Aburame House.

The father-son duo sat face to face across once more, but Shibi was silent, clearly hesitating on how to broach the topic.

After a while, he finally began in a calm and measured voice, "Shino, it's good to see you know how to protect yourself."

Clearly, his father had a keen eye for detecting the presence of his insects and was one of the few who could sense he was a clone formed from bugs.

Shino maintained his cool composure and gave a subtle nod, masking any signs of surprise or concern.

"This time, there is an important matter to discuss with you... I received a message from Danzo, a top-level member of the Konoha council."

"..." Shino raised an eyebrow. Oh no. Here it comes.

"He's noticed your outstanding talent and has invited you to join Root." Shibi continued, his voice serious.

Seriously now. It was the day of the funeral of his 'old friend', yet the bad old man couldn't hold back on targeting the members of the village.

Welp. Perhaps this is Danzo with his 'shackles' released. Alas, he didn't expected himself to be the first victim.

But Shino definitely harbored no desire to be subservient to that bad man or to join the ranks of Root as a mere slave.

Root was a shadow organization that reported directly to Danzo, and was known for its ruthless methods.

From the anime, Shino also learned of its atrocities and Mr. McSnatcher's horrific means of control. He had been wary ever since his transmigration, and that bad old man was one of the biggest reasons.

Fortunately, he already hid his main body. Now, it was just a matter of confirming the details to make plans for the future.

Despite the myriad thoughts racing in his mind, Shino's expression remained unchanged, and he calmly asked, "And what did father tell him?"

Shibi's obscured eyes flickered towards his son, and he spoke in a measured tone, "I made a promise to reply to him after I consult your opinion."

Shino raised his brows. It seems that he hasn't arrived at a dead end just yet. He had originally thought that his only option was to play the game of hide-and-seek with his clones, but it appears that he still had a choice.

"Shino, I have warned you regarding the dark side of Konoha, but I know that Danzo's invitation may still be very tempting for you because many of your seniors in the clan had taken this path," Shibi said, his voice laced with concern.

"But you must consider your options carefully. Joining Root means that you will have to follow Danzo's orders, no matter how ruthless they may be. I know you may have your own ideas, and father will not hinder you if this is what you pursue, but if you decide against it…"

Shino felt the urge to voice his opinions, making it clear that Root held no allure for him. While he was certainly intrigued by the idea of infiltrating Root for his own agendas, he had no intention of sacrificing himself to become a mindless slave.

However, before he could utter a word, his father spoke in a resolute tone, "Father will help you stop that man, regardless of cost."

Shino adjusted his glasses and observed the old man's serious face. He inwardly sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed by his father's love.

The original Shino probably didn't have to face this situation because he had been able to conceal his true potential better. After all, although the original Shino managed to defeat Kankuro in their fight, he ended up being 'poisoned' and suffered a double defeat.

It wasn't clear if this was due to carelessness or if it was intentional, but it certainly reduced Shino's evaluation.

On the other hand, he had blatantly revealed some of his cards during the chunin exam. With his potential exposed, Shino knew that the looming threat of that 'bad old man' was now more real than ever.

Shino knew Root will definitely be like an annoying fly from now on, and it was only a matter of time before he would be forced to confront the consequences of his actions.

Fortunately, he had already anticipated this day and prepared accordingly.

Shino deftly accessed his mental database and retrieved the carefully crafted speech he had prepared for this moment.

"I have an idea, father," Shino said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Shibi's expectant gaze bore into Shino, his arms tightly crossed as he waited for his son to continue.

"Father, I understand the consequences of joining Root," Shino said, his voice steady. "But I also know that Danzo's invitation will not be easy to refuse. So what if we told Danzo that I would join Root on one condition?"

Shibi regarded his son with a steady gaze, his features betraying no surprise, as if he had already anticipated the matter at hand. "Oh? And what condition is that?"

"That he proves himself worthy of becoming Hokage," Shino replied in a calm tone, "So, I want you to let him know that my loyalty lies with the Hokage, whoever that may be. If he becomes Hokage, then I will serve him. But until that day comes, I will continue to serve the Hokage."

Shibi nodded, his expression softening with a small smile appearing on his face. "You have grown wise beyond your years, my son. Your loyalty and devotion to the village are truly commendable. Father knows how to respond."

Shino nodded. Yes, please do not question his loyalty! Shino had always been loyal to the village and its leader, and he had no intention of serving anyone else. Oh, but he's not the original Shino- Ahem.

"But do consider this, Shino," Shibi continued, "Although father is happy you would consider the clan, know that this answer would only ease the relationship temporarily. And if Danzo really becomes Hokage, you must understand the consequences of your words."

"Father," Shino said, leaning forward. "Do you really think Danzo is capable of becoming Hokage?"

The corners of Shibi's lips twitched subtly, suppressing his grin as his fingers delicately adjusted his glasses.

"It is undeniable that Danzo is a powerful shinobi, despite his questionable methods. But he is someone willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of the village, even if it means sacrificing innocent lives. That's not the kind of leader many of the jonins are seeking."

The father and son locked eyes, their expressions inscrutable. A faint smile tugged at the corners of their lips, hinting at a deeper understanding between them.

"Don't worry, Shino. Father will take care of it on his end. Your job is to focus on your training and becoming a worthy ninja. The time will come when you will no longer need father to handle these trivial matters for you."

"Thank you, Father," Shino said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I will continue to serve the village to the best of my abilities." Until I leave.

As Shibi rose to leave, he turned back to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, Shino. Your loyalty to the village must always come first. No matter what challenges you may face, always remember that you are a shinobi of Konoha, and your duty is to protect the village and its people, but…"

Shibi paused as he leaned in towards Shino's ear and spoke in a low tone, "If that man dares to use unscrupulous means, do not hesitate even if it's our own. Some things can't be brought into the light, and there will be leeway to maneuver. As long as you make it home, father will take care of the rest."

Shino's eyes fixed on his father's retreating figure. There was something about the way Shibi walked that exuded a sense of purpose and determination, as if he knew exactly where he was going and what he needed to do. A man with priorities.

Soon, the echoes of his footsteps faded away.

Alone with his thoughts, Shino thoughts churned.

Refusing Danzo's invitation would definitely not be an easy road to take.

He couldn't shake the feeling that trouble was on the horizon. He knew he can't expect that bad old man to quit just from a single rejection.

Still, he never expected his father to be so fiercely protective of him.

"I guess not every clan in this world is like the Hyuga clan, who simply bends to the will of the village just because of a temporary peace that can crumble at any moment. But, it's still best to not resort to dragging the Aburame clan into the water. The clan can still be very useful, especially once I have them under my control. If it really comes down to it..."

Shino's lips curled into a subtle grin as he took his metallic ninja guard off his forehead, his fingertips brushing against the metallic surface that reflected his own determined gaze looking back at him.

"Heh. It's just becoming a Missing-nin. It isn't the first for Konoha, and it won't be the last. Plus, isn't there a very good example of one who had came back for a visit?"

Sensing the sporadic information coming from his bug monitors, Shino's eyes flashed with interest when he locked onto his target.

He knew that his current abilities alone should not be able to locate those two dangerous existences, but in fact, he easily did. Not only that, even jonins like Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai sensei were alerted.

It was highly probable that an unexpected 'assist' came from a certain traitor who was playing the role of a double spy and his goal was warning the village he was loyal to.

"Hmm, it seems it is about time for their fight. It's rare to see jonins fight. If I want to gauge the level of the jonins against the S-rank Akatsuki members, this is a fight I can't miss."

After all, witnessing a true battle unfold as a spectator in this world was a necessity for his database. It was an experience that offered a unique perspective, far removed from the pre-packaged narratives of anime.

Here, the true nature of the fight could be seen, unencumbered by the filter of character insight or the constraints of storytelling.

Shino knew this would help remove the biases that he may have formed through watching the anime. The movements of powerful ninjas may have seemed easy to deal with on screen, but he knew that in reality, the situation could be entirely different.

Not only that, Shino knew he needed more data on the jonin's combat capabilities. The data gathered during Konoha Crush was definitely not the full extent of their capabilities. After all, Shino knew that characters like Kakashi didn't even go all out during the chunin exam.

Why does Shino know this? Well, that's because Shino gained a unique insight into the true nature of ninja battles in Naruto: the clear sign that a ninja has gone all out was when they end up laying on the hospital bed or their deathbed afterwards.

Kakashi will occupy a bed at the hospital soon. So, it was worth watching.

"I just need to make sure to stay hidden far away. Although it's not my main body, I still need to be cautious."

With a quick twist, the clone of Shino dispersed into a swarm of bugs, heading over to witness the return of the Uchiha clan's prodigy and the thrill of an impending battle that was simply too irresistible to ignore.