Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Surrogate	By : Geist Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 2459 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Naruto series or any of it's characters. This fiction will not profit and is only used for entertainment.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
Days passed in a blur...the sensei had been awake and devoid of proper sustenance in his reserve, much to Hachi's worry; he conversed with her about her books as if nothing was wrong, but her face revealed she was not his fool. Eventually, all of the unfounded contrition caught up to Shino. Almost immediately when he resigned to a seat, exhaustion dominated him. Eyes hidden under a slitted visor woke to find the brunette gone...her hospital bed made...flowers gone...and a kunoichi of his clan staring at him, silently.
Shino remained calm while the colony inside him was not. "Where is she?" he asked.
"With the elders. You've been ordered to appear as well, but we could not wake you. On your feet." his stoic niece replied and made for the door.
Shino obeyed and moved with haste. Was he truly so exhausted that they could not get him to budge? With swiftness, the Aburame man and woman made for the main house. Upon approach of the council room, Shino felt a sharp pang in his chest to see Hachi walk out of the opened fusuma. She was alive, at the very least, and for now that was all he could ask.
Escorted by two of his clan, the kunoichi kept her chin up, eyes with fading bruises stared straight ahead, emotionless; in her unarmed-jōnin uniform Shino had packed for her, she passed him without a word. The academy teacher took no offense to this; an order for no contact was typical in these proceedings. Anxiety shielded, Shino followed his niece into the open doors. There he found the head of the clan, and the six clan elders—his father included—waiting for him.
"Sit." His clan leader ordered.
The Aburame sensei silently obeyed, bowing deeply with some stay before taking to the only floor mat set before the council.
"Present your queen." The same ordered again.
Without hesitation, Shino dilated a pore on his hand and ordered his workers to haul the queen over to the council table. The colony expressed great worry as they fulfilled the obligation, sending twenty out to carry their heavy breeder across the room. The silence was thick as the humans patiently waited for the insects to reach the head of the clan. The white-haired patriarch held out his ring-banded fingers to inspect the queen. Shino could hear the impregnated female answering the clan leader's silent questions; she validated Shino's identity and his treatment of her colony.
The white-bearded leader leaned back, emotionless. "Satisfactory." he concluded and waved the queen to return to her host.
Soon the ornate fusuma was sealed shut and Shino was alone before the scrutiny of his seven superiors. The academy teacher made no motion to acknowledge his father...only the head of the family, unless ordered otherwise.
The clan leader took charge of the inquiry. "Aburame Shino-san, son of Shibi-san. Are you aware of the purpose of this summons?"
"I have been summoned here because of an offense involving our family's surrogacy seal ninjutsu." Shino admitted coldly.
"And who, by your verbal confession, committed this offense?"
"...Tamechia Hachi-san."
The white-bearded man showed no emotion regarding the admission and continued the inquiry, "State your whereabouts between January 18th and January 19th of this year." his fingers garbed in silver laced together.
"I mean no impertinence, oyakata-sama...I was unconscious during a great portion of this time."
"Were all of your kikaichū unconscious as well?" The clan leader pressed.
Shino's tone grew quiet, "...They were not unconscious."
"Cite them." the elder demanded with great emphasis.
Shino took in a silent, but deep breath and then verbally replayed his and colony's memories. His testimony was lengthy as he tried not to get caught up in the details. Though they are his family—all men he aspired to be—and he was not at fault, Shino suddenly felt the unnerving stoicism with which others regarded the Aburame.
"Under preliminary considerations regarding your bystander involvement in this offense, we the council have agreed that any character witness you wish to offer on behalf of the perpetrator will be submitted as evidence in our final deliberations. If you wish to contribute any further information, do so now." The head of the family explained liltless.
"I would plea on behalf of Tamechia Hachi-san, because she is a loyal kunoichi of Konohagakure and...my friend. Her actions were inexcusable and illegal, but her motive was to protect myself and my colony from a foreseeable threat. She had some idea that she may not have survived the contract-binding to face this honorable council today. Tamechia Hachi-san did not burden anyone else with this task and risked her own life to save mine.
"I would request the council acquit her of this offense...to appoint her my surrogate...and henceforth authorize her training, under Aburame instruction, to properly uphold her surrogacy contract with my colony." The dark-haired sensei concluded his account thinking he had kept true to the impartial standard of his clan. It didn't take long for them to critique the opposite impression.
"Here be it witnessed this day your words will be submitted as evidence in this inquiry." His elderly patriarch then spoke candidly, "I sense an infinitesimal fear about you. Why?"
The younger Aburame man lowered his head, disappointed in himself. "It is fear for the future of my friend, oyakata-sama..."
"Despite this offense she has committed against your clan?" the patriarch loaded the question.
"Not against our clan, oyakata-sama, but despite the offense she committed for our clan." The Aburame teacher boldly corrected.
"I see." the clan leader analyzed. "Aburame Shino-san: Under the law of clan inquiry, all those involved in this matter, including yourself, are hereby under probation until our judgement has been made. You may perform any missions and duties within the village borders. You are allowed to speak with the perpetrator of this offense and others involved. You are not allowed to leave Konohagakure until ordered otherwise. Do you understand?"
"...I understand."
*
As Tatsuma silently walked the garden corridor of the main house, Shino rounded the corner behind him, leaving the council to their deliberations. Footsteps from both men ceased as the friction seemed to echo between them, causing their worlds to take pause.
"Itoko-san." The detective's dissociative tone greeted.
Shino said nothing in return and the older of the two kept his back to the academy teacher.
"You have questions, do you not? We are not bond to silence now, since we both have addressed the council." Tatsuma finally left the invitation open.
"How long have you been following Hachi?" Shino calmly demanded.
"A week before your most recent mission, then again since your return." Tatsuma answered and began his pace away from the academy teacher.
"...After you gave her the surrogacy scroll." Shino accused with a coldness that betrayed himself.
Tatsuma turned to then face his younger cousin. "Not given; only taught. She constructed her own variation, as I'm sure you will find when reading the contents. And yes, I did proceed with surveillance after the training."
"You could be put to death for revealing clan jutsu."
"I could have also been put to death for killing the chūnin." The tattooed Aburame added without any particular care.
"You knew serving as a surrogate could have killed her."
"If you mean by performing the jutsu without supervision, as she did...yes."
Shino felt his teeth grind, trying to keep his composure. "And very narrowly preventing her death during Eiji's arrest...why bother teaching her the jutsu to someone you deem so expendable?"
Tatsuma calmly approached his relative as if to size him up, and stopped with a mere half-meter between them. Howling wind rattling the thin shoji lining the corridor.
"You misjudge my actions. I do not find the girl expendable. She's proven her loyalty many times over to the ANBU and I find her well being has become a special interest for the clan." he clarified with no enthusiasm.
"Then why would you teach her such a dangerous ninjutsu?" Shino's voice came as sharp as a kunai.
"Our family has decreased in number significantly since the war. The elders disagree with my reasoning, but I am not about to thwart a female of child-bearing age that shows such investment in this clan's survival."
"Child-bearing age..." the younger highlighted, "Did it ever occur to you that she may not want to further our bloodline?"
"Hn." The former Root member huffed incredulously and began walking away. "Whether or not your interests in each other prove sustainable is none of my concern. One needn't know emotion though, to notice the great involvement you two exhibit."
Shino was at a loss after hearing those words. He wanted to continue being angry, but with each step his relative furthered, shame in how his behavior overruled his logic began to creep in. Just as Tatsuma was about to disappear from his vision, the younger lowered his head in respect.
"Thank you, itoko-san...for not letting her be killed."
Tatsuma glanced over his shoulder long enough to nod in kind before going to answer for his actions.
*
The kikaichū hummed with solace for their master and the dark-haired chūnin conversed with them as he opened his pores, the workers rotated for leisure, buzzing around their host as Shino walked the lengthy maze of halls. Briefly, the Aburame sensei stopped in the entomology wing and found a familiar face looking rather content and grooming.
'You've grown very well.' Shino complimented the crab spider. The Aburame man mentally gave way to chuckle when the arachnid replied a comment that the human looked awful. 'Are they treating you well?' he asked as a courtesy, already knowing the response would be positive, and indeed it was.
Knowledgeable that spiders are not ones for extensive conversation, Shino took his leave and wandered out of the main house aimlessly. The snow was melting and mudding-up the streets beneath his feet. The subtle aroma of taiyaki stoked a yearning to eat and Shino could not deny himself a purchase from the shop and hot vending machine. He ate as he walked, enjoying the anko-filled cake and hot canned coffee as it seemed to melt his self-inflicted fatigue; and the colony enjoyed it as well, sensing that their host was climbing back to some normalcy. They also chittered as he noticed his own approach to a familiar apartment complex.
Shino pondered this as his intentions were not focused on visiting Hachi's neighborhood...yet here he was. The sensei wondered how his co-worker would receive him, if at all, from this day's events. She had been as detached as he was during her recovery, save for the concern she expressed for his health. He ignored her for the most part; this was not his intention, and she never seemed to show anger toward the cold shoulder. She was hiding herself though...it was blatantly obvious...and he wasn't sure what side of her he would see if he knocked on the door today.
Going out on a limb, he climbed the metal stairs to her floor. He knocked lightly on the kunoichi's door. No answer came as he stood in the stairwell. He heard the laughing of neighbors...no noise came from Hachi's apartment, though. Quietly, the academy teacher fiddled with the spare key he still possessed and weighed his present options. The insect-user's hand went to unlock the door.
The welcoming air he remembered seemed dampened. The apartment glowed with a dull-gray hue; the winter sun being the only thing lighting the small space. Removing his shoes, Shino sent a beetle to Hachi's room. The male insect flew the short distance to her open bedroom door and quietly landed before her listless eyes. Shino watched the kikaichū announce his presence as Hachi lay on her bed, making no move to acknowledge him.
He didn't express it, but the sight was creating an aching tightness in his chest. Against all conditioning, she was lying with her back to the door and window. Breathing, but unmoving; not hiding her despondence as before...not alive and curious like Shino had come to know her. Cautiously, he walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress...and waited for several minutes, with words eluding him.
"...What do you do...when you lose two families in one life?" she finally spoke.
"I don't know." he answered honestly. He found his vision fixating on the splay of brunette waves draping the pillow.
"It seems wrong to miss him." she murmured flatly. "He murdered my team...tried to take away everyone I was close to...and I still miss him. ...I hate it."
The kikaichū host contemplated the words while a calloused finger unconsciously fiddled with the tip of a lock of her hair. Recollecting her previous reactions to such contact, he assumed right now, either she didn't feel him doing so or she simply just didn't care. Not hearing the expected objection from the kunoichi, he continued.
"I can understand how this would be a normal reaction, given the complexity of such loss." he dissected the development of her grief.
She shrugged slightly, "I suppose...rationally, I should find some sort of closure...not be consumed by a hate I'll never be able to satisfy." she mulled over her options.
Shino nodded. "Given that you've already experienced this to a lesser degree before, it will be difficult, but not insurmountable for you."
Hachi quirked and eyebrow at that observation. "Had anyone else said that, Shino, I would have slapped the shit out of them."
"I'm sorry." he paused, sensing an impending rejection.
"Don't..." the seductress's voice grew softer, "...it's different when you say it. I hear the encouragement in it. Thank you."
Shino's fingers ceased their exploration of Hachi's hair. He was not prepared for that kind of understanding. For just a second, he had to quell back a smile. Slowly, the idea of coming to comfort this woman on accident didn't seem as fruitless as he first calculated.
"Introspection helps confront grief," he began, "but it will be easier to carry on if you do not continue isolate yourself like this."
He watched the female tighten the curl-in of her shoulders, as if to shield herself from the advice. "I can't expect anyone to carry me through my own issues." she countered.
He hesitated...but the words tempted him too much. Silently, Shino removed his eye wear and moved to lay behind the kunoichi. The colony began to hum as he pulled her close. Reminiscence of their night sharing the tent echoed in the insect-user's mind and he laid his jaw atop her own, clutching her tight.
"Very true." he only partially agreed. "Do not deny those that seek to help you though, Hachi."
A hot drop of moisture landed on the hand he had tucked under her face. A sniff followed with more silent tears. The Aburame wasn't sure what to do with this...his father's mourning of his mother was the only grief that Shino actively confronted. As he started feeling the kunoichi's back jolt repeatedly against his chest, he realized Hachi was sobbing...making no sounds except sharp breaths. Shino held her more tightly, hoping that it did some good.
His naked eyes watched a vein begin to pronounce on her forehead. The colony coaxed the urge that suddenly possessed his mind and the insect-user planted his lips against the twisting feature to which he was fixated. The woman choked back a cry and inhaled sharply. Again, the Aburame sensei found himself kissing her face...working down to her cheek. He watched the woman keep her eyes closed as he pulled her shoulder to roll her over.
He hovered above her distorted face and lowered to catch her quivering lips. Gripping her jerking shoulders as his chest pressed down on her, Shino devoured her sobs as his tongue slipped past her teeth..tasting her. Hachi weakly clutched the Aburame's trench-coated back as he licked along the underside of her own tongue. The heat was stifling and Shino fought against it when he felt the kunoichi reciprocate, lifting her head against his and tangling their tongues again.
Breaking the kiss to breath, Shino shifted them to have the woman lay on top of him. She was still crying...they said nothing. He smoothed his hands along her back and she clung close to him as if needing an anchor. It didn't feel like it took long for fatigue to overtake him again, and Shino found himself needing more recovery from his own neglect. He held out, though...just long enough to feel the kunoichi's sobbing still...he then relished in the contact and gave way to sleep.
- 7
- 8
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Surrogate