Chapter Ten
Nightmares and Night Terrors

Chi was sitting at the kitchen table of the Aburame residence, wrapping a cut on her arm she had received from the ice, in a bandage, while Shino had disappeared into the kitchen. The cut on her arm was the worst of them and it did sting slightly but as far as she could tell it wasn't serious. She was more concerned with the occasional growling of her stomach; breakfast seemed so far away. She was glad Shino had disappeared into the kitchen for this reason.

She finished wrapping her arm and sat back in her chair. She began tapping her foot and looking around the room. Although she rarely came to the Aburame residence, she had always found it to be very minimalist, with only the bare essentials ever present. She guessed this was because it was only Shino and his father in this area of the Aburame complex, both of whom were regularly away on missions, and, judging by Shino's personality, they didn't care enough to decorate the place.

"Hey Shino! What are you cooking?" She yelled in the general direction of the kitchen. There was no reply. As far as she could tell there was no-one in the room at all. She got up and stuck her head in the door to confirm this. Sure enough, no one was there.

"Hm… where the hell did he go?" she asked herself.

She leant her back up against the doorframe, and closed her eyes, searching for the familiar sounds she associated with Shino. Eventually she managed to find the sound of his footsteps, making their way from one building in the Aburame complex back to where she was.

Before she even realized it herself she found herself listening to the gentle buzzing of his insects as they went about their own lives within him. She smiled softly to herself. She concentrated harder and soon found she was able to hear each individual breath, each tense and un-tense of the muscles as he walked, each regular beat of his heart and, eventually, even the sound of each individual hair as they bumped together on his head.

She found her own breath and heartbeat began to move in time to his. She could hear him so clearly she could almost see him.

"Chi?"

His voice snapped her out of her moment and she jumped slightly.

"Ah… Shino… you scared me…" She said, grabbing her chest in the general heart area for extra emphasis.

"I thought you would have heard me."

Chi frowned to herself. She had been so caught up in listening to the specifics she hadn't paid any attention to how close he had got.

"I guess I was listening to well." She said, turning her attention to him, "So, where were you anyway?"

"I went to get some food from my aunty." he said motioning to the table where two covered bowls were placed.

"Really? Don't you have any food in here?"

"We do."

Chi frowned, and said slowly, "Then why did you get food from your aunty?"

"You'll like it better." He said.

She raised an eyebrow but chose not to argue further. She sat down and uncovered one of the bowls. Her eyes instantly lit up.

"Ramen!" she yelled, picking up the chopsticks next to her bowl, "Itadakimasu!"

Shino sat down across from her and uncovered his own bowl. Chi, who was half way through a mouthful paused.

"That isn't ramen…" she said leaning forward, bringing her bowl with her. "That's… wild grass salad isn't it."

He nodded, not sure what to make of her reaction to his meal. She pulled her chopsticks out of her mouth and poked the salad, as though expecting it to move. When it didn't she picked up a small chunk of the rice and stuck it in her mouth. She pulled a face.

"You like this stuff?" she said, swallowing.

"It's my favorite food."

Chi crinkled her nose at Shino and went back to eating her own food. When she had finished and placed her chopsticks on top of her bowl she looked up at Shino who was still happily eating his salad. Or at least she assumed he was doing it happily, she did make a lot of assumptions about how he was feeling. She glanced out the window.

"I think it might rain tomorrow." she said.

"Chi,"

"Mm?" She said, turning to look at him.

He had stopped eating and was messing around with his chopsticks.

"Why are you friend's with me?"

Chi breathed out heavily and looked back out the window.

"Ah… you are my moon." She said simply. He raised an eyebrow.

She smiled to herself and looked back to him. "If I were the sun, you would be the moon. Two opposite sides of the same coin. We cancel out each other's downsides. I guess that when we're together everything is sort of… perfect."

Shino didn't move for a moment then nodded slightly and began eating again.

"Why did you put it like that?"

"I was trying to be philosophical." Chi said.

"You failed."

Chi sulked for a moment. Then her face became serious again.

"Shino… I really need to tell you about what I think happened… In Teuchi I mean." She said, fiddling with her hands and staring at the table intently, as though determined not to make eye contact. Shino paused, the rice half way to his mouth.

Chi took a deep breath. "You know how my clans' primary kekkei genkai is the Shouraigan." she said slowly. She had stopped fidgeting, but Shino could see her hands shook slightly.

She glanced up quickly, as though she wished to know what he was thinking. However, he gave nothing away as always. He nodded slightly, He was still holding the mouthful of rice out in front of him.

She took another deep breath. "And you know how you can only get it if you're born with blue eyes."

He nodded again.

"Well… I think I am unique in my family. Not because I don't have the Shouraigan, but rather because I've been born with the ability to develop the next level, the Rosuto Shouraigan."

Shino lowered the chopsticks back to the bowl.

"I don't know much about it, just that, like the Shouraigan, it lets the user see the future in short bursts. But you can see further and clearer. But I have no control over it."

Shino nodded. She knew he was aware of how the Shouraigan worked. It was the reason members of her family had their eyes covered from birth, so they had time to train it before they tried to use it. Many a young Udai had been left in terror having seen the horrible things that could only potentially happen to them.

"It's practically useless to me. I get visions of things that make no sense. And when it happens I get so angry, Shino." She turned and looked out the window again, "I've torn people limb from limb in fits of rage because of this and if I'm injured I recover rapidly."

She turned back, meeting Shino's gaze for the first time during the entire conversation. Her face was so deadly serious Shino didn't even move.

"Agatsu stabbed straight through my stomach to the other side and it did nothing to me. I'm like a monster."

"That happened then?"

"Yeah…"

"You were angry?"

"Yeah, very angry."

"What did you see?" Shino asked suddenly curious.

Chi froze, then rapidly turned red. "You shouldn't ask a girl those things!"

Shino looked taken aback, having not expected that kind of response.

"Ok then."

Chi suddenly laughed loudly and awkwardly. "Don't worry, don't worry. I over-reacted. It's just better not to talk about those sorts of things with boys."

Shino looked a little confused and Chi suddenly looked curious.

"You wouldn't have done those things, would you…?" She asked slowly

Shino couldn't help but flush a little at the implication of what she was asking. "Why do you want to know about something like that? I'm not going to tell you."

Chi laughed, "I didn't think you would have. That would be a shock to come back and find out you've got a secret girlfriend or something."

"Can we talk about something else?" Shino said, "Or I'll ask you questions about what you've been doing while you were away."

"Ok, I get it." Chi said holding a hand up to him.

"Does that mean there is something to tell?"

"No no no!"

Chi relaxed into the banter like she had never left and she could see that Shino was being a lot more forthcoming now they were in his house. He barely looked embarrassed by the conversation.

"Too much denial. Clearly you're hiding something. Why? I'm guessing you're scared to tell me."

"Scared, I'm more scared you've been having it off left right and center with all the ladies." Chi said with a laugh, then suddenly gasped, "That's it isn't it. Your eyes are so expressive and handsome they made ladies fall over themselves to get to you."

Shino allowed himself a snigger, "Yeah, right."

Chi climbed into her bed, still wearing her clothes. She wished that she could have had a shower but she had no clothes to change into and she didn't want to ask to borrow any, so she was forced to endure. After all, she had gone for longer than a day without a shower before.

She snuggled down under the covers just as lightning tore across the sky, bringing with it the sound of thunder.

'I thought it looked like rain.'

The rain fell in heavy sheets on the roof, scattered drops making individual noises. Chi loved rain, especially when she was trying to sleep, it blocked out every other noise which usually cut in on her sleep.

'Shino really is the best friend anyone could ask for.' Chi thought to herself. She frowned slightly, wondering what exactly had brought on the thought. She sighed to herself. 'He is. However, I can't help but feel I'm not a good enough friend.'

She sat up and looked out the window at the pouring rain. She smiled to herself.

"You really aren't the genius everyone makes you out to be, Udai Chi."

The voice cut through the silence of the room, where Chi lay on her back, in a pool of her own blood. She blinked lazily.

"You can't even see the truth when it's right in front of your eyes."

"Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want to see the truth, Kuroihi?"

"Does that make you any less of a fool?"

"No," she said, "But it will justify my future actions."

She slowly pulled herself back up, her blood soaked clothes no longer the normal green and blue. She had her eyes closed, focused on her breathing.

"It's a shame it had to come to this, Kuroihi, I would have preferred not to kill you." She said, blood dripping from her clothes. "Not long ago I wouldn't have cared if you killed me. Now I realize something, there are people who want me to come home."

The man frowned at her. "You said that they sent you on a suicide mission because no-one cared."

She smiled to herself, "The people who care aren't the ones who gave me this mission. And… even if they don't care anymore I still do."

"How touching."

"I can't expect a rogue ninja to understand my sentiment. Anyone who abandons their team and uses their ninja skills to commit crimes must be heartless."

"Now, now Chi." He said with a smile, "That's not what you would have said yesterday."

Chi raised an eyebrow, her eyes opening, she looked sideways at Kuroihi.

"Don't flatter yourself, I've known it was you for at least a week." She turned and began forming hand signs. "Now, I'll have to kill you."

"And how do you expect to do that with your chakra so depleted."

Chi smiled, "I'm a genius after all."

Shino lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. It was still raining hard on the roof. His insects all had flocked into his torso for some odd reason and it was making it very difficult for him to sleep. He wasn't used to such unusual movement. He pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.

He wondered if Chi was sleeping alright with the rain coming down as hard as it was. His insects hummed slightly as the thought passed through his mind. He attempted to ask them what the problem was but they didn't answer. He sighed and got out of bed, deciding he was thirsty.

He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water. He leant on the bench, looking out the window, the water bottle perspiring against his hand. He felt movement beneath his skin and shifted uncomfortably. They usually didn't come so close to the surface. He frowned to himself.

His bottle slid out of his hand and clattered against the bench. He watched it roll away, the frown on his brow heavier than usual.

Suddenly he heard Chi scream from her room.

Without hesitating he turned and ran to the room, throwing the door open. Chi was rapidly convulsing on the bed, screaming and breathing heavily.

He ran over to her and attempted to hold her still.

"Chi! Chi!" He yelled.

Her eyes flew open and she stared at him for a second. Then she threw her arms around him and held him tight, pulling him close to her. She didn't cry, she just held him close to her.

"You're alright." She said, more like she was saying it to herself then him. She repeated the line like a mantra.

Shino awkwardly put his arms around her and patted her back.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She breathed out and nodded. "It was just a dream."

She let go of him and sat back. She smiled at him, and half-laughed.

"You look more scared then I was."

"I heard you scream, and I thought the Mist Ninja were here."

"Ha… and you ran to my rescue." Chi said with a grin. "Good work, Shino."

He looked to one side and stood up. The insects were getting restless again, but hadn't moved from their current location.

"I'm going to go back to bed then." Shino said, standing up.

Suddenly Chi latched onto his hand. She seemed to do it before she even realized she had done it.

"Ah…" She said, staring at her hand and his. "…could you please stay with me?"

He stared at the top of her head for a second, then nodded. "Mm."

He planned to sit on the chair in the room and wait until she went to sleep and leave. Before he could even move though, she rolled over and pulled him onto the bed with her. He frowned slightly as she curled up into a ball, still grasping his hand.

He sighed to himself and lay down on his back. The bed was really a bit small for the two Chuunin, but with them both lying on their sides it wasn't too bad at all.

"Thanks, Shino." Chi said.

"Mm…"

Suddenly he became aware of his insects once again distributing themselves around his body again. It was as if everything were in balance once more. Before long Shino found himself yawning, and he drifted off to sleep.

Chi rolled over and looked at Shino, lying on his back next to her fast asleep, his chest gently rising and falling. She smiled to herself as she watched him. She had hoped he would stay awake a bit longer so she could fall asleep first, but he was obviously fairly tired.

"Shino." She whispered. He groaned and shifted slightly in his sleep. "Shino… thou must converteth to the ways of thine darker side."

"What are you talking about Chi?" He groaned, pushing his glasses up and rubbing his eyes. Chi peered eagerly, hoping he would open his eyes while the glasses were still up. Instead he rolled onto his side and began to snore gently again. Chi sighed and flopped her upper body over him.

"Shino." She tried again. He groaned again and rolled so he was on his back again, meaning of course, that Chi had to shift slightly. She groaned and flopped. Her face buried in the doona on the other side of him.

She suddenly recalled doing the exact same thing when she'd stayed over as a kid. She'd never been a good sleeper, and she'd always tried to wake Shino up to play with her. She could hardly ever get him to wake up properly though once he was asleep.

She could feel Shino's breath rising and falling beneath her. It was like the rocking of a cradle when she was young, it soothed her and made her feel a little sleepy.

Suddenly pain shot through her head. She held a hand to her forehead and groaned quietly. She went to move back off Shino and the pain stabbed through her again.

'Not now, not for a few more days, please no.'

She managed to roll back off him and curled up, the pain moving from her head and encompassing her entire body. She breathed heavily, trying to null the pain by not thinking about it. Then she felt it, a gash in her stomach seemed to appear from nowhere, the blood beginning to soak through her shirt. Still breathing hard, she pulled herself up into a sitting position on the side of the bed and managed to stand up.

As quietly as she could manage, considering the pain she was in, she made her way to the bathroom and closed the door. She sunk to the ground and pulled up the front of her shirt. Sure enough there was the hole, exactly where she had been run through by Agatsu's sword, not yet three days ago. The wound which had been healed instantly during the aftermath of her angry outburst.

It was a lot more serious then she had thought it would be. She knew she should try and close it quickly. She raised a hand and tried to heal it, the pain shooting through her all the more intensely. Before long the pain was so great it blinded her. She couldn't continue the healing. She slumped slightly and examined the wound. She had managed to stop the bleeding, but not before she had made a mess on her shirt and even the floor of the bathroom.

The wound was partially closed, and she didn't want to move too much for fear it would open up again. Slowly she sat up and leant against the tiled wall, thankfully for the cool feel against her skin. Slowly the wound knitted itself closed again, removing all traces of its existence. Chi felt exhausted, her sight drifting in and out of clarity. Slowly, as if someone had slowed down time, she fell sideways and blacked out.

Shino woke up in the night and saw Chi wasn't lying beside him anymore. He frowned. This was turning into an eventful night. He pulled himself out of bed and walked into the hallway. Suddenly he felt something wet on the floor. He felt around for the hallway light on the wall.

He turned and saw the drops of blood leading from the bedroom, down the hall to the bathroom.

"Damn… what happened?" He said quietly, following the trail quickly and pushing the door to the bathroom open.

It was a mess. The floor was covered with smears of blood and Chi was lying on her side again one wall. Shino quickly ran over to her and sat her up.

"Chi."

She didn't respond, her head lolling against her chest. He positioned her so her head was on his knee and he leant against her chest, listening for the beat of her heart. Although it was ridiculous his face flushed slightly when he realized what he was doing but he quickly recovered when he heard her heart beating as strong as it always did. He lifted his head and looked her over. The bottom of her shirt had turned red from blood and so he gently lifted it up, expecting to see a vicious gash.

There was no gash. But what was there made him start. Her entire stomach was covered in scars of various shapes and sizes, somehow he had missed seeing them when she'd shown him the wound before. Suddenly Chi grabbed her shirt and pulled it down, covering her stomach.

"I'm alright Shino. You can go back to bed, I'll clean this up." She said, quickly standing.

"Aren't you injured?"

"Its fine." she said, waving a hand.

"You should at least change your clothes."

"I don't have any clothes here." She said.

"You can borrow one of my shirts if you want." he said, turning and heading back to his room before she could stop him. He headed to his draws and pulled out a plain black T-Shirt and some pants before returning to the bathroom. Chi had already completely cleared the floor by the time he returned. He put the clothes down on the bench and went to walk out.

"Thanks Shino." She said, bowing her head. He knew she wasn't only talking about the clothes. He nodded and left shutting the door behind him.

Outside he leant with his back against the wall and breathed out heavily. The parasites were getting agitated again.