Start From Naruto: Shino the Dominator

After throwing a single glance at the mini-radar, Shino was on the move, his steps measured and purposeful. His eyes were fixed on his destination, his mind already churning to fix his expression in preparation for the act at hand.

Nearing the destination for his game of strategy and deception, he checked with Alina, "Alina, has Sasuke been led away?"

[Affirmative, Overmind. Bugs have been deployed to modify the movements of creatures nearby, using them to redirect target Sasuke's route.]

"Good."

A sense of satisfaction filled Shino when he heard the news.

This was the moment he had been waiting for, the culmination of countless hours of planning and preparation. With each passing second, he knew that he was getting closer to achieving his ultimate goal - to change the trajectory of the story, to mold it to his own will.

Although Shino didn't expect Karin to fall in love with him just like she did with Sasuke, Shino still decided to implement this plan, no matter how tedious or time-consuming it might be. After all, what if it succeeds?

As for if it fails... this nagging doubt did creep into his mind.

What if Karin was nothing more than a face-woman, a shallow creature with no substance or depth?

In that case, he knew that he would have to resort to more drastic measures - to take her away by force, if necessary. This was the only chance he could get his hands on her, and he wasn't going to give her up.

With a steely determination, Shino pressed on. The game was afoot, and Shino was ready to play his part to perfection.

Soon, he found a good location near the grass village team. He waited, ready to spring into action, while observing Karin.

Her signature Uzumaki red hair was short, reaching her chin while her outfit consists of a mesh shirt and stockings, a skirt, and a light-brown short-sleeved jacket. A hidden grass village forehead protector rests on her head and a pair of brown narrow glasses sat over her nose.

It was a far cry from her stylized appearance after the time skip, but her appearance was not the reason Shino wanted her.

As Shino watched her team depart, one by one, leaving Karin behind like a discarded medical bank, Shino felt a pang of pity. But he knew that he could not let his emotions cloud his judgment.

Karin was wounded and exhausted, huddled up besides a tree. Despite the numb expression on her face, she radiated an aura of strength and resilience.

It was clear that she was a survivor, a fighter who refused to give up no matter what the odds. Otherwise, she wouldn't have lived so long in the original story – just to be given the bento in the dog-blood drama of love.

Oh, wait, she lived even after eating the special bento. Truly resilient.

When the predestined giant bear lumbered into view, Shino's heart raced with anticipation. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for.

With the precision of Alina's bug control, his bugs infiltrated the bear and laid in wait, ensuring that it played its crucial role in the unfolding drama before he gave the bear a free bento.

Seeing the bear, Karin panicked and tried to escape, but the clumsy girl tripped and tumbled onto the ground.

As Karin's glasses clattered to the ground, Shino's closed in, ready to strike. He knew that he could never take on this outrageously massive beast head-on, but with his bugs, he had the power to bring it down from within.

Just as Karin thought all hope was lost, bracing herself for the worst, a deafening crash echoed through the forest. Boom!

The ground shook beneath her feet! Something unexpected had happened!

After fumbling with her hands for a bit, Karin picked up her glasses.

After she put them back on and looked back, she saw a figure dressed in a peculiar outfit, partially obscuring his face. The mysterious boy's glasses added to the mystery, leaving his expression unreadable, his intentions unclear.

However, she could tell that he had just saved her life. He stood proudly atop the massive bear, which lay motionless after their battle.

Shino descended from the giant bear like a feather, approaching Karin with measured, light steps.

Karin's heart raced as he neared her, and she couldn't help but blush at his presence.

When Shino came to a stop in front of Karin, he asked in a gentle tone, "Are you alright?"

Karin blushed a bit before she nodded like a chicken pecking.

Shino's gaze flickered to the bite marks on her arms before he reached out to grasp her hand, his grip firm and unyielding, but this caused Karin to instinctively retract her hand. Unfortunately, her weak struggle was in vain, clearly not trying to break free from his grip.

"They treat you like this, why continue to stay with them?" Shino asked in a cold voice.

Karin looked up at the mysterious boy in front of her, her mouth opening but her heart wavered between fear and curiosity. In the end, no voice came out as she looked away.

Lifting his hand, Shino's hand caressed Karin's chin and turned her head to face him as he gazed into her eyes. The intensity of his stare made her feel exposed, vulnerable even. With a steady hand, he removed his glasses for the first time ever, revealing piercing eyes that seemed to bore into her very being.

"Come with me. I'll keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you any further."

Hearing his words, Karin's body trembled. It took a moment for the words to sink in before she realized what he had said.

Karin's body tensed, her mind racing as she tried to comprehend the offer before her. Could she trust him? Was he truly offering her a way out of this nightmare?

Her eyes stared back at his eyes, and knew that the man was sincere regarding what he said. Although she didn't know what other plans the man had regarding her, but this was the first time she had saw salvation – someone willing to save her.

Her eyes blurred as she sniffed. She nodded weakly as she bowed her head.

Shino smiled slyly as he put his glasses back on. Until he was ready to reveal his true personality beyond that of a pushover, he had made a vow to not take these glasses off in front of outsiders – and this will be the first time, and most likely the last for a long time to come.

Gently stroking the girl's face, Shino pulled the girl into his embrace and said in a soft voice, "Don't resist."

Feeling her nod, Shino gave the command in his mind. "Return to base."

[Executing transport protocol…]

A swarm of bugs erupted from the ground and surged out from the surrounding forest, enveloping the clearing to create an impenetrable shield of writhing insects. Minutes later - when the swarm dispersed, the area was deserted. The actors of the drama that had just been staged had completely disappeared - leaving no trace of their presence behind.

Moments later, Sasuke darted through the forest and came to a halt on a nearby tree, his sharp gaze narrowed as he caught sight of the colossal bear.

"Hmm, what's going on here? Who could it be?" he muttered, before dismissing the bizarre occurrence and moving on.

Sasuke then zipped off, continuing his hunt in the forest. Little did he know that an important person in his life had just been abducted away by an unseen adversary.