Just a quick note for now, and I'll mention it again at the bottom. Looking for beta readers on this story. Either drop into one of my forums or shoot me a private message/email if interested.
First Kunai : For the Swarm
"Creatures fear what they do not understand. It is the same for a single gnat as it is for even a shinobi; a death dealer. Hence why despite being feared, the swarm will always live on, for we are many and they are few. And they will never understand us."
- Aburame Shino, Second Battle of Kyohama to a unit of Aburame scouts.
He always respected logic. Logic by its very nature is very hard to misunderstand, being the basis of reasoning itself. Logic was what defined one's actions as correct or incorrect, depending on the situation at hand. To be able to draw inferences of the situation in question and then choose the correct course of action. Emotions or sentimentality only got in the way, often leading those astray from their true goal, and causing undue suffering as a result, either to one's self or to others.
He also know that among Konoha shinobi, he was one of the few who believed in the absolute truth of logic. The others allowed themselves to be led by their beliefs and 'feelings', often making situations worse than necessary, or leading to mistakes that one would avoid if they had kept a cool head. His comrades in arms knew him to be quiet, cold and systematic, often treating him as if he were some sort of strange machine rather than one of their own. He did not blame them for this reaction. To them, his thought patterns were unknown and in the shinobi world, unknowns often led to threats, and threats must be dealt with as such.
So for the life of him, he could not understand the logic behind his sitting outside the Hokage's office at such a late hour. He frowned beneath his white featureless porcelain mask, not that any would see it, or imagine it. He had been summoned by the Hokage to her office close to an hour ago, yet had been told to wait outside. He sat back in the chair, his body immobile as he closed his eyes beneath the mask. She must have a mission of some sort for me... yet to keep me waiting like this... He shook off that thought immediately, noticing that his weariness was starting to seep into his thought patterns, already beginning to meddle with his logical ability.
It was then that the door to the Hokage's office opened and out walked a familiar face. He stood immediately and snapped to attention. "Commander Nara." His voice was even and calm as he watched his superior officer scratch under his left arm.
The man turned and looked at him with a drowsy-eyed expression, his pineapple shaped hairstyle bobbing once as he squinted his eyes in an attempt to recognize him behind his Anbu mask. His eyes flickered for a moment before the man sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey Shino." He paused for a moment as he let out a large yawn, "I'm guessing you're here to see that troublesome woman?"
Shino lowered his hand before giving a small nod. "That is correct." And that was all that needed to be said. He held no illusions that the man before him had sensed his presence as soon as he sat down on the bench outside the Hokage's office.
Shikamaru merely shrugged. "Sorry, our meeting went longer than either of us intended. Sorry to hold you up, and even sorrier to be in your shoes."
Shino merely looked at his Commanding officer for a moment before nodding. "It is not a problem Commander."
Shikamaru frowned at the sound of his rank leaving his old classmate's mouth. He looked Shino up and down for a few more moments before letting out a sigh. "Whatever. Take care Shino." He says, turning to walk away with a half-hearted wave over his shoulder.
Shino watched him for a moment before that part of his brain he never like to acknowledge made itself known. "Shikamaru." The Anbu commander turned and looked over his shoulder at Shino's call. "Get some rest, you look exhausted." After all, it wouldn't do at all to let his superior exhaust himself and be unable to discharge his duties.
The shadow user smirked before turning away again and walking away. Shino watched him leave for a few more moments, wondering if his Commander and former classmate would actually take his advice before the logical part of his brain informed him he was keeping the Godaime waiting. He turned and entered her office, closing the door behind him out of habit. He stood before her desk and saluted. "Hokage-sama, you have called for me?"
She raised her head from the paper she was reading and he once again wondered how long it would be before she chose the sixth. The wrinkles and signs of old age were even starting to show through her genjutsu that she kept active every time that he had been in her presence. The signs of weariness and hidden pain were clear to his eyes, but as per usual he said nothing. The pain she suffered was personal, and he had no business butting into the private affairs of others. That's more of Naruto's job anyway. He thought in slight amusement before she raised her eyes to look at him directly. He clamped down that line of thinking immediately as he awaited his orders.
After all, in the Hive of Konoha shinobi, he was a warrior and she was the Queen.
"Ah, Captain Aburame. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Her voice betrayed her, he idly noticed, the sounds of the lack of sleep evident in her tone. He considered offering the same advice he offered Shikamaru earlier but knowing that it would not be appreciated in a similar manner, he kept his mouth shut.
"It is not a problem Hokage-sama."
She looked at him, as if mildly amused at his response, but why she would fine his answer amusing escaped him. She continued on, "It seems our resident shadow walker had quite a bit of intel to report back to me and our meeting ran long. I know you find no offense but I apologize regardless." She looked at him, a measuring look in her eye that he could not decipher, so he reacted the way he reacted best in her office. He remained dead silent.
Somehow sensing he wasn't going to say anything, Tsunade merely stretched her arms above her head before letting out a small yawn of her own. At least she had the grace to at least cover it with her hand, unlike the Anbu Commander. She finally held out a piece of paper for him. "I have a mission for your team Captain. Take it."
He slowly reached out and took the paper from her hand, a nod showing his acceptance. He raised the paper and read with quickly. He reread it before handing it back to her. "This will not be a problem."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him, causing him to wonder if he had slipped and allowed pride into his voice. He wasn't egotistical, and he never meant to flaunt his abilities, but every now and then it slipped into his voice when speaking of his team.
After all, logically they were the best reconnaissance team in the Anbu.
"You just returned from a mission. You're not concerned that I'm already ordering you back out." Her voice showed slight amusement.
He fought the urge to shrug. He was in front of the high commander of Konoha, such disrespect went against all he knew. "True. Though I doubt my team will have serious problems with it." He didn't care in the slightest himself, but somehow he knew that Tsunade was more concerned with other members of his team.
"I see." She said, as if only half listening. He once again tried to read her but even when distracted her body language revealed nothing that she did not wish for him to know. "The Four Drifters indeed." She raised an eyebrow at his lack of reaction to the name that had been given to the team he captained, but he was unfazed by her words. His team had many names given to them: Drifters, Outcasts, Freaks, etc. Drifters was actually one of the nicer names, or at least one of his subordinates insisted it was. "I still find it interesting that one so young as yourself and the rest of your team have become the top Anbu."
Shino said nothing, though a voice in the back of his head told him that she was trying to get something out of him. Not just a reaction to her evasive-praise, but something more. "It is not inconceivable considering who the current Commander of the Anbu is."
Her face fell at his comment, and once again he realized that she was trying to get something out of him. His logical response cut off that avenue of questioning but the longer this laster, the more he felt he knew what she wanted to know. After all, it was not the first time she had questioned him on it. "Look Aburame, you know what I want to know. Can we cut the bullshit Captain?" There was a edge in her voice that booked no argument.
He knew that playing dumb in this case would not work, a little voice in his head telling him that he could get away with it were he not of the Aburame clan. Seeing no logical way to get out of the situation, he merely replied evenly. "I cannot tell you Hokage-sama."
She seemed to glare at him as if he were Orochimaru reincarnated after he spoke those words. "Oh? Could you explain that?"
He merely returned the gaze, only slightly unnerved by the fury in that glare. He had been exposed to worse of course, but she WAS his leader. "To explain it fully would possibly place a member of my team in a dangerous situation. Their ability is uncharted, and should word of it get around to Konoha it would make them many enemies." He chose his words carefully, the odd sense of protectiveness that he felt when speaking to or of his team working alongside his logical thinking.
She seemed to calm at that, considering his words. He suspected she knew she would get nothing more out of him than that, and he could see the gears in her mind turning to try and decipher who exactly Shino spoke of. Finally she gave a sigh before leaning back in her chair. "You are a tough nut to crack, Aburame Shino." He idly wondered if he should thank her for the praise but remained silent, trying to decipher what hidden meaning her words held. She seemed to notice his discomfort, even if he didn't recognize it for what it was. "Do not worry about it Captain. It just goes to prove something I've been thinking about for many years."
Shino looked at the Hokage, who was now no longer looking at him but rather out the window. She seemed to be waiting for him to respond. "Which is?"
She only shakes her head and though he can't see her face he can sense it has a smirk there. He somehow had the feeling he was the butt-end of a private joke but allowed the thought to slip from his mind as she spoke. "Over the years I've been alive, I've noticed something about those in our profession." She paused for a moment, as if considering how she wanted to word her thoughts before continuing. Shino got the impression that she was speaking her private thoughts to him and decided that he should consider what was to come. "It seems to me that the more skilled a shinobi becomes, the more... let's call them personality quirks for now, they develop. I assume it has to do with the extra stress of difficult missions."
Shino found himself frowning at her words. "I do not understand."
She seemed to delight in his confusion before turning in his chair, giving him a look that reminded him of one he received from the Matriarch so long ago. "Personality quirks... or mental problems that manifest themselves as such. For instance, Hatake Kakashi's... obsession with Jiraiya's books when he was alive, despite never showing any sort of sexual attraction to anyone or anything. Haruno Sakura's constantly twitching fingers. Mitarashi Anko's," she paused for a moment before saying, "actually, you probably don't know who she was... Anyway, her need to always disturb everyone around her if she could. Sarutobi Asuma's chain smoking, despite the fact the cigarettes he smokes hold no nicotine. Shizune's increased levels of obsessive compulsive disorder. We can even examine your own team with ease if you so wish."
He frowned at her suggestion, not liking where this conversation was heading. "My team is reliable, Hokage-sama."
She only smiled at him as if he were some sort of confused child. "Bring anyone who thinks otherwise here. I will show them the error of their thinking." She let out a sigh before turning towards her window again. "Perhaps it is too late in the evening to be considering such things. You have your mission orders Captain Aburame. You are dismissed."
"Yes Hokage-sama. My team will depart in the morning. By your leave." He said, once again raising his hand in a salute. She merely waved him off, turning in her chair to look out the window in the office overlooking Konoha. He said nothing more, merely turning around and leaving her office.
-
As Shino walked away from the Hokage tower he found himself reflecting on what Tsunade spoke of. He dismissed her worries, finding them illogical as many skilled shinobi developed no such tendencies. That being done, he called to several of his allies to come forth. He felt his allies bursting through his skin and crawling up to the open space in his uniform before taking flight before his eyes. He smirked as he watched over his specially bred Kikai bugs, raised for a single purpose and still in the experimental phase.
Those not of his colony often wondered how he communicated with his tiny, yet infinitely useful allies. The Aburame were a mystery to all, save themselves, and that was the way they preferred it. No one else needed to know the secrets of the colony. The truth was that he didn't really know the difference between speaking to his bugs and speaking other shinobi; to him they were the exact same. "Find the others. You know what to do." He said quietly. The three brightly colored insects seemed to bob and weave, similar to how a person would nod, before buzzing off in three different directions.
The Kikai he sent were what he referred to as 'messengers'. Not practically useful but developed as a way to catch the attention of those he commanded. Eventually, he would have them trained enough to actually convey messages to non-Aburame by having them fly in patterns forming words or something along those lines, but for now his team knew that if they ever saw those bugs, and they would see them even if the bugs had to wake them up somehow (Uzumaki had testified that they were VERY creative in how they did this), it meant that they were having a mission the next morning and to prepare accordingly. Surprisingly, it had been Naruto who had given him the idea and unlike most of the hyper blond's ideas, it actually had merit.
He then sent a normal Kikai back to the hive ahead of him, to inform the Matriarch of his mission. He would not dare use one of his messenger Kikai for such a task, as the Matriarch could easily understand any Kikai who spoke to her and he held no doubt that should she see the brightly colored Kikai, that she would find it both 'charming' and 'amusing'. Having no desire to inform the Matriarch of his special allies until they were more practical, nor listen to the possible mockery of such an idea, he only used them on members of his Anbu team.
His task completed, he allowed himself a relaxing walk back to the hive, knowing full well that the days to come would be tiring. As he walked, he found himself thinking back to the words spoken to him half-heartedly by Tsunade. He still found her words somewhat illogical, if not biased to her point of view. However, he decided to do as his former sensei had instructed him to do a long time ago, back when he was still Genin. He could still remember the exact conversation.
"Shino, allow your mind to drift aimlessly for a few moments each day."
"Why?"
"Logic is an excellent thing, both for shinobi to have as well as civilians. However, not everything will bow to the laws of logic. If your mind is inflexible to obscure ideas, it could hurt you in the long run."
"..."
"Consider it an order if you have to." She said with a sigh.
"... As you wish..."
He took that advice long ago and did as instructed. He rarely does it anymore, never truly understanding his former sensei's order. His mind drifts upon the Hokage's words, idly wondering where she drew such conclusions.
After a few minutes he sighs, somewhat defeated as her logic seems to make sense, now that he has taken the time to actually consider it. Hatake-san's and Mitarashi-san's... habits were well known, to the point where people accepted them without a question anymore. He had not known of Haruno's twitching, but to be fair he hardly saw her, let alone spoke to her. Nor had he known of Asuma-sensei's lack of nicotine. He often had wondered how the man wasn't suffering from some sort of lung cancer at the rate he smoked.
What truly began to trouble him is that he could see the habits of others she had not mentioned. He knew Kurenai-sensei possibly suffered from minor bibliomania, having only seen her home once to deliver a message. He would never have pictured his sensei as such, but upon seeing a tower of books collapse as she opened her apartment door, he merely filed in away in his brain. How Tenten had developed the distinct habit of picking her nails with kunai or senbon needles whenever she was nervous about something, which apparently was quite often. Hyuuga Neji had developed the odd habit of walking around Konoha with his eyes shut and Byakugan inactive, walking as if a blind man but somehow able to navigate without problems.
Then there was the duo of Maito Gai and Rock Lee. He inwardly shivered before moving on. There was no need to think of those two. They were practically exhibits A and B if Tsunade ever needed to prove her theory.
He moved on to his own team and found himself frowning. Inuzuka Nekoi was suitably balanced. At least he could find no direct faults with her. She was at least easier to deal with than her older brother Kiba, despite having known the Inuzuka-nin from his genin days. She was actually very quiet and calm for an Inuzuka, something he had struck down as an odd but welcome change from his expectation. He often wondered what her mother had thought to name her, a member of the Dog using Inuzuka clan, with a feline-like name but judging by the way she almost never spoke of her clan with words of praise, he imagined it wasn't a story that he had the right to know.
It was easy to see Uzumaki's traits, but hard to distinguish if they truly were faults or just another one of his masks. Shino had always known something was... different about his classmate but had never really taken the time to think about it prior to the war with Sound. It was then that he was forced to work with Naruto more often than one would anticipate, and he began throwing away the preconceptions he held on to for so long with first-hand observations. He learned to see through the blond's cleverly created masks of stupidity and happiness, to see the young man's inner-self. He had not known of Uzumaki's... condition prior to inducting the blond into his Anbu team after the war, but after learning of it he could understand why the blond acted the way he did.
He idly mused that Naruto would give any therapist nightmares if they were to analyze him completely.
However, Naruto wasn't the one who was the most unbalanced at all. He knew of Hinata's problems, and he knew it was not normal, yet no one that knew of her... dysfunction knew how to deal with it. Shino immediately cut his mind off from those thoughts, becoming slightly disturbed at the path his mind had taken. He shook himself free of his unusual bout of 'mind-wandering' as he began to file his thoughts of what would be needed to prepare for the coming day.
It is to be noted that he never bothered to analyze himself. After all, what would be the logic in that?
-
The world of the waking came to him as it usually did, abrupt and without warning. He frowned, as he always did, with his body's sluggish morning movements. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers for a moment before rising from his bed and going through his morning preparation. He dressed in his Anbu uniform, his mind already on auto-pilot as he began to examine his surroundings. He quickly threw his customary coat on over his Anbu gear, making sure he still had easy access to all his armaments before raising his sleeve to the mound near his bed and issuing a silent order. He watched as a small swarm of insects dug its way through the dirt and fly upwards into his sleeve, traveling further along his arm until he could feel them once again digging into his skin. He had always found the sensation unnerving, despite the lack of reaction to it. He doubted he would ever truly get used to it.
He quickly grabbed his katana, strapping the blade to his back. It was customary for Anbu to carry such blades, even if they never actually used them. It was mostly ceremonial and in the rare cases where one would have to decapitate a fallen foe to bring his head back as proof of a kill. Shino however, while never relying on the blade, knew better than to lose his chance to improve. After several months within the shadow ops of Konoha, he had easily gained a solid skill in the blade. After all, its merely another tool to be used.
He only gave himself a quick check, finding nothing amiss, before placing his mask over his face.
As he leaves his private cavity, Shino is surprised to find somewhat waiting for him. He stopped before his visitor and exchanged nods before he finally asks, "Father, what brings you here?"
Aburame Shibi merely regards his son quietly behind the perpetual sunglasses that all Aburame warriors wore. It was more of a necessity than anything else, as the colony's Hive was underground and venturing into the world above without protection after living in darkness for so long could cause serious damage to the eyes of the swarm. Shino waits in silence, knowing his father well enough to know that he has something to say, and will say it when he feels like it.
Finally the older man places a hand on his son's shoulder. "The Matriarch received your message last night. She sends her blessings with you."
Shino nods. "Please inform Grandmother that I am thankful for her words."
Shibi gives his son a nod and once again Shino can tell he wants to say something and waits. Finally the older man allows a small smirk, with to Aburame's is the equivalent of a full-blown grin. "You have done well my son. The Colony knows you as one of our best warriors. Even the Matriarch acknowledges your strength." He pauses for a moment, what little expression on his face leaving it. "Know that I, and your mother as well, are very proud of you."
Shino is very thankful at that moment for his Anbu mask, for he knew that he would betray his shock at his father's words. He felt something in his chest bubble for a moment before his mind crushed the inner voice of pride from taking control. "...I see. I am flattered."
Shibi only nods, not expecting any sign from his son in regards to his words. "Good luck on your mission. Return to the Hive safely." He then patted his son's shoulder one last time before turning away and walking further into the darkness of the Hive. Shino watched him go for a moment before shaking his head. He filed his father's words of praise away for later reference. His father, or any of those of the Aburame, rarely gave praise to others. So, once again fighting that inner voice of pride within his head, the young Aburame warrior began walking towards the entrance to the Hive.
He passed the Kikai incubation grounds, where the drones of the colony took great care in raising the young Kikai. He had often felt the term drone was unfair to his kinsmen; this was reinforced when his Genin teammates had learned of how the non-shinobi Aburame were referred to, although the truth of the matter was that it was simply the best term for them. They were the equivalent of the worker ants, who worked tirelessly for the continued survival of the colony. He gave them the respect they deserved, as he held no doubt that none the colony warriors could keep the Hive running without them.
He paused as he reached the Hive entrance, waiting for the sentries to come forth and reveal themselves. He merely held out his arms and waited, knowing it wouldn't take long for the sentries to reveal themselves and confirm his identity. The Aburame may not have been a Noble clan of Konoha, like the Hyuuga or the old Uchiha clans, but they did value their security like all others. He watched from behind his mask as the sentry-species of Kikai bugs buzzed out of their hiding places within the tunnel, swarming over his body completely and utterly for several moments, taking note of his scent and those of his personal allies before they left him and vanished, as fast as they had appeared. As he walked towards the light, he remembered asking his father about the sentry Kikai, and what they would do if he was not an Aburame. Judging from the uncomfortable look that crossed his father's usually expressionless face at the time, he now hoped that he never saw anyone try to gain entrance to the Hive without permission.
He shook his head out of his musings, forcing his mind to the present. He frowned at all the twists and turns his mind had taken this morning but merely pushed on. It would be illogical to keep his team waiting due to a bout of personal examination. He only hoped that his team would be ready to go when he reached their meeting place.
-
As usual, he was the first to arrive at the meeting place. It was by the West Gate of the village, one of the more frequently used entrances to Konoha. He gave a cursory glance around before allowing himself a sigh and leaning back against the gate's support. He closed his eyes and waited.
He didn't have to wait long before his allies whispered to him that they could smell one of their kin approaching. He opened his eyes and a few minutes later, Inuzuka Nekoi turned around the corner. Her white dog mask was set firmly against her face, revealing nothing. Her trusty partner, a dog named Shadow who seemed quite special in his own right, trailed beside her. The two seemed to be talking to each other before they reached Shino. "Morning Captain." She said, her voice calm and relaxed. Shino only gave her a nod as his messenger Kikai from the night before returned to him, buzzing around his head once before heading towards his coat collar and joining its breathern. Shadow gave a friendly bark, or what Shino assumed was a friendly bark.
He nodded to her. "Hound." She took the moment to inspect his old friend's sister for a moment. She was a little shorter than his full height, with black hair that was tied back into a pony-tail. He had only seen beneath the mask at meal times but he knew she lacked the trademark red fangs of the Inuzuka clan on her cheeks. She was limber and fit, dressed in the standard Anbu uniform, tan bodysuit, shin-guards and forearm bracers. Her katana was strapped to her back in a similar manner to his in a black lacquer sheath, the symbol of the Inuzuka clan on the polished material. Shadow himself held no special markings, but Shino knew the dog could somehow shift colors in the light, a sort of nin-camouflage only used by him. Nekoi had merely shrugged when asked about it, saying thats how he got his name.
His allies then picked up again to report that two of their kind were approaching fast from the East. "Looks like Rose and Frog are on their way." He remarked evenly, though his face had knit into a frown. Late again... Naruto really needs to get his priorities straight. No sooner than finishing that thought, two figures came dashing across rooftops towards their meeting place. Shino only looked up towards them as the two figures leaped down, both executing flips in order to land on their feet. "You're late." Shino intoned calmly. He was used to this by now, but was surprised that the more reliable member of his team was also late.
The Anbu wearing a white porcelain Frog mask raised a hand to rub the back of his head, his fingers brushing the wild blond locks into some semblance of order. "Er, sorry 'bout that boss. Got held up by the kids this morning." The only difference between him and his comrades was that he wore a pair of dark cargo pants, fully stocked with scrolls and various forms of weaponry, the shin guards held on the outside of the material. The mask had a long gash going across it from the upper left to the bottom right, as if someone had tried to disfigure the mask horribly. Shino had oddly wondering about it, because he knew it hadn't happened on a mission, but rather Uzumaki showing up with the mask that way. Whenever pushed on it, the blond would merely shrug as if to say 'who cares.'
Shino only nodded, losing the frown behind his mask. He knew of the troubles Naruto had to deal with on a daily basis so he felt it was unnecessary to push the matter further. "And you Hinata? I've come to expect this out of Naruto but what's your excuse?"
She merely bowed her head. "Sorry Shino-kun. Something came up that I had to deal with first. I apologize for the delay."
Shino only nodded. He trusted Hinata enough to know that she wouldn't purposely hold them up. "Try not to be late again, both of you."
Naruto merely shrugged, "You try to get a bunch of screaming brats to listen to you in the morning. Thank kami the academy is on break and Iruka-sensei is available or else I think I would've lost my mind this morning."
Shino found himself smirking at the image from behind his mask, despite the serious mood he tried to keep himself in. Kami help the blond should he ever have kids of his own. It seems his amusement was mirrored by Nekoi, who let a soft laugh for a moment before silencing it, as if she was embarrassed that she had slipped. Finally he spoke up again, his voice back to normal. "Godaime-sama requested we head to the Sound-border. Rumors have reached her ears of strange happenings, an increase in the number of missing nins in the area, and signs of battle. We are to investigate and report back. Should we come into contact with any missing nin, we are to follow standard procedures."
Echoes of confirmation were spoken before Hinata spoke up from behind her white porcelain bird mask. "Are we on a timetable?" Her voice was soft and slightly melodious; a pleasant sound to his ears he felt no shame in admitting. She, like the others, wore the trademark Anbu uniform. The only difference was that hers lacked the forearm bracers and shin-guards. Instead of the customary Anbu sword, a small pouch of medical materials was strapped around her waist, containing any materials that the team's medic might need in the worst-case scenario.
Shino found his eyes drawn the to intricate black rose that had been carved into the surface of the mask. He frowned upon seeing it, as he always did. "None that I am aware of but it seems Hokage-sama is becoming far more curious about our abilities than I would feel comfortable with, all things considered." Shino watched as Hinata's mask face seem to fall slightly at that.
He found his thoughts reflecting on his old genin teammate. She had changed so much over the years, in more than one way and not always in a good way. Her confidence had risen during the war with Sound, actually earning her Jounin rank after successfully defending a strong hold with limited forces after the commanding Jounin present was taken out in the assault. No one had been more shocked and proud than her cousin Neji. However, not all her changes had been good, and that dark ebony rose carved into her mask seemed to be the symbol of one of her worst changes.
"Oba-chan is getting far too nosy."
Shino watched in mild amusement as Nekoi reached over and slapped the blond on the back of the head, hard enough to leave an impression. "Show some respect! She's the Hokage for kami's-sake!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." The blond said before turning his gaze back to Shino. "How long you think this'll take boss?"
Shino pondered it for a moment before answering. There is more to this than in the mission brief, otherwise Hokage wouldn't have requested 'The Four Outcasts', right after they returned from another mission. "Unknown."
Naruto seemed to twitch behind his frog mask, as if annoyed at Shino. Shino of course did not understand why the blond would be annoyed. He had given him a straight answer. Finally the blond sighed before flashing through a set of seals so quickly that Shino barely recognized them for what they were. Kuchiyose no jutsu? Shino once again founding himself dumbfounded by his subordinate's actions, even more so once the smoke cleared and all that was there was a small orange and red toad. "What's happening boss?" The little toad squeaked out.
Shino looked back to Naruto to see the blond scratching his head as if embarrassed. "Need a favor Gamakichi. Head back to the orphanage and tell Iruka-sensei that the mission was going to be longer than I expected. Tell him that the money's in the upstairs locked cabinet, combination 3-1-5-2-6, if he needs it and to feel free to hire a genin team to watch the kids if something comes up. You got that?"
The little toad bobbed its head once in a nod. "Sure thing boss. Tell 'em to use the money to hire a temp if he finds himself snapping at the brats."
Shino could almost feel the smirk on the blond's face as he nodded. "Thanks. I'll have a treat for you the next time I summon you."
The four then watched as the little toad began to hop away. Naruto looked up and them and seeing the blank looks on their masks, merely asked "What?" in a defensive tone.
Shino merely watched in silence, too used to the blond's antics to really find words necessary to respond to them. Hinata's soft laughter echoed from behind her mask and Shino watched as Nekoi merely looked at Naruto before shaking her head, "Weirdo."
"Enough. Let's move out. Blade formation, Hound take point. Rose, take rear-guard. Frog, left flank." The four snapped out of their individual antics to respond to his orders immediately. Despite their antics, Shino knew for a pure fact that together they were a well oiled machine and they were Konoha's finest.
-
Shino allowed himself to remove his mask for the first time outside of meals since they left Konoha after a particularly long jump through the trees. Three days had passed since their departure from Konoha; three days since they began their patrol. Shino took a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead before replacing his mask. It was unwise for members of Konoha's special ops to reveal their faces, even if there was no one around. The Four Drifters continued their patrol in silence, only stopping or changing direction with silent hand signals that had been engraved in their minds as thoroughly as the blood red mark of the Anbu was tattooed into their skin.
It was late in the day, and Shino knew that they would have to break for camp soon enough. He was about to give the order to stop when Hound held up her arm, her canine partner stopping and tensing, the fur on his back rising upwards as a small growl echoed out his throat. Shino's hand immediately reached for his blade, his allies already beginning to swarm out beneath him via his other arm's sleeve to hide within the foliage, lest they be attacked. "What is it?"
Surprisingly, Frog and Hound answered in unison. "The stench of blood." Shino found himself again quite thankful for his mask, as it wouldn't do to allow his surprise to show. Hound didn't bother to look back at them as she whispered. "The smell of blood is in the air. Kami... its all over the area, I can't pinpoint it." She sniffed a few times, as if trying to determine the direction from whence the smell that Shino could not detect was coming from.
Frog spoke up again, his voice cryptic. "Death taints the air."
"Rose." The order was quiet, but immediately acted upon. He could sense his old comrade's chakra shift slightly before she spoke.
"To the Northeast, about fifty meters. Several bodies I think..." She sounded unsure of something but Shino guessed that even Frog could detect the unease in her voice.
Shino frowned before making a quick series of hand gestures. We investigate. No talking, signals permissible. Frog, Hound, take point. Rose with me. The orders were acted upon immediately and within the next moment all four had vanished from their respective places, already leaping upwards within the trees with a speed that would have impressed many. Many more would have been impressed that they made no sound at all. Quite a useful skill for those of our kind, Shino allowed himself to think before shutting off all unnecessary parts of his brain.
They reached the place Rose had directed them to and even Shino felt his stomach churn somewhat. He found himself agreeing slightly as Frog removed his mask, shock apparent in those bright blue eyes. "Sweet kami..." The scene below them was hard to comprehend, but the air itself carried tension, as if the very forest itself feared this area.
Red. That was the first thing that came to Shino's mind as he took in the massacre. The forest ground was completely tainted in in a crimson color that could only be one thing. He had seen enough of it in his life to be sure that it was the elixir of life that ran through all humans. Below them were were what seemed to be the remains of six bodies, two nailed to a pair of trees as if lifelike scarecrows.
"Frog, Hound, secure the area. Rose, scan the area." He ordered quickly, dropping to the forest floor, splashing down easily. His face grimaced slightly when he realized what the puddle actually was and found himself overlooking the damage with apprehension. What happened here? He stared out, taking the scene in, silencing by the utter devastation. The remains of blood flaked freely from the trees as a brief breeze floated past him. He took several steps forward, dutifully ignoring the stench that his subordinates had smelled long ago.
The clearing itself was riddled with dried blood mostly, as if whoever or whatever had done this had gone out of its way to make dismembering the six bodies as gruesome as possible. A few puddles of nothing save blood sat quietly, to the point where it would easily unnerve anyone. Shino bent down and removed his glove, placing his finger in the puddle while ignoring the severed fingers that were floating near the surface. He almost let out a sigh of relief as the puddle was cold. So whatever happened here, happened a long time ago. Is this why Godaime-sama requested us?
He snapped out of his musings as Hinata's voice drifted towards him. "There are no enemies in the area Shino-kun. There is another kill sight about twenty meters East of here, as if they were trying to escape but it looks to be just as bad."
Shino nodded, rising to his feet as he flicked the blood from his fingertips and replacing his glove. "Blood's cold or dried... Whatever happened here; it didn't happen recently."
"Yes, that's what I would assume as well. I count six... remains here, two at the kill site to the East." Her voice was steady but he could hear the unease in it. If it were not for the emotional training all Aburame underwent before entering the Shinobi academy, Shino would probably be feeling just as disturbed, if not more so.
Shino snapped his gaze upwards as Nekoi and Naruto entered the clearing. Both had their Anbu masks strapped to their hips, their now revealed faces showing the unease they felt. "Captain, the area has been secured. Traps are in place." Nekoi said quietly, his voice betraying her discomfort. Her face was pale and judging from the sickly tone of her skin, he was sure that she had vomited from whatever scene was to the East. Shadow was whimpering openly, rubbing his nose against Nekoi's leg, in what seemed like a vain attempt to brush away the stench that Shino had no doubt was overpowering to the dog's senses.
Naruto nodded. "Shino, there are two more bodies. Same level of brutality. I've seen some serious shit before but nothing like this."
Shino nodded, once again bending down. He grabbed the blood-caked face of what looked like a severed head, examining it closely before removing the forehead protector. He wiped the blood from the plate before frowning at the slash mark through the symbol of the Hidden Village of Grass and speaking again. "Gather their protectors."
Naruto tosses a pair of bloodied metal plates towards Shino, "Already ahead of you boss." Shino only frowned as the two plate bounced towards him, one settling before him while the other bounced into the puddle of blood. The symbol of Konoha's old enemy was engraved on them both. "Our two slabs of meat are Sound scum. Actually recognized them out of the bingo book too." Naruto gave a hard stare at him before continuing, "Whoever did this was damn good boss."
Shino raised his eyes and looked into those sapphire pools for a moment at the young Anbu's praise. Naruto never bothered to hide his emotions, or rather at least in a way that a shinobi couldn't pick up. To his fellow Konoha nins, all they really needed to do was look into those eyes and the blond's thoughts were like an open book. And at this moment, Shino could easily see the mixture of awe and disgust that the blond felt.
Nekoi had done as Shino requested during Naruto's words. She looked through them before answering, "All missing nins in this group, if their forehead protectors are to be trusted. A pair of Grass, pair of Sand, pair of Cloud."
Hinata removed her mask, clipping it to her waist like her partners had. "Anyone from the Bingo Book?"
Nekoi merely shook her head, "Too much blood. Hell, I can't even tell whose limbs are whose." Hey eyes locked on one of the corpses and she visibly paled. "Sweet kami, are those... his intestines?"
Hinata walked towards the two corpses pinned to the tree with kunai, her face twisting into a confused frown as she stared at them. "Shino-kun, take a look at their faces."
Shino did so, turning his head back to the two who were hanging against the tree like a mockery of old scarecrows. Their faces betrayed nothing, despite the blood trails that ran from an intricate symbol on their foreheads down to where the blood must have dripped from their chins. The symbols were identical, a odd sort of character that he did not recognize. He frowned beneath his mask, a message to those who discover this? A warning perhaps, or merely a calling card of some sort?
Naruto frowned and locked his gaze on Shino. Shino had yet to remove his mask, unlike his subordinates, nor had he any intentions of it. "So what do you think boss?"
He took one final look around before he closed his eyes, allowing his mind to work. Hypothesis were drawn; theories were tested he began sorting through the surplus of information to begin drawing conclusions. He didn't bother to open his eyes as he did his analysis, nor did he speak for several minutes before he finally snapped his eyes open. "We have a group of scattered Sound remnants here. Someone turned traitor within without warning, and it started the battle. The group was killed off, some sort of bladed weapon being used, or at least a technique simulating one." He kept his voice even, allowing his thoughts that were being spoken to be tossed around and filtered inside his mind once again to make sure he could follow his own logic.
His words were followed by dead silence. He didn't need to look at them, knowing each well enough to already know the expressions on their faces. Nekoi would be considering his words quietly, forming her own conclusions about the scene from his words. Hinata would have that troubled/thoughtful expression on her face, somehow already knowing how he reached his conclusion. And Naruto... well, he would be lucky in the blond didn't look like a squirrel in front of a mirror, confusion evident and leading one to believe he had no way of connecting the dots.
Naruto wasn't one to specialize in shinobi arts that required... finesse and a deeper insight that most nins commonly worked towards. Shino fought the urge to sigh, knowing full well that Naruto's talents lay elsewhere; the realm of absolute domination over his opponents. He was a pure combat specialist, someone who was to engage a force far stronger than himself and walk away victorious. His victory over the former Otokage Orochimaru was evidence enough of that simple fact. The biggest problem with the blond was his overly... loud choice of clothing. After a simple conversation with Shino, Naruto had stopped wearing the overly bright clothing he was known for. (Read, Shino telling the blond to change his choice of apparel or that he would swarm the blond with Kikai bugs for months on end.)
It had been for that simple reason that Shino had put forth great effort into recruiting the Uzumaki into the Konoha shadow ops brigade; code named ANBU. By doing so it allowed him enough leeway to craft an Anbu team that excelled on all fronts. Reconnaissance, assassination, infiltration, heavy combat; the Four Outcasts could do it all. They were the best scouts, and thanks to his own insight and Hinata's newly developed abilities, investigators that were without match within the Shinobi countries.
Finally he heard Nekoi's voice, a little more solid but only due to her questioning tone. "I can understand how you understood they were Sound remnants, and there was some sort of internal struggle. How did you come up with the weapon and the traitor?"
Shino nodded, a slight smirk on his lips behind his mask. Far more thoughtful than Kiba. I'm glad I was able to recruit her before she tested for Jounin. "Hinata?"
She took that as he cue, bending over the... remains of one of the corpses, if it could even be called that. It more resembled slashed up ground beef than any corpse he had seen before. She ran her hands lightly over the torn and pierced flesh. "The wounds on this one..." he watched as she shot a glance at the other remains for a few moments before continuing, "and the others match that of some sort of sword. Not a giant sword of Mist, but something similar to a katana, albeit with a far more... coarse edge."
Nekoi nodded as she took a closer look at the body closest to her, agreeing with the team medic's assessment. Shino had noticed that the edge had been unusual as well but without further data he could give no theories. Naruto's voice forced Shino's eyes from the nearest corpse to the blond. "And the traitor?"
Shino gave a brief nod to the two bodies that were nailed to the trees behind Naruto. They were held in place by a pair of kunai through the shoulders, holding the two bodies above the ground. "Look at their expressions."
Naruto frowned and turned to look at the two bodies before Shino could feel realization dawn on his team's combat specialist. "I see. No looks of pain, surprise, or anger."
Shino nodded. "They were dead far before whoever did this pinned them there. It looks like the traitor stabbed them both through the heart from behind with whatever weapon he used, killed the others, then hung those two as a warning of some sort."
Nekoi scoffed, "As if this whole damned clearing isn't a warning in itself."
Shino couldn't help but agree with the Inuzuka's statement. "Indeed."
Naruto frowned as he stepped closer to the corpses on the trees. He seemed to be examining the marks on their foreheads before speaking. "It doesn't seem to be a seal... but I've never seen a symbol like this. Have any of you?"
Hinata shook her head and Nekoi merely said, "No, but I'm not very versed in sealing techniques other than the bare minimum."
Shino also shook his head. "I also lack knowledge in such areas... but I would hypothesize that those marks aren't seals."
Hinata examined them from next to Naruto before nodding. "I agree with Shino-kun. It seems far more... personal than a seal." She activated her Byugukan for a brief moment before adding, "There's no chakra residue within the blood, or the corpse. If it were a seal, unless this happened months ago, there would be some sort of residue."
"Not to mention that scavengers would have begun eating these corpses by now." Nekoi added, one hand raising itself to her chin in thought while she bent down slightly to scratch behind the ear of her canine partner.
There was a brief pause before Shino slowly turned his head to Hinata. "Are you willing to scry?"
She looked uneasy, more disturbed by the blood-covered clearing and corpses pinned to the tree than what he actually requested. "As you wish. Take care of my body."
Shino eyes flickered to the blond who looked incredibly nervous at that moment. Naruto gave a smile that Shino had learned over the years to be incredibly fake before nodding to their medic. "Sure thing Hinata. Do your thing."
Hinata only nodded before forming hand seals, activating her Byakugan once again with a shift of her chakra. Shino watched uneasily as his subordinate continued her seals, her eyes still closed before his thoughts drifted away from the moment. But who will be the one who comes back? He only shook his head before turning his head back to the scene. His eyes narrowed behind his mask as his eyes locked on the symbol drawn in blood on the foreheads of the missing nin who hung like portraits. As Hinata finished her seals he could only think one thing:
I hope for the sake of Konoha that whoever did this is not our enemy.
Well folks, this is the start of a new story I've been bouncing around in my head. I am requested beta-readers to those interested, like I said earlier, so shoot me a pm if interested. I plan on having some fun with our now-grown up shinobi. I am looking for people who can critique story style and plot, not so much my grammer or spelling (although feel free to do that as well.) However, if you have any intentions of... 'protecting', for the lack of a better word, any of this characters, we will have issues. I am not intending to 'bash' any character, but I can guarentee that someone people will definately find issues with how certain characters from the Naruto cannon will have changed over ten years, especially after going through war. Just keep that in mind.
So what's the premise of this story? In essence, merely another episode the lives of an Anbu team. The same story, told from different points of view, eventually coming to a conclusion that I hope proves worthy. I'll be switching perspective each chapter and trying to play the roles I see our heroes fufilling. I will take some creative liscense, obviously, in regards to certain characters' development but I promise it shall be amusing. If I can find some good beta-readers, I will probably end up rewriting/reposting this chapter as well. Trying to get into Shino's head was insanely difficult, and I'm sure I broke him out of character without meaning to.
And no one will know just how tempting it was to have Shino say at least once, "You must spawn more overlords." Especially after I decided on a name for this chapter.