Start From Naruto: Shino the Dominator

The Forest of Death was known to be a dangerous and deadly place. It was home to all kinds of wild beasts and creatures, but today, it was host to a different kind of predator.

Shino sat on the ground of the central tower, remotely deploying his bugs with the assistance of Alina and receiving feedback as they feasted on unsuspecting prey.

Shino knew that the battlefield filled with corpses of ninjas, a feast for his zergs, but he had to be careful not to attract too much attention, as he didn't want his plan to be foiled by an errant ninja stumbling upon the scene.

Using his tiny bugs, he would scout for targets and remnants of the Genins. After locking on a target, his bugs would make sure the coast was clear.

Then, the nearby hidden drones would burrow out of the ground, collect the remnants, and burrow back into ground to hide.

So far, his plan was working perfectly, and nobody suspected a thing. The Zergs were careful not to leave any trace behind, and the bodies of the ninja were consumed cleanly, leaving objects that normal predators won't consume.

As the Zergs continued to feed, Shino couldn't help but think about the Konoha 11.

Outside of the Sasuke trio who were being guided by Kabuto, Orochimaru's spy, he had carefully tracked other members, making sure that he collected their blood left on the battlefields without them ever suspecting a thing.

As for the Sasuke trio, he decided that he would only gather their blood after everyone had long left. This was to prevent even the slightest risk of his drones being discovered by Orochimaru or Kabuto.

Like a conductor of a symphony, Alina wielded his commands with effortless precision, orchestrating a symphony of actions that moved almost autonomously. Really too good. If he had to do it himself, Shino can't say he could do better.

Sadly, it wasn't all wish fulfillment.

Despite his advanced Zerg Network ability, the drones were unable to transmit the gene data through telepathy. Their inability to analyze the genes left him with no other choice but to venture out and manually harvest the data before letting Alina analyze it for him later.

He knew that it was a dangerous game he was playing, and that eventually, his luck would run out. But for now, he was safe – and he planned for it to stay that way for as long as possible. He still needed time to grow.

"Keep me updated," Shino said, turning his attention back to his team mates to not show anything suspicious, "Tell me when it is time to put the wheels in motion for the HSB plan."

[Affirmative, Overmind. Project: Hero Save the Beauty logged. Monitoring target...]

As the day wore on, Shino watched as his zergs continued to carefully feed in the forest. With Alina's fine management, his Zergs moved quietly and efficiently through the forest, collecting samples without being seen.

And thanks to Alina's expertly compiled visual feed that had begun to take shape using the culmination of countless images captured by his bugs, Shino was able watch the other ninjas fall one by one into the hungry maws of the Zergs burrowing out from the ground.

At the same time, he kept a close eye on the one he was looking for: Karin.

Karin was a genin with the Uzumaki bloodline, and Shino knew that she could be the key to unlocking a potential upgrade to his system. Naturally, characters like Naruto and Nagato would have been the best choices, but Shino knew those choice were definitely not an option. So, he settled for Karin.

Shino knew that her first appearance was in this Chunin exam and she was saved by Sasuke, later taken in by Uncle Snake.

When Shino recalled that Karin showed up as a subordinate of Orochimaru, he couldn't help but want to shrink a bit, but then he remembered the power that lay within Karin's blood, and he knew that he couldn't let it slip through his fingers.

Although she may have been noticed by Orochimaru, Uncle Snake still hasn't paid much attention to her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been sent with the grass ninjas into the Chunin exam.

So, he intends to intercept this fate and steer the course in his favor.

Shino wasn't afraid he would affect the upcoming events. After all, Karin's true contributions to the plot will be far in the future, and she will not contribute much in the upcoming plot.

And once the timeline reaches the time when Karin will play a role, Shino knew he would be more than capable of bearing the fate of changing the very trajectory of the story itself.

A quiet intensity settled over Shino as he deployed his swarm of bugs around Karin and her team. With each passing moment, his anticipation grew, fueled by the knowledge that he was about to witness a pivotal moment in the story's timeline.

He waited, and waited...

Then, as if on cue, the moment finally arrived.

[Alert! Overmind, Current visuals has a 92% match with expected scenario in database. Initiate Project HSB?]

The time for action was now. "Begin."

In the depths of the forest near Karin's location, a gathering swarm of bugs coalesced into a humanoid shape, taking on the form of none other than Shino himself – but with major enhancements in his appearance such that it resembled a future better-looking version of himself.

As the figure's outline solidified, the thrill of excitement coursed through Shino's veins, a sensation he had longed for since arriving in this world.

A sly smile crept across Shino's face as he marveled at the power of his latest creation. It was a simple insect clone, but it had been brought to life with the aid of Alina's advanced capabilities and his upgraded Zerg communication abilty!

Now, he felt a strange sense of immersion, as though he himself were controlling the clone with his own hands!

For Shino, this was the ultimate expression of his desire, a game-like feeling that he had always sought in his previous world. And now, at last, he had achieved it in this new reality…

The power to seamlessly inhabit multiple roles without ever showing a hint of weakness. This was the key to his success in the game of life and death that lay ahead.

"With this, I can play multiple different characters in the future."