Shino was awakened in the early afternoon by the whisper of his Father's footsteps passing in the hallway. He reached for his shades on the nightstand and put them on before opening his eyes. Rising from his bed, he crossed the room to draw back the curtains. In this part of the village the Aburame Clan was fairly secluded. They prized solitude, privacy, and silence. It worked to the advantage of the many insects they used. No creature feels comfortable with exposure.
He reached for his trench coat that rested on the back of a chair. A soft clink of metal hit the floor as he pulled it on. He paused for a moment, confused by the unfamiliar sound. Sunlight reflected sharply off of something by his feet. The dog tag. He knelt down to retrieve it. His thumb stroked the raised engraving on the metal:
Inuzuka, Isae
002481
Blood Type 0
Konohagakure
Fairly standard information but something about it seemed strange. What was it? The Inuzuka Clan Emblem marked the opposite side but that wasn't it. His nose twitched a few times before he realized what it was. It's scent. A beetle slipped out from his sleeve to inspect it, one of the males. He too seemed intrigued by it, his wings vibrated in a soothing fashion. Shino closed his eyes as he breathed it in. It had a slight animal musk, hardly surprising for an Inuzuka. But there was something else. His brow furrowed slightly as he tried to put a name to it. Citrus, tangy, hint of nutmeg. What was that? He couldn't place a name. Was it fruit of some kind? Females seem to favor sweets. Was it candy? His ignorance began to irritate him but the challenge stirred his curiosity. Unfortunately he didn't have time to ponder further on it. His teammates were waiting for him at the training grounds for daily drills. He slipped it into the inner pocket against his chest and left the room.
Shibi was in the living room, seated cross-legged on a pillow. Maps and other dated documents were spread out in sorted piles on the low table before him. Shino paused just in the doorway, wondering if he should ask him for assistance in identifying the scent. Shibi looked up from his maps at his son, waiting patiently for him to speak. For some reason he felt uneasy about sharing this with his Father. Maybe it was because of the confidential information the tag contained. Something about it didn't seem right. He shook his head and silently crossed the room. Shibi's nose twitched as he passed by and the corners of his mouth turned down at the tangy stench.
Shino pulled on his sandals and leave without a backward glance. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he began his descend into the heart of the village. The flash of swirling colors were mercifully muted by the shades but the noise bombarded in all directions. He was used to that but it still was slightly unsettling. The tumult made his insects squirm uncomfortably. His pace quickened as he was eager to leave the village center as quickly as possible.
Naturally he was the first one at the training grounds so he did some light stretches as he waited for him teammates to arrive. Hinata was the first. Her cheeks were flushed from exertion and she rested a hand against her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. "Hello Shino," she greeted in her whisper-soft voice.
"Good afternoon Hinata," he murmured through his collar.
Suddenly the ground rumbled and trembled. Fissure cracks snaked haphazardly towards them but each side stepped them with relative ease. Twin tornadoes roared out of the depths, twisting and writhing, and slammed into the ground.
As the dust began to settle Kiba and Akamaru struck a heroic pose.
Hinata coughed into her sleeve and Shino let out a soft exasperated sigh.
"Well?" Kiba prompted.
Shino turned his back. "Now that you're here let's get to work."
Kiba let out a frustrated groan/growl. "Ah c'mon! Seriously? That move was worth way more than a cold shoulder!"
"I thought it was impressive," Hinata reassured him but she was hardly the praise he was looking for. She was always easily impressed but just once he'd like a reaction from Shino.
They spent the next hour working on combination strikes and then they took a brief break. Hinata brought some box lunches. She was working to improve her cooking skills and the boys were all too happy to provide feedback. Sitting cross-legged in a circle, Shino suddenly thought to ask Kiba. "Are you familiar with Isae-chan?"
"Yeah, sorta," he mumbled through a mouthful. "She tends to keep to herself, her and her mom. No one really sees much of them."
"And what is your opinion of her?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. She's kinda weird."
"In what respect?"
Kiba frowned at him. "Why all the questions? She's nobody, certainly to someone like you."
Hinata clapped her hands in delight. "Could it be that you have found your special someone Shino?"
He groaned in annoyance. "Hardly, she was my comrade on sentry duty last night. I only ask because she seems so contrary to any Inuzuka I'm familiar with."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Kiba nudged him with his elbow. "And to which one?"
"Yes. Both." He said in his usual monotone. Hinata hid a smile behind her hand as Kiba wasn't sure how to respond to that. "I was the under the impression that the Inuzuka Clan was very close knit. And from what you say, she is isolated. Why is that?"
Kiba sobered for a moment and suddenly seemed concerned with brushing dirt off his knee. "It's not something…we generally talk about."
Silence stretched uncomfortably and Hinata quickly changed the subject. And that was the end of that.
Isae was awakened by the sound of Hiro's sharp bark in her ear. It startled her so badly that she flailed. Her limbs twisted in the sheets and she fell out of bed. Hiro alerted in the direction of her bedroom door. A faint ribbon of smoke snaked through the crack underneath.
"Not again!" She hissed between clenched teeth as she fought to free herself of her cotton prison.
She threw open her door and bolted down the hallway with Hiro close on her heels. The smoke screen was beginning to thicken and stung her eyes. She held onto the back of Hiro's neck as allowed herself to be led into the kitchen. She coughed hard as she choked on the fumes. Fumbling desperately along the wall she found the window latch and forced it open. Hiro kicked the front door open. That helped clear the room considerably, enough to see the source of the fire: the oven.
Acting on pure adrenaline, she forced it open and yanked the charred casserole out. The flash of heat and pain shocked her back to reality and the dish shattered on the floor. The searing pain was as suffocating as the smoke had been but she didn't have time to deal with it. She still had to put out the fire. She unplugged the stove with her good hand and clumsily filled a bowl with water and poured it on the smoldering remains. It hissed and flared in protest but eventually she gained the upper hand.
That's when Mom came home.
The sack of groceries fell to her feet as she cried out in horror. She quickly joined her daughter in beating back the flames. Afterward she hugged her close. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"
Isae remained silent as she cradled her blistered hand to her chest. She closed her eyes as she dreaded what was to come.
"Akihiro! You ruined dinner again!"
Isae withdrew as her mother stormed out of the kitchen. Her shoulders slumped as she turned to run her hand under the sink. The sting of her skin didn't compare to the sting of her heart.
"Do you have any idea how long it takes me to make dinner? So not only will you waste food but also the good money spent on it?" Her mother's temper raged in the next room.
Silence.
"Now don't blame this on me. I had errands to run. See this note? I specifically wrote down the time you needed to pull it out of the oven. It's not my fault that you didn't see it."
Silence.
A sudden giggled echoed in the hallway. "Don't try to sweet talk your way out of this mister!" Another laugh. "Alright! Alright! I accept your apology! Stop tickling me!"
Isae's eyes watered but not from the pain. Her lips trembled but she wouldn't give voice to her grief. Not here. Not now. Not again.
She didn't want to leave the kitchen but she needed to apply some salve before the blisters worsened. She quickly hurried past her mother with eyes glued to the floor. She didn't want to see her talking to the wall again.
Dad was dead. He had been dead for years. Yet her Mother was completely convinced that he was still alive. She spoke to him often and it killed Isae every time. She had long since given up trying to explain that he was dead. He couldn't have ruined dinner because he wasn't here. It wasn't his fault either when the power was cut off because the bill wasn't paid on time or when he failed to attend her academy graduation two years ago.
Her blurry vision made it hard for her to see the contents of the medical cabinet. Her trembling hand knocked several bottles out of place before she found the burn medicine.
"Now remember Akihiro, you know how forgetful you can be-"
Isae kicked the door closed and ripped the lid off with her teeth. She poured the cream on her hand in a haphazard way.
"Aww, I love you too dearest," her mother's voice crooned softly.
"SHUT UP!" Isae roared as she threw the bottle against the door. The jar shattered and cream splattered against the wood.
"Isae? Honey? Are you ok?" Her mother's worried voice sounded through the door.
The knob jiggled and Isae promptly locked it. "I'm fine-don't worry about it," she said quickly.
"Well…if you're sure. When you're done, your Dad could use some help with dinner."
Once she heard her retreating footsteps Isae's knees gave way and she sank to the floor. She sobbed into her hands to muffle the sound of her anguish. It was lonely to grieve all alone but she was the only one who could.