Disclaimer: As unfortunate as it may be, I do not own Naruto.
Author Notes: If anyone knows, has the name of Shino's father even been revealed yet or do I have to just make it up?
Key: "" is talking '' is thinking
Chapter 2: Mystery and Nobility Clash: The Limitations of the Byakugan
The kunai was intercepted by Shino's shield of bugs before it had eclipsed even half the distance toward its intended target. In seconds the weapon deteriorated into the mass of black insects.
"Come out Neji." Shino stated simply, no visible divergence in composure or tone incorporated into his words. The genius of Hyuuga, though shocked by Shino's perceptive capabilities, appeared on the limb of a tree directly beside Shino's with his common look of omniscience. Shino's expression lay hidden behind the darkness of his shades. "What do you want?"
"A measurement of my true abilities." Shino's eyebrows furrowed. Neji, interpreting this response as one of ignorance, expounded. "A test." Shino understood. Neji's fight with Naruto had left him empty, without composition to compliment the innovation of ideas racing through his mind. He accepted now the power of will and the folly of destiny, but his mind continued to search for answers and nutrient to feed this new view. He wanted to know the possibilities of hard work, the true power of will, but most of all, he wanted to know the strength in himself. After altering his structural basis of all thought, he needed to know where he was: a gauge for his own abilities. And here he had discovered Shino, a fellow genius and prince of a clan, and he was to be the ruler by which to measure himself. Strength was a necessity; there was no argument in that. But here he needed to discover his true strength of self, no longer accepting the opinions of the village, but truly understanding where he stood. If the sweats and toils of work could eclipse destiny and genius, where did he truly lie? He who had always been destined into genius and strength, where did his powers lie in this world of grit and resolve? His calculating mind required a response, and the solution to his questions stood before him in a battle with this behemoth of strength.
"Byakugan!" Neji's eyes crackled with chakra, the excess bulging heavily from the veins surrounding the eyes. His spectrum of sight was almost absolute now and even the silent movements of Shino's deadly assassins could not be hidden from his view now. Neji charged toward Shino, chakra- filled hands prepared, aching to prove their strength. Shino ducked beneath the blow, but Neji was primed for this simple maneuver. With incredible speed Neji's body began to spin and, before Shino could even begin to escape, Neji unleashed his power. "Kaiten!" Shino's form, pummeled directly by the force of the attack, flew back, slamming viciously into a tree, immediately bursting into a mass of dark destruction bugs. "Kaiwarimi..." Neji processed, realizing it instantly. Even with his Byakugan, the composition of Shino's bug clones were so like his own bug- infested body that discrimination between actuality and clone was an impossibility. The bugs from Shino's Kaiwarimi, once firmly settled, began to crawl with intense speed toward the pale-eyed boy. Again Neji spun his body, unleashing the devastation of his Kaiten on the horde of insects. By this time, Shino had disappeared into the overgrowth of trees. 'Fighting with stealth. He chooses to direct his bugs in an attempt to catch me off- guard, a foolish strategy against my Byakugan.' Neji thought arrogantly. He scanned the area carefully, searching for his adversary. *step* Quickly, he spun his body again, unleashing another sphere of blue chakra, scattering a swarm of bugs traveling directly in the single blind spot of his Byakugan.
"Impressive Shino. Understanding the limitation of my Byakugan is quite a discovery. Then again it is expected of one teamed with Hinata," Neji called into the throng of trees. "But this err in range is slight, and the appendage of one of your insects stepped out of line. There is great importance on even the smallest of things, true?" he called mockingly. Outwardly he exuded confidence but inwardly he noted the mistake of stillness. 'Movement is necessary, continual movement will eliminate his ability to capitalize on my blind spot. His bugs don't have the necessary speed to avoid my Byakugan while in motion. I too should use the foliage of the forest. The leaves on these trees are thick, they'll further cover my position if I continue to move from tree to tree. Then I can study his attack and focus on any movements in the trees.' The boy decided, diving into the depth of another tree.
Within seconds his inescapable white eyes captured the rustle of leaves, only a few, but no one can remain in complete stillness. A thin smile spread across Neji's face, 'Only two trees away. And his back is turned to me, here's my chance.' He vaulted with ferocious intensity, hurling his entire body, hands first, toward the position with dangerous speed. His powerful hands planted heavily onto his opponent's back, driving Shino forcefully into the trunk of another tree. Again Shino's form dissolved into a lump of bugs, forcing Neji to disperse their attack with another Kaiten. Neji landed perfectly onto Shino's former residence uncharacteristically confused and gasping fiercely for breath. The chakra consumed by his Kaiten was taking its toll. 'How did he avoid my attack? My movements were silent and my speed sufficient. The battle should be over.' Neji's perplexity was ended by a swift sweep to the legs, effectively removing his legs from beneath him, clearing him from his perch and into a downward fall towards the forest floor. 'Another attack from my blind spot.' The chakra glowed around his feet as he concentrated on magneting onto the tree. A shadow fell upon him and Neji glanced upwards, revealing Shino plunging towards him, a tail of bugs trailing behind, at unprecedented speed. Neji cringed, the drain in chakra left pains of emptiness aching within his body. 'I can't keep going long, I'll have to end this now!' He, now perfectly implanted on the trunk of the tree, prepared for his falling adversary.
"64-hit tenketsu combo!" Neji's arms blurred with speed, no longer visible arms, but color distorted by celerity. The power of his strikes froze Shino's falling frame in place, his weight being upheld and even lifted by each strike. "Four hits! Eight hits! 16 hits! 32 hits! 64 hits!" With the completion of his final blow, Neji pushed forcefully off off his tree trunk, flipping himself above Shino's head so simply as if they battled on the horizontal floor below. With a hefty kick to Shino's head, Shino's form rocketed downward, striking the floor with a reverberating thud. Neji, recovering his footing on the trunk after his vertical flip, slid down to the ground collapsing gratefully onto the grass carpeted earth underfoot. Even from his crumpled position, eyes, completely drained of their Byakugan, thankfully closed, body overburdened, depleted of nearly all of its chakra, he managed a taunt of victory.
"Don't try to get up. Your injuries from your impact with the ground are miniscule in comparison to that which my 64-hit Jyuken (gentle fist) taijutsu technique inflicted upon you. All of your chakra points are shut, and unless you possess the unnatural chakra power of Naruto, your body is paralyzed. Forfeit and I will return you to the village for your necessary treatments." There was no response, not a single sound tainted the perfect silence. But in seconds it was upon him, a low hum, ominously minute, but expanding in intensity, slowly but distinctly. Panic crept across Neji's drained features, he attempted to free himself from the forest floor, but, with weakened limbs, failed, collapsing again onto the ground. With the remainder of his strength, Neji lifted his quaking head upwards, focusing in disbelief as Shino, cloaked in an aura of strength, approached. The buzz was deafening now, the entirety of the forest floor engulfed with waves of destruction bugs. Even Neji's own body was host to several previously unnoticed pests, hovering dangerously above his own tenketsu points.
"How did these...how are you...how..." Neji gasped out painfully, perplexity and shock overwhelming all injuries. Shino, seemingly ignoring Neji's broken form completely, glanced deep into the woods.
"The gift of all-encompassing vision gives great strength to its holder. The basis of your strength is derived from your Byakugan, nearly being able to see 360 degrees around yourself. This ability eliminates the possibility of surprise, allowing one to preconceive any attack upon themselves. But your vision is not complete, your Byakugan has its limits, not only a blind spot, but a limited 50 foot radius. This battle was fought completely within those 50 feet, but it was won outside of this sphere." Neji looked at him questioningly, Shino continued. "I have known that you were following me in these woods since I recovered my bugs. The seclusion of these woods create a perfect atmosphere for training and your heavy emission of chakra through every tenketsu point in your body was instantly discovered by my bugs. Before you even came into view, far before you could have used your Byakugan, I released these..." Upon these words, four miniscule bugs approached from every corner, north, south, east, and west. "Scout bugs. I have a deep connection with my bugs. They follow the orders of mind, seeing into my very thoughts, and I too, when concentrating properly, see into theirs. Notice the difference in these four bugs." Neji glanced at each of them with his pervasive eyes. 'They're eyes are larger than normal destruction bugs.' As if reading his thoughts, Shino nodded. "Their eyes are larger and can focus at will, and with our connection, I can see through these eyes. Your Byakugan spans an impressive 50 foot radius, by my vision is infinite. These four were positioned just outside of your range, about 100 feet from the battle in each direction. Your positions and attacks, I saw them all before they occurred, and my vision has no blind spots. Each of your own moves were planned, I allowed your 64-hit attack, as a distraction so that my bugs could reach you in your lapse in concentration. You couldn't possibly concentrate on hitting my tenketsu points with accuracy and notice the movements of my bugs behind you."
Neji lied in complete disbelief. "But my attack, you should be in worse condition then I am right now..." As these words eclipsed the ends of his lips, his eyes widened again as Shino's form altered again. The skin on his body seemed to move, and in seconds, a thinly layered wall of bugs dissolved off of every part of his body.
"Call it an armor of bugs. A move I created in observation of Gaara's battle..."
"The Suna no Yoroi (armor of sand)! You...copied his defense? Who...what are you...?" Ignoring Neji's interruption Shino continued with his explanation.
"I am the worst enemy for you Neji. My eyes cannot be analyzed by your gaze because they lie behind my dark sunglasses, your ability to release chakra from every point in your body attracts my bugs to you more than a regular shinobi, and even if you had immobilized my body, you would be finished." Upon Neji inquiring look Shino persisted. "I control my bugs with my mind, paralyzing my body is useless to stop their attack." Slowly the bugs moved away from Neji's body, gathering again into their master. "You're finished, I'll bring you back to the village." Shino moved again toward the village, a leash of bugs uplifting Neji's frail form gently above the ground.
'What a guy you are Aburame Shino. Your strength far obscures my own. Now I know, my obsession with fate has made me weak. I must train, developing my strength of will, like you and Naruto, to truly become strong.' Neji's mind began to fall into unconciousness, 'you are truly strong Shino. I aspire to gain such power...'
Author Notes: If anyone knows, has the name of Shino's father even been revealed yet or do I have to just make it up?
Key: "" is talking '' is thinking
Chapter 2: Mystery and Nobility Clash: The Limitations of the Byakugan
The kunai was intercepted by Shino's shield of bugs before it had eclipsed even half the distance toward its intended target. In seconds the weapon deteriorated into the mass of black insects.
"Come out Neji." Shino stated simply, no visible divergence in composure or tone incorporated into his words. The genius of Hyuuga, though shocked by Shino's perceptive capabilities, appeared on the limb of a tree directly beside Shino's with his common look of omniscience. Shino's expression lay hidden behind the darkness of his shades. "What do you want?"
"A measurement of my true abilities." Shino's eyebrows furrowed. Neji, interpreting this response as one of ignorance, expounded. "A test." Shino understood. Neji's fight with Naruto had left him empty, without composition to compliment the innovation of ideas racing through his mind. He accepted now the power of will and the folly of destiny, but his mind continued to search for answers and nutrient to feed this new view. He wanted to know the possibilities of hard work, the true power of will, but most of all, he wanted to know the strength in himself. After altering his structural basis of all thought, he needed to know where he was: a gauge for his own abilities. And here he had discovered Shino, a fellow genius and prince of a clan, and he was to be the ruler by which to measure himself. Strength was a necessity; there was no argument in that. But here he needed to discover his true strength of self, no longer accepting the opinions of the village, but truly understanding where he stood. If the sweats and toils of work could eclipse destiny and genius, where did he truly lie? He who had always been destined into genius and strength, where did his powers lie in this world of grit and resolve? His calculating mind required a response, and the solution to his questions stood before him in a battle with this behemoth of strength.
"Byakugan!" Neji's eyes crackled with chakra, the excess bulging heavily from the veins surrounding the eyes. His spectrum of sight was almost absolute now and even the silent movements of Shino's deadly assassins could not be hidden from his view now. Neji charged toward Shino, chakra- filled hands prepared, aching to prove their strength. Shino ducked beneath the blow, but Neji was primed for this simple maneuver. With incredible speed Neji's body began to spin and, before Shino could even begin to escape, Neji unleashed his power. "Kaiten!" Shino's form, pummeled directly by the force of the attack, flew back, slamming viciously into a tree, immediately bursting into a mass of dark destruction bugs. "Kaiwarimi..." Neji processed, realizing it instantly. Even with his Byakugan, the composition of Shino's bug clones were so like his own bug- infested body that discrimination between actuality and clone was an impossibility. The bugs from Shino's Kaiwarimi, once firmly settled, began to crawl with intense speed toward the pale-eyed boy. Again Neji spun his body, unleashing the devastation of his Kaiten on the horde of insects. By this time, Shino had disappeared into the overgrowth of trees. 'Fighting with stealth. He chooses to direct his bugs in an attempt to catch me off- guard, a foolish strategy against my Byakugan.' Neji thought arrogantly. He scanned the area carefully, searching for his adversary. *step* Quickly, he spun his body again, unleashing another sphere of blue chakra, scattering a swarm of bugs traveling directly in the single blind spot of his Byakugan.
"Impressive Shino. Understanding the limitation of my Byakugan is quite a discovery. Then again it is expected of one teamed with Hinata," Neji called into the throng of trees. "But this err in range is slight, and the appendage of one of your insects stepped out of line. There is great importance on even the smallest of things, true?" he called mockingly. Outwardly he exuded confidence but inwardly he noted the mistake of stillness. 'Movement is necessary, continual movement will eliminate his ability to capitalize on my blind spot. His bugs don't have the necessary speed to avoid my Byakugan while in motion. I too should use the foliage of the forest. The leaves on these trees are thick, they'll further cover my position if I continue to move from tree to tree. Then I can study his attack and focus on any movements in the trees.' The boy decided, diving into the depth of another tree.
Within seconds his inescapable white eyes captured the rustle of leaves, only a few, but no one can remain in complete stillness. A thin smile spread across Neji's face, 'Only two trees away. And his back is turned to me, here's my chance.' He vaulted with ferocious intensity, hurling his entire body, hands first, toward the position with dangerous speed. His powerful hands planted heavily onto his opponent's back, driving Shino forcefully into the trunk of another tree. Again Shino's form dissolved into a lump of bugs, forcing Neji to disperse their attack with another Kaiten. Neji landed perfectly onto Shino's former residence uncharacteristically confused and gasping fiercely for breath. The chakra consumed by his Kaiten was taking its toll. 'How did he avoid my attack? My movements were silent and my speed sufficient. The battle should be over.' Neji's perplexity was ended by a swift sweep to the legs, effectively removing his legs from beneath him, clearing him from his perch and into a downward fall towards the forest floor. 'Another attack from my blind spot.' The chakra glowed around his feet as he concentrated on magneting onto the tree. A shadow fell upon him and Neji glanced upwards, revealing Shino plunging towards him, a tail of bugs trailing behind, at unprecedented speed. Neji cringed, the drain in chakra left pains of emptiness aching within his body. 'I can't keep going long, I'll have to end this now!' He, now perfectly implanted on the trunk of the tree, prepared for his falling adversary.
"64-hit tenketsu combo!" Neji's arms blurred with speed, no longer visible arms, but color distorted by celerity. The power of his strikes froze Shino's falling frame in place, his weight being upheld and even lifted by each strike. "Four hits! Eight hits! 16 hits! 32 hits! 64 hits!" With the completion of his final blow, Neji pushed forcefully off off his tree trunk, flipping himself above Shino's head so simply as if they battled on the horizontal floor below. With a hefty kick to Shino's head, Shino's form rocketed downward, striking the floor with a reverberating thud. Neji, recovering his footing on the trunk after his vertical flip, slid down to the ground collapsing gratefully onto the grass carpeted earth underfoot. Even from his crumpled position, eyes, completely drained of their Byakugan, thankfully closed, body overburdened, depleted of nearly all of its chakra, he managed a taunt of victory.
"Don't try to get up. Your injuries from your impact with the ground are miniscule in comparison to that which my 64-hit Jyuken (gentle fist) taijutsu technique inflicted upon you. All of your chakra points are shut, and unless you possess the unnatural chakra power of Naruto, your body is paralyzed. Forfeit and I will return you to the village for your necessary treatments." There was no response, not a single sound tainted the perfect silence. But in seconds it was upon him, a low hum, ominously minute, but expanding in intensity, slowly but distinctly. Panic crept across Neji's drained features, he attempted to free himself from the forest floor, but, with weakened limbs, failed, collapsing again onto the ground. With the remainder of his strength, Neji lifted his quaking head upwards, focusing in disbelief as Shino, cloaked in an aura of strength, approached. The buzz was deafening now, the entirety of the forest floor engulfed with waves of destruction bugs. Even Neji's own body was host to several previously unnoticed pests, hovering dangerously above his own tenketsu points.
"How did these...how are you...how..." Neji gasped out painfully, perplexity and shock overwhelming all injuries. Shino, seemingly ignoring Neji's broken form completely, glanced deep into the woods.
"The gift of all-encompassing vision gives great strength to its holder. The basis of your strength is derived from your Byakugan, nearly being able to see 360 degrees around yourself. This ability eliminates the possibility of surprise, allowing one to preconceive any attack upon themselves. But your vision is not complete, your Byakugan has its limits, not only a blind spot, but a limited 50 foot radius. This battle was fought completely within those 50 feet, but it was won outside of this sphere." Neji looked at him questioningly, Shino continued. "I have known that you were following me in these woods since I recovered my bugs. The seclusion of these woods create a perfect atmosphere for training and your heavy emission of chakra through every tenketsu point in your body was instantly discovered by my bugs. Before you even came into view, far before you could have used your Byakugan, I released these..." Upon these words, four miniscule bugs approached from every corner, north, south, east, and west. "Scout bugs. I have a deep connection with my bugs. They follow the orders of mind, seeing into my very thoughts, and I too, when concentrating properly, see into theirs. Notice the difference in these four bugs." Neji glanced at each of them with his pervasive eyes. 'They're eyes are larger than normal destruction bugs.' As if reading his thoughts, Shino nodded. "Their eyes are larger and can focus at will, and with our connection, I can see through these eyes. Your Byakugan spans an impressive 50 foot radius, by my vision is infinite. These four were positioned just outside of your range, about 100 feet from the battle in each direction. Your positions and attacks, I saw them all before they occurred, and my vision has no blind spots. Each of your own moves were planned, I allowed your 64-hit attack, as a distraction so that my bugs could reach you in your lapse in concentration. You couldn't possibly concentrate on hitting my tenketsu points with accuracy and notice the movements of my bugs behind you."
Neji lied in complete disbelief. "But my attack, you should be in worse condition then I am right now..." As these words eclipsed the ends of his lips, his eyes widened again as Shino's form altered again. The skin on his body seemed to move, and in seconds, a thinly layered wall of bugs dissolved off of every part of his body.
"Call it an armor of bugs. A move I created in observation of Gaara's battle..."
"The Suna no Yoroi (armor of sand)! You...copied his defense? Who...what are you...?" Ignoring Neji's interruption Shino continued with his explanation.
"I am the worst enemy for you Neji. My eyes cannot be analyzed by your gaze because they lie behind my dark sunglasses, your ability to release chakra from every point in your body attracts my bugs to you more than a regular shinobi, and even if you had immobilized my body, you would be finished." Upon Neji inquiring look Shino persisted. "I control my bugs with my mind, paralyzing my body is useless to stop their attack." Slowly the bugs moved away from Neji's body, gathering again into their master. "You're finished, I'll bring you back to the village." Shino moved again toward the village, a leash of bugs uplifting Neji's frail form gently above the ground.
'What a guy you are Aburame Shino. Your strength far obscures my own. Now I know, my obsession with fate has made me weak. I must train, developing my strength of will, like you and Naruto, to truly become strong.' Neji's mind began to fall into unconciousness, 'you are truly strong Shino. I aspire to gain such power...'