Note: The anime/manga/game is not mine. This is 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. Reviews / Flames are welcome.
OF BUZZING AND CHIRPING
"Detailed Shifts"
Not necessarily a food for thought but it always run like these – boredom – and quite unimaginably these activities are; Shino has been delved into thinking the meaninglessness of life as regards to its boredom, its anguish and its grievance, and still he keep harking back on his suicidal critic of the manuscripts of existence he's trying to courageously muster at the tip of his shinobi endeavors. It was thought provoking, attempting to be understood with spoken silences and contradictory arguments – it is actually funny to think the virtuous generosity of what he thinks but resounds nothing at the end – in all these thoughts and experiences he quite imagine the life of Hokage's, how they suffer defiance at the expectations and obligations of life and thus leaving them in the coin of insanity, so cynics would say.
It has been three days since he met the Uchiha youngster; it wasn't actually transcendental but nonetheless stationed amidst his tribulations in his part. A resolve to one way or another dissolve this sickness that has been creeping deep inside – of course he only have himself to blame because he chose to be thinking this, and he's now in the process of facing its entailed responsibility, that is, the overwhelming teleological response in this kind of sentiment.
His search for meaning has only paved way for meaninglessness, and this awareness bequeath negativity in his part; meaninglessness steers him boredom, anguish and grievance, and these thus lead into another quest of getting hold of meaning. This recurring routine has been enduring since his understanding of 'shinobi', 'chuunin' and 'jutsu', and this cyclic pursuit for magnificence has only made him aggravated.
Thus his indifference.
In the afterglow of moonbeams that ached the terrains of the Hidden Village of Leaf, Aburame Shino sat by trees near the high points of the academy; leaves were rustling and its resonance was his company, the faint noise below his music. The barricade over the academy reeked of negligible ninja's who're either guarding the village or strolling for leisure.
Reckoning, he was always dazzled whenever other shinobi's and jounin's call him 'lad'; he is only fourteen years old. Yuuhi Kurenai though would always tell him that the word indicates maturity and level-headedness in the mist of genin's who are either childish or just plain foolish, hence her consideration of him a lad.
It was awe-inspiring nevertheless. When he gave to Tsunade-sama his account of his mission her senses picked up suspicion; not that he cares anyway, so long as the mission is accomplished. In spans of stillness Shino thought of these, and quite imaginably these thoughts are.
'You being a chuunin must be prepared always; you never know when vulnerability strikes Konoha,' he recalled Tsunade-sama saying this to him. A bug flew and rested at the tip of his index finger, bestowing whispers explicable only to them both; and in a matter of seconds' fraction, he was gone.
Just as everyone thought that he would be a guardian of Konoha, he had chosen to be with himself; when angels get kicked out from heaven they become devils – this was the thought of Sasuke as his psyche crept repose at the slightest turn of an event where the genin's led by Shikamaru has lost themselves in the pavements of forest that never seemed to end.
And rainstorm is coming.
His body rested at the filthy soil with dandelion smelling leaves, no companion, and only the bandage that loosened at his arms was the one thing that kept his eyes open. It was middle of the night still in Konoha's lush, specifically just a mile away from the core of the village. It's nighttime and it is March, not a shrine-going March of sakura petals and religious sanctity but a moldy March – dull, distant and damp with bare sunlight and no warmth at all; nobody reads 'Come Come Heaven' except Jiraiya and Kakashi. As his eyes started to close his thoughts passed by buzzing noises, roused now with staying enthusiasm.
It's been two years. Uchiha Sasuke has traversed through the curses of life, away from home and doesn't intend to go back; not yet. Two years ago, he was a genin perfecting the wonders of sharingan and shinobi activities, his resolve at the peak of his desire to be the greatest ninja. Two years ago, Uchiha Sasuke was a name akin to a feast, savored by women and respected by those who knew him. Two years ago, he thought of protecting those he cared about with his knack, lightning on his fist that chirps but devilish when touched. Two years ago he wanted to be a shinobi, vanishing like smoke and going to places of danger just in time to bring down vile ones with his jutsu of dragon fire and shurikens and kunais, sharingan replicating to fight fire with fire. Nine and a half years ago he caused himself discomfort on the longing to kill his brother.
He sighed with a hesitant look on his face, but on a much brighter resolve started to run through the starkness of the forest. Two years ago he might have been positively somewhere, but taking life as it is, he has navigated himself in a world of torn promises.
Aburame Shino never fancied drops of rain or even the process of rain itself; something abominable in his senses keep telling him that raindrops are made of tears, and that the rain itself is a manifestation of sadness – the crying of gods, so they say. And so he stood by the shed near the academy, his hands on the pockets of his coat – his usual demeanor, and waited for the precipitation to halt. After talking to the worried Sakura, he met Rock Lee only to be told of his successful operation – he's going to be a shinobi again. Recounting every shift of detail, Shino sighed.
Right after what the Aburame genius call 'unfounded' chuunin exam – when Orochimaru attacked the village – right after Shikamaru's team's mission, he attempted to take the exam again only to be intervened by a mission with his father which took months. And so Souke no Chi ni Mesametta Hyuuga Hinata became the chuunin after Shikamaru; it was Hinata finally metamorphosed to the head of Hyuuga's, byakugan exterior perpetual on her face. Instead of wearing a dreamy coat like she used to, she now dons her father's clothes but gentleness still in her guise. What spectacle it was for Shino he never knew.
After a year then was only Shino's opportunity; it was two years ago when he could've been the chuunin – if Sarutobi-sama has watched him fight. But tough luck as it is, eh?
It was a slight regret when he was excluded in the mission to retrieve the renegade Uchiha but he was content now with that slightest turn of event. Two years ago he notwithstanding could have been genin, which is an embarrassment for the clan for he was supposed to be the genius. Two years ago he might have been included in the mission to repossess Sasuke and be rewarded for that. Two years ago he might have been praised for being the only survivor in the mission, recounting the details as he put in plain words how he used his destruction bugs to capture Uchiha Sasuke. Two years ago...
The rain finally stopped and winds hoaxed his psyche; foliage swayed with the appearance of Uchiha Sasuke rearward, and this in turn made the Aburame genius swivel. "What are you doing here?"
"I... I don't know,"
"Lame excuse, Uchiha."
Uchiha Sasuke was wet from the rain, drops of water mingling at his body; his tresses seemed to thicken, eyes dark and undecipherable from the sunglass sight of Shino. "I... I came here by to thank you,"
"I don't deem that as your intent; you know you could easily be captured when jounin's see you,"
"Hmp. Then doubt as you like,"
Shino's brows furrowed.
"They are off course so I had time to spare; the only one who knows I'm here is you."
"So you say; my bugs are telling me that Shizune-sama and the others have caught glimpse of your chakra,"
"Whatever."
Shino now knew that Sasuke has used his chakra just in time to get right here, right now – a symbol of sincerity. "You better run now else they'd catch you,"
"Thank you. For... everything."
"Save your gratitude to those who really deserve it; when I am given the mission to retrieve you too I'll never stop hunting you. You should go."
And Sasuke was gone; he never knew the impact of this happenstance but Shino is quite aware of the zeal that leapt his mind. No one has ever offered gratitude at his undertakings in life, not even an appreciation; his philosophy of stoicism and cynicism vanished in that moment, a smile escaping from his mouth. "Shino?"
The bug freak wheeled to face Shizune and three other men. "I thought I sensed Sasuke in here..."
"My scout bugs tell me he passed in here hours ago towards the west," Shino lied, again, knowing that Sasuke ran up east.
"Oh? Your kikai bugs are great use to your shinobi tricks, Shino-san,"
"Yes they are."
"Well, we've got the whole village to guard so we'll leave you here; be sure to get some rest okay? It's good for you and your kikai bugs,"
Shino was silent as the shinobi's vanished within a bat in the eyelid. Not necessarily a food for thought but it always run like this – appreciation – and quite unimaginably this thought is; Shino has been too rummaged in the boredom, anguish and grievance in life he didn't notice that at arms length – at the slightest turn of events – everything is as good, so optimists would say.
a/n: (1) Souke no Chi ni Mesametta Hyuuga Hinata is what Hinata would be soon as she becomes the head of Hyuuga clan – always with a byakugan outlook donning his father's clothes. This portrayal of character can be seen (or played if it is already unlocked) in Narultimate Hero 2 PS2 game; (2) my countless usage of the word "lad" in the prologue is a defamiliarization of Shino's maturity and level-headedness.