Saints and Suffering: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 29- Fallout

While every other Aburame was trying to figure out what the hell had happened to their insects, there were 12 that had witnessed everything first hand.

To say that Aburame Shiko and the 11 elders of the clan were freaking out was an understatement.

"Friend to the Aburame" was an impossible title. Hashirama Senju was the most recent one, and he was long dead. There were no records of any other, the era of the warring states leading to a mostly incomplete clan history.

Shiko, still sitting in the room, facing Yama, was frozen.

Her kikaichu were rejoicing, and she was at a complete loss for words and actions. Some chakra lingered in the air, and the aura was influencing her kikaichu.

The insects were celebrating, and a few of them flew over to Yama and crawled on his clothes, skin, and hair.

They basked in his chakra, which was quickly fading away. They knew him to be a friend, and found comfort in his presence.

Yama held up one of his hands and looked fondly at the insects.

He smiled and laughed as he observed them.

A small beetle was on his hand, shaking its abdomen to and fro in a figure-eight pattern.

It was dancing, and Yama could feel its exuberance and love of life in that moment.

Its life was tragically short, and it would more than likely die before the day was over.

But in this one moment, it knew a friend.

In the same way that this insect would gladly lay down its life for its queen and its host, there was now a third being that it could trust inherently and would sacrifice everything for.

  Greater love hath no one than this.

How beautiful it was to have an unshakable faith.

In such a short existence, how great it was to know such love!

Yama felt it all and more. It resonated and shook him to his core.

Yama smiled from the very depths of his heart, and the hint of a tear started to form in his eyes.

He had known such pain, seen too much, and had endured.

But here he was, moved to tears from the simple dance of a simple bug.

No matter what one could say about this bug, in this very moment, it had lived!

Yama watched on, the smile never leaving his lips.

  All creatures great and small...

This too shall pass, though.

Yama had already reined back in his chakra after its momentary release, and its remnants were quickly dissipating.

His body was soon without energy, and even the aura in the room disappeared as it returned to the earth.

The bug had felt the aura slip away, but it did not have complicated thoughts.

The Friend was here. The Friend was not here. It would go back to the hive and share. Never would the hive forget.

It unfolded its carapace and wings, took flight, and disappeared somewhere in Shiko's sleeves.

Yama watched it go.

Shiko was still trying to recollect herself and set her bearings.

Luckily, an elder spoke over the room's intercom and came to her salvation.