Although he had successfully fled the borders of the Hidden Leaf, Shisui knew he had nowhere to call home.
In time, once the village caught its breath and could spare the manpower, the hunt for him would resume with renewed vigor.
If he could assume another man's identity and vanish into the relatively stable Hidden Waterfall Village (Takigakure), it might be the perfect solution.
Firstly, Takigakure had managed to remain neutral in the current war, offering a peaceful sanctuary.
Secondly, the village lacked top-tier powerhouses; even if he were discovered, the situation would remain firmly under his control.
Furthermore, Takigakure sat atop a hoard of legendary treasures: the Seven-Tails (Chomei), the Hero's Water, the remnants of the Divine Tree's roots, and the forbidden records of the Earth Grudge Fear technique.
In the future, he could transform Takigakure into his permanent hive. He could even siphon the chakra of the Seven-Tails to feed his swarm. After all, Chomei was essentially a giant insect; it was only fitting.
Having made his decision, Shisui walked to the right side of the dungeon and knelt before the dying Takigakure Genin.
The boy was still breathing, though his consciousness was fading fast. Shisui pressed two fingers to the boy's neck; the pulse was a mere flutter, almost imperceptible.
Sensing a presence, the boy's lips moved, emitting a ghost of a sound. "Help... me..."
Shisui was no medical ninja. He didn't know how to heal, only how to destroy. However, he could inject his Kikaichu into a body to forcibly stimulate its latent vitality for a few final moments of lucidity.
"Name," Shisui asked patiently.
"Taki... Takigawa... Shu..."
"Age."
"Seventeen..."
The boy's mind was too shattered to offer complete sentences. Shisui reached into his sleeve and released a Stink-Blight.
The wingless insect crawled onto the boy's nose, secreting a specialized pheromone.
This time, it wasn't meant to cause horrific hallucinations, but to induce a state of extreme relaxation, lowering the brain's defenses and making the target susceptible to suggestion.
"Relax," Shisui's voice turned soft and melodic. "You are safe now. Tell me everything about who you are."
The boy's breathing stabilized. Under the influence of the pheromone, he began to recount his life in exhaustive detail.
Ten minutes later, the boy's eyes drifted shut for the last time.
Shisui now possessed a wealth of information: Takigawa Shu, seventeen years old, a Genin of the Hidden Waterfall.
His parents were long dead, but he had a fiancée in the village—a seventeen-year-old florist. He was known for a gentle personality and a strong sense of responsibility.
His repertoire was basic: the Three Basic Jutsu, standard Taijutsu, and tracking.
The boy's social circle was small, and his jutsu were fundamental. It was perfect; Shisui wouldn't even need to learn new techniques to play the part.
Most importantly, their physical builds were nearly identical. With a few minor adjustments, they would be indistinguishable.
"Perfect," Shisui whispered. "A tailor-made identity."
He withdrew the Stink-Blight and pulled a delicate kit from his tool pouch. Inside were surgical tools: scalpels, forceps, suturing needles, and disinfectant.
He used a minor medical technique to briefly repair the damage to the boy's face, ensuring the skin would retain its vitality for the transfer.
Then, he began the work.
His movements were precise and clinical. He had practiced this. During his years in the Leaf, he had served as a temporary field medic and had spent his private hours obsessively studying human anatomy.
Five minutes later, a complete facial graft had been harvested. Shisui submerged it in a specialized preservative solution, adjusted his tools, and performed a sequence of hand signs.
"Face-Shifting Jutsu."
The graft rose into the air and adhered to his face. As chakra flowed through the tissue, the skin began to merge, and his features shifted.
This wasn't Orochimaru's forbidden technique—it was a method Shisui had developed himself. At this point in time, Orochimaru likely hadn't even perfected his own version yet.
Shisui had simply taken the concept of a skin mask, combined it with advanced cosmetic techniques, and tied it together with chakra-based biological integration.
A minute later, Shisui looked into a mirror. The reflection staring back was no longer Shisui Aburame; it was Takigawa Shu.
Aside from his eyes, every detail was identical. He tested several facial expressions. While wide movements felt a bit stiff as the muscles adjusted, subtle, everyday expressions were flawless.
He released his Erosion Bugs to clean the dungeon. Ten minutes later, the blood, filth, and rotting meat were gone.
Only polished white skeletons remained, which the swarm neatly piled together. Shisui directed them to dig a deep pit and bury the remains.
Shisui donned the Takigakure forehead protector, tactical vest, and tool pouches. He used sealing scrolls to pack away the high-value materials he found: medicinal herbs, ores, and precious metals.
While grain wasn't as efficient as the blood and flesh of a ninja, it was still on the Erosion Bugs' menu. He filled three scrolls with the best supplies he could find.
Whatever he couldn't carry or digest, he put to the torch.
The flames quickly devoured the stronghold, erasing any lingering traces of the Aburame.
Among the dead Stone ninja, he had found three maps: a topography of the Land of Grass, a border defense map of the Land of Waterfall, and a suspected secret base distribution for the Hidden Stone.
They were interesting finds, but of little use to his immediate plans.
As the smoke billowed into the sky, Shisui stepped away from the inferno. He moved with the gait of a standard Genin, heading west toward the Land of Waterfall.
Rain drummed against the canvas of the command tent at the Leaf's front lines. Inside, the atmosphere was even gloomier than the weather.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya stared at the letter from their teacher in stunned silence.
"A nameless Genin suddenly exhibits Jonin-level power, slaughters a Jonin of the enemy... then kills an elite Leaf Jonin and successfully defects in under twenty-four hours," Orochimaru hissed, a thin smile touching his lips. "How fascinating."
"Is the old man losing his mind?" Jiraiya grumbled. "He wants front-line commanders to break off and hunt a rogue?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "He likely thinks our involvement will end it quickly and keep the scandal quiet. Didn't you see the note? Koharu and Danzo will take over our duties for a few days."
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "And if we can't solve it 'quickly'?"
Orochimaru didn't answer, his silence speaking volumes. If they failed to return quickly, their authority would be permanently usurped.
The Root had recently suffered a disaster against the Cloud, and Danzo had returned to the village to nurse his wounds.
Now, with Mitokado Homura playing a defensive "turtle" strategy against the Cloud, Danzo was likely looking for a way to restore his reputation by taking over the Stone front.
It was a calculated move. If the Leaf weren't besieged on all sides, Orochimaru might have suspected Danzo of orchestrating the entire defection himself.
"Let me go," Orochimaru said, his golden eyes gleaming with curiosity. "I've developed a sudden interest in this boy."