"Dakubachi Kamizuru," Akirabachi called him out, once she was sure the Kamizuru clan leader had a moment alone at his training grounds in the outskirts of the village. "A word."
"What is it, Akira?" came his cool-headed response, only half-listening as he went on observing the combat sparring of his fellow clansmen. "As you can see, we are preparing for a mission."
"You asked me to test your daughter for a match with the Kazekage," Akira said.
"Well?" Daku said, his voice neither rose or fell with anticipation.
"She has not been matched with the Kazekage. My jutsu revealed that the Kazekage is not destined to marry," Akira informed him. "It is not in his stars."
"And so, you both continue to disappoint me. How very unfortunate for her," Daku stated, his face having all the emotion of a dead cold stone. "I suppose she wins this fight between us then. She will remain a matchmaker under your teaching, I presume? I had hoped she'd join me someday, but perhaps it's better that we work away from each other, for her sake. After all, how can she bear her existence, knowing she brings great pain to her father's heart? As you know already, I have not done well with things that bring me pain."
"You swore you wouldn't handle things as you used to in the past."
"You swore you'd kill me if I ever brought down more shame on our clan," Daku returned, turning away from her in waning interest. "And so, once again, I leave my daughter's penance to you."
"I want you to break your promise to me, Dakubachi," she said, waiting for him to stop walking before she added, as if it were merely an afterthought. "Congratulations. You'll be pleased to know that though I could not match her with the Kazekage, I have discovered your daughter's true match."
Daku turned to face her again.
His golden eyes glinting under silver sweeping bangs.
"Ah, it seems my daughter continues to surprise me," he remarked, before turning back to the training field again. "Send a bee with the boy's clan name. I will make the alliance with him later. But now, I have more pressing business to take care of."
Akirabachi sighed deeply, burdened by the weight of her misfortunate news.
"There will be no alliance, Dakubachi."
Daku paused as he glanced over his shoulder at her again, peeved by how many times the Great Queen Bee had interrupted his glorious exit from this tedious conversation.
"Must everything always be so complicated with you, Akira?" he questioned her. "How can you have found her a match, but no alliance to be had?"
"Whatever it is you're doing now that you think is so important, it can wait," Akirabachi told him firmly. "You won't like what I have to report."
"I've received intel that the First Tsuchikage's scroll may in fact be in the Leaf, which as you know, lies the secrets of forbidden techniques for insect user ninja. Our predecessors failed numerous times to retrieve the scroll and restore our clan's power," Daku informed her gravely. "Do you mean to tell me that I should stop training for this mission to locate the scroll because my daughter's marriage is too much for you to handle?"
"By all means, find your hidden jutsu," the sarcastic Akirabachi bid him to continue. "But you won't have a clan to go back to when that girl unleashes a swarm on this clan like you've never seen before!"
"How long will you make me guess at this wretched boy's name?" Daku sighed. "I have no time for these melodramatics. Who did your jutsu choose as her match?"
"Aburame, Shino of the Leaf," Akira declared. "The son of your enemy."
"...What...what did you say?" Daku staggered. "Shibi Aburame's son?...But how?"
"I believe we're too late to uncover why how even matters. The past cannot be undone. What does matter is that she is now a threat to this clan. And she must be terminated," Akirabachi advised him. "Or you will never satisfy your revenge against your rivals."
"The Aburame clan?!" Daku demanded fiercely. "Is this a joke? How can she be matched with an Aburame? What proof do you have to damn her to that fate?"
"The Kikaichū in her dreams are an omen," Akirabachi said. "It can only mean one thing."
"That she will marry her enemy?" Daku questioned her fiercely. "Is that your only conclusion? All based on some girl's foolish dreams?"
"You fool! If you do not heed my warning, your daughter will destroy our clan, after becoming an Aburame herself!"
"I will not stand for this! You will remake this match!" Daku ordered her. "It must be a mistake! How can she have dreams about this insect if she's never encountered an Aburame in battle?"
"Because she is his soulmate."
"What girlish nonsense!" Daku raged on. "What am I supposed to do with that?"
"My jutsu specializes in soul pairings," Akirabachi defended her art. "When two names are recorded in my Scroll of Fated Souls, they share a bond superior to anything in this world. A pairing chosen by fate. With a bond that powerful, it is no wonder that two soulmates can share pieces of their world through an undying connection with each other."
"Do you really mean to tell me that fate did this?" Daku asked skeptically. "You expect me to make a logical decision for this clan and my daughter based on some primitive belief like fate?"
"My ancient art is the reason you asked for my help. How dare you insult my work?"Akirabachi declared. "If you're going to complain, then never summon me to help again!"
"I would rather die by 1000 bee stings than to join my clan with Shibi Aburame!" Daku swore. "I will never consent to this marriage!"
"Whether you agree or not, my jutsu has made my match," the matron bee said. "It is the will of fate."
"Wait, what are you doing?" Daku tried to stop her.
But Akirabachi was no longer listening as she did what she must, using the Queen Bee's Soul Paring sign to summon her Scroll of Fated Souls.
"There has to be another way!' Daku declared, knowing that try as he might, he could not stop her from writing his daughter's name next to the son of his enemy. "If you seal her name with this Aburame ninja, she can never come home to her clan again!"
"Their fates are sealed," the matron bee informed him. "She and Shino are destined to find each other. My match is made."
"Then unmake the match!"
"You know I can't," she answered. "I warned you that tempting fate was a dangerous game. It can never be undone. This jutsu is final."
"Then I'll hunt down Shibi's son and kill him myself!" Daku swore. "I won't stop until I've taken out every last one of those Aburame maggots! Until Shibi knows exactly what it means to lose everything as I have! When he too can feel my suffering, only then can we be brothers!"
"Then you should do it now," Akirabachi told him. "Because as we speak, destiny brings your daughter and Shino closer together. If you do not act quickly in resolving this little problem, it could mean another insect war."
"I'll kill any Aburame who comes near this village! Those termites! This proves they will never live peacefully with us," Daku raged. "All the more reason to find the First Tsuchikage's scroll of forbidden techniques."
"And what's to be done about the girl?" Akirabachi reminded him. "She can not stay here with us and draw the Aburame Clan closer to the village. If the fly contaminates the ointment, the whole ointment must be thrown out."
"Do you mean to say, that I must kill my daughter to keep her from following this path?" Daku's words were heavy. "No...I have given up enough for the good of this clan. I will not give up my daughter too. There must be a way to keep her from meeting this Shino Aburame."
"It is inevitable," the Queen Bee responded. "But the matter in which they meet may still be in our control."
"What-what do you mean? You said there's no way to undo the match."
"Hate is your strongest weapon," the matron bee answered. "A hate so powerful that it leaves no room for her to love him. That will buy time for your revenge. After all, a tragic love between them is much more desirable than a tragic loss to our clan."
"Then what must I do?"
"Send her on a mission to kill Shino Aburame," she suggested. "Convince her that if she does not agree, Shino will kill more of our clan. Just like his father killed her mentor, Naobachi. Until she defeats Shino in battle, she is banned from ever come home again. Exile her."
"You want me to banish my own child?"
"Naturally, she must have some kind of punishment for attempting to go rogue," Akira said. "Use it to your advantage. You'll find a convincing enough story to tell her."
"But he is a Leaf ninja," Daku argued in concern. "Sending her after Shino Aburame alone is suicide! She won't stand a chance against him."
"Then she will die," Akira laid it plain. "A necessary sacrifice for the clan."
"She's still my daughter," Daku objected. "She has not fought as a shinobi in years. We can not send her away without giving her a fair chance to die honorably in battle."
"I have a teacher in mind for her. Hachimitsu, my worker bee. He will teach her everything she needs to know about the Aburame Clan. Or at least enough to face Shino without shaming the Kamizuru name," the Queen Bee said.
"And what will I tell the others?" Daku wondered. "If the true reason behind her mission gets out, there will be chaos."
"No one must ever know about this match," Akirabachi warned him. "Not even her. If she learns the real reason why she's been assigned this mission, it will compromise our plan. Knowing he is her soulmate will only complicate things when she faces Shino in battle. It's best that he kills her, before she ever discovers this damning secret."
"I understand," Daku resigned reluctantly. "To protect our clan from the Aburame, from this moment on, she will officially be deemed a rogue ninja, and exiled from the Kamizuru Clan."
