Konoha’s Black Plague

Thief?

"It doesn't matter whether we fight or not. We'll be training together over the next few days and getting to know each other anyway."

Hizashi approached from behind Lin and Yue, resting his hands gently on their heads. Clearly, he wasn't concerned about the earlier scuffle—after all, it had started because Yuyan had challenged Kakashi to a duel.

"Kakashi, you heard him. Let's go over there and exchange some sword techniques."

Bai Ye smiled as he draped an arm around a reluctant Kakashi's shoulder and led him off to a nearby spot to discuss kenjutsu.

Meanwhile, Yue walked over to Obito to teach him more about the Sharingan. Her own eyes had awakened under the trauma of losing her father in battle. She now wondered whether a similar emotional trigger could help awaken Obito's.

Yuyan, on the other hand, turned to Lin with great interest. Upon hearing she knew medical ninjutsu, Yuyan eagerly asked if she could learn a bit. She followed behind Bai Ye and Yue, curious and focused.

She was actively seeking another path to improve her strength. With her Byakugan and fine chakra control, medical ninjutsu seemed like a promising direction. After all, Lady Tsunade had become a legend by mastering that path. Yuyan had no doubt in her own abilities—she simply believed she hadn't yet found the right method.

---

Later that evening...

"Is someone home already? Could it be Guy or Father back from their mission?"

Moonlight reflected off Bai Ye's resolute face. He had gained valuable insight from Kakashi that afternoon. After dinner, everyone had gone their separate ways, agreeing to regroup the next day.

Guy and Duy had been away from the village for several days on a mission. When Bai Ye noticed a light on in their modest home, he assumed one of them had returned.

Squeak—

Swoosh!

As soon as he opened the door, a flurry of shuriken flew at him.

Bai Ye was caught off guard. The idea that someone would infiltrate his poor excuse for a home—one even common thieves wouldn't bother with—never crossed his mind.

Still, instincts took over. He drew the Zanpakutō at his waist and deflected most of the projectiles with a rapid flurry of slashes. Six, maybe seven quick swings.

But his body wasn't at full capacity—he had trained hard all afternoon. Even without his hand weights, his reaction speed was dulled. One shuriken slipped past and struck his left side, sinking into his waist and spilling blood.

If only he had taken time to remove the leg weights and tend to his fatigue earlier, he might've dodged clean. But it was too late for "what ifs."

Bai Ye didn't even flinch at the injury. Compared to the grueling pressure-type training he endured daily, this wound was minor.

During the enemy's second wave of shuriken, Bai Ye slashed twice at the ground, freeing his weighted bindings. A dull thud followed as they dropped to the floor. He instantly felt lighter.

Using that moment, Bai Ye leapt sideways to obscure his position, yanked the embedded shuriken from his side—blood gushing out in a thin stream—and continued moving.

Still, he didn't stop to treat the wound. He could feel it healing rapidly. The bleeding would stop in under a minute, and full recovery would follow within five.

He moved irregularly through the house, avoiding any predictable pattern to prevent being hit by a large-scale ninjutsu. He could withstand Obito's Fireball Jutsu, maybe, but not something unknown and more dangerous.

Despite his evasive maneuvers, Bai Ye kept his eyes scanning every corner. He wouldn't allow the intruder to escape unnoticed.

In the chaos, he didn't stop to wonder what exactly someone would want to steal from his rundown home.

---

A bug?

He felt a familiar insect crawl onto his hand and allowed a faint smile to flicker across his face.

Zhiyi.

He immediately understood. The insect meant Aburame Zhiyi had arrived and had seen Bai Ye's situation. Zhiyi didn't reveal himself right away, likely to avoid drawing enemy attention.

Zhiyi often came by lately, usually to share daily happenings or spar a little. Tonight, it seemed he'd simply come to hang out.

BOOM!

Suddenly, the house exploded.

Some form of Fire Release had been used—the structure ignited rapidly.

Insects poured out from inside, fleeing the flames.

Bai Ye looked on in disbelief. Why now? Why this? He hadn't provoked anyone. His home was now reduced to a flaming ruin.

"Ahem... this is just an accident."

Zhiyi emerged from the shadows, looking a bit sheepish. He'd only used a parasitic insect to sample some chakra—and clearly, the intruder overreacted.

"I'll deal with you later!" Bai Ye snapped, glaring at Zhiyi.

But just then, the enemy slipped out through the flames.

Bai Ye immediately gave chase.

At first, he hesitated, cautious of the enemy's strength. But with so much commotion, he figured support from the village would arrive soon. All he had to do was stall.

Zhiyi released more bugs to slow the intruder down. But the man kept spitting fire, burning insects as he went. Zhiyi winced every time—it was like watching his savings go up in smoke.

"I'll shoot him—Magic Gun!"

With the enemy's speed reduced, Bai Ye calculated the distance. Using this jutsu would consume about a quarter of his chakra, but he went for it.

The man wasn't ordinary. He sensed the attack and dodged just in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. The blade grazed his right arm, drawing blood.

"You brats are really starting to piss me off!"

The enemy halted, furious. He was already annoyed by the bugs, and now he was bleeding because of two Genin. He decided to stop fleeing—and fight.

"Heh, big bro, just keep running! We won't chase you anymore, promise!" Zhiyi shouted, trying to keep things light.

But his eyes flicked to Bai Ye's battered form—torn clothes soaked in blood—and his gut clenched.

If they fought seriously, they'd die. No question.

"You—Aburame! Kill yourself, and I'll let that sword kid live!"

The man didn't care about Bai Ye anymore. He recognized the Aburame as the real threat—those bugs could follow him anywhere. If he didn't deal with Zhiyi now, he'd never escape Konoha before reinforcements arrived.

"..."

Zhiyi stiffened. Why me? I was just here to visit...

Bai Ye hoped Zhiyi would keep talking, keep stalling. Every second bought them time.