Start From Naruto: Shino the Dominator

With bated breath, Kankuro remained concealed in the thick underbrush, his eyes darting back and forth across the battlefield.

As the poisonous smoke gradually dissipated, his gaze fixed upon the tree that Shino had been standing in just moments before. His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Gone? No, how is this possible?!"

A sudden jolt of fear coursed through Kankuro's body, as sweat dripped down his face. He felt a disgusting but familiar creepy crawly sensation spreading from his back, ominously creeping up his spine and slowly inching towards the front of his body.

"W-When?"

Behind him, Shino adjusted his glasses and sighed. Watching Kankuro's sweaty face contorting in discomfort, Shino really couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy for his opponent.

Of all the foliage he could use to hide, it was an unfortunate coincidence that Kankuro had chosen to hide in the very same bush he had been using as cover.

That's right, the Shino that had appeared was actually a clone! Oh, to be more accurate, it was a clone of a clone.

This was also a part of the arsenal of the optimized clone. It could split off a good portion of normal spare bugs and some sound bugs to form a hollow clone – this shell didn't have much combat capabilities, but it was perfect for communication and distraction, like the original Shino's insect replica.

As for the 'real' clone Shino, he was hidden in a bush, using his camouflage ability from the start.

Why did he choose such a sneaky place? Well, that's because Shino's own bug manipulation was indeed impressive, but he did have limitations.

The advanced Alina Combat Assistance system, optimized to boost his manipulation over a larger volume, allowed him to perform a variety of useful tactics such as complete invisibility.

On the other hand, though he was still the master of all his bugs, Shino's solo bug manipulation allowed him to manage his clones fine, but the volume he can direct at once is limited.

His control quota was like a computer screen, and he can drag and select all the units on screen, but he will have to shift the game map over to select the next batch...

The delay isn't much of a problem for his deployment, but for micromanaging fast-paced battles, the delay will only drag him down.

So, he didn't have luxury to extensively use fancy abilities that required a large volume of bugs, such as complete invisibility cloaking.

Fortunately, he could turn to simpler options, such as setting up a small, stationary wall of concealment using his camouflaging bugs.

While he hid in place, Shino had initially intended to let the camouflaged bugs he had spread out in the surroundings slowly infiltrate Kankuro's body. He was playing the long game, but who would have expected the boy to deliver himself up to the chopping board.

This was an opportunity too good to pass up, so Shino could only heartlessly slam down the butcher knife on the unlucky fella.

Hearing the screams of agony in front of him, Shino could only do his best to control his bugs such that they don't accidentally kill Kankuro.

Even though the poor fella can't even afford to control as many puppets as an old granny, this poor puppeteer still had a role to play in the future.

Plus, Shino knew that Gaara will be whitewashed… and he certainly didn't want to get on the future Kazekage's blacklist, even though he knew the poor boy will be the host to a comedic flop, featuring the first Kage who was easily whopped by the not-so-scientific version of the big bang theory.

Still, the punishment for interrupting him was not forgotten.

Unlike another dog, this one wasn't a heavy offender, so he can escape being marked in the black book. He should feel lucky for receiving such a light punishment.

Standing there, Shino's eyes drifted out into the dense forest, his hands tucked nonchalantly into his pockets. Ah, the fight should have kicked off there.

As for supporting Sasuke? Sorry, that's Naruto's job. He didn't want to inadvertently affect the results of Naruto's infamous talk no jutsu.

Boom! A deafening boom echoed in the distance, causing the earth to tremble beneath Shino's feet. He knew that the long-awaited final battle between the big folks had finally begun. With a calm demeanor, he commanded his bugs to return to his body.

Shino threw a brief glance at the unconscious form of Kankuro, and couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment before calling out,"Old man, I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me. I'll head out first."

His body buzzed and disintegrated into a swarm of buzzing insects that took flight, dispersing into the surrounding forest.

Emerging from the shadows nearby, Shibi Aburame's visage betrayed a faint grin as he surveyed the disappearing bugs and the living sand genin.

Naturally, it wasn't his son he was worried about. He was just ensuring that there would be no diplomatic issues.

Now that he had no worries, he can continue the mission he was tasked with: monitoring and gathering intelligence on his targets.

With a deft twist of his body, he transformed into a flurry of insects that streamlined forward towards the site of the ongoing battle.

As the silence settled over the forest, the unconscious Kankuro lay still, his fate uncertain. But then, a sudden gust of wind blew through the trees, and a blur of blond pigtails appeared out of nowhere, swooshing past on her journey to escape.

Moments later, she screeched to a halt and hopped back. Swooping down, the kunoichi snatched up her brother and, with a few well-placed slaps, awakened him from his beauty sleep...

"Where the tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village. And once again, tree leaves shall bud anew." - Hiruzen Sarutobi

Upon closer scrutiny, it becomes evident that his words were not only true but also held a hidden meaning, as if hinting at something ominous yet to come. Interpreting between the lines, one would realize that there will always be shadows to the fire that will illuminate the village.

The original story already had many. Now, there is another...

Obscured behind the curtains of stealth bugs, Shino stood atop a towering tree, his eyes, as sharp as a hawk's, silently overseeing the unfolding events changing the terrain of the forest.

An apt description would be: A giant toad was hopping around, trying to stick a sword into a 'sand frog' stuck at the bottom of the 'well' of seals.

Well, it was just two large entities bashing each other. Shino didn't have too much interest.

He only came to take advantage of the chaos to reap some rare rewards from the final battle. It's not everyday he can reap chakra of a tailed beast and perhaps even the genes of the Mount Myoboku frog.

Plus, this chaos was perfect for concealing his bugs that were out collecting his other samples from the other victims.

All the while this was happening, Shino still kept a watchful eye on the other events possibly affected by his own web of plans, ensuring that everything didn't deviate too much from his original expectations.

Danger and opportunities continues to coexist with this village, but the foreknowledge of the plot would be his ticket to a stable environment for development.

As long as the plot stays mostly consistent, he can 'predict' the future, and plan accordingly for his own benefit.

For instance, if his predictions were correct... those two should have already arrived.

"Akatsuki, huh?" Shino muttered with a sly smile, "I wonder if they will let the world know pain first, or if the world will be gone first."

Leaving behind those words, Shino's form dispersed into countless bugs that merged seamlessly with the surrounding forest.