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Chapter 98: A Crow and a Beetle Meet a Monkey in the Forrest

Normal P.O.V.

The sun was high in the sky, letting the Hidden Villagers know it was early afternoon. The end of the two weeks neared, and soon it will be time for everyone to return to their villages. Most of the villagers sighed in relief that their workload became easier. Others became bored from the lack of jobs. However, all could agree that they were happy the war was behind them. Luckily, at least two shinobis found other ways to entertain themselves.

In an open meadow, two friends lay in the grass. One searched through the different colored grass while the other played with a wheat stalk in his mouth with his eyes closed. A gentle autumn breeze made the multi-colored grass blades and leaves. The scene was something out of a fairytale book and held the perfect weather for hunting for bugs.

"Ah-ha! I finally found you." Shino grinned behind his trench coat's collar.

"What'd you find?" Kankuro asked without moving or opening his eyes.

"It's another type of beetle from the Kikaichū family. It is one of the main beetles associated with my clan." He answered as he allowed the insect to crawl along his fingers and into his sleeve.

"Ya know, Shino. You and I have been friends for a while now, and I don't think you ever told me what's up with your family and bugs? I mean, I know you use them to fight. But, like, what made you guys choose bugs of all creatures?" Kankuro asked as he looked over at his friend.

"They're easier to handle and use for recon missions. So my clan made an agreement with the Kikaichū beetles. The short version is that we allow them to use us as hosts, and we use them during our missions and fighting styles."

"Wait a second. You just said that those beetles use you guys as hosts, right? So, does that mean that you're hiding a bunch of beetles under your trench coat?" The beta male asked as he sat up with wide eyes.

"Technically, yes. Actually, the bugs live inside our bodies and feed on our chakra. In exchange, the beetles, like the Kikaichū, follow our every command without resistance. In fact, if you pay attention to some of my clansmen, you will see that some of them will carry jars of the beetles around. When the colony becomes too large for the host to handle, they can use the jar to have any excess beetles their body cannot hold. However, there are times when the beetles might retaliate against their hosts.

For instance, if the host consumes alcohol, it will make controlling their beetles harder. In addition, the beetles have been known to leave their host's body if they deem it unpleasant. But, most of the time, they are tame."

The look of pure disgust was on Kankuro's face as the wheat stalk fell from his slacked jaw. "Wow… that's… pretty freaky, dude. I mean, like… on a whole other level. Don't you guys feel them crawling within you?"

"No. you get used to it. We have entered this agreement since birth. So as one would imagine, it is something that the host gets used to quickly."

"Wow… so you've had beetles living inside of your body and feeding off your chakra since birth? And how do you use them to fight? I've seen you send them out to attack people, but that's about it."

"The Kikaichū beetles are useful in other ways. For example, our clan is one of the clans used for recon missions. Because we have beetles at our disposal, we can use them to gather intel and communicate messages through them. As for using them to fight, they become an extension of ourselves. We do not use them for focused, precision attacks. Instead, we use them to block off escape routes and surround the enemy. Once their target is within reach, the Kikaichū beetles jump from the host's body to devour their prey. My clan can also use them for maneuverability that we can't perform independently. They can also remove poison from our bodies, distribute chakra to the others, even if the host is weakened, provide excellent defenses, and create decoys to throw anyone off our chakra's scent. Yes, these beetles are magnificent. And these are not the only beetles my clan uses.

We use the other two beetle species are, the Rinkaichū and the Kidaichū beetle. The Rinkanichu beetle nano-sized, venomous beetles that destroy my opponent's cells. Unlike the Kikaichu beetles, the Rinkaichu beetle does not act independently. So, I have to physically touch them to be transferred to my opponent. The good news is that they can eat through other people's clothing. Although they cannot eat through mine because of its unique fabric, I must remove some of my clothing to release more. However, only two members of my clan can house such powerful insects. And unfortunately for me, they are sporadic within the Aburame clan. This brings me to the most deadly beetle known to mankind, the Kidaichū.

The Kidaichū beetles are literally called parasitic giant insects. Although they start off small like the others, this species can grow unbelievably fast and massive if fed with incorrect chakra amounts. Unfortunately, like the Rinkaichu beetles, these beetles are scarce among my clansmen. Unfortunately, there is a reason for this. As I have previously said, feeding the incorrect chakra to these beetles will cause a severe increase within them. The problem is that if they grow too large, then they will start feeding on the host's body. This works wonders when facing any opponent, but the host must be careful. One minor slipup in their chakra distribution, the beetle, will eat them from the inside out. This is why most of my clansmen do not want to house these beetles. However, despite the risks and dangers of this species, it's still one of my favorites."

Shino explained with a slight grin behind his high collar. But unfortunately, his explanation was not enough to ease the mind of the horrified puppet master before him. Kankuro visibly shivered as the feeling of disgust and the notion to vomit filled his body to the core. Nevertheless, he tried to remain calm so that he didn't upset his friend about his ability.

With the best awkward smile he could muster, Kankuro turned and faced a confused Shino, "Wow buddy, that's… a lot of information about your body, clan, and insects that I never knew I didn't need. Thank you for sharing that. Just promise one favor that you won't bring this up to any potential mates too early into courting."

"Why do you mean? You don't think any of my future potential mates would be interested in the history behind these things?" Shino asked with an eyebrow raise above his sunglasses.

Kankuro swallowed the lump in his throat before smiling and giving his friend a hard pat on the back. "Trust me, guy. No one, not even a guy, would want to hear it all at first. So you have to ease people into these kinds of conversations. It's like having the sex talk for the first time. You can't just throw a bunch of facts out there at once. You have to make them feel comfortable before dumping all of the information on them at once. Do ya get what I'm saying?"

"Not really, no," Shino answered cooly.

"Don't worry, you will find out one day."

"Hey, guys! Whatchya doing?" a female voice called out.

The guys looked up to see a beautiful, tan kunoichi with two brunette buns on top of her head and the deepest chocolate brown eyes Kankuro had ever seen before. Another lump formed in his throat as his jaw hung open.

"TenTen? What are you doing here?" Shino asked, not missing a beat.

"I came to look for a new place to train. But unfortunately, Neji is busy "entertaining, or he's getting thrown out of the hospital for trying to bother Sakura. Either way, I need to find somewhere I can be alone to train, ya know?" She sighed as she sat next to Kankuro. Then, after a few moments, she finally noticed his facial expression. "What's wrong with him?"

"I gave him the history of my clans and the beetles." Shino shrugged as he went back to searching in the grass.

"Ah, so he got you with all of his gross facts, huh?" She smirked as her soft fingertips closed his mouth. "Don't worry, in time, you'll go back to sleeping in a bed again without feeling like a thousand bugs are crawling on your skin."

"Sorry," Kankuro mumbled as a blush dusted his cheeks. "So um. I don't think we've met before. I'm Kankuro from the Village Hidden in the Sand. I'm also Gaara and Temari's brother." He introduced while scratching the back of his head.

"I'm TenTen, and we did meet before. It's been a few years, but it was at the Chunin Exams. Don't you remember?"

"What?! No way! I would have remembered meeting you if that happened."

"I don't think we've ever talked to each other, but I remember the day you guys entered our village. I also remember running into your guys in the Forrest of Death. However, you might remember me as the girl who lost horribly to your older sister in the first round."

Kankuro searched his memory until about three years ago, and suddenly the very memory appeared in his head. Then, without thinking, Kankuro smacked his forehead hard and groaned. "I'm an idiot! How could I forget that? I'm really sorry."

TenTen laughed as she shook her head and held up her arms. "Don't apologize. Trust me, it wasn't like I hadn't tried to get rid of the memory myself. But, I gotta admit, you guys are some tough fighters. I'm glad you're on our side now. And besides, Temari and I are over it now. We're practically friends. Or, at the very least, sparing partners whenever we see each other. Unfortunately, I have yet to beat her in a fight yet. But, I'm getting stronger and closer every time."

All Kankuro could do was blink as she captivated him with her smile. And before he knew it, he was smiling too. "Yeah, my sister can be pretty scary sometimes. I think Gaara picked up a few bad habits from her when we were little. But, underneath that cold, frightful exterior, she is a kind and sweet woman. Just don't tell her I said that." He chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't." Tenten nodded before getting up and dusting herself off. "Well, I guess I better get going. I'll see you around, Shino. And, it was nice meeting you again, Kankuro. Maybe we can spar sometime in the future?"

And with that, Tenten slowly disappeared from their sights and back into the village. Shino long since went back to searching for more insects, while Kankuro stared at where TenTen disappeared. Moments passed before he finally shook his thoughts free and turned towards his insect-loving friend.

"Shino, how much do you know about her?"

"Who TenTen? Not too much. I mean, I know that she's a little older and graduated the year before Naruto, Shikamaru, me, and the others did. In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say she's closer to your age. I also know that she does not specialize in jutsus because of her low chakra levels. However, she more than makes up for it in her taijutsu and sealing skills and mastery of weapons. If anything. I would say she's like the female version of Rock Lee."

"What about her family? What's their standing within the village?"

"Hn. From what I understand, her clan doesn't have that much of high standing other than the fact that they are the village's blacksmiths and part of the monkey family. Other than that, she allows her skills to do the talking. She's as tough of an opponent I have ever seen. I know she wants to become one of the Legendary Sanin. I hope she does one day. If you watch her in action, it's like watching a puppeteer work their magic."

"That's a weird analysis. Where did you pull that from? Your ass?" Kankuro laughed.

"It was not meant to be an analogy. TenTen has mastered her sealing abilities and can mask just about anything within her scrolls. In fact, they are why you'll never see her carry any weapons around. Just like how we use a simple sealing jutsu to pack bags for missions, she took it to new heights and learned how to seal her entire arsenal into each individual scroll. That's what makes her terrifying. You never know what weapon she's got hidden within her scrolls. And, she can actually summon puppets and equip them with weapons of their own."

Kankuro whistled as he sat back and used his arms to support him. "She sounds like a beast in battle. I wonder why we never heard of her before?"

"Probably because she isn't on the same scale as Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Lee, Shikamaru, all of our Jonin, the Hokage, the powerful clans, or even some of our villagers. But, just because she is not close to their level, it does not mean you can understatement her. She's one of the few "hidden jewels" within our village. Which, come to think about it, why do you want to know information on her anyway?" Shino asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"No reason." Kankuro shrugged before falling back onto the grass. "Just wanted to get to know more about your villagers and what it has to offer… that's all. Tenten. Tenten. Tenten. Hn. A fine name for a proper kunoichi, I'd say." And with that, the crow man released a long sigh and closed his eyes. The sound of her name on his lips and the gentle autumn breeze lulled him to sleep.

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Author's Notes:

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter with Shino, TenTen, and Kankuro. I wanted to introduce some insight into the relationship I will be developing in the future. But, don't worry, we only have one more chapter to go before we check in with our boys again. After all, Naruto Uzumaki needs his beauty rest, especially carrying all nine tails and the weight of being all the Tailed Beasts' Jinchurikis and the world around on his shoulders. But, I promise you it will be worth the wait. Have a Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!