When Mercury Mixes With Jade

 

 

Well, Happy New Year, everyone. It certainly wasn't my intention to update this story so breakneckingly slow, but I will tell you, I've never forgotten, and I never will. I just never have the time or energy after studying, or going to school. I'd wanted to give you this last year, but...well, it's here now. Thanks for sticking with me, you guys. I appreciate it, and the patience you have shown me. *bows*

 

 

Shino has been off to train, and now Sakura has gone, too. Let's take a look and see how they're doing, ne?

 

 

 

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A deer sat chewing on some of the lower peeling bark from a tree, it's back turned to the cluster of trees several hundred feet away from the clearing it was dumbly masticating in. The beast did not take much stock in the beautiful dusky evening sunset, or the majestic stars as they came out one by one, their magnificence no longer hidden by the sun's dictatorial light. It did not a thing but dumbly chew, sating it's natural instinct to eat.

 

A low lying figure crept slowly closer to the animal, predatory eyes feasting upon the delicious looking flank of the animal. The deer hadn't noticed this of course, since the figure was downwind of the animal, and its scent was cleverly masked in this way.

 

The figure crept closer and closer, it's limbs sinking softly in the dirt of the ground, moving slowly and efficiently, taking care not to step on twigs or rustle any fallen leaves upon the ground.

 

As soon as it was several feet away, the figure pounced, and landed on the beast's back, slicing the throat of the animal swiftly, and wrapping it's legs around its middle bringing it to the ground in the span of three seconds. The animal did not even have the courtesy of being shocked before being killed. Another figure swiftly came out of the treeline, and towards the predator and it's kill.

 

Shibi whistled lowly as he admired the sheer size of what Shino managed to catch. The boy was a quick study, slowly working his way up from the wild birds in the area to the most elusive animal to catch in the area in just the span of a couple of months. The rack on this buck was quite large...it might have been one of the stronger males.

 

“Good job son...your reflexes have improved, and I was a little surprised at first when you left so suddenly, but after a few seconds, I could smell it too. Your senses are much stronger than mine were as well. I'm just glad you didn't have to run after the deer this time...your speed has increased, but you'll need your energy for what we will be doing after dinner tonight.” Shino did not look up at his father as he began to gut and drain the animal of it's blood. Shibi watched as Shino set aside the meat on the large dried leaves they'd found a few days ago, skinning the deer and saving the hide for tanning later. Apparently, the boy wanted to make something from the tanned hide.

 

Shibi's jobs were the jobs reserved for the 'female' of the two now, since Shino could now hunt on his own, and adequately supply them with meat. He picked and dried the herbs and flowers he'd found for poultices and seasonings for any of the food they managed to find. He gathered the fruit and nuts and seeds as well, made and maintained most of their clothing, as little as it was. He found this task a little boring, but Shino would never learn if he didn't experience it for himself. He'd need to teach him all he could; it was rare for an Aburame to marry outside of an arranged marriage...when Sakura became an Aburame, she would need to be taught by Shino to take over these very duties that he himself were performing now. He said when and not if, because he was sure she loved his son so.

 

Shibi took his sharp knife, and began de-boning the animal, preparing the bones for bleaching and carving into various tools and trinkets. They would need to leave soon...the smell of the blood and innards would attract the scavengers pretty soon.

 

Shino and his father carried their kill back towards their tree home. Shibi taught Shino that building a home on the ground would only attract more trouble, and they were less likely to attract enemies if they were high up where most of them could not reach them.

 

Shibi looked proudly at the living space Shino built in the span of a day. Being in Konoha, the trees were often ridiculously large and leafy, the boughs and branches strong and resilient. They made plywood out of one of the younger trees, and Shino went to building the one large roomed area that they would live in for the next year, and where Shino would hopefully take Sakura after they married to live for a few blissful months or more, if Shino so desired it.

 

The floors were smooth, and swept with a straw broom that Shino made a couple of months ago. Rugs of the different kinds of kill were scattered throughout the little home. A large pit in the middle of the room, sealed with earth baked clay had the remnants of a previously burned fire. Tons of clay china and pots sat off in one corner of the room. There were four large windows built into the walls, the sewn deerskin made into curtains covering the windows, keeping out mosquitoes and sunlight if desired. Many plants, herbs, and flowers were hung to dry, leaving the room smelling fresh and spicy.

 

Shino's current project was underway, and would take an entire year to complete. He was using the feathers of the birds they caught and ate to create a bed for he and Sakura to use on their wedding night. Shibi noticed he only used the softest feathers, keeping the rest of the colorful ones to use for the arrows he was making in another corner. Shibi was proud of his son, but was quite surprised. Shino often found uses for everything at his disposal. He was quite a survivalist...much more so than he imagined.

 

Living with the comforts of money were both a blessing and a curse, as far as the Aburames knew. It was very nice to have influence within the country, and being able to pay for the basics and still have a vast amount of money to do as one pleased, but the reason it was possible for their wealth to exist was because of the way Aburame ancestors handled it.

 

When money came into play, more often than not, it bred laziness and decadence. Laziness was not in the job description of a ninja; it only got you killed. So while they were paid for their services, the ancestral Aburames prided survivalist tendencies. It was at the top of their list for priorities...right next to family and knowledge.

 

Shino and the rest of the Aburame children that graced the compound's many pathways and halls were taught to appreciate and take care of the things one has in life, and applied it to everything possible....so much in fact that they were not 'normal' compared to other affluent families. They may not have been as large as the other clans, but they most certainly were knit tighter than most, and still just as wealthy and ambitious.

 

While Shibi wove a net together, it's use to be determined at a later date, he watched his son move through the motions of curing the animal's hide, and smoking and drying the meat. The dark room's illumination by the fire the only light available, Shino's sharp eyes cut the meat with a sharp metal knife into manageable, hearty pieces. His moon colored eyes flicked over to his father, who he caught watching him.

 

“What is it, Father? You've been watching me for a little while.” Shibi didn't answer at first, mainly because he was lost in thought. But he did hear his son, and gave it a small amount of thought before he gave him an answer.

 

“When you are done smoking the meat, while it dries, we must go in the dead of night to a certain place. Tonight, the moon is full. We will travel to this place to test your strength, and your cunning. Your talents have reached a peak that I am more than satisfied with; I believe you to be ready.” Shino watched as his father fell silent again. He turned back to the fire, tuning out the sizzle of the cooking meat. His eyes grew unfocused, and he began to think.

 

The time finally came to test what his purpose for coming out here was. It had only been four months. His father did not seem surprised at the speed he learned things, so it was only natural for him to assume he was doing exactly as what was expected. But this bothered him a bit. What if his father knew something about himself that he did not? Even if the odds were in his favor, his father had to know his mind was distracted. As of late, he could not keep a certain pink-haired girl out of his mind, and it troubled him. He was not sure if what this test entailed required full focus, something he should have been practicing much earlier than just now.

 

He loved Sakura with all his heart. Once he remembered that Sakura was his friend from long ago, he began to remember the first couple of years that he had been separated from her. He missed her terribly. He couldn't sleep or eat, and everything was not as bright and as spontaneous without her by his side. He had often found himself wondering what she was doing, or how she was feeling, or that she would have enjoyed the particular activity he'd been currently engaged in at the time. He missed her round green kitten eyes. Her candy floss pink hair...even her forehead. Shino thought about what his feelings were for her back then, as a ten year old boy, but now that he was sixteen, he realized what his feelings actually were. Attraction.

 

The level of attraction became deeper the older he grew, he knew. His thoughts were never entirely innocent about her anymore. Perhaps it was love, but it was more likely hormones. He wanted to take her back into this homey abode he'd made just for her, and kick his father out, and leave him to his own devices. But it would be eight months still before he'd get the chance to see Sakura again.

 

Shino had been lost in his thoughts so long, that by the time he was once again out of his thoughts and into reality, he'd finished smoking and cooking the meat, his hands apparently on automatic for his entire brooding session. He looked at his father, who sat in the corner by the door, the flap tied back, a cool evening breeze letting the smoke from his pipe drift off into the night as he stared off into the distance. Shibi noticed his son's silvery gaze upon him, and observed his uncertainty and his unfocused presence. He stood up, the smoke from his pipe curling about his body. He decided to help his son out a bit.

 

“Shino. Come.” Shibi jumped from the tree top shack they lived in, and began to leisurely meander towards the north. Shino sighed, making sure everything was in order before following his sire in the direction of the mountains. He caught up to his father and they walked for a couple of miles before Shibi began to speak.

 

“Shino. Tell me about Sakura.” Shino looked unsurprised; his father could usually tell what bothered him, if anything ever bothered him at all. Shino looked into the sky, silent for a few moments. As soon as the words left his father's lips, and he thought about her again, so many feelings popped up. Longing. Worry. Pride. Determination. Shibi only smiled. He had an idea of what the boy felt for her before, but the look on his son's face mirrored what his looked like nearly twenty years ago, and he felt he could relate. It would make it that much easier for him to explain things, if this indeed was his son, and he mirrored his morals and his sense of thought as he believed.

 

“She accepts me. She gave me a chance when no other girl would. She has a good heart, and apologized to me for forgetting, when she promised herself she wouldn't. She is as beautiful as she is strong, and full of intelligence. She stimulates my mind, whether she wants to or not. I desire her more than anything I have ever wanted, and everything I do has a small part of her in it. But I am afraid she may tire of me. I am not exciting, by most people's standards. I am not recklessly brave like Naruto, or a dangerous man like the Uchiha. I am not stoic and handsome as Neji Hyuuga, or a ridiculous genius like Shikamaru. I thought long and hard about what I could be for her. Sakura deserves the best this world can offer. I am not sure I can live up to her expectations.” Shino watched as his father laughed, and quirked an eyebrow, his lips pressed into a thin line. This was not funny. Here he was worried about giving Sakura the emotional connection she deserved, and his father was laughing his rocks off. This was seriously not funny.

 

Shibi looked at his son's sulking face, and his laughter died down, but was still evident in his voice. “Tell me son, have you talked to her about what her expectations were? Or are you just trying to be who you aren't so Sakura will feel something spontaneous with you?” Shibi smacked his son upside the head, and Shino glared at the ground, not daring to glare at his father. Shibi rolled his eyes. When did he raise such a subservient son?

 

“Firstly son, if you're going to be the next Aburame leader, you look at me as an equal, not your superior. You take shit from no one except those of a higher ranking than you. If you want to glare at me, do it right. Secondly, the girl is head over heels for you. I know when I've seen a woman in love. Haven't you?” Shibi stared off into the distance, probably thinking of Aibiko.

 

“Her eyes go far away, as she thinks of you. Sometimes you'll catch her singing, a small smile on her lips, her eyes sometimes closed. It may not look like it at first, but she'll hang onto your every word, and treat it importantly. She wants to cook for you, and takes forever figuring out just what to get you for special occasions. She longs for your touch, and never wants to let you go without returning your affections with her own. She worries about you for even the most insignificant things. A woman's love is the most sweetest and treasured thing a man can obtain, because a woman's love is strong, and will bear life.” Shibi looked self assured with his answer, and looked at his son.

 

“Think about it, Shino. Were there not any instances that rang true for these things?” Shino looked back on those memories they'd shared. He smiled as the first thing he remembered was tasting her cooking for the first time. It was delicious, and all throughout the meal, he noticed when he tried something for the first time, her eyes were on him like a hawk. Now that he gave it thought, she had probably been wondering what he thought of her cooking.

 

He remembered the time he took a bath in the lagoon after training one afternoon, and he ran into her after he left. He remembered the shower of sakura petals, and a slightly heavier, spicy scent beneath it, which as he thought about it, had been her arousal. He smiled at the memory. He'd found out about her spying on him. It made him feel desired, as he thought about how flushed her face would be, her eyes glazed with something dark and primal.

 

He understood now why she was so upset for treating the party she threw him so nonchalantly. It was her gift to him for his birthday, and it looked like he was rejecting her present to him. He suddenly felt like an ass.

 

He felt even more like an ass when he remembered the look in her eyes as he touched her for the first time, directly before leaving with his father to the distant forests. She'd been clinging to him so tightly, that it felt as though she were afraid he would disappear. Shino looked cowed.

 

She did think he was attractive. She did care about him deeply, and she did love him. He knew she must have had the same insecurities. People used to make fun of her forehead all the time.

 

Shibi's eyes softened as he watched his son replay his memories. He quietly watched with a small smile as feelings of worry and protectiveness swam through Shino's face and thoughts. Shino's eyes narrowed. Shibi was proud. His son had effectively turned his worry and insecurities into focus.

 

Shino stopped walking. His eyes gazed upon a steep valley, full of lush grasses and tender flowers. These were not just any flowers, though. As most flowers find slumber and peace under the cool moon's embrace, their faces were of many colors, open and glowing an unearthly silver, soaking in any sort of moonlight that could be had. The sky was clear; the stars plenteous and the moon casting a strong silver glow onto everything its light touched.

 

In the middle of the valley sat a large moon colored rock. Sitting on this rock was a figure of an older man. The man was faced away from them, waiting for something. Shino turned to his father, ready to face his test. His eyes reflected the moon's light, turning them an eerie silver.

 

“I will return to her. Nothing will stop me.”

 

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Four Months Later....

 

 

His eyes were far away, surveying the craggy slopes and unforgiving vegetation of Rock Country distractedly. Instead of registering the dismal plant life, and how unforgiving the weather had become, with dark clouds and turbulent winds, he could only think of how well his plans were coming along.

 

Orochimaru was now dead. The bastard had it coming, relying on some promise that he would obtain his body in exchange for assistance in killing one Uchiha Itachi...his very own brother. What an idiot, letting his greed blind him cripplingly.

 

Uchiha Sasuke took orders from no one. He'd had to take orders from Kakashi, but that lazy, porn reading pervert could not make him strong enough...could not make him hate enough to gain the skill to slaughter his older brother. Every day that Itachi remained alive and doing as he pleased was yet another day of injustice. Every day that psychotic murderer was allowed to remain free festered and stewed his soul into gut wrenching crazed induced darkness.

 

Sasuke's face remained impassive as he stood from his perch within the window of an old cobbled stone Rock outpost, that had been weathered by the harsh winds, and was slowly falling apart. He made his way down the large hill, and into the valley, where tall prairie grasses folded in the wind, the dark churning clouds of the sky making the green more vivid against the dark gray. The winds blew his now longer midnight locks into his sharingan red eyes.

 

Sasuke smirked. Those pathetic 'teammates' of his were probably still being taught some B ranked ninjutsu, and mediocre forms of taijutsu and genjutsu. They were weak. Naruto's mind was weak, but he had the power to become stronger. He needed to watch out for him.

 

But Sakura....Sasuke could only laugh cruelly at the thought of her and her skills. Not only was she a wimp when it came to any form of physical fighting, but her mind was as weak if not weaker than Naruto's. Sure she had book smarts, but no book was going to get you out of an encounter with high class ninja. The only thing worth mentioning was her above average chakra control, and even then, Sasuke was sure that was ironic, as the best thing she could possibly come out as was a medic nin, and not even a field one. She would be safely ensconced within the hospital, mending wounds and delivering children that were destined to be more powerful shinobi than her. It was laughable that she even thought she might have had a chance with him. He needed a strong woman by his side if he were to ever bring his clan back to some semblance of the former glory it once possessed. Sakura was only a little girl with a woman's dream.

 

A red headed girl was in the distance, her hair flowing in the wind. She seemed to be far away, as the look on her face was distant and thoughtful. She leaned against the hidden entrance to an old abandoned makeshift commissary, where there were old rusted weapons and rations scattered about. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her stance lazy and nonchalant. She looked tired. Her eyes looked up, and she didn't look surprised to see him. She was a chakra sensor, after all. She knew his location when he was sitting down with his thoughts over a mile away.

 

“Karin, report.”

 

“Uchiha Itachi is not in Rock Country. I've sent shadow clones to every edge, and they've reported nothing. Suigetsu mentions we haven't checked Rain yet, but it would be wise to steer clear of Rain for now, as it is speculated that the Akatsuki base is located there, and attempting to destroy the base would be committing suicide.” Karin pushed away from her leaning spot on the hidden opening, and followed Sasuke into the depths, the stone seamlessly falling back into place.

 

“Sasuke-kun, where will we go next?” Karin followed him everywhere, and Sasuke barely had the energy to ignore it. She was useful with her ability to track certain people, and with her strange ability to heal all of a person's wounds simply by biting her, but other than that, Karin was just Sakura with glasses, red hair, and a voice that could turn mirrors into fine powder. Sasuke winced. At least Sakura's voice was tolerable.

 

“I've heard rumors that Naruto is coming back to Konoha soon. Itachi is one of the few in charge of capturing him, as he is one of the more powerful members. I think it wise to stake out Konoha for a while, to see if Itachi will rise to the opportunity.” Sasuke would never say it, but as weak as Sakura was and as stupid as Naruto could be, he still wanted to make sure they weren't plotting to ruin his plans. He could barely stand dealing with his current team, no need for his former to be throwing wrenches into his well oiled plan.

 

But the gods would tell you it was because he was checking up on them, because as much of a dick as he was, he still had some shred of humanity left.

 

Sasuke leveled his crimson gaze upon Karin, who looked at him expectantly. He suddenly looked around with finality, and tossed Karin an empty summoning scroll.

 

“Pack anything that this dusty place can offer for us to use, and tell the others we are on the move. I will meet you at the outpost in one hour. Do not be late.” Sasuke turned around and left the way he came, leaving Karin to her own devices. She felt Juugo come up behind her, watching the Uchiha stalk away to the meeting point.

 

“What's wrong with him? Did you steal his candy or something?” the ridiculously tall orange haired teen shot a mildly puzzled glance at the back of Sasuke's cockatoo hairstyle before looking down at Karin.

 

She merely shrugged. “Might have something to do with our recent orders he just issued. I suspect it's because we're returning to his birthplace, where the massacre happened. Anytime we come near the place he goes emo on us.” Karin moved around quickly, intent on getting to the outpost early to please Sasuke. She watched as Juugo left to retrieve his things, and turned to yell down the corridor on the other side of the main entryway.

 

“Suigetsu!! Pack your shit! We're leaving for Konoha!”

 

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On a distant mountain far out of the way of the known ninja world, two massive boulders appeared to be traveling up a mountain at a fast pace. Upon closer inspection, underneath those boulders were two women, running up the mountain carrying those boulders. Their feet moved quickly along the steep incline, bright blue chakra glowing faintly on their legs to give them speed and let them stick along the ground, and in their arms and backs as they gripped the large boulder. It was a ridiculous and somewhat fantastical sight.

 

The woman with pink hair ran ahead of the blonde, sprinting up the incline, laughing merrily at the sour and incredulous look the blonde gave her. She looked back at where she'd attempted to leave the blonde in her dust, only to catch her zooming past her. Crowing in disbelief, the pinkette pushed a little extra chakra to her thighs, boosting her speed a little more, and catching up to the blonde steadily.

 

The residents of Tsuruga Mountain watched disinterestedly as Sakura reached the plateau shelf of the mountain, and hurled the boulder back down the mountain, lifting her fists in the air, crowing her victory as Tsunade threw hers a few seconds after.

 

“Ah ha ha! Finally! I beat you, Tsunade-shishou!” Sakura did a strange little dance, where her butt and hips wiggled and her arms alternately pumped in the air, her hands in fists, her index and thumb pointing to the sky like a pair of imaginary guns. Tsunade only huffed and crossed her arms in denial of defeat. She turned her eyes to look at her student.

 

She finally convinced Sakura to get off of that needless diet Ino's influence had proposed. Her nose wrinkled in confusion. When did fifteen year olds need to diet? It was absurd. And if Sakura wanted to be a real kunoichi, she needed killer curves, not the pathetic thin and lithe frame. It would certainly make them faster naturally, to make up for the strength lost with the disparity between men and women as shinobi. However, part of a kunoichi's job was to entice and distract her victims, not have them laugh at her.

 

'The food they're feeding her is already finishing it's work...' Tsunade observed. Sakura's hair finally began to grow out again, and in the eight months they'd been training, it now fell slightly past the small of her back. The loose white top she was wearing....well, it was supposed to be loose. The food they'd been nourishing her with was something that Empress Slug liked to call 'Kunoichi Cuisine'. Sakura's laughable A cups had slowly turned to C's currently, and were only going to get bigger within the remaining two months....Tsunade estimated somewhere between D and DD, which were fantastically distracting, but not quite as heaving as her less than modest G's.

 

Her muscled arms were the same, just a little more filled out, but next to her impressive rack, came her hips. Sakura retained her small waist, but her hips had thickened, her thighs thick and muscled, her legs then tapering to petite feet, encased in the high heeled boots she favored so much, her toes peeking out of the boots, her nails painted bubble-yum pink. Tsunade was dying to see the look on Ino's face when her little apprentice walked back into Konoha's gates. Tsunade snapped out of her frivolous thoughts. She and Sakura walked leisurely back to the Empress Slug's palace.

 

“Took you long enough. No more stalling, though. I literally cannot teach you anything else. I've given you every single bit of medical taijutsu and ninjutsu that I know. You're currently my equal.” Tsunade sat on a bench in the town square. Sakura plopped next to her. She thought long and hard about the power she'd earned on her sixteenth birthday.

 

It was painful. It was exhilarating. She never knew dragons existed before now, but apparently they did. It was strange and surreal, and for the first time, her tears were for her accomplishments, not wasted on someone who would leave her and her loyalties in a heartbeat.

 

She never knew she had so much power. She'd always believed that she'd be the weakest on Team Seven, that she'd always need to be protected, but now...

 

Now, she would show them. She would show them all. She would prove to Sasuke that having your parents murdered...your only family murder in cold blood did not have to turn you into a mindless, revenge-seeking sociopath. Sakura smirked. She couldn't wait to see Naruto again. Her heart was with Shino, but seeing his and Kakashi's nosebleeds would be well worth all the grueling training she'd endured.

 

Shino...

 

Sakura blushed profusely. What would Shino think of her new body? She had to yell at Empress Slug at first, but only because the changes confused her. Empress Slug only laughed, clearly impressed and proud of the mettle of her previous student's protege.

Tsunade explained to her what was happening, and strangely enough, Sakura accepted it, and even did extra training to burn off the calories just so she could eat more of this 'Kunoichi Cuisine'. Empress Slug told her the changes were permanent, and that they were completely natural, as the food that grew on this mountain just had this effect on any women in tutelage. Sakura didn't mind. In addition to a killer rack, and goddess hourglass figure, the food gave her a plump, rounded ass. Sakura was ecstatic. She was looking more like her shishou every day.

 

Wait...did Tsunade-shishou say.....

 

“What?” Sakura got out dumbly. Tsunade rolled her eyes. Her student was adorable sometimes. The mountain winds blew softly, it's fresh smell permeating their hair, and letting it flow gently with the wind.

 

“Sakura, I'm not your teacher anymore. The only disparity between us now is simply years of fighting and renown under my belt. I have nothing left to teach you. The rest has to be taught by Koh-Ori-sama, and Empress Slug. You only have two months left here, and we can go back home to Konoha. I just hope the place isn't ruined.” Sakura just sat there, looking at her feet. How was she supposed to address her now?

 

Gentle arms wrapped around Sakura, and cradled her. Sakura wanted to cry, the comfort was exactly how a mother would cradle her child, and for a moment, as tears fell down Sakura's cheeks, she allowed herself to be comforted.

 

Sakura's face was buried in Tsunade's shoulder, and Tsunade combed Sakura's hair back with her fingers as she silently wept. She did not mean to invoke feelings that she'd had to endure almost a year ago. She wanted Sakura to know that their relationship as master and student had passed, and now something more meaningful could make it's way through.

 

“Sakura...it's not the end of the world. Besides, you're more like I was at your age than I ever could have imagined someone else being able to. I know I won't be the same as your actual mother, but...I would like to try. I was alone when I was younger, and I don't want that fate for you.” Sakura's shocked jade eyes were rounded and she smiled deeply, her eyes hopeful and happy. It nearly tore through Tsunade's heart, and made her want to cry that anyone had to give that look. That someone's dreams came true, and they were almost sure that this was a trick being played on them, because it could never possibly happen. Apparently, Sakura had lingering feelings as a daughter would for her.

 

“Can....” Sakura started. She looked down shyly, and looked back up at her with hope in her eyes. “Can I call you Mom?” Tsunade smiled, and smoothed Sakura's hair over like only a mother could. Tsunade felt a deep warmth in her heart, and nodded. This young woman...she felt as though she were her daughter, so why deny her daughter her right to call her 'mother'? That, and they looked more like mother and daughter everyday. It wasn't as though this wasn't going to come someday. She'd never had children. Sakura was the closest she'd had.

 

“Of course you may, Sakura-chan.” in a rare show of motherliness, Sakura blushed as Tsunade placed a kiss on her forehead. Sakura snuggled in Tsunade's arms, feeling comfortable and protected. It was good to know that Tsunade felt the same bonds as she did.

 

“Oh, Momma....” Sakura sighed. It would always cause a twinge of warmth in Tsunade's heart to be called 'Momma'. Perhaps this is what a mother's reward was, and to be honest, it felt wonderful.

 

They split reluctantly; it was immediately known between the both of them that moments like these would come more often, but not as often as they would like, as enemy ninja in other countries would be dying to use this against either the both of them. Until Tsunade was satisfied that Sakura could take care of herself, their relationship as mother and daughter needed to be slowly introduced.

 

A poof appeared in the air, and Empress Slug appeared. Unlike most other rulers of animal kingdoms, Empress Slug had a mostly human guise. The only things that gave her away were her pale skin color, and the feelers on her forehead. Otherwise, she was basically a brunette form of Tsunade, with blue eyes instead of the honey colored eyes which were one of Tsunade's trademarks. She was dressed in a Chinese Empress garb, decked out in bold colors and gold accents, and she was always surrounded by slug attendants. Today was a bright blue-green color, waves crashing and birds flying on her robes. The waves seemed to actually crash, and the birds fly as she made her way over to the two women.

 

“Sakura, your training alongside Tsunade-sama has come to an end. From this time forward, you must travel and train alone. I'm afraid I must ask Tsunade-sama to return to Konoha. Koh-Ori-sama and I will be finishing your training.” Empress Slug looked over to Tsunade, and knew what kind of bond the two had developed just by seeing the look on Tsunade's face.

 

“We will take good care of your daughter, Tsunade-sama.” Empress slug gave Tsunade a knowing look, and turned around to go back up the stairs towards her palace. She turned, to speak over her shoulder.

 

“We will begin the final training tomorrow morning. Take this day to enjoy your new found relationship.” She turned and walked quietly up the hundreds of stairs to her palace. Tsunade and Sakura turned to look at each other.

 

“One last spar, Mom?” Tsunade smiled, and poked her new daughter in the forehead, as they flash-stepped up to the large training area.

 

They stood on opposite ends of the large training area, their backs straight, and hands tightened into fists. The wind blew in their hair

 

Before Tsunade could blink, Sakura disappeared in a shower of ice leaves. Tsunade tried to feel around for her, but it was difficult, as Sakura learned to incorporate genjutsu into her transportation jutsu.

 

At the last moment, Tsunade raised her right hand, turning to intercept the punch that was aimed at the back of her head with her hand. Bad mistake, though, as she realized that a water dragon was coming up on her from behind fast.

 

Tsunade flipped behind Sakura, putting her into the oncoming dragon at the last moment, but Sakura anticipated that move, and let her legs go limp, as she fell in Tsunade's arm, effectively putting her back into the trajectory. Tsunade let her go, and Sakura disappeared underground. Tsunade smirked. This was where her strength came in....literally.

 

Tsunade rose her foot to pound down on the ground, but as she lowered it, Sakura's arm came from underground, tripping her other foot. Tsunade fell on her back, but not to be deterred, she let the chakra in her foot go and pounded the ground anyway, causing a small crater and fissures around it. The ground became freezing cold, and the water dragon dissipated, water falling and covering the entire arena, soaking the ground. The ground froze into a thin sheet of ice, and Sakura came up from the ground to stand on the ice on the other end of the arena.

 

Tsunade watched as Sakura's eyes glowed blue for a moment, and two ice katana slid up from the slick ground, and she grabbed them. She hurtled towards Tsunade, skating across the ice, giving her a chance to come up with some kind of ninjutsu attack, since the ground was slick and to Sakura's advantage.

 

Of course, it would be a Katon attack. Tsunade began to melt the ice around her, but just as fast as it melted, it froze again. It was hardly in Tsunade's interest to attack her while performing fire ninjutsu, so she came up with something different.

 

Sakura was almost upon her, and she slid underneath her katana, sliding on the ice and turning around to face the water dragon again, only this time, Sakura's summon flew over her head, freezing into ice as Sakura's hands caressed the dragon's underbelly. Spikes grew out of the dragon's body, and formed into ice kunai, throwing themselves into Tsunade's way in all directions.

 

Tsunade did not have the Hyuuga's heavenly spin, so she was forced to move underground, but before she could submerge all the way underground, the ground became too cold for her to move through, and only her head was not submerged. No amount of struggling with chakra got her free in time enough to move out of the way of the ice senbon that were currently standing still in midair surrounding her exactly one half inch from her head in all directions. Tsunade huffed.

 

“I concede. God, I must be losing my A-game.” she grumbled, and pulled herself from out of the ground as it became the proper temperature for the weather again, the water melting harmlessly over her head. Sakura giggled. Her giggles died down quickly, as a look of somber determination fell over her features. Tsunade noticed, and they walked up the steps towards the palace for a warm bath. She waited for Sakura to bring up what she needed to talk about.

 

“Momma, I was thinking earlier...about Shino...and Sasuke.” She looked far off, her eyes reviewing memories that Tsunade couldn't see. Tsunade understood. She often thought about Dan and Orochimaru in the same context, if she was guessing correctly. She was more like her than she might ever guess.

 

“You miss Shino, and wonder if he will accept you as you've become. You probably wonder if you can kick Sasuke's ass now, and if you can finally get through to him that you aren't a weak little girl as he believes you are.” Sakura nodded, looking at her toes, her face dusted with a soft rose colored blush. Was it that obvious?

 

“I miss him terribly, Momma. It's been too long, my heart hurts...as for Sasuke...” Tsunade watched the blush disappear from her face, her eyes hardening into cold emeralds. Her fists automatically clenched at the thought of the rooster haired bastard.

 

“I'm going to beat him to within an inch of his life. Then I will hand him over to interrogation, and they will make him suffer. He will suffer for leaving Konoha. For leaving us. For leaving me. He will regret ever leaving in the first place. But I need to ask a favor, Momma. It's really big, and I'm almost certain you will say no, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?” Tsunade looked at her daughter with dread, but she could see the wheels turning in her head. Sakura knew something she didn't, and she was curious to find out what.

 

“What is it, Sakura-chan?” Sakura stopped at the top of the steps, looking down at her mother. Her face was carefully blank.

 

“I need for you to access the ANBU records of one Uchiha Itachi, on the night of the Uchiha massacre. If my hunch is correct, Itachi is innocent of the crimes committed, simply because they were orders...not personal plans, or impulses.” Tsunade's eyes grew wide. She was implying that a major S-ranked criminal...one of the most dangerous in the five great countries, was being framed. But if that were the case, hypothetically speaking, why didn't Itachi speak up?

 

“On what grounds or proof do you have that Itachi would be innocent? And why now? What made you think of it now?” Tsunade was close to being angry.

 

“Momma, please listen. There have been times where Itachi would run into us, and Naruto would be present. He'd even once had us stuck under genjutsu, and grabbing Naruto would have been a sure thing, but he never took him. Every single battle where Itachi 'kills' his opponents, is when his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame was with him, and more than likely finished the job for him. I've never seen him kill someone else before in our encounters with Akatsuki where he would be in the vicinity, and any time he attacks, it's only in self defense. He's never been the first to move in a fight.” Tsunade pondered this, and thought about the mission reports with appearances of Itachi. It was true that for so many encounters with an S-class nukenin, almost none were killed, and those casualties that did happen, Itachi was not alone.

 

There were never any casualties from Itachi's hands, only his partner's...the absence of any kind of chakra, native or otherwise to the body, the ripped and fileted flesh that his partner's sword Samehada would inflict, and the brutally torn muscles and limbs ripped from their sockets. None of those were Itachi's style. The reports from the Uchiha massacre autopsies stated there was no struggle physically, but overloads of stress mentally, which was an Uchiha specialty with the Sharingan, and their throats were sliced cleanly and quickly, no other signs of damage or stress on the body, residuals of Itachi's chakra found permeating their minds. It was swift, and possibly painless, as there was no stress on the body. Tsunade thought that perhaps Sakura could be onto something here.

 

“We need to contact Itachi. There may be some valuable information that he may have regarding Akatsuki. But we need to look at that mission scroll first.” Sakura pleaded. Tsunade looked down at Sakura.

 

“Why are you trying to clear Itachi so badly?” Sakura, to Tsunade's surprise, only smirked, and crossed her arms with barely retrained arrogance.

 

“Because if Itachi is cleared, then Sasuke killing him will make him the criminal instead. It will throw off Sasuke's well laid plans, and I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him the truth. Besides, I knew something was off when I'd never seen Itachi inflict serious wounds, if any at all, on any Konoha shinobi in particular. Everything he did only seemed to scream 'self defense'. I checked his chakra and his general health in mid-fight perhaps to get some readings on how he manages to move so fast, thinking it was something like our chakra enhancement. What I found surprised me...” Sakura trailed softly, shaking her head. Her heart went into medic mode.

 

“Itachi is slowly dying from something. I suspect tuberculosis as his life force is sluggish in his lungs and his respiratory systems, and his chakra is trying to inadvertently heal him. His heartbeat is irregular, and I got a brief reading on his eyes before he put me under genjutsu. There is chakra buildup behind his eyes, and pooling behind his retina. He's slowly going blind, and it'll be less than a year before it's irreversible.” Tsunade did not make the connections in Sakura's reports from last year, but they were beginning to make sense now.

 

“How do you suppose we find him? Even if we find him, what makes you think he will cooperate?” Tsunade thought about the possibilities of finding the Uchiha. It would be tough, but the harder part would be to clear his name. Sakura's brain went on overdrive, her eyes flicking back and forth as they often did when she went into her 'genius' mode. Her eyes suddenly squinted in half moons, and her face was positively devious. Her bright emeralds shone in mischief.

 

“Every ninja has a weakness, Momma. It may not be readily apparent, but Itachi's weakness is Sasuke.” Tsunade pondered it for a moment. Her eyes grew wide. Of course! Itachi's weakness was in front of their faces the entire time.

 

“Itachi killed his entire clan; cousins, aunts, uncles...old and young alike...even his mother and father. But why didn't he kill his little brother?” Tsunade wondered. Sakura nodded, knowing Tsunade was on the right track. She knew Tsunade was no where near around when these events happened...she'd been wandering the world, as well as her other two teammates. There may have been rumors, but no details. It was not important enough for her to go back to Konoha to investigate.

 

“I'd been wondering the same thing for years...right up until I turned fourteen years old...seven years after the massacre. The answer was ridiculously easy.” Sakura sat on the top step, looking down at the town below, the mists carrying from one mountain in the distance to another.

 

“In Itachi's eyes, Sasuke was still an innocent. He loved Sasuke more than his parents, and other relatives because Sasuke was the only one who never tried to change him into some cold heartless leader for the Uchiha. He could not bring himself to kill his little brother. The reason he killed everyone else wasn't because of his own personal agenda. Itachi seemed to be loyal to Konoha before his defection, and I remembered him when I was a little girl. He was socially repressed and quiet, but he loved this village, and would do nothing to jeopardize his loyalties. That's why I believe that he acted on orders, the only way he would do something of this magnitude was if they were under orders from the Hokage.” Tsunade shook her head, standing and looking off into the distance.

 

“There is no way that Sarutobi would order something of this magnitude! He simply isn't coldhearted enough!” Tsunade yelled at Sakura, whose eyes were downcast. Sakura nodded. Tsunade was stunned. Was there something else to this that she didn't know?

 

“And he wouldn't. You're right. It's not in his character. I wondered about that for some time too. But I realized something. Sometimes the Hokage has to do something because their hand is forced, and it would be for the greater good of the village. So I thought, 'what if it were this situation'? I remembered that sometimes, there were decisions you had to make because the council persuaded that it would be best for the village. The Hokage makes militaristic decisions for this village, but the council has their hand in everything, from commerce, to the different affairs of the different clans.” Tsunade stopped pacing, looking at her student-turned-daughter, who was looking at her pointedly. Tsunade gasped. The council knew of the Uchiha's plans?

 

“It's no secret that the Senju and the Uchiha clans hated each other to the point they would kill each other just to prove they were better. The Second Great War broke out after Shodai Hokage settled Konoha. The Uchiha were not happy that their clan did not control Konoha instead, as they believed they had the right to. This is not secret. So in order to appease the Uchiha, they were given the police force to take control of, and while they were pleased with the extra power, it was not enough. They would not be happy until someone who was an Uchiha was in the robes.” Sakura stood, and walked over to Tsunade, who was listening to her every word.

 

“But the public story stops with the massacre. We know the Uchiha massacre happened sometime around ten years ago, and honestly it seemed a little to convenient to me that one of them would snap and go apeshit and kill all of the rest, when there was unrest. I'm only speculating, but I think the Uchiha may have been planning to stage a coup. Itachi would know about this, because he was supposed to be the next leader of the Uchiha, and was quite frankly the strongest to come out of the clan since Madara. He did not like what his clan was plotting and in his loyalty to Konoha, he told the Hokage what they were planning. They'd just recovered from a war less than thirty years previous, they did not need another on their hands anytime soon. Any idiot could figure out there would be major casualties dotting the village, and that no one under Senju would be spared, regardless if they rebelled against the Uchiha or not. Itachi took that chance to tell the Hokage, who must have been with the council, or had called the council. The only reason I can think they got every single Uchiha killed within the massacre was that they planned not to take missions that day, and call a clan meeting, or the meeting was already regularly scheduled.

 

“Something still doesn't make sense. Why would they exile Itachi as a missing nin, if the council ordered him to do it in the first place?” Tsunade was fortunate to have a few geniuses in her employ. She wondered vaguely if Shikamaru already came up with the answer for any of this. She would have to call him into her office tomorrow, when she returned to Konoha.

 

“That one was easy, once I had the rest of this figured out. What else would you do with a 'psycho' who killed his entire clan? Turn him into a missing nin, of course, and with credentials like Itachi's, it would be easy for him to be recruited by Akatsuki, a relatively new association whose ninjas were all S-class missing nin from various countries, and most certainly a threat to Konoha. To put it simply, they made him into a double agent. It would be no problem to exploit his loyalty to his village by ordering him to do something like that. If they could make him kill his entire clan for the village's sake, making him do something like this to 'protect Konoha' would be a piece of cake. I suspect he had different reasons for agreeing to it, though.” Tsunade shook her head with disbelief. There was more? Sakura was just as dangerous as Shikamaru with that brain of hers. No wonder she made it to top of her class. She listened as her daughter elaborated on her suspicions.

 

“Remember way back when I checked his vitals? Something I forgot to mention was that these illnesses were so far advanced, Itachi should be close to dying within this year. If they were this far advanced, Itachi must have been sick for a long time...longer than even his clan must have been aware of. But he still had a little brother to take care of, and everyone knew it was him that killed his entire clan, but that had been planned so his 'defection' looked genuine to Akatsuki.”Sakura looked up at Tsunade with finality.

 

“He's planning to let Sasuke kill him, to 'avenge' the clan, and have Sasuke rebuild and start over. But something Itachi did not count on was that Sasuke would abandon his loyalties to his village in order to kill him...even going so far as to attempt killing Konoha ninja, or any of our allies who he thought were trying to get in his way. I think we can use that as leverage to get Itachi to agree to come back to Konoha.” Sakura let out a breath, after getting out all of that information. Tsunade looked bamboozled. One hand was on her forehead, trying to make sense of this new information, the other hand on her hip.

 

“What do you propose I do, Sakura? I need proof that the things you say are true. I wouldn't put it past Koharu and Homura to do something like this to Itachi, but the story seems to be too fantastical to be true.” Sakura looked back down the mountain, sorting her thoughts.

 

“I thought of this too. Several things needs to happen. We need to infiltrate our own village for information. If Itachi's ANBU mission files for that day are missing out of the Hokage's personal library, you need to check the personal stores of not only the council members, especially Koharu and Homura, but you need to check Danzo's information as well. He's also on the council, and has opposed the current ways of things for a long time, and has wanted to be Hokage for years...for as long as Sarutobi had first been in office. He's under suspicion too, but it will not be easy to infiltrate him, as he is the leader of ROOT. Someone has these files. They simply cannot destroy them, they need them for the validity of him being a double agent if there were ever a change of leader. I suggest that you send Kakashi and anyone Kakashi trusts within ANBU to infiltrate and recover these mission files. Do it quietly, and I will come back from training to assist you in finding Itachi.” Sakura bit her lip, and ticked off a second finger.

 

“Secondly, we need to heal Itachi of his illnesses as soon as possible. If Sasuke finds out about the truth behind the massacre only after he's killed Itachi, or the illness has taken Itachi, I don't doubt that Sasuke will attempt to destroy Konoha. He's already killed Orochimaru, and Orochimaru came damn close to ripping us apart. We have no idea the kinds of skills he's learned since then, and will learn in the near future. We also don't know who he's working with, and their skill sets either. “

 

“Finally, we need to seal Sasuke's chakra when we bring him back. I don't doubt the animosity he's accumulated will be launched at Konoha regardless if Itachi is alive or dead one he finds out the truth, so we need him sealed and somewhat sedated. If we can find this information, it may also be grounds for executing them, or imprisoning them, under charges of treason. I'm willing to bet my power that Koharu and Homura were plotting with Danzo, and the association with him would be enough to have them dismissed from office.” Sakura let out the rest of her breath, and quickly added, “As an extra bundle of proof, the medical autopsies and Itachi's personal medical records should hold some sway in things.” Tsunade looked worried. She turned to Sakura, who looked up at her docilely.

 

“Sakura, if what you're proposing here is true, then you've just saved us from another war. I wanted to stay here with you on your last evening before the Seal Ceremony, but...time cannot be wasted. I must leave immediately. You'll be fine these next two months, I'm sure of it.” Tsunade hugged Sakura close, and Sakura returned it with equal fervor. Tsunade stepped back, and gave Sakura some air. Sakura looked down the steps, at the small but bustling town below. She looked up at Tsunade again, those lovely jade eyes bright again, a small smile curving her lips. Reading information was her superpower. She was positively dangerous with information.

 

“I just feel that we've condemned the wrong Uchiha.”

 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

The stone slab he lay upon felt cool, and somewhat soothed his nerves. His limbs were tied to the stone securely, in strong leather straps, just tight enough to keep him stable. Two men stood over him, preparing the seals that were being painted on the milky white stone around him.

 

It had been four grueling months...the pace his father set to learn had been difficult, but compared to these trials, it had been merciful...almost kind. He'd been hunting bigger animals now, and going through training to make him faster, and make him stronger. He already had more muscle definition than his father...but for some reason, his pale skin seemed to stay, no matter how long he stayed in the sun. One of the Aburame elders by the name of Shiro, who trained Shibi when he was a child, was now out in the mountains with the Aburame patriarch and heir, applying the seals to the milky white stone slab, which Shino had spied him sitting on four months previously. He did not look at all like his seventy-three years, but it must have been the constant exercise, and the very minimal diet most of the elders adhered to. He was all lean muscle, and he was bronzed to perfection. Shino almost huffed. He'd been out in the sun for a constant eight months, and he still hadn't turned a shade darker. He vaguely thought of Naruto, who tanned fairly evenly, and quite easily. He tried, and failed not to be jealous.

 

When Shino saw his father bow deeply to this man, who he had never seen before, Shino followed suit quickly. He barely looked ten years older than his father, but he was around the same age as his father was now when his father was born. The only tale-tell signs of his age were the few handsome smile lines around his mouth, and the beginnings of gray splashing his hairline at his temples. He watched as Shiro worked quietly and efficiently; his silvery eyes also betrayed the many years of wisdom and experience as a shinobi, as they darted over the seals to make sure they were written immaculately.

 

The seal work had been intricate; they strapped him down when the first stars were winking into see-able existence, and now it was close to midnight as the two men began to draw the seals onto his skin. The center of the grand seal, as it would seem, was directed towards his heart...that was his best guess as the brushes drew the cool and wet ink softly onto his body. He could feel the wind whisper over him, the smell of the night flowers teasing and sensual. Shino closed his eyes as he thought of Sakura fondly. He would have to remember to take her here when he had the chance. She'd always loved flowers, and this would make her eyes light up and sparkle...he would take her to see these flowers as often as she wanted, for as long as it would make her happy. He knew she was doing alright; Butch and Killer had not come rushing back to him to tell him of any danger, as he'd instructed them to do as his last orders to them before setting off on his training journey.

 

 

It had taken a few hours, but the seal work was finally finished. The men put the special ink block and brushes in the small compartment that was made inside the large moon colored stone. A carved box made of wrought silver and gold with pictures of kikaichuu in flight with diamonds as their compound eyes was in Shibi's hands. He stood on the opposite end of where Shiro stood next to the slab, right behind Shino's head. As Shibi raised the box, he said a few words to Shino as Shiro raised his hands to perform the hand seals to activate the seal scrawled all over the stone and Shino's body.

 

“This will hurt. Badly. Do not be afraid to scream, if it releases stress on your body. I assure you, no one but Shiro, the animals and I will hear you. It will take ten minutes. Good luck son. Do not die on me.” It occurred to Shino that this was the dangerous part of the training. His mind focused on Sakura, and coming home to her. He could not bring himself to think of failure as a lovely vision of Sakura's pretty face smiled at him.

 

“I'm ready.” Shino's liquid mercury colored eyes hardened with resolve. Shiro ran through the hand seals as though he'd been practicing for just this moment. A low rumbling chant left Shiro's lips as Shino heard his father yell 'Kai!'

 

Wait...there was already a seal placed upon him?

 

Shino didn't have time to think about anything as the pain came immediately, and he screamed. It was worse than any kunai wound ever inflicted that he had experienced. It was ripping him from the inside out, and felt like every cell in his body was screaming along with him. His chest arched off of the slab, as the characters painted on the slab and his skin began to crawl towards the grand seal, which surrounded and counteracted the seal Shibi released that he had been given at birth. The golden colored seal that was surrounded by the black one turned as pitch black as the ceremony seal, and the ceremonial seal turned a bright silver color as it converged and destroyed the birth seal. This was Shibi's cue to open the box. A chakra laden finger poked at the kikaichuu that served as the 'latch' for the box, and watched as it came to life, and flew around the entire slab, as if surveying the entire event.

 

Silver colored kikaichuu flew elegantly from the box, and made a soothing buzzing sound. The noise called Shino's kikaichuu from his body, and they mingled in the air with the silver ones, seeming to dance to the soothing buzz they were lured out by. A soothing voice seemed to come out from the buzz; it seemed to be a singing woman's voice. By this time the pain had increased, and tears streamed out of Shino's eyes, his throat raw from the screaming. His kikai glowed as one, the light pulsing and the kikai forming a woman's body.

 

Shino passed out, but only after the seal finished it's work counteracting the birth seal. Shibi was proud. His son made it. He could already see the effects of the seal reversal. Shino grew at least a few more inches than the spurt he'd already had during their training in the mountain. His skin turned a few shades darker, to the shade it should have been from constantly being in the sunlight. His bangs, which had grown out to an inch shy of his shoulder blades, now lay spread out, and the back would touch just beneath his shoulder blades. 

 

The silver kikai that served as the latch for the box Shibi opened settled in the hair of the woman who materialized from Shino's kikai. She was dressed in a mini strapless dress made of white leopard, her long and curly chestnut brown tresses flowing to her ankles, earrings, bracelets and necklaces made of intricate bleached, colored animal bone and tropical bird feathers adorning her. Armlets and anklets of silver and gold decorated with kikaichuu were snugly in place, a lopsided circlet, which the kikai that settled in her hair seemed to be the centerpiece of, was placed upon her brow. Her feet were blissfully bare as she floated above Shino's prone form. Her cool silver colored eyes regarded Shino for a moment, a warm, sunny smile exposing the dimples on her cheeks. She floated forward, her hands touching Shino's face.

 

“I do believe you've made a handsome son, Shibi.” The woman's voice reverberated and echoed soft and warm. Shibi blushed a bit, thinking that Aibiko had a hand in it too. He bowed deeply to her.

 

“Thank you, my lady. I believe that my wife has just as much responsibility for his looks as I do, however.” She smiled and her eyes drifted to the side.

 

“Yes, I believe a thanks for her is in order too. She has been a good Aburame woman, and if she's still anything like me, give this to her. She'll appreciate it.” a slender crystal vial materialized in her hand. It was tinted purple, and had a butterfly stopper on it. There was a light amber colored liquid in it, and it's viscosity was of warmed honey. It floated over to Shibi, who grasped it from the air gently.

 

“You know she'd rather see you, my lady. But I will deliver this to her with pleasure.” The woman's hair flowed gracefully as she snorted and crossed her arms.

 

“It's been nearly two decades, and you still give me too much formality. I recognize that my...position should be regarded with reverence and care, but I've never been one for stuffy formalities.” She jammed a pinky into her ear, wiggling it around, a frown on her face, and her eyes shifty and bored. A small noise led their eyes to Shino's prone form. The three of them watched intently as he came to. Shiro had already taken the liberty of releasing him from his restraints.

 

Shino opened his eyes blearily. He was in pain, but not nearly the amount it took for him to pass out, to which he was grateful. When his vision cleared, he realized two things: The first being his kikaichuu were nowhere in his body, or the near vicinity that he could see, and secondly, a beautiful woman was floating above him. While he blushed out of habit and reflex, his mind was already turning her curly brown hair to pink hair, and her cool silvery eyes to the brightest jade. The woman's eyebrow rose a fraction.

 

“I think little Shino-kun here has a lady friend he misses. When I looked at him, I got a flash of a pink-haired green eyed adorable little woman. Tell me, young one, what is her name?” Shino looked to the side in embarrassment, and then back into the cool silver in the woman's eyes.

 

“Sakura.” He surprised himself at his now slightly deeper voice, and sat up quickly, noting the changes. He felt like an entirely different person. In a way, he probably was. The woman smiled. Shibi had the same look of bewilderment years ago. She could only hope that Shino's son would be just as adorable.

 

“Well now, that's a fitting name, isn't it? Here, sit up so I can sit next to you, and perhaps explain to you some of the changes you'll be going through, and already went through when this ceremony has been completed. Boys, can I talk to Shino-kun alone for a little while? One of the silver kikaichuu will summon you back, but it must be far away enough for privacy's sake.” Shibi and Shiro nodded and bounded off, already knowing the things she was going to cover, as they did these things at one point previously. She waited until they dashed away, and did not speak until she was certain they could not hear her.

 

“Alright, so here's what has happened to you. A seal had been placed upon you at birth to manage the power of the kikaichuu; it is a wild power, one that a child, no matter how adept, cannot handle completely on it's own. You father is the one that sealed you, and what the seal did was limit your power, to make it easier to interact with the destruction beetles, but makes it a tad harder to control them. Once I leave this plane again, your kikai will return to you, and you will have perfect control of them, except in one case.” She touched his abdomen, and Shino blushed as he could feel his arousal stir a bit. He looked away in shame, his cheeks a bright primrose.

 

“As with most animals, there is a mating season, but because of the short lifespan of the kikaichuu, for them, it is year round. Until you mate Sakura, or whomever you wish as your bride, and she is heavy with your first born son, you may become inclined to mate with her repeatedly. It is one of the side effects of handling the kikaichuu. They will sense her fertility, and you will hunger for her touch. Do not fight it, or you may harm the girl. Gently explain things to her. If she has fallen in love with you as I hope, she will understand...perhaps she'll even 'help' you with your little problem...ohohoho!” She nudged Shino in the side with her elbow, as his face grew warm, and his cheeks changed to a lovely shade of rose. She smiled, and her face became a little more serious. Her lovely silvery eyes were maternal, and he felt as though she were family. He relaxed a bit more, intently listening to her words. She looked off into the distance of the valley of night flowers, her hair caught by a fresh night breeze.

 

“You have tied yourself to an animal... creatures of the wilderness. It should not surprise you then that you will behave a little more like one. You have tied yourself to the Kikaichuu...to me, the mistress of their destructive power. In a way, yes, the Kikaichuu would be likened unto a bee hive, and I would be the queen. You are aware of the importance of the female role in Aburame; I am sure your father has taught you what you are expected to do, how to behave, and your duties to perform. Above all else, you must provide and strive for happiness, peace and harmony within everything in your sight.” One of her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her touch was soothing. His pain was waning slowly. He also realized what an amazon of a woman she was, sitting next to her. She smelled like the flowers that surrounded the area, and of fresh cool earth. She looked down at him, and poked a finger into his chest, where the seal had been removed.

 

“The seal did not just release your power, it changed your body to it's true state to be able to handle the power that you have earned, now that we know you can handle it. I'm not sure why it limits one's growth and your skin tone, but you are as you should be now. I will have given you one of my silver kikaichuu, so you may contact me, and so you may visit me in the animal summons world. While the kikaichuu are not a summoned animal, they still require a contract to handle them as we do, so I live in the summon's world.” She smiled.

 

“I am Shishi, Lady of Destruction, and I am the one that has devised the method of using these beetles. I am not human, despite my appearance, but I am something close to a mix between human and the beetles that we use as weapons, and reconnaissance.” She suddenly flew up into the air again, and sent the silver beetle off to summon the men. She looked down at Shino fondly.

 

“You will make a fine leader one day. Do not be discouraged because you feel as though you do not seemingly possess any unique talents, or that you may never live up to the expectations that you have set for yourself in regards to the people you love. What matters is that they love you for all the qualities in here,” she touched his chest with a soft index finger, “...and that they are satisfied with those qualities, and that they accept you, dear.” Her hands stretched out in front of her, and glowed a soft white. A garment and box appeared in her hands, and Shino realized it was the same dress that Shishi was wearing. The box was an unfinished oak box with Kikai carved into the wood. Shino took the items as she placed them in his hands. Shino could feel his father and Shiro returning swiftly.

 

“These are for your bride to wear during your time of proving your worth as her husband. Do not worry about them fitting. They were made as they were meant to be worn.” Shishi looked up to see the two men making their last steps towards the stone. She smiled and waved flying higher into the air. She became transparent, as Shino's kikai flew back towards him, the silver ones remaining in her transparent body, lazily floating around. She held up a hand, and a shiny silver beetle floated towards him, entering his body. He felt a small connection to her now, barely there, but not annoying.

 

“If you want to speak to me, all you have to do is feed the beetle the tiniest bit of your life chakra, and I shall speak to you. You are now recognized as the Lord of the Aburame. Good luck on the year of etiquette training in four months' time. Oh yes, I almost forgot....” A second vial appeared in her hand, this one tinted red, with an intricate flower stopper. The liquid inside was golden. A somewhat perverted look washed over her pretty face. Shino blanched, as she tossed him the vial. This was not good.

 

“This is my personal gift for the both of you. Be sure to only ingest one drop every week at the most. May the first of your months together be as sweet and memorable as a wonderful foundation to the years that follow.” Shishi disappeared with a tinkling laugh, and the area became somber. The silver kikai flew back into the box, Shishi's hair ornament locking the box with a soft 'click'. Shino turned to his father and Shiro, smiling wryly, as he looked at the vial, and shook it in front of his eyes. It was very thick.

 

“I guess you were right, dad. We are pretty perverted, aren't we?” Shino muttered in reluctant acquiescence. Shibi and Shiro laughed at his embarrassment. Shiro rarely spoke, but whenever he did, it was always something important and insightful. Despite being wild looking, and much older, Shiro's voice was velvety, and youthful.

 

 

“Don't worry, little Shino. Once your eyes fall upon your woman, nothing else will matter, and all embarrassment will be gone. It will be as if only the two of you exist.” Shiro sat next to Shino, staring off into the valley of glowing flowers as Shishi had done before. His wizened eyes looked far beyond the valley, or even the mountain in the far distance.

 

“I suspect that Sakura is the one that dress, box and vial are for. I remember seeing you both as children. There was something...magical about you two. Like the beginning of a legendary tale. I do not mind Sakura as your choice in the least, if I must make my opinion. She is beautiful, incredibly strong both mentally and physically, and she loves wholeheartedly. It is rare to find a kunoichi that believes in love still.” Shiro smiled, and clapped his grandnephew on the shoulder.

 

“I hope you give me many great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews to spoil, and to perhaps train. I think I have one more good heir training session in me before the earth reclaims me.” Shibi laughed quietly. Shino looked confused, as he held up the dress. He knew what Sakura looked like, based upon his caresses before he left. This dress was far too large in the bust and hips area for it to have been Sakura's dress. He looked worried.

 

“This cannot possibly be for Sakura-chan, father. It's not the correct proportions for her size.” Shibi looked at his son, and wondered if he should tell him about the training Sakura would have to undergo as a Haruno woman. He'd briefly experienced the difference of the before and after, once he'd met and courted Suika. The woman was lithe and fairy like when he'd first met her, but after her training, she came back three cup sizes larger and curvier than ever. Shibi thought it was best that he was never put on missions with her; she easily distracted him with her clothing choice and fighting style.

 

“I'm sure everything will be fine, son. We need to go back to our home, and sleep. We are running low on supplies, and it's time to hunt again.” Shibi hoped a change in subject would close the matter. Shino looked at his father, miffed at his lame attempt at changing the subject (because Shino knew stores were low, he treated his training as though Sakura were the one with him, and not his father), but knew that worrying about it now would do no good. He surrendered to his father's will, and agreed. But he could only hope that the next four months passed quickly. He walked away from the stone slab, and made his way through the flowers, and back towards his forest home. The wind blew through the trees in the distance, a soft whisper traveling through the flowers.

 

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A lone cloaked figure walked leisurely through the forests of Fire Country, particularly close to Konohagakure. The cloak was weather worn, torn through the bottom when the figure traveled through Wind Country. A frown tugged at the lips of a very feminine face, eyes covered by the shadow of the hood, hair covered by the hood itself. She had been away from her village for eighteen years, after the last fight she'd been in. The last time she'd been in the village, the fourth had been in office, but she knew from hearsay that he was dead, and that the third was dead as well, bringing in Lady Tsunade, who had been Hokage for the last five years.

 

The last fight left her nearly dead, and her memories were missing. Her recovery took years to complete. She'd even forgot her own name, and that she was a kunoichi, until nearly five years later the people who cared for her were attacked by rogue ninja. Her reflexes saved them, and they realized she'd remembered she was a ninja, but not which country, or still even her own name. Her forehead protector was blasted away in the explosion, so she was unidentifiable.

 

They'd suggested she might be a Mist ninja, since she was in Water Country was where she was found, but she shook her head, and told them that she might be walking into enemy hands unwittingly if she just guessed. There was no way to tell if she was in or out of her country doing a mission; there was no way to tell without her remembering. Ninja didn't carry around information on their person...if they got caught, then the information would fall into enemy hands. Memorization was a ninja's best friend, except in cases like these. She could only hope that when she returned home, she wouldn't be imprisoned for being a missing nin. She knew Tsunade well, but she had been gone for the better part of two decades. Tsunade was fair, but strict. She left the older couple who took such good care of her, and left them a protection scroll she'd written in thanks, telling them that all they had to do was open it, and she would be summoned immediately.

 

She'd been wandering the different countries, dyeing her hair a different color so as not to stick out too much, and kept it short. If it weren't for her impressive rack, most would mistake her for a young genin boy...she was awfully short, barely reaching 5'2”. She received papers for transfer as a civilian to live in Sand, and had been living under the name Sayuka, since she still could not remember her true name. She met the Kazekage, who knew she was a ninja when he first sensed her moving toward his village. She'd explained to him that she could not remember what her name was, or where she was from...that she'd been missing from his country long before he was born. He allowed her to stay, because he sensed she was telling the truth, but to report to him when she finally remembered where she was from.

 

She remembered the moment she remembered. She was in the market one day, shopping for her weekly groceries. She'd been in the produce section, and she'd been perusing apples when children ran around her screaming happily about getting watermelons in from a foreign country...they'd only come once a year, and they were a treat. She stood there dumbfounded for a moment, as her name came back to her. And with it, came everything else so suddenly, her head hurt, and she dropped to the ground in the fetal position, clutching her head. A few of the ninja that were out on patrol duty assisted her, and gave her water, and helped her to her feet. She looked at them bewilderingly, and shouted her thanks to them as she tore away into the streets, surprising them by running up buildings and darting in the direction of their leader's tower. They followed her closely, to make sure she was not an intruder, but she didn't care, she knew that Konoha and Suna were friends.

 

 

She'd rushed to the Kazekage's tower as soon as her legs could carry her, and told him everything. Gaara, who could only smile, was glad she was from Konoha. He was happy to provide her with the necessary equipment and provisions to begin making her way back home.

 

That was one week ago. She looked up and smiled. She remembered these trees, and realized that Konoha was directly ahead, as she spied the tell-tale burnished tan of the village's wall. She walked a little faster, eager to see if the village changed much, or if it would be mostly the same, as she'd hoped. She stopped when the village came into sight, and breathed in deeply.

 

She was home.

 

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I know this chapter is a bit boring, but I sometimes feel like people magically give people their power, and I wanted to add a little of the 'how' when it comes to their power. The last four months of their training will be elaborated on in the next chapter.

 

So who is this lady that's been missing? Well, a hint is in her remembrance, and that is the only clue I will divulge. Hopefully, I'll have time this year to work on the next chapter sooner, but I already have a bad track record, so I won't give you hope. Just know that I never forget unfinished stories. Yeah, they piss me off too. You guys are the ones who keep me going, so it wouldn't kill you to send me a review. Please? I'd like to know how I'm doing. If you don't like it, feel free to tell me why you don't, I don't mind, I promise.