Chapter 21 – The Season

Knock knock knock

"Come in! It's open."

"You lock your door?"

"…no."

Sakuya shook her head. She walked over to her uncle, who was sitting on a chair next to the kitchen table. A bowl of warm water was next to him.

"Giving your 'kids' a bath?" She said with a smile. Shen nodded as he dipped the cotton cloth back into the bowl, and continued with washing off dirt and dust from his large, pear-shaped kikaichu gourd. With its end on the ground, the cork in its top still came up almost to his collar bone. It was the largest carried by any Aburame.

"Just in time for the Spring Festival," She took a seat from under the table and whirled it around to sit facing him.

"I wouldn't want to look scruffy for my favorite time of the year, now would I?" He gave her a wise glance. At the age of 50 his hair was a brazen blend of pepper-gray and dusty-brown, however he most definitely looked quite good for his age, especially after his many hard years in service of the hokage. He vowed to stay a ninja as long as he and his kikaichu drew breath, as a life not doing such noble services when one was once able to is no life at all, (as he would say).

"What do your kikaichu think of all this?"

"They don't like the feeling of the water seeping through, so they're all out having a little exercise."

"ALL of them?" Sakuya's face suddenly fell seriously surprised.

The other nodded.

Sakuya put her sleeve-covered hands into her pants pockets (as her coat was not the one with pockets).

"Are you sure some are not terrorizing the neighborhood?"

He gave her a 'do I look that stupid' glance with the accompanying hand on the hip gesture.

"Just asking."

…

"Isn't she just absolutely darling?" A brown-haired and hazel eyed woman held up a little pink-bundled baby.

"A spitting image of her mother," A woman next to her cooed.

"Perhaps she'll get her father's fighting sprit," The mother nodded, "Then she could become a great shinobi."

The other woman went to reply, but her face suddenly changed as she saw something that made her gasp.

A cloud of insects zoomed up and zipped past them, surprising the mother (as she had not seen them coming). Some of the group landed on the three of them, making a cute buzzing sound. However the mother was very much NOT amused, despite her baby giggling at their ticking feet and interesting noise they made.

"Eeeeee!" She screamed, "What in the world…?!"

"Destruction bugs?!" The other woman yelped.

"Must be from those darned Aburames, they live on this side of the village," The mother swatted at the kikai bugs, who had for the most part left from when she screamed, even killing some of them in the process.

"…Whew…" The woman breathed, "Good thing they didn't hurt little Tenten…"

…

"Anyway, I came by with your birthday present…" Sakuya looked off behind her and a small cloud of her kikaichu flew in carrying a cloth-wrapped box. It had been the old ninja's birthday the day before (May 2).

"Oh Sakuya, you know you don't have to…at my age I want to STOP counting the birthdays…"

"Stop it, open the box or I'll never let you use my greenhouse again."

"If you put it THAT way…" He took the gift from the kikai bugs, who screee'ed as if laughing and returned to their mistress.

… "A new scarf?" He drew a ridiculously long knitted object from the box.

"At least just wear it for the festival, if you don't like it,"

"No no…I like it," He studied it closely, "You really outdid yourself, it's lovely!"

She blushed a little, "Thanks old man."

Just then the distant sounds of a light buzzing could be heard, quickly drawing closer; easily distinguishable to an Aburame as a group of flying kikaichu.

They both looked up, "Those would be some of mine," Shen said with a smile, which quickly faded as they flew in the window, chattering silently as they went to fly back into the safety of his gourd, before realizing it was still wet. They then instead darted inside his coat sleeves and nestled up against his chest vibrating with a sort of anxiety. The insects that lived inside his body called to their brothers and sisters through his skin to see what all the commotion was about,

"What was that, a scary woman or something?" Sakuya tilted her head, only catching some of the insect's words.

Shen listened looking down, and paraphrased, "They were out about town when they saw a woman with a new baby….and they wanted to congratulate her…and greet the new one…feeling how happy they were….but she got scared and attacked them…"

"Oh my…" Sakuya blinked.

He silently scolded the insects for going outside the clan walls. They shrunk back, huddling closer, and then crept limply out his sleeves and collar. He sighed and comforted them, and showed his sadness for the loss from their encounter. They flew up for a moment, acknowledging him, then darted off to another part of the house en mass.

"Your kikaichu are a strange bunch."

"They are, but not timid at all in battle…odd enough. But otherwise they are very child-like, even for kikai bugs."

Another black swarm darted by from upstairs, and latched onto Sakuya.

"Nice to see you too," She giggled lightly. The bugs churred contentedly, then zoomed on their way.

Sakuya found a sort of comfort in her uncle in the way that he reminded her very much of her father (who had been killed while on a mission when she was in her early teens). Her father and Shen had been fraternal twins, so not identical, but very much alike still in looks and personality. She enjoyed bothering the old ninja, who lived alone, unmarried and childless in the house that she grew up in (it had once been home to her, her parents, Shen, and her grandparents when they were still alive). Sakuya had heard from her father that Shen used to be quite the ladies man, but never took a wife. It was said that the one woman he really loved (who she heard was also someone from within the clan) was killed in a freak accident before she was born. It was all a long time ago, and not something she wanted to ruin his cheery demeanor with by unnecessarily digging up.

The two walked out to the shared clan 'front yard', the cleaned gourd strapped onto Shen's back in its proper place. Sakuya's knitted brown, red, gold, and green scarf was wrapped around his neck and shoulders, hiding his face like any respectable Aburame.

The clan was all prepared for another Spring Festival. With shimenawa ropes on the tree trunks, lanterns hung, and a flurry of insects visiting the groves. Some would say they told time by how many had passed, as it was the ichizoku's only yearly event (besides New Years group dinner, which really wasn't an event per say). The few supporters of their clan in the village also looked forward to the festival every year, as it was a beautiful sight with intelligent company; a celebration of nature and the underappreciated and generally unjustly disliked insect world.

Shen brought up his hands in a seal. Within 30 seconds an unfathomable number of kikaichu flew over to him from all corners of the clan. (He keeps approximately enough within the gourd that is equal to double that within his body, so basically it's like having three Aburame's worth of kikaichu at all times) They swooshed into the gourd's open top, the last taking the cork with them to seal it snugly shut.

"Got them all?" A voice called from off to their side. Sakuya and Shen looked over to see Shibi get up from his regal sitting position under a maple tree. He closed the small book he had been reading as he did so and placed it in his pocket.

Shen smiled at him as he walked over, "I believe so, but with so many it can be hard not to lose a few."

"Well, Happy 50th…even if you've stopped counting, I haven't."

"Just wait till you're 50, then I can rub it in your face," Shen whipped his scarf's long dangling end up over his shoulder.

"Heh heh," Sakuya bemused.

"Kaho wanted me to tell you to go see her at the house, she is engrossed in an intense game of Go right now and can't leave."

"O…oh, alright." A game of Go with who?

…

Kaho heard someone come in the front door, but didn't look up.

"Kaho-san?" Shen said softly, walking into the living room. Kneeling in front of a low table was indeed Kaho, and opposite her was her Go partner…a 13-inch tall, brown praying mantis with a gohei-draped gasa hat on his head. Next to him was a 9-inch tall slender green mantis with long curling antennae.

"Hello Shen, thanks for coming by," she still had her concentrated gaze affixed on the Go board, which was becoming quite full.

"You going to make your move or not?" the brown mantis said calmly.

"I'm thinking…"

Shen tilted his head, he was sure that he had seen both of these particular mantises before, as they were obviously of the Kamakiri family that Kaho summoned (Although not ones used typically in battle, as they were younger and not very experienced yet).

"Heh," Kaho reached forward, placing a single black Go piece on the board.

"…ooo…" The green mantis gasped.

"That's my 5th win Kamaru, you owe me dinner."

Kamaru hung his head down to the level of his upturned front arms, "Darn it…"

Kaho crooked her torso around, "I don't think you've officially met each other. Shen, this is Kamaru and Kamachi."

They exchanged bows.

"I am very sorry for my rudeness in not greeting you right away."

"It's fine Kaho-san," he smiled.

She stood for a moment in thought then nodded to Kamachi, who flew over and landed on Kaho's head. She pulled out a small leaf-wrapped package from under her wing covers and held it out to Kaho, who took it and presented it to Shen.

He blinked, but then adjusted his bent-armed, round sunglasses and took it, unwrapping it to find 8 small tea bags.

"Its special blends made from plants that only grow from where the kamakiri live. They brought them to me so I could make tea out of them. They have special properties, so I'd only use them if you were going to go on a long mission or training session, or were sick."

"Thank you," he bowed to them both.

Kamaru could be heard grumbling slightly as he started some water to boil on the stove for the dinner rice.

…

….

…

"How long do you think we can stay up here before people notice we're gone?"

"I would give it 15 minutes."

"Humm…"

"It's only 6:00, you want to run away already?"

"I just felt…playful, that's all."

Kaho and Shibi sat up on the top edge of the Konoha city wall looking at the spring festival going on in the Aburame clan grove below. It was getting into evening and the fireflies were just emerging and lanterns were being lit. The light reflected off of their dark glasses. The softly conversing guests and clan members dressed in their finest was a beautiful sight to see from up above.

"Sakuya is such a proud mother," Shibi pointed out the dusty pink-clothed figure far below, a gaggle of women all around swooning over toddler Yesetteru (as she was getting close to two years old), who was falling asleep clutching to her mothers long sleeve as she stood silently next to her.

Kaho nodded.

Shibi placed his hand around her waist and they both leaned closer to each other. A group of tiger and sphinx moths flew by, a few stopping to say "hello" but soon were on their way.

They sat for a time just silently watching and listening to the far off sounds of quiet chitchat and laughter.

"Are you coming back down Shibi-sama…Kaho-sama?" A voice said from behind and above them.

They didn't need to look to see who it was, nor were they surprised. Their kikaichu had felt his presence long beforehand, "Yes spider-lover." Shibi said calmly.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Are you going to stand there until then?" Shibi said after 2 minutes had passed with Kuroji not moving.

"Yes."

They sighed.

…

"They return!" Sakuya walked over to the two strays, 'escorted' by the spider-nin.

"Ah," Shibi said unenthused-edly.

A few hours later, after being engaged in conversation with village officials, supportive locals, and friends (including the Yondaime) they forgot about their resistance to their status-derived duties of making chitchat with the locals, and just enjoyed the beauty of the festival again. Don't get them wrong, they adored the event, just not always all the social obligations that went with it. Digging the somewhat antisocial Aburames out of their burrows is not ever a smooth task, no matter how many times their doors were warmly opened for the festival. It was just not in their nature. And unfortunately it came across as insolence or contempt to those who did not understand that.

As the last of the guests were leaving, Kaho leaned up against a tree and stared up at the stars through its branches, which were almost indistinguishable against the blanketing of fireflies flitting about in the air. Shibi soon joined her.

They both were silent, because they knew what the other was thinking, so no words, spoken or silently transmitted, needed be exchanged. What they were thinking was that it had been a thoroughly enjoyable evening, the fireflies were gorgeous, and Kuroji deserved a punch in the face (but would most likely just get a few sarcastic comments…randomly punching someone in the face was certainly not their style).

After some time of admiring the points of light in the sky and the living sparks of light flying around amongst them, they turned and looked at one another. Shibi offered his arm out to her, and she took it. Once again, they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. Words were superfluous.

As he was putting out some of the groves lanterns, Kuroji was alerted by his kikaichu of a passing presence. He looked behind him to see two shadowy figures just visible in the moonlight silently darting up the Konoha village wall. They disappeared over its top edge, down the other side and off into the dark eastern forest. He tilted his head and grinned to himself, then went back to what he was doing.