A/N: All right all though this is not my first time writing fanfiction, it is new for me to post fanfiction. I would love to know what people have to say about this story but please don't just hate on me.
With that said...I have to say, and it pains me to do so...I do not own the Naruto Universe nor do I own any songs that maybe in here and I sadly never will...but I do however own the creativity it took to write this fanfiction and the oocs in it.
This fanfiction is rated MA or R for any language, violence, or sexual themes/content.
All this being said and done with I hope you enjoy reading Time never heals every wound!
End A/N.
Chapter 7: The Finals a wait!
In the month before the Finals Naruto left the village to train with Jiraiya, one of the Leaf Sanin. Before they left though Jiraiya had taken a look at Sasuke's mark along with mine. The news he shared was grim and frightening.
"It's Orochimaru's curse mark." We stood before the Hokage, Sasuke was dressed in a dark blue shirt that showed his neck and I in Itachi's old shirt. Sasuke had seen it and glare death towards me.
"Are you sure Jiraiya, because we know what that means then." I looked up at the Hokage.
"What does this mean? What's going to happen to Sasuke and me?" I asked my voice was pleading and frightened. Beside me Sasuke scoffed and Jiraiya sent him a look.
"Orochimaru will try to…collect you at some point. The curse mark puts his chakra into your body and sort of mutates you once it is activated. There is no way to remove it unless Orochimaru does it himself." I blanched at Jiraiya words. Collect us. His chakra inside us. Mutates us. No way to remove.
"Now don't worry yourself to much Mina. I'm sure we will stop him from taking you two." I calmed at the Hokage's words and nodded. The rest of the meeting went by in a blur.
"So what'd they have to say?" Kiba was walking on my left while Shino and Hinata walked on my right. I had just gotten out of the Hokage tower with Sasuke. He split the moment the sun hit is face. I walked over to my team and was now head to training ground six with them.
"That it is a curse mark made by the Sanin Orochimaru. It has to be activated by something apparently and it will mutate us somehow. Oh and there's no one who can remove it except Orochimaru himself." There was silence around us as I finished talking. Kiba looked pale along with Hinata while Shino looked angry.
Training was eventful and helped clear my mind. Since I was Uchiha Kurenai-sensei wanted to see how I did casting genjutsu. The others played as my victims
"Okay Shino since you're probably the easiest to put under you'll work with Mina first." Shino nodded and sat in front of me.
"Now Mina I want you to focus and reach out with your mind." I nodded and closed my eyes and focused of reaching out. Nothing happened.
"Alright Shino take Mina's hand and hold it in your own. Try to be as relaxed as possible Shino." I felt Shino's hand touch mine and blushed lightly. I focused again and reached out my mind.
Suddenly I felt it. The edge of Shino's mind. I reached for it more until I was firmly inside seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling what he did as well as what I did. It was a bit overwhelming to tell the truth.
"Focus Mina. Chose a sense and try putting an image in Shino's mind linked to that sense." I refocused and picked smell. I imagined we were in a field of wild flower right after it rained. I forced the image onto Shino and he jumped slightly.
"Shino what do you sense?" Kurenai-sensei asked.
"I can smell the scent of wild flowers right after it had rained."
"Alright good job Mina. Now try to add another sense. Shino tell me when something happens." I pictured the field and focused on the feel of a gentle breeze, the softness of the grass and flowers, and the heat from the sun. I could feel it all so I reached with my mind and pulled Shino in with me.
"I can now feel the sun beating down on me along with a gentle breeze blowing on my face. There's also the softness of grass and flowers touching my legs and arms."
"This is great Mina. Try another sense." I opened my sense of taste and imagined tasting fresh strawberries picked from my garden. When I could taste the strawberries in my mouth I pull Shino into the sensation with me.
"I…I can taste strawberries?" Shino sounded confused and I wanted to laugh but held onto my concentration instead. Kurenai-sensei told me to focus on putting it all together with the last two senses, sight and hearing.
This one took awhile as it was the hardest to create. I created the wild flower field in my mind piece by piece from the way the sun was positioned to the way the plants moved in the breeze. I painted the picture in my mind with me sitting in the middle of the field a basket of fresh strawberries next to me. I could hear the sound of the plants moving in the gentle breeze along with the sound of distant running water.
Next I opened myself and gently pulled Shino in completely. I placed him sitting next to me in the field. Shino looked around then down at the basket of strawberries. He seemed to be in a daze of sorts.
"Mina interact with Shino. He is completely under now." I nodded my head hearing Kurenai-sensei's world in my head. Shino looked at me then back to around the field.
"This is the place my mother used to take me. It is somewhere behind the Uchiha compound." Shino looked back at me.
"Why did you bring me here then if it is special to you?" I looked around the field and smiled softly. I looked back at Shino.
"Because you are special to me as well Shino."
Suddenly everything slipped away from me. Darkness took over and I felt myself falling backwards.
"Mina?...Mina wake up." I groaned and opened my eyes to see Shino and Kurenai-sensei looking down at me. I sat up and held my head groaning again.
"What happened?" I looked towards Kurenai-sensei for answers.
"You used to much chakra to create the genjutsu and passed out." I nodded and closed my eyes for a moment. My head was pounding and my shoulder burned where the mark was.
"Shino why don't you take Mina home so she can rest?" Shino moved in front of me and I opened my eyes to see his hand out stretched to help me up. I smiled and took it being pulled up into a standing position.
Shino ended up having to carry me halfway there because I collapsed. I protested against it but Shino didn't listen to a word I said. In fact he never spoke a word at all for the whole trip to my house. It was like he was in a daze again.
When we got to my house Shino set me down outside in my garden hammock. He then picked up the old watering can and began carefully watering my plants. I watched him work and soon found myself falling asleep.
[Shino's P.O.V]
I moved to water the last of the plants, some small green shoots sticking out of the window planter's box. My mind was in a daze as I moved. It kept replaying the same thing. Mina in the flower field. I know it was a genjutsu, but it felt real to me.
"Because your special to me as well Shino."
I looked over at Mina as her words rang through my mind. She was fast asleep on the hammock. Her hair let down from its ponytail cascaded freely down her body until it stopped at her waist. The shirt she wore, her brother's old one, rode up just a bit to show the pale skin of her side.
I blushed and shook my head. I couldn't think such things about my teammate…Could I? No of course I couldn't… I placed the watering can down and moved to pick Mina up. She was really light and small for her age coming only to my shoulder when standing.
I walked into the house and up the stairs. I stopped outside her door and opened it. I suddenly remembered the time Kiba had dragged me here to get Mina for training. She was nowhere downstairs so Kiba had dragged me up here and had barged into Mina's room. What we saw has forever stuck with me. Mina was fresh out of the shower and dressed in only a small white towel.
I had been so embarrassed about that happening and still was. My face was red as I set Mina down in her bed and covered her up. I brushed a few strands of soft hair from her face. Before I could stop myself I leaned down and kissed Mina on the forehead.
"You are special to me as well Mina." She stirred as I whispered that against her skin but before she opened her eyes I fled the room and left the house.
[Mina's P.O.V]
The day of the finals had arrived and everyone made their way to the stadiums. The finalists all lined up on the stadium floor. I looked up from my place next to Shino and Naruto. There had to be hundreds of people in the stands.
"Hey where's Sasuke?" I looked at Naruto who had leaned over to whisper at me. I shrugged and looked around the stands.
"I don't see your Sensei either." Naruto shrugged and we fell back into silence listening to the rules. Anything went as far as jutsu but we still were asked to try and not kill our opponents.
"First up was supposed to be Sasuke Uchiha vs Gaara no Sabaku, But seeing as Sasuke Uchiha is not present we shall postpone their fight." I blanched at the thought of Sasuke fighting Gaara.
"We shall start with Mina Uchiha Vs Yuri of the sound!" I took my place facing Yuri as everyone else fled up into the stands. Yuri was a small woman like me. She had green short hair that ended at her chin.
"Match…Begin!" I jumped back and activated my sharingan. Yuri jumped back as well and pulled out a scroll. I pulled out a kunai and watched as she ran though hand sighs. Smoke over took the stadium as a giant snake came out of the scroll.
I dodged as the snake lunged for me. I quickly ran through hand signs and took a deep breath.
"Kuton: Fire Style Fire Ball Jutsu!" Fire erupted from my mouth in a giant ball and headed for Yuri and the snake. When the flames died down and the smoke cleared they both were fried. I stepped closer and noticed it was only an exoskeleton of them. I notice it to late.
The ground shook and I tried to jump out of the way but was too late. The snake sprang from the ground and clamped its fangs down into my arm. I screamed out in pain as the snakes fangs retracted leaving two holes in my arm.
"You're done for kid. My snake's venom is now coursing through your veins." I panted and held my left arm close to me. I glared at Yuri.
"You don't get to decide when I am done." I rushed forward right hand running through signs. I jumped out of the way as Yuri's snake went in for another bite at me.
"Chidori!" I screamed as I plunged my right hand down through the snakes skull. It hissed and withered as my chidori fried its brain. Yuri screamed furiously as she kicked my side. I was sent into the stadium wall creating a crater where I impacted.
"I'm going to kill you!" Yuri screamed as she rushed towards me. I picked myself up of the floor and jumped away just in time. I went to do more hand signs when a searing pain in my shoulder brought me to my knees screaming. It was the curse mark.
Black lightning marks spread across the right side of my body as pain enveloped me. Yuri still came at me though. Suddenly I felt incredible strength bursting through me. Yuri moved to punch me and my body reacted on its own.
My hand flashed out and grabbed her around the neck. Yuri struggled in my grip but I couldn't let go. Tears fell from my eyes and Yuri passed out. I didn't want to kill her. I didn't want her blood on my hands. I didn't want another soul haunting my dreams.
Suddenly I had control again. I quickly dropped Yuri and her unconscious body fell to the ground. The proctor came and checked Yuri. He walked over and raised my hand declaring me the victor. I wavered as I walked out of the battle field. I took another set and found the ground greeting my face.
I was taken out the rest of the way on a stretcher. The nurses placed me on a bed in the medical wing. I immediately tried to get up. They pushed me down and healed my arm removing the toxin and wrapping it. Once that was done I was given crutches to hobble with so I didn't topple over.
"What'd I miss?" Shino turned and looked me over before moving over so I could sit next to him.
"Naruto is going against Neji." I looked at the fight going on down below. Naruto was being pummeled be Neji's gentle fist.
"They remove the venom?" I nodded still focused on the fight.
"Yeah what they could, which wasn't much. I was told to go back if I started feeling sick or delusional." Shino watched me intently.
"May my beetles try to remove the rest?" I looked at Shino with his hand slightly out stretched towards me. His beetles crawled over his hand waiting. I slowly put my hand in his and looked into his sunglasses as his beetles crawled over my skin. They seemed to melt into my skin going into my chakra network to get at the toxin.
"They will surface when they are done." I nodded and reluctantly pulled my hand back. Shino and I turned towards the battle field. The crowd around us was cheering and Naruto was standing in front of a knocked out Neji. I smiled and cheered for Naruto as he made his way up into the stands.
"Shino Aburame Vs Kankuro Sabaku!" I turned toward Shino. He stood up and walked down and out onto the field followed by Kankuro. The proctor walked up and stood in between them.
"Match…Begin!" Shino and Kankuro both jumped back. Shino readied his beetles while Kankuro got out his puppet. Their battle was long and taxing on both of them. Near the end Shino took down the puppet with his beetles and moved to attack close up with a kunai.
"Shino!" I screamed holding onto the railing as Shino was struck with a sword from the puppet. Kankuro was struck with Shino's kunai and both boys were bleeding it was only a matter of who fell first. Shino wavered a bit as Kankuro fell down on his knee then fell then rest of the way.
I ran down the stairs forgetting the crutches as Shino was declared victor of the match. I reached my teammate as he was lifted onto a stretcher. I followed him as he was taken to the medical wing with Kankuro.
"Uchiha-san please go back into the stands." A nurse said coming up to me.
"He is my teammate though!" I watched as they disappeared with Shino. I sighed and walked back to the stands. Shikamaru and Temari where fighting down on the ground floor. I sat down and watched half heartedly.
"What'd I miss?" I turned sharply and got up hugging the person before me.
"Shino!" He chuckled and patted my head. I let go noticing he didn't have his jacket on only a black t-shirt. I looked down at his arms and gasped. There were tiny holes all over his arms. I looked up at Shino to see him avoiding my gaze.
"What are these holes Shino? Shouldn't you get them checked out?" I stared him down as he took a seat and grabbed my arm taking me with him.
"They are for the beetles. They live inside my body Mina." I looked down at his arms and saw a small beetle crawl out. I gently placed my finger on Shino's arm and waited for the beetle to crawl onto me. When it did I smiled and lifted it closer to my face looking at it.
"Does it hurt? Then leaving and coming so frequently?" I watched the beetle crawl over my fingers.
"At first yes it does, but then you get used to it." Just then the beetles taking the toxin from me started to surface on my arm. Shino held out his hand and I placed mine in it. The beetles crawled over onto their master and I watched with curiosity as they crawled into the tiny holes. Shino kept a hold of my hand and looked into my eyes.
"You're not degusted by this?" He looked down at his arms then back at me.
"Why should I be? Its part of who you are Shino and you are my teammate." Shino opened his mouth to speak when the crowd erupted into boo's and loud screams. I let go of Shino and looked over the rail. Shikamaru was there with his hand up.
"He forfeit? He had the match!" I said in disbelief. Shino merely shrugged it off as I sat back down. Gaara was called to the base floor and we all waited for Sasuke to show up. Just before they defaulted the match there was a puff of smoke and Sasuke appeared with Kakashi-sensei.
"Late as always Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled from the stands. The crowd laughed while Kakashi stretched his head as he left the floor and walked into the stands.
"Match…Begin!" Sasuke wasted no time and went straight in for close combat. I shook my head at my twin's recklessness.
"You don't agree with how he fights?" I turned to Shino.
"No. Sasuke has always just rushed forwards not thinking about analyzing his opponent first like I do. When a match starts I give myself space and analyze the enemy spotting any weak points in defense and offence. Then I make my move going for the weak points on my enemy." Shino nodded watching Sasuke being flung around by sand.
"It is a smart way to approach battle unlike Sasuke's approach." I blushed at the complement. Turning back to the battle I saw Sasuke had finally managed a chidori. Shino and I watched on as Sasuke was getting more and more hits in on Gaara. The sand ninja wasn't happy about it either.
Suddenly a fine mist fell over the stadium. I stood up and activated my sharingan. It was a genjutsu. I turned and found most everyone passed out. I knelt down and woke Shino from the genjutsu. Just as his eyes opened all hell broke loose.
"Mina watch out!" I turned and block a kunai meant for my head with my arm. I winced as I dug it out of my skin. I quickly flung it into the person who threw it. They fell to the ground, dead.
Shino and I stood back to back fighting an enemy each. They both had sound headbands on. We took them down with some effort on our part for we were low on everything and both wounded. I panted heavily and looked around. I quickly made two clones and sent them to wake shinobi up.
I grabbed Shino's hand and dragged him towards stands that housed the other leaf shinobi. We spotted Kurenai-sensei along with Asuma-sensei and headed that way. We had to duck, block and dodge in coming kunai and other things.
"Kurenai-sensei! What should we do?" I shouted over the sounds of battle. Shino pushed me down in time to miss a kunai to the head.
"Evacuate civilians and the academy children!" Kurenai-sensei shouted back while sticking a kunai into someone. I turned and relayed the information to Shino who nodded and we took off.
Hours later we had successfully evacuated everyone to a safe location. I was bleeding in several places from kunai I had taken to block a child or civilian. Shino was currently wrapping each wound while we sat with the children in the academy.
"Shino, Mina we need you here now!" Kurenai-sensei's voice came in through the headset in my right ear. Shino and I stood and headed to the stadium. Once there we saw the giant purple barrier onto of the building next to the stadium.
"Sasuke has gone after Gaara and the sand sibling. Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru left after them some time ago. Kakashi just took after them as well." I looked to the hole in the stadium wall and headed towards it.
"Mina wait!" Shino grabbed my arm stopping me. I looked at him the back at the hole.
"You're in no condition to be fighting." I glared at him and ripped my arm free.
"That is my brother out there! Fighting someone who doesn't have control over themselves! You want me to leave him?" Shino backed off and I turned and fled through the hole sharingan active. I followed Kakashi's trail and soon saw him stopped up ahead.
I stopped on the tree branch beside him as he checked on Shikamaru who was leaning against a tree. I jumped when Shino landed on the tree right next to me. I looked at him in shock.
"I couldn't let my teammate get herself killed could I?" I scoffed at Shino but then sent him a sideways smile. Kakashi instructed us to follow behind him and to keep our eyes open at all times.
It took two hours to find everyone. Sakura was passed out on a tree branch and Sasuke was on a tree branch ten feet below her also passed out. Naruto was on the forest floor awake but not moving. Gaara and his sibling were gone.
Another three hours later found us back at the village and in the hospital. Konoha survived the attack but at a great cost. The third Hokage had been killed by Orochimaru. Now we were Kageless until a fifth Hokage was named.
The next day was the Third's funeral service. I dress in a long black flowing skirt along with a black long sleeved shirt. My hair was loose and hung down to my hips as I walked out of my house. I turned and saw Shino walking up also dressed in black.
At the service the Third's grandson Konohamaru held onto Iruka-sensei and Naruto while he cried. The time came for us all to place a white flower by hi picture and say a few words. When it was my turn I walk up and placed my flower down. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth as words to a song came to mind.
(The song she sings is Forever by rascal flats)
I finished my song with tears in my eyes and a pain in my heart. I turned around and was met with clapping. I stared at everyone as they clapped with tears streaming down their faces. I just took my place next to Shino and Hinata.
After the service I watched Sasuke walk out of the graveyard before I turned and walked toward our family's stone. I knelt down in front of it and took notice of the white flowers that were sitting by the grave. I knew Sasuke would never have done such a thing so I could only think of one person to, Shino.
I smiled and touched the flower petals just as it started to rain. I looked up at all the names etched into the stone and traced each one with my finger. My hand lingered over the names of my mother and father before it slipped off the stone and back to my side.
"Was that the song you sang at the funeral for your family?" I looked up at Shino. His hair was flat because of the rain and his long sleeved shirt stuck to his body. I shook my head and patted the spot next to me.
"I sang a different song back then." Shino sat down next to me. I looked back up at the stone.
"My mother loved white flowers you know?" I said while fingering the white petals of the flowers. Shino watched me silently for a moment.
"I did not. I just bought what Ino gave me." I smiled sadly. I had stopped bringing my mother flowers because it upset me that she couldn't be there to thank me with a smile.
"Thank you Shino." Shino nodded and remained silent. We sat like that for awhile until Shino spoke again."
"That song I heard you sing in your garden before, what was it called?" I looked over at him. I didn't think he even remembered the song I had sung on my birthday.
"My mother used to sing it to us when we felt sad or frightened even Itachi sung it to me on occasion. It's called Safe and Sound." I smiled sadly at the memory of my older brother singing the song to me on mine and Sasuke's birthday each year.
"I sing it on my birthday each year like Itachi used to do. Sasuke hates to hear it though." I suddenly sneezed and Shino stood up offering me his hand. I took it and was surprised to find myself pressed against Shino's chest.
"Don't stop singing it because of him your brother would disapprove." I looked up at Shino with tears in my eyes and nodded. He let me go and took my hand again leading me out of the graveyard. We headed towards a part of town I had never visited.
"Shino where are we going?" I looked up at the brown haired boy leading me.
"To my house so I can get a change of clothing." I stared at him. I had never been anywhere near Shino's house. No one on our team had.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to come along?" Shino merely nodded and kept walking. Soon we reached a small compound with gates around it. The name on the gate was Aburame so I figured we were there.
Shino took me through the gates and walked down the street headed for house at the end which was the biggest. I looked at Shino as we walked. His shoulders were pulled back and his face was blank. I looked away when we reached the house going inside.
"Shino you know the clan rules on guests to the main house." I looked at the tall dark haired man. He had a high callowered jacket like Shino normally wore. Shino nodded while staring into the man's sunglasses.
"Yes I am aware of them, Father." I stared wide eyed at the man before me. He was Shino's father!? And I was meeting him while looking like a drowned rat…
"Then may this be? She must be important for you to break rules." I looked up at Shino unsure if I should introduce myself or not.
"Her name is Mina Uchiha and she is one of my teammates." I looked back at the older man and bowed low to him showing respect.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Aburame-sama."
"Please call me Shibi, Mina." I stood back up and nodded. There was a small wrinkle next to his eyes what told me he was smiling. I knew this because Shino would get the same wrinkle next to his eyes when he smiled only it was less noticeable.
"What brings you two here Shino?" Shibi said turning back to his son.
"Change of clothes." Shibi nodded and walked off into a different room. Shino took my hand again and led me up a flight of stairs and down a hallway. We entered the third room on the left of the hallway. I looked around the room while Shino walked over to a dresser.
Shino's room was pretty plain. The walls were a cream color and the floor was a dark hard wood. His bed was up against the wall opposite of the door and right under a window that over looked the house's backyard. Beside the bed was a small black night stand that held a lamp, an alarm clock and a picture frame on it.
There was a door on either side of the room. I guessed one was to a closet and the other a bathroom. I looked down at the picture frame wondering if I could look at it.
"You can look at it if you want. There are more on my dresser if you wish to see those to." I jumped and felt Shino's warm breath on my neck when he spoke meaning he was either shirtless or wearing a low collored shirt. I went with the second option as I picked up the frame.
I smiles when I saw it was our team photo that was take the day after we became an official team, I had the same picture on my night stand. Kurenai-sensei stood in the background smiling proudly while the four of us stood in front of her. Hinata and I stood in the middle with Shino on my right and Kiba on Hinata's left. Shino looked as he always did and Kiba smiled a toothy grin with Akamaru on his head. Hinata had a shy smile on her face that was tinged pick and I was smiling like an idiot while I held my left hand up in a peace sign.
"It feels like this was taken years ago. Doesn't it?" I turned with the picture in my hand but found no one there. I shrugged and placed the frame down and moved over to the dresser where two more frames were placed.
The first was a picture of Shino and another boy. They looked happy from what I could tell. I smiled and set it down picking up the other frame. This one had a picture of a woman and a man in it. The woman was beautiful with her long brown hair that curled and her emerald eyes that showed love and compassion. She held a small bundle in her arms. The man was tall and had brown hair. I looked closer and figured out that it was Shibi in the picture. That meant that the bundle was Shino?
"That's my mother, Lilly." I jumped again when Shino appeared out of nowhere. I placed the picture down and turned to face Shino. He was changed out of his wet closes and into dry ones. His shirt was black and had a low collower with long sleeves and he wore simple clack jeans that fit him well. I blushed and looked away.
"Where is she? Your mother." Shino looked down and I knew she was gone.
"She was killed trying to protect me during the Kyuubi attack." I didn't think I just walked up to Shino and hugged him. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around me returning my hug. After a while he pulled away and cleared his throat.
"We should get going." I nodded and we were off towards my house after saying goodbye to Shino's father. When we got to my house everyone was there waiting for us. Shino started a meal while I ran upstairs to change into jeans and Itachi's old shirt.
We made curry and rice for everyone and sat it on the table. Naruto, Kiba and Choji all rushed in and took a seat. Sakura, Ino, Hinata and TenTen followed in after them. They were followed by Shikamaru, Lee, and Neji. I smiled at the two newcomers and sat down next to Shino and Sakura.
"Mina that was a lovely song you sang today! It was so full of sorrow and yet still so youthful!" Lee's voiced boomed through the house and I laughed and thanked him.
"I didn't know you could sing Mina." Kiba and Naruto said at the same time around a mouth full of food each. I grimaced but nodded anyway. Sakura and Shino sighed shaking their heads at the two. When lunch was through and plates cleaned we all sat back down around the table just talking and sharing our memories of the Third Hokage with each other.
"Bye! See you later!" I waved as everyone left. I smiled and closed my door. I slowly climbed up the stairs and walked into my room. I changed into shorts and collapsed onto my bed where I cried myself to sleep thinking about the Third Hokage's kind smile and hearing the screams of my family as they died.