Author's Note: It always seemed strange to me how Shino could flip out after seeing a Venus flytrap eat a single fly, yet willingly send thousands of his kikkai to their deaths during his fight with Torune. I also wondered why he never seemed to have an explicit goal like a lot of the other characters, such as "Have so-and-so acknowledge me" or "Surpass my rival".

This is my attempt to answer both questions.

Contrary to popular belief, bugs have feelings. In fact, they are nothing but feelings: tiny winged packets of emotion crawling through your skeleton. They do not think in words or symbols, but through fractal images and sharp, insistent needs that burn their way into your brain.

Bugs share most of the basic emotions with humans: Rage. Fear. Joy. More complex emotions, such as melancholy or envy, are beyond them. However, they have feelings that humans are incapable of as well. Things like "queen-love", which is a mix of worship and lust, or "oneness-with-the-hive", which is a warm, zen-like experience. Their feelings are just as strong as those of other species, if not more so.

This is why, when Ino Yamanaka swats at a fly hovering over her curry, you feel a stab of vicarious terror. You grab her wrist and pull it roughly to the side. Your elbow almost knocks the group's mission paperwork into some jasmine rice. Shikamaru, Kiba, and even Akamaru all stare at you from across the table.

"Don't," you order her. You're unable to say anything else over the pounding of your heart.

Her perfectly manicured eyebrows form a v on her forehead. "Why not? It's trying to steal my food."

Kiba swallows a mouthful of chicken. "Yeah. It's practically self-defense."

"Ino isn't defending herself. She's defending some overpriced vegetables and cream. The curry here isn't good enough to take a life over."

The fly circles around to hover over Kiba's chicken skewers. Kiba tries to stab the poor insect with the sharp end of his stick. You grab your teammate's wrist with your free hand. "If you can't do it for the fly, do it for me. Why? Because feeling it die would cause me considerable pain."

Kiba and Ino both flinch at that statement. Their killing intent disappears. You let go of their wrists.

Shikamaru folds his hands together in his classic thinking pose. "If it affects you so much," he asks, "how can you let so many of your bugs die in battle?"

"Because in battle, I expect the enemy to hurt me."

Now even Shikamaru looks confused. You're not sure why – your explanation made perfect sense to you. In battle, a ninja expects to get injured. You can fight through hit after hit until the bruises blend together, because your body and mind are prepared for the pain. But if you're walking through the park and a friend runs up to jab a senbon into your wrist…there's no defense against a betrayal like that.

You try to think of another way to explain. "It's like when the Hokage sends his men off to war. Having casualties is..." You pause, trying to think of a name for the gut-wrenching feeling you get when a bug's mind winks out of existence. "Is unpleasant, but necessary. Why? Because if they do not fight, the village as a whole will suffer."

Kiba wears a bemused smirk. "Are you saying…you want to be the Hokage of the bugs in Konoha?"

Ino giggles. "And I thought Naruto had big dreams."

Your cheeks heat up behind your collar. Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Guys, it's an analogy, not a mission statement. He's saying that he only sacrifices his bugs in self-defense." He looks at you and nods, as though to say he approves of your life choices. Then he picks up his chopsticks and resumes eating.

Shikamaru is completely, utterly wrong. Your power is telepathy, not mind control. Anything the bugs do is of their own free will.

The bugs are well aware that your protection is the only thing keeping them alive in a world conquered by humans. Your body houses them. Your chakra feeds them. Your strategies protect them from predators in ways they can't begin to comprehend. If you tell them to sacrifice themselves, they do so eagerly, because they feel your emotions as you speak to them. They know you don't give that order lightly.

As you guide the fly out of the restaurant's window, you know it can feel your sincerity as well. It would never follow your orders otherwise. You sense the fly's gratitude as it settles on a nearby bush.

In a way, Kiba's joke was correct. You do want to become the Hokage of bugs. You want to become someone who, when you walk into a room, makes people put down their fly swatters. They'll know that the bugs are under your protection, in the same way that highway bandits know not to attack the citizens of Konoha, lest they face the wrath of Tsunade.

As you're reputation grows, people's respect for bugs will grow too. They'll treat insects the same way they would any other animal. And someday, if you work hard enough, it'll be the sprayers and the swatters of the world who will be seen as the strange ones.

But until then, you just save one bug at a time.

Author's Note: As always, reviews/critiques/opinions are much appreciated. In fact, all reviewers will get an imaginary cookie, which, as everyone knows, tastes much better than a real cookie.