note: an attempt to channel my imagination on the intricate world of Naruto; warfare will be based on both Narultimate Hero PS2 games (so are their moves) so don't blame me for any misuse of their abilities. May turn into shounen-ai. Reviews would be nicer.

OF BUZZING AND CHIRPING

"Arms Length"

Aburame Shino is a stoic, impassive of unnecessary phenomena; indicative of arguments and always cuts everything short. As he grabbed his foe by the arms he marveled at the contemplation of living; how Konoha would lose a future Anbu, how everyone would mourn at his death. Was he a friend to anyone at all he didn't know; but of course it was only sarcasm. Violet-hued in great distance, destruction bugs swarmed at the shoulders of the adversary, edging at the torso to confiscate chakra, restocking the sunglass-lad of vigor. Ducking his right leg, his left palm opened to release bullets of bugs and took the enemy to the air.

"You are a puppeteer; your speed is delayed from the dummy you are controlling and close-range combat is your weakness,"

The enemy absconded then from the lesser skirmish the lad had ever fought but few tricks of vengeance left up his sleeves – poison; one way or another he'd catch the bastard, eliminate him and curtail the demographic amount of what others call bad ninjas. Dark specks surfaced and traveled Shino's body, destruction bugs seeping out poison that's been overwhelming him. He could only smile then at his illogicality; of course poison was best lingering on blood but chose to substantiate his value as the genius of the clan and thus leave him ineffectual. Assuring himself as he got up – he was never going to be a loser for stupidity again.

Shino then ran through the starkness of the forest in time for twilight to overwhelm airstreams passing isolation; swift but gradual leaves scattered all over, feeling cold from solitude. Amidst this mission blah blah the fourteen-year old lad reflected kikai actuality, eyes of darkness and imperturbability in the heat of any battle. Old yet stout boughs of antiquated trees almost grazed his foot but he flailed nonetheless, anonymous forces like it was actually someone. Must be imagination.

Darkness is coming.

Bursts of combustion fled from Uchiha Sasuke and shrubs glowed smoldering, an unknown man shuddering at its strength, burning. The dummy scorched too like flesh; Sasuke was at farthest step ahead, the art of demise nothing but an empty sentiment. In such stillness the scavenger himself Sasuke strolled by the forests, Shino's riposte hidden from his dark monocle and pallid garment.

Shino composed himself then. "Goukakyuu no Jutsu. Its power has unimaginably leveled up; you must be a powerful ninja then, Uchiha Sasuke,"

"He's a scoundrel who know nothing about survival, bragging his strength that is actually pathetic with yours; how could you let him go away?"

"He had poison,"

"That's a lame excuse,"

"Whatever; I'm not into sermon entertainment, Uchiha Sasuke. What are you doing here anyway? You are a renegade and this forest is notwithstanding Konoha's."

"They've been following me," he said coolly, priming his stance.

"They are? I thought they were dead,"

"Dead?"

Shino spilled it; of course death was disguise for better chances of bringing back the lad in front of him. It was second time the Aburame genius mistook happenstances, now regretting as soon as the words seeped out from his mouth. "Never mind," And destruction bugs hammered underneath the ground; leaves fell like snow high above, gradual yet swift in motion; the sky is gray matter and coldness, three geysers of insects graphic onto the shrubs budding on the rich soil. Of course it was unnecessary of him to carry out Mushihashira no Jutsu but it was essentially to circulate his bugs around to predict the sharigan lad's moves; Uchiha Sasuke on the other hand has thrown two kunais as he escaped from volcanic bugs.

Shino dodged. "Uchiha Sasuke, whatever you do I'm not into it,"

"Bite me." Well-structured threads visible only to Sasuke illuminated from the moonbeams, biting one and holding two more on his palms; a twitch on the spool and the kunais returned, stabbing the Aburame genius.

Kawarimi bugs melted away and Sasuke frowned; now that his adversary is nowhere to be located he can be easily attacked in stealth. Another twitch on the threads and a Fuumashuriken strolled the air and cut molds of leaves. Traveling those weapons were; Shino is conversely busy thinking of escapism or ego; the weight of this dilemma has been idling his psyche and thus leaving him vulnerable to attacks.

Destruction bugs have churned themselves to craft vortexes, unease on Sasuke's face; leaves and bugs came hand in hand and flounced the arena both lads are in. Dusts molded with currents of air and Sasuke darted three whirlpools of kikai bugs, two more closing in; Shino dived high, shuriken's escaping from his hands as Sasuke readied himself, veins in his fists showing. The Aburame genius dodged the Uchiha's punch with a carapace of bugs and leaped on his left, mantled now with an eddy of bugs. Sasuke was about to blow fire from his mouth when bugs started to swarm at him, a kawarimi appearing.

Dark-hued insects dispersed and Aburame Shino stood composed as bugs took flight by his side; Uchiha Sasuke was sitting on the old tree, faint red liquid on his right fist. "My bugs have stung that fist when you tried to punch me,"

"It's unnecessary of me to fight you, Shino,"

"You have spoken my thoughts."

"They're after me and I don't want to get caught," he said, Shino coming back with silence. "If you too want to catch me then I'd kill you without doubt,"

"My scout bugs tell me they're coming here," Sasuke stood up, readying his battle stance soon as he heard those words. "Go."

Sasuke eyes widened in surprise. "I am not part of the team to retrieve you anyway; I may be a traitor to Konoha but I also deem your patriotism to the village even if you are a fugitive,"

"Don't bet on it,"

"Just go," Shino said, Sasuke now shining up another tree to jump; the Uchiha genius swiveled his head just to peek at the other lad, gratitude on spoken silences. With a span of a second, he was gone.

As he leisurely walked the terrains of Konoha's forest he thought about the mission completed thru Goukakyuu no Jutsu; how his foe was reduced to ashes and how its puppet suffered the same fate. It was unfulfilling because he wasn't able to put the last touches on his mission, and now that Shikamaru's troupe are only meters away, he thought of his substantiation as the genius of the clan.

"Shino!" cried Naruto, filth all over him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on a mission."

Neji frowned at the sight of ashen bodies. "Have you seen Sasuke?"

"I didn't; what I saw is a burning puppeteer. I need to go, I have to report this to Tsunade-sama," and he vanished with his kikai insects; Naruto was alternatively left quizzical and the others continued to follow the sharigan youngster. Aburame Shino is a stoic, impassive of unnecessary phenomena; indicative of arguments and always cuts everything short. It is not because of insolence, but because emotional safety is straightforwardly earned with it.

a/n: for terminology explanations, go figure.