Chapter 12
Another meeting with Torune and his teammates.
"So you got to meet the Lady Natsuki? What was she like? Shino's pretty tight-lipped about her." Torune asked.
"Gorgeous man, drop dead gorgeous." Kiba replied.
"You sure she's not interested, Shino?" Torune questioned.
"I thought that too, but nah, it ain't like that." Kiba answered for him.
"Oh, maybe I can tag along next time."
"What the hell, man. Don't you have enough women fawning over you here? You really need to try your luck?"
"I'm just curious, same as you."
"You know what? I changed my mind. I want to see it. I want to see you try. Count me in. Then I can tell Hana what an ass you are."
"Why? Do you worry she'll eventually want to go out with me?"
"Never said that. I never said that."
"Didn't have to."
Meanwhile, Shino wondered, as he so often had, how long this could go on for. How many trips could he make there? It had already been months. Noshiko said she had been there three years. Could he really have no one look closely at his neck for three years? If Lady Natsuki was true to her word, that Shino would come to no harm while under his influence, and if she could control his actions, make him leave any situation where someone might see, who knows how long it could be.
But, what he feared was much more likely to occur was that she would simply tire of him, and a chill ran through him, because, if that happened, if she no longer preferred him, if he was no longer entertaining to her, what would happen then?
It would be so easy for her. She could cause a fatal misstep in battle, but he imagined she wouldn't. His body might be found, and she couldn't have that. It would be better to make it look like he'd went missing in action. Make it so his body would never be found. She wouldn't even have to be there. She could make him take care of it himself.
In preparation, Shino spent more time with his teammates. He cherished it, even things he'd heard over and over, Kiba teasing Hinata about Naruto, seeing Kurenai-sensai smiling at her daughter, Mirai's laughter.
He cherished sitting out on the porch with his dad at twilight, watching the fireflies, going out into the woods with Torune, he didn't even care about the search anymore, just as he didn't really care about the mundane family matters his dad discussed with him. It was just an excuse to spend time together. Torune was often still busy, with missions, about town, with others. Shino again recalled how he'd been… jealous, he could use the word now, he'd been jealous, that he hadn't got to spend as much time with Torune. Now there was a knowing that each time he saw him, saw any of them, it might very well be the last.
For him, at least.
He often laid awake at night, wondering, always wondering: was there anything he could do to get out of this?
He knew perfectly well it did no good, she could read his thoughts, could sense where he was…
Whatever was going to happen would happen.
It didn't work out for anyone to come with Shino on his next visit to Lady Natsuki's. He preferred it that way. Was getting familiar with the way here. Familiar with the grounds of the estate, with the interior. He didn't get to interact with anyone but Noshiko, but he was starting to get used to that too. He felt certain sense of… solidarity here, from the staff, even though they only ever saw each other from a distance. And, to his amazement, he felt it back.
They understood. Even though Shino often felt guilty, that he got to live some semblance of a life, that he had that luxury, while they had none. Only the luxury all around them they were forced to maintain.
But, Shino couldn't help feeling, at least they had the gift of each other.
He didn't attempt to fight Lady Natsuki, it was useless, as she had told him repeatedly. He would only hurt himself, and he had, repeatedly.
Before he passed out, he heard her make a disapproving tsk sound.
He supposed he had failed to entertain her.
