The Nine-Tails' rampage not only cost Konoha its Fourth Hokage and its Jinchūriki, but also led to the deaths of countless shinobi and civilians. For Konoha, which was still recovering its strength, this was akin to adding insult to injury.
Fortunately, by this time, Konoha had already defeated Sunagakure and Iwagakure, and Kirigakure was mostly crippled, leaving only Kumogakure as a major threat.
Thus, Aburame Shigeo was appointed as the lead jōnin to be dispatched to the frontlines against Kumogakure.
This was an order he could not refuse.
After Minato Namikaze's death, Konoha needed a new young powerhouse to prove to the world that the village still had formidable reserves of strength.
As someone who had single-handedly subdued the Nine-Tails, Aburame Shigeo was undoubtedly the best candidate.
This mission was essentially a "god-making" endeavor, and its success would determine Konoha's standing for years to come.
Aburame Shigeo understood this.
Thus, in the battles against Kumogakure, he chose not to hold back. Instead, he unleashed his full potential in every encounter.
Soon, Kumogakure shinobi experienced what it meant to face "hell-level" combat.
In every battle Shigeo participated in, the toad trio Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro rampaged across the battlefield, turning it upside down within minutes.
At the same time, swarms of kikaichū blanketed the skies like dark clouds.
The moment they detected a Kumogakure shinobi, they descended in unison, leaving their targets as shriveled husks.
There was no escaping, no chance of surrender.
To the Kumogakure shinobi, encountering Aburame Shigeo was even more terrifying than facing Minato Namikaze.
To deal with this threat, Kumogakure deployed its "trump cards"—the Fourth Raikage, A, and the Eight-Tails' Jinchūriki, Killer B.
This duo had previously fought Minato Namikaze to a draw.
But against Aburame Shigeo, it was a different story.
The Eight-Tails-transformed Killer B faced off against the toad trio alone, while the Fourth Raikage led his shinobi in fending off the kikaichū swarm.
This wasn't a simple "man versus insect" skirmish; it wasn't as easy as just killing every bug in sight.
Hidden among the ordinary kikaichū were explosive beetles that could instantly annihilate careless shinobi.
Moreover, the Kumogakure forces had to be on constant alert for kikaichū clones disguised as their comrades.
A single lapse in vigilance could lead to being swarmed by these "allies," who would drain all their chakra and leave them as husks.
The battle raged throughout the day, leaving the Kumogakure shinobi utterly exhausted.
When night fell, the toad trio returned to their realm, and the kikaichū swarm dispersed.
Under the moonlight, the battlefield was strewn with the corpses of kikaichū, while the drained bodies of Kumogakure shinobi were scattered everywhere.
By dawn, Kumogakure reinforcements arrived, only to face the reappearance of the toad trio and the kikaichū swarm.
And so, the cycle continued.
This grueling pattern lasted for half a month. After losing over 10,000 shinobi, Kumogakure could no longer endure.
They were horrified to discover that no matter how many kikaichū they killed, the swarms never seemed to diminish, while their own numbers dwindled.
The most terrifying part? They never even caught a glimpse of the kikaichū's master.
It was as if an invisible demon lurked in the shadows, silently devouring their lives.
The Kumogakure forces were gripped by fear.
The few survivors even developed a crippling phobia of insects.
At the mere sight of small black bugs, they would tense up and, in some cases, lose their sanity, attacking their comrades in panic.
Even the Fourth Raikage couldn't change the situation. Left with no choice, he led the remnants of Kumogakure's forces in retreat.
Meanwhile, Aburame Shigeo earned a new moniker—the **Black Demon**.
The "black" referred to the color of the kikaichū swarm, and "demon" described his despair-inducing combat tactics.
Kumogakure's retreat electrified Konoha's shinobi with newfound morale.
Following Minato Namikaze, they now had another individual capable of turning the tide of battle single-handedly.
Over time, people began referring to Shigeo and Minato as "Konoha's Two Colors."
Aburame Shigeo was less than thrilled.
"Why is Minato called the 'Yellow Flash,' while I'm stuck with 'Black Demon'?" he grumbled. "Even 'Black Storm' would've been better!"
Determined to change his title, Shigeo altered his combat style during his next deployment against Kirigakure.
He commanded his kikaichū to form a black tornado, sweeping across the battlefield and leaving Kirigakure shinobi as shriveled husks.
At the end of each battle, he deliberately left a few survivors and introduced himself as the "Black Storm."
However, his desired title never caught on. Instead, the name "Black Demon" became even more infamous, reaching the point where it was used to frighten children into behaving.
Even in Konoha, parents would say, "If you don't behave, the Black Demon will take you away," instantly calming unruly kids.
Though frustrated, Shigeo found solace in the respect he received from his peers. Wherever he went, fellow Konoha shinobi would bow and greet him as "Lord Shigeo."
In truth, he couldn't deny that being universally acknowledged felt pretty good.
"Fine," he thought. "Black Demon it is. A title is just a title, right? It's still better than being called 'useless.'"
With this mindset, Shigeo continued to lead Konoha's forces, crushing remnants of Kirigakure and Kumogakure within the Land of Fire.
Meanwhile, his wife, Konan, stayed in Konoha to care for Naruto. A year later, she gave birth to a beautiful daughter.
Shigeo named her **Aburame Chien**.
On the day of her birth, the kikaichū of the Aburame clan behaved unusually, leaving their habitats to swarm around the hospital's maternity ward.
This bizarre event drew the attention of Konoha's villagers, who nicknamed her "Black Princess," while the Aburame clan called her "Insect Princess."
The daughter of the Black Demon and the princess of the kikaichū—Chien was destined for greatness.
Shigeo doted on her immensely, guarding her closely as if she might vanish at any moment. Even during negotiations with Kirigakure, he insisted Konan carry Chien by his side.
Though such behavior might have seemed laughable under normal circumstances, Konoha was experiencing a string of infant abductions, which had left the village in turmoil.
As a time traveler, Shigeo knew these abductions were orchestrated by Orochimaru, with possible involvement from Danzo.
Unwilling to deal with such troublesome matters, Shigeo left the issue to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who he knew would eventually resolve it.
After all, patience was one of Shigeo's strong suits.
*(Chapter End)*