Chapter 2: The Truth

Shino stepped into his father's hospital room. "Dad?"

Shibi looked over at the door. "Shino? Oh Shino, I'm so glad you're safe." Shino sat at his father's bedside. "You had me worried there Shino. I thought something bad happened to you when you disappeared."

"Dad, do you know what's going on?" Shino asked.

"No…What's going on?" Shibi tilted his head.

"How come you never told me about some ancient war between our clan and the Nozomi clan?"

He froze. "Shino…How did you-"

"Did you really kill people from that clan? You and me along with some other Aburames?"

He sighed. "Shino, I never wanted you to know about that. What we did, nine years ago…it was against our will. I didn't want to do it, but I was dragged into battle and so were you."

"Why can't I remember any of that!"

"Because I had it wiped from your memory! You think I wanted you, my only son, to live the rest of your life with the images of killing running through your mind! I didn't want you to feel as if your innocence had been ripped from you!"

"D-Dad…So are you saying that I…that I killed people when I was only seven?"

Shibi closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry Shino."

"Airi and Airas, do you remember two girls with those names?"

"Shino, why do you want to know this?"

"Please! Dad, please. I need to know what really happened."

Shibi sighed. "Shino, this isn't an easy topic…" He looked at his son. "…But, if this is what you want, I'll tell you…"

XXXX

"Dad?" Shino whispered. The rain pounded down hard on him.

"Yes?" Shibi answered.

"…Is this right? What we're about to do?"

He looked at him. "…Shino…This is something that our ancestors have done and we must do it too…"

"But Dad…I'm scared."

"Scared? Of what?"

"I…I don't want to hurt anyone but…I have to, don't I?"

"Shino, just think of this as for your mother."

"…Mom…She didn't die of sickness, did she? A Nozomi man…he killed her, didn't he?"

"…Yes Shino. Now go with Shinji, alright?"

"Yes father." Shino got up from his position and walked over to his friend. "Shinji?"

Shinji looked down. "Shino? Shouldn't you be with your father?" The ten year old boy looked at Shino's father.

"He told me to go to you," Shino replied.

"Oh, I see. I guess then that's means we're partners."

Shino forced a smile. "Yeah, partners."

"So, you ready to kill some Nozomis?"

"K-Kill?"

"That's what we're here for."

"…Okay, sure."

A man stood up in the darkness and held out his arm. "Now's the time! Go forth and find the priest and his family! ATTACK!" The many Aburames charged into the village screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Let's go Shino!" Shinji said. "We're gonna find the priest and his family before everyone else!"

"O-Okay!" The two of them ran into the village. "H-Hey Shinji! Let's check that house over there!" They ran up to a nicely decorated house. Shino reached out to open the door, but a girl charged out.

"KAHH!" She shoved Shino out of the way and ran after Shinji. "You damned Aburames!"

"Go inside!" Shinji yelled to Shino. "I've got this bitch!"

Shino nodded and ran inside. Lightning branched through the sky and the lights went out. "Okay, I can do this…" He treaded lightly through the house, but it didn't really matter if he made a sound. The village had already erupted in violence, so no one could really hear him. "Hmm?" He opened the door of a bedroom and went in.

"No! Get away!" A seven year old girl ran to the other side of the room.

"Huh?"

"M-My family will be back soon and you're gonna get it! They promised that no Aburame would hurt me!"

He closed the door. "W-Well, uh, y-you're parents won't be back in time! B-By the time they get back, y-you'll be…you'll be dead!"

"Don't come any closer! Fire Seal!" A ball of fire came right at Shino, but he dodged it. "Who are you!"

"I-I'm not telling you!" He pulled out a shuriken that his father gave him and threw it. "Take this!"

"OW!" The shuriken hit the girl in the shoulder. "O-Ow!" Tears formed in her eyes. "What was that for! Light Seal!" Light came back into the room. "AHH!" She charged forward and tackled him. "You're gonna get it now!"

He kicked her off and rolled forward. "I-I'm gonna kill you!" He turned around. "You're a Nozomi and-" He looked at her and stopped. "…You…"

The girl tilted her head. "You're that boy I met in the forest the other day…but…what're you doing?" She gasped and covered her mouth. "You're an Aburame, aren't you!" She shook her head and started crying. "You tricked me!"

Shino fumbled for words. "I…I-I uh…"

"RESTRAIN!"

Roots came through the floor and wrapped around Shino. "AGH!"

The girl that attacked Shinji came into the room covered in cuts and bruises. "Airi!"

"Sis!" the girl cried.

"CONSTRICT!" she shouted.

"AAHH!" The roots began to strangle Shino.

"Hurry Airi! Let's use the window! Mom and dad are with Aurion!" The girl helped her little sister out of the window.

"Umph!" Shino began to wriggle around. "H-Help me out guys!" Hundreds of tiny bugs came out of Shino's coat. They began to cut the roots. "H-Hurry! It's crushing me!" In a matter of minutes, the roots fell apart. "Ow…" He got up and ran out of the house. "Shinji! Shinji, where are you!"

"Ughn…"

"Shinji?" He walked over to the bushes and found his friend. "Shinji, are you okay?"

"F-For the most part. D-Damn, she was tough…" Shinji got up and shook it off. "Okay, we need to go to the village square. I heard that the priest was there!"

"Right!" They ran past the many fights and came to the village square.

"Here Shino!" Shinji said as he handed Shino a knife.

"A knife!"

"Use it!" Shinji ran off.

"Sh-Shinji!"

"You know what to do! Remember what we came here for!" Shino nodded reluctantly.

"Mom! Dad!"

Shino looked forward and saw the two girls from before. "That man and lady must be their parents! K-Kill the priest and his family! That's what I have to do!" He targeted the small girl. "I'll get her first!" He jumped out from his position and threw the knife. "HAAA!"

The family became alert and looked at the knife headed straight for the little girl. "A-Aurion!" she screamed.

"Airi!" A teenage boy knelt down in front of the little girl and grabbed her. "Air--AAAHH!" The knife went through the back of his neck.

Shino's eyes widened. "Wh-What did I just do!"

"AURION!" the little girl screamed. "Aurion, no!" The boy's lifeless body fell on her and she struggled to hold him up. "Aurion, you can't die! Stop playing around! Aurion!" She began to cry as she hugged the body. "This isn't funny!"

The older girl started crying as well. "Airi…look what you did!"

"Wh-What! But I didn't do anything!"

The male and female adult looked indignantly at Shino. "You little shit! You killed Aurion!" They charged at him. "Die you Aburame bastard!"

Shino took a few steps back. "N-No! Protect me!" Hundreds of bugs rushed from his body and engulfed the two adults. With a horrible scream, the two adults fell out of the cloud of bugs; no life was left in them. Shino opened his eyes and looked. "I…I did it again…NO!" He turned and ran from the area.

"MOMMY!" the two girls screamed, "DADDY! NO!" They hugged each other and cried.

"I didn't mean to do it!" Shino cried as tears streamed down his cheeks. "I didn't want to do that, but it happened!"

XXXX

Shino covered his mouth. "…I…I'm a horrible person…"

Shibi looked at his son. "No, Shino. The horrible person is the one that made you do it. I'm so sorry that you got involved in that, I truly am."

He stood up. "This can't continue."

"Ah, Shino, where are you going?"

"Dad, I have to do something about this. I don't want to be enemies with the Nozomis any longer!"

"Shino?"

He walked over to the door. "I'm going to fight this. As of this moment on, I'm on my own side. I'll fight this battle for me…and for the Nozomi girl that suffered because of me. Do not think of me as an Aburame, just think of me as Shino." He opened the door. "Forgive me father." He walked out.

"Shino, wait!" Shibi called. "Shino!"