AN's: Happy New Year! Sorry again for another late update, life and stuff :/


Chapter 22: Building

Kamizuru... Kamizuru... Kamizuru...

After all of these years, how had he never thought to look into that clan?

Of course, Dr. Kei Tamura certainly wasn't a fool. Far from it. He—along with most other citizens of Iwagakure—had believed the bee-handlers to have died out sometime ago, and it wasn't as if those that summoned honey bees were the only ones that could have access to honey. Any buffoon with protective gear and smoke could do that!

That damned Ohnoki. We worked together for so long to develop the truth serum, and he leaves me in the dark to do his dirty work. He could have at least told me that's where he received it from.

His ongoing communication with Kurotsuchi only reinforced the notion that access to his key to godhood came from a honey only the Kamizuru could get their hands on for whatever insipid reason. And now he had to wait a full year until possibly being able to retrieve it.

His secret visit to the West had been less than fruitful and more than a waste of his precious time. There was no way he could scale atop that giant mountain himself—even with his hulking bodyguard— and there was no way he could get information out of the wretched women he came across there, even with his sweetened words of affirmation and compliments.

Hell, he couldn't even get access to a meeting with that alleged leader of theirs without the Tsuchikage accompanying him.

The beauties of the Western Mountains certainly were smart not to trust him, he could admit. Even vague snippets of information on the Shikkotsu Forest couldn't be bought out of members of their clan.

Like the bees they summoned, their members showed utmost loyalty to the hive.

He glared down at the open book on his desk. The most information-dense Iwagakure history book that he could get a hold of, and it was still of little use to him. The light of his laptop illuminated off his glasses, and the old doctor felt an irritating pulse beneath his eyes as a headache brewed.

Clan, Kamizuru: A family of insect-handlers that once specialized in wielding various forms of bees and hornets.

Status: Extinct

Background: Once one of the most beneficial clans towards Iwagakure's fighting force (circa XXXX), they were largely defeated and wiped out by the Aburame clan of Konohagakure. (See information on Aburame starting page 487).

With a growl, he flipped to the page just as he had done dozens of times before.

History of Rivalry: Iwagakure and Konohagakure

Clan, Aburame: A prominent family of insect-handlers that utilize parasitic beetles in combat, locally known as Kikaichu.

Status: Active

Background: One of the four noble clans of Konohagakure (See information on Akimichi p. 489, Hyuuga p. 492, and Uchiha p. 495), the Aburame were considered long-standing rivals of the Kamizuru clan (See information on Kamizuru starting page 200) and played a large role in their extinction.

So, the little insects couldn't play nice. What good did that information do him? With what he's heard of Konoha's Aburame clan, retrieving information from them would be just as tedious and painstaking as with the Kamizuru. They've likely never even heard of his special honey.

As far as Tamura was concerned, all that he really needed was from the Kamizuru. Their clan surely couldn't be that large, but how would he know for certain if he couldn't reach the top of their mountain? How adept were they at combat over these past years?

His mind was building and planning, but exactly how would he fit the pieces together?

He could wait, certainly. Tamura had waited and researched and bided his time long enough. Access to power was so close, he could almost taste it like honey on his lips.

Kurotsuchi informed him that the Kamizuru leader could get them a bottle of raw liquid gold come spring. He didn't need to dirty his hands by retrieving the honey himself. All he needed to do was steal the material before the exchange was made.

The naive little Tsuchikage wanted to use the serum to generate a cure for these animals rotting away in their cells. She was just as narrow-minded as her grandfather. He needed to find a way to get her out of the picture.

The sound of the door opened.

"Tamura-sama," the deep voice of Taichi echoed throughout his quarters.

Tamura frowned and turned away from his desk. He considered his bodyguard—a former convict and first degree murderer sentenced to life in prison—he had hired years ago. In exchange for his freedom, Ueno would live and serve the doctor like a god.

"What is it?"

"Hiroto Goya has passed away, sir."

The doctor smiled. "Finally croaked did he? Well at least now we have a free cell."

"What will you tell Kurotsuchi?"

"Ah, I'll simply inform her that his lack of energy and inability to eat these past weeks had cost him his life. Or something along those lines. She won't pry too much. Hm… was he screaming?"

"Perhaps, sir. I couldn't hear anything, and the guard on standby hadn't heard anything either."

The regular guard for Prison Block D was genial enough. A touch absentminded, but that worked just fine for Tamura. With his noise-canceling headphones on most hours of his shift, and his eyes deep in his graphic novels, Tamura was free to do as he pleased down here with little fear of repercussion.

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing these cells are..." His eyes flashed with realization as an epiphany reached him. "... completely soundproof."

The old doctor was revived with newfound energy. "Ueno, my trusted bodyguard, do you have knowledge regarding if any of the heathens in this block can summon a flying animal? It must fly. Or at the very least, be able to leap over a mountain."

The behemoth of a man blinked in surprise. "If memory serves me right, a few of them are able to, yes. Or had been able to, at least."

"Bring me the files of every prisoner within Cell Block D from the other room, immediately." Tamura's grin was crooked. "I must take note of every combatant strength each of these filthy animals have."

"What are you planning, sir?"

His smile was nothing but pleasant as he nodded to his bodyguard.

"To become God, Ueno."

As the other man left his quarters to do as ordered, Tamura made a few calls. He needed to enlist the help of former convicts-turned-contractors that owed him a favor. His first step would be to redesign the former cell of Goya. It had to be designed strategically, be sound proof, and overall impenetrable.

Strong enough to contain a Kage.


"What do you think, Fuka-chan?"

The young teen observed herself in Mitsubachi's mirror, more than impressed with the intricate flower crown placed atop her head. The ring of sweet-smelling daisies quickly began attracting a few insects to her.

"It's so pretty, Mitsubachi-san," she replied with a light gasp. "Thank you so much."

"Oh, but of course! You are just too sweet, you know that? I'm glad you actually like stopping by here. It's been kind of lonely as of late."

Mitsubachi continued on with her own flower crown, fingers quickly moving to interlock the stems of the daisies together and loop them. Over the past few weeks, she had become accustomed to Fuka's little surprise visits every now and then.

The Kamizuru had the strongest notion that the young teen simply liked having another feminine figure to talk to. With her Aburame boyfriend not having enough time to stop by and visit because of work, visits from his sweetheart of a younger cousin were like a breath of fresh air.

"You and Shino-nii aren't arguing, are you?"

"No, no. Nothing like that," Mitsubachi reassured, inwardly laughing at the narrowed expression on the young teen's face. "Your cousin's been very busy with work, so he hasn't had much time to visit me. He told me he would be, so I'm not too worried."

"... Are you ok?"

"What? Why wouldn't I be ok?"

"You aren't getting bored of him, are you?"

Mitsubachi reached out and gave the young Aburame a shake to the shoulder. "I still like your cousin very much, Fuka-chan."

That gave her some relief. On her first visit to Mitsubachi's store alone, the young teen was able to read in-between the lines and decipher that the two of them were dating rather easily. Shino-sama and Mitsubachi-san were keeping their relationship private for now, and Fuka promised she wouldn't tell anyone if she could keep coming to the store.

It was nice being able to talk to another lady like this. One that was so extraverted and bubbly and didn't mind reaching out to touch Fuka or brush her hair.

Her other aunties—Aburame or married into the family—were always so quiet and distant, greeting her formally because of the high position of her grandpa on the elder council. Fuka had no room to complain, she was quiet herself.

But the sociable, easy-going nature of her unofficially adopted older sister was a nice touch. Mitsubachi taught her about properly taking care of her hair, which flowers were which, how to garden, and even talked to her about some of the boys Fuka had been somewhat interested in. Things she could never talk to her brother or grandpa about.

And even better, the woman didn't mind at all when Fuka went on long tangents about specific insects she had found. It felt nice to have someone actively listen to you and not shut down things you enjoyed, even if they were considered creepy.

"Good," she stated quietly.

"Mmm, invested in my love life, are you?"

"I don't want you two to break up," the young Aburame admitted. "Then I won't be able to visit you without upsetting Shino-nii. He has a tendency to sulk when he's upset about something."

The Kamizuru laughed. "I've noticed."

"If you ever do, my brother is single," Fuka said plainly. Her voice was on the quiet side like any Aburame and tended to be a bit more flat, but there was the slightest tint of hope to her words.

"I don't intend on breaking up with your cousin anytime soon, Fuka-chan," Mitsubachi said in between laughter. "But I'll keep that in mind if it makes you happy, ok? Just don't tell Shino."

Fuka nodded. "Our little secret."

Before she could say anything else, a familiar voice sounded nearby. Only a few moments later did the man make his way to the small honey stand.

"Fuka," Shunji said clearly, placing a hand on his sibling's shoulder. "Grandpa wants you home for dinner."

"Ok," she replied plainly, getting off of the stool. She bowed politely to the honey vendor just as she always did when she was about to leave.

"Thank you very much for having me, Mitsubachi-san."

Mitsubachi bowed to the young teen. "Bye, Fuka-chan! Come back anytime you like, ok? And make sure you refrigerate that flower crown if you want it to last a few more days!"

She nodded quietly before turning her attention back to her older brother.

"Go home and get cleaned up," Shunji ordered. "And tell grandpa I'll be there soon."

Once the young teen was gone, Mitsubachi was left alone with the peculiar Aburame. She had never spoken with Shunji like this before and chose to tread lightly. He seemed like more of a wild card compared to Shino's other cousins.

"I just wanted to say..." There was a surprising splash of red on his cheeks underneath his tall collar. "... Thank you for being so nice to my sister. She really likes you."

"Aw, it's really nothing," Mitsubachi said with a smile, eyes focused on her half-done flower crown. "Fuka's a very sweet girl. And she's very lucky to have such a kind older brother."

Shunji nodded, taking his time to observe his cousin's so-called friend.

All things considered, she was pretty cute. He liked the way she smiled when she worked, particularly the unique dusting of freckles on her cheeks. He had only met a handful of people with freckles in his lifetime. Guilt pooled in his stomach that the first time they met, Shunji wasn't as cordial as he should have been.

"So, are you and Shino dating? Genuinely."

She looked up at him, the corners of her lips slightly curled. "What's with the sudden interest, Shunji?"

He paused, considering his words. With a shrug, he carried forward. It wouldn't hurt to try, right?

"Do you want to get dinner sometime?"

Mitsubachi's eyes immediately widened.

Wow, was Shino's cousin bold. Such a striking contrast to the rest of his family. She didn't say anything save for a few mutters of hesitant gibberish, and that hesitation told him enough.

"Just kidding. Don't tell Shino-sama I asked you, please. He would throw a fit and he's frankly a bit intimidating when he's upset."

The honey vendor laughed. "You move fast, don't you?"

He shuffled in place, leaning against her counter. "You wouldn't by any chance happen to have a sister, would you?"

Very fast.

She raised a brow. "I have a brother."

"Is he single?"

"Are you interested?"

He considered it with a shrug. "Maybe."

The Kamizuru rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Shunji. Don't keep your grandfather and sister waiting."

"You sound like Shino-sama," he commented with a snort.

"Less talking, more moving."

He smiled inwardly, slowly beginning his walk home. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Thanks again, Mitsubachi-san. Have a good evening."


Shunji was just about to enter his home, standing right outside the gate, but paused at the sight of his older cousin Tatsuma heading his way.

Walking alongside him was...

"Oh no, not you," Shunji groaned aloud.

"Quiet, you impudent little brat!"

"Hello, Genpachi-san," Shunji greeted flatly as the two approached. No point in hiding his distaste for the older man. He and the elder could readily agree that they didn't like each other. At all. How Genji managed to put up with his abhorrent grandfather was beyond him.

He nodded cordially to his older cousin in acknowledgement.

"Hello, Shunji."

"... What are you two doing?"

Genpachi huffed. "Well, I was just about to ask your responsible cousin here if he would be willing to stand guard at the gate during our Spring Equinox meeting. You know how important it is to the Aburame, or have you forgotten you're even an Aburame at all?"

Shunji ignored him. He frowned, obviously displeased. Behind his sunglasses, he glared at the clan elder.

"Wasn't I supposed to stand guard?"

Shunji absolutely disdained having to attend the Spring Equinox meeting. It was long, tedious, boring, and the worst of all required for all Aburame adults. The only ones that really needed to be there were the elder council, the head of the clan, and the heir. Maybe even Aburame members presenting who they wanted to marry in the future, but everyone else was inconsequential.

Shunji openly volunteered to stand guard every year so he wouldn't have to attend. He had a much better time standing outside by himself and communicating with his insects.

"Considering how you almost always shirk off the meetings, and how reprehensible your audacity has been lately, I found it better to ask Tatsuma," Genpachi said with a satisfactory hum. "Who has always readily participated in the meetings every year. Unlike you, Aburame Shunji."

His eyebrows furrowed, he turned to his cousin. "Are you serious?"

Tatsuma kept his features even. "Apologies, Shunji."

Genpachi's heart was filled with pure childlike giddiness at his victory. Oh, how he loved putting Sachihiro's little upstart in his place!

"We're all looking forward to seeing you at the meeting, Shunji-kun."

The young Aburame quietly growled, sending glares the elder's way as they continued on their walk. Just outside of his home, he cursed loudly.

He jumped when he heard the boom of his grandfather's voice through the walls.

"Aburame Shunji, you do not curse outside of my home! Now get inside!"


"We have a guest for dinner tonight," the clan elder said pleasantly, a stark contrast from his earlier reprimand. He sent a look his grandson's way. "So you two had better be on your best behavior."

Shunji bowed to the man sitting next to his grandfather at the table.

"Hello, Shibi-sama."

There was a slight lilt in their leader's voice. "Hello there, Shunji. Rough day?"

"I suppose you could say that," he huffed, taking a seat next to his sister. "It's very nice of you to visit our home."

Shibi considered his nephew for a few moments. He remembered how the quietly demure Fukashi—his recently deceased second cousin—had been completely head over heels in love with Shunji and Fuka's spitfire of a mother, pining over her every chance he got.

It took quite a bit of convincing from the council to allow them to marry, but the two absolutely adored each other.

The Aburame leader looked down with a hint of nostalgia and melancholy in his eyes. Oh, how their clan has experienced loss in these last few decades. However, looking at the bright future of the Aburame—Shunji, Fuka, and of course his own son—made the man a touch more hopeful.

"Shibi-sama and I ran across each other on the street, so I invited him over," Sachihiro spoke up genially as he unveiled the warm food on the table. "Next time, maybe you can invite Shino-sama over and we can all enjoy a happy little meal together."

The four gave thanks to the food before they began to eat.

"Now, what was all that commotion we heard outside earlier, Shunji?"

The young Aburame pouted as he helped himself to the rice. "The ever-kind Genpachi-san told me I'm not standing guard at the gate for the Spring Equinox Meeting. Tatsuma is."

Sachihiro sighed. "I had a feeling he was going to be the one to tell you."

"What? Grandpa, you knew?"

"The entire council found it in your best interest to attend the meeting this year, Shunji. And I agree with that sentiment. It doesn't take a genius to know that you only volunteer to stand guard because you don't want to participate."

"Of course I don't want to attend the meeting. I don't need to be there," he grumbled under his breath.

Fuka looked between her grandfather and brother, watching as their bickering escalated. She was used to their occasional arguments—never very serious in all honesty—but she worried over what their guest might think.

Her eyes looked over to Shibi-sama, who glanced her way with an amused smile before returning his attention back to the grandson and grandfather currently arguing.

It had been awhile since he's had dinner in such a lively home.

"—And you don't even take standing guard seriously," Sachihiro interjected. "You doze off and leave when you aren't supposed to."

"So it's a crime to use the bathroom?"

"Of course not, but you're supposed to tell someone and have them take over for you when you leave, dearest grandson of mine," Sachihiro said with a forced smile.

"Who's going to spy on our meetings in the first place? Hardly anyone in the village knows where the Aburame compound is, and if they do, they avoid it like the plague altogether," Shunji pointed out. "What do we even need a guard for? The Kamizuru?"

Sachihiro ignored his grandson and turned towards their guest.

"Apologies, Shibi-sama. Things tend to get rather lively in our household."

Shibi looked up from his meal, amusement still obvious in the way the man's smile formed underneath his tall collar. He chewed slowly and swallowed.

"If it makes you feel any better, you may find the main topic of this year's meeting rather interesting Shunji."

The younger Aburame looked at their leader cautiously. "... Why is that, Shibi-sama?"

"As it is, the most heavily debated topic among the council currently is my son's intended plan for wedding and having children."

Shunji leaned forward. Now that caught his attention. "Really?"

"Really."

Sachihiro hummed. "Even outside of talks amongst the main elder council, other Aburame denizens are beginning to grow nervous that our Shino-sama won't find a suitable bride to carry on the position of clan head. The most important role of our family."

Shunji fought the urge to grit his teeth and murmur pity for his cousin. Shino certainly wasn't going to be happy to hear the news, and neither was his little girlfriend.

Why they were keeping their obvious relationship—well obvious to him—a secret was beyond him. He had no doubt that the council would accept Mitsubachi into their clan with no hesitation. She was employed, genial, and responsible.

"So... what? What's the council's solution, then?"

Both Sachihiro and Shibi let out a sigh of defeat.

"Likely…" Shibi began. "… An arranged marriage—"

"—No! You can't!"

The three of them looked with shock at the unexpected outburst from the youngest Aburame in the room.

"Fuka," Sachihiro addressed in concern. "What's wrong?"

"You can't arrange a marriage for Shino-nii grandpa, you can't," she cried out. She felt her brother place a comforting hand over hers underneath the table.

"There is no other option, Fuka," Shibi said with a tinge of sadness in his words. It was criminal that his son had to be wed against his own will. He couldn't even defend himself at this moment, like the four of them were speaking about a ghost.

"Come Spring, arrangements will be planned to look for suitable clan heiresses within Konoha or clans from other villages. Unless of course, he manages to introduce the council to a suitable woman before then."

Fuka looked down at her unfinished meal, feeling the ails of discontent creep inside of her. She didn't want Shino-sama to marry some unknown woman against his will. She didn't want him to live unhappily because of the council. Shino already had someone.

The youngest Aburame fought the urge to vent her frustrations. Why did Shino and Mitsubachi have to keep their relationship private?

"I know you feel bad for your cousin, Fuka," Shibi stated, trying to be as comforting as he possibly could. "But Shino understands that this is his role. And I know he will try to fight the council on this, but the fact of the matter is that he can't simply disregard his responsibility to his clan anymore—his family."

Fuka kept her head lowered, nodding forlornly to her clan leader. Quietly, she inquired when he was planning on telling her older cousin.

"On his next birthday," Shibi answered after a long pause of thought. "I want my son to have a year of ease and enjoy his work—enjoy his life as a bachelor before being thrown into his full responsibilities."

"He's going to fight you on that matter, Shibi-sama. Try to let him down gently. This is what is best for everyone."

All the leader of the Aburame did—all he could do—was nod quietly and accept.

It was what was best, after all. What was best for the clan was best for his son. That's what his own father taught him. Shino would learn to live with the choice and be glad he listened to his father.

It would be best for him in the long run.

… Right?


Aburame Tatsuma—one of the most quiet and somewhat off-putting of the Aburame cousins—stood hidden in the distance, camouflaged beneath the brush of the forest.

He watched her for quite awhile. The past few hours, the young woman did nothing extraordinary. She cleaned the counter of what looked to be an old honey store and spoke with a few customers.

He listed the interactions in his mind.

The first customer was an old woman accompanied by a small boy. Two regular Konoha civilians based on their greetings and speech mannerisms. They likely lived closer to this area considering the casual footwear and clothing they donned. The look of recognition on the woman's face when they approached told the Aburame she was dealing with a regular.

So. She had been in Konoha long enough to obtain regular customers. Perhaps a few weeks to at most two months. No longer than that. Tatsuma would have found out sooner.

Approximately 13 minutes later, a young man came and purchased a candle. Another regular, considering he had decided on his item rather quickly and purchased nothing else. He looked to have just eaten and seemed to be somewhat attracted to the woman based on the red in his cheeks.

Almost a full hour later, the last interaction was with someone Tatsuma recognized. The older gentleman liked taking small walks down this path, but had a tendency to get overheated and usually paused halfway just before the Aburame compound. He didn't buy anything.

None of the three people seemed to be linked together. Over the span of her three interactions, the woman had finished a flower crown. All daisies, freshly picked from the plants next to her store.

Tatsuma gritted his teeth. It wasn't her actions that concerned him. Not in the slightest.

No, what concerned him—bothered him—as he watched her move about so comfortably was the fact that a member of the Kamizuru family was stationed so close to the Aburame clan compound.

His home.

He had a feeling that one may have been in their midst when he first spoke to Shino on the night of the elder council meeting. Of course, Tatsuma had wanted to brush off the notion. There was no way his cousin—the heir of the proud Aburame clan—could have interacted with a Kamizuru and faced the rest of his family so calmly.

Perhaps Shino's kikai were simply in close proximity to a bee hive earlier and had the slightest edge to their movements. Or perhaps Tatsuma's own insects had become a bit rusty after years of retirement.

But sensing the microscopic disarray and heightened movement within Shunji's kikai confirmed his original suspicions.

There was most definitely a Kamizuru in their midst, and all of his senses pointed to this woman. Not just any Kamizuru, either. One that housed insects within her body rather than just summoned them. It signified to Tatsuma that she was in a position of prominence within their clan.

Tatsuma's kikai were unlike the rest of his clan members. They might not be as powerful and numerous as Shibi or Shino's, but they were finely attuned to the slightest changes in their environment. Even the most minuscule of shifts within other kikai and insects, from movement, noise, to vibration.

The years he spent with Root were used to breed his perfect, hypersensitive insects, selecting the most attuned to the environment while killing off the rest. How beautiful selection and evolution was.

He had been loyal to Root and loyal to Danzo once upon a time. However, of utmost importance to Tatsuma Aburame is—and always will be—his family.

His eyes narrowed on the pleasantly humming woman. He could sense her insects' aggressive thrum from here, but she herself seemed to display no outward aggression in the slightest.

He would not approach and directly question her. That was what a tactless fool would do. And with that in mind, he would not inform the council of his observations either. No doubt elders like Genpachi would stir up conflict immediately.

No, he would keep an eye on her. There was only one after all. A single bee was defenseless in the presence of a swarm of beetles. If she maintained her peace and stayed away from the Aburame, then her presence in the village would be one of neutrality. There was no need for a thoughtless battle.

While Tatsuma did indeed have his dislike towards the Kamizuru based on their history with the clan, he would not force her out of the village.

Yet.

He would have to see.

Slowly, the single Aburame vanished from the brush.


AN's: Sorry there isn't much interaction between Shino and Mitsubachi in this chapter, I wanted it to be moreso for conflict building! I intend to post the next one (which will be mostly romance) by next week tho ;)

Nolwe: It's always a pleasure reading your reviews tbh! I'm glad you still follow up with this story, despite how bad I am with posting updates LOL

Yakitori-chan: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love parallels in fiction, and when the Kamizuru were introduced as a parallel to the Aburame in Naruto I sprung at the opportunities for fics

Mercymadness: Gah, thank you! I promise a resolution will happen (there's just gonna be *spoiler lmfao* a lot of bumps in the road to get there)