Konnichi wa!
Oneshot seven!
This is the last one for now:D
Creation of Peace
It was… unexpected, to say the least. They didn't even speak to each other, yet they somehow found confidence in the other – peace in each other. No one could understand how it had come about.
It had began when the Uchiha – nicknamed the Demon by the townsfolk – had been sitting out in the rain, looking blankly looking up at the sky as he leaned against a tree, knees pulled up to his chest and his arms hanging limply in between his bent legs. He stared upwards, mindless of the rain.
"You're going to catch a cold, you know."
He slowly lowered his head and turned it, looking through the trees with a cocked head and uninterested yet searching eyes, the black bangs falling limping over one black orb.
"I'm well aware. What are you doing here?"
The other went forward, an umbrella over his head. He continued forward until his legs were touching the other's, and he kneeled down beside the Uchiha. He raised a hand and caught a drop of water as it fell off a leaf from the tree above. He showed his palm to the Uchiha.
Inside it was a glistening, small blue beetle.
"Some of the most interesting insects appear only in the rain," he replied.
The Uchiha gave him a wry smile.
"Of course – I thought it was strange how so many insects were appearing at this spot. You were coming, Shino Aberame."
Said bug master nodded, taking a seat next to the Uchiha and shielding both of them from the rain.
"That's right, Sasuke Uchiha," Shino replied, crossing his legs Indian-style. Sasuke merely looked at him for a moment.
"That's the only reason you came, Shino?" He asked after a moment. "The bugs?"
Shino chuckled, allowing another small blue beetle crawl onto his finger to join the other.
"Well, they WERE a part of the reason. The other was you."
Sasuke cocked his head at the bug master.
"Me?"
Shino looked down at the beetles on his fingertips.
"Yes. My friends had told me that a strange man was sitting outside in the rain. They could tell he was stressed, and they wanted me to assist him."
Sasuke snorted in exasperation.
"Yes – for some UNKNOWN reason…" he muttered – to himself or to Shino?
Shino's eyes were amused behind the shades.
"You might not believe it, but my friends enjoy your company. They believe you have a great deal more sense than other humans."
Sasuke gave him a disbelieving glare.
"Tsk – no way. Bugs actually LIKE me? I thought – of ALL things – THEY would be the ones to detest me the most."
Shino laughed quietly.
"Oh contraire – not at all! In fact, they've taken quite a liking to you."
Sasuke rolled his eyes skeptically.
"Sure – whatever."
"Truly. Take that one over there, for instance." Shino leaned forward slightly and pointed into the bushes surrounding the small clearing, and Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed slightly and he craned his neck to see what Shino was talking about. Their faces were closer than dubbed necessary.
"What? Where? I don't see anything," Sasuke replied. Shino motioned again with the finger, and Sasuke leaned forward yet again, becoming even closer to the bug master.
"You're not looking hard enough. He's there."
"YOU'RE the bug master, not me Shino! I don't have an EYE for INSECTS –!"
"There! See – she's coming out."
The two were silent as a huge stag beetle emerged from the bushes, at least a foot in length.
Sasuke blinked.
"Good God – that bug is huge!" He exclaimed as the beetle made her way over.
"She's a rare species of giant stag beetle," Shino explained as the monstrous bug tried to climb into Sasuke's lap and the Uchiha fought her off. "They only come out during the rainy days."
"C'mon Shino – you're the bug master!" Sasuke grunted as he fought with the stag beetle's huge pincers. "Call her off!"
"I can't."
"WHAT?"
"I've learned that you should never mess with a female bug when she's attracted to something."
"AND SHE'S ATTRACTED TO ME?"
"Exactly. In fact, she's taken quite a liking to you."
Sasuke sighed in defeat and his arms slumped back to his sides, allowing the female beetle to clap her pincers together happily as she settled in his lap, newly formed from his crossed legs. Sasuke glared at Shino.
"You planned this, didn't you?" He muttered. Shino's silence was his only reply, and he sighed heavily. "Tsk – FINE!" He shifted slightly to accommodate the new weight, but then settled again when the giant beetle snapped her pincers warningly at him.
"She's very testy," Shino told him. Sasuke glared at the other beside him.
"Yeah – I kinda FIGURED that," he muttered. Shino smirked from behind his high collar.
"Kind of like you," he commented. Sasuke gave him another glare, but it was cut off as the giant beetle in his lap clicked out nonsense with her pincers and began to happily rub the top of her forehead on the underside of the Uchiha's chin.
"Wha – hey! Knock it off!" He exclaimed, trying to push her head away. He felt so awkward – a huge BUG was rubbing UP on him…
Her pincers suddenly bit deep into his arm, and he winced as blood welled up around the two wounds.
With a wave, Shino shooed away the beetle's pincers from Sasuke's arm, taking the Uchiha's wrist with surprising gentleness and surveying the wounds.
"Apparently, she didn't like that," he told the Uchiha beside him. Sasuke bristled.
"APPARENTLY not!" He hissed. Shino gave a quiet, amused chuckle.
"Hush, Sasuke," he told the other softly. "You suffered the consequences of your actions – simple as that."
"But even for a BUG that HAS to be a little harsh," Sasuke protested. Shino quietly watched the rain thin out the blood flowing from the two wounds and dripping to the ground for a moment before answering.
"There is no such thing as 'a little harsh' in nature," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "Only humans have such things as 'too harsh' or 'not harsh enough'."
Sasuke merely looked at him for a moment.
"So, in nature, the punishment for misbehaving and the punishment for murder is exactly the same?" He asked.
Shino gave a quiet chuckle, but did nothing to bandage the wound. Sasuke seemed to be ignoring it for the time being.
"In nature, there IS no such thing as misbehaving or murder – nature has allowed none of that. Animals and insects are raw energy – they don't have the ability to misbehave or to murder – they are born with rules and jobs that they follow and do by instinct. They have no TIME to misbehave or to murder, and they kill because they must. It is only the human world that has drifted so far from Mother Earth that there are such things as misbehavior and murder – because we have nothing to do."
"We have plenty to do," Sasuke disagreed.
"Perhaps – we as ninja, if you mean," Shino replied. "But the strange thing is, is that despite all the chaos that seems to swallow nature, it is a strange… sort of peace. Like if there wasn't that chaos, then the world would die."
Sasuke glanced away in thought.
"I see…" he breathed. "Chaos none of us can live without – that's a thought."
Shino shook his head, and he finally covered the wound with the previously forgotten umbrella and began to bandage it.
"No – it's the truth. It's always been the truth."
"Shino…" after a moment, Sasuke looked back at the bug master. "Why do you… wear such a high collar shirt? To hide the holes in your face?"
Shino's hands stopped, and he didn't raise his head to meet Sasuke's eyes. They were still for a moment, and Sasuke wondered if the bug master was going to lash out.
The other beside the Uchiha began bandaging his arm again, and Sasuke breathed easier.
"No. I couldn't care less about how those holes make my face look. A simple genjutsu would make them disappear easily, a small charm. No…" his voice grew softer. "It's not for that."
Sasuke's curiosity had gotten the better of him – he had never thought about WHY Shino wore a high collar shirt before, but now the question itched crazily at his insides.
"Then for what?" He asked.
Shino was quiet for a moment. His dark glasses showed nothing as he realized that the Uchiha was suddenly acting like the child that was always buried beneath the hate and fear.
"To… simply hide my face. To keep it from others."
Sasuke cocked his head.
"But why? C'mon – don't tell me you think you're ugly. That's stupid – not to mention girlish."
"That coming from someone who wears his hair long," Shino returned. Sasuke sniffed, offended.
"They banned me from wearing long trench coats when I tried to sneak in three dozen kunai to the Hokage's birthday party (DDB – It was a dare! XD), so I settled with the next best thing," he replied a-matter-of-factly.
Shino raised an eyebrow.
"And long hair is the next best thing?" He asked. Sasuke blinked at him.
"Yeah – anything that billows out behind me while I walk." His tone turned to slightly smug as he smirked at looked away, raising a hand to delicately hold his own face as his eyes became dreamy. Shino rolled his eyes behind his glasses.
"You're so egotistical," he murmured good-naturedly, turning back to bandaging the wounds. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Shino's bent head.
"I'm an Uchiha – what'd you expect? And you still didn't answer my question," Sasuke reminded him, narrowing his eyes and inclining his head to become level with Shino, glaring at the black spikes. "Did you do it because you think you're ugly? C'mon – it can't be THAT bad! Kakashi actually looks pretty good, and HE covers HIS face! Not to mention Kankuro doesn't look half-bad without all the make-up! You can't be any worse!"
Shino chuckled.
"And how would you know how they look without the masks and make-up?" He asked, finally finishing bandaging Sasuke's wound without even realizing it. Sasuke didn't attempt to take his arm away, and Shino allowed himself to simply hold Sasuke's forearm in both of his hands while the forgotten giant stag beetle slept in Sasuke's lap. The Uchiha shrugged.
"I got bored so I decided to become their stalker until I saw them without their masks and make-up," he stated, opening one eye and grinning playfully at Shino. "You'd be surprised – neither of them EVER came CLOSE to finding out!"
"Please don't tell me you even followed them to the bathroom," Shino commented blankly. Sasuke blinked at him.
"Well, I had to with Kakashi – I found out what he looked like when he was brushing his teeth, but – hey!" Sasuke glared at the bug master. "Don't change the subject! You STILL haven't answered my question!"
Shino smiled from behind his collar.
"I'm sorry – what was it again?"
"You know DAMN WELL WHAT!"
Shino laughed.
"No – I didn't do it because I think I'm ugly. I did it to protect others." Especially you.
Sasuke blinked.
"What? Why?" He smirked at the bug master. "You have poisonous fangs or something? C'mon – get outta here! You're not NEARLY as strange as some other people I've met – take Kisame for example. THAT guy was a freak!"
Shino cocked his head only slightly as he looked at the grinning Uchiha.
"So… even if you knew why I hide my face… you wouldn't think I was strange?" He asked quietly. Sasuke merely looked at him.
"Of course not – we all have our reasons for doing something, and we're all strange in our own way. I bet that face of yours is what makes you unique." Sasuke winked at the bug master. "At least, on the physical level. So what if there's something strange with your mouth? No big deal. I wouldn't care at all."
Shino merely looked at him – silent – for a moment.
"Really?"
Sasuke nodded, a confident smile on his face.
"Of course! You're not NEARLY as strange as some other people I've learned to accept! Take Ukon and Sakon for example," he mentioned the twins he had met back in Sound. "Those two were absolutely insane, but I learned how to deal with them and accept them – even if I DID hate their guts!" He added on cheerfully. "No worries!"
Shino nodded and looked down to the ground in thought.
But I'm doing it to keep you safe, Sasuke. I'm afraid… if you saw my face… I would…
A thumb was suddenly hooked onto the top of his high collar shirt, and his eyes shot up to see Sasuke's nose inches from his own, the Uchiha's black eyes sparkly playfully with the thought of a mystery being solved.
"May I see?" He asked quietly.
It was then Shino realized that it was too quiet – the rain had stopped falling and the giant stag beetle had gone.
It was only them – no one else even came CLOSE to this part of the forests.
There was silence between them for a moment.
Sasuke was ready to bolt the instant his thumb hooked onto the other's collar – he had no idea how sensitive Shino was about his identity – and his heart was a frantic pulse in his throat. Against all instinctive, survival urges –
Awe FUCK how could you even THINK he would let you do something like this, you fucking IDIOT –
– he waited for a response.
Shino was silent, and Sasuke took his silence as a 'yes'.
With baited breath, he slowly pulled the collar down, and Shino silently waited, eyes closed behind the shades and fighting against his OWN instinctive urges –
No don't Shino don't you DARE he'll hate you for it and you KNOW it –
– as the cloth moved down his face.
Sasuke blinked, and then he laughed softly.
"Why, Shino…" he chided gently. "You were worried for nothing! There's nothing dangerous or strange about your face – it's perfectly normal. Even the three holes in your cheek look normal – like they're a part of you. Your face is fine."
Not to mention just a tad good looking.
Shino opened his eyes to see Sasuke merely looking at his nose and mouth, eyes wide and lost in thought and seemingly not even noticing how close they were.
Sasuke's eyes then curled up in upside down 'u's.
"C'mon Shino – say something!" He told the bug master. "I've never seen your mouth move – I want to see it!"
Shino couldn't help it – he smiled.
"You're acting so childish, Sasuke," he informed the Uchiha. Sasuke shrugged.
"I really don't care. So what were you worried about?" He asked Shino. "There HAS to be some DEEPER meaning to it – you and your high collared shirt. What is it?"
"Hasn't enough of your curiosity been satisfied for one day?" Shino asked, barely managing to keep his voice from shaking and his head from moving.
Sasuke winked at the bug master and gave a small grin.
"Nope! Can you tell me?"
Shino couldn't stand it.
"Can I… SHOW you instead? Will you swear not to hate me, even if that DOES sound childish?"
Sasuke blinked.
"Okay. Sure. But why would I hate you?"
Not answering, Shino's hand slid up to grasp the side of Sasuke's throat, and he gently pulled the Uchiha down, giving the other time to pull away.
Sasuke didn't.
Their lips connected in a brief, swift kiss – the swiftness caused by mostly shyness and uncertainty on Shino's part – and then the bug master pulled away.
He expected some sort of yell – a slap and the Sharingan, maybe – but Sasuke merely blinked at then grinned at the bug master.
"So that's it? That's all you were protecting me from? Kisses?" The Uchiha gave a childish giggle. "That's so silly!" He bopped Shino gently on the head. "Foolish bug master – I wouldn't hate you for a kiss! I AM gay, after all!" Then he raised both his hands and hooked both thumbs onto Shino's collar, folding the cloth down to permanently reveal the other's face. Sasuke let his hand trail up to mold his hand to Shino's unmarred cheek. "Be at peace, Shino. I don't hate you. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it!" Sasuke gave him another smile. "Even if your bugs are a bit creepy at times – I'll learn to accept them – like all things. Mother Nature's chaos is peace, after all."
Shino blinked at him, not expecting that reaction at all.
"So… this is it? The creation of peace?"
Sasuke nodded.
"I guess so – the creation of peace in both of our hearts. It'll work!" He grinned at the bug master. "I'm sure of it!"
Shino clenched his fists nervously.
"So…" he trailed off. "Can I do it again?"
Sasuke grinned at him, taking his hand from the bug master's face.
"Sure! Of course!"
Then the Uchiha's hands were at Shino's face again, the fingers twirling around the shades' frame. Sasuke's eyes sparkled playfully – mischievously.
"But the Ebisu shades come off first!"
End One Shot Seven – Creation of Peace
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Ja ne!
DDB