Start From Naruto: Shino the Dominator

Underground base. Lab.

Shino sat alone in his lab stool, staring at the failed experiment on the tables with a deep frown etched on his face. He had been working for weeks, but there had been no progress.

Alina, his AI companion, had been gone due to Project Queen, and without her analytical capabilities, Shino's research had almost come to a standstill.

His mind was filled with unmatched creativity, a courtesy of his passion for reading light novels in his previous life, but he had never been particularly talented at research, which was highlighted by his solo efforts in the past weeks.

"Hey, Alina, Alina, if only you can return sooner. I really miss you," Shino sighed and leaned back in his chair, feeling defeated.

Suddenly, Shino's thoughts were interrupted by a signal from his clone.

With a flicker of his mind, his awareness traversed through the familiar network-

When his eyes snapped opened once more, he now faced a not-too-shabby room. However, this was definitely not the Aburame clan's quarters. In fact, it wasn't even in Konoha.

Amidst the temporary absence of a Hokage, the two wizened advisors wielded considerable power and authority - one of them being the issuance of directives to send out ninja on various missions.

Shino, along with his fellow members of Team 8, had been assigned a mission by Konoha to solve a strange disease in Hacho Village, one of the larger villages located at the outskirts of the Land of Fire.

It seemed a medical ninja had already identified the disease's root cause to have a relationship with bugs, and requested for a bug specialist to take care of the issue.

Shino learned from Kurenai sensei that he actually was named specifically for the task, hand-picked for his unique abilities as an Aburame. The task was deemed simple, and thus, high-ranking members of the Aburame clan were not dispatched.

Thus, Kurenai led Team 8 to set off days ago...

Under the cover of darkness, the group had finally arrived in the village yesterday, eager to meet with the village leader and get started on their mission.

However, the officer on duty informed them that the leader was already in slumber. So, they agreed to postpone their meeting until the next day.

And after a night of rest, it was time to tend to the patient in need.

Tuk. TUK! Another knock came from the door.

"Yo, Shino, you awake?!" Kiba called out.

The door creaked opened, revealing Hinata and Kiba eagerly peering inside. Their eyes were bright with anticipation as they watched Shino methodically secure his box onto his back

"Hey, Shino!" Kiba exclaimed. "We're finally going to complete the task! Why are you still sleeping in?"

Oh, does Kiba really think he would fall for the same old trick? Shino's expression remained stoic, simply peering through his glasses at Kiba, his silence speaking volumes.

An awkward air hung between them as Kiba stared at Shino with an unyielding gaze. The air was gradually charged with an unspoken challeng...

Suddenly, an expression of realization was displayed on Kiba's face, and he brought a hand down to clap Shino on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Yo, Shino, just answer me. Don't worry, I won't interrupt you this time. I swear on my ninja way!"

Shino arched a brow as he considered the dog boy's words. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he finally spoke, "Okay, let's-"

"Arf! Arf!" As he yapped, Akamaru's head emerged from the folds of Kiba's coat, his eyes bright and alert.

Deliberate. Definitely deliberate.

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Shino's countenance remained unmoved. Although he had become more reserved with his words, it was still surprising to note that he had been interrupted by Kiba almost thirty times during this mission alone!

Kiba's grin grew wider as he affectionately rubbed Akamaru's head, "Yo, Akamaru! Good boy, I knew you would understand me, hahaha!"

After having a good laugh, Kiba's eyes shone with an unspoken excitement. "Okay, let's stop wasting time. Let's go, Shino, Hinata!"

With confidence and arrogance riding on his back, the dog boy bounded off.

Left behind, Hinata fidgeted her fingers as she discreetly stole a glance at Shino, "Shino-kun, Kiba-kun didn't mean it. He's just..."

Shino's inscrutable gaze rested on Hinata, whose white eyes nervously shifted back and forth. With her head bobbing, she poked her fingers together, attempting to act cute.

Okay, he won't argue with these children. He'll just keep it on the account books. Once he becomes an adult- haha... maybe he won't even wait that long...

When Shino stepped outside the building, he was immediately captivated by the stunning view of the village.

A vast lake shimmered in the sunlight, with glistening water sprawling as far as the eye could see.

Lining the edges of the lake were townhouses, arranged in rows on raised stone terraces, creating a layered effect.

Each of these residences had lush greenery enriching their front porches and featured a modernized theme, reflecting the industrialization in the rest of the town, where telephone poles dotted the streets.

Beyond the village, dense forests and a towering rocky mountain loomed. The mountain seemed to be the perfect geographic defense, but it was only from a bird's eye view that one would realize the village was actually nestled at the edge of an enormous crater!

Though the village wasn't as expansive as Konoha and minuscule in size when compared to the crater, it was still larger than the quaint, nameless towns they were accustomed to on previous missions.

Those other nameless small villages were never given the chance to step into the limelight of the anime's narrative, and their stories remain untold, buried deep within the shadows of the shinobi world.

On the flip side, Hacho Village may not rank high on the significance list in the anime, but it was still a featured village with its own name and story.

Since it received screen time in the anime, no matter how brief, the village naturally held its own peculiarities.

While Shino trailed Kiba and Hinata towards the village entrance, where the village officer had agreed to meet, he furrowed his brow, racking his brain for any tidbits he could remember about Hacho Village.

"If I remember correctly, this village had a friendly relationship with the Tonika village at the center of the Hole. The Hacho village leader was Disonasu, and he colluded with Kabuto to destroy the Tonika village so that he could acquire control over the sacred place… but this would happen far in the future, after Kabuto masters the Reanimation Jutsu…"

"As for this village, there's not much that is special except its water that was overflowing with life and had the ability to accelerate the cell division. Perhaps this resource could play some significant role for the swarm, but that still requires research."

"The true treasures lie in Tonika village – the place that conceals the Spear of Heaven, an ancient super weapon in the form of a massive, three-segmented tower. Unfortunately, that village was still a dangerous faction that I can't afford to handle at the moment."

Beware, for the ease of the downfall of Tonika Village at the hands of Kabuto was not an indication of its weakness.

It was merely a display of Kabuto's overpowering ability to resurrect fallen Akatsuki members, a formation so overpowered that it could render even the mightiest ninja villages helpless... had there not been even more dangerous fellas popping out one after another.

Unless Shino could unlock new powerful zergs and increase the size of his already impressive army to an overwhelming amount, his greed for the weapon could only be stifled.

"Well, it doesn't mean I couldn't mark this interesting place for the future, just like I did with many other locations. I'm still weak now, but I have plenty of time – I just need to strike before Kabuto."

A sly grin hung on Shino's face when he sensed the drone that was hibernating deep beneath the surface of the Hacho village. When he was ready, that will be his beacon in the future.

Following the paved stone road, the trio walked for a few more minutes before finally arriving at the entrance of Hacho Village, where they were met Kurenai sensei, who had just arrived.

"Sensei, morning!" "Arf! Arf!"

"Good morning Kurenai sensei." Hinata politely bowed.

Shino adjusted his glasses, "Morn."

"Good, everyone is here with no problems." Relieved to see them, Kurenai's red lips curved into a smile.

"Yaho, of course, there is no problem! Right, Akamaru?" "Arf!"

Shortly after their greetings, the officer arrived. However, it was not Shiseru as depicted in the anime, but a mysterious and unfamiliar man. He was destined to go nameless even in a novel, so Shino kindly granted him the name of Officer Bystander.

"Welcome, young shinobis," Officer Bystander said, bowing deeply. "We are honored to have you here in our village. Apologies, the village chief has tasks to tend to. So, he arranged me to lead you to the patient. Please, follow me."

Huh? The village chief... he was still nowhere to be found.

This intrigued Shino. Could it be that the wizened Disonasu is attempting to flex his influence? Or what other reasons could there be for Disonasu to delay them for a night?

Shino kept a calm expression on his face, but his eyes darted towards Kurenai sensei, who appeared to have picked up on something amiss as well.

Kurenai sensei caught Shino's covert glance, and her eyes narrowed subtly in response. Understanding his unspoken question, she shook her head almost imperceptibly, signaling to him to exercise caution.

Their mission was to treat the patient, and anything beyond that was not something they should be nosy about.

Following Officer Bystander, they were led through the town.

As they strolled down the vibrant street teeming with colorful stalls, Shino couldn't help but notice the peculiar attire of the villagers.

Many villagers strolled by in breezy attire, sporting short-sleeved shorts made of light fabric, their outfits designed for comfort in the warm climate.

Some wrapped themselves in long, flowing robes made of a light, airy fabric, mostly the older elders of the village.

Others wore long-sleeved police tunics made of blue and black fabric. Many of these officers carried a sword, clearly the weapon of choice for the enforcers of this village.

The villagers all had friendly expressions on their faces, and some even greeted the team as they walked by.

Kiba grinned and waved back at them. "Hey, they seem like a friendly bunch," he said, nudging Shino in the ribs.

Shino didn't react, but Hinata smiled softly. "Yes, they do," she said.

Passing through the throng, the team soon made their way to the less-populated outer edges of the village and entered a small building.

Inside, they found a group of villagers gathered around a young girl who lay on a mat on the floor. The girl looked pale and sickly, her breathing clearly labored.

Kurenai stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the situation, but failing to find anything wrong. "What's wrong with her?"

"We're not sure," Officer Bystander replied. "She's been like this for weeks, and none of our healers have been able to cure her. A medical ninja came before, but left with no success. However, she did tell us she would send some shinobi who could help..."

Kurenai nodded, and the team sprang into action. Hinata activated her Byakugan to scan the girl's body, while Kiba searched the room for any clues.

Intrigued by the possibility of insects lurking within the young girl's body, Shino surreptitiously dispatched his swarm of bugs to scour her body, searching for any signs of their kin.

During their investigation, Shino couldn't help but notice the odd smells in the hut.

Wrinkling his nose, he glanced over to Kiba.

Kiba sniffed the air with Akamaru as well, but... they didn't seem to notice anything. Strange.

Hinata looked up from her examination of the girl. "I think I've found something," she said. "There's a small creature sleeping inside her heart, feeding off her chakra."

Kurenai's eyes were steady. "A parasite," she declared. "We'll need to remove it immediately. Shino."

Shino nodded in acquiescence and directed his bugs to infiltrate the girl's body. Naturally, he wasn't going to harm her. He was going to coax out the parasite, whether by hook or crook.

Unexpectedly, the parasite remained asleep, reducing the difficulty of the operation.

The only problem was that this process was an arduous and time-consuming one, akin to performing surgery. A careless mistake could prove catastrophic for the girl.

However, with Shino's flawless control, this wasn't an issue.

Of course, beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and a face of exhaustion was displayed, giving the impression that he was struggling. His act demanded unwavering commitment, leaving no room for half-ass special effects nor gaps in his act.

And he knew his act was close to, if not perfect, because he unlocked a special event: a considerate Hinata dabbing his sweat with a handkerchief.

Well, it was just a friendly gesture, yet Shino could feel a certain dog's eyes boring onto his back...

Time wormed its way forward, and soon, the bug finally wormed its way out.

Just as Shino's hands reclaimed the sleeping parasite from the girl's body, an unexpected odor assailed his senses.

It was the strange smell he discovered before. The smell was unmistakably rotten, and it was growing stronger by the second!

He was momentarily distracted, but he suddenly felt a jolt of fear run through him. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Before he could react, the parasite suddenly sprang to life and launched itself towards him with incredible speed!

Despite his quick reaction, Shino was unable to dodge the swift attack. In a flash, the creature had burrowed deep inside his body!

"Shino!" (x3)