#(kamakiri does it quieter)

[tentendeservedbetter]

home is where my team is - Chapter 2

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If he were to be one type of insect from the many flourishing ones on their land, he would be the Tenodera aridifolia - or a oo-kamakiri- a species of mantis that are native to the hills of the Land of Fire and stretches their grasp all the way to the river streams of the mountainous terrain of the Land of Earth.

With their varying shades of yellow-green to brown coat that helps them blend into the surrounding grass and sticks, the oo-kamakiri are renowned ambush predators amongst the insect class, known for not only their ferocity and ability to take down prey larger than themselves, but also their patience and perception that allows them to capture their target. Their large eyes allow them to have a sharp sense of sight, enabling the oo-kamakiri to detect their prey from a long distance, detecting them before the prey could detect them. They do not attack as quickly as most predators do, no; the oo-kamakiri take their time hunting their prey, waiting patiently and slowly approaching it, without giving the slightest hint of their presence, until they are close enough to attack their prey swiftly and mercifully in one swoop.

And while he would not consider himself ferocious, - far from it actually, he thinks he’s more forgiving than cruel-he does consider himself to be patient and perceptive, with a knack for recognizing and discriminating details pertinent to what a mission would call for.

Yes, if Shino were an insect, he would be a oo-kamakiri.

So how did an oo-kamakiri such as himself, with his patience and quiet nature, end up in a team with a boisterous and precarious grasshopper such as Kiba Inuzuka?

The first stage of grief: denial.

It must be a joke from the gods, right? Was Abura-Hime, their clan’s matron goddess, looking down at him from the heavens and decided that his fate was a road of unrest, with no peace to look forward to during his Genin days?

His list of classmates he did not want to be part of a team with was long, with Naruto Uzumaki being one of the top of his list, but he ended up someone just as boisterous, if not, more so than Naruto, reaching the number one spot.

Kiba Inuzuka was what Shino liked to call “a problem child”. And not a problem child, as in he had trouble keeping up with classes or have trouble communicating properly with others and come off as rude, no, not the mislabelled type. Kiba was more than able to communicate- and that’s where the problem lies. He was a troublemaker, through and through, with a mouth to match this, always causing a problem or two in class. He communicates too much, and he talks way too much for Shino’s liking. He was a brash, proud boy with a loud mouth, and he didn’t know when to stand down. He didn’t have a lick of patience in that tiny body of his, and he certainly lacked perceptive finesse required for a ninja.

And did Shino mention that the Inuzuka is really loud?

The second stage of grief: anger.

He clenched his fists slightly, trying really hard not to shake as he could hear the vortex of judging whispers, all directed towards him when his name was called out. Kiba Inuzuka is on the same team as the bug freak? How hilarious, they whispered, that Kiba, one of the coolest kids in their class, ended up with a weirdo like Shino!

Sure, Shino was used to being called weird. He knew he wasn’t like most of the kids in his class, hell, he embraced his differences long time ago. But now his weirdness wasn’t his own, for himself to claim and relish in; it was now a pity party for the young Inuzuka.

He had to keep calm. His emotions influenced the insects within him, and the anger and frustration he was feeling would only infuse them with anger, making them jump around within his nest of a body, and only making him more anxious and frustrated. This is what happens when you have a symbiotic relationship with another kind; it was not only advantageous relationship, but also a bilateral one, where if something were to happen to one, it would also affect the other. Emotions were no exemption to this rule; which is why he needs to maintain face, or else risk making the insects go berserk.

The only saving grace he could find from this team dynamic is the fact he was also paired up with an equally quiet classmate, Hinata Hyuuga. Though she is more of a pacifist than Shino would have liked, he knows that it would be easy for him to train alongside her, their temperaments quite alike from the years he studied alongside her.

“The Jonins should be arriving this afternoon,” Iruka said after closing the folder shut, at the end of the list. “In the meantime, we’ll have a break. Make sure to be back by 1 o'clock sharp!”

As they all stood to bow to Iruka, Shino had already been through the first two stages; and right now he was entering the third stage of grief. He pushed up his black, circular frames, his mind going into strategy mode.

The third stage of grief: bargaining.

While the rest of the class started to file out of the benches to get to the door or find a part of the classroom to eat their lunches in peace, Shino made a beeline straight towards Iruka, who had started to leave the classroom through the bottom floor’s door. He quietly jumped through a few steps, avoiding touching anyone in his path, and he tried his hardest not look back to the top floor when he heard a familiar howling laugh from his now teammate.

Iruka was already going the opposite way down the hall towards the teacher’s lounge on that floor, and Shino sped up his pace, trying to get close enough to use his normal voice. Shino was a boy on a mission; he needed to use the element of surprise if he wanted this bargaining to go his way.

“Iruka-sensei,” Shino started once he was right by Iruka, who jumped slightly at his sudden appearance, but he quickly straightened himself out when he turned around.

“Shino,” Iruka said kindly in his usual subdued tone, with a smile on his face. “What can I do for you?”

This is it. He had already prepared two arguments right after recovering from hearing the names of his new teammates that he could present that could potentially make sure Shino does not end up in a team with Kiba. Argument A would be to ask Iruka if he could switch spots with another team member; that way if he needed to give a reason, he could say that he feels that Team 8 would benefit from having a different team member. Maybe someone who is better with Taijutsu, as both his teammates are, and could balance out the team in that way.

And if that fails… there is always Argument B.

“I just have an issue,” Shino started as slow as he often does, in a calm manner. “With the team assignments.”

Iruka’s eyebrows slightly pulled in, but he attempted to stay open to the conversation. After all, this is Shino who was asking him about this; if it were someone out more audacious, he would have shut them down right away. “Oh?”

“I don’t think I belong on Team 8,” Shino continued, right to the point. “I don’t believe that my abilities would suit a team that is more orientated to Taijutsu, which I am not the best at. I feel that I would hinder my teammates potential to grow into their own talents. Is it possible for me to switch with someone else and go into a team so that Team 8 would have someone suited for their abilities?”

It was much more literal to the point than most would expect it, and much more detailed than needed, but Shino did not have time for Iruka to ask questions for Shino to elaborate himself on why he feels this or that way. Time was of the essence, and this was a time sensitive matter.

“You know that I can’t do that,” Iruka said softly, shaking his head slightly. “These team assignments were premade considering everyone’s abilities in mind. And if I were to change the teams at your request, everyone else would want to do the same and the teams would be uneven.”

Time for Argument B.

“Of course,” Shino said. “But, then, wouldn’t it be better if…”

I wasn’t with Kiba, specifically.

“There were more like minded people on a team? Wouldn’t that make learning more efficient for not only the Jonin teachers, but for us Genins as well?”

Argument B: Turn it around and point out that Team 8 would be more cohesive without the rowdy Inuzuka. Imply that Hinata and him (but mostly him) would be better off learning alongside someone quieter like them.

Iruka looked at him for a moment, arms crossed over his chest, observing Shino for a moment. It’s rare for Iruka to hear Shino say this much at once during his entire time teaching the young boy- besides the info dump the boy would give when prompted about insects. Iruka was the only teacher that willingly talked to Shino without Shino going to him first, taking an interest in his hobbies, and letting him do his own learning, without the constant helicoptering many teachers have done to him before. Iruka knew that Shino didn’t talk that much to begin with and he definitely didn’t ask questions often, especially not in a row; Shino hoped that this would be enough to convince his now old teacher to consider switching the teams around.

“Shino,” Iruka started after a pause, still in the ever gentle voice he used with students. “I understand that your team may seem disjointed at first. And I know you’re mostly saying this because Kiba is in your team.”

Shoot. He thought he was more subtle than that.

“But like I said before,” Iruka continued, keeping his eyes fixed on his. “We took into consideration all 27 graduates skills, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, and put you all together to make the team even in skills. We also do this to form optimal teams with the combinations given. Besides; your teammates are more alike than you would assume they are.”

“I’m nothing like Kiba,” Shino said courtly. He didn’t need to explain himself further. Everyone with a head would know what he meant.

Iruka looked like he wanted to say something; something very specific, like the secret to why they were placed together and why he was convinced that they were alike. Instead, he let out a slight sigh, and said, “If it helps put your team into perspective; your team was specifically handpicked by the Third Hokage.”

Shino blinked in surprise, though it was hidden behind the black glasses. Of course, the Hokage had to have a word or two about the team rosters, it only made sense; but handpicked his team?

Iruka continued, cautiously, “I’m sure the Third had his reasons for assembling your team the way it is.“

But what are those reasons, Shino wanted to ask, but no words left his mouth. Iruka wasn’t going to budge; he knew he wasn’t going to budge. A sudden swept of melancholy hung over him like a dark cloud over the realisation that no matter how much he could argue, there was no way to sway the results. What’s done is done.

The fourth stage of grief: depression.

“If it would help,” Iruka spoke up suddenly, Shino silence and blank stare a cry for help. “You have this break to get to know your teammates. Why don’t you go ahead and meet with them? Maybe you can get to know them better before you meet your sensei?”

“…Perhaps,” Shino said dully after a moment, and Iruka smiled softly.

“You never know how you would get along with your teammates until you get to know them as such,” Iruka said. “It’s worth a try- what do you have to lose?”

My sanity.

Shino nodded slightly, knowing the conversation was as good as over. “Nothing, I assume.”

“Nothing indeed,” Iruka said nodding with him. He then leaned in, and said in a low voice, for only Shino to hear, “Shino, as a Shinobi, you have to be adaptable to any situation. And that includes adapting to the different people that you work with. The same goes for them too; all of you have to adapt to one another as you continue to train.”

He didn’t understand why Iruka was saying this, particularly in the hushed voice he made, but he just nodded. “I’ll try.”

Iruka gave him one last smile, a soft, melancholic type this time, Shino noted from the way his eyebrows were slightly curved in, but he simply said, “I know you will.”

He bid Shino a ‘I’ll see you around’, and waited for Shino to walk away to the opposite side from where Iruka was going.

Shino stood in front of the door leading into the classroom, and paused his hand over the handle. He started to shallowly breath, concentrating on his ears, to see if there were any more traces of someone inside the classroom, any laughter or talking or screaming.

There was nothing.

He wasn’t sure if anyone wanted to stick around in that classroom any longer- it was a remnant of their time as a student, afterall, and now they were full fledged shinobis, they were no longer restricted to the Academy grounds.

How was he going to get to know his new teammates if none of them were still there, though? He wasn’t sure how to track them down - he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to track them down though - and his insects would not be of any use because they were not familiar with their scents.

Shino opened the door to the classroom slowly, and flitted his eyes around the room quickly. As he presumed, there was no one left-

No wait, there was one person left.

There sat Hinata Hyuuga, on the top floor bench near the window, with a pair of chopsticks in hand hovering over what he assumed was a bento box, wide eyes looking directly at Shino.

When she saw Shino look at her with a quick lift of the head, she quickly looked away, as if flustered at his sudden movement, sinking into the oversized jacket she wore.

For the first time, Shino started to feel something that he hadn’t felt since he was the ripe young age of 7.

Panic.

He didn’t know what to say, and he felt like a spotlight shone directly on top of him, making his mind draw a blank. A million sentences swirled in his mind, buzzing about like the insects that were within him, bouncing off the walls of his cavity as a response to this onset of adrenaline. Lady Abura, why was talking to people so hard? It was so much easier to talk to insects, they would just listen and not talk back, they don’t ask too many questions, and they’re much more interesting than humans would ever be.

Breathe, he said to himself, taking a deep breathe, as he started to walk across the floor towards the set of stairs that would lead him to the bench Hinata sat on. Just say a simple ‘hi’ and 'how are you’. Yes, that should be a good conversation starter.

Once he reached up the stairs, he stood on the stairs that led into the bench, not entering and allowing space to be between Hinata and him. Hinata watched him questioningly and cautiously, as if she didn’t know what to say to him either. There was a beat between them, and Shino opened his mouth after another breathe.

“Hi are you.”

Fuck.

The first time he’s willingly talking to someone from his class and the first time he actually was talking to Hinata besides whatever class activity they were forced to do together, and he already fucked up one line.

This was going to be a disaster.

Hinata didn’t bat an eye, however, and she instead immediately said in a soft, small voice, “I-I’m good! How are you doing, Shino?”

“I,” Shino started, wanting to say badly 'I am not good’, but knowing that this is common courtesy, he said, “I am good.”

There was another pause as Hinata waited for him to continue, but again, Shino was drawing a blank, the panic still settling in and he could feel his heart beating faster and is his hands clammy or is that just him-

“U-um,” Hinata started as she set her chopsticks on the handkerchief that was beside her bento box, and instead started fidgeting with her two index fingers, glancing over at Shino. “So, Shino…what are you having for lunch?”

“Ah,” Shino replied slowly. “I didn’t pack anything today, but I’m not that hungry.”

“Are you sure?” Hinata asked, before abruptly paused, as if surprised that she was talking. She glanced around a bit, before landing on her bento box, a relatively tall and large square made of deep brown wood, and continued, “I have enough for two, i-if you’d like some.”

“Thank you for the offer,” Shino replied smoothly, shaking his head slightly. “But I wouldn’t want to impose; I see I interrupted you in the middle of eating-”

“Oh no, it’s fine, really! I never end up finishing my bento boxes,” Hinata said with a soft smile, as she started to shift down the bench towards the edge where Shino continued to stand nearby, bringing along her bag and lunch. “My…grandmother always insists that I eat more, but sometimes she goes a little overboard.”

Grandmothers…there’s something he can relate with her. The only one he grew up with was his father’s mother; from what he remembered, she was an aloof woman, who was apparently quite the terrifying insect-user in her generation. To him she was sweet grandmother, always allowing him to engage with her and show him the insects he had caught in the backyard. And she had quite the habit of feeding Shino copious amounts of food whenever he had to stay with her while his father was away on a mission.

Shino looked over the food Hinata had. There was the usual rice mixed with chopped carrots and edamame in the bigger portion that Hinata had only managed to get through one-third of. There was a salad in the corner, of spinach and tomatoes, and then there was a portion of natto separate from it. It didn’t seem all that much, though it was more than enough for one person to eat; but then Hinata lifted the box, revealing a second layer underneath, with a row of omelettes in segments and even more rice filled to the brim, with steamed vegetables tucked into any empty corner. Even Shino, who eats relatively lightly, couldn’t finish this, he doubts Hinata could either.

Shino then asked, gesturing towards a corner of the dish, “Do you like natto?”

“No,” Hinata said in a stronger voice, the first time he had ever heard her refuse adamantly that even he was surprised, but she caught herself, and glanced away, mumbling,“I-I mean, I don’t really…”

“Because,” Shino continued after she trailed off, seeing an opportunity. “I don’t mind having it.”

That was a lie. That was the biggest lie he has ever told thus so far; natto was the last thing he wanted to have, its pungent smell (and really, any strong smelling foods) making him feel nauseous, but he couldn’t help but say that. Why would he lie, unless he really wanted Hinata to get along with him?

Rarely did he talk to people. Rarely did he try to make friends. Other people were too different for him, it was hard for him to understand why they did certain things when there are other ways. He never made the effort during his years in school, and he never had plans to do it as a shinobi. He wanted to keep his relationships strictly professional; there’s no point in making friends with people, they wouldn’t understand, they always saw him as being too off without knowing him.

But at that moment, he could see himself very much willingly talk to Hinata, even outside of training. And that was something he hadn’t felt in a long time…

“Hinata,” Shino spoke up suddenly, feeling something in him pushing him to ask something of her, a first for anyone. Hinata looked up to him with curious eyes, as he continued after a hesitant pause, “Do you want to go to the rooftop? The weather is nice outside and…”

Oh Abura-Hime, he’s terrible at this, he could hear how his voice inflected in an odd way that made his rhythm sound off, and he didn’t realise his sentence has tapered off until a second after he stopped. But Hinata didn’t seem to notice how awkward he had asked his question, with pauses in between.

Instead, she smiled softly, and shook her head up and down slightly, making her bangs bounce along, as she said in a bit of a louder voice, “Yes, that would be nice.”

***

“So, you don’t actually like natto? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Hinata asked, concern in her voice as she tried to suppress her amused smile, as she waited for Shino to swallow a few gulps of water from the water bottle she had offered him when he had unwittingly started to cough uncontrollably, bordering choking.

“I…don’t know,” Shino admitted after taking a break from the water, his voice groggy and low.

They had made their way to the rooftop and found a bench underneath a shaded shelter that allowed them to look over the Village from where their Academy sat. They’re conversation started off as fragmented, one asking the other questions in odd intervals, but Hinata didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she was enjoying herself with what Shino had to say, feeling comfortable enough to start talking longer and longer. He had always thought that he was too blunt and too dull, that conversations would be hard for others to keep up with, but she listened to him with her full attention, even seeming fascinated whenever he spoke of himself. The conversation prior to his now choking incident were on the topic of hobbies they had beside training their respective clans ninjutsu, before Hinata remembered that Shino had not eaten yet.

He regretted lying to Hinata about liking natto, not expecting her to actually insist he eats something for lunch (specifically the natto, like he said he would), and he ended up swallowing the whole thing in one bite, not wanting to take in the taste or smell longer than he needed to. He underestimated his own senses though, and he started to feel nauseous as he chewed and swallowed quickly, almost gagging on the fermented beans.

“You’re already sharing your lunch with me, and I didn’t want to refuse what you offered.”

“Oh Shino, it’s no problem, really,” Hinata said, shaking her head, placing the lunch box between them on the bench they sat on. “Take whatever you like. I’m not going to force you to have something.”

“It’s okay, really,” Shino said, finally looking at her after taking a few deep breaths, repressing his churning stomach as he tried to have a calmer voice. “I didn’t even taste it. And I’m already full.”

“Didn’t you grow up eating natto, though?” Hinata asked curiously, as Shino straightened himself out by pushing his glasses back up and straightening his back.

“No,” Shino replied. “My own grandmother never forced me to eat it, because she knew I don’t like foods that have a strong scent. I don’t know why, but I feel weird when I try to eat something that has a strong scent, so I avoid eating anything like natto.”

“Do you like eating sweets, then?” Hinata pressed on softly.

Shino simply stared at her for a second. For such as quiet girl, she can actually hold a conversation better than he had expected. Maybe she had difficulty getting over the first part of having a conversation: starting one.

“Depends on the sweets, but I mostly like eating fruits,” Shino said. “Because it’s not too sweet for my liking.”

“O-oh,” Hinata replied, as she fidgeted with her fingers, glancing away bashfully. “I see…”

Now it was Shino’s turn to ask the question, not understanding why she said what she did. “Why do you ask?”

Hinata glanced around a bit, as if contemplating what to do, her hands hovering over her lap and towards her bag a few times. She finally made up her mind, and she pulled her bag onto her lap, zipping open the pocket to reach in. As she rummaged around, she spoke, “I-I actually stopped by the convenient store and, uh, I just g-got something, so I thought maybe y-you would want some…”

He heard plastic wrap crumpling as she pulled her hand out, nearly dropping what she had but she caught it with her other hand before it fell to the floor. Her cheeks started to flush pink by the slip of her hand, and she nervously squeaked as she squeezed the plastic in her hand.

Shino looked at what she held in her hands as she started to stumble over her words. Inside the square plastic packaging, there was a single cinnamon bun, a warm brown puffed bread coated in powdery cinnamon and a layer of translucent icing. The package was still warm from the time she had bought it, from the look of the icing glistening inside and the light cloudy film surrounding the bun.

“A cinnamon bun,” Shino noted, and Hinata stopped fidgeting about, but never looked at him.

“I-If you’d like, we can split it half. B-but, since you don’t like sweets, it’s fine…I’d just feel weird eating this alone…but it’s fine if you don’t want it…”

Shino didn’t reply right away. He didn’t get it; she clearly wanted the whole thing, but she was still willingly sharing her dessert. Not only that, but her lunch as well; albeit, it was a lot for her to eat, she didn’t need to share with him.

They weren’t even friends. They never really talked before today. They were forced to be on a team together. Why was she being so nice to him? They’re from the same class, she knows how the other kids ridicule him behind his back, and yet she’s being very kind to him.

Why wasn’t she weirded out by him?

“Sure,“ Shino simply said, a hand slightly extended out, as Hinata stopped glancing around and looked at him for a second. She quickly opened the packaging without hesitation, splitting the cinnamon bun in half.

She gave him the bigger half.

As they ate the bun, there was a silence that settled in between them. But it wasn’t like the first few pockets of silence that swelled earlier in their conversation, taking up room and making them feel uncomfortable; it was a nice silence, like they didn’t really need to rush what they were doing or saying to save themselves from embarrassment.

It was different.

It was nice.

Her kindness wasn’t demonstrative; it was genuine concern for others wellbeing.

Something that Shino wasn’t used to doing.

The bell from the Academy suddenly rang, indicating another hour was going to pass, a warning type, and they counted the amount of times the bell rang. It only rang once.

"We should get heading back,” Shino noted, as Hinata started to close her bento box with a lid, tying a handkerchief around it in a neat square.

After she packed everything into her bag, they both made their way down the stairs to their old classroom in comfortable silence.

They didn’t see Kiba until a couple of teams had already left with their Jonin-sensei, thirty minutes after when they were supposed to meet. He casually walked in with the rest of his usual group, laughing and joking about while getting a seat behind the rest of the students, not bothering to look at Shino or Hinata, who sat next to each other near the front row.

Or, he tried not to look over- Shino could tell from the corner of his eye that he was glancing over here and there, trying not to make himself look obvious.

“Oh,” Hinata whispered when she noticed Kiba sitting further away from them. “Do you think we should call him over?”

“Don’t bother,” Shino replied without skipping a beat, his eyes narrowing at the thought of Kiba. “He knows we’re here.”

The door to the classroom opened as a new pair entered the room, with a woman with long, wavy black hair entering first before a much taller man followed suite. Shino could tell everyone was ogling at the woman- and who wouldn’t? She was beautiful, with big, catlike eyes that shifted around observingly at the kids who were left, a long nose that suited her oval face, and lips marked in a scarlet red sheen.

Her outfit was…interesting, to say the least; she wore a sort of dress that went above her knees, her right arm covered in a long red sleeve that connected to her mesh armour that was exposed along her collarbone and the rest of the dress made up of wide, white fabric strips with brown lines running through the middle, with edges protruding like thorns. Shino immediately noticed how deep red the pupils of her eyes were, standing out against her pale skin and dark hair, making her almost seem ghostly.

The man, on the other hand, was essentially a tower compared to her, a good foot and a few inches taller than she, with a wider body structure that made him look powerful. His hair was black and short, and connected to the beard on his tanned face that is quite grown out, much more grown out than most Shinobi would keep it as. He wore the green flak jacket, the same one Iruka would wear, as well as the standard long sleeve black shirt with the red circle on the upper part of the sleeve. He interestingly wore a sash around his waist, with the Kanji for 'Fire’ stamped on it in red and encircled in black, as if he wanted to announce what land he came from.

“Well, well,” the woman started, her voice smooth and warm like honey milk, as she glanced over to her companion.“These are the fresh graduates, hm? Do you want to get your team first?”

“No, you can go ahead,” the man said as he shoved his hands in his pockets, his voice deeper than Shino had expected. “Ladies first.”

“How chauvinistic of you,” she replied with an eye roll, as she returned her attention to the students. “Alright; who’s part of Team 8?”

“U-uh,” Hinata started, raising a hand, while Shino half heartedly did the same. He heard Kiba say 'yeah’ and could only assume he did the same. The woman looked between them for a moment, taking them in, as she nodded slightly.

“Come along, then,” the woman said with an inviting handwave without another word, as she started to walk towards the door, without a second glance. Shino guessed she assumed they knew she was the Jonin-sensei that was assigned to them, and didn’t feel the need to clarify it.

“Let’s go, Hinata,” Shino said when Hinata didn’t move, as if she were confused as to what to do next.

“R-Right,” Hinata mumbled as she slid out of the bench, Shino doing the same behind her.

“Later Kiba!”

Shino finally glanced over towards their last teammate, who was giving his friend with the red hoodie a fistbump before shuffling down the bench towards the stairs that was against the wall with the doors, taking his time. His ninken, a small white dog who was no bigger than Shino’s forearm, sat on top of the mop of brown hair on his head, balancing still while Kiba walked down the stairs.

Shino could hear the man that accompanied the woman cleared his throat slightly, before saying, “Is there a Team 10 here?”

“You’re our Jonin-sensei, right?” Kiba asked as he reached the door, and she allowed them to stream outside of the classroom one by one. “Where are we going? Are we going on a mission right away?”

“No; I think today we should go somewhere to get to know each other first. We can start our duty as Shinobi tomorrow,” the woman spoke. “Are you alright with walking to a teahouse?”

For the first time that day, Kiba actually glanced back towards Hinata and Shino as they trailed behind him, making eye contact with them with a questionable look on his face. The sudden gaze made Hinata fluster, and she glanced away, while Shino maintained it, though Kiba probably couldn’t see through his dark lenses.

“Tea is good,” Shino spoke up when their Jonin-sensei looked over to them when there was no answer. “Because we already had lunch, something lighter would be nice.”

The dog that sat on top of Kiba’s head let out a bark, and he didn’t understand why, but the young Inuzuka didn’t bother translating for them.

“Right,” the woman said in a slow voice, her eyebrows pulling in slightly as if she were unsure. “Well, it shouldn’t take us too long to get there, it’s only down the road.”

“O-okay,” Hinata finally squeaked once her fluster settled down, but she continued to look everywhere except for Kiba and Shino.

“Are dogs allowed in this teahouse?” Kiba asked, pointing to the dog that sat on top of his head.

The woman nodded, saying, “Yes, it should be fine.”

Shino could feel an unsettling silence fell over all of them, and surprisingly over Kiba as well. Usually he was the one starting conversations, but instead he followed behind their Jonin-sensei in silence, with a scowl on his face.

Shino didn’t feel the need to talk. They all continued in relative silence as they left the Academy grounds, following the mysterious woman towards the main road.

***

“You three are the quietest Genins I have ever seen,” the woman noted as they all settled into their seats, two facing two.

The teahouse was more like a café merged with the concept of traditional teahouse. It was a relatively spacious place with with a rustic vibe, decorated in wood and cool tones. The walls, which were painted to appear like the typical paper type of a shoji screen, had dark wood beams shooting up in the typical in an old style home, with Ukiyo-e art decorated large scrolls that hung along these walls. The cafe aspect came with the rest of the furniture, most which were a dark wood to match the wall beams; there were booths with a table and benches to sit at along the walls, with a few tables and chairs linearly spaced along the floor.

Shino said near the window seat while Hinata sat next to him; Kiba sat opposite to Shino, staring out at the window without bothering to remove the scowl from his face, with the mysterious woman beside him.

“You all were in the same class, right?” the woman continued as she laid the menu out in the centre of the table for them to see. “You guys act like you’ve never seen each other in your lives.”

“I-It’s not like that,” Hinata started to mumble, fidgeting slightly with her fingers, her voice trailing off as Kiba immediately cut through.

“We never really talked back in the Academy,” Kiba said as he propped his head on one hand, looking over them all slightly before returning to his attention to the woman. “This is the first time we ever had to work together.”

More like the first time we ever really have to talk to each other, Shino wanted to say but bit his tongue.

“Ahh,” the woman said as she nodded, a small smile on her face. “This is good then! We’re starting off with a nice blank slate.”

A waiter a few years older than the Genin in a pale blue yutaka (that really brought out his brown eyes, Shino noted) came by with a notepad in hand and a smile on his face, as he cheerfully asked, “Hi there! Are you all ready to order?”

“We’ll just get something to start off. What do you kids like to drink? Sake?” The woman asked nonchalantly as she flipped to the back of the menu with a bandaged hand, where the alcoholic beverages were. “No, wait, it’s too early for that…Mimosas?”

Shino didn’t know how to respond to what the woman had just asked, trying to process how she could ask that question to them - a bunch of preteens- in the first place. He could see Kiba grin at her question, trying to suppress a chuckle. At last, the Inuzuka decided to actually grace them with his usual presence.

“I-I don’t think we’re old enough to drink,” Hinata managed to say, the tips of her ears turning red.

“Oh right, I forgot,” the woman said whimsically, disappointed in her eyes. “You’re all 12. Oh well. I guess we’ll just have a pot of green tea for now.”

“Excellent,” the waiter said, his smile never faltering thought Shino could see he too was trying not to laugh out loud, and he scribbled something on his notepad. “We’ll bring it right away!”

“Now then,” the woman started right as the waiter left, closing the menu shut and shifting her body to open up towards all three of the Genins. “How about we start with introducing ourselves? Just say your name, how you like to spend your time, what’s your strengths and weaknesses concerning your skills, and what you don’t like. Easy, right?”

Shino glanced over towards kiba and hinata, who all shared an uncomfortable look with each other, waiting for someone to go first. These questions were very specific, and Shino definitely does not want to go first.

“I’ll start, and then we’ll go counter-clockwise,” the woman said when nobody moved or spoke, doing a circle with a finger, starting with Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. “My name is Kurenai Yuuhi. When I have free time, I like to read and have an evening drink. Sometimes I like to go outside of Konoha to the hillsides to do a wine tasting tour. My Genjutsu is my strongest skill, with my Taijutsu being the weaker of the three skills. I don’t particularly dislike anything, thought when it comes to my students, I expect everyone to get along and put effort into their training.”

So she’s a borderline alcoholic, Shino thought, as Kurenai looked over to Kiba, smiling to him, “Alright. Go ahead. Tell us about yourself.”

“My name is Kiba Inuzuka,” Kiba started, a cocky grin growing on his face, his fangs much more noticeable when Shino was directly in front of him. He patted the dog’s head, the dog now sitting along his hoodie neckline rather than the top of his head, and he continued, “And during my free time I like to go on runs on the Kage mountains with my buddy here, Akamaru. I also like to hang out with my friends, and play football or train with them.”

Whether it was a pointed jab at Hinata and Shino, the Aburame couldn’t tell, but Kiba didn’t look directly at them when he said it.

“I wouldn’t say I have a weakness, but I wouldn’t say Genjutsu is my strong point,” he continued, glancing at Kurenai. “My Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are top notch. But what I’m really good at is tracking- I can find anybody or anything, no matter how far they are with no problem!”

“And what technique do you use in order to track people down?” Kurenai asked, whether to humour him or she was genuinely asking, Shino wasn’t sure, but he can tell she found the boy amusing. He had charm, Shino will give him that- but charms can only go so far for a Ninja. Unless he was doing espionnage, he wouldn’t be able to use his boyish charms in the things they will be doing.

“It’s a technique developed by my clan,” Kiba said, as he tapped the side of his nose. “I can sniff out anyone with just an article of clothing. And Akamaru here can also do it, not leaving any scent unchecked.”

Kind of like my insects, Shino thought, feeling abysmal at the similarity in their technique. Tracking was an Aburame clan specialty as well, though they do it through breeding a parasitic insects that can detect specific scents in a two part. The female parasites would cling onto a target of the host’s choice, and the remaining male parasites would guide the host towards the female insect, guiding the host towards. The only downside would be if the target noticed the insect and killed it before the male could pick up the scent and complete the route.

Though, it is what the parasitic insects do to said targets at the will of the host that the Aburame were considerably feared throughout the land.

“Mhm,” Kurenai hummed, as she nodded her head. “Interesting. And what would you say you dislike.”

For a moment, he could see Kiba’s eyes flick slightly over the two other teammates, before he answered with a convincing tone while maintaining his crooked smile, “I dislike working with stubborn and passive people.”

Shino clenched his fists. There it is. The subtle jab.

To this, Kurenai’s thin eyebrows rose up in surprise, this blunt answer unexpected, but she quickly fixed it by smiling at him. “Can you elaborate on that?”

“I just find people who are like that to be hard to work with,” Kiba said slowly. “Teamwork is a big part of how the Inuzuka train, whether it be with their ninken or members of their teams; people who are stubborn in their ways would only hold everyone down. And passive people because they’re indecisive and attempt to pander to everyone, and it slows everyone down.”

Ironically enough, Kiba didn’t seem to understand that he himself was a stubborn boy as well, with a headstrong and rebellious attitude that he put on display many times. But Shino maintained face as he always does, feeling the insects chattering about amongst themselves at the way he gritted his teeth.

“That may be the case, but sometimes there are benefits to these types of people,” Kurenai said. “Passivity aids in moderating decisions, by looking at all sides without bias, allowing for a fleshed out decision making process. And stubbornness can be beneficial too at times; the unwillingness to quit and see things through can help push a team to achieve a goal.”

“But, I mean, oftentimes it’s not,” Kiba said, shaking his head.

There it was. The Inuzuka stubbornness.

Kurenai didn’t press on, instead looking over at Shino, “And what about you?”

At this point, the waiter had come with a pot of tea in a ceramic kettle with four small cups, placing it in front of each of the. Hinata immediately took the kettle and started to pour into the cups, before gently sliding the cups to each person with a sly hand.

“My name is Shino Aburame,” Shino said, holding the warm cup of tea in one hand, soothing to his cold fingers. This is what he was afraid of; talking about himself and what he liked to do. “My hobbies include learning about insects and…finding insects.”

He could feel an unnecessary amount of information elaborating on what he meant coming through, but he pushed his tongue on the tip of his roof. He’ll leave his hobbies at that.

He could see Kiba staring at him with unwavering attention, eyebrows pulled in slightly. Shino continued, “I think I am very perceptive and I am most skilled at Ninjutsu or Genjutsu concerning insect handling and looking for details. My weakest skill is…”

Communication with people. Self-reflection till he spirals internally. Being emotionally unavailable.

“Anything concerning not concerning insects.”

This is going terribly, he knew it. He could feel it in his bones.

“So then,” Kurenai interrupted his internal spiral after taking a sip of tea. “If you were an insect, what insect would you be?”

“An oo-kamakiri,” Shino said without thinking, a bit too fast and a bit too loud, and he could feel a slight pause in the air. He kind of wanted to shrink at that moment.

“A mantis?” Kurenai asked, tilting her head. “Why would you be a mantis, Shino?”

“Because,” Shino continued in a lower tone. “The oo-kamakiri are ambush predators that hunt for prey independently, like most insects do. They take their time when it comes to hunting, waiting days for the right opportunity, being able to successfully capture their prey by being patient and tactical. That’s that mindset that I would have for missions, especially tracking missions; if you do not take your time and rush into things, you risk jeopardizing a mission and losing your target. Doing these types of missions alone like the oo-kamakiri also increases the likelihood of a mission succeeding, which is what I like to do.”

I like doing things solo, was essentially what he was trying to say, but he unwittingly gave them a nice lesson on the mantis.

“I don’t see how mantis finding prey to be the same as ninjas doing a manhunt,” Kiba said with a slight scoff. “Why take days to find someone when you can do it in hours? And why do it alone, when you can get a group of people to help out, making finding the target easier?”

“What if you end up in a team with someone who has a short fuse and is overconfident in their abilities, ” Shino replied courtly, narrowing his eyes. “Or maybe you end up with someone who cannot use their eyes and lack perception. You risk carrying around extra weight that could potentially jeopardize the mission.”

He knew what he said. He knew what those words meant to Kiba. After all, he said the same thing to him once, when they first started at the Academy.

Kiba’s eyes widened for a second, before narrowing, the words settling into his mind. There was tension that filled the space between him, and Shino couldn’t help but smile to himself, hidden behind his trenchcoat. He wasn’t going to let Kiba get away with doing a jab to him, no way. He’s going to put him in his place.

Kurenai, however, either didn’t seem to notice the tension or simply didn’t care, and she continued, “Do you have any dislikes that you would like to share with us?”

“…I don’t have any dislikings.”

That last question didn’t matter, because he essentially already answered that question with his remark to the Inuzuka: I don’t like working with arrogant people like you.

“And finally, the young lady,” Kurenai said with a soft smile, and Hinata stopped sipping from her tea cup as she shifted her gaze between Shino and Kiba, watching their little conversation with wide eyes, feeling the tension between them.

“U-um,” Hinata started, placing the cup in front of her, both hands still clinging on to it. “My name is Hinata Hyuuga. And…I like to press flowers in my spare time…and baking sweets here and there. My strengths…”

Kurenai nodded along, looking at the young girl with a soft look, waiting for her to continue. Hinata finally looked up to the rest of the table from Kurenai, and continued, “I-I’m not sure if this is a strength, but I consider my agility to be good…but m-my strength, not so much. And I don’t dislike anything…either.”

She stopped abruptly, a bit too abruptly, but she didn’t say anything more. Kurenai allowed the young girl to be, however, and finally turned her attention to all of them.

“Well, it is very nice to meet you all and I look forward to teaching all of you,” Kurenai said kindly, smiling the same smile she had on before. “As I said before, today I just wanted to get to know all of you, and have everyone introduce themselves.”

“So,” Shino started slowly. “Tomorrow we’ll start with the mission, right?”

“About that; I lied about having missions tomorrow. There is something else I have to discuss with you three,” Kurenai said, and there was a shimmer of mischief in her eyes, as if she were hiding something. She lightly tapped on the menu saying, “You sure you three don’t want to try the sake? I’m paying for all of this, after all. I won’t even tell your parents.”

“What!” Kiba exclaimed, looking at her incredulously, leaning onto the table. “You said we could start our jobs as Shinobi tomorrow! What gives?”

“Alright, I thought you guys might want something to make what I’m going to say next be better, but I guess not,” she sighed as she pushed a few strands of her hair back over her shoulder. Her smile was less soft and more of a neutral line, and her eyebrows pulled in together, giving her a more serious air. “Tomorrow I’m going to be testing you three on your skills.”

“T-testing?” Hinata mumbled, confusion all over her face.

“We already went through the Graduation Exams,” Kiba scoffed, a frown on his face. “What more can you test us on?”

“I’m surprised that none of your parents have told you about this part of becoming a Genin,” Kurenai said. “But I guess it can’t be helped. This test I’ll be doing on you will help me decide whether you truly deserve to be Leaf Shinobi or if I should send you back to the Academy.”

All of their eyes widened at her words, and the room stood still around them.

“W-wha,” Hinata started, her voice slightly louder than before. “Send us back to the Academy?”

“That’s right,” Kurenai replied with a slight nod. “Every year, depending on the number of graduates, there are only a certain number of Academy students that would be allowed to pass on to become a full-fledged Genin. This year, there are 27 graduates. And out of the 27 graduates, only 9 will move on to be Genins.”

“And the rest gets sent back to the Academy,” Shino mumbled.

“Whoa, hold up!” Kiba exclaimed. “What was the point of us taking those exams then? We’ve proven that we were ready to become shinobi of the Leaf, why are they trying to send people back despite passing?!”

“All you students had to do is pass the written exam as well as perform a single D-Level jutsu,” Kurenai said, maintaining her gaze. “Anyone can pass those testing, however, only a handful of them actually have the mindset to become real shinobi. This is why we Jonin will be testing our respective groups to see if their members has what it takes to become an official part of the Leaf Shinobi Force.”

Hinata glanced over to Shino nervously, who also looked at her and Kiba. He couldn’t believe it. He did not endure those years at the Academy just to go back.

“If none of you want to go back to the Academy, then you have to prove yourselves to me,” Kurenai continued, her voice still calm and smooth. “Tomorrow I want you all to meet me at the top of the Hokage Rock at around 9 o’clock sharp. Prepare yourself as if this were a real mission; this test is nothing like you have done in the Academy. Treat this test as if it’s the real deal, with the repercussion of failure being getting sent back to the Academy. Do you all understand?”

Shino gave an isolate ‘yeah’ with Kiba, while Hinata nodded her head, never looking up at Kurenai. She looked at them for a moment, and after she felt that they had comprehended what she had said, she got out of her seat, pulling out her walled from a small, unnoticeable pocket of her dress.

“I’ll order some kusa mochi for you,” Kurenai said in a softer tone. “It’ll go nicely with the tea. Then I’ll be off. Remember, 9 o’clock sharp.”

They all dully said ‘yes’ as Kurenai gave them one last smile and walked up to a counter with their waiter near the door, whispering something to him, and then paying for their meal. As she left, she gave them a farewell wave and walked out, leaving the three not-yet-Genin in stunned silence.

“…Should’ve asked her to get us that sake,” Kiba scoffed disgruntledly as he started to down the tea that was in his cup.

The fifth stage of grief: acceptance.

For once, Shino agreed.

[tsume-awase]

@mechanicosmia continued from here

Trust.

He’s been mulling on the sentiment for some time now--so much so that even now, with the world cloaked in a hazy, sake-ridden shroud, the words don’t feel like a mistake. Perhaps it’s habit now: Sil is not the first to have broken through the majority of his barriers, not the first to wring a sense of real companionship from him. He’s fallen victim to it twice--and now, a third time.

The voice that informs him of the inevitable ruin, of the stark shattering of glass when the world raises a hand to those gentle presumptions of unity, is there in the corner of his mind, yes. But it is quieter now--the bonds he’s forged have numbed it, somewhat--for better or worse. 

In spite of having just admitted, in some foolish roundabout way, that he cares for this spirit’s well-being, Kamakiri finds himself more amused by the hopeless sag to Sil’s shoulders. There’s simply too much familiarity to the way he crumples under the sentiment: what should manifest as painful empathy appears to have simply gone full circle. 

I’m sorry.

And just like that, a quick laugh pushes past his lips.

“--Yes, well. So am I. But it’s my decision. Hardly up to you.” 

He gets it. He really does. At least as much as a ‘mortal’ can. Kamakiri takes a sip of his drink and basks in the rare moment of recklessness. He is awash in it, the warm and spiteful sentiment that whenever these words and emotions will turn on him, it’s nothing he has to deal with now. The occasional tipsy 180 has...a novelty to it, sometimes.

“So you’ll just have to deal with it, I suppose.” 

And so, in turn, will he. 

[tsume-awase]

// 1, 3, 4, 11, 15. asking for a friend. me, i mean. i'm asking for me. i'm the friend

ask and ye shall receive....

what would completely break your character?

As infallible as he’d like you to believe he is ,there are two factors that hinges on for the most part. Firstly, Kamakiri is someone who needs a purpose in his life to function. If he in any way finds himself crippled, or unable to fulfill the ideals and goals he’s built his life around, he just...doesn’t see a point anymore. He doesn’t see his life itself as being inherently valuable. If he’s getting by just...existing, then it’d be better to just. Die. 

Secondly, putting Kamakiri in a position where he opens up emotionally to a person, only to have those people yanked out of his life sets him on a quieter, slower track of self destruction. The voice that convinces himself he lives for one thing only tells him that nothing has changed--his goal remains the same, he’d never be so foolish to form lingering attachments to others, not in this line of work. If he were to admit that to himself, that he was weak, that he let himself love and trust people only to have that backfire on him, it’d be admitting the defeat of the very mindset that gave him a will to live in the first place. So he can’t. But he knows it, deep down, that he’s never been the person he’s strived to be. He keeps up appearances. Goes on missions. Does his job well. Loses sleep. Doesn’t eat. 

It’s only a matter of time. 

what was the worst thing in your character’s life?

The circumstances he grew up in, most likely. Not only were the conditions on the street utterly miserable, but Kamakiri grew up with not a single supportive or nurturing figure in his life. By the time anyone who could have mentored him came along, he was far too distrustful. Being disgusted and ashamed of himself, thinking himself pathetic for having to fight and cheat and steal every day to get food or a place to sleep--that’s bad enough, but it also enforced the belief in him that life requires him to be able to handle everything. All the time. Always. If you put your wellbeing in the hands of someone else it’s practically suicide. Vulnerable emotions are something to be quashed and repressed lest they lead you to your death. 

...He’s lonely. He’s never had anyone before. And the slow forming bond he has with his two squadmates is reluctant and terrifying for him, because evidently you can’t just decide not to care. 

what seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your character?

For all he’s tried to ingrain every detail of every mission into his mind for later use, it’s the downtime spent with newfound comrades that tend to stay in his mind. It’s not even particularly sentiment that keeps them there--be it a laborious debriefing or just a quiet, peaceful moment to himself in the woods, Kamakiri finds that even the most minute of details remains when he looks back on the memory.

Maybe it’s to remind him how far he’s come. 

for what would your character give their life?

As detailed above, Kamakiri is very much singleminded when it comes to serving a purpose or cause, but in this case it’s not only his duty as a ninja he’d willingly give up for, but...admittedly, Mitsubachi and Chouchou--they’re skilled ninja, both with unique and widely-applicable ninpou compared to his far more straightfoward offensive capabilities--he’d want them to live in his place. 

...He also just. Doesn’t want to see them die. 

what is your character afraid of?

As you can probably guess, failure, uselessness and vulnerability are all things he’s terrified of, but on the more literal side of things, Kamakiri is deeply uncomfortable around deep bodies of water. It isn’t that he can’t swim, but a close brush with drowning when he was young combined with the uneasiness of not knowing what lurks beneath makes him....very nervous. He’ll endure it if he has to, but he’s not exactly a fan of the ocean.