Black Hands

As his chakra recovered, the jonin was desperate to escape into the safety of the forest, leaping from tree to tree with lightning speed. He had only thought it was a normal assassination mission. How hard could it be to deal with a genin brat?

Little did he know, the mission he had accepted was anything but ordinary.

Cough- Who could have thought he would encounter a troublesome monster - one that was seemingly unkillable by his current means! No matter how hard he searched, he couldn't locate the genin's true body! How could he win when he's just wasting time on a clone?!

If he had not learned to be cautious from his decades of experience, he would have capsized in the gutter in the face of that monstrous being's repulsive and treacherous tactics. Cough, cough – it was definitely not because of his lack of skill.

Although it had been hard won, he felt fortunate that he had gotten his hands on the Shadow Clone jutsu. Its power had saved his life on numerous occasions, and once again, it had proven to be his salvation.

But as he moved deeper into the foliage, a terrible sensation gripped his throat, causing him to come to an abrupt halt on a branch.

Violent coughs wracked his body, his hand coming to his mouth to stifle the sound. But the coughs continued, growing more violent with each passing moment.

The jonin's eyes widened in horror as he realized that he was coughing up blood. He stumbled backwards, leaning against the tree trunk, struggling to maintain his balance on the branch.

"W-what is this?" Fear gripped his heart as he realized that something was horribly wrong. "When was I affected?!"

Just as he was about continue to make his escape, a sudden wave of paralysis seized his body, rendering him completely immobile.

His eyes bulged in terror as he realized that he was no longer in control of his own body. His muscles stiffened, and he tumbled off the tree, crashing to the forest floor below. His eyes strayed and locked onto a batch of tiny mosquito-like insects that gradually floated away...

Tap. Tap. Tap. The eerie silence of the forest was broken by the faint sound of footsteps, slowly growing louder and more distinct with each passing moment. A figure emerged from the shadows of the forest, his form shrouded in darkness and mystery.

But the jonin recognized the familiar figure with a glance. "K-Kochu, when?"

The opponent remained silent, unresponsive to the approach. As the figure drew closer, the pale glow of the moon revealed the identity of the mysterious stranger. It was none other than Shino himself.

The jonin's body twitched uncontrollably, his gaze fixed on the foot of the approaching Shino. He tried to speak, to beg for mercy, but his voice had began to fail him.

His mind was in turmoil as he struggled to comprehend what was happening to him. For a brief moment, the jonin felt a sense of anger towards Shino, blaming him for his terrible fate.

But as his body continued to spasm uncontrollably, the anger gave way to a sense of despair. He knew that there was no escape from this fate, that he was doomed to suffer in agony until the end.

As Shino approached, the jonin's eyes glazed over, his body finally giving in to the paralysis. The last thing he saw was the cold, calculating gaze of the Aburame, and he knew that his fate had been sealed.

With calm and steady steps, Shino stalked forward, arriving before his prey.

The corpse laid silently on the cold hard ground, his expression clouded with a sense of remorse. Shino's gaze drifted towards the lifeless body's face, his brows furrowed with a sense of confusion.

From the anime, Shino was well aware of the brainwashing techniques employed by Root. From a young age, Root personnel were conditioned to be ruthless killing machines, devoid of emotions. Fear, regret – they had none of these.

Then, this makes the current situation intriguing… this jonin doesn't seemed to be from Root? Could it be possible that this jonin was not a product of the infamous Root program?

But, this jonin had the Root's cursed seal. He also knew the Aburame clan well, and he seemed to know about Danzo as well, but…

"This is a real world, and I can't draw conclusions based on the anime alone. Who knows if Root has some external members, ones brimming with emotions. Then, again, maybe Root is not the only ones who use the Cursed Tongue Eradication seal. And it's not clear whether the other participants of the ambush were actually from Root or simply hired mercenaries. After all, there's no way Danzo is so stupid to blatantly attack the heirs of three clans with his own restricted amount of ninjas..."

Shino's eyes narrowed in deep thought. The questions raced through Shino's mind, each one more puzzling than the last.

Was this jonin an emotional member of Root, or was there something more to his story? Or is he really not from Root? If it's not Danzo, then who else could have sent these people after him?

A shiver ran down Shino's spine as he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was a dark force pulling the strings from behind the scenes, orchestrating a test to gauge his true capabilities.

"It couldn't be… I'm probably overthinking..."

As he arrived at this thought, Shino returned to his calm yet calculating demeanor, Shino considered his options.

He knew that facing the mysterious and powerful figure behind the scenes was not yet feasible for him. However, he was confident that even if he was discovered, it would not thwart his plans entirely. In the worst case, he receives an invitation from the mastermind behind the scheme.

A tantalizing thought crossed Shino's mind - perhaps he may even receive a personal invitation from the number one actor himself, a man whose first name coincidentally shared the same pronunciation as the first actor who starred as a certain friendly neighborhood hero.

Then, he could inherit the red-head boy's mantle and let the world know pain! Ahem-

Anyways, the truth, whether known or not, was inconsequential. What remained was that Danzo would have to shoulder the weight of this black pot, whether he wants to or not.

Shino had noticed that their enemy's movements had been too calculated, too precise. It was as if they had known exactly where and when to strike. There must be an inner ghost orchestrating this mission from the shadows, as it is simply impossible for it to occur otherwise.

Even though he had no memory of any cooperation between Danzo and that mysterious black hand in the anime, Shino couldn't shake off the feeling that Danzo had some involvement in the sinister events that had unfolded.

And if Danzo was involved, there must have been other shadowy figures pulling the strings behind the scenes, observing and calculating his life trajectory. They let Danzo bear the pot, while they watched the play, hidden amongst the audience.

As Shino gazed at the precious corpse lying before him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Regardless of the schemes, the truth was that he had won this time, and he was rewarded a jonin corpse for his victory. Securing this prize had been no easy feat, and he knew it was a rare and valuable acquisition.

But his success had hinged on a number of critical factors, one of which was keeping his main body hidden away, safe from harm.

"It'll be even harder to acquire more jonin corpses once my clone's abilities are analyzed… But, I didn't bring a transport drone, and there isn't really any way to bring this back without leaving traces of evidence for that scheming old man, something he could use against me if he discovered that I brought it back..."

After a brief moment of hesitation, Shino's hand trembled before he waved it with purpose, summoning walls of bugs to enclose the small area in every direction. Minutes later, the wall of bugs disappeared, and so did the corpse, its whereabouts shrouded in mystery.

"Time to head back. Hinata, Kiba, and Kurenai sensei had already solved the other assailants and should be searching for me. As for the rest..."

He'll worry about how to cross that bridge when he came to it. He kept a calm demeanor, knowing that he still had many tricks up his sleeve.

He hadn't revealed the full extent of his abilities just yet, and even if the worst-case scenario happened and he lost a clone, it wouldn't be a devastating blow.

As an air of mystery surrounded him, Shino adjusted his glasses with a calm demeanor and made his way to reunite with his team.

The sun was rising, casting a warm golden hue across the dense foliage of the forest. Team Kurenai had just finished cleaning up the aftermath of a skirmish with enemy ninjas.

After searching for another safe location, they sat around a small snuffed-out firepit as Kurenai sensei spoke up. "We should rest here to recover out strength for the day. We'll need our strength for the journey back to Konoha."

Kiba Inuzuka, the team's brash and impulsive member, grumbled. "I can't wait to get back home. Akamaru needs a bath after that dog fight."

"Arf! Arf!"

With hands clasped behind her back, Hinata gave him a small smile. "Kiba-kun, we'll be back before you know it."

As they settled in, the team couldn't help but think about the danger they had faced. It was a reminder that being a ninja was a perilous profession, and they were lucky to have made it out alive.

In a concealed location, beneath the grounds of Konoha, a shadowy figure sat motionless in an obscure chamber, shrouded in darkness. Leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him.

The room was silent as his subordinate entered, a scroll clutched in their hands. They knelt before him with the utmost respect, their eyes cast down. As they handed over the scroll, a feeling of tension hung thick in the air, as if something crucial was about to unfold.

Taking the scroll, the figure looked up at his subordinate, his eye piercing and cold. "What news do you have for me?" he asked.

"Danzo-sama, the people you sent were wiped out." The response that came out was devoid of any feeling.

Danzo didn't even flinch. "It doesn't matter. They were disloyal wastes inserted by that old man and his supporters anyways. Now that he's gone, there's no need for them to stay."

The subordinate maintained a stoic face, but the continuation of the questioning betrayed his doubt. "But sir, if they come..."

Danzo cut him off. "As long as there is no evidence, they can't do anything to me. After all, I was just doing it for Konoha. You may leave."

With a curt nod, the subordinate silently slunk back into the shadows.

Danzo raised the scroll in his hand, slowly unfurling it. Danzo's eyes scanned the contents of the scroll with a steely focus, his expression betraying nothing. As he finished reading, a small sneer crept across his lips.

"Really hiding deeply." With a sudden surge of emotion, his fists clenched tightly around the scroll, his body tensing as if to contain the power within.

And then, with a fierce blaze, the scroll was engulfed in flames, illuminating the room in a fiery glow that revealed the figure hidden in the darkness.

Drifting over the floorboards, the hem of his dark grey robe trailed up his legs like the wake of a ghostly presence. The robe concealed his right arm, an appendage that held many secrets yet to be revealed.

Underneath the robe, he wore a crisp white shirt, a stark contrast to his unkempt black hair and the X-shaped scar on his chin, a testament to his resilience and willingness to bear the cost of power. The enigma was heightened by the bandage over his right eye, hiding a dangerous power waiting to be unleashed.

The figure's face appeared as a deceptively fragile old man. A cane lay idle by his side, a mere accessory to the casual observer, adding to the appearance of vulnerability.

However, all of this was a facade that belied the immense power lurking in the darkness. This was Danzo Shimura, the leader of Root.

"Only loyal to the Hokage? Attempting to test my intentions? But such actions are reserved only for the worthy." A foreboding gleam flickered in the eyes of the frail old man. "I am the roots that grow in the dark, and all my chosen nutrients will eventually bleed into the ground. Everything is for Konoha."

The man's eye closed as if to rest, but there was a sense of foreboding that deep thoughts was happening beneath the surface. What machinations were taking place in the depths of his mind, no one could tell.

After their brief rest, Team 8 set out on their journey back to Konoha, their minds lingering with the weight of their experiences.

The team's return to Konoha was met with little fanfare. Kurenai led them to the Hokage's office, where they were reported to the two elderly advisors who seemed to play a deaf ear to their report.

As they left the office, they were in a somber mood, the weight of their mission still heavy on their minds.

Kurenai sensei, turned towards them with a grim expression on her face. "We need to be careful. Especially you, Shino. The one behind this is a powerful man, and he has many loyal followers. We…"

Kurenai sensei's eyes rolled in frustration as she heaved an exasperated sigh, her head shaking with a sense of discontent. "Just be careful. Sensei is also helpless in this matter."

The team nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. They went their separate ways, each lost in their own thoughts.

As Shino made his way back to the Aburame clan, his mind was consumed by thoughts of his harvest.

The spoils this time were adequate, but compared to the yield of his vast array of drones working in unison, it was merely a drop in the ocean.

Despite Konoha's size and its bountiful resources, the amount he could discreetly harvest were limited in the end.

The boundless potential of his vision clashed against the stark reality of Konoha's limited resources. With each passing day, the need for expansion grew more pressing. If only he could begin his expansion...

Suddenly, Shino's bugs had detected a signal that he had never encountered before. After realizing what it meant, it had led him back to his lab with a sense of urgency.

His queen was about to be born!