HIDDEN MOON IV - ECLIPSED SOUL

While waiting for a response from the Leaf, Shino isn't slacking off.

Despite Tsukino's willingness to reveal such secrets of her village being a sure sign they will join the Union, Shino still has work to do. The resources the Union nations could provide would greatly aid, especially if they need to import anything like they do for the Goshinboku's treatment. Major advancements have been made since the Leaf's medical team began working with the Rain's engineering teams. The pod that kept Konan alive for nearly a year has been improved upon to great results and if someone finds themselves in a similar situation as Konan, they'd be healed much quicker. That's but one example of how much the shinobi villages can accomplish by working together.

He's gotten more involved in learning about the Hidden Moon Village and has actually been doing his job well of representing the Hidden Leaf and the Shinobi Union, in addition to the surprise task he was given of determining the true nature of the sacred tree, Goshinboku.

In particular he's tried to get more involved with the team that cares for the tree, mostly driven by his suspicions surrounding this Hakui character. During his stay, he's tried to remember but Hakui keeps actively avoiding him, citing shyness and introvertedness but that's definitely not it. Hakui is up to something, he knows it. He just has to prove it.

Currently he's in the lab with Higure Kuchinashi to make more of the curative substance they use to treat their sacred tree. Conveniently, Hakui has fallen ill so he's taken sick leave. Shino's suspicions only increase.

The Aburame clan are actually one of the clans that have been tasked to tend to some of the flora and fauna of the Hidden Leaf, since their jutsu requires them to learn much on the subjects, so he does show great interest in the process. The Aburame and the Senju jointly do something not too dissimilar to what Higure's team does.

As previously stated, it requires specific ingredients found all over the world which can't be cheap to get. Certain grasses, flower buds that need to be crushed into fine paste, even water from very specific locations.

Shino raises the vial of the finished light green liquid.

"Nicely done." Higure compliments him.

"Thank you." Shino nods. 'But it's still different. I can't probe Hakui for information, so maybe I can get Higure to doubt, as well.' He thinks over his options and how to best proceed. "However, I believe it's still incomplete. The ones I saw Hakui use had a darker colouration, so I believe I'm still missing something."

"Hm?" Higure cocks his head and takes a closer at the vial. "No, this is the correct colour."

"Are you certain? I could swear it's a lighter colour than what he used. Perhaps I miscalculated the proportions."

Higure shakes his head. "You must've seen wrong. Come." He beckons Shino to follow.

The head researcher leads Shino to one cabinet in particular and takes out a storage scroll. After laying it out on the counter, Higure performs the necessary hand signs and several dozen vials of green liquid appear on top of the scroll, as well as a few empty ones placed back for storage. The liquid is the same green as what Shino had just made.

"See? It's the same as what you just made. Honestly I wish everyone picked up as easily as you did." Higure adds with a jovial laugh. "Would definitely make my job easier."

'He doesn't seem to keep whatever he uses here. That much would be obvious; the chance of being caught is too high.' Shino muses to himself. 'There has to be something else that doesn't match up...' As his eyes dart around, he spots another possible source of doubt right in front of him. "So these are the latest batch, yes? 24 vials left and 6 already used this month."

"Yes, that's-" Higure stops for a moment and furrows his brow. "24? There should be 25 of them left. Only 5 days have passed this month." He takes a moment to carefully count them all out. "That's odd, did Hakui misplace one? That's unlike him."

"If he did, would he have reason not to report it? Surely he's aware how valuable they are."

"I'm sure it was an honest mistake, he's not usually a careless one."

Now the risk is trying not to seem too invested in this particular matter, to not draw suspicion to himself instead. "The Goshinboku has been a valuable asset to the Hidden Moon Village and could be a valuable asset to not just the Shinobi Union but the world at large. I fear such mistakes could cause great harm."

Higure stiffens at the mention of the Union not taking this kind of lacking discipline well.

'Even if he might not take my suspicions seriously, if he thinks the Moon's status with the Union could be put at risk… Higure Kuchinashi himself might not be too concerned but he knows Tsukino values these negotiations greatly.'

"That's… You're absolutely correct." Higure quickly changes his attitude. "These are important matters. I'll make sure to fix this posthaste. Don't let it be known that Higure Kuchinashi doesn't value an impeccable work ethic! I'll visit Hakui right away to ensure we're not missing a batch."

"Very well." Shino nods. 'I do apologize for such a threatening tone. You're a good man, but I fear that's being taken advantage of.'

Higure puts everything back in storage, including the vial that Shino made, and the two head out, the door locking behind them.

'I also apologize for this…' Two tiny kikaichū fly out from under Shino's robes and silently climb into Higure's back pocket.

-x-

While Shino goes on to do other tasks around the villages, Higure goes directly for Hakui's home to clear up what happened to one of the vials.

The door is opened by a rather sickly looking Hakui, wrapped in a fluffy and comfy blanky and putting on a facemask just as he opens the door. He's hunched over and looks up with a strained expression to his guest.

"Higure-" Hakui coughs as he speaks up. It takes him a few seconds to get his breath back. "Can I help you with something?"

"I'm really sorry to disturb you while you're sick, I just have one quick question concerning the cure for Goshinboku. Have you perchance… misplaced a vial?"

Hakui remains still for a moment, thankful for his mask hiding his features. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Shino and I were in the lab and he noticed the vials were off by one; there should've been one more vial but we seem to be missing it."

"That's-" Behind the ajar door, Hakui's hand scrapes at the door as he digs his fingers into it. 'Damn that Aburame. If he wasn't around, I would've been there to hide it all...' He lowers his head in an act of remorse. "That's… the truth is, I accidentally dropped it. I felt dizzy; I didn't know how ill I was and it just…" His composure regained, he springs his head back up. "I promise I was going to reimburse the cost myself, I have money saved, I'll replace it as soon as I can."

Higure waves his hands in dismissal. "Now, now, you don't need to worry about it that much. Don't make your condition worse by worrying. I just wanted to know, is all." He smiles. "You take care of your health, okay?"

"Yes, sir." Hakui bows. "Thank you, sir."

As soon as Higure turns around to leave, Hakui slowly closes the door. When he does, he rips the mask off his face, throws the blanky on the ground and runs toward his living room. The tiredness he exhibited before is nowhere to be seen.

Hakui frantically searches his living room for something specific, finally finding it after a couple minutes of hurried searching. A radio.

"Shinga! Shinga, can you hear me?" He calls through the radio. "Damnit, you better not be out of range… Shinga!"

No answer.

"Shit!" In his frustration, Hakui throws the radio on the sofa hard enough for it to bounce onto the floor. "If the Aburame has actually figured it out... You better hurry, Shinga. We might not have as much time as you thought."

Unbeknownst to Hakui, two small creatures take advantage of the confusion and are currently set to perform the task it was given. One kikaichū crawls up on the wall and finds a little hidey hole from which it can wait for the opportune time to move about, while another one takes a more proactive approach.

Team Five has been going around on their adventures these past couple days. They've kept going on missions with Tambo and Hifumi Sugibashi.

They even had some instances of joining forces with other teams to carry out similar missions to the C-ranks they did back home, namely herding or culling wildlife. That's in addition to what they'd categorize as D-rank missions, like helping with collecting lumber, stabilizing dangerous terrain, and helping build better roads. It's not just things the Land needs but something that the Shinobi Union will need to facilitate travel being the allies.

One mission in particular even has them return to Kōfu Town's mine, personally requested by the foreman after their exceptional work a few days ago. There, they meet a familiar duo already present and waiting.

"Shinga, Dōshin!" Tambo approaches them. "Seems like we're tied to this place, huh?" He gives a jolly laugh.

Shinga chuckles. "It would seem so. You also have a mission here?"

"We asked for both of you." The foreman Kakeru approaches. "The boys just couldn't stop talking about what an awesome job you all did." He laughs.

"Then let's get to it!" Dōshin skips toward the other Genin.

"Dōshin," Shinga calls to him, "Do play nice." He warns in an odd tone that goes undetected by Tambo.

"Yes, sir." Dōshin grins.

Hifumi waves as he approaches. "Hi again!"

"Hi!" Dōshin waves back with similar enthusiasm.

"I'm really glad we can work together again!" She grins.

Kashiwama runs over to greet him, as well. "You ready to show off again, too?"

"Always." Dōshin chuckles.

The three of them head toward the mines to perform their set tasks, with Genzai and Jiriki not far back. Genzai walks in his usual carefree swagger but Jiriki looks more focused than normal. It's usually difficult to tell since he's always scowling but Genzai's learned the nuances of his scrunched nose.

"Okay, what's the matter?"

"I don't like him." Jiriki answers.

"Come on, man, you must've warmed up to Kashiwama by now." Genzai jests.

"Not him! Dōshin. There's something… off. It's like he's analyzing us. Didn't you notice it last time?"

Genzai shrugs. "Maybe you're just paranoid."

"With good reason." Jiriki states.

"Some of the times." Genzai pats him on the back and picks up speed. "The others, you just gotta trust people, you know? We're here as one of the great five ninja villages; people are gonna stare and have expectations."

Jiriki shakes his head.

They do much lighter work than the previous job of clearing gas and making new tunnels but it's still hard work and appreciated help. They're happy to find the miners have struck metaphorical gold and literal quartz. With Jiriki's help, they opened up the mine to the richest veins and have gotten a good deal mined already. Today's mission is to help get it all out and Shinga and Dōshin have the additional mission of transporting it back to Kōfu Town proper.

The entire time Jiriki keeps an eye on Dōshin, thinking him odd. He's cheerful and excited, just like Kashiwama, Kotori, and even Hifumi, but those three have an earnest aura around them. They're genuinely happy when they interact in their overly energetic way. Dōshin doesn't appear genuine. There's something about his smile…

During one instance, Dōshin catches a glimpse of Jiriki's staring who doesn't actually try to hide it as most people would.

Dōshin looks back with his odd smile. "Is something on my face?"

Jiriki narrows his eyes. 'Actually confronting him right now would be stupid, but maybe he can be provoked.' He dusts his hands from the dust that had gathered. "I was just wondering how strong you actually are. Your Earth Style matches Kashiwama's and he's pretty good."

"Oh?" Dōshin's smile somehow twists even further as he steps closer toward Jiriki. "How much do you want to find out?"

The two stand centimetres away from each other, Dōshin looking down on the slightly shorter Jiriki.

They remain silent and motionless for a good few moments, until Dōshin's fingers twitch to move toward… something. Jiriki immediately moves his hand to stop him from doing whatever he was planning to.

However, they're both stopped by a sharp voice.

"Dōshin!" Shinga calls out just as he enters the room. "We're done here. Let's go." He says in a low growl, letting the boy know that was a direct order.

Dōshin's grin goes back down to a smile. "Yes, sir." He walks away from Jiriki, patting the young Hyūga on the shoulder. "Maybe next time."

"Yeah." Jiriki just looks to him from the corner of his eye.

-x-

Outside of the mine, away from prying eyes, Shinga's face continues to be scowled. "What did I tell you about interacting with the Leaf shinobi?"

Dōshin chortles. "I'd barely call them shinobi. Come on, just let me have a go at-" He abruptly stops in his tracks.

A heavy presence weighs Dōshin down. His entire body freezes, he tries to utter a word, even a single sound, but his voice completely abandons him. He falls to his knees, unable to stand upright. He clutches at his chest in a desperate attempt to regain his breath, to no avail.

"It would seem you continue to misunderstand my words. Do you perhaps think I say these things lightly? Do you think I say them in jest?"

Shinga eases his killing intent, allowing Dōshin to finally gasp for air.

"Pick yourself up." Shinga continues to walk forward.

Dōshin wipes away the beads of sweat from his brow and tries to stand on his wobbling legs. He glares at Shinga but follows after.

The two of them finish their mission as they're meant to- they help the miners load up the quartz and they transport it back to town. A simple, easy, and fairly boring finish to their job.

When the time comes for them to head back while Team Five remains to go on other missions.

"So, did you get one?" Dōshin asks with a slight sense of apprehension.

"Yes." Shinga answers. "A cluster of high quality quartz, the final ingredient I need. Just be sure to follow orders this time. The final stage is the most important one."

Dōshin lowers his head. "Yes, sir."

Kikaichū are extraordinary little creatures. They're some of the most versatile beings on the planet with their ability to adapt to any and all situations. It's what's made the Aburame clan such a force and feared even before the hidden villages were established.

Currently, two in particular have burrowed their way into Hakui's home's walls and are in search for any evidence of wrongdoing. Of course, they could go out in the open but that runs the risk of them being spotted so they were given instructions to remain hidden. They have one very specific task- to search for a compound of similar composition to the one their master had previously made.

They slowly make their way through the walls and halt their pace if there's too much movement. They're aware that they could potentially be detected by a shinobi with particularly acute senses. It's moments such as these that they wish they could directly communicate with their master.

During one such moment where they remain still, the person whose house they're invading is speaking to two other humans.

"Where have you been?!" Hakui demands. "I've been trying to reach you all day!"

"Today seems to be a very peculiar day. Both you and Dōshin are forgetting your place." Shinga walks right up to Hakui, looking down on his subordinate. "Would you like to repeat yourself; this time choosing your tone more carefully?"

Hakui looks down and grits. "I'm- I'm sorry. Shino Aburame, I think he's definitely onto me. From what I gather from Higure Kuchinashi, he's been looking into the concoction a lot more lately and if he figures out what my true goal has been…"

"And that is the result of your failure to properly cover your tracks." Shinga walks in and takes a seat on the couch.

Dōshin follows behind and stands behind one of the armchairs.

"I tried! I just… didn't have enough time." Hakui defends himself.

Shinga sighs and covers his face in his palm. "No, that's on me. Subtlety was never your strong point, that's why you got caught the first time, after all." He gives Hakui a sharp glance from between his fingers.

"I'm aware of that! So what're we going to do now?"

Dōshin looks back to the wall behind him. He tilts his head in curiosity, feeling like he's hearing something he shouldn't be.

"Nothing." Shinga answers simply. "I've acquired the high quality quartz I need. I can perform the ritual and it'll be too late for the Leaf to stop us. You," He makes it a point to motion to Hakui with his index, "Just need to keep laying low and pray the Aburame doesn't figure it out."

Dōshin runs his hands over the wall and keeps a close ear.

"I'll try but you know it's out of my hands at this point." Hakui gives an exasperated sigh before turning to Dōshin. "And just what are you doing?"

"I think I hear something." Dōshin answers.

Just as he says that, they hear a loud crash coming from behind the wall. A pained curse follows shortly after and the distinct sound of arguing.

Hakui shakes his head. "My neighbours are redecorating. It's been somewhat loud as of late."

"Hm." Dōshin breaks away from the wall and goes back to the armchair.

Within the wall, just where Dōshin had been up until now, the kikaichū continue moving now that they've avoided being sensed.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Hakui asks.

"Two days. Do you think you can manage?" Shinga asks.

Hakui nods. "I can."

Shinga grins. "Good answer. At least one of you is learning. Let's go, Dōshin, we have our own preparations to do."

Shinga stands up and, followed by Dōshin, heads out into the village.

Hakui sighs with relief as he closes the door, pleased that soon these little games will come to an end.

-x-

The kikaichū scour the entire apartment from the inside out, although they use some opportunities to come outside, as well. There's some instances where Hakui leaves his apartment which allows for much easier movement on their part.

They fly to every single drawer, shelf, cupboard, and cabinet in the place and search for the liquid Shino told them to search for.

They move while trying to leave zero evidence of their presence which means prying open some boxes rather than eating through them as would normally be their strategy.

They fly around and inspect until they finally reach one cupboard in particular. Hidden deep inside is a vial of green liquid, exactly what they're looking for.

It's sealed so when they climb onto it, they have to open the lid as best as they can to get a closer look. It takes a few solid tries to spin the cap open with their tiny legs and even their mandibles but they finally manage it.

One of them climbs inside while the other waits at the top.

The first kikaichū sticks to the wall of the vial while going further down. When it reaches the liquid, it starts probing with its mandibles. Normally, the kikaichū are able to take in foreign elements and analyze them with the help of their host. Through generations, they've developed many resistances thanks to their predecessors which would normally protect them.

Whatever this is, however, proves too strong for this kikaichū. It convulses and falls right into the mysterious liquid, unmoving. The second kikaichū rushes inside in a panic and tries to grab its companion and lead them both outside.

With quite a bit of struggling, it takes much more time than normal and the other kikaichū ends up becoming soaked in the liquid, as well. It didn't drink any of it so it doesn't immediately fall like its friend did but this does make things considerably more difficult.

It grabs the first kikaichū with all of its six legs and flies up with great effort.

It's precisely during this that the front door opens and Hakui comes inside.

The kikaichū is well aware time is not on their side and it needs to act faster than ever.

Fortunately, Hakui spends some time mulling around in his apartment so it hopefully has time to hide. It manages to fly up to the edge of the vial and is very close to exiting.

It's then that Hakui opens the cupboard the vial is in. He's yet to see the intruders since they're hidden deep but it's now or never. Hakui pushes aside the items that keep the vial hidden while the kikaichū pulls its fallen comrade out.

With only a second to spare, the kikaichū jumps to the ground and hides in the corner just as Hakui reaches back and grabs the vial.

The kikaichū grabs onto a cloth while still clinging onto its companion in hopes that it won't be spotted even if the human moves things around. Thankfully, Hakui doesn't. He does, however, take a moment to glance at the vial, trying to remember if he'd left it open before.

With all the emotion of Shinga becoming more aggressive and the fear that he'll be discovered, Hakui doesn't spend too much time on it and just accepts that he might've forgotten to fully close it while rushing. He's had way too much on his mind lately.

He places the vial in a bag and goes back outside.

The kikaichū uses this opportunity to slowly but surely fly away. It goes to the other side of the room where a window is slightly ajar to let air in. It flies outside carrying the other kikaichū but doesn't manage to reach far.

By the time it gets to the roof of the neighbouring building, the strange liquid takes effect. It begins to bob up and down in its flight until it no longer has the strength to go. It tries to push forward, to keep going and finish their mission but the more effort it exerts, the harder it gets. It collapses, having done as much as it could.

The two kikaichū lie motionless on the rooftop.

-x-

Shinga makes his way to the main administrative tower of the Hidden Moon Village. He walks with focus, knowing exactly what he must do and who he needs.

His first stop is Lady Tsukino's office, or more specifically, the secretary's desk in front of the office. He knows that Tsukino and Shino Aburame are currently away so he has some freedom to do as he pleases.

"Ah, Shinga, how may I help you?" Yozora perks up as she sees someone approach. "I'm afraid Lady Tsukino is away currently."

"Yes, I'm well aware." He holds up his hand in front of him in a one-handed sign. "It's you I need."

Markings appear on Shinga's brow, spreading from his forehead to above his brow, in a flowing flame-like pattern. The very centre of it bears a resemblance to a third eye.

[Jibaku]

Yozora freezes in place as markings more simplified than Shinga's appear on her own forehead.

"Let's go." Shinga issues the order

Yozora stands up without a word and obediently follows Shinga.

He leads her to a very particular and unassuming part of the tower that she seems to know more about than some would assume. She undoes a series of barrier and seals that ultimately lead to a hidden room through an illusory wall.

Inside in an overly simplistic square room covered in seals in tags that contains only one very important element. A large green oval, its texture appearing somewhat wooden, with multiple branch-like protrusion clinging onto the walls. Its oddity is only increasing by the very light green glow emanating from within this item.

Shinga places a scroll on the ground and releases the large chunk of quartz he'd stored inside. He looks over some jutsu formulae that very clearly has a different origin than the rest, ones that he himself had placed here much earlier.

"Return your post." Shinga orders and Yozora has no choice but to do as she's told.

He places the quartz in a specific spot in front of the giant seed and prepares another series of jutsu formulae that spread from underneath it and join with the other markings that surround the seed.

"Just a little more… A little more life for you to absorb before you can be free."

Higher up in the tower, Yozora returns to her place at the desk and the jutsu releases itself, leaving the woman none the wiser of what she'd just done. There's a moment of confusion that washes over her and a sense that something's changed since she last blinked but she quickly dismisses it.

When Team Five return from their missions for the day, they enter their apartment with some excitement, or at least the usual level of excitement for them. Kashiwama is as hyper as ever, Genzai tends to share in his positivity although to a lesser extent, and Jiriki treats it all like a chore.

When they enter the living room, fully prepared to share how their day had gone, they're met with a somewhat more somber Shino-sensei. To some people, the difference would be unnoticable but part of their training has been to gauge what mood Shino is in. It's a tough task but Jiriki and Genzai actually managed to do a good job of reading their sensei.

"Shino-sensei?" Genzai is the first to speak up. "Is something the matter?"

Shino takes a moment to take a deep breath before he answers. "I believe it will be."

Genzai cocks his head. "In what way?"

Jiriki crosses his arms. "Does that mean something will actually happen in this boring place?"

Kashiwama elbows him in the side. "Come on, man…"

"Truthfully, I don't yet know. I have suspicions that something may be afoot but I've yet to collect any evidence of such." Shino answers truthfully.

"So… you just have a hunch?"

"It's just a hunch, yes. I'm trying to prove one way or another but it's taking time. I don't know when I'll have an answer and initially I didn't want to cause you any needless worry, but…"

"Come on, sensei, you should know us better than that." Kashiwama chimes in. "We're Team Five, after all, all of us. We gotta work together in situations like this."

"Have you warned Lady Tsukino and the Hidden Moon?" Genzai asks.

Shino shakes his head. "As I said, I lack anything other than a hunch. My word alone would not be taken seriously and if my hunch is correct, it would only alert him. I wanted to warn you, because… if something does end up happening, I'll be relying on your assistance. I don't know what would even happen, but I ask you be prepared to act."

The three give an affirmative nod. "Yes, sir."

"We won't let you down." Kashiwama declares.

"Jiriki, there may be something you could assist with, however." Shino says.

"If I can, I will."

"Tomorrow. For now, rest. You've worked hard and have earned it."

The very next day, Shino takes Team Five on a self-assigned reconnaissance mission. Since it's a day off, as well, they do actually take the time to enjoy their break but the first order of business is… well, business.

The streets nearby Hakui's apartment happens to conveniently be a busy street with shops and stores so they have the excuse of why they'd be there if spotted.

That takes care of one aspect of the job.

Team Five walk along, taking the time to stop by and buy snacks and even souvenirs to appear unassuming, until they reach a spot that's close enough for their purposes.

"Can you see from here?" Shino asks.

Jiriki nods. "It's within my range, yes." He takes out a moon-shaped mask and places it on his face to hide his eyes.

Genzai and Kashiwama take positions to hide him better while they munch on some sweet taiyaki.

With everything set in place, Jiriki focuses his chakra to his eyes.

[Byakugan]

Jiriki scans the building behind them, where Shino found out Hakui's apartment is, and scans as much as he can. His vision quickly darts through the different rooms as he zooms in and out of specific parts to inspect closer.

He does take the occasional break as to not arouse suspicion from anyone walking nearby. Team Five engage in small talk and Jiriki joins in when he can.

After several minutes of doing this, Jiriki finally takes off the mask and shakes his head. "Nothing."

"I see." Shino sighs. "Thank you for trying. What of my kikaichū? Were they still inside?"

"I did try to look for them but they weren't inside, either. But…" Jiriki points directly above. "I think I spotted them on the roof above us."

"Above us?" Shino raises a brow.

He looks around to ensure he's not being observed and [Flickers] to the roof above. He walks around in search of his kikaichū as Jiriki pointed out and he finds them after a minute of searching. He finds the two kikaichū he'd sent out dead.

He kneels down and gently scoops them in his hand. "What happened to you?" He mutters to himself.

He takes the gourd off his back and has some of his kikaichū carry the two fallen inside. When that's done, he [Flickers] back to the ground to join his students.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help." Jiriki lowers his head.

Shino places a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "No, you helped tremendously. Thank you."

As they prepare to leave, Shino does spot something from the corner of his eye. Or, someone. Hakui is standing at the end of the street, looking right at them. Shino thought something like this might happen; the man does live here, after all.

"Shall we continue?" Shino says a bit louder than he actually needs to. "Or are your bellies full by now?"

"Never!" Kashiwama declares and runs off immediately. "I think I smelled something tasty over there."

As they continue walking down the street, Hakui doesn't move much. He tries to make himself look smaller and sickly as his story dictates.

"Good morning." Shino lightly bows his head as they pass by each other. "I heard you were ill. I hope it's nothing serious."

Hakui looks up at him through his golden strands. "Just a common cold is all. These are your students?"

Shino nods. "They are. Higure said they make delicious food here so I thought to treat them. That's because… they've been working hard lately and deserve some rest and relaxation."

"I see. Well, don't let me hold you." Hakui coughs.

"I wish you a speedy recovery."

Hakui watches him move on and join back with his students. All the while, his mind races. 'He couldn't have come here because of me, could he… Shit, shit, shit… Hurry up, Shinga!'

The next day, Shino's kikaichū are still working within his special gourd. The inside has been fitted to serve as a breeding ground for insects with special properties. It's how he was able to breed a new generation who specialize in eating through the Divine Tree and will hopefully now be used to determine what exactly it is that his two scouts found that left them in that state.

If it was somehow Hakui's doing, then they wouldn't have been left out like that; they'd have been disposed of. It's highly likely that they escaped before they were actually spotted which means they were caught in something. Now he just needs to figure out what.

However, he won't have to wait for long as events are already set in motion.

When someone knocks at the door, he goes to open it and is met by Tsukino's secretary, Yozora.

"Good morning, I hope I've not caught you at a bad time."

"No, of course not. How can I help you?"

"We've received a reply from the Hidden Leaf Village, you may come to collect it. Our team would need to read it, of course, in your presence." She informs him.

"Yes, of course. I only need a moment." Shino goes back into the apartment for a minute to collect his things before heading out with Yozora.

They walk further into the central Moon tower, to the aviary where the message was delivered. Inside, Shino is greeted by Tsukino and the team who manage the aviary as they present him with the unopened scroll. They cut it open in his presence and read through it.

It's a standard reply to his original letter- a thank you for updating them on the situation, requisition elaboration on the state of the Goshinboku, reaffirming of the importance it will hold to the Shinobi Union, and informing him of how the Hidden Leaf would advise the Union to make use of this new knowledge. All in all, it's a standard reply on the surface, giving advice on how to proceed with the talks with the Hidden Moon Village. On the surface, at least.

Tsukino looks over the scroll and sighs. "The information is already out there, huh?"

"I will ensure your trust is not misplaced." Shino reassures her.

"Thank you." She lowers her head slightly. "I'm glad the Hidden Leaf sent someone like you to meet with us."

With the contents of the scroll verified, she hands it over to its rightful recipient.

"Your words honour me." He bows his head and takes the scroll.

"Pardon the interruption," Yozora peaks her head in to address Tsukino, "But you have a meeting soon with Shinga."

"Ah, yes, of course. We shall meet later then." Tsukino smiles to Shino and heads out.

He follows right after, not having any further business in the aviary.

-x-

As he heads back to the apartment, his mind goes over the possible hidden message that the Hidden Moon overlooked. It pains him to do this, especially with the level of trust they've shown him but it's the only way for now. He can apologize profusely once it's all over.

Once he gets inside, he goes for his writing supplies. He lays out the scroll on a table, dips a brush in the inkwell, and traces over the letters with a fresh brush. When finished, he draws a single line on his palm and performs a series of hand signs.

"I hope I've remembered this correctly, Sai."

He places his palm with the line of ink at the base of the scroll.

[Ninja Art: Living Ink]

The writing on the scrolls begins to wiggle and shift its position. The words snake their way across the scroll as they form new words.

A report on Hakui.

Shino reads through it and finally discovers why the man was familiar.

He was a former medic in the Hidden Leaf Village, discharged ten years ago. He was caught using experimental medicines that put massive strain on his patients and resulted in several deaths. He was immediately discharged from the hospital and soon exiled from the village, and forbidden from practicing again. His specialty was…

"... Poison." Shino mutters.

He hurriedly grabs the scroll and runs out.

'So that's what it was. The vial he used, the one that went missing. It was poison. That's why his vial was darker. He's the reason the Goshinboku has been weak!'

He makes it to Tsukino's office in record time and makes his way for the door without so much as stopping to look at Yozora's direction. When the secretary sees him in a rush, she tries to stop him.

"Ah, excuse me, Lady Tsukino is currently in a meeting."

"I heard and I do apologize, but this is important."

Shino unceremoniously opens the door.

Inside, he's met by a startled Tsukino and Hakui who were not expecting the sudden intrusion.

"Shino?" Tsukino raises a brow.

Hakui's eyes widen in shock and a hint of fear at the Aburame's presence.

"I'm sorry, my Lady, I tried to-" Yozora begins to explain.

"It's alright." Tsukino reassures her. "Can I help you, Shino?"

Shino's cloak flutters as the sound of buzzing fills the air. "You need to get away from that man. He's not who he says he is. Step aside, Hakui."

Tsukino stands up and slams her hands on the desk. "I don't know what this is about but there will be no hostility in my office! Explain yourself."

Hakui scrunches his nose in anger and frustration. "You should've stayed away, Shino Aburame." He immediately reaches into his pack and pulls out a ball that he slams into the ground, causing it to explode in a green mist.

Yozora screams out and skids back out of the room.

Shino sends out his kikaichū into the smoke screen to go after Hakui but they quickly become disoriented and fall to the ground. 'Poison mist? Of course…'

Just as he thinks over his next course of action, a figure rushes out of the mist and attacks him. His first instinct was that Hakui's going on the offensive but much to his surprise, it's Tsukino.

She slashes her sword with great speed and precision, giving Shino only barely enough time to dodge.

When he has a moment to gather himself, he sees that she's not entirely herself.

Her forehead is covered in markings and her eyes are glossed over and hollow. She's looking in Shino's direction but it's like she's looking through him, not at him.

"L-lady Tsukino?" Yozora stammers out in her confusion as Shino stands in front of her to protect her.

From the green mist, Hakui emerges behind Tsukino, now donning an odd black mask with red markings bearing a striking resemblance to the ones now covering Tsukino's face.

"What have you done to Tsukino?" Shino growls.

"It's not her you should be worrying about." Hakui smirks.

Before Shino can ask what he means, he catches a glint of light from the corner of his eye. He steps back just in time to dodge the kunai aimed right at his neck.

Yozora swings her kunai again, her face covered in the same markings as Tsukino.

'Yozora, as well?!'

Tsukino takes advantage of his momentary distraction and lunges at him once more.

Hakui reaches for the radio strapped to his waist. "Shinga, I'm fighting Shino Aburame. You better be ready."

-x-

Deep beneath the Moon Tower, Shinga sighs in exasperation. "He once again speaks in such a demanding tone. The child is yet to learn his lesson."

He goes through a series of countless hand signs, going for a good minute or two before something actually happens. When he nears the end of his weaving, the seed flows with more intensity than it has before. As he performs more hand signs, more and more cracks appear on the seed which allow even brighter light to burst from within. The branch-like protrusions that cover the walls pulsate with an odd sense of life.

"Come forth, Jubokko!"

The seed breaks.

Roots and branches envelop Shinga as they fill in the small room to the point of bursting. When it can no longer contain the mass, the walls and ceiling break.

The entire structure shakes as large branches burst outside and envelop the outer walls of the Moon Tower. Large pieces of rock and buildings fall to the ground as the people scream in fear and run for their lives when they realize what's happening.

Those who're able to process what they're seeing are immediately reminded of the Divine Tree's root that tried to take them all those years ago.

Inside the tower, Shino has to struggle to keep his balance as the room breaks apart, all on top of trying to keep Tsukino and Yozora safe until he figures out a way to break them out of whatever Hakui has done to them.

The tree roots plunge into the ground and pulse, as if sucking nutrients from the ground. Slowly, it's colouration turns a vile red. The more it consumes, the large it grows and covers a much wider area than just the tower.

The shinobi on the outside spring into action to try and sever them, but are met with unlikely resistance.

Either some of their allies turn against them, faces covered in strange markings, or humanoid shapes made of mud emerge from the ground and take on their appearance, mud doppelgangers fighting the originals.

The massive red tree reaches the very top of the tower, where it presses against the protective barrier that surrounds the Goshinboku.

-x-

At the outskirts of the village, Team Five and Hifumi had taken the day off to walk around and do some light training, mostly at Kashiwama's insistence.

During their break, Hifumi's attention is drawn behind them where the sight causes her to freeze in fear and drop her water bottle.

"Hifumi?" Kashiwama gives a concerned look as he turned to her.

He and Genzai and Jiriki then see the sight of a massive red tree covering the Moon Tower and spreading its roots and branches further into the village.

Genzai slowly stands up from his spot. "Is that… what Shino-sensei warned us about?"

Hifumi whips her head to him. "Wait, do you know what that is?! Do you know what's happening?!" She demands.

"N-no! But Shino-sensei was worried about something, we didn't know about… this."

Jiriki clenches his fist. "It's happening again…"

"Not on our watch!" Kashiwama runs ahead.

"Oi, hold up!" Genzai takes a step to follow him but stop to grab Hifumi by the hand before he continues, now dragging her along.

Jiriki follows shortly after.

"What did your sensei say, what was he worried about?" Hifumi continues asking, trying to wrap her mind around what she saw.

"We don't know." Genzai shakes his head. "He just told us to be ready if something happens and something's happening."

"We can ask all the questions we want later." Jiriki picks up the pace.

Just as he gets further ahead to match Kashiwama's speed, he notices his teammate's pained expression. Before he can even express any concern, Kashiwama holds his head in pain and falls to his knees.

"Oi!" Jirki stops to check up on him. "What happened?"

Genzai and Hifumi stop by his side, as well.

"I don't... know." He rubs his temple. "I got a... massive headache all of a sudden."

"Can you keep going?" Jiriki asks bluntly.

Kashiwama takes a moment to breathe deeply before answering. "Yeah."

Before they can actually pull themselves together to keep running to the Hidden Moon and the mysterious red tree in it, they sense something coming their way. A ball of fire comes crashing down right in the middle of their little gathering.

Kashiwama grabs Hifumi and pulls her to safety while Genzai and Jiriki each jump back to safety.

From the settling dust, Dōshin walks out with a black mask on his face, covered in red markings.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Kashiwama calls out.

Dōshin only laughs in response. "Whatever I want!"

Jiriki pulls on his bow and conjures an arrow from its storage. "I told you this guy was giving me the creeps."

"And it's too late to do anything about it now." Dōshin laughs. "Shinga said to leave you guys alone, but… I just can't!" Dōshin slams his hand on the earth below him.

[Forbidden Jutsu: Mud Golems]

Four figures of mud emerge from the ground to surround Dōshin. One each for Genza and Jiriki and two Kashiwama and Hifumi. Slowly, the mud beings take shape to form more defined facial feature and even clothes.

Their eyes widen in shock when they each end up facing a copy of themselves.

"Let's play." Dōshin cackles.

Name meanings

Jubokko (樹木子, Jubokko) - 'tree child'

Author Notes

In the game Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3, the mind-controlling jutsu that Shinga uses is called [Jibakugan] (Self-Bondage Eye). I removed the part of it being a pseudo-dōjutsu because it really doesn't need to be.