I wouldn't expect such quick updates from me often, lol. I've had a lot of these stories sitting in my folder. Anyway, this one-shot is based off the cover picture. It was created and posted on tumblr by the blogger/artist naburos, and I was given permission to use it for this story (and use it for the cover).
Anyway, I wrote this because I felt the world needed more Uncle Shino. He needs love. Fair warning, this does follow the canon ending so if you haven't read it yet, or you didn't like it, I ask you to please be respectful. I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Lady Luck
One-shot
Shino had a problem.
The problem was that there were only so many animals in the world. At least, there were only so many animals that people found cute enough to make into baby clothes that the children wouldn't cringe at later on in life. He would never say it out loud, but Shino really wished his companions had thought to spread their children out over a couple of years. It would make his life infinitely easier if they had given the clothing manufactures time to come up with some new designs.
Two years was not nearly enough.
He tossed the lion onesie aside; the mane was ghastly and liable to catch fire.
It joined the monkey (a hazard for any child learning to walking) on the table, completely obscuring the kitten and puppy ones from view. Naruto had officially banned Shino from buying either of those, determined that Kiba's first child would be dressed as a cat. Shino knew from experience not to bother arguing. That left only a few options before he would have to mark this shop as a bust and try another one.
He picked up the next costume: a dragon. The tail was once again a walking hazard. Then there was a duck – he had gotten that one for Ino when Inojin was born. Poor kid would never have been able to live down the pig onesie and Ino was adamant that he looked washed out in pink. An octopus – the baby would topple over. A shark – that brought up too many bad memories of enemies long gone.
The last one was a mouse and Shino did give it some considerable thought. It was rather adorable, with its little tail (not a walking hazard), cute ears, and all around roundness. But there was something about it Shino just didn't like, something he irritatingly enough couldn't put into words.
He put it back on the table.
This shop was officially a bust.
Shino let out an inaudible sigh. He hadn't had nearly this much trouble two years ago. It was easy then, when the babies had just been born and everything was cute and new. A bunny for Chouchou, a sheep for Shikadai, a turtle for Tai, a bear for Boruto, and a bumblebee for Sarada. There. Done. Easy.
Not so anymore.
Boruto had a collection of onesies, ranging from a fox to a toad to a chipmunk of all things. Doubtless, his new little sister would inherit at least one of them, but Shino wanted her to have a new one – one just for her. She was such a precious little thing – all of two months and a hundred smiles.
Himawari was born a giggler.
Shino's eyes softened infinitesimally behind his glasses. Years ago, he never would have thought himself so taken with children, but there was just something about watching all their little nuances that made his body tingle from something other than his kikaichu. It was…warm. Very warm. Shino wasn't particularly used to emoting – Aburame were, on the whole, very private people – but the way Boruto's tiny arms would clasp around his neck whenever the toddler saw him made Shino irrefutably happy. The children just accepted him, icky bugs and all.
They also didn't forget him.
That was a plus.
Shino's lap was always the first one any of the babies went to. Logic dictated they should have sought out their parents, but like with his comrades, logic didn't seem to apply. It had surprised him at first – shocked him really – but now he took comfort in their unabashed acceptance. They wanted him. They loved him. It was so open and obvious and without lies that sometimes Shino found himself paralyzed with just the thought of how much he didn't understand it.
He was an Aburame, a silent apparition of a shinobi. They fought on the fringes of their village, accepted, but at the same time distanced. The entire clan knew this. They were like the worker ant, helping to build up and defend their village, but overall living to support the queen. If nothing else, they had the clan. It was how the Aburame had lived for generations.
This sudden unquestioned love was completely outside Shino's realm of experience. Even with his team, undoubtedly his closest ties aside from his clan, Shino had had to fight tooth and nail to be seen as someone other than just the other teammate or the creepy bug boy. Of course, he never told them that, remaining as inscrutable as Aburame were wont to do, but it didn't make it any less true.
He didn't have to fight for this. And that – to take a phrase out of Kiba's book – scared him shitless.
Which was why Shino was determined to prove he deserved all the love and attention these children gave him.
He entered another clothing store.
Monkeys, dragons, butterflies, puppies; they were all either an accident waiting to happen or he had already gotten them for someone. If only Naruto and Hinata had decided to wait a few more years, perhaps there would be a dragonfly option.
But no, Himawari didn't strike him as a dragonfly. She was too…free; too spirited. Himawari always seemed to be searching for something new. Logically, of course, Shino knew that as a two-month-old baby most everything was new to her, and that all children her age were naturally curious, but there was just something about the way she looked at everything that made him question just what she was seeing. He had tried multiple times to rationalize her responses, but she was so much like her father he stopped trying. Everything just always seemed so delightful to her. Himawari would giggle even if she bumped her head.
So no, not a dragonfly. There was a conveniently placed sunflower just a few tables away, but that was too obvious. He had bypassed the butterfly costume when Chouchou was born for a reason. Besides, those petals could fall into her face at any moment and blind her. Shino would never forgive himself if Himawari fell down the stairs because she couldn't see.
He needed something safe. Something that wouldn't blind her, or trip her, or make her overheat. Shino bypassed the caterpillar costume. It was too bulky and Himawari loved moving her little legs. It would be remiss of him to deprive her of something she enjoyed doing.
Shino's confidence in being able to find something suitable began to diminish. Even his kikaichu were beginning to react to his rising irritation. He could feel Kokoromo and Kokodo just itching to tear this store apart. It should not be this difficult for fashion designers to come up with a unique, hazard-free onesie for a child not even three-months old. If he were the one in charge, Shino was certain he would have been able to do a much better job.
He placed the horse costume back on the rack.
This was the fourth store in three hours. His hold on his emotions was slipping, but he couldn't give up now. This was for Himawari. This was for Naruto and Hinata's daughter. Their daughter. Shino was fiercely loyal to his friends, especially Hinata and Naruto (despite the fact that Naruto hadn't remembered him all those years ago, which was still a bit irksome; he had remembered everyone else just fine), so he was determined to get her the perfect gift.
Perhaps he should just go back and get the mouse costume. But no, that would be admitting defeat. Shino's hands curled underneath his sleeves. Perfection didn't come from compromising.
He searched through the racks some more, completely ignoring the odd looks he was getting from the other patrons. They were inconsequential. Bunny, bear, alligator, slug, squid, rhino, turtle, bunny again, and so on and so forth. Maybe he should take up knitting. Surely, Hinata would enjoy teaching him.
The thought of all that yarn made him pause. His fingers twitched minutely. All those miles and miles of yarn possibly bunching together, creating little knots and webs. Shino hated webs. They reminded him of spiders. He loathed spiders.
So no. Knitting was out of the question.
He contemplated the butterfly onesie in front of him. The wings weren't so large that they were top-heavy or might accidentally whack her in the face, but then…Chouchou. Shino couldn't in good conscious get Himawari a butterfly costume without doing the same for Chouchou. Besides, he was about 96 percent positive the Akimichi girl already had the same one in a few sizes up.
There were only so many onesies left. Deer, foxes, dolphins, bats, and…hello, what was this?
He held up the tiny outfit in careful consideration. It was relatively large, and Shino held some doubts that the hood would stay out of Himawari's eyes, but the material was light and airy, perfect for a child to spend the day in without overheating, yet still remain warm. The size was a bit off-putting, the tag stating 'for children 7-8 months', but at the rate children her age grew perhaps it would be best to have some clothes she could wear for a while.
He brought the onesie closer. It really was…cute, he supposed – all fuzzy and red with black spots, perfectly eye-catching and easy to spot amongst the blues and yellows that made up the Uzumaki household. It would be hard for her to get lost in this. He checked the price tag.
Perfectly priced too.
Shino could picture Himawari in this. He could picture her happy, gummy smile and her big blue eyes looking at him while lazing about in this outfit. He could see her giggling and playing, the little black antennae bobbling up and down with her head.
A smile pulled unbidden at his lips. Yes, this outfit was perfect.
Shino walked on silent feet to the register. The other customers shuffled out of his way as he posed quite an imposing figure in his trench coat and shades. He paid them no mind; civilians were like that. He had the little outfit wrapped up in pink paper, himself scrutinizing the finished product with a careful eye honed from two years of birthday gifts. Confident that the wrapping was completed to his satisfaction, Shino bid the owner a good day and walked out into the busy Konoha marketplace.
It was only midday, but the people were out in force, the cold weather having rendered them all inside for the past few months. Today was one of the first nice days and it seemed everyone in Konoha was taking advantage of it. Shino couldn't begrudge them their enthusiasm, but it didn't stop him from silently longing for the quiet winter days.
Shino shook the thought away. He knew for a fact Naruto had just returned from a mission and Kakashi was always careful to give his shinobi time off after missions higher than B-rank. Considering Naruto's power levels, that was pretty much every single one, and knowing Naruto as he did, Shino was confident the blond man would be spending every moment of his free time with his family.
Either that or training, but he tended to do that in his backyard anyway so it was a moot point.
The trek to the Uzumaki house would have been easier without all the people, but it was a nice walk regardless. He made it to the house in good time and walked up the garden path with practiced ease. He absently noted the flowers were blooming and that Naruto must have added some new ones because he didn't remember there being any white heather, but he brushed it aside. Naruto loved playing with the garden.
Shino knocked on the brown door and shifted awkwardly when he felt the package slip under his arm. From inside he could hear the sound of yelling and playful laughter. Good, they were home.
"I get, I get!" He heard the high-pitched sound of a child from behind the door and let a smile once more play at his lips.
"Boruto, wait!" There was some shuffling and a muffled, "You can't just open the door, Boru. You have to see who it is first." There was some more shuffling and an exaggerated huff that Shino knew came from Naruto. Then, "'ino-ji, 'ino-ji!"
Shino twitched. He loved Boruto, he really did, but he also couldn't wait for the day the boy learned how to correctly pronounce his name. He was most definitely not 'Ino' and he would greatly appreciate it if all his friends would stop heckling him about it. Fortunately, there was no more time for him to contemplate this misfortune as the door was suddenly wrenched open and a tiny, blond bullet launch himself into Shino's legs.
"'ino-ji, 'ino-ji, 'ino-ji!" The little boy repeated, bouncing up and down with excitement.
Shino reached down to pull the child into a half-hug, but found he was unable to get back up as Boruto's little arms latched around his neck in a vice-grip. He eventually ended up lifting the boy into his free arm when Boruto refused to let go.
"Hey Shino," Naruto waved from the doorway, his ever present smile lighting up his face.
Shino nodded. "Good afternoon, Naruto-san. I do believe I have something of yours," he said, hoisting Boruto up a little higher. The child giggled and tightened his grip.
Naruto's smile turned sheepish. "Eh hehe, sorry about that Shino. He's been a little clingy lately."
"It's no problem. Why? Because I understand his desire for attention."
"Oh, well, good…I think," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. He then started a bit as his eyes caught upon the pink package. His smiled brightened. "Is that what I think it is?"
"If you are thinking that this is my traditional gift for the children, then yes you are correct. However, because I am not a Yamanaka and therefore cannot read minds, I may be flawed in my assumptions."
"Ah, yeah, that's what I was thinking. Thanks, Shino," Naruto chuckled, though what could possibly have amused him the Aburame didn't know. "Do you want to come in? Hinata's making lunch."
"That would be welcomed, thank you."
"Alright, she's in the kitchen. Come on." He opened the door wider to let Shino in and began to make his way deeper into the house.
Shino followed at a more sedate pace, Boruto still clutched in one arm and the package in the other. He could smell Hinata's homemade ramen filtering throughout the house and his mouth watered.
"Hey, 'Nata!" Naruto called from up ahead. "Shino's here!"
The Aburame rounded the kitchen entrance as Hinata turned around and was immediately met with her sweet smile. It made Shino go warm.
"Shino-kun!" She placed the wooden spoon on the counter and hurried over to wrap her old teammate in a hug. Shino would have loved to hug her back, but his hands were full.
Luckily, Hinata noticed his predicament. "Oh, here let me help you. Come here, baby. Let's let Shino-ji relax."
"Mama!" Boruto cried, latching his arms around her neck for an easy transfer. He allowed himself to be situated on his mother's hip before shifting around to point at the box. "'ino-ji has pe'sent."
"Hmm?" Her eyes followed the direction of her son's finger and widened in surprise. Shino could see when her mind connected with what she was seeing as her face softened into heartfelt thanks. "Oh Shino-kun, you didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did. Why? Because I did not want Himawari-chan to feel forgotten."
"Shino-kun…"she let out a breathy laugh and smiled at him. "Thank you."
Shino nodded and was about to say something else when Naruto reentered the kitchen, baby in hand.
"Look who knew she had company." He shifted the child around so that she was able to look at something other than her father's face. Developmentally speaking, Shino knew the babe couldn't actually see him just yet from the distance he was at, but a small part of him still felt excited when Himawari smiled in his direction. She awkwardly clapped her little hands and let out that deep belly laugh unique only to babies.
"She woke up from her nap just for you Shino," Naruto said.
"The likelihood of a two-month-old child being aware enough to awaken from her slumber in the presence of a specific individual is highly improbable. It is more likely that her natural sleep cycle is beginning to distinguish between daylight and nighttime hours, allowing for her reach a non-REM state and remain awake for longer periods of time."
Naruto stared confounded for a second before remembering that this was Shino and he should be used to this by now. He just nodded. "Right. Well, how 'bout we see what you brought."
Shino shifted and brought the gift forward. "The size is not exact, however I believe Himawari-chan will be able to grow into it as she ages. I have kept the receipt in the event this is not the case."
Naruto took the present in his hand and held it up close to Himawari's face. The baby patted the pink wrapping paper and made a grabbing motion as if to try and hold it. Naruto jiggled the box and she giggled.
"How 'bout it Hima-hime? Wanna open it?"
Shino opened his mouth to tell Naruto that a child of Himawari's age wouldn't be able to open the package except perhaps accidentally, but thought better of it. Knowing Naruto, the blond would probably shush him and tell him that his little girl could do anything she wanted, or something like that. Shino shook his head. He would never understand the way Naruto thought.
To Shino's relief, Naruto moved over to the kitchen table and placed the little girl in her carrier. Hinata joined him, placing Boruto in his booster seat and situating him so that the child could see. Boruto clapped his hands excitedly.
"Pe'sent! Pe'sent! Open daddy, open!" He cried.
Naruto laughed. "I'm opening, buddy, I'm opening." He turned to smile at Shino. "Take a seat, Shino. Join in the fun."
"I don't wish to intrude, Naruto-san."
"You could never intrude, Shino-kun. You're our friend," Hinata said as she began to ladle ramen into the different bowls.
"And what have I told you about calling me '-san'?" Naruto teased.
"It would be highly improper for me to call you otherwise," Shino said, taking the seat beside Boruto.
He was pleasantly surprised, but not overly shocked, when Hinata placed a bowl of food in front of him and took her seat on Boruto's other side. With everyone now sitting and eating, Naruto ripped the wrapping away from the box and tossed it aside. A small part of Shino shuddered at the mess, but he didn't say anything as Naruto lifted the lid and held up the small red onesie for everyone to see.
"Ah-aww, look at that!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning and laughing at the outfit. He turned bright eyes to his smiling daughter. "Oh, Hima-hime, you're gonna be the cutest little thing in this." He held it closer to her and the little girl patted it down and squealed. "Oh, I think we have a winner. What do you think, Boru?"
"Red!" The boy yelled, grubby hands reaching for the soft material.
"That's right, Boru-kun: red," Hinata smiled. "But you can't touch it with your hands all dirty, sweetie. What do we do with dirty hands?"
"Wash," the boy replied. He promptly reached for his napkin and awkwardly wiped his hands. Hinata chuckled at his attempt and helped him to clean up the rest of the grub. "Now touch?" He asked, imploring blue eyes moving between his parents.
Hinata nodded. "Yes, now you can touch it."
The child hopped from his chair and ran around the table to his father, who held the garment down low for him to feel. Boruto grasped hold of the outfit and his eyes lit up in happiness. "Soft, daddy! For me?"
"No, Boru, this is for Hima. Shino-ji got you the teddy jammies."
"Teddy! I like teddy, daddy," the boy said.
"Oh, I know you do," Naruto replied, obviously thinking about the bear onesie Shino had gotten them when Boruto was born. The child loved that thing so much Hinata had had to pick out some of the seams to enlarge it as he got older. It got to the point where she had to cut off the feet in order for him to continue wearing it.
"For Hima?" He pointed to his little sister.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, this is for Hima. What do you think? Think she'll like it?"
"Yeah! It teddy, too?"
"No, it's not a teddy. It's a…"he trailed off, looking closer at the costume. After a second, he turned sheepishly to Shino and lifted his hand to the back of his head. "Ah, what exactly is it, Shino?"
The Aburame sighed in exasperation. Of course. Adjusting his sunglasses, he said, "It is a ladybug, a symbol of luck and abundance because those who see a ladybug are said to experience great fortune and happiness. They are considered protectors, bringing blessings and delight to their homes."
"Well, I think that fits Hima-chan to a 'T'," Naruto said. He looked back at his son. "What do you say, Boru? Want to come with daddy so we can try it on?"
"Yeah!"
"Yosh!" Naruto took the onesie in one hand and lifted Himawari up in the other. The little girl hadn't stopped smiling. He looked at two remaining adults. "We'll be right back."
Hinata and Shino nodded, and Naruto made his way out of the room, little Boruto trailing at his heels.
Hinata gazed over at her old teammate. "Thank you very much, Shino-kun. It's wonderful."
"It was no problem, Hinata-san. I enjoy the tradition."
"Still," she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "thank you. It means a lot to me – and the children. You really are amazing with them."
Shino fought back a blush. "I am merely doing my duty as a friend."
"No," she shook her head. "You're doing so much more. You're being an uncle and I don't think you realize how wonderful at it you are."
This time he couldn't stop his cheeks from reddening just the slightest bit. "I could do no less for them."
Hinata looked at him knowingly, as if to say he could very well do less – many people would – but that she appreciated that he didn't. It made her happy to know how much he loved her children. Shino shifted uncomfortably.
"Ta-da!" Naruto appeared back in the doorway, hoisting up a happy Himawari for them to see. Boruto grinned from where he stood clutching his father's pants. "May I present, Lady Himawari."
"Aww, look at her," Hinata rose from her seat and reached for her daughter. "Shino-kun, it's perfect."
"It's large."
Naruto waved his comment away. "Eh, she'll grow into it. I think she likes flailing the extra pieces anyway."
And indeed, the baby did seem to be having a ball just waving her arms about and watching the extra cloth move with them. Shino chose not to argue.
"We have to get a picture," Hinata said and turned to her old friend. "Do you mind, Shino-kun? Just a quick one."
Shino shook his head. "It's quite alright."
"Thank you. I'm sure I put the camera here somewhere." She moved over to one of the drawers and searched around for a moment before pulling out a small digital camera. "Here we go. Naruto?"
"You got it, 'Nata," he responded, apparently reading her mind.
He walked over to Shino and the Aburame instinctively held out his arms for the baby. She was placed gently on his lap and he positioned himself so that the little girl was sitting up, but her head was still supported against his arm.
"Perfect!" Hinata exclaimed. She crouched down and aimed the camera at them. "Say cheese."
Shino smiled and, just before the flash went off, he fell little Hima's arm circle up to clasp at his neck. His kikaichu hummed in contentment and Shino himself couldn't have felt more pleased. He was quite convinced that there was nothing better than this feeling.
"I wanna pi'ture! I wanna pi'ture!" Boruto cried, racing over to his uncle and sister.
His parents laughed and looked questioningly at Shino, asking for his permission. Shino responded by lifting the boy up on his other knee and holding him tight. Boruto's arm crossed over Himawari's to hold onto the other side of his neck. It made Shino's body tingle and the warmth spread even further.
Naruto and Hinata didn't immediately take the picture. They looked on for a few seconds, gentle, warm smiles settling on their faces. It was a look of such affection and admiration that Shino found himself momentarily stunned. They weren't just gazing at their children; he was included too.
Hinata shook herself out of it first. She repositioned herself again and said, "Say cheese."
"Ch'ese!"
The camera flashed.
Shino smiled.
There you have it! I hope you all enjoyed. Please review and tell me what you thought. I appreciate constructive criticism, but flames will not be tolerated; they don't help writers improve.
Have a wonderful day/night! Until next time!
~Alabaster Ink