One Year Earlier...

"You asked me to declare a match for Hotaru," Akirabachi announced to the Kamizuru clan leader. "At last, my assessment is over. I have found your daughter a husband."

"What is his clan name?" Dakubachi was only half-listening, hardly looking up from his dispatch scrolls. "I will make the alliance with him immediately. Hotaru has wasted enough time playing these matchmaker games."

Because with all the official business demanding his attention lately, his daughter's marriage was the last thing on the Kamizuru leader's mind.

Akirabachi sighed deeply, burdened by the weight of her misfortunate news.

"There will be no alliance."

Daku paused over the scroll he had been so captivated by.

"Must everything always be so complicated with you?" he asked her. "How can you have found her match, but have no alliance?"

"Whatever it is in that scroll of yours can wait," Akirabachi told him. "You won't like what I have to say."

"This intel reports that the First Tsuchikage's scroll may in fact be in the Leaf, which as you know, lies the secrets of forbidden techniques for bug user ninja. Our predecessors failed numerous times to retrieve the scroll and restore our clan's power," Daku informed her gravely. "Do you mean to tell me that I should stop planning a mission to locate the scroll because my daughter's marriage is too much for you to handle?"

"By all means, find your hidden jutsu," the sarcastic Akirabachi bid him to continue. "But you won't have a clan to go back to when Hotaru unleashes a swarm on this village!"

"How long will you make me wait for this boy's clan name?" Daku demanded. "I have no time for these theatrics!"

"Shino Aburame, of the Leaf."

"...What...what did you say?" Daku was staggered. "Shibi Aburame's son? But how?"

"Hotaru is a threat to this clan. She must be terminated," Akirabachi advised him. "Or you will never see your revenge."

"The Aburame clan?!" Daku demanded fiercely. "Is this a joke? How can she be matched with an Aburame? What proof do you have to damn her like this?"

"The Kikaichū in Hotaru's dream is an omen," Akirabachi said. "It can only mean one thing."

"That she will marry our enemy?" Daku questioned fiercely. "Is that your only conclusion? All based on some girl's foolish dreams?"

"You fool! She will destroy this village!"

"I can not stand for this! You will remake this match!" Daku declared. "There must be a mistake! How can she have dreams about this Kikaichū if she's never encountered an Aburame in battle?"

"Because she is his soulmate."

"What girlish nonsense!" Daku raged on. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"My jutsu specializes in soul pairings," Akirabachi defended her art. "When two names are recorded in my Scroll of Fated Souls, they share a bond superior to anything in this world. A pairing chosen by fate. With a bond that powerful, it is no wonder that two soulmates can share a connection with each other, even if they've never met before."

"Do you really mean to tell me that fate did this?" Daku demanded skeptically. "You expect me to make a logical decision for this clan based on some primitive belief like fate?"

"My ancient art is the reason you asked for my help. How dare you insult my work?"Akirabachi declared. "If you're going to complain, never summon me here again!"

"I would rather die by a 1000 bee stings than to join my clan with Shibi's clan!" Daku swore. "I will never consent to this marriage!"

"Whether you agree or not, I have made my match," the matron bee said. "It is the will of fate."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Daku tried to stop her.

But Akirabachi was no longer listening as she did what she must, using the Queen Bee's Soul Paring sign to summon her Scroll of Fated Souls.

"There has to be another way!' Daku cried desperately, thinking in vain that he could stop her from writing Hotaru's name next to the son of his enemy. "If you seal her name with this Aburame ninja, she can never come home again!"

"Fate does not care about your vengeance," the matron bee informed him. "Shino and Hotaru are destined for each other. My match is made."

"Then unmake the match!"

"You know I can't," she answered. "I warned you that tempting fate was a dangerous game. It can never be undone. This jutsu is final."

"Then I'll hunt down Shibi's son and kill him myself!" Daku roared. "I won't stop until I've taken out every last one of those Aburame maggots! Until Shibi knows exactly what it means to lose everything he has! When he too can feel my suffering, only then can we be brothers!"

"Then you should do it now," Akirabachi told him. "As we speak, destiny brings Hotaru and Shino together. The Kamizuru will face the Aburame again. Another bug ninja war is inevitable."

"I'll kill any Aburame who comes near this village! Those termites! This proves they will never live peacefully with us. Not if they have to compete for our insect jutsu," Daku raged. "All the more reason to find the First Tsuchikage's scroll of forbidden techniques."

"And what's to be done about Hotaru?" Akirabachi reminded him. "She can not stay in this village."

"Are you saying I must kill Hotaru to keep her from being a threat to the village?" Daku's words were heavy. "No...I have given enough for the good of this clan. I will not give up my daughter too. There must be a way to keep her from meeting this Shino Aburame."

"That is inevitable," the Queen Bee responded. "But the matter in which they meet may still be in our control."

"But how can I change this? You said there's no way to undo the match."

"Hate is your strongest weapon," the matron bee answered. "A hate so powerful that it leaves no room for her to love him. That will buy you time for your revenge. After all, a tragic love between them is much more desirable than a tragic loss to the village."

"Then what must I do?"

"Send her on a mission to kill Shino," she suggested. "And until she completes that mission, she is banned from the village. Exile her."

"You want me to banish her?"

"You'll find a convincing story to tell her," she said.

"But Hotaru has never trained as a shinobi," Daku argued in concern. "Sending her after Shino Aburame is suicide! She won't stand a chance against him."

"Then she will die. A necessary sacrifice for the clan."

"She's still my daughter!" Daku objected. "At least give her a fair chance."

"I have a teacher in mind for her. Hachimitsu, my worker bee. He will teach her everything she needs to know about the Aburame clan. Or at least enough to face Shino without shaming the Kamizuru name," the Queen Bee said.

"And what will I tell the clan?" Daku worried. "If word about Hotaru's mission gets out, there will be chaos."

"No one must ever know about this match," Akirabachi warned him. "Not even Hotaru. If she learns the real reason why she's been assigned this mission, it will compromise our plan. Knowing he is her soulmate will only complicate things when she faces Shino in battle. It's best that we keep this secret from her."

"I understand," Daku resigned reluctantly. "To protect the village, from this moment on, Hotaru will be labeled a rogue ninja, and exiled from the Kamizuru clan. She can never return."