Chapter 11
"Everything alright, Shino?"
He and Torune were out in the woods, Shino once again searching for insects, armed with a net and specimen box. Shino nodded, and truly being out here in the forest, with Torune close, he felt better than he had in a long time. Could almost laugh, remembering how he had wanted distance from him, and how he his solo mission was the perfect way to get it. All his worries, his complaints, that Torune spent more time with others. How ridiculous. How inconsequential.
Shino nodded, and Torune continued regardless. "I know everybody's giving you a hard time about this Lady Natsuki, and well... I know romance has never been a big deal for you. I figured it was all probably making you uncomfortable."
Shino paused, hopeful, he wasn't even sure why.
"It does seem suspicious to me." Torune added. "Why she keeps asking for you. I've been wondering… is she interested? And you just can't tell?"
Shino's heart fell.
"No, it's not like that."
Torune smiled. "Whatever you say."
"No kidding. What is this, the 4th time? Hey, can we come with? I've got nothing going on, and I really want to meet this Lady Natsuki. You think she'd mind?" Kiba asked, after Shino told his teammates this latest news.
Shino knew her answer immediately, as it was the one she made him speak.
"I don't think she would mind. I think… she enjoys visitors."
"Yeah? Great, Hinata, you free?" Kiba asked, while Hinata nodded enthusiastically.
"I'd love to see it! It sounds like a beautiful place."
"It is."
"Woah, you weren't exaggerating… not that you ever really exaggerate Shino, but damn. What do you think, Akamaru?"
Akamaru let out a bark. They had just entered the gates, were walking up to the double doors. Shino did not know if Lady Natsuki was only taking advantage of Kiba's request to come along. He didn't think she would feed on them, but he didn't know. He could possibly be leading his teammates into the same hell as everyone else here.
She could not get away from feeding at their jugular veins, at least it would take more power, more magic to hide that on them than it did on Shino, nevertheless, it made Shino nauseous just thinking of it, for there were other places she could feed on them. He could only hope she wouldn't. He had no guarantees, but he was not above begging, if he had to.
And he had foolishly thought this couldn't get much worse. But it had, for even if she didn't feed on them, just this additional violation of her meeting them, speaking with them, and there she was, descending the stairs, just as she had when Shino first saw her.
He noted Kiba's eyes go wide, Hinata's too. She wore diamonds, high heels, her dress glittering in the sunlight, along with her teeth as she smiled at them in greeting. She led them on a tour of the estate, something that was new for Shino as well. He got to see all the libraries, ball rooms, dining halls, sitting rooms, that the staff maintained day after day, night after night. Outside, they walked along finely manicured garden paths. She left them to their own business. Kiba and Hinata half-heartedly helping him with his work, more just enjoying the scenery.
"Okay, I take it back, Shino. That woman is way out of your league. Way out of mine, too. I totally believe you now. But I get why you don't mind coming back here all the time. Who wouldn't?"
"It feels like a vacation! Hanabi is going to be so jealous when I tell her about this."
They dined together. Lady Natsuki was charming, engaging with them. Asked them about their families, life in the village. Nothing that felt intrusive or prying. Even had the cooks prepare something special for Akamaru.
It was like she was a completely different person. Even when Shino had first come here, she hadn't acted like this. He'd always been slightly uncomfortable around her, yet now she had toned that down, to the point where only an enchanting Lady with refined manners and good taste remained.
Shino wondered if this was all an act, or if possibly, this is who Lady Natsuki had once been, before she'd been turned. If it was an act, it was convincing. If this was who he had met that first visit, he doubted he would even had had those elusive feelings of unease.
Now, it only made him even more uneasy, juxtaposed over the laughter of her and his teammates.
The illusion ended when Lady Natsuki came to his room that night. His friends were not near by, she had given them each private suites in separate areas of the mansion.
"You can understand, can't you? Lady Natsuki she asked, before she began. "This really is not so different than the relationship between you and your beetles, feeding off your chakra."
She came forward, sat on the bed, pulled him close, then started to chuckle.
"Ah, you argue it is, that you have a contract with them, that it is mutually beneficial. I suppose that is true, though there are some benefits to our link for you, but you can understand this concept too? Everything and everyone in its place, predators and prey. I just happen to be a predator, and you just happen to be my prey. If you think of it that way, it all seems less personal, doesn't it."
She bit down, then pulled away slightly to speak one last time.
"Ah, you disagree with that too? Actually I concur, this is quite personal, isn't it. I could feed on anyone, yet I chose to feed on you, but are we not all like that? We each have our preferences."
"I took a little too much, didn't I? I will give you the strength to get home without Hinata and Kiba noticing. Do bring them again, won't you?" She said afterwards.
"Please, don't hurt them." Shino managed to whisper, black spots growing wide in his vision.
"How noble, now you understand? How Torune felt about you? Also, do you realize you never refer to them as your friends, only as your teammates? Why is that?"
"I don't know if they think of me as a friend." he replied, involuntarily laying down, too exhausted to hold himself upright.
"Hmm." Shino heard her utter, as closed his eyes and succumbed.
Noshiko came and checked on him, brought him water, something to eat. There were two questions he needed to ask her. The first was imperative, the second, in some ways, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Did she feed on my teammates? Do you know?"
Noshiko smiled. "No. You do not need to worry about them."
Shino sighed in relief, giving him enough strength to ask his second question.
"This many feedings, is this a lot? Do you know what it will do to me?"
Noshiko, paused, looked down, then brought her head up to meet him in the eyes.
"It's more than she needs to control you. More than she needs to survive. I… I'm sorry, Shino. I don't know what it will do to you."
It was sunny, nice weather to be walking home.
"I can see why she's having so many problems." Kiba chatted. "The place is huge. Like, maybe you'll just have to go back on a regular basis? Let us know! I wouldn't mind coming back here again. What do you think, Akamaru?"
Akamaru yipped in agreement, and Hinata added, "Me too! It's nice to just take a break every now and then, isn't it?"
Shino smiled to himself. That's what he'd thought too, when he'd been given this assignment. At least they were spared from this, he repeated to himself, over and over, a mantra, something to hold onto, for this was more blurred lines. When they were like this, hearing Hinata and Kiba continue to talk about their trip, he could almost believe it too. That it really had been just a mission to remove insects. That nothing else had happened here.
That's what everyone thought. And if so many people think something, doesn't it become true in a way? That was Kiba and Hinata's reality. A simple mission. That's what his family thought. An alternate reality.
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
