilities. With a mere thought, the insect swarms within the coverage area acted according to Maki's ideas. It was as if she herself was a swarm of insects, with Maki being the master and brain of the insect swarm.

At this time, the self-introduction in the class drew Maki's attention.

"I'm Tsunade, what I like is gambling; I hate losing money, and my ideal is to win money."

The speaker was a beautiful girl with light yellow hair in a high ponytail. Tsunade? Maki couldn't help but smile beneath her mask, knowing that at this point, she hadn't yet started practicing medical ninjutsu.

"I am Jiraiya. I like my eldest sister, but what I hate is..."

Jiraiya's introduction was interrupted, and he looked rather foolish at first glance. Maki decided not to pay much attention to him for now. However, Orochimaru was notably absent from the class.

"Aburame Maki! Come in and introduce yourself."

Following the teacher's call, Maki walked into the classroom. After a quick survey, she spoke, "Aburame Maki. I like bugs, I detest people, and my ideal is the stars and the sea."

The teacher nodded and asked, "Do you know you made a mistake?"

Maki nodded in acknowledgment. Seeing her composed demeanor, the teacher sighed and asked, "Will you do better next time?"

"Yes," Maki replied simply, showing no fear. The teacher, feeling defeated, waved her to sit back.

"Teacher…"

Hyuga, a little girl, raised her hand weakly, looking like she was about to cry.

"Can I not sit with Aburame-san?"

The tearful Hyuga pleaded, "Who wants to sit with Aburame?"

The whole class fell into a silent moment; no one, not even the boys, wanted to sit with someone covered in bugs. The teacher felt a headache coming on.

At this moment, a brave girl spoke up, "Teacher, she can sit with me."

The teacher's eyes lit up, appreciating the courage of the girl who volunteered. Maki couldn't help but glance at Tsunade, wondering about her intentions.

"Aburame Maki, please sit where Tsunade is."

Maki walked over to Tsunade, who had been observing her with interest. Ignoring Tsunade's gaze, Maki sat down comfortably. At this point, Miki wasn't interested in making friends with Tsunade. That could wait; there was still plenty of time.

"You're very strong," Tsunade whispered.

Maki glanced at Tsunade. At this stage, where most didn't even know the Three Basic jutsu, it wasn't implausible for Maki, who already knew the family secret technique, to be the strongest in the class. The crying Hyuga girl was one of the few who had mastered chakra control at this age, making her a genius.

"But I'm stronger than you, huh?"

Tsunade snorted and turned away from looking at Maki.

As she said that, a crunching sound came from Maki's mouth. The teacher on the podium took a deep breath, seemingly accustomed to Maki's peculiar actions.

The teacher resumed the lecture, ignoring Maki's actions. The day's studies ended normally, with no ninja training taught. After school, Maki headed straight to the forest.

Maki's chakra control training on water and trees had concluded half a year ago. Stepping on roofs and tree trunks, she reached her secret base, a dark crypt, which she had carved out with the help of her insect swarm.

The crypt, lit by candles and the green fluorescence of flying insects, had an eerie appearance. It served as an insect den, with passages leading to hidden places underground. The ventilation was smooth, and the whole place had an ominous yet functional vibe.

In the plan, this location was designed as a laboratory. Maki had spent half a year excavating a cavity of about 200 square meters, fifty meters underground, using her insect swarm.

So far, only the main area has been completed. It contained experimental bodies captured by Maki, and the side room served as a resting place. The main hall housed glass bottles and wire cages with various insects, small animals, and plants. Most were dead, preserved, or made into specimens for future use.

The crypt, surrounded by dark yellow and green fluorescence, resembled the secret operating room of an evil lich. Though Maki wished for a brighter and more futuristic setting, her financial constraints prevented such improvements. At six years old, she lacked the funds for any upgrades.

Everything in the crypt, from furniture to glass bottles, had been collected through the hard work of Maki's insect swarm. It was a testament to her resourcefulness.

["Experiment started, recording, infection progress test."]

Holding a burning candlestick, Maki pulled out a small cage with a dying black cat. This experiment involved infecting animals with parasites.

["The infection is complete, the progress is 100%, and the spirit is linked."]

Maki established a link with the infected cat, sensing its emotions and controlling its behavior. The infection allowed her to manipulate living beings, a unique aspect of her abilities.

Maki continued with the experiment, noting the stable mood of the cat and the duration of the infection. The bigger the body, the slower the infection progresses, suggesting a potential link to the number of cells in the body.

["Body currently in a stable mood; infection period is 366 hours. Observations suggest that larger bodies have a slower infection progress, potentially related to the number of cells."]

Maki explored the potential factors influencing infection, including the resistance of the mind. Her ability allowed her to infect not only bugs but also animals and plants.

["Resistance of the mind needs further observation."]

["There is currently a lack of testing for chakra biotin body infection."]

Maki discovered that her parasitic insects could digest chakra and convert it into life energy. This unique ability made them excellent chakra conductors.

Maki turned her attention to other ongoing experiments in the crypt, involving the manipulation of genes through infection. This process, resembling evolution or mutation, aimed to optimize combinations of genes for various purposes.

"The next step is to make it huge, but for now, the plan is to turn the parasite colony into an ant colony—

'super-individualization.'"

Maki continued her experiments, documenting her findings and contemplating future developments. The dark crypt served as her secret laboratory, a place where her unique abilities could be explored and refined.