A moment, A day, A time, and A place...[Flashback]

A calm dusty day as usual flooded the dessert surrounding the woman named Kasai. She was clothed in her usual apparel, red top with orange and gold adornments and other warm colors that fit her personality usually. Her hair was pulled up as she sat beside two graves. She seemed content to just sit there and look up to the sky. She then laid down smiling for a moment in silence before thinking to herself and her smile faded little by little "Why didn't you listen to me..." She whispers quietly biting the bottom of her lip and tearing up slightly. "Why didn't I tell you guys..." She said in a small voice crack putting her hands on her eyes to cover them. Voices of the past flooded her mind of who these two once were but are nevermore.

"Can you believe it? Isamu out of all the people? I bet he'll be just as annoying." The girl with brown hair pulled into a long ponytail She also sported two seperate blue bows on either side of her head and dressed in a comfortable brown and purple atire. "Etsuko just give him a chance, he isn't always annoying." Said the younger Kasai whom laughed at her friend's grunt. "Ohhhh~ So you like him Kasai? That's the only reason you wouldn't find him annoying!" Said the girl elbowing her friend and chuckling. "Huh? No it would just be nice to give people a chance, I mean we dunno who he is really he's only been here for a month." Kasai spoke to her friend looking to the boy who came up to them. "So hey gals! Guess we're a team huh, so you wouldn't mind if I ask...are you afraid of bugs?" He said in a creepy notion.

Etsuko seemed grossed out the minute he said bugs. Kasai was confused however. "Not really...maybe Etsu-" Etsuko stopped her mid talk holding her mouth shut in fear. "Oh quit joking around Kasai it's all nothing, y'know let's go find that thing we need!" She quickly started dragging Kasai away leaving the boy alone without much expression. Etsuko finally stopped nearby huffing out heavily in fear. "WHAT were you thinking!? He'd probably throw bugs at us!" Kasai shrugged then looked around the corner. "Actually he seemed concerned...Infact he looks sad." Kasai pointed out as Etsuko looked around the corner scared. "No he's got the same expressionless face as before and it's creeping me out!"

Kasai shrugged then started walking over to him. "Wouldn't that be a good thing against the enemies though? If he can scare you he's sure to scare them and that would be helpful. Besides he's got feelings too, I don't want my friend's feelings hurt!" She stated as Etsuko frowned in a huff of anger at her. "He's not our friend! Just a teammate!" "Would you rather an enemy?" Kasai retorted to her friend behind her. As soon as she was silenced Kasai walked to the boy smiling. "Sorry about that, I'm Kasai Shiruku, took me a while to get used to things here too." The boy smiled slightly though it wasn't noticed much and hugged Kasai. "...thank you"

At first Kasai froze and Etsuko was really weirded out. "Everyone always runs away...I don't mean to frighten them..." He even seemed to be crying a little with Kasai awkwardly patting his back. "U-uh...no problem?" She answered but a tight pinch came upon her hand and as she looked down she saw a stray bug had stung her. For a moment she didn't say anything but soon she fell down collapsing from the sting. Etsuko yelled and screamed in fear as the boy was scared too. "Damnit, Damnit, I can't control these things...I-I...I'm so sorry!" Etsuko went over to yell at him scolding him and crying a bit thinking her friend was dead. Kasai barely coughed before looking at her friend in a daze. "sh-shut up...and help me..." The boy quickly tried to pick her up and Etsuko grummbled as she helped along scowling at the boy. "I'm going to tell the Sensei after this."

It was only a few hours later that Kasai awoke to see her parents. "M-mmmom...?" She said weakly. The doctor came in just then reading off the sheet on Kasai's medical condition. "Well it seems she was bitten by just a stray red ant, nothing to dangerous but she seems to be allergic to them. It's advised to tell her Sensei and any other instructors this." Her parents were concerned of course but Kasai seemed alright. Just as the doctor left the two teammates of hers came in with the Isamu crying. "It wasn't my bugs...I thought it was I'm so sorry!" Etsuko rolled her eyes for a moment. "Crybaby, she's okay! I know my friend and she's waaaay to tough for an ant!" Kasai looked to them and smiled a little. "I-Isamu what bugs were you...talking about anyhow?" She asked trying to take the subject off from her problem. She seemed more concerned to also calm down her crying compainion. Isamu stopped for a moment then smiled a little as he opened his hand and a small mosquito crawled around on it. "Usually...my clan has insects that bite or sting so...I thought mine did that too. But I don't use ants...so it wasn't mine."

Etsuko was very grossed out backing away from the mosquito in Isamu's hand. Kasai however smiled looking at it. "Well maybe you need to ask your elders about these. Don't just asume anything, you might regret it later."

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It's been a few years later and that very team is now Chuunin.

Isamu looked to his teammates smiling. "Well now we do real missions huh..." He paused for a moment since he was a bit fearful however Etsuko rolled her eyes folding her arms over. "Well duh, the old missions were so boring! Now we're real ninjas and get to fight all the bad guys!" Isamu was a bit shocked at her reaction but hid his usual blush under his scarf. Kasai then turned to the team smiling brightly with a gleam of a sun of happy and excitement. "Well now that I'm a captain of the team let's just try to have fun alright!"

She stood there with the both of them smiling in excitement. Etsuko more of a proud excited and Isamu a more calm smile. Kasai then put her left hand to her chin holding it's elbow up with her right arm to signify her thinking process. "Now a team name...how about Team Yūjin! all vote with raising your hands for Yūjin!" Kasai raised her left hand into the air as Etsuko did the same and slowly Isamu rose his hand along with them.

It took the team a few weeks to get used to the hard missions but they did it proudly and smiling usually. However this wasn't to last forever, soon a new mission upon a rouge ninja was called however it was placed in C rather than A for some odd reason. One wonders how this happened but it was to late when it was found out.

Etsuko read from the document loudly to the group. "We are to secure a rouge ninja by the name of Damishi, it's not explained on how well with jutsu or weapons are so we must be on guard and take only what we need. Not to mention this is our first search mission so we need to be ready to do anything that needs to be done...Oh wow we get to be like Anbu!" The girl said in a squeal of excitement. Kasai clapped her hands smiling cheering on her excitement but Isamu sat there with a worried face. "It doesn't sound like the usual mission for us, don't you think something it wrong?"

With that Etsuko sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well I dunno it's our mission, you really wanna go against orders higher than us then go ahead! I however vote Kasai to stay and rest up until she can join us." She said looking at Kasai seriously. Kasai however whined a little knowing she'd miss out. "Aw, I know I burnt my leg...Just don't leave all the fun out, I wanna join in really soon!" She said laying down in a hospital bed with her friends visiting her. She had burnt her leg whilst practicing her fire jutsu alongside her wind jutsu. Difficult as it was she was lucky to come out with just a slightly burnt leg. It only burnt the first few layers meaning it wasn't permanent and easily fixable.

With that Isamu looked down for a moment and followed Etsuko with a worried expression. "This isn't a good idea...even my mosquitoes don't like the feeling. They're biting my back..." Etsuko however grunted and carried on ignoring him. "Those things are gross alright, there's no way a bug could know good luck and bad luck." With a quick huff she took off and Isamu followed her closely.

Kasai had sat in the bed for what seemed like forever then once she finally had the okay to go she rose from the bed and headed off to the mission site. However she only came to the gates and stopped in place. Seeing her father talking to one of the shinobi nearby the area then looking to Kasai with a frown and a painfully saddened expression. As Kasai looked over to the gates a body was being carried with a sheet strapped tightly down. A boy was walking behind it with the face of pure fear and pain. Even if he hid his eyes and mouth Kasai knew something was wrong. She ran over to him quickly looking around for Etsuko. "Wh-where's Etsuko? Why is everyone hushed and there's a body, p-please...don't tell me it's-.."

Isamu looked at her with a grieved face shaking a little he didn't speak only look to the blanket covered body then to Kasai. Soon enough he ran off to his home with Kasai following him quickly behind. "Isamu! WAIT!" She soon caught up to him pushing him down accidentally before looking at him. As he fell his goggles that he wore normally cracked and the left side fell off to show his eyes. He was crying, sobbing under all of that hidden fear. "N-ninjas can't c-cry..." Is what he whispered in a whine. Kasai weld up a bit herself seeing him cry and cried herself. "Why...what happened! what ha-happened!?"

He took a bit before stopping his sobs in shock and held his head as if it was to explode or something. "I didn't save her, I didn't do anything! All I did was see the girl I loved and called a friend become a pile of dead FLESH!" He yelled out as Kasai tried to calm him down however just hearing what he said made her cry more. "Stop...stop it Isamu...you couldn't have done anything...you, you were right...the mission wasn't for us! We should have turned it in! We should have..." Isamu stood up quickly then yelled at Kasai. "DON'T YOU GET IT!? I LET HER DIE AND NOW...now...I...I don't know what to do..."

Kasai was shocked by him yelling at her as he took off along with his bugs being released from himself. "Fine...if I...can't have my dream, I...I'll do my father's dream...at least then, I'll care for something." Kasai watched in horror as he preformed the body flicker jutsu and disappeared. Kasai soon found her father calling her over and pulling her up trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. Kasai soon hugged him crying into his shoulder in a whine fit. "My friends, my teammates...I was their leader dad, I was suppose to protect them! What can I do!" She cried with her father even as old as he was lifting her up like a child and carrying her off.

The funeral did happen and Kasai attended along with Etsuko's family and other friends. Everyone there cried of course and said their blessings to the grave along with Kasai looking up to her father. Her father only stared towards the grave in a serious manner as if he's done this before. Kasai then heard of the truth of what happened. The mistake was found and Anbu were set out immediately to retrieve the chuunin. However as new reported they got there to late, Etsuko was stuck through with a scepter and Isamu had been knocked out from a near fatal blow to his head which if it wasn't for his insects, would have killed him.

The village spread the news and contemplated how well the system was and if their children could be another victim in such an accident. Now all forms are reviewed thoroughly by the Kage, the Anbu staff, and then the teachers as well before even touched by a genin or chuunin. Even more so the parents now step in to review them too. Some of course out of line but most content with the new system and how it has yet to fail now. However Isamu quickly became a missing-nin soon as Kasai reported it in and people tried to find him and even went so far to ask his family or clan for any clue. No answers were found.

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Total: 2195 words combined

Rumors passed by the village each one more and more terrifying than the last. A rouge, unamed ninja had been eatting other ninja and shinobi alongside an army of flying vampiric insects. No one can see the actual trouble since all of those sent to spy on the ninja had been found dead with their body's drained of their blood entirely and the rest being eatten by maggots as if they rotted quicker than they died. Kasai had been under heavy surveillance due to her breaking down during some missions alone almost costing herself her own life and the life of others. Soon enough however her father was asked to join her in a special mission, this one she needed desperately. He may have retired from mission work but for his daughter he accepted immediately.

Kasai was sent on a mission alone to pick up supplies and guard them. As soon as she picked up the supplies she was attacked by a larger shinobi wielding a fan-like weapon from Suna. She took a moment before noticing this and dropped the items. "Where did you get that...?" she said quietly and with a ting of hate pulling up. The ninja hadn't said a word and merely attacked her. She started to attack back with much more force.

Soon enough the battle was leaving her tired but she still grew hatred knowing that weapon the enemy held was her father's pride and joy of work. She couldn't let it be in the hands of such arrogance. Ever soon enough she pinned the enemy down. "ANSWER ME!" She said in a loud yell almost like a growl. The ninja removed his mask to show it was merely her father. She was shocked as he grasped her hands knocking the kunai from them. Soon as he rose up he pulled his hand back as if to smack her across the face. She closed her eyes and embraced for the slap knowing she had done wrong somehow. He then placed her down and patted her head. She took a moment to gasp at the pat in fear then looked up to him. "D-dad...why?" He didn't say a word but he looked around and pointed to the bag of items. "What...these?" She asked looking in the bag and picking up a broken sword from it. It looked like her father's weaponry creation however a name was carved on it. Suki, Suki Shiruku. The sword was by her father but was for someone else. Wrapping the handle was the village headband with the symbol.

She took a moment to look it over and the more she did the more her eyes welled up. She then looked in the reflection of the sword to see her father smiling behind her. She placed down the weapon and turned to him before hugging him and forcing her head into his chest crying. "I...I get it dad...th-thanks...thanks dad so much." She released the hug then picked up the bag carrying it to the destination which was her home. From then on she realized it's not her fault as being the leader, life happens and sometimes it can be horrible how it works but eventually peace is found amongst the hell. Friends may come and go but best friends will stay in one's memories forever. Her father later offered her the weapon he wielded and she trained vigorously in using it.

This was to be put to the test however. As Kasai got back into her missions she soon excelled once more even so far as to become a Jounin. She was once even asked if she wanted become Anbu, however she refused knowing this is what she needed to do. As fresh of a Jounin she was she set off on a mission of her own with permission granted. She soon found herself to find the rumored Rouge ninja who could suck a body dry of blood in seconds. A terrifying idea and not to mention she knew who it was. Her hands were balled up into fists bracing herself for the very worst and with each minute her blood pumped to her heart knowing what was to come.

Soon she found herself in the middle of the dessert finding bodies littering places around herself and seeing a white haired man pointing to a dying person to suck them dry of life. He then turned to Kasai with his broken goggles showing one of his eyes and his scarf covering his mouth and nose from the sand. Kasai pulled out her weapon of the fan staff placing the bottom end on the ground and the rest held up by her hand. She looked at him seriously before speaking. "Isamu, you need to end this...people are dying around you because of you, and you know this wasn't your goal. This isn't you...please, stop this." Her statement echoed to him and he took a minute pulling down his scarf to show his malicious grin to her. "Why, no one cared about me in that village. I was an outcast anyhow and the only person I could care for is dead."

Kasai paused without a struggle to anything. She seemed dead serious about this fight. Fighting her comrade, teammate, friend, even her old crush. It was crushing her on the inside however she needed to do this. It needed to be stopped by no one other than herself. Isamu stood there with some of his jaw dripping blood along with his pale skin tone and mosquitoes flying amongst him everywhere. Each one with the intent to kill. Isamu then attacked by pointing the bugs towards Kasai and laughed at her darkly. "You know I don't want to do this, but it's what my father would have wanted anyhow...his dream is now mine...this world will become an insect paradise." Kasai merely turned to pick up her fan then blew a gust of wind at the amount of mosquitoes coming towards her. She then looked to Isamu.

"I don't want to have to kill your little friends, but if you persist I will use my fire jutsu..." She said as he didn't seem to care. He sent more hordes on as she pushed them back with her wind jutsu then she jabbed her fan into the ground to use her wind jutsu to make a semi barrier to the mosquitoes. "Please Isamu, stop this..." She asked with her more deeper emotions coming out. Isamu didn't seem to care as he pushed his insects through the barrier of wind towards Kasai in all directions. Kasai sighed frowning for a moment then preformed a few handsigns. "Forgive me Isamu...but you leave me no choice..." She then preformed Flame Whirlwind causing the immediate area around her to erupt in a sea of flames burning every single mosquito that was aimed to herself.

For a moment Isamu was shocked and yelled out. "NO! THOSE ARE MY FAMILY! STOP IT! STOP IT!" He then called back many of his insects in fear as Kasai turned to him. He then pulled off his cloak to reveal his arms and neck. All of his skin was pale and had many bumps and scars from the insects eatting him alive. Usually aburame let insects eat enough to survive and live but he took it far enough to let them eat him and multiply more than his control could let him. "They were hungry, My brothers...There's no one left who can feed us..." He said holding his arms out allowing the hundreds of insects to fly to it and feed from it. His bloodstained hands showed he had been eatting what he could of the bodies he killed. There wasn't anywhere that could sell him food so he did what he could. It seemed more like after the first feeding he just gave up his will and followed the insect's instincts rather than his own.

"Unless...You contribute...heh..." He said looking to Kasai holding out his hand to her. "I-Isamu!? What...Wh-why...How?" She was finally shocked enough to bring out emotions once more. She then watched the bugs grow a bit in size and saw Isamu lose more life to his body. As she watched this it hurt her inside. It hurt deeply to see her friend give himself up to these things that didn't care for his life like she did. She walked up to him carefully seeing the insects were busy and only focused on feeding. Isamu was in a weak state now, anyone could kill him, even his own insects. She soon enough was close enough to talk to him with fear in her eyes. "Isamu...don't kill yourself for her sake...you're doing what I did...you're hurting yourself because you blame yourself." She paused and then wrapped her hands around him calmly to not disturb the insects.

"I care...I care so damn much Isamu, I cared about you, your feelings...everything. I never told you because I knew you wanted Etsuko, I didn't want to take that from you. But...this, this isn't any way to treat yourself...I was in so much pain because I blamed myself, I regretted everything I did..." She was crying a bit shaking as he was just standing there in shock. "Isamu, I care...I love you...now stop burdening yourself and try to think about who you are...you're Isamu Aburame...not your father, not Etsuko's avenger...Just Isamu." It took a moment before he shook his arm free from the insects as they buzzed around. He then joined her hug then placed his hand on her shoulders. "...thanks, but it's too late...They've eaten...and now I'm useless to them...you need to kill the rest, get rid of my name now..." He was so pale and weak however he pecked her cheek before falling into her arms and dying from exhaustion and bloodloss. For a moment she was frozen in shock and looked down. She then looked to the swarm of mosquitoes coming towards herself and his dead body.

She placed his body down then preformed a few signs before looking at the mosquitoes. "This is for the friends I've lost, and for the pain of it all..." She then took in a breath of air and blew it out for some wind jutsu before letting out her attack. Great Fire Destruction was cast upon the swarm as the wind jutsu carried the strong attack throughout the entire swarm. Burning each and every tiny insect entirely in the heated flames of destruction. Soon nothing was left but smoke and Kasai coughing from the extreme heat she gave out. She then turned to Isamu's body and picked it up, carrying it back to the village. Soon as she reached the village she told the village this was her missing teammate and that the threat of the rogue ninja was abolished. Other bodies were recovered as she helped bury Isamu alongside some of the victims of the tragedy.

Her father came to the funeral which was amazingly enough large for what Isamu said people didn't care. It seemed alot of people cared, especially Kasai. However Kasai didn't cry this time, this time she proudly stood knowing he was in a better place and that she had no more regrets on the matter. Her father smiled at her patting her back and thus brings us up to today's time which is just a few years later.

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Total: 4073 words combined

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