Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't keep Shigeo Aburame waiting for long.
Barely two months after Konoha concluded negotiations with the Hidden Mist, the mysterious case of missing infants in Konoha was solved.
The culprit turned out to be none other than one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.
He had flagrantly violated bans by conducting human experiments and injured several ANBU operatives during his capture attempt before escaping. As a result, he was declared a rogue ninja.
To prevent his escape from the Land of Fire, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, dispatched numerous ANBU teams to hunt him down.
At least, that was the official narrative.
The truth was, if Hiruzen had truly intended, Orochimaru wouldn't have had a chance to flee. He would have been apprehended and likely spent the rest of his life in the depths of Konoha's prison, if not executed outright.
Shigeo Aburame understood the hidden intricacies behind the matter but had no intention of exposing them.
Having finally secured a peaceful life, he had no desire to entangle himself in such troublesome affairs.
Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned.
Though he tried to avoid trouble, trouble always seemed to find him first.
---
That evening, just after dinner, a raspy chuckle reached Shigeo's ears, making him frown instinctively.
"Konan, take Naruto and Chien to the bedroom. I'll handle our guest."
"Alright!"
Konan nodded and quickly took Naruto and their daughter into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
At the same time, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness by the table.
It was none other than Orochimaru.
He looked like he had just been through a battle. His ninja armor was dusty, his pale face bore traces of blood, and his golden snake-like eyes gleamed eerily under the lamp's light.
Orochimaru's sharp gaze landed on the composed Shigeo Aburame. Stretching out his crimson tongue to lick his lips, Orochimaru's eyes glimmered with appreciation.
"It's truly enviable. Jiraiya, that naive fool, managed to take on two remarkable disciples, especially you, Shigeo Aburame."
"You flatter me," Shigeo replied with a faint smile, glancing subtly out the window.
"The moonlight is lovely tonight. If I were you, I'd leave Konoha as soon as possible instead of reminiscing with someone irrelevant."
"Hohoho... You're far from irrelevant."
Orochimaru chuckled, stepping closer to Shigeo before extending a hand.
"I'm here to invite you. Leave Konoha with me, Shigeo-kun!"
"Huh?"
Shigeo's expression turned bewildered.
"Orochimaru-sama, you must be joking. I have a home, a family, status, and respect in Konoha. Why would I join you as a rogue ninja?"
"Family is fleeting, status and respect even more so. Besides…"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly smile, his snake-like eyes narrowing.
"You're someone who despises danger and trouble. Staying in Konoha will bring you endless amounts of both."
Catching the implication, Shigeo raised an eyebrow.
"For example?"
"Danzo!"
Orochimaru wasted no time exposing his former collaborator to convince Shigeo.
"Everything you've done, including adopting the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, has been deemed a threat by Danzo. He's already planning to act against you."
"..."
Shigeo frowned but said nothing.
Though there was no concrete evidence, he doubted Orochimaru would lie about something like this, especially since such behavior was entirely in line with Danzo's character.
Was leaving Konoha truly the best choice?
Shigeo hesitated.
Orochimaru noticed his indecision and added fuel to the fire.
"Shigeo-kun, I've noticed you've been holding back more recently. The scale of your parasitic insects has decreased compared to before. If I'm not mistaken, your body must have some issues, correct?"
"..."
Shigeo remained silent, though a hint of surprise flashed behind his sunglasses.
As expected of one of the Sannin, Orochimaru's keen insight was extraordinary.
He had guessed precisely!
Shigeo indeed had issues, though not with his body, but with his parasitic insects.
Back when he was in the Land of Rain, the lack of rations had forced him to abandon his rations-based insects, significantly reducing his combat effectiveness.
Now, a similar predicament loomed.
The blood insects he synthesized using Nagato's red hair had an impressive lifespan of over a year, far surpassing the ration-based insects.
However, two years after returning to Konoha, the blood insects had reached the end of their lifespan. Without the original "materials," Shigeo couldn't create new blood insects and had to revert to using rations-based ones.
The difference between the two was akin to comparing a power plant to a portable battery.
Under these circumstances, Shigeo had become much more conservative with his chakra use.
He had thought he hid it well, but Orochimaru had seen through him.
Since his secret was out, Shigeo admitted it outright.
"Yes, I've encountered some issues, but how does that justify leaving Konoha? Would the village truly allow Danzo to act against me unchecked?"
"Hehe… That's hard to say."
Orochimaru's raspy laughter filled the room again, his snake-like eyes glinting.
"When Danzo targets someone, even Hiruzen-sensei might not intervene. Naruto might be safe as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, but as for everyone else..."
"..."
Shigeo fell silent again.
Orochimaru's meaning was clear—Danzo was coming for him, and Hiruzen Sarutobi might turn a blind eye.
At that point, aside from Naruto, who was protected as a jinchūriki, Shigeo and his family could face dire consequences.
Shigeo didn't think his reputation could shield him. After all, building a reputation was difficult, but losing it was far too easy.
Take the example of Sakumo Hatake, the "White Fang of Konoha." His reputation was so stellar that even the Sannin respected him, yet he ended up a disgraced, broken man who committed suicide.
If the Konoha higher-ups were capable of orchestrating such a downfall, Shigeo didn't doubt they could do the same to him.
He began seriously considering leaving Konoha.
However, joining Orochimaru seemed far too risky.
It would be safer to use the distraction Orochimaru was creating with the ANBU to quietly take his family back to the Land of Rain.
Orochimaru, seemingly reading his thoughts, chuckled darkly.
"Hohoho… Shigeo-kun, don't even think about shaking me off, let alone taking the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki with you. Hiruzen-sensei would come after you himself!"
"..."
So escaping successfully ultimately depended on whether the Third Hokage was willing to let it happen?
Shigeo sighed inwardly and glanced at Orochimaru, suspicion flickering in his gaze.
"Orochimaru-sama, you've risked so much to come here and persuade me. Surely it's not just out of admiration?"
"Of course not," Orochimaru admitted without hesitation.
"I need a powerful and trustworthy ally, and you, Shigeo-kun, fit the bill."
"And what do I gain in return?"
Shigeo smiled faintly.
"Or rather, what can you offer me, Orochimaru-sama?"
"Everything I have!" Orochimaru's eyes glowed with intensity.
"As long as you agree to cooperate with me, I'll share everything with you!"
"..."
Shigeo was silent, but the proposition tempted him.
After several moments of contemplation, he finally spoke.
"Hashirama Cells."
Orochimaru's smile widened.
"Deal!"
Hearing Orochimaru's agreement, Shigeo also smiled.
"Pleasure working with you. But to make this convincing, we'll need to put on a show. Don't you agree, Orochimaru-sama?"
"I was thinking the same thing!"
---
**From ANBU Archive File: Shigeo Aburame, Volume XI**
In Konoha Year 49, S-Rank rogue ninja Orochimaru attempted to attack Konoha but was intercepted by Shigeo Aburame, the "Black Reaper" and a peer of the Fourth Hokage.
The ensuing battle was fierce, with both displaying equal strength. They fought from within Konoha to the outskirts, summoning their powerful creatures, Manda and Gamabunta, to aid them.
Ultimately, Shigeo sacrificed himself to protect Konoha, being swallowed by Manda, while Orochimaru sustained heavy injuries and fled the Land of Fire.
*(End of Chapter)*