Chapter 8: Shino

For once, Naruto could declare what he wanted and make sure people carried out his wishes. It was all thanks to this necklace. Naruto couldn't wait to do more. He had to pick his next victim. It had occurred to him that he had never given Sai a trigger so if he wanted to manipulate him again, he would have to start all over. Neji was still under his control so he could have some more fun with him for a while. Still, Naruto wanted fresh victims.

He walked around the village, looking for new candidates. There was no way Sakura would let him anywhere near her so his only option was to find someone else to have some fun with. He would keep his distance from her for a while. He would get that date eventually. Naruto stepped off the road and behind a building. He couldn't use the necklace on someone in the middle of the street. Hypnosis wasn't for the public. He wasn't that good with it. Perhaps he could lure someone behind this building and do it then.

"What are you doing skulking around like this?"

"Ahh!" Naruto spun around and found Shino standing behind him in the shadow of a tree. "Don't do that! How many times do I have to tell you?"

"A true ninja would have sensed me there." Shino stepped closer, every inch of his body hidden by clothing. Only a tiny portion of his face was visible. This always made Naruto feel creeped out by his friend. Shino had quite the poker-face, not that anyone could ever see it.

Naruto was about to yell back when he realized that Shino would make a good test subject. He started to smile. "Hey, Shino... As long as you're here, I want to show you something."

"Alright. What?"

Naruto pulled out the necklace. "Check this out. What do you think?"

Shino's head shifted slightly, looking at the necklace. Since Naruto couldn't see his eyes, he had to assume that was what Shino was looking at. "It's a necklace."

"Yup."

"How nice." Shino sounded less than impressed.

"Don't you think it's pretty?" Naruto moved the necklace closer and started swinging it.

"It's hard to tell with you moving it like that. Since when do you value my opinion?"

This didn't seem to be working. Was Shino immune? Maybe he wasn't looking at it long enough.

"Did you have a hard day, Shino? Are you feeling tired?"

"Just what are you up to?" Shino asked. His head had moved again, no longer looking at the necklace.

"Nothing. I'm not doing anything."

Shino didn't seem convinced.

"I just wanted you to look at the necklace. That's all."

"Why do you care so much?"

"Because... Uh, because I was... going to give it to Sakura but I wasn't sure if it was good enough," he lied. "What do you think, Shino? Think she'll like it? Is it too fine? Not good enough? Too shiny?"

"Give it to her if you want. I don't see why my opinion would change anything. It's a gift for her so her opinion is more valid than mine, don't you think? Asking me wouldn't do anything to help you."

What a buzz kill. Did Shino always have to be this way?

"Just look at the thing and tell me what you think!" Naruto almost ripped it off its chain to show it to him.

"I did. It's fair enough."

Shino must have been immune. The necklace had no effect on him whatsoever. Maybe he hadn't been looking at it long enough or...

Naruto blinked. That must have been it. Shino's goggles. They were tinted. Shino must not have been able to see the jewel clearly. That's why it wasn't affecting him.

"Hey, Shino. Take your glasses off."

"What?"

"Your goggle things. The thing you're wearing on your face. Take them off for a second."

"Why should I?"

"Please?"

"Tell me why first."

Naruto growled. Shino couldn't make this easy, could he? "Please?"

Shino folded his arms. "Tell me your reason."

Sighing loudly, Naruto came up with another lie. "I just want to see what you look like without them on. I don't know what color your eyes are."

"Brown."

"I want to see for myself."

"Why does it matter so much to you? You've never taken an interest in-"

"I gave you my reason, so please? Just for a second. Please? Please?"

Shino sighed heavily. "Just for one second." Shino reached up to remove his goggles. "Seems like a poor excuse for..."

"Yeah, thanks, Shino. Just for a second and then you can put them back on if you want. Just real quick." Naruto held up the necklace.

Shino took off his goggles and lifted his head, opening his eyes slowly. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Naruto could see that Shino's eyes were indeed brown. Scurrying around his eyebrows were a few tiny insects. They quickly disappeared under his raised hood. Shino's eyes moved to the side and fixed on the jewel. Naruto wasn't paying attention. He was too busy looking at Shino's eyes and the bugs crawling away.

"Thanks, Shino. Yup, they're brown alright." Naruto moved the necklace. Shino moved with it. "Huh?"

Naruto moved the necklace to the right. Shino followed. He moved it to the left. Shino went left, too. He was following the necklace's movements. Naruto lifted it up and Shino's head followed, staring at it open-mouthed.

"Shino?"

Shino had a strange look on his face. He looked daze; half asleep. Naruto moved the necklace again and Shino moved closer, watching it. "It's pretty," he murmured. "It's so pretty. And shiny."

Naruto began to smile. "You like the necklace, don't you?" He moved the necklace up and down, watching as Shino's head bobbed up and down with it, nodding. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Shiny." Shino smiled and reached for it with his hand. Naruto moved to the side, away from Shino but he followed, attracted to the jewel. "Shiny. Shiny..!" Shino was smiling, following the jewel happily, like a cat playing with a string of yarn.

Naruto looked from his hand to Shino's expression and slumped over with a moan. "You mean to tell me... that you're like a bug yourself, Shino? You're attracted to light? Is that why you keep those glasses on all the time? Shiny things make you... like this?"

He watched Shino smile dreamily at the jewel, fascinated by the shiny object. As long as Naruto had him captivated, it was time to get down to business. Naruto moved closer and knelt on the ground. Shino, following the necklace wherever it went, knelt, too. Shino sat on the ground, staring straight at the necklace, transfixed.

"Shino, listen carefully... understand?"

He continued to stare at the jewel slack-jawed.

"You're feeling very relaxed. You're so comfortable. Your whole body feels so relaxed and good."

Shino tilted his head to one side, still staring.

"You're starting to feel very sleepy. You're getting sleepy, Shino. Very sleepy."

Shino's eyes started drooping.

"That's it. Your eyes are very heavy. They're feeling so very, very heavy. You want to go to sleep. You're so sleepy."

Shino's head was beginning to nod. Trying not to yawn, Shino rubbed his eye with his sleeve. He looked almost cute while doing it. Like watching an infant fight off sleep and failing.

"You're so sleepy. Very sleepy."

Shino started to gnaw on his sleeve and his eyelids drooped a little further.

"You're getting sleepier and sleepier and sleepier and sleepier..."

Shino started to fall over but managed to catch himself in time. As his head bobbed again and again, Shino started to lower himself to the ground. Laying on the ground, Shino rested his head on his arm and watched the necklace spin slowly from left to right. Feeling very comfortable and sleepy, Shino curled up and started to close his eyes.

"Go to sleep, Shino. It's alright. You're so sleepy."

Shino closed his eyes, giving in without much of a fight.

"Good. Good... Now let yourself go. Fall deeper and deeper asleep. Relax." Naruto tucked the necklace back under his collar and moved closer to Shino's ear, whispering to him softly. "Now, Shino... you are so deeply relaxed and happy that you will do anything I say. Understand? You will follow my every command."

Shino snuggled into his arm with a sigh.

"When I snap my fingers and say the word 'sleep', you will fall back into a deep trance and obey me completely. When I snap my fingers and say the word 'awake', you will wake up from your trance and not remember that I had put you into a trance."

Shino didn't move so Naruto had no way of knowing if he would follow his commands or not.

"Ok... Awake." Naruto snapped his fingers.

Shino opened his eyes and shut them again, moaning. Burrowing into his arm, Shino felt around with his other hand. "Where are my..?" His fingers brushed against his goggles and he picked them up, putting them on. He looked over his shoulder at Naruto. "What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did something?"

"The fact that I'm on the ground and don't remember how is a good start."

Naruto hoped for the best. He snapped his fingers. "Sleep."

Shino toppled over, laying on the ground again sound asleep. Naruto poked him in the ribs. No response. He lifted Shino's arm and dropped it. He was definitely out. Naruto smiled.

"Shino, when you wake up from this trance, you will not question me and you will forget our conversation from a few minutes ago. You will get up and go about your business as usual." He snapped his fingers. "Awake."

Shino sat up with a moan. He clearly didn't remember how he had gotten on the ground but didn't have the desire to question it. He stood up and continued on his way as if nothing had happened. Naruto watched him go with a smirk.

This went fairly well. Shino was easy to put under. Now Naruto wanted to find someone else to toy with for a while.


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