It was only meant to be an expedition to catalogue different species of bees, scattered across Konoha’s forests and thus a safe and exciting adventure for two young children. Torune had been leading Shino towards one on the edge of the Forest of Death when the old man had appeared, looking at Shino and smiling in a way none of the Aburame ever did. Danger, his smile had whispered to Torune, though it was clear that he was one of Konoha’s own and powerful, to boot, but…
Come with me, he had said to Shino—still so young, still a few months from entering the Academy and making friends—and Toruna had… ached. Felt the hum of his kindaichū beneath his skin, weighed up the rumours he heard and the things he saw despite being so isolated from the rest of the village, and squeezed Shino’s hand just once before stepping forward.
The old man had, at least, let Torune lead Shino to a place where he could find his own way home. I’ll come back later, he’d told Shino, heart heavy in his chest as he’d stared down at his younger almost-brother, tell your dad that I love him, okay?
Shino—young, innocent, a little disappointed that their bee-finding expedition had been cut short but accepting nonetheless—had trotted on home with a wave for his beloved almost-brother, unaware that they would never meet again.
Live well, Shino, Torune had directed at his small back, and then…
“Is it that dream again?” a voice asks above him, and Torune blinks his eyes open to find Fū’s face hovering over his. It’s less derisive than it had been even a week ago, barely even audible beyond the slight emphasis of one word, but more animation bleeds into his expression when he puts his hands on his hips and adds, “Danzō-sama told us to wake up early, don’t you remember?”
“Ah, I must’ve forgotten,” Torune replies—bland, calculatingly so, and watches Fū’s expression twitch before it smooths out.
Because dreams have no place in Danzō-sama’s grand plans, in the same way that emotions and any attachments outside of Danzō-sama have no place either. Torune reaches for the familiar hum of his kindaichū, letting the corrosive touch of their poison in his bloodstream soothe him, and swings his legs out of bed.
“Let’s go,” Torune says, making no mention of his dreams.
“Okay,” Fū replies, and makes no mention of it either.
Just before he slips out the door, masks firmly in place, Torune spares a single thought for Shino—but even that is fleeting and soon squashed down.
He still doesn’t know Danzō-sama’s machinations, has no idea how Shino would’ve factored into ROOT and whether he, too, would’ve had to go through the same things Sai and Shin had… but he’s picked his path. His almost-brother is safe, his clan spared any further clan children quietly disappearing from the compound for Danzō-sama’s plans, and for that alone…
“B-Bless you,” Hinata murmurs softly, stretching a hand out to pat Kiba’s arm.
“Must be the pollen or something,” Kiba sniffles seconds later, bringing a sleeve up to wipe at his nose.
“That is unhygienic. Why? Because your sleeve has come into contact with several pathogens in the course of our training,” Shino offers, swaying slightly to avoid Kiba’s fist—
And as Kiba redoubles his efforts with a war cry, dragging Akamaru into an attempt at dirtying Shino’s jacket despite Hinata’s stuttered protests, a single purple insect flutters its wings before taking to the air again.