Fault Them For Flourishing
Shino thought it rather convenient for himself to be born into Konoha. The vegetation was simply exquisite for a plethora of specimens for him and his clan. He began to think of the other villages and how difficult it must be for them to find decent insects to examine, He thought them to be some of the most unfortunate people.
He couldn't think them completely disenchanted, as they did have an easier time getting specimens that he himself thought rare. Kiri had the water moths, who only created their nests in very wet areas and relied on an ability to sleep in water without drowning. Iwa had the rock beetle whose hard jagged body made it able to burrow into the side of cliffs. Kumo with its cloud flies who were so light they could rest on the clouds and then Suna with the sand hornet who built their hives in the dunes themselves. No, he could not consider them completely unlucky.
Something to the left caught his eye. Unbelievably it was a grass mosquito, which was only found in Kusa. They rarely came to Konoha since the grass never grew tall enough for them to ever get accustomed to it, no they loved tall grass to latch on to ninjas or animals as they ran by and to jump back off when they had their fill.
It was flying toward him and landed on his left hand. He slowly reached to into his jacket pocket to get a jar to catch the creature. Ever so slowly he inched his hand into his pocket and grabbed the container, bringing it out at an even slower pace. He had to be quick in this next step, where he caught the mosquito. He was about to slam the jar down when…
'WHACK'
A third hand smacked onto the rarity ending his short lived excitement. He followed the hand up a gray jacket sleeve up to the smiling mug of his teammate Kiba.
"Whew, that thing was massive man, good thing I came along or you would dying from blood loss right now!" His friend said thinking that he had done well.
"Kiba" Shino said in his monotone, "why would you kill an insect on me when you know that enjoy their company?"
"…"
What an intelligent response from his usually rambunctious friend.
"…"
Kiba probably thought that he could outlast him in a silence contest, though Shino would not compete in one, but he thought that he would win.
"I…um…it was a… re…flex?" He said with a questioning tone.
"You destroy incredibly difficult to find insects…reflexively?"
"Well no… but I thought it was just a mosquito." He said pleadingly.
Shino go up from his sitting position and started walking back toward the village.
"Oi!" Kiba yelled after his friend. "Shino, come on, everyone hates mosquitos and they are terrible this time of year!" He yelled trying to reason with his friend.
Shino kept his steady pace getting farther and farther away from Kiba.
Having enough of it Kiba decided to chase after him and try to apologize. It was harder than he thought catching up to Shino, honestly who knew that he could walk so fast. When he finally cought up to him he grabbed his sleeve and spun him around and said once again,
"Come on, everyone hates mosquitos, they suck blood and there are millions of them!" He said desperately trying to get through to his friend.
"Can you fault them for coming out when they flourish?" He asked seriously.
"Do we not do the same? We come out more often during particular seasons, and we are a social species who tend to congregate together in large numbers." He explained.
"Tell me, what is the difference between us and them?" He asked Kiba.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"We don't suck." Kiba said childishly while pouting.
He saw that Shino was shaking, and thinking it was with rage, Kiba backed away slowly. He wondered if his friend would sick his bugs on him, or maybe he would just beat him with his fists.
Kiba waited
… and waited
…and waited
Finally looking towards his friend he saw that he was a good distance away. Kiba then realized that it was not anger that the Aburame was shaking with, but laughter. Kiba had actually gotten his stoic friend to laugh. Kiba was so proud he didn't give chase immediately, though once he got over himself he dashed after his comrade.
"So, what were you doing out here anyway Shino?" Kiba asked cautiously.
"I was simply enjoying the assortment of possible specimens to bring back to my home." Shino said honestly.
"Sorry, I killed the super rare mosquito of yours." Kiba apologized.
"Don't worry Kiba, I already a small colony of them in my home from the previous years." Shino stated offhandedly.
A dumbfounded look came across Kiba's face as he processed that sentence.
"Then why did you get pissed when I killed the blood sucker?!" Kiba yelled at the confusing bug enthusiast.
"I didn't yell." Shino stated. "I merely asked a philosophical question, to which you gave an immature response."
"If it's so immature than why did you laugh mister high-brow?" Kiba asked thinking he had his friend.
"I did not laugh, I only coughed." Shino pointed out. "And even if I did laugh, why do you act so amazed? I am human, and I do experience joy."
"Whatever." Kiba said exhaustedly.
Kiba brightening up suddenly and whipped something out of his pocket.
Much to Shino's surprise it was a glass case. With a wonderful surprise in it.
A Marauding Spider from the Land of Iron, and it was alive.
"Kiba." Shino said quietly. "How did you come across this?"
"I took a trip to the Land of Iron a while ago and have been keeping this guy handy while you were away on your mission." The dog boy said smugly.
"This will go fantastically with the female I have." Shino muttered to himself.
"WHAT!" Kiba screamed incredulously. "Is there ANY bug you DON'T have?"
"I do not have a tree killing ant." Shino said.
"THEN THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA FIND YOU!" Kiba yelled as he ran to the library to find where the bug originates.
Shino thought about his friend after he had gone. He wished that they could be more but friends would suffice for now. Curse the Aburame silence, he just hoped that the Inuzuka brashness would push Kiba to make the first move, if he felt the same.
Though Shino was happy that his friend tried so hard to get things that he liked, and knowing Kiba he would most likely find a tree killing ant.
That is if they were in season, as they only came during the winter when the trees were weakest.
Six months away.