Disclaimer: PandoraBoxx777 Does NOT in anyway own the series Naruto or any of its other name rights. Happy Reading!
Kiba chased after the shadow with a burning fire in his eyes and Akamaru at his side; he was not going to let it get away again. He lowered himself on all fours now, his eyes darkening and his senses sharpening as he allowed himself a bit of release.
Shino rolled his shoulders uncomfortably, a strange ripple going down his back as he adjusted himself. He was still struggling with his control, but found it easy to maintain as long as he stretched and arranged his muscles.
He and Hinata struggled to keep up with their canine teammates, but said nothing as they followed behind. Kurenai easily watched from a distance, eyeing her team critically
They were doing well so far, and she had to admit that it was a good idea for Kiba to lead the chase since he had a higher stamina than his team.
Hinata was tracking it with her Byakugan and Shino was blocking off escape with his bugs. They were slowly backing the target into a corner with a surprising amount of efficiency.
"Target is within distance," Kiba wasn't even short of breath, "I need Shino to build me a wall and block it off."
Hinata tried to catch her breath. She timed the event slowly, feeling her eyes twitch as she looked past Shino, past Kiba and Akamaru, past the target, and past the chase. "Shino, build a bridge over the oak trees. Drop it on my mark."
Kurenai cast a glance at her student, wondering what she had planned. She was always curious about Hinata, as she was more than she let on. There would be times where she was shy and struggling, desperately leaning on her team for support, but, there were times like this, where she was totally confident and determined, making commands as confidently as any jonin.
After finding out what caused such behaviors, Kurenai was determined to learn more and make sense of it, for her student's sake and the village's.
"Mark." Hinata almost shouted, not wanting to sound too abrasive. Shino did as he was told and watched as hundreds of his bugs fell to the floor and on top of the target, pinning them down long enough for Kiba to catch.
"Identifying target," The wild boy called, "Brown fur with stripes and a red bow on the right ear."
Shino called his bugs back and nodded, "Confirmed. Good job everyone."
Two months ago, Kiba wouldn't have closely followed orders, Hinata would often struggle to speak, let alone give orders, and Shino would remain apathetic the entire time instead of providing praise where it was due. The team struggled to work together but succeeded in remembering why they work as a team in the first place.
Kurenai was by no means a nurturing, motherly type. She was a strong-willed kunoichi through and through. and often struggled to properly care for her team emotionally. She had never gone through abuse or struggled to find love; she had always ignored it and trained her ass off to fill in the void.
There was also Anko, who she had stumbled upon one day. Anko knew what it was like to be an outcast better than Kurenai, and for some reason clung to her after their two-man ANBU mission.
Kurenai found love and acceptance through Anko, who in return, found it in Kurenai. Both women stuck together and formed a bond, which drove away Kurenai's loneliness. Kurenai learned then, from Anko, that strength was in the bonds you made, and she was hoping to instill that in her team.
She watched as Kiba held the squirming cat, Tora, by its scruff while Shino and Hinata congratulated him and Akamaru for the catch. Weeks of forced interaction and brutal training led to this moment, and frankly, Kurenai couldn't help but give herself a pat on the back.
"Today, my young students, we will be sparring together to practice coordination, create team attacks, assist each other in lacking areas, and build a stronger bond. Any questions?"
Kiba hesitantly raised his hand, "Sensei," He said, "How is fighting each other going to build a stronger bond? Wouldn't it cause problems if someone was better than the others?" Akamaru barked twice from on top of Kiba's head.
Kurenai smirked in response, "Nonsense," She waved him off, "Some of my greatest friendships started from bleeding teeth or a broken nose at the hands of one of my comrades; but sparring is different than fighting. When fighting, youre aiming to hurt, sparring is practicing your combat skills.
"The idea is to become familiar with each other and your fighting styles. If you know how the others move and work, then you are likely to identify when one or the other is tired or getting sloppy.
"Your unique perspective might also help. If your teammate is struggling to get a technique down, you may be able to point out where they are lacking or offer a new suggestion that they hadn't considered yet. You offer them a solution and advise them in ways that no one else can. You all need to know how each other works. It is vital. You are all Team Eight, and you will need to fight as Team Eight."
All three genin still seemed hesitant. Kurenai paused in thought a moment before a soft smile spread across her face, "You have your whole lives to become stronger, so why not be stronger together?"
The used, albeit paraphrased quote sparked something inside them, something small, but big enough that Kurenai saw in their eyes. She inwardly grinned, happy to have found a morale that would motivate them together as one.
Kurenai cleared her throat, gaining their attention once more, "Kiba, Akamaru and Shino, I want the three of you to spar first, then we'll break for 10 minutes and then alternate. We will have a review and talk to each other about what you think the others should do to improve the areas you're lacking in. I expect you all to do your best."
Shino stood in opposition to Kiba and Akamaru, who were both practically bouncing from excitement. He wasn't sure about how he was going to fight the over-zealous dog boy, but he knew he had to end it quickly since Kiba had a higher stamina than he did.
"Begin."
Suddenly, Kiba took off running towards him. Shino was startled enough to have been hit, but recovered quickly to produce a counter strike. He watched Kiba carefully as he and Akamaru raced towards him once again. It seemed they liked to attack head on.
Shino dodged their attacks as best as he could, feeling himself sweat at the effort. Kiba definitely was fast, and having Akamaru nipping at his heels didn't help either.
He could see a strange look in Kiba's eyes as he attacked, almost as if he was enjoying himself a little too much. Shino was enjoying himself as well, never quite having this level of intense sparring with anyone else before, but he knew that the twisted, fanged smile on his teammate meant something more.
They played this game of cat and mouse for a while. Shino managed to take out Akamaru with a kick and he finally had an equal standing with Kiba, who had settled on attacking with his claws. He wasn't relenting any time soon, he had yet to even break a sweat.
Shino focused solely on him for the moment, going through a hundred plans in his head on how to defeat this fast teammate of his in the quickest way. In doing this, he didn't realize that Akamaru had gotten up and was preparing to attack from behind.
Kiba smirked to himself and lowered himself to kick at Shino's legs. The Aburame. of course, jumped to avoid the attack but was surprised when a small, heavy weight crashed into his back. Kiba took the opportunity to grab the back of Shino's jacket and slam him into the ground. He snickered to himself as Shino spat out dirt and attempted to stand.
Kiba immediately sat on his back and pulled a kunai out to hold at Shino's throat. "You need to learn to be faster if you're ever going to beat me, Shino." Kiba laughed good-naturedly.
A cold tip on the side of his neck stopped the laughter immediately, "You should focus more on outsmarting me than your speed, Kiba." Shino said behind him. The clone underneath Kiba poofed away, dropping Kiba on his butt.
Kiba smirked, "Don't forget you're outnumbered." Akamaru leaped gracefully into the air and bit Shino's wrist, forcing him to drop the kunai. Kiba then spun around and punched Shino in the jaw, sending him a few feet back from the force.
A sharp burn spread down Kiba's arm. He looked to see it covered in bugs. "Fuck," He cursed, waving his arm around frantically. Akamaru started to whimper and bite himself, trying to get the bugs off as well.
Shino stood and watched as both dog and boy fell and writhed in pain. He felt a strange surge of satisfaction in seeing them roll around on the grass in agony. It was an amusing sight, that's for sure, but it was something more than that, something deeper than just amusement.
"Shino wins." Kurenai brought him back from the void. He recalled his bugs and curtly nodded to his sensei who was helping Kiba up. The multitude of bug bites on his arms and face were baffling, and Hinata couldn't help cringing back in horror when he sat beside her.
Kurenai started to go off on where both her students could improve. Shino needed to realize he couldn't always out-think his opponents and Kiba couldn't always rely on brute strength and speed. Both males nodded as they listened, taking the lessons to heart.
"Hinata and Shino will go next to give Kiba more time to recover." Kurenai didn't miss the way Hinata tensed up at the announcement she made. She was going to have to teach her student how to better hide her emotions.
Hinata had been dreading this. She really didn't want her team to know how awful she was at fighting and wasn't looking forward to being humiliated. Seeing Shino's match reminded her of her cousin and she felt the need to crawl into a hole and die.
She looked to Kurenai who was watching her calmly, no hint of criticism or displeasure. She was studying how well Hinata could fight, that was all. The lack of judgement relaxed her a little bit and she decided that she had to do her best if she wanted to stay on the team.
Hinata waited until Kurenai gave the signal before she ran to Shino with chakra coated palms. She would have to be careful of his bugs as she attacked, but she noticed that his hand-to-hand combat wasn't particularly great as he struggled a little bit with his footwork and attack.
Shino didn't know that she had this much fire within her. He saw frustration and anger and something dark pent up within herself that he recognized within himself and Kiba. He was wary of her palms, cursing that she realized his sloppy hand-to-hand combat, but he didn't let it deter him from victory.
He commanded his insects to gather behind her, making a small army of them. They started to creep up from behind, slowly making their way forward as he distracted Hinata. He was watching the bugs build themselves up, forming a wall. If he could keep her attention for just a few more seconds-Hinata suddenly stopped and dove to the side, just as the wave was starting to fall.
Shino looked into her activated eyes and cursed, he had forgotten about her dojutsu. He had to come up with another plan, and fast. If he could plant one of his bugs on her or have her stumble, even for a second, he would win. He began to throw bug after bug at her, smirking as a few landed.
Hinata ignored the stinging pain and continued her assault, she experienced worse from her family shutting off her chakra points. She could do this. She had to beat him.
A sudden twitch in her eye stopped her in her tracks. She stared at Shino who paused in confusion as well. A heartbeat passed, and then another. Hinata continued her attack, but noticed that she wasn't as fierce as before. She didn't bother to put any strength in her hits and her movements became sloppy.
Shino was confused. What had happened that she suddenly stopped trying? He glanced at Kurenai who was focused on Hinata now, frowning in thought. It seems that she wasn't sure of the sudden change either, but seemed to accept it for now.
If Hinata wasn't going to take the fight seriously, then Shino wasn't going to waste his time playing with her. He grabbed a kunai from his pouch and extended his hand, sending more bugs. Hinata didn't bother to dodge, allowing the hit, and fell to the floor. He approached and pointed his kunai at her throat, securing his victory.
Kurenai called them back and went over Shino's advice. She glanced at Hinata who had her head down, but said nothing. Hinata's head sunk lower, but was somewhat thankful that her teacher didn't call her out in front of the boys.
Her next fight with Kiba went as expected. He tried going a little easy on her, having a sort of soft spot for Hinata, but came out as the winner in a shorter amount of time than Shino, which Kurenai still said nothing about.
Finally, the team faced each other from opposite ends. Kurenai sat in a tree above them to better observe. She was still thinking of Hinata and her sudden lack of motivation to fight or attempt to win. It bothered her a lot, but she decided that she would talk to the Hokage about it instead.
"Begin." She called, leaning back and watching. Kiba and Akamaru were practically running circles around his team, as neither Hinata or Shino were fast enough to catch him. They attempted to fight him together at first, but with Hinata's lack of trying, she was the first to go down.
Kurenai nearly growled in frustration. Was she even serious of becoming a ninja if she was giving up all the time? She took a deep breath to calm herself, keeping in thought that Hinata was in a tough situation already with her family, and that she just needed guidance and a small push in the right direction.
Kiba had quickly learned how to defeat Shino, who had put up a really great fight. Kurenai saw his resolve in getting his speed and stamina up to par with Kiba's. She was proud to say the least. That was one less student she had to worry about for the time being. And that was something she could easily help with.
Kiba was starting to think outside of the box more, allowing for more use of his techniques. His speed and stamina were great, his strength was also good, but she wanted him to focus more on his agility and strategy. She would have to start giving him homework if she wanted better results.
"Great job." She told her boys, "Some things we should cover are our strengths.
"Shino you have a brilliant mind, but when it comes to anything else, you are average or lacking. You need to focus on bettering yourself physically. I suggest you start going on runs and exercising more. With hand-to-hand combat, we will remedy that with more team training.
"Kiba, you are in top shape, but you need to start becoming more creative with your attack and strategy. Not everyone is going to be thinking for you. Your agility could use some work too; so to fix both, I will start sending you back with homework and yoga stretches to try. We will all now be practicing yoga and meditation to help stretch our muscles and expand our minds as well as chakra reserves."
Kurenai turned her eyes to Hinata who hid her face under her bangs, "Boys, you are dismissed. I want to talk to talk to Hinata alone."
Shino nearly hesitated but turned away and began to walk home. Whatever was happening wasn't any of his business. Kiba, however, did hesitate but gathered Akamaru into his arms and walked off, congratulating his pup on a job well done.
Kurenai stared Hinata down for a moment, thinking of what to say that wouldn't totally crush the girl. She had never had to think of her words before, usually just saying whatever came to mind, and she really hoped she wouldn't have to do it forever, but she knew that with Hinata it was a different case. She didn't want to come off as belittling or aggressive, but stern and helpful.
It didn't help that her father constantly gave her shit about not being good enough, tearing her down with words every chance he got. Kurenai cursed him a thousand times in her head for ruining Hinata, mentally and emotionally. She was not the type who was good at comforting anyone, especially not children.
"Hinata," She started "I'm not sure what happened, and I'm not sure why, but I don't want this to be a reoccurring event. You had a lot of promise of winning your fight with Shino, so why did you give up so suddenly?"
Hinata didn't say anything for a moment before she weakly responded, "I knew I wasn't going to win."
Kurenai sighed and frowned, "You don't know that for sure Hinata." She lightly scolded, "I realize that the Hyuga's are strong believers in fate, but the one thing you should know, is that fate isn't what led you here, it was destiny.
Destiny is about the choices you make, not the cosmos or higher powers. You make your own future and pave your own path. If you are destined to fail, then you have the choice to fail at failing; or if you are destined to be a failure, then you have a chance to change that and make something worthwhile of yourself because you chose to do so. Do not allow yourself to be a victim, do not allow yourself failure. You are a shinobi, and you are much stronger than you think. Go home, and think about what I've said."
She watched as the girl slunked back home and sighed to herself once more. She really needed a drink with Anko after this.
True to her word, as the days went by, they began every training meeting with an easy yoga session, stretching their muscles, and ended with a meditation session. Kiba had issues with sitting still for so long, but eventually, he managed five minutes without moving. Kurenai figured it was good enough.
She occasionally saw Shino running around the village and spotted him doing push ups before anyone else got to the training ground.
She would comment on his improvement subtly, watching as he would relax or brighten up very slightly at the praise. She knew he took pride in his training and so she would reward him with the recognition he craved, but did so quietly as to not embarrass him or make his effort to be acknowledged obvious.
Kiba was doing better on his assignments, showing them off proudly to Kurenai with a huge grin and eyes seeking approval. He would carefully listen to her instruction and suggestions, soaking the information up like a sponge.
She too, gave him the praise he desired and watched as he brightened up considerably before promising to do better, in hope of more positive feedback.
All week she was having them spar one another; Kiba and Shino were showing promise, becoming creative in order to beat each other, but she noticed that Hinata was still lacking in, well, everything.
Since she had a talk with Hinata, she noticed no change with the girl. She still did not do her best, she still remained quiet and passive whenever there was a decision to be made, and she often gave up.
Kurenai was at her wits end. She had enough.
"Hinata," She suddenly called out. They were still in Tree Pose, trying to keep their balance. Hinata looked up in slight shock and fear. "I want you to spar Kiba today." Hinata only nodded, glancing over to Kiba who frowned in concern.
He could smell the frustration of his teacher, but he wasn't sure who it was towards. He will admit he was going easy on Hinata for most of their spars. He didn't want to hurt her or discourage her from fighting or being his friend. She was really nice and he wanted her to like him so they could be better teammates.
After their stretching, Hinata and Kiba faced each other on the field. Hinata was a nervous wreck and even Kiba was a little anxious, sparing Kurenai a worried glance. She purposely ignored it, focusing her red gaze on Hinata instead. She had to end this behavior once and for all.
With a nod from their sensei, the fight began. Kiba was, of course, going easy, testing Hinata's limits, her strength, but the poor girl was lacking. She struggled to land a hit, to trip him up, to do something worthwhile to her fight, but she failed each and every time.
'Why bother?' She asked herself. She already knew how the match was going to end. Her eyes twitched, finalizing her decision. She was giving up.
"Stop." Kurenai's voice cut the air and stilled everyone. She felt rage at Hinata's lack of trying, but held back her wrath and took a calming breath instead. She knew she couldn't get too mad, but enough was enough. She either had to step up her game or give up because Kurenai wasn't having it anymore.
Kiba slowly moved out of the way, smelling anger now instead of frustration. Why was she so mad? Was he being too rough with Hinata? Did he need to be more gentle?
"Hinata," Kurenai called sternly, "Why are you giving up already?"
No one had said anything about it until now. Shino didn't want to be involved in any trouble, Kiba didn't want to hurt Hinata's feelings, but both boys were happy that Kurenai was finally saying something about it. After waiting so long to hear her even mention it, they were beginning to worry that nothing was going to be done to help their teammate in ways they couldn't.
Kurenai was staring Hinata down, arm crossed and brows furrowed. She wasn't going to let this go, not until she understood why. "I expect an answer, Hinata." She continued after her student said nothing, "I will not allow this to continue any further. You need to tell me why you are always giving up on your sparring."
Hinata was taking her time in answering her teacher, which was fine by her, since she was willing to keep Hinata there until she did. Finally, she looked up, staring her sensei in the eyes for the first time.
"I know how the match is going to end." She spoke breathlessly, almost as if she were in a trace, "Kiba was going to win after using a jutsu. Akamaru was going to distract me, giving Kiba the opening to attack and then pin me."
Kurenai was intrigued now, leaning forward in anticipation, "How do you know this, Hinata?"
The young girl's eyes finally looked up to Kurenai's, a serious expression on her face. The woman refrained from gasping, as Hinata's lavender orbs were now a glowing, purple opal. "I can see it."
After that, Kurenai sent the boys home and took Hinata to the Hokage, who spoke with her for hours about her newfound ability. He made her promise to keep it a secret from her clan for the time being, until everything was figured out. At least, that's what he told her. He talked with Kurenai afterwards, asking more questions and listening thoughtfully in her answers.
"It seems that her dojutsu is awakening to a higher power, much like the Sharingan to the Mangekyou Sharingan." He surmised carefully.
He took a long drag of his pipe and wondered how long it would be until Danzo would find out. He had to get Hinata outside of the village to perfect this training of her eyes, safe from the eyes of Danzo and his ROOT ANBU.
"I'll see what I can do about getting you and your team safety," He said, "For now, keep watch over your team and make none of them say anything about this."
Kurenai's eyes moved over to Kiba next, who was grinning proudly at having caught the cat as Akamaru trotted at his feet. She always thanked whatever god was watching over her, for a student with speed and strength, meaning she wouldn't have to worry about training him in the basics of becoming faster or stronger; but with time she had noticed how careful he was at keeping his temper in check and making sure that he not hit too hard while sparring.
However one day, everything started with a simple comment made by Shino.
"You're not hitting high enough, Kiba," He said, "You're just throwing punches that won't land properly. Try to actually aim while we spar."
Kiba stopped suddenly, glaring at the bug user, "You know what?" He bit out, "Fuck this and fuck you! You think you're so much better, but you're not. Stop telling me what to do, you mother fucker!"
Shino took a step back in surprise. He expected frustration, but this was outright rage. Even if he had been a bit nit-picky, this was a bigger reaction than he was expecting. He didn't know what to do.
"Kiba," Hinata whimpered, "Please don't be so angry. Shino was just-"
"-You know, Hinata, if I wanted your shitty opinion, I would have fucking asked! But I didn't, so why don't you just shut the fuck up?"
Hinata's eyes welled up with tears at the sudden verbal attack. She covered her head with her arms and turned away towards Shino, who awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder. He didn't know how to properly comfort her just yet, but he wasn't going to deny her the consolation she sought.
Shino turned to Kurenai for support. She stared Kiba down but said nothing, wanting to see how it all played out.
Kiba, having realized what he just said, put his head down and immediately apologized, saying that he was really tired and needed proper rest. Shino and Hinata let it slide this one time, but they were definitely on edge.
Kiba ended the day on a relatively good note, but there was still some underlying tension between him and his teammates.
Since then, Kurenai kept a closer eye on Kiba, and would watch as he slowly spiraled out of control. His verbal berating and offensive words would quickly turn to violent actions until Kurenai would intervene and threaten him.
She recognized this behavior as common abuse symptoms, and looked into the crystal ball for answers, but saw that his life at home was still the same. So why was he acting out now?
It progressed as the weeks went by. Kiba was starting to unhinge, blowing up over the slightest inconveniences and yelling at anyone who looked at him 'wrong'.
At home, he isolated himself completely, save for Akamaru, and refused any type of social interaction until it was time to train. If he had a better mother or sister, they would be concerned, but 'lucky' for him, they ignored his strange behavior and continued on with their lives.
Like with Hinata, Kurenai was letting it slide, ignoring the obvious problem in favor of observing and gathering information before countering it.
Hinata said nothing, even if she was scared or nervous; she trusted her teacher to keep her safe and address the problem when the time was right.
Unfortunately, Shino was quickly losing his patience. Nevermind that Kiba was just always angry now, he was starting to yell all the time at himself and Hinata. He didn't care that Kiba yelled at him, he did that a lot normally. Shino knew he was an ass sometimes, but that was Shino.
He started to lose it, when he turned on Hinata. This poor girl would make a suggestion or a comment and Kiba would turn and rip into her before suddenly diffusing and apologizing.
She would shake and nod, not saying anything else for the rest of the day. Shino could recognize social anxiety and lack of trust, and with Kiba screaming all the time, it was starting to negatively affect the team and throw them off balance with each other.
Now, he was waiting for the patience to end, from his teacher or himself, he didn't know, but he was waiting.
The time came when Kiba yelled at the Hyuga for the third time that day about her not being able to keep up with them. Shino watched as her eyes started to water and she hid her head in her arms. Usually that would stop Kiba's attack, but this time he grabbed Hinata's arms and forced her to look at him. Shino felt his legs moving before he could register the thought.
He pushed himself between Kiba and Hinata and stood his ground, "Don't touch her." He warned.
Kiba paused in shock before attacking Shino with newfound fury, "Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do, you fucking roach?" He screamed, "This is none of your business anyways, so get the fuck out of my face before I rip yours off with my teeth!" Akamaru whined from on top of his head, which Kiba ignored.
Shino didn't move but he felt Hinata grab the back of his coat in support; she was supporting him in her own shy and fearful way, and for some reason, it gave him strength. "I'm not sure why you're acting like this, Kiba," Shino miffed, "But going as far as to lay a hand on a teammate is unacceptable. I demand that you not do it again for your own safety and for the safety of this team."
Kiba's eyes darkened at the order. Shino watched as he practically turned into another person. His teeth grew into something fearsome and large, and his hair stood on end. As he lifted his arm back to strike, Shino noticed his nails were replaced with actual claws. Kiba wasn't human anymore.
Kurenai was behind him in a second with an iron grip on his arm before he could strike. Her fearsome glare was enough to get Kiba to back down, lower his head in submission and quickly change back into his normal self.
She didn't release him, however. Instead she spun around, pulling him with her so that he faced her while her other two students were behind her safely.
Kiba rubbed the area that Kurenai was gripping and looked away in shame.
"Kiba," Kurenai snapped, "Tell me why I am having to scold you on your behavior."
The boy in question flinched, metaphorical tail between his legs. "Because I was being a dick." He mumbled.
Kurenai thought for a moment before continuing, "Why have you been acting out?"
Kiba shrugged and kicked at the dirt for a moment, "I don't know why." He replied sadly, "I just feel angry all the time.
"It started a few weeks ago. I was having a dream I was running through the forest with Akamaru, the same dream I've had every night for as long as I could remember, but it would end after I met a pack of wolves. This time, they came up to me and accepted me. I felt so happy, but then they walked off without me. They stood at the top of a mountain, looking down on me, waiting for me.
"Since then, everything feels more intense. My taste, my smell, my hearing, even my emotions. Every time I get a little frustrated or annoyed or angry, it just explodes and gets worse. I don't know what to do to stop it."
Kurenai thought some more, finally sighing in defeat and grabbing her student's hand, leading him to the Hokage.
More questions, more planning, more secrets; such was the job of Hokage. Old Man Sarutobi was finding himself intrigued but tired of the unexpected forces that were at work, as if Destiny was writing a story for their own amusement but decided that they needed to speed up the process of these three shinobi to make them powerful in a meaningful and progressive flashback/time-skip kind of way that was hard to write and even harder to rewrite.
If that was the case, he needed Destiny to give him a break with these "sudden discoveries of power".
"We'll need to give Kiba some sort of sedative to keep his aggressive behaviors in check." He sighed, taking a long drag of his pipe, "If two of your students are showing promises of such amazing power, the third one is likely to be close behind.
"I say keep an eye on your quiet Aburame. I've heard stories about the abilities they can develop, and it would be best to find out about his as soon as possible."
Finally, Kurenai looked at her quiet student, Shino. She watched over him, as instructed by her Hokage.
He was brilliant. He came up with carefully crafted plans to secure his team's victory in any given mission, and gave meaning to working smarter and not harder.
Though he lacked physical training, he was coming up with ideas to speed up his success rate, quickly progressing with marvelous results.
Weeks went by and nothing extraordinary happened. Kurenai knew that he was waiting too. He watched himself and waited with Kurenai to see if maybe he would have a sudden growth spurt in power. While Hinata and Kiba were somewhat practicing their new abilities, Shino was being practiced on and he did not like it.
He wasn't jealous of his teammates, not at all. He was proud of them, more proud that he was still able to keep up with them regardless of their unfair advantage. But the longer it became, the more he thought, the more he considered, and the more he felt the need to keep up.
He worked himself to the bone, training every moment he had. He read up on clan techniques and studied each and every written jutsu he could find. He was growing increasingly frustrated over the lack of results but refused to voice the frustrations to his team or his parents. He was going to work ever harder to be on equal ground with his team, he just had to.
He wished Torune was still with him. Torune, who possessed rare poisonous insects that could destroy the cells of his enemies with a simple brush of the skin. He couldn't attend the academy with him, seeing as how he was in danger of putting children at risk. Shino was all he had.
Torune was emotionless, just like his parents, but when he was with Shino, he became more open, more alive than Shino had ever seen in any Aburame besides himself. He was the one who taught Shino how to feel and how to breathe easier. He taught Shino to be human and he often told him, in his own way, that he loved him. Torune was his brother.
Shino also remembered when that man, Danzo, came poking around his clan grounds, asking the boys questions while his parents watched from the kitchen window. Danzo especially liked Shino since he was the clan's heir, but somehow, Torune knew to go in his place. He knew that something was not right with ROOT, and in order to spare Shino and save him from an empty life, Torune left for ROOT in Shino's place. He left so that Shino could live and build bonds and love, he even left some specimens for his little brother, to breed and build a new colony like no one has ever seen.
And so, Shino continued with his daily routines of training, D ranked missions and researching. He knew that his teacher was watching him for any sign of talent, but he was quickly finding it to be a waste of time. Maybe Destiny had a different plan for him instead?
Nope.
Just when he thought that Destiny was finished playing with him, the Hokage found Shino in his room with a scroll in his trembling hands and an excited pep in his step. He glanced out of the window, to the sky, and briefly scowled in irritation and hatred. Damn you, Destiny, for rushing the plot.
"Lord Hokage," Shino bowed and presented the scroll, "I have found this in my room this morning at the foot of my bed. It has a strange seal that is most intriguing. I have never seen it before in any of the Aburame archives." This was his chance, Shino thought, to be caught up and not left out. Shino was very excited to be able to produce something worthwhile just like his teammates, not that he would ever admit it.
However, he was also wary of this sudden appearance of this scroll. He had been studying every type of evolution and advancement in his clan abilities, finding his efforts futile. Every scroll he read was a dead end, and though he may not have the genius intellect of a Nara, he was very certain that he would have remembered reading, much less seeing this scroll.
Hiruzen stood and walked over, taking the scroll from the boy's hands and reading the contents. This was something he had only ever seen once in his life. A sealing jutsu that would enable the user abilities not unlike an insect themselves.
When he was a very young boy, Hiruzen had seen an old woman, an Aburame, use this seal to grow wings from her back and a stinger like a wasp from the base of her spine, long and sharp and deadly. She was not unlike a wasp, angry and unrelenting, but she was the last Aburame to have such a jutsu. He had never seen it again, and yet, here it was, in his hand and found in the bed of Shino.
"Shino," He started, "Do you know what this is?" Shino hesitated before answering, "It's a sealing jutsu of some sort, Lord Hokage."
Old Man Sarutobi nodded and smiled down at him, "This particular jutsu was last seen when I was the young age of three. It was the first time I've seen the power of the Aburame in its glory. This jutsu was then "lost" and hidden away, though no one knew where. I could not ask, as this was very obviously a clan jutsu, but I did wonder what had happened." There was a thoughtful pause, as if he was remembering something. He slowly closed the scroll.
"Do you believe in Destiny?" Sarutobi asked suddenly. He didn't wait for Shino to respond as he continued, "Destiny is a very funny thing, playing with our lives and guiding us in our paths. I believe it is more powerful than fate, as if Destiny was a sort of deity, a higher power who watches over us and guides us to write our stories before we even realize it.
"It seems that, lately, Destiny has been favoring your teammates with blessings of power and ability, and we assumed it would do the same for you. Here is your blessing, Shino, are you wanting to accept it?"
Shino stared at the scroll presented for him. For the first time in years, he really felt something. He felt excitement, anticipation and the desire to feel more.
He could help protect his team, he could protect his village. This was his chance to become stronger, to become more than just another Aburame, who was a hollow shell of a person maintaining a hive. He was going to take this chance, even if it killed him.
"Please, Lord Hokage," He pleaded, bowing lowly, "I wish to accept this."
Sarutobi smiled and nodded, "This is something we need to keep between us and your team Shino, at least until we know it's safe. Call your team, we will plan your 'blessing' sometime soon." He watched as Shino bolted out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him in his eagerness.
Hiruzen sighed tiredly and looked at the scroll again. Yes, surely Destiny was having fun with this team.
A shadow on a nearby building watched as Shino ran to the training ground to meet his team and tell them the good news. His excitement was evident to the very few who could properly read an Aburame; it was refreshing to say the least.
"What are you doing out here?" The shadow didn't bother to turn to face his partner who stood beside him, searching for what was supposedly interesting. "I'm scouting the area." He said simply.
"You're a horrible liar." His partner chided. He paused for a second in consideration, a ghost of a smile behind his mask, "Shino's really growing up, huh, Torune?"
Torune did smile under his mask, though Fu didn't hear it when he replied, "Yes. He is."
Hinata stood in front of Shino, who hesitantly removed his jacket and shirt; Kiba was right behind her, staring in shock at the sight of Shino's skin and body. He was guessing that Shino was a heavy guy like Choji, as his jacket was obviously oversized and obscuring, but was surprised to find that Shino was as thin and muscular as Kiba himself. It was almost strange to see him without the coat, now that he thought about it.
"Lord Hokage," Hinata spoke up quietly, "Um, can I ask why you've asked me to do this?"
Hiruzen pulled out the scroll from his sleeve and pushed it gently into Hinata's hands. He smiled down at her and placed a hand on her head, "Hinata, I'm sure you're familiar with the cage bird seal? Meaning as a member of the Main Branch, you know how to create and activate the seal just as your father?"
Hinata nodded at the question regretfully. Hiruzen continued, "Creating and activating seals takes a highly advanced level of chakra control that, for the moment, only the Hyugas have, as the other fuinjutsu users are currently away. Because you know how to seal, as well as possess a high enough level of chakra control, it gives us the opportunity to create this seal without having to inform anyone else; the less that people know about this, the better.
"If this goes well, we can count this as a success, and I will request my best fuinjutsu master to teach all of you. Hopefully, then, we can advance Shino's seal. This will only be something basic so that he can come to terms with his new abilities, same as you.
"Now, Hinata will be painting and activating the seal, Kurenai and I are here to supervise, Shino is obviously the willing participant, and Kiba and Akamaru are here because they would have whined about being left out." He laughed at the offended look Kiba shot at him. "I'm only teasing you, Kiba," He grinned, "You are here because you have as much to offer in this team as anyone else does.
"You are going to guard Hinata and Shino. If you sense anything wrong, tell us immediately. If Hinata is dehydrated, give her water. If Shino is waking up, relax him once more. Think of it as training, if you like. There will come a time when you will be the only one to protect your team, whether they are injured or too focused on their task to fight. Can you handle that responsibility?"
Kiba felt his heart swell and his determination peak. He was never really needed for anything this serious before, and he was honored at being the one to protect his teammates for this important sealing. Finally, he felt needed and accepted.
"You can count on me Lord Hokage!" He exclaimed, giving him a cheesy smile and a thumbs up Akamaru yipped, wagging his tail in excitement.
Hiruzen nodded, "Then let us begin. Shino, lay on the mat and get comfortable, you'll be there for a while."
Shino did as he was told, closing his eyes as he took off his glasses. He was nervous, he realized, and he briefly distrusted Hinata to do the sealing correctly. However, Hinata was from a clan where sealing was a normal, everyday occurance in her clan. The Hokage even said that she was skilled and knowledgeable in creating and activating seals, having been born a Main Branch member. He relented and realized that maybe he should have more faith in his team and their abilities.
A dizzying smell of lavender and vanilla assaulted his nose, and he found himself suddenly tired. "This scent is made to relax and lightly sedate you," Kurenai's voice was so far away, "I'll be putting you under a genjutsu to make sure you're not to wake up. If we see you stirring, Kiba will be giving you another dose of this." Shino barely opened his eyes to see Kiba covering his nose with a cloth as he slowly waved a bottle in front of his face.
A gentle humming was pulling him further into sleep. A soft hand caressing his hair and lightly massaging his shoulders. He was in heaven. He never felt so tired. He began to count backwards, starting from ten until finally, he was fast asleep.
Hinata continued humming and massaging; it always helped the young children who she was to witness beinged sealed, so she hoped that it would work with Shino as well. She felt his body slump under her fingertips and smiled to herself, still humming as she moved to his side and began to paint several seals under his skin.
Kurenai performed her hand signs and lightly touched Shino, who was now definitely asleep.
Kiba began to pace back and forth unconsciously, watching Hinata in wonder. She looked so at peace, though he could smell her nervousness and doubt. However, her movements were graceful and unwavering, as years of etiquette steadied her hand for painting and calligraphy.
He knew that one drop out of place, one imperfect line would ruin everything and she would have to start all over again and he also knew that she wasn't going to mess anything up under any circumstance.
She activated her Byakugan and slowly performed the proper hand signs. She spent days practicing to make sure they are perfect, and proved her hard work with glowing hands.
She looked to Kurenai who placed the scroll over the ink onto Shino's back, lining it perfectly with the center of his spine. No words, no dramatic pauses, it was simple and straight to the point. Hinata lightly touched the paper and his skin and began what would be hours in the making.
Hinata had her eyes closed in concentration, slowly and meticulously mapping the ink of the seal and tying it with his chakra and body. It was tedious and strenuous, but she willed herself to continue. If she moved too fast, she could burn him with her chakra. The worst case scenario was her paralyzing him for the rest of his life, since the activation site was connected directly into his spine. She wasn't completely sure of the outcome, but considering the critical placement, Hinata knew that it was important not to fail.
She was especially careful not to disturb his kikaichu, as they were still active and crawling around. She carefully mapped through the tunnels they created in his body, and used them to navigate her way around, so as to not burn out his pathways.
She wondered briefly what this would do to them, this sudden change of his chakra and body? Perhaps they would create new ones or remain as they were? She watched them watch her soothing chakra make its way to a specific point in his back. They made no move to attack or stop her, so she continued as gently as she could without hurting them.
She carefully watched her chakra lead his own to the ink, bit by bit until a new line was made and tied and then searched for another proper, suitable link to make. She tied it to his muscles which strained every so often at the intrusion. She tied it to his bones, in which they began to reform themselves into something new. And finally, she tied it to his tendons which stretched and flexed involuntarily. Every new link and line stemmed from one another and Hinata had to make sure they would flow the correct way as she went along.
The process was not as nearly as agonizing as the curse mark, which was quickly tied to the network of the eyes, and then the eyes themselves before burning its way onto the forehead. Even if it was done slowly, the pain was still definitive and would put the victim out of commission for a week.
Hinata knew that this must be agonizing and stressful on his body, but thankfully, Shino was asleep and hadn't shown any sign of waking up yet.
Kiba had been pacing in a circle around his team the entire time, occasionally stopping to use the restroom or let Akamaru out for air. He was fascinated with the sight of Hinata's glowing hands and wished he could see what she was doing.
He would often push a straw into her mouth, prompting her to drink, or wipe the sweat from her forehead when it started to drip. He dared not feed her anything more than a single cracker every ten minutes talong with a sip of juice to keep her energy up. Whenever her chakra level was beginning to weaken, Kiba pushed a chakra pill into her mouth and gave her a few gulps of water to wash it down.
He took his position very seriously and intended to do his job correctly.
Sarutobi watched them carefully, quietly noting the team's seriousness of the situation. "Kurenai," He whispered, "How are they doing with team trust and bonding?"
Kurenai thought carefully a moment before replying, "Not as well as you would think. Shino is still wanting to remain neutral and uninvolved, Kiba is always assuming he is unwanted and Hinata is such a nervous wreck at times that she shuts down and submits to anything.
"Although right now they seem to be close and bonded, it is only because they associate bonding with survival. If one is in danger or is made out to be in danger, the other two will immediately come to their defence. They're still wary around each other, but can recognize the effort they are trying to collectively provide.
"If we were to somehow push them a little closer together and make them aware of how they are similar, if not the same, then I don't think it would be any problem to get them to form a long-lasting, meaningful bond. I'm just not sure how to do so with all of the training to heighten their abilities."
The Hokage remained silent, mulling over her words. He could think of a few resources outside of the village, but would have to get started on preparations immediately. If Destiny could lend him her hand once more, and he knew she would, then he could send them somewhere safe, quiet and secure to properly train and bond with each other.
After another hour, Hinata began to pull back, running her eyes over Shino's body once more to reassure herself that everything was okay. She smiled and shakily stood, thanking Kiba when he moved to help her up. "I've finished," She proudly announced, looking to her sensei for approval.
Kurenai smiled at her, patting her head gently, "Good job Hinata, you've earned a long rest after this."
She turned to Kiba who was also seeking validation, "And you, Kiba, deserve recognition as well. You are very good at keeping Hinata and Shino safe. I am proud of you both." She never said it often, but her students knew that when she said it, she meant it and that it was because they've accomplished something worthy of the praise.
Shino groaned in pain and exhaustion, slowly pushing himself off of the floor to stand. Hinata and Kiba rushed to assist him. He felt stronger, but mostly, he felt different, as if he was a foreigner in his own body. His hive was not disturbed, thankfully, so he knew that the process was a success.
A strong ripple in his back pulled a surprised yelp from him and he fell to his hands and knees. He silently whimpered as a strong surge of chakra rushed to unconsciously activate the brand new seal.
With a shout, two pairs of legs sprouted from each side of his back and spasmed uncontrollably.
Hinata watched in horror and Kiba could only stare.
Shino was breathing hard, groaning at the sudden surge of pain from his spine and forced the legs to stay still. It took time but finally it worked.
Hiruzen nodded in approval, "Very good, Shino," He praised, "Now, try to move them properly."
Shino took a deep breath before having them bend, pretending they were his arms.
Kurenai watched in wonder, Hinata was now amazed and Kiba couldn't wipe the look of awe from his face.
Shino decided to push a bit further and grounded the appendages to the floor, shakily pushing himself up to stand before lifting himself into the air. Kiba started to yell and jump excitedly and Hinata clasped her hands together and jumped with him. He only got a few feet before they gave out again. His team caught him, chattering excitedly about the newest development and how amazing Shino was to have done so.
Kurenai and Hiruzen glanced at each other over the moment of sweetness and smiled.
"Team Eight," Iruka called. Kiba was still holding Tora by his scruff, who hissed and growled angrily. The Daimyo's wife squealed in joy at seeing her cat again, snatching it up and cradling it in her arms tightly.
Kiba snickered at the misfortune of the poor thing and watched as she practically pranced away.
Iruka sighed in relief as she left and turned back to the team, "It's still early in the day, so I can assign you one more mission." He looked at the clipboard carefully and hummed in thought, "There's a tea house you could assist in, or maybe help certain shops with deliveries?"
Kiba groaned, "Do we really have to do another boring D Rank mission again? I heard that Team Seven got a C-rank mission yesterday!"
Shino rolled his eyes at the display but silently agreed. He was ready for something more challenging and exciting.
Hinata smiled at Kiba's childish whining but she too was ready for something a bit different.
"Now, now Iruka," The Hokage relented, "I think Team Eight is ready to handle something a bit more mature, don't you?"
Iruka hesitated, gripping his clipboard tighter in his hands, "Lord Hokage, I don't wish to disagree with you but-"
"-Then don't." Hiruzen smiled a bit tightly, "We allowed Team Seven a mission outside of the walls, didn't we? How about we give these three a chance to prove themselves as well? It's only fair to provide the same opportunities of experience to our other young shinobi."
Iruka sighed in defeat, "What do you suggest then, Lord Hokage?"
Sarutobi hummed playfully in mock thought, "What indeed?" He stroked his chin, secretly winking at the team who whispered to each other excitedly.
"How about you help me deliver this scroll?" The Hokage pulled a red colored sealed scroll from his sleeve, presenting it to Kurenai who took it carefully, "Take this scroll to one of the ancient fire temples towards the south. After you've done so, I would like for you to help them cleanse the temple and assist anyone who may need you. This mission will take three to four weeks in total, including the journey to and from. Do you think you can handle it?"
Kiba jumped and cheered loudly, "We sure can!" Akamaru yipped in agreement. Hinata giggled and Shino once again rolled his eyes.
"Excellent," Hiruzen sat back in his chair with a hidden smirk, you leave tomorrow."