Ch. 7: Myth becomes true
They both looked at me, their eyes visible, and gave me a small innocent smile.
"Hey, Shinju. You are home." said Father.
"No playing innocent. Why haven't you two been cleaning the house while I was gone?"
"We have been busy with missions. We did not have the time." Father answered and placed the newspaper down.
"Do you want me to ask Lady Hokage?" If it's were true they been busy with missions, of course Lady Hokage would knew.
"Yes, but only if you want to. Besides, where have you been? Was you not supposed to be home at three o'clock? It is eight now." Father said, worry edging at his voice.
"Wakana came along and took me out shopping. She kinda forced me to." I deadpanned.
"Shinju?" This was the first time Shino talked after I entered the house. I ignored him and went into the kitchen and saw the mop where still there where I left it.
I could hear footsteps coming from the living room. As I washed the floor, I saw Shino in front of me.
"Shinju, I have figured out why I haven't talked about you." Shino started nervously. I looked up in surprise and stopped in my trail.
"Then what is it?" I asked him and placed a hand on my hip, holding the mop with my other hand.
"I was afraid of losing you." He avoided eye contact.
"Losing me?" Okay, that confuses me...
"You would had spent more time with the others then with me. That's why I kept you secret." He explained and shrugged slightly.
I stood and took in what he had said. He was afraid of losing me? That was new.
I placed the mop up against the kitchen table and hugged Shino tight.
"You're not going to lose me. Never." He hugged me back.
"So you forgive me?" He whispered.
"Yeah, I forgive you, your big ego."
He pushed me away from him and looked me in the eyes. Or the glasses since I still had them on.
"I'm not an ego." He said sternly.
"You're a total ego, Shino. You just don't know it. Here," I handed him the mop, "If you haven't noticed, the house is a mess and I bet the garden needs some work too."
He sighed in annoyance and took the mop and start washing the floor. I walked into the living room and looked at my father.
"What is it, Shinju?" he asked and looked up from the newspaper he was reading.
"Don't think you can skip work just because you are my father." I answered while dragging him off the couch. He dropped the newspaper and went along. I dragged him upstairs and gave him instructions about how to clean the bathroom and the other rooms as well. He might be my father, but for the past years, I've been the 'housekeeping mom' and Father slowly forgotten how to clean and cook. Surprised, eh?..
When I finished my explanation, I went downstairs and out in the garden. Sure, here needed some work too. There were weeds starting to grow and it's seems the flowers needs some water.
~~~
I pulled the last weeds off the ground and trashed it in the garbage bag I've received earlier.
I stood up and brushed the dirt off the gloves I was wearing. I then felt someone watching me, just like back in the tower. I'd choose to ignore it and continued my work.
But the feeling didn't went off as I'd hoped and it was getting on my nerves.
3. person POV
He looked at the girl as she fixed the garden. He could see through the windows that there were two figures, one upstairs and the other one downstairs, both cleaning the house. He took out a card and revealed a picture of a girl with sunglasses, hood and a high collar.
"...Shinju Aburame..." he said out-loud to himself.
"You'll be a great vessel for my next experiment." He putted the card back in his pocket and revealed a very small egg, no bigger than his thumb, and looked at it. It had a deep gold color with royal blue spots here and there.
He looked at the girl again and smirked, his white pale skin cracked by the motion.
"Time to make my move." he said and jumped down from the tree he was hiding in and walked to the garden, with no care in the world.
Shinju's POV
A thin fog had come and it confused me. Not only did my 'stalker' made me nervous, but now a fog is coming, making the whole scene even more scarier?
Soon I felt a presence behind me and I knew it wasn't Father nor Shino. I turned around to see a white pale man with regular glasses on. He had a jacket on there hided the rest of his clothes and the hood was on as well. Red clouds were printed on the black fabric, but I could barely see it for both the fog and my glasses.
"Who are you?" I asked suspiciously and went into my fighting stance.
"Who I am is none of your concern." He answered and took a step which caused me to take a step back.
"What do you want?" I continued, trying to figure out who this person was and what his business were. If I could get some information out of him, I knew what to do, but right now I just don't have to let my guard down.
In an instant he was by my side, his hand gently on my chest. I could feel a pressure in my chest and falls to the ground. I was unable to move, yeah, even speak. And it all happened so fast I barely registered it. Maybe it was just a dream...
What did he do to me?
He then knelled to the ground beside me and he hold something in his hand, the hand that didn't pushed me. It was golden with blue spots here and there.
"You probably wondering what I'm doing, right? Well, you'll find out once you wake up again." he smirked. He then putted the golden thing in my mouth and made me swallow it.
"Shinju!" said Shino's voice. "...Kabuto..." I couldn't see my brother since I was unable to move.
"I better get going. See you around, Shinju-chan." said the man by my side.
Shinju-chan?!
I could hear Shino's beetle attack the man, but he actually started to burn, slowly, from the feet and up. He and the fire then disappeared and things was back to normal. Or as normal as it could be with me motionless on the ground.
"Shinju, are you okay?" Shino made it to my side. I couldn't answer him.
"Shinju?"
I felt my energy leave my body, as if there were someone who sucked out my chakra and I then black outed.
Next morning
I woke up to see a white ceiling. I knew this ceiling far to well. The hospital.
I could feel something small crawl on my stomach and I rise up to see... A DRAGON!
I just sat there, looking at it. I didn't knew what to do. Well, who wouldn't after they find out that a myth is true and not just a history?
The dragon saw I was awake and crawled up to my hand, petting itself against my fingers. It was actually pretty cute once you get used to it.
My thoughts went back to the man who attacked me and I wondered who he was and why he called me Shinju-chan.
Better find that out later.
"Ahh, you're awake. Good." a nurse said entered the room, but kept a good distance from my bed.
"How are you feeling?" she asked me.
"Fine, thanks." She still stood there, smiling at me.
"Aren't you going to check me or something?" I asked the nurse since she didn't do anything yet.
"Apparently, yes, but I'm not allowed for... the dragon." She eyed the creature suspiciously.
"The dragon?" I asked in a monotone voice.
"Ever since the dragon came out from your stomach, it hasn't allowed any of the nurses to come near you, miss Aburame." the nurse explained.
"Out from my stomach?" Okay, that sound icky.
"It appears that an enemy ninja made you swallow an egg and instead getting digested, it used your proteins in your body to grow. It causes a huge lack of energy and made you collapse. Once the dragon was fully grown, which would say a couple hours later, it crawled it's way up from your stomach to your mouth. And ever since the dragon had been overprotective of you."
...I wished I hadn't asked...
"Where is my family?" I asked the nurse.
"They are just outside, but I'm not sure if they can see you because of the dragon." She gestured toward the door.
~Don't worry, I wont hurt your family.~ the dragon said.
"That sounds good." I said to the creature.
"Good?" the nurse asked. "How good is it that you can't see your family because of a dragon?" It sound like she were about to yell, but she controlled it very well. Well, maybe not as good as me there can sound monotone when I'm angry.
"Didn't you heard him? He won't hurt my family." I told the nurse matter-of-factually.
"You understand what it's saying?" She sounded confused.
"Yes. Don't you?"
"No."
Some time went where we just looked at each other.
"Well?" I quickened an eyebrow.
"Well what?" She frowned in confusion.
"Aren't you gonna get my family? I want to see them."
"Yes, I want to, but the dragon-"
My beetles flied around me in a small swarm. "...I want to see my family..." I said threatening.
"O-Okay, miss. I'll get them right away." She bowed deeply. "Just a second." she stammered and left the room right after. My beetles went back into my body.
"She's awake and wish to see you." I heard the nurse say outside the room. In came my father and Shino, followed by his team, including his sensei.
"Shinju, are you okay?" asked my brother concerned. He and Father went to my side, but Kiba, Hinata and the lady, which name I haven't been giving yet, stood in a good distance.
"I'm fine, thanks. Why do you stand over-there?" I asked the little crowd.
"It's the dragon's fault. We can't get close or else it would try to bite us." said Kiba. Akamaru barked in agreement.
"If I told you not to hurt them, will you do as I say?" I asked the little creature in my hand.
~Of course.~ it answered and crawled it's way up to my shoulder.
"It's safe. He won't hurt you." I told the others in a calming voice.
"Are you sure, Shinju-chan?" asked Hinata.
"Of course. Or else I wouldn't have said it, right?"
Hinata walked slowly to my left side and reached her hand out to touch the dragon. The dragon, there were on my right shoulder, walked over my back to my left shoulder and sniffed her hand. He licked her gently which caused her to giggle.
Kiba and the lady walked closer too, and smiled by the view. Akamaru jumped up to the bed, only his front-leg though, and licked me on the face.
"Akamaru!" said Kiba and pulled Akamaru back in place. "Sorry about that."
"It's okay." I blushed again by his cocky smile.
Damn it! Not again!!
Shino eyed me with a puzzle look. The others couldn't see it because he was hidden behind sunglasses and a collar, but I knew Shino well enough to know it. Shino smirked as I gave him a death glare. If he is going on with this, I'll punch him!
"I guess we haven't been introduced to each other. My name is Kurenai Yuhi." said the elder woman, taking me out of my thoughts.
"I'm Shinju, but you probably already know that."
~Shinju-sama, I'm hungry. Can't we get something to eat?~ asked the dragon.
"Now that you mentions it, I'm hungry too." I answered.
"What are you talking about? No one said anything about hunger." Kiba said.
"Well, the dragon did. Didn't you heard that?" I gestured toward the dragon whom looked half dead already by hunger.
"No, all I heard was growl." Kiba said and looked at me as if I were an alien. Which I kinda thought too.
Am I the only one who can understand him?
"I have to go, Shinju. I have a mission to handle." said my father. He went to my side and kissed me on the forehead. "I might not be home for the next few days, so you and Shino have to live alone for a while. Do you think you can handle that?"
"Of course." Hellooo! I'm not a baby anymore and I got Shino! Everything will be fine, old man. He, old man...
"Be at good health. Bye." He left the room.
"Bye, Father." said Shino and I in union.
"We should get going too. We got a mission for ourselves." said Kurenai.
"Good bye, Shinju-chan." Hinata said and left with Kurenai.
"Bye." said Kiba careless and left with Akamaru.
"You're sure you're gonna be okay, Shinju?" asked Shino.
"I'll be just fine, Shino. Now go before you'll be late for your mission." I looked toward the door and wished I could go out on a mission or out training. I knew what it was like to be in a hospital in longer periods of time and it wasn't funny...
"I'm never late." Shino furrowed his brow and glared at me as I looked back at him.
"Once has to be the first." I smirked.
He suddenly hugged me tightly and I could feel he was worried, so I hugged him back to calm him down.
"Be safe." he said with worry in his voice.
"I will." It was at times like these that I loved my brother so much. He can be cold, mysterious, call him what you like, but when it comes to family, he was different. He could cry, yell, laugh, and all other stuff friends and family does.
He left the room, leaving me and the dragon alone. I looked at the little creature on my shoulder and wondered what to name him.
~What is it, Shinju-sama?~ asked the dragon after a while of silence.
"I was just wondering what your name should be."
~I already got a name, dummy.~ he teased.
"Really? Then what is it?" I frowned in confusion.
~It's Kofura.~
"Kofura? Well, Kofura, what are you saying to that we go out and get something to eat?" I asked and went to get out of bed.
~That sounds great!~
"I thought so."
I rise from the bed and got a little dizzy from the quick rise.
~Are you okay, Shinju-sama?~
"I'm fine. I think you should hide while we are out or not among those you are familiar with. People are not used to dragons."
~Got it!~ He crawled down from my shoulder down to my breast!
"What? Not there!" I whispered in anger.
~Why not? It's warm here.~
"I don't care. It's embarrassing. Got up from there!" I stomped.
~Dragons needs warm and the hottest point on your body is here.~
"Fine, but if you bite or anything, I wont give you breakfast."
~Got it!~
I sighed and left the room. I walked down to the cafeteria there were a few hallways from my room. I could see patients along with visitors. I took a tray, a plate and a glass and got toast with bacon and egg. I sat by an empty table and start eating. Once I was half done I heard a girl scream after somebody.
"Lee, get back here! You are still injured!" A black haired boy in a green jump suit ran past me and looked behind his back. He was panting.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan, but I got training to do!" he yelled back at Sakura who was in the end of the hallway.
"Somebody, stop him!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. As the boy ran away, I ordered my beetles to take shape as a rope and charged for the boy. I caught his leg and he dropped head down to the floor. It seemed it hurt. Badly.
"Thanks, miss." Sakura said beside me. She was panting as well.
"You're welcome." I said and dragged the boy back to my place. Once he lay in front of us, I ordered my beetles back in their hive.
Sakura tapped her foot while giving the boy a death glare. The boy turned around and saw it. He gave her a wide innocent smile.
"Sakura-chan, I can explain." was all he said.
"How many times do I have to tell you to rest when you are injured? You can't train when you are injured!" she almost yelled.
"But in order to get stronger, I have to train!" He had fire in his eyes.
"Yeah, but you also need to rest!" Sakura argued back, leaving no room to argue.
I knelled down beside the boy and lifted him up in sitting position. His hair was a mess so I fixed it.
"It is true that training makes you stronger, but in order to become fully strong, you need to rest and think things over. Beside you make Sakura worry without reason." I said.
"I make Sakura-chan worry?" he asked in disbelief.
"You're not only hurt yourself when you do stuff like that. You also make your friends worried. So all you have to do is rest for while, then you can get back to training."
"Yeah, but I can not get stronger if I am resting!"
"What is more important, your friends or your training?"
"My friends, of course. That is why I have to train so that I can become strong enough to protect them!"
"And don't you think rest can be training too?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" He blinked confused.
"When you rest, you not only allow your body to heal, but you also train your patience. So technically your not resting, but training."
"Oh. I never thought of it that way. Alright, beautiful girl, I will rest, for you and my friends!" He squeezed his hand and had fire in his eyes again.
Did he just called me beautiful?
"Alright, Lee, let's get you back to your room." said Sakura.
"Right!" And Sakura pulled the boy back to his room. But on the halfway he turned around and looked at me.
"Miss, what is your name, if I may ask?" asked the boy.
"Shinju Aburame. And you?" I answered.
"My name is Rock Lee!" He intended to make a pose, but got dragged by Sakura instead.
~Hurry, Shinju-sama, I'm hungry!~ said Kofura.
I went back to my table and ate the rest of my breakfast.