Chapter 223 - Cap 207: Coal more than rock

* * * [Amegakure no Sato, Akatsuki Base] * * *

"Leader... we have lost 5 members..." - Kisame said seriously from his hologram.

"¿5?" - asked Konan, who was also communicating from his hologram.

"Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara, Sasori, and Rocky" - answered Kisame as Itachi slapped his face.

Pain, on the other hand, only gave the Kirinin a cold look as he coughed to change the subject - "Sorry about that..."

"Kisame senpai is right, we have lost too many friends" - answered Tobi with a half childish tone.

". . ." - Itachi was silent as he scowled at the masked man because something about him was familiar.

"It doesn't matter... they were not important to our plan" - answered Pain with neutrality - "The only thing that matters, is to find the Nanabi once and for all... I hope for good news, Itachi, Kisame..."

"We are close to finding your Jinchuriki, leader" - answered Itachi as his silhouette disappeared.

"What the mime said" - replied Kisame as he disappeared with his companion.

"How is the mission going with the Sanbi?" - asked Pain as he looked at his old friend.

"Nothing out of the plan... we've already captured it" - answered Konan neutrally.

"Very well... Return to the base, now we have to plan our next move" - ordered Pain while Konan and Tobi disappeared from the place.

* * * * *

"I have a bad feeling, tsu..." - Fuu muttered as she squinted.

"Easy, young larva... they can't capture us," Choumei answered calmly.

"Are you sure, Chou-chan?" - asked Fuu as she looked around worriedly.

"100% sure" - answered the Bijuu.

"By the way, Chou-chan... where does Kurama Nii-san, tsu, come from? - Fuu asked curiously.

"If I remember correctly, from the same village as that boy you met" - answered Choumei.

"Really?!" - the girl exclaimed excitedly.

"I gain nothing by lying to you, my little larva," Choumei replied. "Kurama lives in Konoha, as does that boy, Shino"

"Konoha!" - exclaimed Fuu as she looked in the direction of the village - "I think it's time I went to visit him"

"Are you so anxious to meet your boyfriend?" - Choumei asked, "I suppose you want to bring more larvae into the world..."

"Chou-chan!" - Fuu exclaimed with a red face as she remembered how she had met the boy from the Aburame clan.

* * * [Flashback] *

Fuu was walking around the edges of Hi no Kuni while on a mission when she heard what someone seemed to be calling her.

"Interesting... I feel a strange connection with whoever is around..." - said Choumei in surprise.

"Shall we go and see?" - Fuu asked with interest.

"Hmm... if that's what you want..." - the Bijuu replied as the girl walked in the direction she felt called, only to see a boy talking to a small black beetle.

"Can you talk to the bugs?!" - exclaimed Fuu in surprise.

"!" - The boy quickly jumped up in surprise and then looked at the girl silently.

"Hello?" - Fuu asked nicely.

". . ." - Shino only looked at her cautiously, but quickly dropped his guard.

"Etto... Nice to meet you, my name is Fuu!" - Fuu said again as the boy kept silent - "Hello? Are you mute or something?"

"Hello..." - muttered the boy with what seemed to be... embarrassment?

"Is something wrong?" - asked Fuu as she approached the boy, only to notice how he backed off at great speed - ". . ."

"I'm sorry..." - The boy apologized - "It's just that I've never seen a girl as pretty as you..."

"Huh? Ehhhhhhhhhh?!" - exclaimed Fuu as her face lit up like a Christmas light, only to quickly fall into a strange and awkward silence - "Th-Thank you... I guess..."

". . ." - the boy only responded with a nod as he prepared to smash his head against a log for what he had said. He had noticed what he had said and now he was grateful that he was wearing sunglasses and that his raincoat was covering much of his face because it was completely red.

"W-What's your name?" - Fuu asked curiously.

"Shino... Aburame Shino..." - replied the boy as he looked up.

". . ." - a new silence appeared on the scene, although this time it wasn't an awkward one.

"Etto... do you like insects?" - Shino asked as he felt like barely resisting the urge to bash his head against another tree.

"Of course!" - exclaimed Fuu with excitement - "I love insects!"

" Really?" - asked Shino in surprise. He never thought of hearing about a girl who liked insects because most thought they were ugly or strange.

"Promise!" - Fuu smiled as she looked at the boy - "And I see you like them too"

"Yes... my favorite hobby is looking for insects" - answered Shino as he watched the beetle raise it's insistent - "I know..."

"So you can talk to the insects" - Fuu nodded excitedly.

"You can too?" - Shino asked in surprise.

"Of course!" - exclaimed the girl - "It's one of the skills I got from being Chou-chan's Jinchuriki"

"Jinchuriki?" - Shino asked as he looked at the girl. He never thought he would meet a Jinchuriki on his reconnaissance mission.

"Oops? I shouldn't have said that," said Fuu as she gave him an embarrassed look. "Please don't tell anyone about that"

"I promise you," Shino nodded firmly.

"Thank you!" - exclaimed Fuu as she hugged the boy, only to feel him freeze. "Huh? Hello?"

". . ." - Shino was silent as he felt his heart pounding. Even his insects were disturbed by the situation.

"Right. . . boys don't like hugs very much. . ." - said Fuu as she nodded and released the boy - "Etto... are you okay, Shino-kun?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine!" - Shino nodded at great speed - "It's just that you surprised me"

"If that surprised you, wait till you see what I can do," Fuu smiled as she winked at him.

Shino blushed when he heard this, only to notice how Fuu blushed as well as if she had understood her words.

"Ahem! This is what I mean... look" - said Fuu as she released a pair of insect wings that constantly changed color - "Not bad, huh?"

"They are beautiful..." - whispered Shino as he blushed to hear what he said.

"Huh?" - Fuu didn't know how to react to the boy's words, so she just turned around so he wouldn't notice the blush on her cheeks. It was the first time someone had treated her this well even though they knew she was a Jinchuriki and sincerely felt good - "Th-Thank you..."

"I just said what I feel..." - replied Shino as he saw the girl's beautiful wings.

"Uh... I think I'd better go..." - said Fuu with embarrassment, only to notice the depressing aura surrounding the boy - "Wait! It's not because I want to leave I don't want to leave! I'd like to stay a little longer at your side, I mean, with you, I mean... AAAH!"

The girl's thoughts couldn't be more erratic. She just wanted to express that she didn't want to leave him but the more she talked, the worse the situation was for her.

"I understand..." - Shino said as he shook his head - "You don't have to give me so many excuses, Fuu-san..."

"Y-You can call me, Fuu-chan..." - said Fuu while blushing - "After all, I'm calling you Shino-kun..."

"Okay, Fuu-chan..." - said Shino as he hid his face in his raincoat.

"Anyway, I have to go home..." - said Fuu as she shook her head. She honestly didn't want to leave the boy but she had to go back or they would send someone after her.

"I understand... you can come to my home whenever you want, Fuu-chan" - said Shino while showing his lips that were now a smile - "You can always come to visit me if you pass by Konoha"

"I'll do it!" - exclaimed Fuu with a smile as she flew out of the place - "I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Fuu-chan..." - Shino muttered as he felt his heart pounding.

* * * [End Flashback] * * *

"We'd better get on with our journey, larva," said Choumei as the girl nodded firmly, unaware that the danger was slowly approaching.

* * * * *

"Are you sure it's in that direction?" - asked Kisame who was holding a civilian by the throat - "If I feel you're lying, my friend won't leave even the bones..."

"I-I'm not lying!" - exclaimed the civilian as he watched Samehada lick his 'lips' - "S-she's been training in this place for months!"

"For your sake, I hope so" - said Kisame as he squinted, only to notice how Itachi took his man - "What's wrong, Itachi?"

"She is close" - replied the prodigy Uchiha as he squinted - "I can feel a clear disturbance in the surrounding chakra, that is more than enough proof that she is close"

"I see... at least we'll soon be out of this shitty place..." - said Kisame with disdain as he threw a bag of Ryo at the man - "For your efforts... now get out!"

"H-Hai!" - exclaimed the man as he grabbed the bag and ran off.

"All right, it's time for us to finish our mission..." - said Kisame coldly - "I have another pet to find..."

"I just hope this time it's not a stone..." - murmured Itachi with neutrality.

"Easy, it won't be a stone" - answered Kisame - "This time it will be a piece of coal"

". . ." - Itachi only sighed with regret as he cursed how bad his mission was.