Start From Naruto: Shino the Dominator

Capital. In front of Hotel.

Hinata stood before Shino, her worry etched deeply on her face.

It had been several days since Kiba's disappearance, and a growing unease had settled within her. She found herself torn between two choices: notifying the village for support or waiting for their sensei, Kurenai, to return.

Call for support will not only mean mission failed, but it will reduce their yearly quota, or worse, their integrity if nothing was wrong after investigation...

Plus, with her teammate not explicitly agreeing to her decision, it made it even harder for the timid Hinata to decide.

The stoic Shino, whose eyes were discreetly observing Hinata behind the reflective lenses, adjusted his glasses before reassuring in his usual calm and composed manner, "There is no need to worry just yet, Hinata."

Hinata turned to face him, her white eyes filled with concern. "But, Shino-kun, it's been days. Kiba-kun has never disappeared for this long before. I'm afraid something might have happened to him."

Before Shino could respond, his gaze shifted subtly, nodding towards someone behind Hinata.

Perking up, Hinata turned around, and her breath caught in her throat due to the surprise. There, standing before her, was-

"Kurenai-sensei!"

Kurenai approached Hinata with a gentle smile, her hand reaching out to affectionately rub the top of her student's head, softly soothing her.

"There's no need to worry, Hinata. Everything is fine."

Relief washed over Hinata at her words, and she smiled innocently, failing to catch the flicker of gloom hidden within Kurenia's eyes when they briefly glanced towards Shino.

But even if she did notice, the innocent, young Hyuga trusted her team and wouldn't realize that there was more to the situation than met the eye.

Of course, the poor girl missed the hidden darkness, but she still didn't forget about another affair that had been burning in her mind.

Looking around and not seeing Kiba, Hinata mustered up her courage to ask, "Where is Kiba-kun, sensei?"

Kurenai let out a sigh, her expression turning somber, "During the mission, an accident occurred, and we were separated... I've spent the past few days tracking Kiba's whereabouts after escaping from the pursuers. Today, I finally located him."

Hinata's worry intensified at the mention of an accident, "I-Is Kiba-kun alright?"

Kurenai nodded, providing a glimmer of relief amidst the darkness, "He's physically unharmed, but we need to save him. The place where he's being held has... a troublesome backer, and it will be a tricky task to rescue him alone. So, I came to pick you two up."

We must ensure that we deal with the group guarding the place without resorting to killing.

Hinata's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the realization that her assistance was required.

She had always seen herself as the one needing help, not the other way around. However, a fierce determination soon welled up within her, fueled by her kind heart and her desire to protect her teammates.

With hardened eyes, Hinata agreed in a firm voice, "Kurenai-sensei, I am ready. We'll do whatever it take to save Kiba-kun!"

Appreciating Hinata's kindness, Kurenai's lips curved into a small smile, "I knew I could count on you, Hinata… and you, too, Shino."

There was some melancholy in her eyes when they landed on Shino, but she quickly restrained her emotions, "Okay, let's go. I'll brief you on the situation on the way over."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The trio hurriedly traversed the rooftops of the bustling city, their footsteps overshadowed by Kurenai's solemn mission-briefing voice.

"The place holding Kiba captive is an auction house owned by a powerful noble of the capital. Interfering with these nobles usually leads to messy demands, and normal negotiations alone doesn't hold much sway over the capricious nobles, especially the powerful one we are dealing with this time..."

"We can ask the Inuzaka clan to step in, but by the time they arrive, the auction will be over. At that time, things will get even more troublesome as there will be more than one noble involved. Plus, there is a risk Kiba will suffer in the hands of the nobles, which will escalate the issue to a political level. So, it's best if we act swiftly, and take a soft approach..."

"Our mission this time is to infiltrate the auction house and get Kiba out without attracting too much attention nor causing too much irreparable damage. Only in this way will the nobles turn a blind eye instead of demanding reparations..."

"We have to act in sync to avoid alerting the enemy, and remember, this is a no-kill mission. Have a made myself clear?"

Hinata, her heart pounding within her chest, nodded in understanding. "Yes, Kurenai-sensei!"

"Good. Now, disguise yourselves with the transformation jutsu. We want to leave no clues behind even if they get a glimpse of us."

After disguising themselves, the trio arrived at their destination - the opulent auction house where noble dignitaries had already gathered, most coming with awareness of the secrets hidden beneath their feet but unaware of the infiltration soon to unfold.

"Byakugan!" Hinata's eyes scanned the surroundings, zooming into her goal with clarity.

In the depths of the auction house, she detected a group of individuals locked away, two with weak, yet familiar chakra signatures, "I've found Kiba and Akamaru! They are kept underground. On the route leading down, there are one, two- ten guards, and six unknown chakra signatures, most likely ninjas..."

While Hinata made her report, Kurenai's gaze darted towards Shino, who adjusted his glasses with a subtle movement, signaling to proceed according to plan.

"... that's all..." Hinata looked towards her silent teacher, "Kurenai sensei?"

Kurenai gave her a nod, "Remember. Make it quick. I'll cover your backs, so don't hesitate."

"Mm!" "Go!"

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The group infiltrated the auction house, stealthily navigating its labyrinthine corridors. With almost effortless strikes, the trio incapacitated the normal guards. Poor blokes didn't even get to make a peep.

The ninja guards on the other hand posed a bit more difficulty. Yet, with Hinata's X-ray reading their location like a book and Kurenai's genjutsu to trap them, the chaos was kept to a minimum and none of their take-downs raised an alarm.

Plus, Shino's bugs weren't idle. He effortlessly added an extra layer of camouflage to the team, letting them get the ambush buff every time.

So, the battles were one-sided, almost too easy. How easy? So easy that if his life was a story, the author would be too lazy to even write it out...

Soon, they took down the final sentinels guarding the dungeon entrance. Shino's bugs then crawled through the cracks and unlocked the dungeon doors from the inside to welcome them as if they were automatic doors.

The trio descended down the stairs, their footsteps whispering against the cold stone floor.

When they entered the dimly lit dungeon, a sight unfolded before their eyes that struck Hinata to her core.

Cages lined the room, each with one or more children huddling in its cruel, dirty interiors. Many had fear on their face, some with dull eyes, others stifling their sobs.

Hinata's heart ached with sympathy and compassion for their plight, her eyes silently pleading for guidance from her teacher.

Kurenai's gaze mirrored Hinata's empathy, her eyes betraying a flicker of sorrow.

Yet, in the face of conflicting emotions, she shook her head with regret. "If they were in the hands of the traffickers, there is leeway, but here, we can't interfere. They can acquiescence to him, but not them. Diplomatic issues between the daimyo and Konoha would be inevitable if our actions to release them were discovered."

"B-But they, t-they're just..." Hinata's words trailed off, her fists clenched tightly. Though her heart longed to liberate the innocent children, she understood the complexities that bound them.

"Go, we don't have long."

Facing Kurenai's urging, Hinata could only steel herself, moving forward with her head bowed to ignore the hopeful eyes boring into her.

And that is why there is so much darkness in the ninja world. It's not because ninjas were helpless, but that they were bound by the corruption from another level.

Unless they can abandon their village and have the strength to stand on their own, they can only continue living in darkness...

With great power comes great responsibilities. Yet, there are so many dark pockets in the world that were not part of that great responsibility.

Hah. What a funny world.

But dark places... oh, his bugs love dark places.

While chasing after his team, Shino quietly released his bugs into the dungeon, their unobtrusive presence finding their places in the nook and crannies of this place full of despair...