Shino, The Wall
I walk through the gates of the village hidden in the leaf, weathered and green from the inevitable burden of time. I am taking notice of the seemingly fresh claw marks in the left gate when a Kikai, acting as my eyes as my own wander into the depths of everything and nothing, catches my attention.
"Let's go, Akamaru!"
"Arf, Arf!" I hear the beast-like, almost demonic rasp of Inuzuka Kiba, and am relieved that there is no real danger.
"Kiba! No, stop! Come back!" The voice of Hyuuga Hinata never peaks above a faint whisper. In fact, I have only realized her presence because of the warm, glowing chakra that she seems to radiate with every step which the Kikai simply adore.
I conclude that this is nothing more than Kiba… well… being Kiba. Far too often, I witness Kiba and Akamaru stooping to a Naruto-like level of immaturity. An arm of kikai emerges from my arm, and Kiba's smile turns almost as quickly as the rest of his body. His powerful nose detects the identical scent of the bugs and me, and I find it comical as he tries to escape. We can hear the Kikais' delighted buzz as they feed upon Kiba's red-hot, adrenaline-filled chakra.
Now immobilized by the Kikai, I bend Kiba to my will as he hands me the initial cause of this conflict: a blue flag. Kiba would prefer to die rather than admit defeat to his own teammate. I sense Hinata fast approaching, and I sense that she is unexpectedly just as irritated as the offender.
"Shino!" she says angrily. I duck a punch to the face and use just ten Kikai to secure her arm.
"I was merely helping you, Hinata. Why? Because I had sensed your frustration toward Kiba." I try to mask my true emotions as I become severely confused internally. I feel the ground rumble as the Kikai begin to flutter. A crack grows in the earth as a tree, consumed by beautiful cherry blossoms, emerges from the ground. As the branches uncoil, the calming smell disperses into the air, and Kurenai-sempai exits the now full-grown apparition.
"Thank you, Shino." I hear the piercingly sarcastic tone of Kurenai-sempai. Her voice is usually laced with soothing, relaxing hints. This makes it much easier to be scolded by her. "Thank you for ruining our training exercise."
The tension cuts through the air as if it is a kunai, and no other words are spoken. I once again think to myself, I am Shino, the wall.
Formidable and strong, a sense of security and a confidant. A wall is expected to remain where it is left, emotionless, and serve its purpose only when needed. If a wall gets in your way, it can be easily knocked down with no sense of regret.
I am Shino, the wall.
