Ojos Asi [[private -- nyrax]]

Tsunade was standing with her back to him, looking out the window. She nodded slowly, but didn't turn to face him. Her hand was resting on the glass, and she laughed softly. Finally, she turned to face him and walked toward him. "I think it's about time we talked about this mission and about Aaliyah. I know how upset you are about all this."

Well, this behavior was not what Shino had been expecting. There was something about her laugh as she looked out the village. Something just seemed off about all of it, though he couldn't tell what. When she finally brought up what they were going to talk about Shino couldn't help but want to sigh. He held back though.

"I don't think there is anything to talk about Lady Hokage, nothing that will help anyway."

"It's not so much about nothing helping it. There is nothing I can say that will make you feel better and, conversely, there is nothing I can do that will alleviate your sorrow. I could try to make friends with you, or tell you that I know how you feel, but in truth, I know that none of it would matter. I know that no one wants to hear something like that when faced with death or the potential death of someone they love." She watched him, a little uncertain of how to proceed. Yet, she knew that there was something he wanted to say and she was more than willing to let him say it.

Shino had been silent up until one part of the conversation. At a certain phrase his hands tensed up again and he just stared at her. "Nothing you can do?" he repeated as if he hadn't heard it the first time. "You're the Hokage, you have complete power in this situation. You can make her come home, you can end this mission that the Third started and give Aaliyah her freedom back," Shino said as his eyes never stopped looking at Tsunade's.

"You gave Suigetsu and Karin their freedom, and for what? A few months of not attacking anyone on Konoha's streets? Yet a girl who has risked her life for the past several years has finally found something that she wants to live for, and you say you can do NOTHING?" Shino said with a very strong emphasis on the word. He knew that he was getting angry and he should stop talking lest he made an enemy of Tsunade, but his mouth didn't seem to agree with his brain.

"I have been loyal, I've done my best to help on any mission you assign me to, I have a near flawless record, and I have never asked anything of you," Shino said as he kept his eyes upon Tsunade. "Now that all I want is for the woman I love to come home....you tell me there's nothing you can do. So tell me...what exactly did you want to accomplish by talking tonight?" Shino asked as he put his hands in his pockets. "As far as I'm concerned, we have nothing to say to each other."

Tsunade rounded on Shino, and at the end of his speech, her hand came into contact with her own desk and the wooden structure crumbled into bits of wood onto the floor as if it had been paper. Her eyes were narrow and focused on him. "So, you want me to pull her then?' She asked, an angry tone having taken over her voice. "To be pulled from this mission would not only disgrace her name, but the village as a collective whole. Aaliyah's life is tied to this mission whether or not she completes it. Tell me, what do you think Youki will do to learn that KONOHA appointed her this mission and Konoha pulled her? Now, while he makes alliances with the Akatsuki. What do you think Akatsuki will do, when they find out that Aaliyah, the shinobi that stole back Kakuzu's body, is a Konoha S-ranked ANBU? Do you think they'll attack Konoha outright to protect themselves? For revenge? Do you honestly think that Youki will just give her up just like that?" She kicked a part of her desk so she could walk over it toward Shino.

"If you don't want to be a shinobi, then resign. To be a shinobi is to risk death. That is what you signed up for. You didn't agree to do this for fame or money, or anything of that nature. Shinobi risk everything for their village and those that refuse run away. All shinobi run away and all shinobi see things they would rather not see. Tell me something, Shino. What should I have done, when my brother died on a mission, and his sensei, Orochimaru, came to me and apologized as if nothing was wrong? What was I supposed to do when teammates tried to kill one another? What should I have done differently, to save my own fiance's life when he was torn from me? What would you have me do? Pull her from this mission and make her live in the village, knowing that every mission I sent her own would be a liability. That every DAY she spent here would be a day that Youki could attack to kill her for vengeance or steal her back for revenge? How many of my shinobi's lives would I trade for hers? How many men should I assign to protect her day and night? How many should I assign to you, and the children you want together? Should I just give everything up to make YOU happy?" She glared at him, now standing almost face to face with him.

"I have done things for this village that I perhaps should not have done. I have made foolish choices and stupid ones at that. But I made those choices for the good of this village and although my sensei's methods were questionable, that's what he had in mind when he gave Aaliyah the mission she's on now. So tell me, Shino, since you seem to be suddenly so aware of what my job is like to do. What would you have done? To Sasuke? To Suigetsu? To Karin? To Aaliyah?"

Shino just stood there the entire time, standing opposite of Tsunade as she delivered her entire speech about why Aaliyah was not going to be pulled from her mission. He just listened, never flinching or backing down as Tsunade yelled out her frustration and anger towards him. He didn't respond nor did he react. He only listened, and absorbed all of the information until she was finished and asked him those last few questions. Even once those were asked he just stayed silent, as if his tongue had left his body.

"What would you have me say?" Shino finally asked as he started back at Tsunade. "I know that Aaliyah needs to be gone for the good of the village. I know the wrath that would come down upon us if she left Youki's side. The damage would be catastrophic, innumerable lives would be lost, immeasurable damage would fall upon us....yet, none of this makes what I am going through any easier," he said as he kept looking at Tsunade. His voice had taken off the edge that he had only a minute or so ago, and now his normal voice had returned. Despite the anger being gone, this would probably be the largest amount of emotion that she had ever heard Shino speak with.

"I've never questioned the things that you've asked me to do. I understood at a much younger age than my other shinobi what kind of a life we were entering. The others did it for fame, honor, tradition....I did it because I knew that it was the right thing that I could do with my gifts, I knew that I could save lives and that it was my right as heir to my clan to get strong and defeat Konoha's enemies," he said as he moved backwards and sat down in the chair that was opposite of Tsunade's desk.

"I'm sorry," the Aburame said weakly. "I'm sorry that I'm angry, I'm sorry that I take out my frustrations on everyone around me. I'm not mad at you or Aaliyah, I'm mad at myself and I'm mad at Youki," Shino finally said as he stared at the ground. "I'm angry with myself, because every time I launch an arrow at his chest I can NEVER pierce that damned heart of his. I'm angry that because Youki lose his family that I might never have one. I'm angry that the love of my life is doing so brave a mission that no one can help her to get out of it...because I know she needs to stay."

"Yet, none of this information, none of this knowledge, none of these circumstances help to change the way that I view my reality. The one where tomorrow I will wake up and she'll be gone, and I'll never know when she comes back. I fear more than anything that one day I'll become just like Youki," Shino said probably to Tsunade's surprise. "That she'll wind up dead and I'll blame you, Konoha, and anyone else that I can think of in order to release my anger. I fear that one day I'll wake up and wish that she had never been born, so that the aching pain of her loss would not be felt by me," he said as his voice now formed a whisper.

"I'm scared Tsunade, and I apologize if it's unbecoming of me.....I just don't know how to deal with what I'm going through."

Tsunade wasn't sure where to start with everything that Shino had expressed to her. All the same, she sighed and walked over to him. She bent down on her knees in front of him and took his hands. Because he was sitting and she was kneeling, they were almost face level with one another. "Shino..." She whispered quietly. "I'm sure you know by now that Youki was best friends with the fourth Hokage. Although Youki never became as fast as Minato in life, Youki is not slow. The reason you are able to pierce his heart is because after you fire the arrow, he moves his body so he is never struck in a lethal place. It has always been a gift of his clan to avoid death. I've never quite known how to explain it, but Youki's father was quite close to my age, if you can believe that. Both of his parents were. They had a skill for avoiding death, no matter the circumstances. I doubt that will bring you comfort, but it's why he's so hard to kill."

She paused for a moment, wanting to let him understand that she didn't truly want to fight with him. The Hokage couldn't blame him for his anger. She had been angry at Konoha for a long time. A very long time. It was Konoha's fault she lost everything, and it was why she left it. She had given up all of her faith and hope in a way that she had never planned to. It's why she adored Naruto. He had given it back to her.

"One day all of us will be gone." She said quietly, as if trying to sound motherly. "Any of us could die tomorrow, but, we could also live. I won't pretend that Aaliyah will be okay because you believe she will be, but I believe that she will come back to you." She rested her hand over Shino's heart. "Your love for her is a love that I have never seen in this world. It's stronger than my love for Dan and for the other man I loved. I lost them both and I will do anything for you not to know what that feels like. To live through as much death as I have is something you couldn't begin to believe. It is the job of the Hokage to protect the village and all of the shinobi and non shinobi inside of it. As your hokage, Aburame Shino, I promise, that I will do anything, up to and including death, to return her back to you. Alive."

Shino kept his head bowed down as Tsunade spoke. It wasn't that he was trying to disrespect her, but he hated when people saw him so emotionally exposed. The only other person that he had ever allowed to see that side of him was Aaliyah. He normally had such control, and as he grew up Shino came to realize more and more how little control in anything he actually had. The only thing he would have a real say in when he grew up was the position that his clan took on things. Even then, the other clans could still insist on another course of action or outvote him. He just wished that Aaliyah was the one thing in his life that he could protect.

The more that Tsunade spoke though, the more appreciative that he was of her words. She didn't need to do this. She could have just ordered him to deal with it or ignore him completely. She didn't though, she knew that there was so much more to this and she felt bad for him. She wanted to help him, and that made him feel good. He was more understanding of her position now. She wasn't an elected official, she was picked because she was the best and more experienced than all of them. Unlike what Shino was fearing, she lived through the loss of those she loved, and would do anything to stop him from feeling the same thing. A single tear would drop on to Tsunade's hand as she held Shino's. She had definitely never seen him do that.

As quickly as it came though, the emotion seemed to disappear. Shino took a deep breath and lifted his head so that his gaze would meet with Tsunade's. "If I have your word on that...that's good enough for me," Shino said as he stood up and looked at Tsunade. "It means that I need to do everything I can as well. Need another shinobi to oversee the exchange?"

Tsunade smiled at him. It seemed that she did help him to feel better. After all, ti was the least she could do, considering all she put him through. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead, much as she had done years before to Naruto. It seemed foolish, considering Shino's age, compared to Naruto's when she had done it. Still, she did it more for herself than for him. It comforted her and it was the only way she had to show her confidence in someone.

"I think that with some time, you'll get over this fear of losing her. There will come a time when you realize what you have to do to keep her. And you will do it."

Shino raised an eyebrow for a moment as Tsunade kissed his forehead. He had never seen her do that, nor did he know that it was something that she frequently did with Naruto to show her affection. He just assumed that this was some sign of comfort or approval on her part. Perhaps he would ask her about it, but not today.

"Perhaps you're right," Shino remarked as he looked to his Hokage. "Until than, I know that you've had the best interests of this village since day one, it's time to show that I have faith in you. I believe that you will help me get back that which is most precious to me. And for that I cannot have enough words of gratitude."

Tsunade nodded. "Sasuke has expressed the desire to have you there at the mission as well. He wanted you to be placed a good distance away and be able to fire not only arrows, but warning messages." She went to a chest in her office and opened it. She unwrapped a collection of various colored arrows and a small five page book that was with it. All of the arrows had the Uchiha fan on them, and no matter what the colors of the arrow was, the tail feathers were red and white, the colors of the Uchiha fan.

"This book has the information you need. Each arrow represents a different message. Sasuke said that if you showed interest in this mission, I was to give it to you. No one outside of Uchiha has seen it, so don't share it with anyone. Fire the arrows to convey a message to him. If you accept, he will tell you were to fire them and he and Shikamaru will place you in a location of their choosing."

Shino took the arrows and looked them over before placing them in the proper spot in his cloak. He placed the instructions in his cloak as well. If these were to be kept a secret than he was going to make sure that no one found them. He would read the specifics when it was deemed necessary. Right now he needed to keep them secret.

"I will make sure to study them thoroughly in preparation for tomorrow's mission. Is there anything else I can do while I am here Lady Tsunade?"

Tsunade looked over at her desk and sighed. She was starting to think that the man she ordered her desks from just started to make five or so of them at a time so whenever she broke one he could just send another one other. He was an excellent craftsman, the best in the village. She just didn't hang onto her desks for very long. Especially recently.

"Make sure you're ready for tomorrow. Just keep in mind that, no matter what you see or hear, Aaliyah is in no danger from Konoha's side. If you need anything, I also suggest that you contact Sasuke or Shikamaru. They have more information than I do about this matter."

When Shino got home and opened the instructions, he would find that there was a handwritten note inside of it.

Come to the Uchiha Estate after you memorize this manual. We have a few things to go over. - Sasuke

"Very well, I'll make sure that it gets done," Shino said before giving a bow and turning to head out of Tsunade's office. She had helped him, and now Shino had to make sure that he did his part to guarantee Aaliyah's safety.

When Shino got home he saw the note and laughed to himself. "How the hell does he know these things?" Shino asked himself before heading inside. He quickly read and memorized the manual before hiding it in a safe place. Shino kept the arrows on him and also took his bow before proceeding to head to Sasuke's estate.

Once there, he knocked on the door and waited.

"I knew you'd show up." Sasuke said, behind Shino by about five feet. The sun was setting and it looked like he had just gotten back. He was dressed in a green chunnin vest (which he absolutely hated because they were uncomfortable) and black pants. "Come on. I want to work on your aim a little."

The Uchiha went to one of the training garages on the Uchiha training grounds and pulled a bow and some other steel arrows that were like the ones Shino was given. "We won't use those." He said, making it clear that they weren't going to talk about them in much detail. "I trust you with knowing what they mean. There are so few Uchiha's left that I doubt it's meaning would disseminate. If anything, we have to worry about Itachi being there. If Karin mentions that Itachi is around, I want you to take the pattern of the color wheel and shift the meaning of all the arrows with the color opposite them. Then, shift that meaning one to the right. Even if Itachi did learn the pattern, it would be too late to do any good. he'd have to see at least three or four to make sense of the pattern. And that was if he showed up at all.

Shino didn't move or say anything as Sasuke's voice appeared from behind him. As someone that had startled people for years, Shino was never the kind of person to be startled by a voice appearing out of nowhere. "Let's go than," Shino said as he turned and followed Sasuke.

Shino listened to the instructions that he was given and took the bow and arrows before testing the weight of the bow. It wasn't his, but it would do just fine. This was just for practice after all. Shino lined up an arrow and pulled back on the string. "Easily done, I've already memorized what each arrow does and I know how they are to be used....you have nothing to worry about," he said before going quiet for a minute. "How'd you know I was going to agree to come back."

Sasuke watched Shino line up the arrow. "I know what it's like to have all this anger and hatred held up inside you. It burns away at your insides when you hold something to dearly or when you refuse to let something go. You and I aren't that much different, in a way. It sounds like a bunch of shit, I know, but I know what it's like to lose everything. I never want to go through that again, and I don't want you to have to go through it either. I had the feeling that once you let out all of your anger and finally realized what you truly wanted, you'd feel better and then you'd want to do anything to protect Aaliyah. And, I was right."

He smirked at Shino and picked up his own bow and arrow. He drew an arrow and fired it, causing it to slam into a target on a tree not far from them. "For this mission, I need you to convey signals. To keep her safe, Karin will be a distance away, with you. You will convey anything she needs to tell us through your arrows. Additionally, you will have the antidote for Aaliyah and you will fire it at me when I give you the signal. We need to work on your aim."

Shino just listened as Sasuke spoke. He should have known that out of anyone it would be Sasuke who planned on him to realize how he was acting and change. Tsunade had faith that Shino would change, but it was Sasuke that included Shino's changes in his plans. Shino shook his head but had a smile. Half of him could hardly believe Sasuke, the other half greatly appreciated the amount of thought and planning that he put in to everything. Say what you wanted about Sasuke, he knew people.

"Makes complete sense," Shino admitted as he looked towards the mark that Sasuke had made on the three with his own arrow. Shino held his own bow and arrow steady. "If my current method requires some work, how exactly do you plan on improving it?" he asked curiously as he glanced at Sasuke.

"It's not so much that you need work, it's just that the distance and speed you'll be required to fire is much greater. The arrows you have to fire are heavier than most. No doubt you've noticed how heavy they were when you lifted them. In addition, you're going to have to fire objects if I need you to, including the antidote for the poison Sakura created for Aaliyah. I don't trust anyone else to hold it, nor do I trust anyone else to deliver it. if it's too close, then we run the risk of Youki killing who carries it. But if it's not there, we have the safest opportunity. You're going to learn to fire an arrow at my heart from at least a forth of a mile away."

"Yeah, I felt how heavy they were the moment that Tsunade gave them to me. As messenger arrows I imagined they were heavier to make sure that they would fo flying or bouncing all over the place," Shino remarked as he once again looked to the tree and realized just how far away he was. He had never made a shot like this before, but in order for the mission to succeed he was going to have to become good at it overnight. The only way for him to improve was practicing though.

Slowly he lined up his first arrow, calmed his beating heart, than let it fly.

Sasuke leaned against a wall, watching Shino. He was a little worried that it took Shino this long to agree to the mission and that he was going to have to become good overnight. It was the only option they had though, so it was going to have to work, needless to say. He watched the arrow fly with sharingan, seeing the slow movements of it as it moved. "Aim a little higher. The arrows are heavy, so of course it will slope downward. You'll need to fire a bit higher. Maybe about an inch or two."

Shino gave a small nod. He was smart enough to take Sasuke's advice. Shino was by far not a prideful individual, and he wasn't going to let his own ego get in the way of accepting help from people, not when it could help him to save Aaliyah. "Understood," Shino said as he moved the front part of the bow only slightly higher. The arrow would travel in an arc, so due to its increased weight it made sense that he would have to aim higher.

Shino would get it soon enough, it would just take a little bit of time for his mind to adjust.

After about ten minutes, Shino started to hit the bullseye each and every time he fired the arrow. So, Sasuke took that as his cue to stand up. "Alright." He said, walking toward the target. "This time, I'm going to stand where the target it and I want you to aim it at my heart. Don't worry about hitting me. Let me worry about it. Just aim at me and fire the arrow. Chest level is the perfect level for me to catch something like that. So, that's where I need it to be." He moved to the target, facing Shino, and sharingan activated. He held up his arm and opened his hand. It seemed that this would be the sign that Sasuke would use when he wanted Shino to fire the antidoate at him.

On the ground, beside the barrel of arrows Shino had to use was a small vile of what appeared to be water. There was no antidote in it, of course, but Shino needed to practice firing the arrow with this attached to the end. They only had one shot at firing the antidote.

Shino held back from firing his next arrow as Sasuke told him to stop. Shino began to lower the bow and arrow, thinking that they would be done, but it seemed like Sasuke had other plans for them. He wanted Shino to practice firing at Sasuke's heart, that way there would be no mistakes when the exchange was to be made. At first Shino was nervous, but he knew that Sasuke wouldn't ask him to do it unless he was certain that he could catch it.

Shino took another deep breath to steady his heart, his gaze aimed right at Sasuke's chest before he pulled the bow up and quickly fired the arrow right at the mark.

Sasuke moved to the side awkwardly and managed to catch the arrow a little less gracefully than he'd anticipated. He'd gotten a small cut on his hand from the way that he'd caught it, but otherwise was uninjured. He let out a sigh to both steady and relieve himself before picking up his own bow and firing the arrow back at Shino. It embedded into the ground by Shino's foot, the vile flicking back and forth. They only had one vile to practice with, since Sasuke couldn't take too many without making things too obvious. But it was essential that Shino fired an arrow with the vile each time, so that the weight would remain consistent.

Once they had both taken a moment, Sasuke raised his arm, giving the same signal he had before.