It was the first day of the Academy. Parents from all corners of the Leaf village walked their young children to the gates of the Academy. The academy itself was located at the base of the famous Hokage Mountain; a large monument that overlooks Konoha.
Children from all over went to their respective home rooms, filling up seats and talking to their friends.
A young Aburame sits in the very back corner, sequestering himself away from his new classmates. He gave no attention to the kids in class. Instead, he peered out the window, watching something in the distance. A swallowtail butterfly flutters its wings gracefully as it steadily flies with the wind. It perches itself upon a little flower, collecting its nectar.
Their sensei enters the class, greeting his students cheerfully. "I will be your teacher. I am Iruka sensei," he beamed. The teacher pulls a wooden clipboard to his face, reading its contents momentarily. He pauses as if agreeing to it. "Alright class," he starts. "Please say here when I call your name." The teacher class out last name then first name but not in alphabetical order. As each name is called, a small hand raises and speaks up, announcing their presence.
"Aburame, Shino." No answer. "Did I pronounce this wrong." Iruke sensei looks up from his clipboard. A small hand is raised into the air. "Not one for talking, eh?" The young boy tilts his head in affirmation. "Very well. Let's see here." Iruka sensei scans his roster to find his place again. "Here we are! Atane Hotaru."
"Here." A young child raises her hand. She wore a simple black sleeveless qipao and grey pants underneath. Her shoulder length spiky white hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, with two chin length bangs framing the her face. Her eyes were a golden color.
"Alright, I believe that's everyone." As Iruka sensei continued on, the young Aburame boy found himself paying closer attention to the young girl beside him. Atane Hotaru. She was regal and dignified. The young boy saw how the other boys in his class caught glimpses of her, always turning back for more. He would be appalled at their ill-mannered behavior but then he would be a hypocrite.
Everyday they learned something different that built on the previous day's lesson. The young Aburame had observed everyone in his class, judging them silently. While most made the Kikaichū under his skin hum with annoyance, a few didn't.
Lunch came around, sending the kids into frenzy. Many pulled out small boxes of food their parents mad or what they bought on the way to school. The Aburame kid felt uncomfortable during lunch because of how many kids surrounded his desk neighbor. Boys and girls alike surrounded Atane, asking question after question. Many were too mundane for the him to care but one question caught his interest.
"Who do you think is cute?"
"I-I don't know."
He couldn't believe his ears. This regal young girl was a blushing and stuttering mess. His kikaichū began to hum in anticipation. He felt them crawling through his pores. He silently begged for his insects t calm down but it was too late. A girl squealed in fear, pointing in his direction.
"Ewww! Bugs!" Several other girls run towards the front of the classroom, huddling together in fear.
"Ew man, gross." Even some of the boys in class were disgusted. They began to try and squish the insects, prompting the Aburame boy to become defensive.
"Don't hurt them," he begged. He called his insects back to him, trying to save them from certain death. "They are my friends." The boys looked at each other and laughed. They called him a bug lover.
"And so what if he is?" Atane turned and faced the boys. She stood from her chair, standing slightly above them. He watched as the most popular girl in class stood up for him and his insects. The boys quickly apologized, stating they were merely joking. He could tell they didn't want to get on her bad side. That could ruin their chances of wooing her.
After lunch, Atane turned towards her seat partner and apologized. She proceeded to tell him that she thinks his ability is cool and to not be shy about it. "Thanks."
Shino removed his glasses, setting them on his nightstand. He slowly crawled into bed, waiting for his kikaichū to calm down. His room was dimly lit by a burning candle. Shadows bounced around his room silently. He turned towards the flame, studying it. It's yellow center reminded him of a certain someone's eyes. Eyes that regarded him kindly and not fearfully. Shino smiled softly too himself, drifting off to sleep.
As weeks passed by, Shino found himself increasingly annoyed by his classmates' presence when he conversed with Atane. She was never alone, always followed by her friends. Shino found himself following some of the boys. It was a competition most days as to which group was better, boys or girls. While Shino didn't care much for it, he found himself participating, secretly enjoying the effect he had on the girls with his insects. All except for Atane of course. He never wanted to scare her.
The class surrounded Iruka sensei outside, listening to him talk about the exercise before us.
"A sparring match," Sakura questioned.
"That is correct. You guys will be sparring each other so I can record data." Iruka sensei took out his clipboard and read off two names. Two young men entered the small dirt ring and awaited further instruction. "Because this is a tradition, you must make the proper spar sign to your partner as it is part of the etiquette." Iruka then began to explain how to make the proper sign and what it truly stands for. After he explained everything and the two boys made their spar sign, they attacked each other. Once one won, Iruka told them to join their spar signs to make a unison sign, symboling friendship. The two boys did as told went back to their previous spots outside the ring.
Atane and Sasuke were next. The two most popular kids stood across from each other, awaiting for instruction. While some cheered for certain people of the previous pairings, no one said a word to them. Sasuke was popular with the girls while Atane was popular with the boys. The cool and mysterious Uchiha versus the regal and endearing Hotaru. One was ice and the other fire. When Iruka sensei said to begin, it ended almost as quickly as it started. It was a tie.
As the dirt settled, Sasuke and Atane had head locked each other, making it impossible for the other to win. Iruka sensei called for a retry and it happened again. The dirt settles again, revealing them in other stalemate.
"I am putting it down as a tie," Iruka sensei said. The two young kids nodded and went back to their previous spots outside the ring. The girl's chattered amongst themselves, praising Atane's skill while the boys did the same over Sasuke.
Shino couldn't stop watching Atane's reactions as she spoke with her girl friends.
"Like Atane do ya?"
Shino paused for a moment before turning towards the boy who spoke to him. It was Kiba, a dog trainer. "Be more specific. Do I like that she is a friend, do I like her presence, her strength, because-"
"That's what I mean by you being fixated on minor details," Kiba interrupted. The young dog trainer sighed before letting go of the subject. Shino expressed no emotion, expressing himself on the inside. Was she his friend? Did she view him as a friend? Or was he just another classmate?