EDIT: Updated some minor grammar and spelling issues. (12/21/09)
As for the overall continuity of this story, I've decided that it' in the same universe as "Call it a Date" takes place in. So Shino and Isaribi around both around 17 in the story. Also, I decided to have Shino wearing his old John Lennon style sunglasses instead of the plastic wrap-around Raybands from Part II
.o.o.o.
EBB and FLOW
Part 3: A Day in the Life Of...
.o.o.o.
Shino could do little more than hold his head down in his hands. Just moments earlier, Kiba had picked up a scent with his keen nose and began sniffing like a... well, like a dog! He's picked up on the strange mix of scents on him.
He'd picked up on the 'fish smell' right away, but that wasn't the problem... It was what had happened next that was the issue. Kiba had tactlessly announced that Shino was "covered in the scent of girl."
What had really thrown Shino was the fact that Kiba had picked out Isaribi's 'other' scent- the soft feminine scent of a girl. No doubt, Kiba had the skill... but how the hell did he even know what a woman smelled like?! Was there some sort of universal scent? Or was it more to do with what Kiba assumed a woman would smell like.
If it had just been among fellow male shinobi, it might not have been so bad... Unfortunately, Hinata was with them... and that made it MUCH more embarrassing for him. He boyfriend, Naruto, was also there- and was now grinning like a fool at the insect-nin. ...Perhaps he wanted to high-five him, but Shino wasn't that sort of guy.
As odd as it sounded, he simply respected Isaribi too much to stoop to such antics. Then of course there was also the fact that nothing HAD happened between them. Still, even if something had happened... well, a true gentleman never kisses and tells.
Far too many male Shinobi played up the whole mysterious loner angle as a way to pick up girls. In Shino's case, he chose to conceal himself for practical reasons. As his father had taught him- the ultimate 'game face' was one your opponent couldn't see! ...And aside from all that, there was the whole 'bug' thing as well... and nothing kept the girls away more then have insects living inside you!
But things were rapidly getting off topic... Shino eventually looked back up at the others, only to find them all looking expectantly at him.
"Seriously, it's not like that... I," He paused, hating the fact that he even felt compelled to explain himself to them. He eventually came to the conclusion that this was 'damage control'. "It's my overcoat- I lent it to a girl after she got wet." He explained, leaving out certain parts of the story. "...That's all that happened."
.o.o.o.
Isaribi looked up at the ceiling of her room in the Hokage Tower. She had been given asylum in the Hidden Leaf Village by the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade. She recalled how the medic genius had worked so hard to try and find a cure for her... only to have to then give her the news that her condition seemed to be irreversible.
She had excused herself after that and cried for a long time. But in the end, she got over it and moved on. Isaribi eventually grew enjoy living in the picturesque village and tried hard to make herself helpful in some way to her benefactors.
She recalled how Tsunade had stated, in a grim tone, that they were likely come across more survivors of her ex-comrade's handiwork for some time... For better or worse, it seemed that Orochimaru's inhuman experiments would be a lasting legacy. So many people either died or had their lives ruined as a result of his schemes.
She wondered how a person could discard so much of themselves in a battle against their own mortality. ...To immerse yourself in darkness as he had done. The unorthodox female Jounin, Anko Mitarashi, had been yet another victim of Orochimaru's depraved experiments. The Snake-Ninja had placed a curse mark upon her... almost like some sort of cruel parting gift.
As a result, Anko had been fairly empathetic towards her- since they had both had their lives irreparably effected by the Konoha traitor.
She'd later participated in a study- as one of a number of people who had been altered either by Orochimaru directly or by one of his followers... either under the guise of scientific research or simple subjugation.
Isaribi recalled meeting a strange man who had been introduced simply as 'Yamato'- along with the preamble that he was the bi-product of a ghoulish scheme. Cells from the First Hokage had been implanted into him as a baby to imbue him with the First's Powers. Despite having a somewhat mystifying air about him, he turned out to be a very kind man.
Orochimaru was, in both her eyes and the eyes of so many others, monstrous inhuman fiend and a Pariah. He had abducted and vivisected the people of his village. He had manipulated the Village of Sand into allying with his Sound Ninjas in a war against Leaf. Ninjas from both Sand and Sound flooded into the city while Orochimaru set out to kill the Third Hokage.
Yet, despite all his claims of being a genius, he failed to understand the nature of both Konoha and it's people. It was ultimately the ethos of Kanoha that truly prevailed. Military might could never win against these people, because their true strength came from not from any tangible weapon or jutsu... but rather from their desire to protect those most precious to them.
The invaders were not been prepared for Konohagakure's Will of Fire. Almost the entire population mobilized against them in a massive multi-generational counter offensive!
It was on that bloody day that The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell- giving his life to defend the people of Konoha. And it was hear, that Orochimaru's ambitions of annihilating Konoha came to an end. In a final act of selflessness, he sent part of the Snake's twisted soul into the abyss- thus preventing him from using his powers ever again.
Isaribi had spent a lot of time reading up on the history of Konoha and its inhabitants, and it saddened her that she would never get a chance to meet the Third Hokage- from what she'd read- and discerned from others, he was a great man... the true embodiment of everything that the Hokage stood for.
Unfortunately, some recent events had tarnished the position. The machinations of Black Ops Danzo had allowed him to take the title following the incapacitation of Tsunade after the Akatsuki had invaded. Thankfully, the bastard hadn't held the position for very long before he was outed as the traitor that he was. Naruto's former captain, Kakashi, was now the Seventh Hokage.
Isaribi smiled, considering her musings over recent events. "Heh, maybe it's time I started making friends..." She wondered, crossing her arms behind her head as she plopped back onto her bed.
Her imperfect transformation caused her human form to still be partially retain the scaly hide of her monstrous form- the most glaring examples being the mark over her cheek. Still, the prospect of living out her life as a shut-in seemed even worse! And the more she thought about it, she decided that it would be fun to see Shino again...
She blushed faintly at the idea. It seemed to her, at least, that he would have little interest in her. She lifted up her right arm and looked at her scaly hand, recalling the similar condition of her right leg with dismay. …Still, it couldn't hurt to at least give it a try, after all it might turn out better then she expected.
Well, after all, anything was possible...
.o.o.o.
Eager to try and drive the conversation in a different direction, Shino quickly steered the subject away from him. "You two seem awfully close these days..." He remarked, shooting a lens-covered gaze towards Naruto and Hinata.
The two blushed simultaneously and glanced away from each other. Naruto rubbed the back of his head and felt around for the hand of the girl beside him on the bench they were sharing at the table. Hinata seemed to sense this and rested her smaller hand on his in an attempt to reassure him. "Well, you know... Hinata deserves to be treated right... and I guess I've gotten pretty attached to her." He said with difficulty while blushing darkly.
The pale-eyed, raven-haired girl blushed darkly at his remark, but anyone could see the small smile on her face. Being with the blond-haired young man made her so happy, and his words made her feel giddy. "...Oh Nuruto." She murmured softly.
Shino smiled and stood up suddenly. "I know you'll take very good care of our Hinata." He said in a soft tone, nodding at the pair. The odd tenderness in his voice made the kunoichi in question blush even more. "Well, I'd better get going- I have some training I'd like to get started on." He offered with a wave and departed swiftly from the café.
Kiba shrugged. "Aw man," He wined. "I wasn't trying to embarrass him- honestly!" He protested. "I mean if he wants to spend time with a girl than that's his right." He continued with a slightl pout. Akamaru wined in frustration, along with his owner as the two of them slumped down. Kiba sighed and reached down to rub the large dog on his head.
"Excuse me..." A voice interjected softly and the three remaining shinobi looked up in time to see a figure standing before them. She was dressed in rather plain close with long dark hair that hung down on either side of her face down her back. Long sleeves and a full-length dress covered her arms and legs. "I was wondering if you might know where I could find Shino Arubame?" She asked timidly.
While Hinata and Kiba were at a loss, a sense of recollection dawned on Naruto. He promptly stood up and looked at the girl. "Isaribi? Is that really you?" He asked with a smile as everything came flooding back to him.
When the girl nodded in affirmation, the blond Ninja placed his hands on his hips and looked back at the other two. "Kiba, Hinata-chan," He began happily. "This is Isaribi; we met her back when Shino and I went with Anko-sensei on a mission..."
He explained how they had gone to investigate rumors about a sea monster destroying ships. As well as how it turned out to yet another plot by the Sound Ninjas. The two other ninjas sitting there listened intently the entire time.
The blond-haired shinobi scratched his head in amazement. "So, Isaribi, how are you doing? It's been ages since the last time I saw you." Naruto remarked, noting how different she looked. He then stopped, noting the funny look she had. "Hey, are you all right?" He asked, stepping towards her.
While the guys didn't notice it, Hinata had enough experience to recognize the strained body language and unease in the other young woman. Because of the nature of her ocular jutsu, she understood the importance of gathering information through observation. She looked on intently as the altered woman began to speak in a low tone. "Well, you see... Naruto, I was wondering if you knew where Shino lived..." She murmured softly while shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
For Kiba's part, chimes suddenly went off in his head as all the clues suddenly began to come together- the fishy smell, combined with the female scent, as well as Shino's awkward behavior! It all made sense now! He was about to stand up and blurt something out, but Hinata placed a hand over his mouth before he could even get to his feet and gave him a serious look.
She looked at Isaribi sympathetically. "So, she likes Shino..." Hinata thought silently to herself
.o.o.o.
Shibi Aburame, insect-user and head of the Aburame Clan, made his way to the front door. His keen senses had quickly alerted him to a rather gentle knocking sound that he guessed was a visitor. But the knock was too soft to be Kiba and the lack of a vocal declaration ruled out Hinata... He doubted very much that it was their female teacher... she would be far too busy coping with her new child.
His line of thought caused him to smile. His wife had given him three children- each time the process had been extremely tiring for her... He paused the line of thought when he came to the door and opened it in time to see an unfamiliar looking girl standing before him at the base of the steps.
Isaribi was taken back by the sudden arrival of the man now before her. By the look of him, she guessed that must be Shino's father. His black hair was thick and curly, just like Shino's, and he also sported sunglasses similar to the aforementioned young man. The main difference though was his thin mustache.
She bowed her head promptly. "You must be Aburame-san," She began in formal tone, looking back up at him. "My name is Isaribi and I was wondering if Shino-kun is home." She finished, making sure to word everything perfectly.
The elder insect-ninja looked at the girl for a moment. She certainly was formal and surprising polite for her age. He briefly noted an odd mark on her left cheek and and the similar condition of her left hand, but dismissed it- he recalled that the Inuzuka Clan favored red angular markings on their faces and that the Akimichi Clan used cirular vortexes... so this 'Isaribi', as she had introduced herself, didn't really seem that strange when he thought about it.
"Shino's here... Miss Isiribi." He replied, noting that she had not given her family name. "...Just a moment." He continued and walked back inside the house. A few moments later, the muffled sounds of an impromptu conversation could be heard and then Shino emerged- his father standing behind his left shoulder.
Shino didn't have his heavy coat or high-collared jacket on- so she could see his face- though he was wearing his sunglasses. "Isaribi, what are you doing here?" He asked, somewhat surprised by her sudden appearance.
The girl blushed. This went unnoticed by Shino- however, his father took note of the faint blush and briefly left the scene. Isaribi steeled herself. "Shino... I was wondering if we could talk?" She announced.
The young man was caught off guard by the girl's sudden offer, but quickly composed himself and nodded. "Yeah, sure... I guess we could go take a walk." He offered. "Just let me get my coat and--"
Isaribi watched in surprise as Shino's father returned and nudged him forward- through the door and stumbling down the front steps.
He tossed Shino his overcoat. "Get going son." He began calmly. "You know it's not very nice to keep a lady waiting." He remarked, giving his son a knowing smile. He looked at Isaribi and gave a nod to the girl before walking back inside.
Shino clutched the heavy coat, blushing faintly at his dad's words and more so at what they implied. He turned to face the girl beside- who blushed again under his gaze. "I guess we should get going?" The youth asked with an awkward smile.
(- End of Part 3 -)
.o.o.o.
I'm really enjoying writing this story. I've realized something while writing this story- it's a hell of lot of fun writing for the parents and showing their perspective on things. I'm sure the emotional and social crises of teenagers must seem like old news to them. I'm hoping for a chance to write something for Shikaku and Yoshino (aka the Naras) in the upcoming chapters.
