You Haven't Lost Everything
Weeell...this is my first non-directly ShikaKiba Naruto fic...but I wanted to try something different for a change. (Even though there is a ShikaKiba companion-fic version to this for those who'd be interested)
This contains a huge spoiler for Asuma and his future. I'm aware that most of you most probably follow the manga - as do I - but I don't' want to be held responsible if you don't but read on anyway, and I know how annoying it can be. So if you haven't read past chapter 328, then don't read if you don't want anything spoiled.
Naruto and its characters, of course, don't belong to me.
Kiba stopped running as he rested his hands on his knees, waiting to catch his breath back. "I heard...I...did you...?" He trailed off as he just couldn't stop panting enough to form complete coherent sentences.
Shino and Hinata understood. "We're going to see her now, are you fit enough to join us?" Shino asked him at the building's door, Hinata standing next to him. They knew he would be. It wasn't because of lazyness that they had waited for him to arrive. The wanted to do this as a team, that was it. They all knew it.
"Of course, what do you think?" He asked as he tried to show a weak grin.
Hinata looked down sadly as she fidgeted with her hands. "But...what words of comfort could we really offer her...? We haven't...such pain...we can't know what..." She trailed off as she didn't know how to correctly word her worries.
Kiba sighed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Yeah, I get what you mean...If I were her I doubt any words could comfort me..." He admitted.
Shino shook his head as he stood before them. "Since when are words the only way to comfort someone? All we have to do is to show her that she still has us. It might not mean much in this shinobi world that we live in, but to her I'm sure that it would mean everything." He said quietly as he looked at them, almost smiling as Akamaru barked in agreement.
"Yeah..." Kiba said with a soft smile as he squeezed Hinata's shoulder supportively.
She nodded at them and turned to enter the building. Shino was right; in such a situation, it was important to show her that she hadn't lost everything.
000
If she was devastated, Kurenai hid it well, with the perfected practice that most shinobi had aquired over the years. But they knew her too well. They could see how sad she was, and yet, they could also see how relieved and touched she felt when she opened her door to see the four of them - simply offering her their presence instead of condescending words that she had only heard too much over time. She had even surprised herself at chuckling when Hinata and Kiba hugged her.
Well, Hinata had timidly stepped forward to take a hold of her hands in what she hoped was a comforting gesture, and then Kiba, unable to contain his affection anymore had just jumped in and hugged them both - his own clumsy way to let her know he cared.
And Shino, she knew, even though he simply stepped in with Akamaru and closed the door behind him before moving next to them as if he were standing guard, was offering her comfort in his own special way.
If at one point in her life Kurenai had wondered what she would accomplish with the trio she'd been given command of, she now felt truly grateful and affectionate towards them. Wordlessly, following this rule of silence that hadn't really been officially established, she raised her hands to embrace her two students, not even minding that Kiba was holding on a little too tight.
This silent embrace lasted some time before Shino, of all people, finally broke it. "We came as soon as we knew." He offered, his own words of support.
Kiba nodded heartedly as he pulled back, also releasing Hinata by doing so.
Kurenai was unable to fight a small smile as she watched them, a hand raising to pinch his cheek while the other caressed Hinata's hair, feeling bad herself as she saw how much the young girl empathized. She then looked down as she heard a small bark, and reached with a hand to pat Akamaru's head. "Thank you. All of you." She said simply, in a strained voice, as she looked up into Shino's eyes. He nodded back at her and she knew then that she wasn't alone.
She felt then that some of her pain had been taken off and smiled gratefully at them through watery eyes.
000
"I have to admit it that it makes me glad to see Hinata having developed such a strong character over the years." Shino admitted as he and Kiba walked back from Kurenai's apartment. Hinata had stayed behind because as shy as she was, she was still stubborn, and refused to leave their instructor alone.
Kiba smiled softly as he nodded. "I think she feels more for Kurenai that you and I ever could…" He replied. "Must be a girl thing." He then added lightly. To lighten the atmosphere..
Shino nodded as they resumed their walk in silence, Akamaru lightly trotting ahead. "So when are you going to see him?"
The other shrugged. "I don't know…he might want some room right now, I know him too well." He stopped and turned to him as they reached a crossroad. "Tonight, all my thoughts accompany Kurenai.."
"So do mine." Shino said with a nod as he turned to leave. He then stopped, his back to the other. "Kiba. It hurt to see her like that."
Kiba nodded grimly at that. "It sure did." He replied softly.
"It was better when we left." The other continued. "So make sure it's the same with Shikamaru." He said simply before he walked away.
Kiba chuckled and shook his head. "You're going soft on me, Shino!" He called back, grinning as he saw the other ignoring him. He then laughed out loud as he shook his head. He then quieted down and looked at his furry companion. "Hey, Akamaru, we'll have to keep an eye on him…soon he won't be scaring everyone anymore!" He joked, glad to see his friend agree. He then sighed as he looked up at the sky, squinting his eyes under the rain.
The funeral would be in the morning…yeah, that left everyone enough time to mourn.
And it'd leave him enough time to decide on how to act in front of Shikamaru when he'd be able to see him.
End
I wanted to try to include more team 8 interraction. I'm sure their bond has grown stronger over the years, and I'm sure that they'd mean a lot to Kurenai, especially since Asuma is now gone. I hope I conveyed that feeling through the writing...
And sue me…I can't keep the ShikaKiba out. I'm a goner…
Please let me know what you thought of it.