Here is where we will begin much of the drama that is to come. Just a little chapter for you today. I know my page breaks really need some work. My chapters are too uneven.

Chapter 8

Scot free

Shino had been summoned early from his morning training by one of his father's kikai. The message had been a simple one: return home immediately. Dutifully, he had obeyed. He could sense another Aburame within his home before he entered.

He found his father in the sitting room along with one of the clan elders.

"I would have assumed," the elder began scathingly as Shino entered the scene, "that the clan heir would not need reminding that giving away clan secrets is a serious offense."

"You would assume correctly," Shino responded calmly not bothering to turn his head to address his superior. It was obvious they were discussing Sachi and the kikai she possessed. He was sure he and his parents had not spilled the secret which would only have left the gate guard to have told of a civilian girl carrying around a kikai.

They had wanted to keep it a secret. It was for this very situation that they were concealing what had happened.

"Don't lie, boy! Not being able to control your hive is an embarrassment. Letting one of the insects escape is terrible enough but allowing it to claim a new host, from outside the clan no less, is disrespectful to your clan. Why have you not ordered its return?"

"Despite what you believe," Shino continued in his almost frustratingly calm tone, "there were several attempts made to order the insect to return. It is because the chakra of the woman in question has proven to be particularly appealing to all kikai, that the insect refused to return."

"If what you say is true, then why not just end the rogue?" the elder asked. "Better that than with an outsider."

"To suggest such a course of action would make us no better than the outsiders," Shibi interjected sagely. "Even an insect has half a soul and you suggest we just stamp it out of existence for following its instincts?"

"Better that than in the hands of a no-name civilian." The elder stubbornly refused to acknowledge their argument. "What on earth do you think this girl could do with one of the kikai? She could sell it to our enemies, use it to find our secrets and know our weaknesses. Have either of you truly given thought to the consequences?"

Shino bit back a scathing retort. When had he ever been known not to think? "Sachi-san's reasons for keeping the insect are her own. If she wished to use the kikai for nefarious purposes she would not have attempted to return it in the first place. It is safe with her."

"That's assuming a lot when we have so much to loose."

"The point will soon be moot," Shibi stated. "Shino has taught Sachi-san to control her chakra so more insects do not flock to her. That as well as the fact that the insect will soon meet the end of its lifespan render this argument pointless. By the end of this month, this will no longer be a topic to argue over."

The elder let out a haughty snort. "See to it that it stays that way. Train the girl if you must and control your hive. This embarrassment will not be tolerated a second time." The elder stood up to leave but as he passed Shino he paused. "Be glad it wasn't a female or this would be an entirely different discussion."

The elder swept out of their home leaving the air tinged with irritation.

"Have you told Sachi-san about the insect?" Shibi asked.

"No."

Shibi shifted his gaze to his son. From the upward quirk of his eyebrow, he questioned his son's failure to mention the end of Kai-san's life span.

"I saw her yesterday. She is learning to rely upon it. She had been forgoing using her cane in favor of using her senses and the kikai." Shibi said.

Shino sighed and acknowledged it would have to be soon. He was not looking forward to delivering the bad news. Sachi would not take it well. The more she learned to rely on it the harder it's death would come to her.

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It was that evening he decided he couldn't wait any longer to tell Sachi about Kai-san's short life. He knocked on the door and was surprised that it was not Sachi that answered.

Noriko smiled at him on the doorstep. "Shino-kun, how kind of you to stop by! You must be here to see Sachi. Come in, come in, make yourself at home. Have a seat at the table and I'll go get Sachi."

She ushered him into the house and into an unoccupied chair. He sat as commanded by the boisterous woman. He turned his unoccupied gaze to the new face at the other end of the table.

A messy rust colored head looked at him over a plate of sweets.

"So you're Shino-san?" The young boy asked. He couldn't have been much older than ten, Shino assumed this young boy to be Kaito, Sachi's younger brother. He had the same dark red locks of hair as his older sister. As his curious brown eyes blinked at Shino, he wondered if Sachi's eyes were like that of her brother's and mother's.

"I am."

"Why do you keep coming around to see Sachi-neechan? Do you like her or something?"

"That is a safe assumption," he said vaguely. Kaito pouted at his answer.

"Kaachan talks about you all the time. She says you and Sachi-neechan are together and then her face goes red." The boy nodded decisively. "That's got to be why you're here."

Sachi entered the room followed by Noriko before he was required to provide an answer.

"Shino-san, I didn't expect you to stop by. What's up?"

Kaito interrupted with a shout, "He's going to ask you on a date!"

"Oh, how sweet!" Noriko swooned.

Sachi huffed out a breath at her family's antics. "Otouto, don't you have things to steal from my room while I'm not there to hear?" She accused her little brother outright, hoping to take the spotlight off of herself and her already pink cheeks.

"No!" Kaito protested. "I don't take your stuff. You just lose it!"

"Then why do I keep finding my cane in your pigsty of a room?" Sachi countered, ruffling the boy's hair. He swatted at her hand.

"I don't know. You must have dropped it in there or something." Kaito's childish arguing didn't earn him any winning points.

"Anyway, what are you here for Shino-san?" she asked.

"I wished to take you somewhere else for your training."

"Did you mean right now?"

"That was my intent."

"Alright. I'll be right back." She addressed her mother as she walked out of the room. "We won't be staying long enough for tea, Kaachan."

Noriko tsked. "I just put the kettle on." She looked to Shino. "You'll have to come around for dinner someday, Shino-kun. Feel free to stop by anytime."

"Thank you. I will keep it in mind."

Kaito spoke softly over his plate with a winning smirk on his face. "I knew it was a date."

"Hush, Kaito," his mother scolded gently. "Eat your snack."

"Alright," Sachi said as she reappeared, "I'm ready when you are."

"Don't forget your cane, dear," Noriko reminded.

Sachi paused, thoroughly flustered. With practicing walking without her cane, she had intended to go without it today. Only now she realized others would think to question its absence.

"Oh, right," she muttered. "How could I forget?" She quickly corrected her mistake and they left.

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