Disclaimer: As usual, this can be skipped, but it might answer some questions.
Due to the fact that Naruto as a literary work is incomplete, this story is by nature likewise. I cannot account for that which may yet be added, amended or removed. Along the same vein, to guess at the future is futile. As such, it should not be interpreted as the attempt of this story. It was written well before the two year gap.
The story is of a fairly serious bent and contains quite a bit of violence, meriting its rating. None of this is outside of what can be seen in Naruto. What cursing there is was likely stripped by this site, leaving to words that simply appear unfinished. I apologize for this, as well as any stripped page breaks.
I used a number of different spellings and translations in this chapter, mixing English and Japanese. This is probably unprofessional, but for this story I don't feel it matters greatly. Some techniques are self-translated (read as: pseudo-translated), and modified at will. The only point of this paragraph: kindly don't object unless my error creates confusion in the actual story.
This story changes tenses several times; I intended this as an experiment. Ultimately, I feel one of these was a mistake, but I left it as I originally wrote it.
I have read little Naruto fan fiction, so I'm not really certain if this is redundant with other works. If I have done something that has become cliche on the internet I apologize, but it was coincidental. While I'm apologizing: I chaptered this story by idea as opposed to size, so they may be somewhat sporadic. This balanced more than I had hoped, so this may be unnecessary.
Lastly, this is a short story that is hopefully an exploration of a few characters, not an epic. It will run for five chapters.
Chapter 1: Years...
Readjusting my glasses with one hand, I continue staring into the fire. Fire is an interesting thing, appearing to weave and dance in the darkness. Almost as if it was a living being. I know that this is not so; I know that the flame I see is energy radiating from the chemical reactions in the pile of wood. Yet somehow this does not change the appearance of what I see.
How strange the human mind can be, I ponder yet again. In these recent days, I find myself quite often thinking of such things. Perhaps it has something to do with the three young shinobi that are now bound to me. Teaching them the art of ninjitsu is a tiring process, made all the more so by their personalities. Two of them, at least.
The critique I received as a Genin was that I did not say enough. With an exception, I would say the opposite about the young team that I now watch over. But that is why they are Genin. They are young, and they have many years to learn.
Not that I am old, though sometimes I feel that way. I'm not yet thirty, and my body is not declining as my chakra continues to grow. As a Jounin, I am hardly decrepit. Yet at times I grow very weary of life and the inevitable tediousness of it all. This is irrelevant: I know that I will go on regardless. It is that way I have always been, and the way I will always be.
While I understand and am comfortable with consistency, I also acknowledge that change is at times necessary. All insects will change their traditional patterns if such is beneficial. My name is Aburame Shino; I am a Jounin of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Firelight continues to glint off my dark glasses, flickering in the night. Though I will sleep tonight, it will certainly be later. Going to sleep while they are still awake is completely out of the question.
"I am so going to be the next Hokage!" the blond boy on the opposite side of the campfire crows. "Train here for a while, get really strong, then make myself the next champion! Yeah! That's exactly how it will go!"
This is his routine every night. Though many consistent parts of my life are beneficial, this is not one of them. If I did not fear for his safety, from others and himself, I would attempt to sleep before he begins. Eventually he will wear himself out and slumber will close his large mouth, but not soon enough. The youth have a great deal of energy.
Stretching, the green clad Genin boy grins at his partners. No amount of coldness on their part will stop him. He is determined if nothing else. Now if only that determination extended to his training...
"What do you think, Ruana?" he asks happily. "Huh? Huh? Do you think I can become the next Hokage?"
"Shut up, Watashi," the sleepy Genin yawns. Her yellow dress is rumpled, a sign that we have been on this mission for many days. Initially when our team was formed she was quite obnoxious about her appearance. This problem was... removed. Though she still is overly concerned about her looks, I am grateful she has a bit of wisdom. Unlike Watashi...
"You always say that! Come on, what do you really think?"
"I think I want you to shut up so I can go to sleep."
"But you aren't even in bed yet!"
"I would be if you didn't keep running your mouth!"
"Oh yeah? Well-"
"Children." The time has come for me to interrupt. Immediately they cease their inane conversation, resorting to glaring at each other across the fire. Since I have commanded this Genin team, I have become more taciturn than before. I find that it makes the words I do choose to say mean considerably more.
I feel a slight presence near my left leg, something tiny and familiar sitting on the log beside me. Ah, so one of my scouts has returned. Gently picking up the bug, I raise it to eye level, asking it for what it has discovered.
The small creature tells me many things, in its simplistic and animalistic way. Our colony will be safe, there are no dangers in the forest nearby. There is another big one, their term for humans, coming in this direction. But it is not a predator, it is one that they recognize. Unfortunately, they cannot tell me who it is. This is an area in which I may yet have to instruct them more.
While I have found the bugs living within me to be relatively intelligent, for insects, and receptive to new ideas, they have their limits. My silent communication with them is interesting, but I would much prefer to speak to someone else. And however much I teach them, they will never be a human being.
But such things are not necessary. I am human, but I am also a shinobi. Dismissing the bug, I let it fly into the collar of my shirt, where it quickly sinks into my skin. Another useful ability both I and the bugs have learned together.
"Eww! That's disgusting!" And that would be Ruana. You'd think the months we have worked together would have made her accustomed to my unique abilities. You would think wrong. "Don't do that in front of a lady!"
"If I see one I'll keep that in mind," I answer tersely. It takes her a second to figure it out, and then she merely fumes in silence. In silence is better than out loud. At the very least, she will not begin on her speech about...
"That's just... icky." Never mind. "I can't believe anyone can do that." All of us will now be hearing more on the subject than we could ever wish to. Watashi attempted to argue with her the first few times, more out of belligerence than anything else, but has quickly grown bored with the subject. Maybe when she is finished they will sleep.
"Such icky bugs... crawling over your skin. And under it. Icky!" In typical girlish nature she squirms uncomfortably. To say anything would be pointless. This is often a wise course of action, but in this case especially true. "Icky, icky, icky!" Her powers of description are legendary. "You're a really creepy guy, Shino-sensei. No offense, but I think I'd die if I had bugs anywhere near me." No offense taken. I put little stock in the words of a Genin-level girl.
"Are you done?" This dark voice cuts into the conversation, and I smile slightly beneath my collar. Since he has decided to take a hand, the ranting will probably be truncated; Ruana shrinks back. At the very least he is capable of stopping a conversation.
With a barely perceptible glance of appreciation I look to the third member of my Genin team. Kayaki sits motionless, dark black hair falling between his eyes as he stares into the fire. His midnight black clothing makes him meld nearly into the night, and the appearance fits him well. If all three members of my team were like Kayaki, our missions would be far more silent. And far shorter. I have admired his willingness to learn as much as he can, and assisted him in this as much as is possible.
Most likely our visitor will be arriving soon. It will be a welcome diversion from the all too typical conversation around our campfire. Perhaps if I could get them to work harder they would fall asleep from exhaustion. But no... Watashi will never actually work, Ruana refuses to get sweaty, and Kayaki will keep going no matter how tired he is. Ah well. Such difficulties are hardly insurmountable.
The bushes rustle, and our visitor approaches slowly and carefully. Like a friend would approach: obviously so as to be recognized immediately. Before glancing up at them over my dark glasses, I carefully feel the area for chakra usage. None. Our new comrade's appearance is legitimate.
Looking up, I find myself slightly surprised. This is quite an unexpected visit.
"Hi Shino-kun," Hyuga Hinata says timidly, a slight smile on her face.
My old team mate is one of the many people I have not seen often in recent years. As a commander of a Genin team I have little time to converse with other ninjas of my level. Not until the Chuunin exams, which are quite far off for this group. After leaving the Anbu team, I haven't seen Sasuke or Neji in years. Hinata was hired to work far into Wave Country... seeing her is an unexpected but not unwelcome surprise.
She was grown considerably since our team was disbanded. In both skill and body, though unfortunately not in emotion. Years have affected all of us, but fortunately affected us all for the better. Now Hinata is a beautiful ninja, and also extremely talented. Training with a reconciled Neji only increased her skills.
Unfortunately, her confidence in herself is still elusive. I had hoped that after the Chuunin Examinations she would have gained a certain ability to believe in herself. Indeed, for some time she believed in her own abilities, however timid they may have been used. These things faded over time, however, and she retreated back into herself. Neglect, I think, is the major cause of that.
Also, she's still hopelessly smitten with Naruto. I hesitate to use the phrase "in love" as I doubt this singular, one-sided relationship can bear the name. Years have done nothing to lessen this emotion within her, nor to let it out in any way. Part of me must admire her efforts, but Naruto is far too thick headed to understand the subtle suggestions she can barely manage.
I wish Naruto would honestly and truly notice her. In the past he has done so and for a moment I felt hope... but his short term memory leaves people such as Hinata fading away quickly. Her best efforts to catch his eye are very short lived. If I felt it would do any good, I would tell Naruto about this situation, but it would only complicate the matter. Even now, I'm not sure Naruto is ready for that. But Hinata loves him, and I wish that she could be happy.
These thoughts flicker through my head like an insect's wings, passing in a fraction of a second. A response to her greeting is necessary.
"Hello, Hinata." Sufficient.
"Do you mind if I join you?" she asks timidly. Nodding, I move aside so that she has a place to sit around our fire. I am glad to see her, but another question presses on my mind: why is she here? But at the moment other matters are more pressing, if not more important.
"This is Hinata," I introduce her simply to the three Genin. "She is a Jounin like myself. We served on the same Genin team, just as you yourself are."
Kayaki responds first, glancing at her speculatively over his folded hands and then nodding in greeting. Watashi and Ruana are somewhat slower, but make up for this in enthusiasm. Not a good thing, for one such as Hinata.
"Hiya!" Watashi exclaims, leaping to his feet. "I'm Watashi! I'm gonna be Hokage!"
"You're a Jounin?" Ruana squeals, at almost the same time. "You're so pretty!"
Though she has become better at guarding her emotions, Hinata is still transparent to one who can read the human face. It is a talent I have developed. She blushes and shrinks back slightly from their attention. Quite unfortunate.
"Do you think I can be as strong as you?"
"Why don't you grow your hair long?"
"Do you know the Hokage?"
"I want to be a pretty ninja too!"
"What was Shino-sensei like when he was little?"
"Did he have all those creepy bugs back then, too?"
"Who was the third member of your team?"
"Really, though, aren't those bugs creepy?"
Their onslaught continues, driving Hinata further into herself. When assaulted enough by others, she withdraws completely, shutting out the outside world. At such times, she is more thick skinned than normal, but I have learned that she is miserable. This cannot be allowed... not while I am capable of making her somewhat happier.
"Enough." My voice is harsher than I intended, but it did accomplish the same purpose. Both of them sit down and shut up, and an uncomfortable silence spreads over the camp. Perhaps I will have to say something, to prevent Hinata from feeling as if she is causing any problems here. That would crush her spirit-
"Why are you here?" Kayaki asks softly, dark eyes meeting hers over the fire. This, perhaps, can serve the same function. In general I find Kayaki is not overbearing, and people can talk to him easily. He is probably the wisest choice to break this silence. Regardless, he says no more and waits for Hinata to answer.
"I discovered you were in the area, and came here," Hinata responds. She speaks slowly at first, but gradually manages to say more. Her powers of speech, at least, are improving. But it would take only one cruel individual to knock it down like a stack of cards... "because I needed help."
These words matter more, and I glance up perhaps too quickly. Hinata has overcome her fear of fighting, though not of people, which means that if she needs help, the situation is serious. We are still within Fire Country... why would she be having trouble? I remain silent, waiting for her explanation. For safety sake, I fix Watashi with a glance so he will say nothing to entangle the situation.
"There are quite a few low level ninjas pursuing me. I was on my previous mission and succeeded, and they are out for revenge. I think I could defeat them by myself, but I think they acquired a few more powerful shinobi. There are a lot of them, and I decided that it would be better to have help. That's why I came here."
Merely nodding in response, Kayaki returns to his fire gazing. I know from experience that he is now considering the situation from every angle he knows how. Thankfully, he was perceptive enough to realize she cannot speak much more. It is no surprise, he is a perceptive child in most cases.
But I have no time to think of this at the moment. This complicates the situation considerably. Were it only Hinata and I, I would favor ambushing them and finishing them off quickly. Having to take care of three Genins makes the problem much more troublesome, however. Also, the four of us are tired from the day's work, and need sleep. While I know I could go for another day without rest, I would not be able to fight another high level ninja.
To further complicate the matter is Hinata's presence at the most basic. My thoughts are very much in turmoil at the moment, and I am not sure what to think on most subjects. In many ways, I feel a bit lost. This was not a factor that I wished to deal with; never the less, it is here, and I will handle it. None of this inner turmoil appears on my face, a talent I have spent many years developing.
"You are welcome to stay with us," I answer. For a friend I can do no less. "Our camp is yours. I... need some time to think. Excuse me."
Getting to my feet, I fix Watashi and Ruana with a final baleful glance, then turn and walk into the forest. Quickly I leave the flickering circle of the campfire, and the dark shadows engulf me completely...