The Red Flash Chapter 65 (Aburame Clan) (Patreon)

Today is my birthday, so I made an early update for all of my stories, I hope you enjoy it.

Everyone stood still; the ninja of Kabuto's team was lying on the ground, his back leaning against the wall; his chest looked to have shattered like glass.

Lulja just looked bored; was it over already, her green eyes almost shutting, as if she just wanted to fall asleep. If it was, this was much shorter than she thought; no wonder the older man said The Sound Village was not to be trusted when it came to strength.

"How did she do that?" Sakura asked, leaning against the bars, trying to look closer.

"Her earth affinity is very high, and the chakra around her feet and ground is strange," Naruto pointed out; he could feel most of her chakra was focused on her feet, but could see her chakra had spread all over the ground around them.

He wondered if that allowed her to move the ground around her without hand signs.

"Hey, Red Star, don't ruin the surprise now," Lulja suddenly shouted, turning to look at Naruto with a strange grin.

"The way you control your chakra and the ground. That's quite impressive," Naruto commented, slightly understanding how she had made the ground move without doing a hand sign.

"Oh my, such a compliment. Please keep going. I love compliments," she spoke with a proud grin before sending a wink at Naruto, who turned his face around.

Ashara smirked at the teasing while Fuu raised an eyebrow at the horrible flirting coming from the earth girl.

Hearing groaning, everyone turned to see the Shinobi standing up, his elbows against the wall, trying to stand up.

Blood leaked out from his jaw, his teeth broken, as blood dripped on the ground, his breath heavy, almost trying to fill his lungs with air.

"You can give up if you want. There's no shame in that," Lulja spoke, her hands held together behind her head, looking at her enemy with a dull look.

The Shinobi spoke nothing. He prepared and rushed towards her to her right, his speed easily Medium-Chunin, his hands raised as his hand hit her square in the cheek, the sound of crushing bones was heard as the Shinobi screamed in pain.

Naruto noticed the skin around her cheek had turned grey, almost the colour of dirt.

"What happened now?" Sakura asked aloud; Naruto noticed the wince from Lulja when she yelled.

"She has completed her earth manipulation affinity; the final step is to be able to turn your own skin as strong as a rock, to avoid damage or to add further damage at your fists or kicks," Naruto explained, clearly impressed, everyone listened with attention, even Gaara was interested.

"Bravo, at least finally someone who understands the importance of earth affinity," Lulja spoke from the area, looking up at Naruto.

Lulja looked down on her enemy, who was still holding his broken hand; the skin had turned red.

"This is boring," she pouted before slamming her foot on the ground, causing a column of the earth to raise and hit his chest from underneath; the Shinobi flew high before hitting the ground.

Lulja rolled her eyes as she made her way to her teammates; Hayate announced she was the winner. She glanced at Naruto before winking at him. Again.

Naruto really felt nervous about how the earth girl was acting towards him.

With the medic ninja and the last two competitiors off the playing field and out of the way, Hayate walked forward and sighed.

"OK then. Let's move right on to the second match." The Proctor announced as all who remained watched the board for the next match. Many with grim expressions.

The screen flashed once again as characters flew by on the screen. The letters settling until it revealed the names or the next competitors. Shino Aburame VS Zaku Abumi. Fuu recognized the first name, but didn't know the second. Glancing over at the mummy Sound team and Kabuto's last teammate, she guessed it was one of them.

She was proven right when the male, the one besides the mummy ninja spoke. Zaku chuckled a bit as he read the sign before looking across the room where he guessed his opponent was. "Which sucker is that?" He asked, overconfident from the get go despite his injured arm.

Across the room, Shino was silent as he watched his opponent. Observing the pathetic bug before him and how best to trap it.

Hayate started coughing yet again and Fuu couldn't help but feel like he should go and get that cough checked.

"Step forward, please." Hayate called out for the two candidates.

Getting a better look at the Sound ninja, Fuu noticed Zaku had spiky, black hair and dark eyes. He wore a beige shirt with two black stripes and three prints of the kanji for death down the front. His forehead protector had an attached happuri under the cloth rather than connected to the metal plate. As with his teammates, the mummy ninja and the girl, he wore a scarf around his neck.

'Were both arms in it earlier?' She wondered.

"Very good. Now if you're both ready, then we'll begin." Hayate told them as they stood facing each other in front of him.

Up on her side of the balconies, Sakura wore a worried expression on her face as she recognized the ninja. 'That's that Sound Village Shinobi, the one who had his arm broken by Lee.' She thought, remembering what Kakashi sensei told her.

'How's he going to fight with those arms?' She wondered.

"Do you think Shino will be alright?" Hinata asked, her mood gloomy.

"He's OK. Don't you worry about him." Kiba assured her.

"Huh?" Hinata asked as she turned to the dog lover.

"He's the last person here I'd ever want to take on." Kiba answered, his tone serious and lacking his usual confidence.

On her side of the room, Fuu couldn't help but wonder how Shino was going to fight. She was kinda rooting for him. She was of the opinion, the less Sound Shinobi, the better.

"Candidates ready?" Hayate asked as he backed away so he wouldn't get caught up in the fight. Seeing no arguments rising, Hayate, didn't waste a moment. "Begin."

'Well, Zaku. How you pull this one off will be a sight to see.' The Mummy Sound ninja thought as he turned to his sensei.

After nodding to, the sensei, disappeared in a puff of smoke. The mummy couldn't help but feel a little unnerved with his sensei gone. Didn't he want to see his students pass? Didn't he care? Why leave when the match had only begun?

Over with the Kumo ninja, Karui spoke with a wicked grin. "This is going to be fun."

Both of her teammates turning to her. "What do ya mean?" Yugito asked. Omoi showing a confused face as well.

Karui raised an eyebrow at them. "Didn't you read the last name? Don't tell me you forgot. That Leaf Shinobi down there is an Aburame. One of the four noble clans in Konohagakure. It's a well known fact that at their birth, members of his clan are offered to a special breed of insects as a nest, residing just under their host's skin. These insects will then live in symbiosis with their host from that point on. Because of this, its members are characterized by their use of insects as weapons. I don't know anything more than that, so I honestly don't know how he will fight with them, but my money is on that Sound ninja being in a world of hurt when this is all over." She told them with a sadistic grin and chuckle.

Armed with this new knowledge, Omio had greater confidence in Shino winning the match. On the other hand, he wondered how hard it would be if he had to face him in the final round. He thought Yugito would be okay fighting him, since most insects didn't do too well in the fire. As for himself, he wasn't sure how well he or Karui would fair against him.

Down in the field below, neither combatant had moved even though the proctor had given them the all clear to start the match. Each were waiting for the other to execute their first attack. Waiting to see who was more patient.

"If you fight me, you won't be able to recover." Shino promised darkly. "Forfeit and withdraw."

Zaku stared at him with a frown before answering. "Heh, well, what do you know, I've got a little movement in one of them." His right arm moving slightly in the sling. Shino said nothing as Zaku got his arm out and crouched down into fighting stance, his single arm out before him as he got ready to charge at him.

"One good arm is more than enough to beat you!" Zaku said as he rushed forward.

Shino was standing perfectly still as his opponent came at him, only moving to raise his left arm to block Zaku's attack. Zaku's palm wide open. As Fuu watched, she wondered if whatever happened to him caused him to be unable to close his hand properly as well. Why wasn't he punching Shino. What was the boy going to do, slap Shino out of the competition?

"You couldn't beat me using both your arms." Shino stated, not in overconfidence, he spoke as if is was fact, the simple truth. To Shino, it probably was the true.

"Yeah, well I've got news for ya!" Zaku shouted as air was pulled into a tiny hole in the center of his open palm the other ninja couldn't see. "Try this! Blasting Sound Wave!" He shouted as Shino turned his head towards the sound of rushing air soon followed by an explosion occurred where the two ninja had stood.

The sound startling Sakura as she tried to figure out what the Sound shinobi had done to cause it. Dust rising as Shino was rolling away across the floor. Zaku smirked as the dust cleared enough to see his plan had worked and Shino was on the ground.

Kiba and Hinata gasped at the sight of their teammate taking full force of the blast. Kiba's eyes twitching in shock. Hinata, being the sweet soul she was, couldn't help but be worried.

Naruto looked shocked and angered. Sakura worried as well as she stood beside him.

"Woah! What is the world was that?! Did he have a small explosive hidden in his bandages or something?" Karui asked in shock. Trying to figure out what happened, asking the others out loud to see if they knew.

"No. At least...I think don't think it was an explosive. Didn't you see? The blast only went towards Aburame. It was too controlled to have been an explosive. So it couldn't have been that. His hand was wide open and didn't move, so he didn't reach for an explosive with it. Even if he did have one stashed away, his other arm didn't move either. If there was an explosive hidden in the bandages, he couldn't have reached for it if it was there and activated it. I doubt it was an explosive spell tag. Further more, he would have get caught up in the blast radius of his own attack and injured himself further than he already is. So he didn't have an explosive hidden anywhere in there." Gitago concluded.

"I don't smell smoke or burning flesh either." Fuu spoke, eyebrows furrowed as she too wondered what happened.

"If it wasn't an explosive spell tag or anything like that, then what was it?" Omoi asked. "Something went boom down there. It had to be something."

Gitago didn't answer him as the dust was still trying to settle, the spectators watched as Shino's body appeared to be smoking from the blast and Shino remained motionless. They couldn't hear any groans or struggle from the sunglass wearing ninja below.

Hinata wondered if the blast rendered him in unconscious. Hinata glanced at Zaku's teammates, to see the Mummy ninja smirking underneath the bandages. Part of her wanted to throttle the ninja and demand answers as to what happened. Seeing him so pleased about it. It was then she noticed, the other Sound sensei was gone.

Causing her to raise an eyebrow at the peculiar sight. Why would the Sound shinobi leave? His student was fighting and this was the first time the Sound had sent ninja from their village to fight in the exam. Why miss out on such two important occasions?

Down below, Zaku clenched his hand into a fist and called out to Shino smugly. "All right, fool. You had enough?"

Ashara sighed at the ninja. 'If this was a competition on how overconfident, smug, and plain annoying a ninja could be, this guy had already won then.

To everyone's surprise, Shino appeared to have gotten up and was standing up after taking the full blast of the attack, albeit he was hunched over with his head down.

"Huh?" Zaku asked. Confused as Shino began straightening up as the dust began to settle and fade.

"He's- there's no way!" Zaku claimed shocked as everyone else as they leaned in to get a closer look to see what happened. Shino appeared to be aright despite being a little ruffed up and dirty from the blast knocking him off his feet and making him roll in the dirt. Yet, while Hinata was relieved to see him okay, they all began to hear something. It was the sound of chittering, like hundreds of bugs gathered together, growing louder and louder through out the room.

The sound freaking out the sound ninja. "Hey. What?" He asked as he looked around, trying to find the source. Even the spectators could hear it as they too looked around for the source.

"Uh?" Sakura asked.

"Huh?" Shikamaru nearly echoed.

"Uh?" The girl Sound ninja standing beside the mummy ninja asked as she check the ceiling.

Even the mummy ninja was confused. "Huh?"

Naruto turned to the sound ninja. "All will become clear soon enough. Though, I doubt that will help your friend. He should have listened to his opponent earlier." He said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean by that?!" The female beside the mummy ninja asked.

"You will see soon enough. Overconfidence has been the downfall of many, it will probably be your friends' as well. You three should have studied the clans of the village better. Then you might have an idea as to the fate that Aburame has in store for him." Naruto answered as they all turned to the match.

The mummy ninja worried now, but shook it off, having confidence no matter what special clan Zaku's opponent was from, Zaku would win. His team was chosen for a reason, they would make it. He thought even as the seeds of doubt grew inside of him no matter how hard he tried otherwise not to.

Down below, Zaku soon found the source of the tiny chittering noise and gasped at the freaky sight before him.

Across from the Sound ninja, the chittering came from Shino, or what was inside him. Crawling around on his face little black beetles were crawling over bits of his face and his clothes. Some climbing up and over the lower part of Shino's jacket and on to his front. All originating from little holes just off to the left of his glasses on his left side.

The sight freaking out Zaku as his thoughts were racing through his head. 'What the- he's got bugs coming out of him, like a human hive!' Sweating as the freaky sight. 'This guy's a freak show!' He thought angerly as he moved into another fighting stance.

'That's cool and only slightly disturbing. It's one thing to hear about it, but completely another to actually see it in action. At least they're not slimy. Anything but slimy.' Shikamaru thought with a slight shiver, recalling the bugs from the forest before thinking of something a little more pleasant.

'Did he use those in the first exam to cheat? Their perfect for spying as long as they don't get caught in a web, squished by accident or intentional, or someone uses bug spray on them. Are there other holes the bugs could escape from or is it just his face? Can he feel them crawling around or is he used to it since he's had then since he was a baby?' Fuu thought, curious about the peculiar sight before her and the rest of the spectators. It was intriguing to think about the peculiars of his clan's techniques.

'Why are they coming out now, though? How does Shino plan to use them against Zaku? There must be other purposes for his beetles besides spying.' Sakura wondered about the glasses wearing ninja.

Briefly, Yugito wondered which group she disliked more, Kabuto's team, or the Sound team. Pushing such thoughts aside, she could decide which team she disliked more and who she loathed to be in the same room with later.

Yugito pulled her attention away from her inner musing and focused on more important matters before her. For example, like the match that was truly getting interesting now Shino was preparing to use the techniques of his clan.

"Great." Zaku exaggerated sarcastically. "Now that you've creeped us all out, what happens next?"

Shino said nothing as Zaku continued to glare at him, above the two ninja, the other teams and their could see what Zaku could not.

Ikano smirked at the Aburame. 'Quite clever, little Leaf ninja.' He thought, praising the Leaf shinobi. 'Using the dust cloud to act and provide as a cover for your little friends to fly off and come around the sound idiot from behind while the focus was all on you. That's why the sound seemed to be coming from everywhere. They're so small, it's easy to miss them until they swarm you. By then, it's too late.' He huffed.

'If this was real war, then you should have gone in for the kill, little Leaf boy. These ninja here are too soft. Just like those fools of the Village Hidden in the Sand. Just like Ay...' Gitago thought as he recalled the many times his Raikage had not agreed with him about something, giving stupid excuses.

Soon, Zaku could sense something was wrong, that there was something behind him. "Aahh!" Turing around, Zaku saw a swarm of the little beetles closing in up behind him, the bugs covering the floor as they scuttled around. Nearly covering every inch of the ground. Upon seeing the tiny forces massed together behind him, Zaku was shaking in fear.

The insects chittering away as they came closer to their prey as Zaku's face and body twitched, unsure what to do as fear override his mind, temporarily paralyzed as sweat trailed down his face and he desperately tried to move.

In front of Zaku, Shino began to explain what exactly the bugs were. His mouth no longer hidden by his coat. His left hand in the air before him with a single beetle on his finder nail, the insect not even large enough to cover the entire nail.

"They're a rare species of parasitic beetle that attack their prey in a swarm, eating its chakra." The beetles closing in. "An army of this size will suck you dry in less than a minute." Zaku watching them before turning to Shino with hate and gritting his teeth.

"Your only intelligent option is to forfeit the match. You can't fight two opponents at once. If you use your good arm against me, my friends will swarm you from behind. Conversely, if you use your good arm to keep them at bay, then you'll have me on your blind side." Shino pointed out.

Everyone could see, as that situation was, there was no way out for Zaku to fight back or escape without it failing in the long run. Shino already explaining what would happen if he attacked. Even if he tried to go up and jump away to a farther and maybe safer location, the beetles would only fly after him and get him that way. Shino could also attack him and that be the end of that.

"Either way, your defeat will be certain-and unpleasant. It's wise to always have an ace in the hole." Shino told Zaku as his hands formed the hand signs for tiger.

The bugs continuing their chittering, reminding Zaku time was running out and he needed to think of something quick. Otherwise, he was going to be bug food.

Shaking, Zaku's eyes glazed over, which Naruto noticed. He couldn't help but wonder what the sound Shinobi was thinking.

In the depths of his mind, Zaku thought about the past, how he got up to this point of time. How he crawled out of the hole that was his past. The fear, the pain, the humiliation, the helplessness he had gone through. Thanks to that man, he now was on a greater path. He no longer had a reason to be afraid and this freak show before him was making him feel these thing! Zaku would make him pay! He was strong! He would show them! All of them!

Snapping out of it and glancing back at ever chittering bugs behind him, Zaku tried to think of something.

Watching him closely, Shikamaru noticed something going on with Zaku. The glazed look was coming and going, but he seemed to be slightly out of it. His eyes going back and forth between the two forces attempting to crush him and memories that plagued him.

Zaku's working hands shaking as he clenched it along with the rest of his body. 'That's it. Never again.' Zaku swore.

Recalling the time in the forest, the green freak had injured his arm. 'That's it. That's never gonna happen again!'

Naruto watched as Zaku's fearful face transformed into a wild and crazed look of rage, slightly startling her. Wondering what made him snap.

With a ferocious angry roar, Zaku thrust his fist out towards Shino, slightly startling the bug user. Opening his palm, the crazed look got wilder. "Now you've done it. Now you've made me mad!" He roared.

The spectators watched as Zaku revealed his other arm, able to remove it too from the sling. The arm now facing the bugs. Though Shino's expression was hidden, one could tell he was curious about the fools' next move as he lowered his hand. Thinking it was a bluff and the fool had lost his senses.

Zaku was frowning for but a moment until he broke into a wide grin. "Heh. Hnnh!" He grunted as his arm strained and eventually move his fist open on the second try. Startling Shino.

"Like you said yourself, always have an ace in the hole. Right?!" He asked crazed.

The triplets yawning at the display.

"Has he lost it? What is and open palm going to do again an army of those chakra eating bugs?" Choji asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"It's not just an open palm." Naruto observed. Making his teammates look at him for answers. "If you look closely, you'll see a tiny shine of metal. The guy has some type of holes in his palms. That has to be what created the explosion from earlier."

"You mean the explosive travels through the inside of his arm and out the hole?" Ino asked.

Naruto shook his head. "No. I don't think so. I still don't think it was an explosive. I can't tell you how it works but it's definitely not an explosive."

Fuu thought for a moment before she recalled something. "He called it Blasting Sound Wave. That explosion must have been sound." She explained.

"But sound has to be created by something, right? He didn't use any hand signs." Naruto pointed out.

"Sound is caused by the simple but rapid mechanical vibrations of various elastic bodies. These when moved or struck so as to vibrate, communicate the same kind of vibrations to the auditory nerve of the ear, and are then appreciated by the mind. The sound came out of those holes. It might be like a wind instrument. He sucks up air into it and forces it back out in a rush, creating the attack we saw earlier." Kakashi told them.

The group nodding at his explanation.

"Huh?" Shino asked, shocked at either his opponent was able to use his other arm or Zaku was able to use his own words against him.

"What the?" Kiba asked outraged. "I thought his right arm was shot!"

Down below, Zaku was shaking in fury as he roared yet again. "I'll blow you away!" He bellowed preparing to blast the beetles and Shino into oblivion.

As Fuu watched, she couldn't believe her eyes. Leaning over the rail, she noticed Zaku's arms getting bigger and bigger by the second, growing more swollen, bulging in ways that shouldn't be happening. Something was wrong, but Fuu didn't know what. She didn't recall his other arm swelling as much when he first used his attack. Was it doing so because he wanted a bigger explosion?

"He's done For," Naruto spoke, before anyone could ask what he meant.

Everyone watched and listened as the sound of air escaping filled the room, replacing the sound of Zaku's previous roars. It was similar to the sounds of balloons expanding so much they tore holes in themselves and the air gradually escaping the flimsy confides that held it.

Zaku's team jaw dropped as they witness something they thought they would never see, having never even thought it was possible, never conceiving the thought.

Zaku's eyes widening as he too listened. Staring straight ahead, not a whimper or a scream escaped his lips. So shocked, he couldn't even feel the pain. He was in utter disbelief, he couldn't bring himself to look at his arms as blue chakra escaped along with tiny bits of his own flesh and the wind he had been storing in his arms.

Sakura couldn't see it clearly, but it looked like it was somewhere around his elbow.

Flecks of blue and flecks of skin appearing before Zaku's eyes. Small utters of shock were emitted from his mouth, but couldn't be heard over the sound of his arms bursting from the pressure of wind and chakra. The mummy ninja and the girl beside him gasping in horror.

Kiba nearly jumped over the railing in shock as he leaned closer. Akamaru was no where to be seen. Kiba's sensei, Kurenai, watched speechless as the rest of them. Amazed with what her student did to his opponent.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Zaku cried out in pain once the chakra and air had died down. Fuu saw she was correct about the location, the bandages and start of his sleeves shredded where the blast had been strongest and most concentrated.

Zaku lowered his arms as they hung limply in front of him. "My arms! What's wrong with them?" He shouted.

Groaning and grunting in pain, Zaku huffed and puffed as he tried to catch his breath, gritting his teeth as he turned his palms up towards the ceiling to look at the holes.

"Aah! Wh-what?" He cried as upon closer inspection of his hands, he saw a small swarm of black beetles gathered together and had crawled inside of the holes. So tightly packed together that air couldn't past through the hole.

"How it the world-" Karui trailed off. Wondering how and when Shino had got them there.

"The Aburame clan can control those bugs, remember? It was while Zaku was stressing out about what to do, the Aburame must have ordered the bugs to block them then or some time after that." Gitago figured. "You got to give it to him, he's a good strategist. He's able to use his surroundings well and is able to distract his enemies easily for his bugs to move into position."

Inako also decided to add his two bits into the conversation. "Zaku was so absorbed in his anger, inner turmoil, and possibly his memories that he didn't even feel the beetles crawling around on his palms. Besides that they're so small, they're easy to miss."

In a moment on the ground floor, where the two ninja were fighting, Shino swiftly appeared behind Zaku as he began to explain his own plan. Which dealt far greater success than Zaku's plan of trying to trick him into thinking his other arm was too injured to fight with and lead him into a false sense of security.

"Earlier, while I was distracting you with my helpful advice, I was also sending some of my little friends to plug up those bothersome wind holes in your hands." He said, highly pleased with himself and from his tone, Shino was slightly smug about it working and fooling Zaku so easily. Gitago could hear the pride in his voice when he spoke of his bugs. Gitago thought the boy was smiling but couldn't tell and be absolutely sure from the way his coat covered the bottom portion of his mouth.

"Both hands, just to be sure." Shino continued. "You see, while an ace in the hole is good-"

Zaku gasping in shock as Shino hissed out the rest of his sentence.

"-two aces are better." Shino joked.

Omoi snorting at the joke. The humor and irony of the situation not lost on him. The aces being the bugs and the holes literally being holes inside Zaku's arms.

"I like this guy." Omoi concluded. "You got to give it to him, he has a great sense of humor. Morbid, but amusing none the less." He ended with a chuckle.

Karui just groaned and rubbed her temples. "First you like the second proctor and now you've found someone to joke around with. Just great!" She said sarcastically. "Yugito already made friends with that Uzumaki boy and the Bug girl. What's next? Me finding a boyfriend?"

Once again, Zaku began to feel trapped and helpless as beads of sweat clanged to his face as he filled once again in rage as it consumed his body and rational mind, roaring as he attempted to swing his arms out and hit Shino.

Only for Shino to see it coming and smack Zaku away as the Sound ninja cried out and landed in a heap on the floor.

Groaning as he fell and didn't get up.

Lulja leaned on the bars and leaned her hand onto her cheek as the other hand dangled over the edge. She couldn't help but think how pitiful it was. 'The poor pitiful fool. He couldn't take the hint that he lost. Shino barely did anything to him. How many hits did he actually take? Two? Three? This guy is undeniably pathetic and just plain WEAK!'

The thought making her chuckle and smirk before looking at the rest of Zaku's team. 'If that guy is that easy to defeat, then the rest of them should be easy.' She thought.

They Shino and the third proctor approached Zaku who had yet to pick himself off the floor. Sprawled flat on his back, Zaku cried out though nothing touched him. The pain lingering from his fall, arms, and the punch Shino delivered to his face.

Gaara could see blood dribble from his mouth. The third proctor didn't look impressed with Zaku as he assessed the damage. Holes appearing in the abused flesh of the genin's elbow.

Standing up from his crouch he had used for his inspection, He gave his final verdit on the match. "I'd say this one has had it." Pausing as if he felt sorry for the poor guy.

"The winner is Shino Aburame." Hayate concluded.

Kurunai had a serious look on face as she took in this information. Kiba smirked, proud of his teammate for making it to the final found of the exam. Beside him, Hinata released a sigh of relief, a smile formed on her face.

The Sound ninja girl gritting her teeth in anger as the mummy ninja sweated and even with the bandages on, looked furious. Sakura looked freaked out.

With Team Guy, Neji stood up straight as he moved away from the rail. Looking dissatisfied with the match. Before he could do anything, Rock Lee stopped him.

"Wait. How did he do that? Who is he? Find out."

Neji said nothing as he did as he was asked. Stepping away from the others to get a clear view, he used his kekkei genkai. 'Byakugan.' He thought as his hands formed the appropriate hand signs and lines formed around his eyes. Taking a closer look at Shino, Neji gasped at what he observed. "I had no idea. I thought he must be using a summoning jutsu to get all those insects, but no." Neji informed his teammate, shock lacing his tone. "They're actually living inside of him."

"Living inside of him?" Rock Lee nearly shouted in shock as he turned to Neji, wondering if his rival was pulling his leg. Freaking out at the thought of bugs living inside the younger boy.

"There's a legend in the Leaf Village of a clan of insect tamers." TenTen mentioned.

"Yes, I've heard of that clan as well." Neji shared as he informed Lee of what he knew about the clan. "They say when a bug master is born, he enters into a scared pact with the insects. He allows them to nest in his body. In return, they obey their host's will. They serve him, answering his call, fighting his battles and destroying his enemies. I've also heard that they allow the insects to feed on their chakra as part of the bargain."

Down below, Shino continued on his way as Neji watched the powerful opponent he could face if and when he made it to the final round of the exam.

Rock Lee was shaking as he too turned to look down at Shino. "So this guy is one of them? One of these bug tamers?"

As Shino moved to go join his team on the balcony, Medic ninja moved in to collect Zaku and transport him to the towers infirmary.

The screen started showing the next fight and everyone gasped at the names, even Naruto looked mortified at the names.

Naruto Uzumaki Vs Karin Uzumaki