Meeting

Shino had popped in, one of the only shinobi who had decided to become a loner, no one grabbing his heart yet. Do to everyone else's children constantly either breaking them or taking them off, he had stopped wearing his glasses. He saw his two students, Eiji and Kuroi, and blinked, "I didn't get a chance to talk to you two, how was the Exams?" he asked, "Gomen, I just got back from my mission."

"Shino-sensei! It went quite well for me, I met a new friend!" Kuroi said brightly.

Shino nodded, "Great to hear. What about you, Eiji?" he asked.

Eiji shrugged slightly. "It went well, but Kyo's link is kind of putting me down...excuse me, Sensei, but my father needs to know about a man that has been stocking Kuroi's mother."

Sarrina turned to Shino with a smile. "Shino-kun! How did your mission go?"

Shino held the door open for Eiji and then walked to Sarrina, "It was a bit...intense, but everything went well." He watched as Sakura turned the corner, Kuroi and Sasuke trailing behind her, "I wanted to say high to Sakura since she works here a lot and gets rather lonely. Lee over did it again in training, too, so I wanted to check on his progress." He looked back at her, "So why are you here, anyway?" he asked concerned.

"Gaara and I originally only here for the finals in the exams, but then Sasuke sent word to me that I needed to see someone. That someone turned out to be my sister whom I'd thought had died long time ago. She was still weak from running from a man named Yutaka, and she collapsed. I came here with Sasuke, Kuroi, and Eiji while Gaara went to speck with Naruto." Sarrina explained before bowing politely. "It was wonderful to see you again, Shino-kun."

Shino nodded, "Is that so? I'm glad you met your sister again, and I'm sure Naruto will look into Yutaka. Everything will be fine, Sarrina, I'm sure," he bowed to her again and then paused, "How do you do it?"

"Do what, Shino-kun?" Sarrina asked curious.

"Love?" Shino asked, "I'd like to know that feeling one day," he shrugged, "But it seems so sticky and fickle."

Sarrina smiled softly and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It is, my friend. The key to it is be honest and try to tell your loved ones that you care about them at least twice a day or once if you do not have enough time."

Shino smiled gently, "Do you think I'll find her? The one to call mine?" he asked softly, "I know some people just never meet their life."

"I don't think, I know you will find someone. If you want to say hi to everyone else, you probably need to go. I need to find Gaara anyway." Sarrina said, patting his shoulder. "I think I hear Sakura down the hall."

Shino nodded, "I was thinking about stopping at Eri's restaurant to check in on how Ino and Choji's last mission went." He heard Sakura as well, "Just before I left, there was another newcomer. Do you know anything about the person?"

"No...I'll check in on it for you if you want." Sarrina stated rather slowly, praying that that person wasn't Yutaka.

Shino shrugged but then looked up as a white butterfly passed him. He smiled and let it land on his finger,

"A butterfly
It's life so fleeting
We can only try
To guess it's meaning
Wondering about colors and life
We admire it from afar
Only to remember
Only to cry
Only to let
Our tears just dry
Once the Fates bet
Once it meats strife
Leaves the world forever."

He opened the door and let the butterfly fly off, smiling gently as it disappeared off into the sky.

Sakura and Cho had just heard Shino recite that poem and the pink-haired woman cooed, "Awww! Shino, I didn't know you were a poet!"

Shino blushed furiously, "Erm…I can be when the moment strikes me..." he admitted, "Not as often as I'd like, though…"

Cho blushed at the male, "Thank you for letting her out, she's been looking down for a few days."

Shino smiled gently, "Of course. I've never seen you around before, are you the newcomer that arrived a week ago?" he asked gently.

Cho recoiled slightly at the question. Of course a village like Konoha people would notice if she was a newcomer. "...Yes, I hoped to start a new life here."

Shino smiled and went over to her, gently tilting her head up so he could see her eyes. Since he had gotten rid of the habit of wearing his glasses, he had taken up the new habit of making sure everyone he spoke to looked him in the eye, and he would do the same with them.

He felt something rip at his chest at the contact, but he kept his cool, "I'm about to head on my way to one of my old student's restaurants, care to join me? I am free from any missions right now, so I can show you around while I'm at it and the sun is still up."

Cho swallowed a bit to moisten her suddenly dry throat. Her heart raced like the wings of her beloved insects. Who was this man?

Before the secret priestess could answer, she noticed a tiny black dot on the man's cheek. Curiously, Cho reached out a hand to touch the spot, however the spot moved. She recoiled once more. That was a bug! Could he be sent by her family to bring her back? No. Calm down.

"I would…love to." Cho struggled, her face flushing for unknown reasons.

Shino swallowed thickly and let out a breathy chuckle, "The Aburame clan uses bugs, I hope you don't mind," he placed a gentle hand on her back and lead her out of the hospital, first taking her for a walk down passed the Ramen shop and he waved when the older did before continuing on, "Gomen, where are my manners? I forgot introductions!"

Shino palmed his forehead and then paused in his step looking down at her, suddenly admiring how her hair glistened metallic shades of red, orange, yellow, purple and pink yet it stained mainly black. He shook himself before smiling and holding out his hand, "My name is Aburame Shino, what yours might be?"

He spotted Eiji darting into the restaurant a ways down but shook it off as he looked back at the petite but well structured and wonderfully curved woman in front of him. Gaw, where had his mind gone?! He beat himself mentally before smiling brightly at her.

Wonderful. Now she needed to make up a name. The Aburame had history with the Aimi Clan. No, no, no!

"I am Cho……Cho Ayano." Cho managed to say, and before Shino could speck she continued, "What is the food like at this restaurant you are taking me to?" Not a moment passed when one of her favorite butterflies, Blue Morph butterfly, fluttered to her shoulder. Cho smiled at the welcomed friend before turning her attention back to those stunning chocolate eyes.