High Priestess

Shino did not miss the hesitance in her saying her full name. Being the stubborn person he was, he told himself he would figure it out later. As for now, he didn't want to scare such a beautiful woman away. Smiling, he took her hand and finished walking her to the door, "There's quite an array of foods. Barbecue, spicy, mild, tofu," he shrugged, "You name it, Eri makes it. Since she's not old enough to run it by herself, she works with her mother, Ino, who also owns a flower shop, but they go back and forth between so not to neglect either work. They always have the restaurant going on weekends, though.

Shino frowned at himself as he opened the door for her. Why was he rambling on about nonsense? He was about to contemplate it further when Eri and Eiji ran Cho over. He was quick to catch her, and he looked sternly at his ex-student and current student, "Eiji, Eri, care to explain why you were in such a rush you knocked a woman down?" he stood Cho on her feet, but kept his hands on her shoulders unconsciously.

Eri blushed furiously, "Sumimasen! I've been summoned by Naruto for an important mission about a missing ninja."

"Eri, you're not a ninja anymore," Shino frowned, "Why...?"

"Because, Shino-sensei, I can track, and I was a ninja for a little while," Eri smiled, "It gives me a chance to help Kuroi, and thank her."

Shino knew Eri meant thanking Kuroi for helping Eiji out of his shell. He just sighed, "Is your mother still running the restaurant?" he prayed his luck wasn't running out.

"Yup! Though since she's the only one it's going to close down in about an hour," Eri frowned softly and played with the hem of her orange dress.

Shino wanted to hit something, but kept his cool, "Be careful, alright?" Eri and Eiji just nodded before dashing off. He looked at Cho, "Since the restaurant's not an option, how about I take you somewhere even better?"

"You just keep taking me around. I hope you are not trying anything." Cho teased halfheartedly. She honestly hoped that he wasn't sent after her.

Shino shook his head, "Is it so bad I just want to show you the best of Konoha?" He realized his hands were still on her shoulders and tilted his head, his expression puzzled. He was not one for shyness. If he liked doing something he did it, and holding Cho was quite comforting to him. He shifted so he could still hold her, but he could walk beside her. His arm secure around her shoulders, he started walking towards the gates only five minutes away.

"Cho, if I'm embarrassing you, just say so and I'll stop," Shino said politely, "The last thing I want is to make you feel uncomfortable," he smiled as the butterflies landed on his hand and the hood he had up. He decided it was a warm day, and the clouds were rolling in for a thunderstorm, so he would have no chance of getting sunburned, or if he did it would be light undamaging to his insects.

He took off his hood with his free hand and ran a hand through his hair, sighing contently as the warmth of the sun hit his face. He gasped softly and paused midstride as a butterfly found the soft skin it could break through. The butterfly itself didn't go in, but she laid her eggs and then, since butterflies never lived long after birth, it flew away weakly, disappearing through an alleyway.

Shino smiled briefly at Cho, "Care to wait here? I'll…I'll be right back. Look through the jewelry shop," he motioned to the one he spoke of, next to them, and then he stumbled to the alleyway himself. His kikachū were going crazy! He pulled his hood up and slid against the alley wall. Generally it took lots of time before a caterpillar turned into an adult, but with the way his Kikai were reacting, the time was quickened to about five minutes.

Weird things happened inside him he was only used to his Kikai doing, not Kikai coupled with butterfly. It…made quite the interesting combo. After a good fifteen minutes, his body calmed down and he took deep breaths. Now his body not only had regular Kaki, but tiny butterflies and the butterfly/Kikai mix. As of the moment, he cared not what they could do. He let the cycle continued as it always did throughout his years of life, having gotten used to the new flutters of literal butterflies in his stomach, as well as other places the insects could access.

Shino sighed and took his hood down, finding he was a bit more tolerable of the sun. Smiling he went into the jewelry shop, finding Cho looking through the butterfly section where there were butterfly earrings of all sorts and also tons of rings and necklace, even bracelets and charms. Noting Cho did indeed have a charm bracelet, he spotted a particular one he liked and bought it when Cho wasn't looking.

"Having fun?" he teased her making her jump and fall into him when she tripped, "I'll take that surprised jump as a yes." He felt his body grow warm, but it was soothing, a small hum throughout his body which relaxed him everywhere. Shino stood her straight, "Let's go. Where I want to take you is only fifteen minutes away."

Cho tilted her head slightly as she watched Shino leave. Feeling a bit awkward, she slipped into the jewelry store. All around her were many lovely trinkets and such, but something caught her eyes. Neon colors and even dull colors, all were painted on wings of butterflies. Necklaces, rings, everything possible had butterflies. Instantly intrigued, Cho wondered through the rows of tables and shelves.

She paused upon seeing a lovely designed jewelry box. The box itself was made of ebony wood with graceful white flowers painted onto the wood. On top of the box was a metal butterfly with neon blue painted glass wings. The butterfly was in fact her favorite kind, the blue morph butterfly. When she had lived with her family outside of Konoha, she had a box like it, however it along with her other passions were burned as punishment for refusing the 'honor' of being the High Priestess.

*Flashback*

Her bare feet padded down the center row of the family temple. Columns lined the aisle every five feet on either side. The smell of chocolate incense filled her senses as she stepped ever closer to the faceless statue her mother insisted on being a 'Superior One'. Truth be told, Cho never had believed the teachings seeing how there were too many unanswered questions. But that no longer mattered. After tonight, she would be the new High Priestess, the greatest honor to be given to a female in her clan.

And as with more honors in her clan, there was a price to pay. She could no longer be herself. She must act exactly the way she is told or it would be a disgrace. Also she was to be forced to marry a High Priest right after the ceremony. She despised this, but she had no power to stop it.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Cho reached the faceless statue. Her mother, Mariko (true village child), stepped from behind the statue holding… Oh no. In Mariko's hands was a jar of her precious butterflies. They fluttered around in their nervous, scared way.

"My daughter, you have passed the Trail of Hunger by lasting a month without eating any form of food. You passed the trail of silence by not speaking for a year. Now one last trail stands in the way of your honor and birth right." Her voice was a fake honey that she had learned long ago to see passed, "The last trail is the Trail of Fire."

The name alone hinted at the conditions of the trail. Cho kept glancing at the jar as her mother continued.

"For this trail you will…burn these insects as a sacrifice to the Superior One." the words filled the young priestess with heart stopping terror.

She swallowed dryly as she took the jar from her mother's hands. The High Priest that she was to marry smiled as he lit the altar where she was to murder her lovely friends.

She crept to the altar, her mind racing. How was she supposed to do this? She wasn't. She glanced at the side door not but seven feet away.

"They are just insects, my dear." her mother stated, beginning to become annoyed.

"Of course mother…" She readied herself and said, "But they are my friends and I do not want to be High Priestess!"

She bolted away with the jar in her arms. Her mother's screams of outrage were the last memory of that horrid tomb. She watched from the woods as her mother throw every last bit of Cho's possessions into a raging fire.

*End of Flashback*

Her hand brushed against the box in a dreamy state. She jumped as Shino's voice suddenly came from behind her.

Cho blushed at her clumsiness, and nodded. "Of course, I was just admiring this jewelry box. I had one like it once…Never mind me, though. Lead the way."

Shino noticed the way Cho had fingered the box and did not miss how she reluctantly pulled away from it. With a quick glance Shino saw the clerk smile proudly at him and then take the box as they were leaving, placing it behind the counter in a metallic maroon present box, one to be used when the time was right.

The Aburame led Cho out the door, and once passed the gate he took her hand and sped up, "I'm so very glad the sun is setting, it's even more beautiful at night," he smiled back at her as he lead her through the trees. He didn't understand why but he felt every fiber of himself and his insects straining to make her happy, "Cho, will you make a small promise to me?" he asked and paused after the time had passed, but he purposely took longer, taking her up a slightly steep incline, "This place is special…pure, untouched by any war that ever passed through here."

Cho, whom until then had been smiling, stopped, dropping Shino's hand. If it was untouched by war, she shouldn't go there. Even though she dishonored her family, they were willing to do harm to find her. She refused to bring war to an untouched area.

"Forgive me, but I can't…I…I just can't-" Cho pleaded slightly; however, she stopped when she watched as a flutter of butterflies floated passed her towards where Shino was leading her. One landed on her shoulder before continuing on.

Shino felt things click. The mission he had gone on, right after the newcomer had come to Konoha. He had been asked if he knew of any strangers, but instead of being honest, he lied and said he hadn't known. That was before he even found her. Now all his insects told him he needed to do everything in his power to protect her. He caught her hand again, holding it firmly but gently. Enough she couldn't pull away, but she would not be harmed, "Though insects are fickle, it doesn't mean my clan is the same. At least, I'm not the same. I had been talking to a friend of mine about love, and I had been wondering if I would find it."

Shino saw her eyes widen, "I'm not the type to beat around the bush when all the signs are so obvious to me. One of your butterflies hatched her eggs within me, now not only do I have butterflies, but a mixed breed as well as original Kikai. They're all straining towards you. Since my eyes met yours I felt this driving urge to make you smile, to make sure you were alright."

He didn't miss her frightened expression, "I just know what I feel, what I'm seeing and sensing," he soothed quickly, "You can trust me. Want to know why? Because my mission was to overlook the Aimi High priestess ceremony, but I had my days mixed up and arrived there late. The place was burned to the ground, and they questioned me ruthlessly. They even asked if there was a newcomer before I came." He let her go, watching her stumble, "I lied, and told them no."

Shino shrugged, "I know who you are, I figured it out when you stalled before. I still wanted to bring you here."

Cho turned her back to him. Every fiber of her being told her that he was being honest, but did she want him hurt? Was she even ready to being in a relationship with someone? Her heart screamed yes, but her mind whispered a nagging no.

"…How do I know that you aren't lying to take me back? I need proof before you try anything. I never want to go back to that place with faceless statues and trails of fire. I can't go back. I won't go back." Cho's voice cracked as her emotions ran wild.

Shino studied her for the longest time before he gently pulled her along again, and they reached the top of the hill where there was a river flowing into a waterfall. He lead her along a barely worn path and stopped again, turning back to watch her as the sun set behind the horizon, pitching them in darkness except for a mesmerizing blue-green glow behind the bushes and trees.

He smiled at her, "I dislike repeating myself, Cho, though I understand your worry. I won't put your in danger, at least not on purpose. I will protect you, and if protecting you means keeping you away from the Aimi village and those who hunt you, though it may cost me, I'll do it. You do not have to go back if your will to be away from it is so strong."

Shino sighed and held out his hand, where one of each kind of insect in his body flew out and to her, "Look…the butterflies are from you, and Kikai are mine. Look at what they created, Cho." There were some which looked like butterflies but the long body was covered in the armored shell of the Kikai. Then there were others that looked like regular Kikai but were colorful like a butterfly.

"I have no proof besides these amazing creations I didn't know could exist, and I have only the promise of my words and actions," Shino smiled sadly, "You don't have to trust me, just have a small bit of faith in me and my abilities, choudai?" he asked softly, "Give me that small fraction of faith, and I'll show you my sanctuary. I'll show you it anyway, but it'd be nice…to have some confidence in where any of this is going."

Cho gasped at the insects, holding out a finger to a butterfly that flew around her. It landed on her finger as light and soft as silk. "Beautiful..." she slowly moved her hand towards her face and kissed the wings of the strange, yet elegant, butterfly. A small shock slipped throughout her body. She shuddered, before turning her attention back to Shino.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's I'm not sure if I should...I don't want you to get hurt. Do you know what the punishment for speaking to a High Priestess without permission or being family is? It is thirty lashings with whips that have curved blades tied to the three ends. Your family may have a history with mine, but you do not know our ways." Cho winced, remembering on more than once she was forced to watch as some poor person was whipped. "I don't want anything like that to happen to you. I believe every word you said, but I…I cannot allow you to be harmed."

Shino smiled calmly, "Ah, but you're not a High Priestess, now are you?" he had felt the shock Cho had gained from the small kiss, and he steadily allowed more to land on her, lightly brushing their wings on her skin. He closed his eyes as he walked towards her, stopping only by feel alone when he sensed he was a foot away, "You completed all the trials except the last one, and ran. Technically, you're now a Rogue." He smirked gently and circled her, stopping behind her and he gently pushed her forward to the arch of tree branches, the veil of vines their only obstacle.

"Cho…this is a sanctuary. All things are void except emotions, the most basic instincts," He nuzzled the nape of her neck, "Step forward, and enter complete safety."

Cho glanced over her shoulder at the male before taking a step forward.