I do not own Naruto
Thank you for your reviews wickedone43, logophobia, bloody cherryblossom14, charmedbythedarkarts. And I hope a week wasn't too long to wait.
twiggy-shino: Yeah, you were right. A little editing done and I hope it reads better now.
To leanna: In chapter 326 and 327 of the manga, Asuma dies by Kakuzu and Hidan, leaving Kurenai behind with a bun in the oven.
Well, kaotic312, it's not often put on the fansites, but Wikipedia says that Shibi carries a gourd on his back and there's probably a glimpse of it during the Sand-Sound attack on Konoha. Though there is speculation as to what is in this gourd. So far the leading theories are Kikaichu, chakra, sand, or clean underwear... I was guessing it held Kikaichu beetles, but spare underwear is always good too!
I had a lot of fun writing the second half of the chapter, because I had Garbage's "I think I'm Paranoid" blaring through my headphones.
Chapter Two
At the Haruno home, a tired Sakura turned out the lights while she walked through the small room. Her hand automatically brushed the old picture of a young and carefree Team Seven, unconsciously holding on to the daily ceremony. The pinkette slipped a light nightgown over her head, yawned wide, and stretched out her back before crawling under the covers of the twin bed. For a half hour, Sakura tossed and turned in her bed, trying to figure out why her mind refused to shut down for the night. She forced her bleary eyes open and looked across the room to see Team Seven smiling back at her.
Well, three people of the four were smiling back at her. The one person she would kill to see smile back at her, was glaring in his typical Uchiha manner. It made Sakura's heart sink once again and reminded her about the twelve year old girl that used to exist.
Once upon a time, she entertained herself with daydreams of Sasuke coming back from Orochimaru to ask for her hand in marriage. The two of them would have the perfect wedding, live the dream of the happiest couple in the world, and re-populate the Leaf Village with Sharingan heirs.
Yeah, that just about made her throw up too.
"God, how stupid can one girl get," Sakura growled to herself and pressed her eyes shut.
Sneering, Inner Sakura pulled out her hand and started ticking off all the other things Sakura had done a few short years ago, in the name of love, sweet love, 'Let's see there was when you sat every day at a zombiefied Sasuke-kun's side, only to have him barely recognize you when he woke up. And there was the time you tried to feed him in his hospital bed and he slapped the tray in your face. THEN there was Sasuke-kun's delicious birthday cake you slaved over a hot oven to make... THE BOY HAD LEFT FOR SOUND MONTHS AGO!'
"Okay, okay," conceded the pinkette, "I get it. I was a little hung up on him."
'A little? Girl, can you say Co-dependency? Say it with me, CO-DEPENDENCY!'
Groaning, Sakura stuffed a pillow over her head and tried to muffle Inner Sakura's anti-Sasuke ramblings. Not that she didn't deserve it, but she really needed her rest tonight. Shizune hinted hours ago that she might be assigned on an A-rank mission tomorrow and Sakura wanted to be at the top of her game. Unfortunately, the pillow only made Inner's voice echo all the louder inside her cranium. Throwing the damn thing across the room, Sakura lost her temper at herself.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut- Huh?" Sakura's head whipped around when something flittered from the corner of her vision. She sat up and searched the shadows for anything suspicious. Her hand instinctively reached for the kunai under the bed.
Nothing.
"Hmmm," the pinkette got out of bed and picked up her pillow, "I must be more tired than I thought." Then she heard the sound of soft wings fluttering onto her shoulder and a gentle hum vibrate in her ear.
"Eeep," she shook her head violently, forcing the insect to fly away again, "What was that?" Wary, Sakura lifted up her pillow like weapon and crept her way back to the bed. When nothing happened, she got back in the bed.
She fluffed her pillow while keeping an eye out for any more suspicious bugs, then snuggled back down, "Alright, I'm not picking up any hostile threats or any other chakra in the room. So it's just silly fly and if I ignore it, it'll go away. Ya' here that, bug-san. Go away!"
Nothing... Then a faint flutter came from her dresser. Her green eyes honed in on a single dark beetle resting next to her photographs. The room was barely lit with the moonlight shaded by the curtains and Sakura could barely make out the tiny creature. It continued to sit there, studying her as she studied it.
"What," With a raised eyebrow, she stared back at the beetle and for some reason she actually expected a reply of some sort, "I'd say take a picture, but you're an insect and you can't. So what do you want?"
Inner snickered at Sakura, 'You realize you're carrying on a one sided conversation with a bug, right?'
Sakura frowned back at herself, "And what makes you think talking to you is any different!"
This time it was the beetle's turn to raise a questioning antenna.
The pinkette floundered as she saw the insect take a careful step back, "Oh no! It's not what you think. I'm not schizo or anything. I just happen to have another personality inside my head."
The bug took another step back.
Sakura sighed and placed a hand over her heart, "No, look. It's me, but it's the part of me that wants to have fun... to do and say what I really want, but could never have the guts. Do you get what I'm saying?"
This time the beetle trotted up to the dresser's edge and gave the girl a friendly wave with it's antennae.
"But that's one of my deepest darkest secrets, so you can't tell anyone," she wagged a finger at the bug then laughed, "What am I doing? Who are you gonna tell? You're a BUG!"
Sakura sighed and pulled the covers over her shoulders, "Well, Bug-san, tomorrow is a big day for me and I really need to get some sleep. So I hope you don't mind if I nod off. Good night."
For another twenty minutes, the pinkette tossed and turned in her bed, trying to catch the elusive REM sleep she desperately longed for. Sakura repeatedly fluffed her pillow and shook out her blankets in an effort to get comfortable. Nothing seemed to be working and she continued to lay on her back, staring at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes.
Sakura blinked when she heard fluttering wings land next to her on the pillow. She turned her head to see the Bug sitting on her pillow and lifting it's wings in a strange motion, eliciting an airy tempo for her ears only. The insect's wings recreated a rhythmic pulse, not unlike a mother's heartbeat to her child. Soon a soft hum accompanied the beat. It was weird, but it was working. Sakura felt her eyelids droop and her chest become heavy.
"That's one strange beetle," murmured Sakura as her eyes close, "The next time I see Shino, I should ask him about a humming bug."
'Hmmm,' purred Inner as the image of the newly discovered dreamboat appeared inside Sakura's mind, 'That's right... Yummy, yummy Shino. Now that's someone I don't mind getting hung up on.' And for the first time that day, both Sakuras agreed.
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"Sakura-chan! Time to wake up," shouted her mother from downstairs, "The Hokage has just sent a summons and you're needed at the Tower immediately!"
Sakura bolted up in bed and threw the covers off, "Oh Kami! I gotta get out of here!" She quickly grabbed her clothes and ran for the bathroom.
"Okay, Mom," she shouted as she ran down the hall, "I'll be ready in a few minutes!" Sakura rushed through her shower, then brushing her teeth and hair at the same time, thanks to a shadow clone. Then she buttoned up her red top as she burst through the bathroom door.
Pushing chakra into her feet, Sakura bounded down the stairs, past her surprised mother, and sped out the front door, "I can't believe I slept right through my alarm! Gotta hurry! Can't keep the Godaime waiting."
The pinkette ran through Downtown Konoha, waving occasionally to friends as she hurried past them. In her rush, Sakura didn't notice that there was a tiny sidekick trailing behind. It wasn't until she was half way up the stairway when a familiar flutter of wings caught her attention.
"Oh hey, good morning, Bug-san," Sakura smiled at the beetle as it landed on her shoulder, "I've got a meeting with Hokage-sama now. You're welcome to tag along if you want. Then I can go looking for Shino and show you to him. He'd be interested to meet you."
The pinkette ran up the rest of the steps and rushed down the hall to the Hokage's office doors. She smoothed out her clothing and respectfully knocked on the double doors.
"Come in," came Tsunade's voice.
Sakura crossed her fingers for luck before walking through the door, "Good morning, Hokage-sama. I came as soon as possible." She stopped in her tracks when the other two shinobi standing in front of Tsunade's desk, turned around to greet her.
"Oh," Startled for a moment, she gave the Aburame Clan Leader a respectful bow, "Good morning, Aburame-sama."
She straightened up and gave the younger Aburame a bright smile, "Hi Shino! You're not going to believe this, but last night, I found this little fellow in my room and now..." She turned to look at her shoulder only to find it empty.
"Huh," the pinkette circled around and pointed at her shoulder, "I could've sworn he was here a second ago." Sakura blushed when the entire room remained silent and everyone watched her with blank expressions.
Tsunade sat at the desk and grinned at the Chuunin with a merry twinkle in her eye, "There was a fellow in your room last night, Sakura? How interesting! But as nice as it is to get first hand gossip, perhaps we should stick to the mission briefing."
She looked back up at the men, who waited for the flustered girl to explain her strange behavior, "N-No, you don't understand." She wanted to blurt out everything that happened the night before, but Inner Sakura coughed into a hand.
'Sure, tell them that last night you yelled at yourself repeatedly then told your darkest secret to a beetle that hummed a lullaby. That'll be one free ticket to the Funny Farm, please!'
Defeated, the pinkette slumped forward, "Hai, Hokage-sama."
"Very well," said Tsunade as she pulled out a couple of files and handed the young medic-nin one, "We're still waiting for one more person, but you can go over the information in the meantime."
Sakura opened up her file and quickly read through the papers. It was mostly the family history of a now defunct Stone clan. There were also pictures of three shinobi attached to the top the pages. She lifted the one of a woman with slicked back brown hair except for one pointy lock and a haughty sneer on her face.
"Kamizuru Suzumebachi," she said aloud and flipped the photo back around, "The woman looks like she would be a ringleader."
Tsunade nodded, "That's right. She claims to be the grand daughter of the First Tsuchikage and likes to act the part. We first caught wind of her ambitions five years ago, when they interfered with the mission to capture the Bikouchuu. I didn't take her seriously until recently when the Daimyou of the Bird Country sent us word about illegal grave robbings and that Kamizuru clan members, Jibachi and Kurubachi, may be involved."
Then the doors burst open with Sarutobi Kurenai panting through,"So, so, so sorry, Hokage-sama." The Jounin gave the medic-nin a nod of greeting before turning back to the Godaime.
"It's quite alright, Kurenai," said Tsunade as she stood up to hand the woman her copies of the file, "It was short notice and Raido said that you were looking for a babysitter to stay with Asuma-kun."
The brunette took deep breaths as she made herself more presentable then flipped through the pages, "Oh, them again." Kurenai grimaced as she remembered the task her students were assigned while she was forced to take on a more important mission. It looked like fate was going to give her a second chance so she could teach that Suzumebachi bitch not to mess with her students.
"Yes, them again," The Hokage walked back around to her desk, "And they're in the Bird Country looking for their ancestor's Forbidden Techniques. You and Sakura are to help the assigned team get those scrolls before they do. If you cannot steal, then destroy the scrolls."
"Understood," Kurenai shut her files, "So who will we be assisting?"
Smirking, Tsunade waved a hand to the two shinobi quietly standing off to the side.
Kurenai's crimon eyes widened when she spotted both Aburames watching her from behind their shades, 'Oh shit! I felt two other signatures in the room, but I assumed it was just Raido and Genma.'
The woman bowed deeply, "Forgive me, Aburame-sama. Good morning, Shino-kun." As she pulled back up, Kurenai risked a glance at the Clan Leader and waited for him to speak up.
Shibi should have been insulted that Kurenai didn't acknowledge him when she walked in, but he was more concerned about a tiny complication in the form of an enamored Kikaichu. He could sense the excited troublemaker now, trying it's best to escape the gourd. He didn't need this kind of distraction on a mission.
The man stood there in quiet contemplation, letting the nervous woman sweat before saying anything, "Hokage-sama... I understand bringing in Haruno-san with her knowledge of poison extraction and antidotes, but I fail to see the reason for Sarutobi-san. Perhaps someone else would be a better fit for this team."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. Luckily, she was prepared for this. It wasn't often that Shibi questioned her judgment, but his attitude yesterday hinted there would be some resistance.
She leaned back in her chair and gave the Aburame a penetrating stare, "True, Sakura's medic experience could come in handy, but that's not the reason why she and Kurenai were chosen. You said so yourself that the Kikaichu were unable to fool the Kamizuru insects and your infiltration failed. If you want to succeed this time, you'll have to target their human counterparts. That involves bringing in Genjutsu Specialists and Kurenai is one of the best."
Kurenai couldn't believe that the Hokage had to defend the decision to put her in this mission, 'What am I, chopped liver? The nerve of the man! I have half a mind to go right up to him and tell the bug bastard off!'
She turned her crimson eyes to look straight into the Clan Leader's ominous glasses and inexplicably, her courage flew out the window, 'Crap!' This was certainly a hell of a time to be intimidated by her "Teammate". Looking away, Kurenai felt her heartbeat racing as she focused on what the Hokage's words.
Shibi was also distracted when his beetles picked up the change in Kurenai's pheromones. He definitely sensed the spike of adrenalin in the woman, indicating she was gearing up for a "Fight or Flight". When he saw her defiantly glare at him, he guessed "Fight", but then she quickly turned her head in a sign of submissiveness.
Surprised he didn't get that challenge from the kunoichi, Shibi let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and turned his attention back to the Hokage's briefing.
From behind his own shades, Shino's eyes shifted between his father and former sensei. He looked over at Sakura and could tell from her nervous eyes that she also picked up the silent altercation between the two Jounin.
"And so that Kurenai can arrange a caretaker, you can start your mission tomorrow morning. I'm sorry I can't give you more time, Kurenai, but this is rather urgent."
Kurenai gave Tsunade a bow, "It's alright, Hokage-sama. I had already anticipated something like this and tomorrow morning will be fine." The Hokage gave the group a wave, indicating their dismissal and the four shinobi filed out of the room.
As soon as the doors closed, Shibi immediately turned on the brunette, "Are you sure you won't reconsider accepting this mission, Sarutobi-san?"
This time Kurenai openly glared at him and crossed her arms, "I am quite sure! Aburame-sama, do you really believe I'm not good enough for your mission?"
The nervous Chuunin looked at the stoic Shibi then the ticked off Kurenai and they slowly backed away from the line of fire.
"I never said that," corrected Shibi.
Kurenai huffed, "You might as well have!"
The Aburame took a deep breath to keep calm, then risked a step closer to her, "If I have offended you, I apologize, but this mission will require a level head and you might be more of a hindrance than a help." He carefully omitted whose head would be hindered, but he wasn't going to admit that. At least, not in front of her.
The brunette narrowed her eyes while stepping even closer to stare defiantly at the man, "Why Shibi, that has got to be the most sexist apology I have ever heard in my life!"
"Ah well, I guess OLD habits must be hard to break... especially for a GEEZER like myself!"
"What?!"
For twenty minutes, the four shinobi stood outside the Hokage's office with Shibi and Kurenai exchanging glares and barbs. Sakura was surprised that Tsunade didn't come barging out and kicking the bickering couple out on their asses. Subconsciously, Shino and Sakura continued to move closer together for comfort with the medic nin just barely brushing her hand on his. It wasn't until Shino felt his hand vibrate from that he realized how close the pinkette was standing next to him.
'Uh oh,' he thought, 'The damn thing is trying to escape again.' This morning he was a nervous wreck trying to figure out a way to get the beetle back from Sakura without looking like a stalker. Then Kami smiled down on him and had Sakura show up at the Tower with his Runaway Kikaichu. The second she bowed to his father, Shino snatched the bug before she stood back up. He hoped that his father and the Hokage didn't notice. If they did, not a word was said about it.
"Psst."
Turning to the pinkette, Shino bent down and whispered, "Yes, Sakura-san?"
"I was looking forward to a mission together, Shino," The girl leaned a little closer and her breath blew across the skin not covered by his coat, "But we might end up playing peacemakers on this one."
Shino felt his hand vibrate even stronger and one eye twitched frantically from the Kikaichu's wings tickling his sensitive palm, "Ah."
Noticing a slight strain in his voice, the pinkette peered up at the young man, "Are you alright?"
"Fine," he croaked then decided it was time to brave his father's fury, "If you'll excuse me. Dad, we're going!" Not caring about his father's reputation, Shino grabbed Shibi's arm with a free hand and jerked the surprised man down the hall.
Kurenai paused in mid-insult when she saw her young student suddenly overrule his patriarch in public. Both kunoichi watched the seventeen year old drag away the powerful Aburame Clan Leader as if Shibi was a fussy toddler.
"Wow, that took guts," whispered the impressed pinkette.
Kurenai nodded then suddenly felt a decade older, "Yeah... The boy has certainly grown. Uh, I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura."
"Alright, Kurenai-sensei," waved the Chuunin.
Daybreak found the Aburame men, Sakura, and Kurenai at the Konoha Gates, fully packed and eager to go. Before leaving the Aburame Compound, Shino wisely kept his beetle from invading Sakura's personal space by sealing it in a zippered pocket, while Shibi double checked his gourd and made sure there were no cracks.
With Tonton in her arms, Tsunade and Shizune walked up to the team with smiles, "Good luck! Good hunting! And don't get yourselves killed!"
The team gave the Hokage and her assistant friendly nods and walked away at a steady pace. The two women thoughtfully watched the group as they disappeared beyond the horizon.
"So what do you think, Shizune," said Tsunade as she scrutinized the backs of Aburame Shibi and Sarutobi Kurenai.
The bubbly brunette, tapped her chin in thought, "Well, I think it was a good decision not to let the rest of Team Eight go with them. Kiba and Hinata would easily have been recognized by the Kamizuru Clan. Not to mention, an excellent idea not to let Naruto on this mission. Suzumebachi would have remembered him most of all! Kurenai and Sakura will definitely throw those Bee summoners for a loop."
Tsunade frowned as she placed Tonton on the ground, "I wasn't talking about that! I meant Shibi and Kurenai jumping each others bones before the end of the mission."
"WHA-WHAT," Shizune's dark hair stood on end and she covered her ears in horror, "How? Since when? But she said?"
The Hokage wiggled her eyebrows and grinned, "That's right! You weren't there at the briefing. Ooooh, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife and the best part was, neither one knew it. Well, Shibi might have because of his Kikaichu, but he certainly looked to be in denial. Eh, of course if I'm wrong, there's always Shino and Sakura gettin' busy by the time they get back!"
"TSUNADE-SAMA!"
"Well, I've got a village to run, and I need more shinobi!"
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As the Leaf-nin walked along, Sakura and Shino found themselves glancing at Shibi on the far side of the road then at Kurenai, who stayed on the opposite side. Whether they realized it or not, Shibi and Kurenai kept a steady pace making their younger comrades between them a buffer.
Sakura tugged Shino closer to the middle and pulled a magazine from her pack, "I bought this yesterday. It's got some helpful hints on promoting goodwill among teammates."
Shino looked down at the folded over page and read down the list, "I'm not so sure, Sakura-san. For some reason, my father is still bothered about Kurenai-sensei being on the team. These ploys might not help."
"I didn't mean to use all of them. Just the ones we think will work," She stuffed the magazine back into her pack and pulled out a wooden stick on a small platform. There was a rope attached to one side of the platform and two rings knotted into the rope, "Number Six is a good one. A friendly game could vent pent up hostilities."
Sakura grinned brightly and hopped out to the other shinobi, "Aburame-sama, Kurenai-sensei, I bought this yesterday and wondered if either one of you could solve it?"
Kurenai smiled when she recognized the puzzle, "Perhaps, but maybe Aburame-sama should get the first try," and pointed to the Clan Leader.
Shibi kept his hands in his pockets and stared straight ahead, "Don't let me ruin your fun, Sarutobi-san. Ladies first."
"Oh no, Aburame-sama," sneered Kurenai as she picked up the puzzle from Sakura's hand, "I insist. Age before beauty." Then she threw the wooden contraption at the Aburame.
Without losing his stride, Shibi caught the puzzle with one hand, slipped the rope up and around the post to reveal the unknotted rope. He reset the puzzle then threw it back at Kurenai, who easily caught it and also solved the puzzle in no time flat.
"There ya' go, dear," Kurenai handed the knotted puzzle back to the shocked Sakura, who just stared at the toy.
Last night, the girl spent an hour sitting on her bed trying to solve that damn puzzle. She gave up after that since the wooden enigma was not supposed to be for her, but Shibi and Kurenai. Now she was faced with the damn thing again and worse, she found out it really could be solved.
Her pride at stake, the young medic nin narrowed her green eyes and held the puzzle up, "Okay, you're going down!"
Ten minutes later, Sakura was about ready to slice those rings off with her kunai.
"Would you like some help, Sakura-san," said Shino as he looked down at the frustrated girl.
The pinkette sighed, "I guess you know how to solve this too."
Shino shook his head, "No, but two heads are always better than one." He picked up the puzzle from Sakura's hand and carefully studied it.
With an idea popping into her head, Sakura lowered her voice and leaned into the young Bug Master, "Hey, would your beetles know how to solve this puzzle?"
"Let me ask," Shino lowered his chin as he conferred with his Kikai, "They said yes, but they're not telling because that would be cheating."
Sakura's cheeks burned bright red and waved a hand, "Eh heh heh, right of course," She shouted to the boy's shoulder, "Would never dream of cheating!"
She looked back up to see Shino lowering his shades just a bit to peer at the blushing girl, "Gomen, Shino-san."
Five minutes later, the Chuunin finally caught the trick and freed the wooden rings. Sakura sighed as she stuffed the toy back into her backpack and pulled out the magazine. The Plan A failed miserably as a team builder, but maybe something else would work. As the day wore on, Kurenai and Shibi were hostile as ever and barely acknowledged each other unless necessary.
When the team walked through a tiny village, they came across a quaint tea house.
Sakura pulled Shino near while pointing to the list, "Hey, here's a good one... Share a meal. Sharing a meal will open opportunities for conversation and help others become familiar with each other's likes and dislikes. Perfect for Plan B!"
"Aburame-sama, Kurenai-sensei, why don't we stop for some lunch," the pinkette patted her stomach, "I'm famished! How about you, Shino?"
"I wouldn't mind some tea," admitted the young man, "Dad?"
The older man nodded and turned to walk inside the establishment, "Very well. You are welcome to join, Sarutobi-san." He waved a hand for the ladies to go ahead.
Kurenai rolled her crimson eyes and brushed past the Aburame. As she walked by the man, the brunette caught the masculine scent of sandalwood mixed with cinnamon that made her stomach flipflop. At the same time, Shibi inhaled the sweet vanilla and orange blossom that seemed to emanate naturally from the woman. From behind his sunglasses, he watched Kurenai with trepidation for a second before walking to her side with the others.
Also trying to forget what she just felt, the woman thought she heard a strange pinging come from inside Shibi's gourd. Her suspicion was confirmed when Shibi reached around his back and gave the gourd a hard knock. The two shinobi cleared their throats and looked everywhere, but each other.
"There's a table," said Kurenai and pointed to an empty booth, big enough to fit four people. Before she and Shibi could take one step, Shino and Sakura rushed around the older two and squeezed together on one bench.
"Crap," spat the brunette while Shibi glared at his son. Slightly blushing, Kurenai slid inside the booth and Shibi shifted his gourd slightly so he could sit next to her. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for the cheerful hostess to come with their menus and take their orders.
"So Kurenai-sensei," Sakura smiled brightly at the older woman, "How has Asuma-kun been doing?"
Relieved to have something else to think about besides the handsome man sitting too damn close, Kurenai immediately went into proud mommy mode, "Oh, he's been doing fine. He's talking up a storm and loves giving Konohamaru-kun a hard time."
The hostess brought in a simmering pot of green tea and placed cups for each of them, "Here you go. Your food will be here shortly. Enjoy."
When the hostess left, Sakura turned back to Kurenai, "I bet you've got a ton of baby pictures of him, right."
Kurenai shrugged, "Actually, the boy is so hyper it's hard to keep him still long enough to get a good picture. Someone usually has to hold him down."
"Ah," said the sly pinkette then smiled at Shibi, "I bet Aburame-sama would know how to get a great baby picture! Do you, Aburame-sama?"
A smirk crossed Shibi's face, "Oh, Shino-kun was just as stubborn about pictures as any other kid, but I still managed to get a treasure trove." The man chuckled as he watched Shino's cheeks puff then choke on his tea. Shino coughed loudly into his sleeve and scowled at his father while Sakura worriedly patted the young man's back.
Shino didn't like where Plan B was taking this conversation. They were headed for dangerous territory.
Kurenai turned to the Aburame, "I would appreciate a few tips. It's hard to believe that Shino-kun could ever be hyper."
Shibi sat his tea down, "He wasn't, but he was good at hiding. If he ever saw a camera, the boy took off and hid in the most ridiculous places. When he was three, Shino hid in a laundry basket then fell asleep. His mother freaked until my Kikaichu tracked him down. I think I still have that picture with him snoring with his mouth wide open and a pair of tidy whities on his head."
Shino pulled the edge of his hood further down to cover his red face, but not before baring his teeth at Shibi. Sakura tried to cover her giggles with one hand, but her shoulders betrayed how hard she really was laughing.
Inner Sakura was already rolling around on the ground.
Kurenai openly grinned at the boy, knowing that no matter how big Shino might get, Dad will always have plenty of dirt. Luckily for the poor boy, the hostess arrived with their miso and dumplings.
The older Aburame continued to smirk at the younger, who was still balling up his fists, "Better eat up, son. The food's getting cold."
After their lunch, the four shinobi bade the hostess a farewell and all felt a little better with their full bellies. Shino and Sakura could tell that the other two were not nearly as tense around each other. Kurenai and Shibi still kept the younger shinobi between them, but there was no longer anger in the air.
When it was getting close to sunset, they were still half a day away from the city of Tanzaku Gai. So the group decided to stop for the evening and camp out under the stars. The Aburames left the kunoichi at the campsite to secure the area and catch some fish from a nearby river. When Shibi and Shino reached the riverside, Shibi released all of his Kikaichu to search the perimeter, while Shino opened up his zippered pocket for a couple kunai and trip wire.
As the men attached wire to some kunai, they didn't notice that two particular Kikaichu beetles ignored the Clan Leader's command and flew back to the campsite.
Kurenai had finished starting up the campfire and was setting up grilling spits for the fish when she heard a fluttering next to her ear. She spun around to find nothing.
"Hmmm... Oh well," Shrugging it off as a fly, she returned to sharpening the sticks with a kunai. This time the Kikai flew right into her face.
Kurenai skipped back and blocked the insect from her face, "Whoa! Hey!" She peered at the beetle until she recognized it as a Kikaichu. Kurenai didn't know if it belonged to Shino or Shibi, but if she had accidentally killed it, she would be in big trouble. She learned years ago that Shino avoided needless killing of insects and revered the Kikaichu beetles. She didn't want to get on either Aburame's bad side.
"Uh, hey little guy," the brunette nervously licked her lips, "Aren't you supposed to be with your friends checking the perimeter?" The beetle zipped side to side then flew closer to her cheek.
"No? Then what are you supposed to be doing?" Slowly backing away, Kurenai watched the Kikai circle around her in a strange pattern.
A few meters away, Sakura crawled into her newly set up tent and rolled out her sleeping bag. Then she pulled out the magazine and read down the list for anymore good ideas. So far only one had worked, but Kurenai-sensei and Aburame-sama were still wary of each other. Lying face down on her sleeping bag, she turned the page and was surprised to see a familiar beetle flutter right on top of the magazine.
"Bug-san! What are you doing here," Sakura sat up and cupped her hands to give the beetle a perch, "You left at the most inconvenient time, yesterday. But now that you're here, I can show you to Shino. That'll prove that I'm not crazy!"
Inner raised an eyebrow, 'You need proof?'
"Shut up."
Sakura scowled then turned back to the beetle when it rose from her hands, "Hey, where are you going? You can't leave now!" She reached out, but stopped when the bug circled around her in the same strange pattern it did the night before.
Outside at the campfire, Kurenai tried to gently shook the Kikai away, but it became more insistent in its flying, even coming into contact as much as possible.
"Hey, what the hell," The brunette found herself dodging and pushing the beetle away, "Stop it! There's no chakra here for you! GO AWAY, DAMN IT!"
"Bug-san, what are you doing," Crouching on hands and knees, Sakura swished her hair around when her little friend kept nudging and pushing the pinkette every which and way, "Eeep!" The beetle suddenly disappeared from sight, but she felt it land under her pink hair. It tickled the back of her neck and made it's way down her spine.
"WHAAAAHHH!"
The Aburame men jumped from their fishing when they heard the commotion coming from the camp. They quickly picked up the fish they caught and hurried back to investigate. When they arrived several meters away from the campsite, Shibi and Shino stood in surprise to see Kurenai cursing as she fended off a Kikai while Sakura's tent rocked around with her squeals penetrating the fabric.
"BUG-SAN! STOP THAT! THAT TICKLES!"
After taking in the scene, Shino and Shibi took a few steps backwards into the shadows then sat their fish down.
"Uh, Dad."
"Yeah, son."
"You're Kikaichu is flying around Kurenai-sensei."
Shibi shuffled his feet, "Uh... it is?"
"Yes, Dad. It is. Why?"
The Aburame cleared his throat, "Well, your Kikaichu seems to be tickling Sakura-san."
"I noticed this," Shino turned his eyes away from the shaking tent and glared at his father, "But what I don't understand is why. Are you going to tell me?"
"So this is the first time this has happened to you, huh," said Shibi as his fingers fumbled in his coat pockets.
"Obviously."
The older Aburame sighed and scratched his head, "It's possible that my Kikai's behavior was triggered by Sarutobi-san's flirting with me by mistake the night I came home late."
Shino shuddered in horror as the realization sunk in, "Kurenai-sensei flirted with you."
"By mistake," added Shibi, "We happened to be at the same bar and it was a little dark..."
"That night I said I didn't want details, Dad. And I meant it."
Shibi rolled his eyes, "Suffice it to say, I find your sensei attractive and the Kikai picked up her scent. And now I can't seem to keep the little sneak out of trouble."
Then they saw Sakura stumble out of her tent and shake her body erratically.
"I see that someone finds Sakura-san rather attractive," teased the older Aburame.
This time it was Shino's turn to sweat under his father's scrutiny and tried to change the subject, "Shouldn't we go down there and help the kunoichi."
"If we do, they'll want an explanation right away. Do you know what you're going to tell Sakura-san?"
Shino frowned and nodded, "We'll stay here for now."
"Good boy."
Sakura whined pitifully as she tried to get Bug-san out of her clothes. The beetle's legs felt like the tiniest feathers methodically hitting her skin. To hell with waiting for Shino, she just wanted to get rid of it.
Inner screamed inside Sakura's head, 'Water! Most bugs hate water. If you jump into the river, it'll fly away and leave you alone.'
"I can't jump into the river," squealed the pinkette.
Inner wiggled just as hard as the real Sakura and pleaded with the girl, 'Ya' gotta! This is killing me!'
As Kurenai and Sakura's shrieks and giggles echoed through the camp, the Aburame boys continued to stand under a shady tree and watched their teammates deal with their amorous harassers.
"So this is just the beetles reacting to our interest in them," grumbled Shino with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Shibi gave a short chuckle and looked at Shino, "It's a two way street, son. The beetles picked up the scent of a willing mate and reacted accordingly. And unfortunately, the Kikaichu don't understand the complexities of human courtships. They're more direct."
Proving Shibi's point, Kurenai gasped when the beetle made it's way under her neckline and happily hummed in her bosom, "GET OUT OF THERE!"
Wondering if his father had always been a breast man, Shino politely coughed into one hand, "How is one supposed to deal with this?"
To Shino's surprise, the wiser Aburame just shrugged, "I had hoped that time away from the woman would help the little guy forget. Usually, that's how I've solved the problem for years, but it was never this insistent... In fact, the last time I had this much trouble was when I met your mother."
"Okay, as I understand this," Shino said slowly as they observed Sakura wiggle around in circles while reaching for her back, "There is very little we can do to stop our beetles from bothering Kurenai-sensei and Sakura-san, short of exile or marriage."
His father watched Kurenai uselessly scoop his Kikai out from her bosom only to have it fly up her skirt, "Well, that or-"
With Inner at the helm, Sakura sped past the hidden Aburames, squeaking her little pink head off, "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"
Shibi nodded once, "Always an option, but I was going to say keeping both Kikaichu bottled up in my gourd for the rest of the mission."
"Unless we need your extra Kikai, then we're screwed."
Shibi was about to open his mouth, but his son cut in.
"Don't," Shino lifted a warning finger in the air, "Just don't."
Then the Aburames heard a splash from the nearby river and Shino was surprised to see his Kikaichu fly up to him, returning of it's own free will. It settled back inside his body with it's fellow beetles as if nothing had happened.
Shibi watched Kurenai scream one more obscenity before pushing chakra into her feet, speeding into her tent, and zipping it up. The disappointed Kikaichu hovered outside the woman's tent, humming it's serenade.
"Well, I better go down there and get the little romeo," Shibi grumbled as he picked up his string of fish.
Shino followed after his father into the campsite, then the young man's eyebrow rose above his shades as a soaking wet Sakura staggered back to her tent.
He tapped Shibi's shoulder and whispered, "Perhaps tomorrow night, we can stop at Tanzaku Gai for an inn. The kunoichi might need a bit of pampering to make up for tonight."
"Good idea," said Shibi as he snatched his Kikai before it wriggled it's way through a hole in Kurenai's tent.