Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 63 The Inevitable Consequences of the Open Policy

The commercial street has been completed for a month.

Just as he had predicted, the influx of merchants brought prosperity, but also spies.

Konoha, Kusagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure... and even a few spies from the distant Kirigakure.

Of course, sending ninjas in is out of the question, because people with high concentrations of chakra are considered rare and high-quality food by all pets.

No matter how well they hide, their instinct for food will allow the swarm to spot them immediately.

In addition to the disciplinary screening by Takigakure Village and the business screening by Ryuji Ida, there are only local merchants from Takigakure.

Those who manage to infiltrate are all spies and informants who have been planted by various ninja villages for a long time.

But actually, it's useless to sneak in, because these ordinary people will still go through one last screening. They will be routinely questioned by straight people and then put to sleep by pheromones.

Unless the opponent is a truly top-tier expert, they simply cannot withstand it. But a truly top-tier expert would have been discovered by the insects immediately.

These people, without exception, were labeled, monitored, and isolated from the true core.

On the day the commercial district opened, Naoto stood on the high-rise building of the newly built Longying Elementary School and asked Yu Nu Zhicheng, who was grading homework next to him.

"Why not eliminate all those spies?"

There's a saying that goes, "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish." But I think it can be interpreted in another way. If there aren't a single fish in a pond, can I assume the water is poisoned? Wouldn't a smart person realize there's something wrong?

"So, you want them to spread false information?"

"No, since you've chosen to open up the village, the changes inside can't be kept secret. All you have to do is let them know what they need to know."

Naoto remained silent for a long time, and finally he understood what Shisei Aburame had said, and stopped asking such questions.

So, in the end, their Takigakure Village was just a facade created by Shisei Aburame to mislead the enemy. If the truth is ever revealed, will this man completely abandon them?

Thinking of this, Naoto suddenly paused, then smiled to himself, "So, without realizing it, we've become so dependent on him?"

When Shi Cheng, an oil worker, submitted a career planning report, Ryuji Ida and his caravan's think tank helped supplement the details, and the occupancy rate of the commercial district almost reached full capacity.

Meanwhile, Shibuki Syaoran was diligently selecting and organizing his own internal affairs group, knowing that he was not strong enough and that he had no talent in ninjutsu.

The best thing he could do was to be diligent in governing and close to the people. As for other matters such as defending against foreign enemies, he could leave them to other capable people.

Moreover, as he grew older, he gradually discovered some problems. The village's development over the years had been smooth sailing, and there must be someone secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes. After all, he was just diligent but not really stupid.

Ryuji Ida was in charge of business, Syaoran Shibuki handled domestic affairs, and Naoto was in charge of military affairs. As for him, he only needed to occasionally send a shadow clone to teach at the ninja academy, to come into contact with those young lives and pure thoughts.

The rest of the time, he lived in this underground palace, keeping company with insects, and his days were peaceful and regular.

"This is the ideal life."

Inside the underground palace, Aburame Shisei retracted his clone, closed his eyes, and began to absorb the memories of a brand new day.

After more than two years, he finally created his own comfort zone, and the discomfort of feeling out of place in the ninja world was finally relieved at this moment.

Most importantly, with the breakthrough in his physical limitations, he was no longer a tiny insect that could be easily crushed by others. And the increase in his own strength also gave him the confidence to feel safe.

"I feel like even if this place is exposed, it won't matter much," Shisei Aburame said with a smile as he sat in front of the monitoring console.

However, what you say comes true, and the slap in the face comes just as quickly.

Five miles before the entrance to Takigakure Village, his swarm of insects sensed an extremely dangerous presence.

That person was well hidden, and his chakra level was deliberately suppressed to the level of an ordinary person.

However, Shisei Aburame's insects sensed not quantity, but quality, especially the strong characteristics contained in that person's chakra, which are often standard features of the strong.

Chakra is a combination of spiritual energy and cellular energy. In the presence of a true master, it is also an extension of the body and spirit. Therefore, each chakra has a different flavor when it is slendered.

The stronger one's personal chakra flavor, the further one has gone on the path of ninja.

There are many people in the ninja world who possess this chakra trait, but only one person has such a cold and sinister characteristic.

Orochimaru…

Aburame Zhicheng was stationed in the underground palace. Although the two were dozens of miles apart, given the speed of the other party, he would probably arrive here soon.

He had actually anticipated this day. With so many of Danzo's Root spies disappearing one after another, Konoha couldn't possibly remain unresponsive. He just hadn't expected Danzo to actually persuade Orochimaru to come and investigate. Was it Orochimaru's own request, or were the conditions Danzo offered too difficult for him to refuse?

He guessed it was the latter.

"At this point in time, Senju Nawaki should be dead. He should be lamenting the brevity of life by now."

"Sigh, I just didn't expect them to arrive so quickly. Some things really shouldn't be said; saying them is like popping champagne halfway through the party."

Although Aburame Shisei was somewhat surprised, he did not feel flustered.

To put it bluntly, no matter how strong Orochimaru is, he has already established a foothold here. Even if he were to hide in an underground palace, they could wear him down with insects. Therefore, he is naturally fearless.

However, it's best not to reveal your whereabouts if possible.

The five-mile journey was quickly completed, and the moment Orochimaru stepped into Takigakure, he sensed an unusual sense of unease.

This village is too small.

With his experience, he could see through the big picture at a glance. Yet it was precisely this smallness that sparked his deep interest.

The streets were clean, the houses were brand new, and the villagers coming and going had a rare... vitality on their faces.

"It's so vibrant!"

Wearing a straw hat and ordinary merchant clothes, he strolled along the commercial street, casually looking at the shops on both sides, like a down-on-his-luck traveling merchant. His gray cloak covered most of his face, revealing only his thin chin.

However, the village's routine inquiry soon followed.

This was something that Shibuki Kosou and several elders came up with. It wasn't actually a real monitoring method; its main purpose was to confuse people.

But the elders couldn't say anything, and fortunately, Shibuki Kosou was completely unaware. He focused on the guards' questioning and worked diligently and conscientiously.