Prologue

Delicate little multi-coloured wings; far more beautiful and unique than any silly rose. Fluttering with ethereal grace, they tell us that spring - the season of love - has finally arrived

They are butterflies.

But as all things beautiful, they can also be dangerous. Not a danger you should fear when you see one, but a danger you acknowledge could have come from the butterfly on you're windowsill months beforehand. Why is this? Simply because a few beats of their beautiful wings in the Fire Country could result in a desert storm in the Sand.

Logically, everyone knows that there is no way this could happen. A butterfly, no matter how beautiful, could never be strong enough to start the wind currents needed to create massive storms. But the idea of such a small, graceful creature causing such a big, chaotic event is almost poetic.

Its for this reason that the Aburame Clan always brought their loved ones fluttering little butterfly wings instead of silly old flowers; they were prettier, more unique, and symbolized the massive, chaotic storm that we call love.

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Shino stood in the shadows of Konoha's gates, waiting patiently. It was something he could do all day if needed, but he knew that his canine-obsessed friend would show up soon enough.

"Hey! Bug-Freak!" ... and sure enough, there he was. Shino glared at his friend, but didn't respond.

As Kiba had gotten older, he'd also gotten louder; now at 17, Shino didn't know if he could survive to the dog lover's next birthday... but that hardly mattered just then. Kiba was leaving for a mission, and had wanted to tell him something before he left.

"Gonna miss me?" Kiba gave him a toothy grin.

"No," Shino rolled his eyes. "Just don't die. We need you for the team."

"And that's what I wanna talk to you about..." his grin grew sheepish, and Akamaru made himself known by barking his agreement."You know I like Hinata... right?" Shino nodded. Akamaru barked. "...well... I sorta didn't want her to worry about me, so I haven't told her I was leaving..."

"You've had a week." Shino said bluntly. "Not only that, but she's been on more dangerous missions, by herself, than this one. You have Shikamaru and Akamaru." Why would she worry?

"But it would break her heart!" Kiba complained.

"And the fact that you lied to her won't?"

Kiba glared, and Shino knew he was fighting back a growl. He grinned behind the high collar of his jacket, and waited for Kiba to think up a response.

"Well... I..." the dog lover's glare grew to the point where Shino was very glad that looks really didn't kill. "Gah! That's not the point! The point is we're supposed to be training, and you're the only guy I can trust to train with her, not make a move on her, AND put in a good word for me!" Kiba seemed proud of his plan, and Akamaru joined in his master's pride.

"She rejected you again?" Shino asked; the grin disappeared from Kiba's face.

"She didn't reject me!" He snapped at the bug-clan's heir. "...I never even asked..."

"Hn." He held back a sigh, and felt his kikai bugs stir at the approach of chakra they didn't recognize; a glanced proved it to be the lazy-nin, Shikamaru, meandering his way towards the gates. "I'll train with her. We don't train that often, it'll be good for our teamwork...Woo her yourself."

Kiba blinked at him. "Did you just say 'woo'...?"

"Come back alive," he moved away from the shadows, heading towards the training grounds that Hinata and Kiba frequently went to. Kiba yelled complaints, saying he'd be sorry if he came home dead - But Shino knew better than to worry over his friend.

He paused before he met the road that would take him to the training grounds; a butterfly flew past him, and he smiled at the good omen. Today's going to be a good day.