Shibi never recalled Mikka being this quiet before, not that Aburame are known for being chatty. She worked beside him with her head bowed as she chopped the vegetables. He could recall times where she had been extremely curious, insightful, and eager to learn. Such behaviors he doubted his brother would have encouraged in his home. Even now he sensed herself withdrawing within, lost in her own thoughts.

He felt a little hot under the collar at the awkwardness of it all. Why had he invited her in the first place? Was it familial concern that made him wish to intervene? After all he had been content to remain ignorant for years. After enduring Hisashi throughout his childhood, he was all too happy to break ties with him. His parents had disapproved, but they never recognized their son for the brute he truly was. As the eldest they had invested their pride in him, and he had accomplished so many seemingly impossible feats. They had every reason to place their hopes in him. Indeed his public persona was charismatic and noble, who would ever suspect the monster behind closed doors? He knew…but never bothered to do anything about it. There was much to occupy his time, not to mention their lines of work naturally kept them apart. Aside from the occasional meeting he was content to carry on as he always had. He now regretted that decision.

Then he noticed that Mikka still hadn't taken off her gloves, even when it came to cooking. What else was she hiding? He felt the shame of his failure to intercede on her behalf burn his cheeks.

"You don't have to worry about me Uncle," she whispered. "You really don't."

"Don't I?" He asked curiously.

She shook her head. "I've received a scholarship to study medicine with the Medic Corps."

He blinked in surprise. "Really? That is indeed a great honor."

A proud smile crept across her face though she blushed modestly. "Yes. I wish to learn other methods and techniques both holistic and chakra-based; to broaden my studies outside of the Clan so I can serve the Village as a whole. I join them next month on a five year apprenticeship."

"Your family must be very proud," he gently praised.

At that she grimaced. "Dad doesn't know yet. I wanted it to stay that way, but Mitsuru found out somehow…" He noticed how her hands twitched nervously.

His eyes widened in horror as it dawned on him. "He's the one who burned your hands?" He asked in a hoarse whisper.

She abruptly turned to the stove as she heated the oil to stir fry the vegetables in. Her silence spoke volumes. He couldn't believe it. Not only had his nephew inherited his Father's medical skills, but also his temper as well. Hisashi had never liked competition, and neither did his son apparently. Mitsuru was considered the pride of the family, accomplishment comes naturally to the eldest. But a scholarship like this was an incredible honor. To his knowledge it had never been granted to an Aburame before; in part because few set their sights outside the Clan. Mikka must have a bit of an adventurous spirit if she wished to grow beyond the walls of the compound.

"So as you can see it won't be long until I'm gone. I will be the one to determine my own future." She said resolutely.

"But at your age, shouldn't you be enjoying your youth?"

"I have to know Uncle; did you place a marital bid?" She blurted out. "Is that why you sent for me?"

He was taken aback by that. "No I haven't. Shino is barely an adolescent; there is still time for me to consider his options."

"Dad is determined to settle mine as quickly as possible," she said flatly. The hiss of the vegetables sizzling in the oil sounded as eerie as the scenario she was sharing. Shibi had never heard of such a thing. By the Clan's law, the youngest legal age of any potential bride was fifteen. The general average was closer to seventeen or eighteen. "I think he wishes to be rid of me. Then I won't be such an eyesore to Mitsuru's academic prospects."

"That sounds rather extreme," he disagreed but then again how much did he really know about the situation? Sometimes the truth was stranger than fiction. She didn't reply and they finished the rest of the food prep in uneasy silence.

They sat across from each other at the table. He wasn't sure what to say. Normally he and Shino did not speak at the table, but they were comfortable with silence. He felt uneasy with what his niece had shared. What could he say to ease her pain? "I sent for you for the reasons that I mentioned at the hospital. I had no ulterior motive."

"I'm sorry that I was suspicious. I meant no disrespect, truly." She said softly. The silence seemed more comfortable after that. When the meal had ended, she set about gathering up the dishes. He caught hold of her wrist. "No, I will clean up. But first I must treat your injuries."

She resisted. "No, I've already taken care of it."

"I insist," he said firmly as he led her into the living room. She reluctantly sat down on the couch as he retrieved the medical kit from a closet. Sitting beside her, he carefully removed her gloves. She lowered her head in embarrassment as she looked away. He frowned as he thoroughly inspected her hands. He recognized the destructive power of these insects that festered under the skin. They not only eat chakra but they destroy the cells that create it. This was very serious! Once it infects the bloodstream, the effect would be irreversible. Lucky for them Mitsuru was not as skilled as he believed himself to be. If he had been, he would have effectively ruined his sister's future as a medic. He gently circled each blister, slowly drawing out the poison. His touch was a gentle one despite the roughness of his hands. As he worked his way through he was surprised to discover a thin protective layer beneath the poison, one composed of her insects interlocking with one another. Though it was not held together with chakra, like he would have thought; that would have been susceptible to penetration. He sensed the struggle between the two sides as the invaders tried to eat through the barrier, intent on utter destruction. Instead of breaking through, they were absorbed by it instead, which only served to further strengthen it. The simplicity of it was innovative; it used a faint thread of chakra to lure them in. But then they were quickly over-whelmed and consumed. She had effectively protected herself from the poison as she slowly broke it down. He was incredibly impressed by her ingenuity. "You have an amazing gift Mikka," he said in awe as he began to bandage her hands. "You will bring honor to both the Clan and the Village."

"Thank you," she said shyly. "If it's alright with you, I wish to check on Shino once more before turning in for the night."

"I will set up a bed roll for you here." He said. Aburame do not typically have extra rooms for quests. They prefer their privacy above all else.

She gently knocked on Shino's door out of respect, not that she actually expected him to answer it. She entered the room and switched on the light. He lay still on the bed, hands rested peacefully on his stomach. She approached his side with an out-stretched hand. Her fingertips lightly touched his chest, careful to minimalize her presence. She did not wish to alarm the insects within. I am Mikka Aburame, she introduced herself as she sensed their initial resistance. I will not interfere, I promise. I wish only to check your progress. She felt warmth rise along the length of her fingers, soothing in its vibration.

Mikka?

Her breath caught in her chest. Shino? Is that you? She asked in surprise. Never before had their minds connected. Theoretically she was able to because they were family, but she found the practice so intrusive. She could not in good conscious infiltrate the mind of another. Even now as Shino reached for her, she shrank slightly from the link that began to form between them.

Mikka...help me…his voice sounded weary and defeated. But she also sensed desperation behind the weakness. Her concern for him convinced her to allow him to draw her into his sub-conscious as their minds linked together.

It was surreal in the sense that she had never before entered another's mind. The scene opened up to one from her childhood. It was of her grandparent's cabin on the mountainside where the Village lay at its feet. It had been several months since she was last here but she remembered this place very well. It was the first time she'd met Shino and where he inspired her to surpass her brother. She stood on the back porch and watched the sun set fire to the horizon as it began to set. "Why have you brought me here Shino?" She asked, her voice echoed within the dream-world he created.

"I don't know," he confessed as he materialized beside her. "Perhaps because we came here often as children. It sure does bring back memories."

She turned towards him. She could see right through him, his mentality was weak. The sight filled her with dread. Shino wasn't someone she thought of as weak but he was clearly a shadow of his former self. What happened to shatter his sense of self?

"I'm sorry," he said solemnly. "Had I known what was going on…"

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

He reached out with his hand for her own. His fingers slipped through the bandage but she flinched all the same. Touch wasn't something she generally associated with something good. "That infection of yours carries not only poison but the malice and hatred of the Aburame who control them. What kind of brother would do that to his own sister? And yet I sense that it goes beyond that…beyond him to-"

"This isn't about me so don't concern yourself!" She firmly interrupted as she withdrew her hand. She didn't want to talk about it, not with Shino or Shibi. "It's you we're worried about."

His brow furrowed. "How long has it been going on?" She reddened as she stubbornly shook her head. He thought back to the few times they'd met here at his grandparents' cabin. It was obvious that Mitsuru was the favorite in her family; but most families have one and its generally the oldest. But it never occurred to him that perhaps pride could encourage abuse. It made him feel sick to his stomach to think that this could have been happening all along.

"I'm here to help you," she said gently. "Your recovery will be complicated if you refuse to cooperate with it."

He stirred himself back to the present. "But how can I go back? I don't want to return to my original state."

"Which was what?"

"Before I met Isae."

She blinked in surprise. A girl? He's suffering a crisis of conscious over a girl? She felt a little exasperated at that. She had always considered Shino a very together sort of person. To think that a girl could unravel him so was a little ridiculous but she wisely kept her mouth shut. Then again what do I know about love? Thank goodness for that if it's so much trouble, she thought wryly.

He turned a condemning brow towards her. "I can hear you, you know. Our minds are linked together."

She blushed once again. "Forgive me," she said meekly. "But I don't understand what a girl has to do with this."

"She was the focus of my mission, I was supposed to protect her," he said carefully. "In the process I came to realize that I was becoming emotionally invested. I shared a part of myself with her that I didn't know I had."

His tone of voice was very much like how Uncle Shibi talked about his wife. It was sweet in a way…"She must have been very special then," she said humbly.

He nodded. "I wasn't able to protect her in the end and I've lost her. Despite my best efforts…I failed her." He turned towards her. "You too carry a heavy burden in your heart, and have for longer. How do you manage it?"

She looked a little frustrated. "Why does this keep coming back to me?"

"Because if anyone knows what it's like to live a lie-"

"My life is not a lie!" She snapped.

"But how can you carry on with such deception without being enslaved by it?"

"My Dad's deceptive life is not mine!" She said firmly. "My life is my own because I refuse to be defined by his!" He was taken aback by the force of her words. Bitter tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to calm down. "We are not in the same situation so don't insult me by drawing irrelevant comparisons."

His shoulders slumped. Maybe she was right.

She sighed in resignation. "Shino…if you find yourself changed, that isn't a bad thing. Change is the natural order of life, and that includes hormonal ones."

"This is not a hormonal imbalance," he huffed as his face grew red.

"Biologically-speaking it is," she giggled softly. "But I don't really see what the problem is…if you were willing to die for love, why shouldn't you live for it too?"

He considered that as it resonated within his soul. "I don't want to forget her…" he confessed. "I don't want to pretend that what we had never happened but how can I carry on without her?"

Her gaze softened. "Your Dad did."

He stiffened as that hit home hard.

"You know how much he loved his wife. Your mother was very dear to him; she still is in many ways," she said softly. "But you needed him. Your survival depended upon him regardless of his heartache. It's not that he had to forget her in order to carry on with his life, it's just that he found other reasons to live for." She reached for his hand, this time they connected and she gave it a gentle squeeze. "You still have much to live for Shino. Your Father is very worried about you and your teammates depend upon you. They need you to come back. Do you think Isae-chan would want you to give up so easily?"

He thought about that for a moment. When she was saying good-bye there was bitterness and regret in her voice. But he was beginning to wonder if her harsh words had been directed at him at all. Her final trembling kiss was soft. Forgive me Shino…now he realized that she wasn't angry at him for failing. She was angry at herself for putting him in harms way. She had even given a part of herself to heal him…could he really discard that sacrifice so easily? "No…" he concluded. "No she wouldn't."

"Then live," Mikka gently encouraged as she wrapped her arms around him in a rare hug. What drove her to do that? Yet it felt right in the moment. "Live for her, for your father, your teammates, and long enough to discover all the many reasons why you should."

He slowly returned the hug. Far from the awkwardness such emotion generally invokes, he felt a kindred spirit in his suffering. She lived in spite of her own heartache and so could he. "Thank you Mikka," he whispered. "I will."