“Incoming” – Chapter 7
AKA, “Technically chapter 6 but really long so I guess it counts as chapter 7 unless you really want to call it chapter 6…hmmm…”
This chapter was finished and posted waaaaaaaaaaaaaay after I planned to have it done. I’m so behind schedule! T-T
Okay, updates: I got my answers from my colleges and I got accepted at four places! Yaey! One of them just sucks, so I’m not going there, but the other three look awesome! I don’t know which I’ll choose! Oh, the drama!! Other than that, I’ve been writing like crazy for my other stories when I SHOULD have been writing for this one (gomenasai!) BUT, I have come up with some great new stories and ideas, so…I plan to have them all out soon. Maybe before May, but you never know. *shrugs*
Disclaimer: I don’t own any significant part of Naruto or its characters. I just use them to appease my fangirl needs. Ava and Hashirigaki belong to me and the plot was unconsciously inspired by the story “Reading Totems” by GrizzlyTeddyBear on Mediaminer.org. I didn’t realize this before re-re-re-rereading the story…again. Please forgive me for not saying so earlier.
-
- - -
-
Boy does this feel familiar. I’m sitting outside the Hokage’s office, twiddling my thumbs and looking guilty…just like in kindergarten when I got in trouble for making somebody throw up. How? Well…that particular day we were having mushy peas and beans as sides for a macaroni and cheese lunch. It was surprisingly good…for most of the kids. I didn’t like the taste of the “meal”, so I took the plate and threw stuff onto the wall. The beans, peas, and macaroni all made a lovely portrait that looked like puke. One of the kids, I don’t remember his name, gasped after looking at my “art” and made a brown-green sequel to it on the floor. I still don’t see how it was my fault; I was only a kindergartener at the time.
My mind returned to the world of the living and listened to the click of a doorknob being twisted. The door opened to reveal a slightly older looking Shizune than how I last saw her in the last Naruto episode before Naruto took off for his final training before Shippuuden. It sucks not knowing what’ll happen to these guys in Konoha…though I have a relatively good idea.
“Woods Ava?” She asked. I cringed at the sound of my name in reverse. I would never be the same after hearing it a bajillion times. Despite the disgust at the sound of my name I looked up at Shizune and nodded. “Tsunade-Hokage-sama will see you now.” I nodded again and stood up from the bench. Walking into the room, I saw Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shino were there. I heard a strange noise and looked down to see a small pig with a purple cape and pearls around its neck. I was looking at the one and only, and very adorable, Tonton.
“Piggie!” I celebrated picking up the small creature and hugging it. “Piggiepiggiepiggiepiggie-!”
“Ahem.” Tsunade cleared her throat, interrupting my previous celebration. I put down Tonton and shuffled my feet shyly. “Well, I do believe you know what we just finished discussing?” I nodded and Tsunade continued, “So…do you have an explanation?”
“If I could explain my situation I would…but that’s still very confusing to me. I can only really describe up until the point I knew I was here and maybe one or two-” I started slowly. My voice had nothing but a serious tone as Hashirigaki’s shimmering self stood by me.
“Pardon me,” Tsunade interrupted, “but ‘the point up until you knew you were here’? How and what do you mean, Woods?” My confidence vanished and I gulped nervously at the glare I received from Tsunade.
‘Even though she has no Byakugan, Tsunade’s gaze can see through just about anything…she’s terrifying…’ I thought shakily. I glanced at Hashirigaki’s transparent form and then at my, now very interesting, running shoes.
‘But you’re not lying. That’s always a good thing.’ Hashirigaki consoled. It wasn’t much, but it at least helped stifle the butterflies in my gut.
“Hokage-sama…I’m not…from here…or any village really.” The Hokage stared at me blandly, waiting for further details. “You see…um…I was running away from home and-”
“Is this relevant to your appearance in Konohagakure?” Jiraiya interrupted. Tsunade glared sharply at the pervy-sage and looked at me again, patiently.
“Hai, Jiraiya-sama. It’s relevant.” I said semi-calmly. Jiraiya nodded and Tsunade signaled me to continue. “I was running away from home…well, more from my brother. I ran into the forest with all of my belongings I first came here with and hid in my secret spot in the forest…” I took a deep breath and continued, “When I thought my brother was close enough to catch me, I hid myself further and further back in my hiding spot…I wanted to escape to anywhere my brother wasn’t. Then I heard my brother’s voice again…it seemed really far away. I leaned back to relax and fell into a pit…I think…”
“You think?” Tsunade pressed curiously. Shino was staring through me like Tsunade was…it made the butterflies come back. Tonton gave an adorable and comforting “oink” and I resumed my story.
“Hai. Thing is, it felt like a pit…but I never felt an impact. May I continue?” I asked. Everyone in the room seemed to nod. I smiled and nodded thankfully before continuing, “I fell maybe…twenty or thirty feet, I forget, before I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a field. The same field Aburame Shino found me in before taking me into the village.” I turned to the Aburame and he nodded assuredly to Tsunade. At least I had someone to vouch for my story.
“So, you were running away when you hid in a place in your forest. You fell into a pit with no bottom and woke up in the Konoha forest where you were found and then taken into Konohagakure…” It was a statement, but it was shaped like a question, so I nodded “yes” and Tsunade folded her hands in front of her mouth and closed her eyes. It was a minute before she opened her eyes again and asked me a question. “Why is it you were running away? You can choose not to answer, but…” She trailed off. I know it wouldn’t help me if I left gaps in my story, so I took a breath and let it out before locking eyes with the female Hokage.
“I do have a reason, Hokage-sama. But, if it’s alright…I’d rather only you and/or the council ever know about what I have to say…” Taking the hint, Shizune, Jiraiya, Shino, and Tonton wandered dejectedly out the door. I still looked at the Hokage, but waited until the room only had us two in it. The door clicked shut and I waited a moment before Tsunade spoke up.
“So, what is it, Woods? Why did you run away from your brother?” I winced slightly and chewed on the inside of my lower lip. I didn’t really want anybody to know about this…but it’d get out at some point, so why not now?
“Well, uh… you see… It’s because…I…well, I…” I paused, drawing in a deep breath before finally making up my mind to tell the medic. After all, Tsunade can keep a secret…she’s the Hokage and a doctor, she’ll respect a patient’s rights to secrecy and anonymity.
(A/N: I am SOOOOOO sorry!! That last section turned out really bad! T_T)
– – – – –
I stared blandly at the ground, my eyes still stung and my vision was blurry. It was dark now and the fireflies floating around me looked like white-yellow blurry dots floating at random. I clung to Shino’s cloak as he calmly walked back towards home, seeing as I couldn’t see too well. After my discussion with Tsunade, she’d taken me for a physical and check-up. My eyes were only blurry now because of the eye-drops the busty medical ninja/Hokage gave me, due to the fact that I missed my last eye appointment which was scheduled for yesterday. I passed Tsunade’s arduous tests of my physical abilities, mental capacity and resistance to overly emotional circumstance, with the aid of Ibiki the interrogator.
It was a trying day, to say the least, and I would be happy to get back into my borrowed bed and get some shut eye before an expectantly difficult day the next day. Tomorrow was the day Shino and the rest of Team 8 were going out on a mission and also the day Tsunade would test my abilities out in the wilds of the Konohagakure forest. Whoop-dee-fricking-doo…I’d rather sleep.
“What?” I asked. Apparently Shino tried to converse with me.
“I asked: ‘How did the exam go?’” Shino (apparently) repeated. There was a faint edge to his words.
“O-oh! It went fine. A clean bill of health for me!” I answered as a large sweatdrop formed on the back of my head. ‘Oops! The one time he wants to talk to me and I’m out to lunch. Craaaaap…’ I thought angrily and stared at Shino’s blurry feet. They were slightly more in focus, but specific details continued to elude me. Sucks to be partially and temporarily blind. ‘…maybe this is what all those Itachi jokes and comics were all about. He goes blind?! Why didn’t I go for the spoilers? Why?!’ I emoted in my head, my face only faintly scrunching and betraying my inner thoughts.
“You okay?” Shino asked as his head faintly turned toward me.
“Yeah, just spacing. Don’t mind me!” I answered, smiling nervously. Shino’s eyebrow rose into a high arc and I laughed nervously before turning my attention back to the ground. ‘He hates me…’ I thought grimly.
’No he doesn’t.’ Hashirigaki said pointedly.
‘Quit invading my thoughts Hashi!’ I mentally shouted at my rather bothersome new companion.
“You must ‘space’ a lot.” Shino muttered. He must’ve thought I wasn’t listening again.
“It’s true…” I sighed, catching Shino’s attention. “I’m an incurable space-girl with ADD and-hey! A butterfly!” I said watching as a blue-white butterfly did indeed flutter by. I watched it until it turned a corner and vanished from sight. After that, it was a quiet walk back to Shino’s place with the faint buzz of insects in the distance and the constantly moving tail lights of the fireflies just in front of me. Shino soon stopped and I stared at the house-shaped dark splotch on my vision for a moment before going inside with my favorite bug nin.
“Good Shino. You’re home…who’s this?” There was someone sitting in Shino’s living room: his afro-like foofy hair (lol) was sticking up and back, his black sunglasses had a red charm-thing on the left side, he wore a beige coat with a high collar and a gourd was sitting beside him. Did I forget to mention that he had a feather dusting of a goatee under his nose?
‘OMIGOSH!! Aburame Shibi!! …damn…that girl was right…he looks like a porn star…’ I blinked and tried to clear my vision, successfully, to find it really WAS Aburame Shibi. Hashirigaki snickered in the background and I turned to Shino for him to clear this up.
“Yes father. I’m sorry I’m late. This is Woods Ava and she’s a temporary house guest.” Shino answered. More words than he almost ever says in the entirety of the first series…guy’s a taciturn, I swear.
“Pleasure to meet you Aburame-san.” I said politely. Shibi approached me and seemed to study me before nodding and turning to have a discussion with Shino. ‘Cre~epy…Shibi’s much weirder than I thought he’d be.’ I thought and inwardly shuddered. I walked into the living room, cautiously because I still can’t see well, and sat myself in one of the chairs as a few insects buzzed around me.
’Well, you only JUST met him. Give it a day or so.’ Hashirigaki said, looking at the two Aburames.
‘I have two words for you Hashi: optimist much? You always seem to see the bright side.’ I rolled my eyes and then sighed, settling into the old comfy-ness of the lounge chair. One of the kikaichu settled on my nose and I stared cross-eyed at the bug as it stared right back.
“That one of your kikaichu, Shino?” Shibi asked, probably thinking I wouldn’t hear him. I saw Shino nod in the corner of my vision.
“Yes. That one seems to have taken a liking for Ava.” The younger Aburame answered. I had a mental celebration in my head and smiled on the outside as I still stared at the beetle.
‘Shino-kun called me by my first name! It’s like my dreams have come true! Oh wait…they have!!’ I giggled out loud and had to bite on my tongue to keep from totally losing myself and going into a fangirl giggle fit. The two Aburames turned to me and shared twin expressions of confusion as the little kikaichu lazily flew off and landed on a lamp shade. I put my right hand tight over my mouth to stifle my giggles and waved at the two dismissively with my left in a “don’t mind me, I’m just crazy” sort of way.
“She’s…weird like that.” Shino explained…or at least tried to. Hashirigaki facepalmed himself, Shibi raised a confused eyebrow and I kept on giggling.
“You’re leaving your house in her hands?” Shibi asked his son. Shino sighed and nodded.
‘Shino has his own house? Neat!’ I asked as I battled the onslaught of giggles. I was winning! :)
“She’s quite capable, believe it or not…” Shino muttered. My giggles stalled and a pouted/glared angrily at the bug boy.
“I take offense to that!” I shouted, giggles now gone. Shino looked at me with a blank/his usual expression. And Shibi shared a similar look. “I may not look like much, but I can take care of myself! Heck, my brother would almost always be gone twenty out of twenty four hours in the day! I had to take care of myself and my brother and his twenty-something girlfriends when they showed up drunk on our doorstep!” Shibi looked mildly impressed (if you call eyebrows raised a fraction of a millimeter “impressed”) and Shino…looked like Shino. Dang it! I guess I’ll have to try harder to get a facial reaction from him…
“Well then, a house full of insects shouldn’t be too hard for Ava to watch over.” Shibi said as he turned to leave. He nodded in my direction and then walked out of the house. Shino, who watched his father leave, then turned to me.
“I’ll be leaving before sunrise. I will leave instructions in my room.” Shino said as he started heading up the stairs. I followed him and continued listening to his instructions. “The insects guarding my room already know you’ll be tending to them and the ones inside, but will limit your access to twice a day. You will get directions if you ask and you will be attacked if something is off limits. One warning only.” Shino said as he pointed out several things in his room. I was amazed to find the usually taciturn guy say so much…not to mention his room was quite interesting. It was fascinating! An insect biologist’s dream! Butterflies here, beetles there, a few weevils, some flies, and several cocoons. I looked closely at the cocoons and turned to Shino.
“So these are your butterflies?” I asked. Shino nodded, back to his silent self. “I’ll take good care of them, Shino-kun.” I said and smiled widely. “I promise, all your insects will be in perfect condition when you get back. Speaking of which, how long is your mission going to be and who with?”
“One week with Kiba, Akamaru and Hinata. Think you can manage thirteen species of insect?” Shino asked, an eyebrow quirking. I smirked and placed my hands on my hips as I stared into his hidden eyes.
“Is that a challenge, Shino-kun? Well, you’ll see! Your bugs will be so happy, it’ll be Christmas in bug land!” I said confidently. I snapped my fingers for pronunciation and made my way to Shino’s door. I could have sworn I heard a snicker, but it must’ve been Hashirigaki. Shino wouldn’t laugh even if his life was on the line…or he was poisoned into it. “Anyway,” I started, having reached the doorway, “get some rest and tell Hina-chan, Kiba-kun, and Akamaru I say hi. I’ll feed these guys first thing in the morning.” I said before shutting the door behind me and heading towards my own room for some rest myself. I switched on the lamp on the end table and plopped face-first onto the soft mattress.
”Long day?” Hashirigaki asked as he sat on one side of the bed.
‘Could it get any longer?! I swear, Tsunade is the only doctor I’ve ever had that takes longer than five hours to make a full examination…’ I thought to Hashi as I pulled myself up onto my elbows and grabbed my notebook from the end table. I flipped to the next clean page and whipped out my pencil to do some more writing in Nisshi the notebook. I paused with my pencil about an inch from the page and turned to Hashirigaki. “You won’t spy on my thoughts, will you?” I asked Hashi out loud.
”Only if you don’t want me to. I’ll go check out the bugs in the greenhouse out back.” Hashirigaki said as he floated out of my room through the wall.
“There’s a greenhouse? I’ll have to see it sometime.” I muttered as I turned to Nisshi and started writing a new entry.
‘November 18 (Still not entirely clear on the date),
Well, another day, another freaky accident. Remember Hashirigaki? Well, I met him during a meditation thing at about 7 or so (I don’t know! I should tell you that my sense of time stinks.) this morning and I saw him for the first time in his “form”. See, Hashirigaki is see-through and floats around like a ghost…I wonder if he is a ghost? Oh well.
SOOOO, after meeting Hashi (nickname!), Shino-kun, who’d gone off to do his buggy thing, came back to the clearing where I met Hashi. It may have been 10 AM or something, I dunno, and we started heading back home. Apparently, a storm is coming soon (That’s what Shino-kun told me) because the bugs were bothered by stuff in the atmosphere…or some-odd technical talk. I’m too tired to be eloquent.
Anyway, Shino-kun and I were walking back when the freakiest thing happened: an Onbaa attacked! Onbaa (as I learned from Tsunade godaime-sama) are large, bear-like gorilla beasts with white fur, red eyes, and blackish-gray skin that can be about 3 meters tall! Talk about scary… The freakiest thing, though, was that I scared the Onbaa away! Well…I told it to back off and leave us (Shino-kun and I) alone, but it listened! It also told me I was “The Protector”…freaky…I guess I CAN talk to animals!
Getting off topic…so, tomorrow I have to meet up with Tsunade for an appointment in this one training field. Number “8” I think it was. Whatever, I’ll meet her at the Hokage tower. First, though, I have to take care of Shino-kun’s bugs! He’s going to be gone for about a week, so I have been left in charge to take care of his house and insects while he’s away! Go me!
Okay, that’s enough of that. I’ll write you tomorrow, okay Nisshi?
Ja ne!
PS – Have I already celebrated about having no school? How about no homework? I LOVE this place!’
I sighed as I closed my notebook and looked around my room a bit. It was now much darker than before and my exhaustion from Tsunade’s extensive tests was taking hold. I shook my head tiredly and placed Nisshi and my pencil back onto the end table before going to my bag and grabbing a pair of pajamas along with a towel and the necessary toiletries. My shower took maybe thirty minutes (maybe because I was falling asleep during it), but I quickly dried off, wrung the water out of my hair, and dressed in my cozier set of pajamas. I sleepily opened the door and started walking back towards my room when I ran into something firm yet warm.
“Sumimasen*…” I mumbled, stepping away from the person I ran into. I looked up sleepily and saw Shino was standing in front of me…without his gray-green overcoat! His black, high-collar shirt from before ended out being sleeveless and quite complimentary to his frame. Shino was also not wearing his hitai-ate like usual, so his hair was fluffed out like it normally would be with a small amount sitting on his forehead, but his sunglasses/goggles were still in place. I only realized I was staring when Shino cleared his throat. “Ah! G-gomen, Shino-kun!” I squeaked/shouted as a blush burned onto my face and I hurried back into my room before locking it behind me.
“How cute, Ava has a crush.” Hashirigaki said as he hovered, cross-legged, above my bed. My blush turned redder and I glared angrily at Hashi.
‘So what if I have a crush?! I liked the guy ever since his appearance in episode 1!’ I thought at Hashi as I folded up my dirty clothes and piled them neatly on the side of the dresser.
“You didn’t even know who he was. How in the world does someone develop a crush on someone else after seeing them for only a second? Hashi asked as he floated over next to me. I sighed and looked him in (or would it be through?) the eyes.
‘Look. Fangirls all over the world fell for Sasuke the instant he made an appearance, so why can’t it happen for Shino-kun?’ I thought back at Hashirigaki. Hashi looked confused for a second, had a moment of thought, and then smiled at me. He took his ethereal hand and ruffled my hair slightly before floating away.
“I suppose you’re right. Fangirlism can develop at any time, as you know.” Hashi said with a shrug. I smirked and playfully punched his ghostly self. He’d made a reference to my report on fandoms I did for my English teacher; I got an A- on it!
‘That’s old news, Hashi. OLD old news…’ I thought as I moved the covers and settled myself in between the sheets. I sighed contentedly and switched off the light on my night stand before snuggling further down in the blankets and closing my eyes. ‘Night Hashi.’ I thought before setting myself in sleep mode. It was maybe an hour I was lying there before I finally faded into dream land.
-
- - -
-
Gah! So flipping behind! Thanks for not yelling at me to update (too much)! Frosty, I owe you the biggest apology! You kept asking and asking for the next chapter…gomenasai!! I made it long to make up for my lateness!
Anywho, that’s chapter seven. Please stay tuned because I DO intend on getting another chapter out soon! I PROMISE!! Oh! Did you catch the whole ADD and butterfly thing? That’s from Naruto Abridged Episode 14…or somewhere around fourteen…
Btw, Frosty…I read that ref you made to this story. I totally agree. EW! Why’d I pick that name? I guess it’s because it’s so eew; it’s fun to make fun of! XD
Asterisks! …Okay, there was only one this time:
Sumimasen: “Excuse me”
Ja ne, minna! (Don’t worry, I’ll have another chapter up soon, in fact, I’m writing it now!)
[Reviews - 17]Chapter or Story
Table of Contents
- Text Size +