---
Konohagakure.
"The days are so peaceful~" Tsunade sighed contentedly as she soaked in the hot spring, sipping a bottle of sake. "Peace is wonderful~ I can soak like this and enjoy a drink~"
"Lady Tsunade!!" Shizune burst through the sliding door, storming in with a stern expression. "Seriously, now's not the time to be drinking!"
"You're so uptight, Shizune," Tsunade muttered lazily after downing another cup of sake.
A throbbing vein popped on Shizune's forehead.
---
Hokage's Office.
Bang! Bang!
Shizune slammed several thick stacks of documents onto the Hokage's desk with a loud thud.
"When the village is at peace," she growled, glaring at Tsunade, "it's the perfect time to catch up on paperwork!"
"Tch~" Tsunade clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Why is the workload always piling up? Damn that Naruto!"
More veins appeared on Shizune's forehead. "Lady Tsunade, it's not Naruto's fault! You've been procrastinating for days!"
"Tch~" Tsunade grumbled again.
"Lady Tsunade!!!"
Grumbling, Tsunade randomly pulled out a paper from the pile and muttered, "Huh? Suspicious activity from the Shōbugyō clan?"
"That must be from an Anbu report stationed near the Land of Earth," Shizune said, calming slightly. "I haven't heard much about them recently."
"Shōbugyō clan?" Tsunade tapped her chin. "They used to be insect handlers as renowned as the Aburame clan back in the day… well, there aren't many of them left. Doesn't matter."
She promptly tossed the report into the trash can beside her.
---
At the Sinkhole.
"Oi, Shino, don't these bugs all look the same? What's the difference between them?!" Naruto complained, exasperated.
"No. Look closely. This one's eyes are slightly more to the left," Shino explained seriously.
Naruto stared blankly.
"There are so many bugs…" Kiba sighed. "This is a bug paradise."
"Will these insects sting people?" Hinata asked nervously.
"Don't worry. Most insects don't attack humans unprovoked. And this area is protected by a repellent secreted by Aburame clan insects," Shino said, holding up a small bottle. "But I advise against using it. It scares off micro-scent tracking insects."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Then why even bring it out, man?!"
They continued walking.
Naruto pointed toward a large rock. "Akamaru, mark this spot!"
"Woof!" Akamaru barked and obediently lifted his leg, peeing against the rock.
After the group moved on...
"Ptui! Dammit! That mutt pissed on me!" a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard furiously splashed water on his face.
"No mistake. That's the Aburame clan," said a woman standing beside him.
"They're after the micro-scent insect too, huh, Daisuke?" the bearded man asked a bespectacled man after rinsing his face.
"Hmph. If they're here, it means this is the only place in this season to find the micro-scent insect," Daisuke muttered, adjusting his glasses.
The woman took two steps away from the bearded man and sneered, "This mission is crucial for the revival of the Shōbugyō clan. No matter what, we must secure the micro-scent insect!"
The bearded man stepped forward as well, but she immediately snapped, "Back off! You stink!"
Bearded Man: "…" I thought she moved up to say something cool…
---
"This is the female micro-scent insect," Shino explained, holding up a photo.
Naruto frowned. "Doesn't it look like a longhorn beetle?"
"No. Observe carefully," Shino said, producing another photo of a longhorn beetle and placing them side by side. "The female micro-scent insect has a nose 5 millimeters longer than the beetle, with a slight curve. Its color is lighter, and its eyes are dark green."
Everyone stared blankly.
"…Only a ghost could tell the difference," Naruto muttered.
"In any case, bring me all the insects that resemble the micro-scent insect's female form. I'll sort through them myself," Shino said, putting the photos away.
"Hm… this insect looks familiar," Kiba said, rubbing his chin.
"Huh? Where'd you see it?" Everyone leaned in.
"I think… it came out of the cupboard when I was eating instant noodles. There were tons of them. Didn't expect they were micro-scent bugs… I even fried some and fed them to Akamaru."
"NANI?!" Akamaru's eyes widened in horror and he immediately bit Kiba's leg.
"OWWWW!" Kiba screamed and leapt into the air.
"You bastard! You fed me cockroaches?!" Akamaru stopped barking and began gnashing his teeth furiously.
Shino: "…"
"Yikes, let's hurry and search for the micro-scent insects before those two lose it," Shino said flatly.
Naruto and Hinata nodded, silently agreeing to ignore the pair of idiots.
---
On a tree nearby.
"This might be our chance," said a hidden ninja from the Shōbugyō clan.
"What do you mean, Suzumebachi?" the bearded man asked.
"We've been here for ten days and haven't even found a single trace of the micro-scent insect. But now that a kid from the Aburame clan is here…"
"This is perfect! As expected of you!" Daisuke praised.
"They're all Genin. Once they find it, we'll just take it by force," Suzumebachi laughed coldly.
The other two laughed along. "Hahaha!"
"What are you laughing at?"
"You laughed first!"
"You're crazy. I've got bugs crawling into my collar!"
---
"Ninjutsu: Insect Gathering Technique!" Shino formed hand signs, extended his palms, and chakra threads spread outward like a net. Various insects gathered nearby.
"Still nothing around here?" he muttered.
Shino shook his head and moved on.
As he passed a boulder, many small insects crawled from his sleeves, flying off in all directions.
"Don't all these bugs look the same?" Kiba groaned, his jaw still sore from Akamaru's earlier attack. "Isn't that right, Akamaru?"
"Get lost!" Akamaru growled.
Kiba: "…" It's better when he just barks…
---
In a shaded glade, Naruto gently took Hinata's hand. "Hey, let me show you a magic trick."
He pulled out a perfume bottle and sprayed a mist into the air. A few moments later, dozens of butterflies fluttered around Hinata.
"That's amazing, Naruto-kun!" Hinata smiled sweetly.
Naruto looked at the perfume bottle. "Not bad. brand really works."
Looking at the sky full of butterflies, Hinata's gaze softened. "Thank you, Naruto. I'll definitely help you find the micro-scent insect. Then you can find Sasuke-kun."
Naruto: "…" Way to kill the mood by bringing up the duck-haired emo.
"Well… it's okay. You don't have to—" he paused, then noticed her activating her Byakugan.
Naruto: "…" Never mind. She's serious.
Suddenly, Hinata tensed and turned toward him with a startled expression.
Naruto blinked, then understood. He gently shook his head and motioned for her to stay calm as they rejoined Kiba and Shino.
---
When they arrived at the rendezvous point, Shino was already waiting.
He quickly explained the situation.
"If there's a fight, the micro-scent insects could be caught in the crossfire," Shino said. "We can't risk damaging or losing them. Let's observe for now and act only once we've found them."
Hinata and Naruto nodded in agreement.
Just then, Kiba came running back with Akamaru.
"We found it! We found the micro-scent insect!" Kiba shouted excitedly.
Everyone was stunned.
Even the Shōbugyō clan members watching from a distance were taken aback. "NANI?!"
"Quick, Kiba, let me see!" Shino said, eager.
Kiba patted Akamaru. "Where is it, boy?"
Akamaru opened his mouth and spat out two bug corpses.
"They ran too fast… I bit them in half…"
Everyone: "…"
---
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