2: Growing Up

Only people with the arms of a demon baboon can get their arms around me now. We have finally switched places. Your head is too small for me now. It's now you sitting on me. It wasn't easy getting there, and I'm not just talking about the growing pains. Climbing trees became a weird problem because my feet were not the same size they were yesterday. Then there was our bed trouble. We used to share the bed every night. I wasn't a quiet sleeper, I would get dreams of running away from stars and would kick constantly. Which didn't matter when I was tiny, but as I got larger there became less room on the bed. And then I would kick you in... places.

For a while, I felt as if we were in a disintegrating marriage as you would holler me out of our room, leaving me in sniffing sobs on the living room couch. Even then we still couldn't sleep because we were just too used to having someone to cuddle with under the sheets. Funny how angry we could be at each other, still be under the same roof and still feel lonely.

Funny...

Our lack of sleep was beginning to show up in the middle of critical missions. Suddenly Hinata was looking less like the clumsy one and was saving our butts. It scared me that I felt like I was beginning to burden you more with my existence than easing it. I was ashamed that I wasn't a constant reliable source.

How dare me.

Like in all moments of teen angst, there came the day I thought I needed to give you a break. After one spat too many I left the house and took myself for a walk. I decided I would take a look at the new construction happening in the southern district and hang out there for a few days. It was the weekend, so I wouldn't be missing out on any important missions.

Boy, I had no idea what a simple decision like that would cause in a few days. I was chewing on some fresh roadkill when I saw Shino walking towards me. Don't look at me like that, it was just some large squirrel. Or two squirrels mushed together, I dunno.

Politely he waited for me to finish before he popped up an unexpected question, "Are you alright?"

It's not like I could tell him, "No, thank you for asking. Kiba and I have been fighting for the past month and I feel like it's all my fault. I wish I was still the small puppy that could sit and warm the laps of my loved ones and not be this large crashing disaster that broke tree branches and gave away our cover."

So I gave a small whine. What little I could see of Shino's face now seem to ease a little, like he understood me.

"Would you like to come with me? I felt like getting an early lunch."

I thumped my tail on the ground hoping he would see it as a yes. Though I wasn't really looking forward to this lunch. Shino was almost a vegetarian. Not that I'm against vegetables, they just don't have all the fun flavors and texture as your meat. But why deny a free meal?

We sat outside in almost a picnic spread as it was without that checkerboard cloth. I was ruffly licking the roof of my mouth regretting even thinking about eating the lettuce. It was like eating peanut butter without the peanut and the butter. Shino pulled out the batch of tomatoes he bought and rolled a few over to where I was laying. Excellent. Maybe I can wash down this crap with tomato juice.

"Is there any way I can help?"

This was the most talkative I've ever heard him. It was sweet though, him trying to communicate with me without my translator. However, did this mentioning of 'help' mean he knew of my problem?

"Listen to me, Akamaru. I don't know what happened but you should go home. Kiba is in a raging fit and is looking everywhere for you."

You know that feeling where you are given a piece of information that just sends your stomach into a horrid twisted state? Well, dogs get them too. Most of the time it's caused by a medical condition, but still. Shino saw my lips twitch and heard a small squeak.

"You two have been together before I even put Kiba's actions with his name." He stood up placing the empty plastic bag in his pocket. "Whatever he did, he's sorry now." He patted my head softly like Hinata does, but with a bit more care. It was quite different from the roughhouse love I got from you. His hand moved from my head to behind the ears so I didn't catch what he said next but I felt it was among the lines of 'lets go home'.

He didn't talk the rest of the way back to our house. I didn't mind, in fact it reassured me that it was still Shino who only talks in the time of need. A need of a friend. I stopped and gave a short bark to Shino's back, I felt like I owed him a ride.

Shino was heavier than he looked (must be all of those bugs) and I was panting when I saw the familiar patched and busted rooftop. I stopped just outside our yard as Shino eased himself off of me. That was about the time you opened the door and just stared.

"Oh my God..."

It took you a moment, but soon enough you were running towards us, I locked my legs together preparing for you to do that launch and wrestle we did so often- but within eight feet I notice the direction you headed for was Shino's, and what you did right then and there no one has ever done to an Aburame. Or at least, not in public.

You hugged him.

Shino even seemed shocked, as his body was very stiff.

"Oh my God! Thank you! I didn't think you meant it! I mean, I didn't think you would find him! Oh God Shino! Thank you, thank you!" Shino took a deep breath in, and slowly pushed you away. Maybe he was afraid that you would get too excited and lick him like you did Hinata that one time.

"It was no trouble at all, Kiba." The tone of his voice said it only just now became trouble.

"How did you find him and persuade him back?" You gasped.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Shino raised one finger in a light warning. "But comparing to insects, dogs are much easier to understand."

What?

I cocked my head as did Kiba. I had to admit, he had us lost.


Being that there are no cars in the world of Naruto, the explanation of the roadkill goes like this: Two squirrels fought over an acorn and died at the side of the road where some horses, donkeys and carriages trampled them and fused them into a super squirrel. Believe it.

Despite me writing Akamaru a hater of vegetables, don't think otherwise. Most dogs do need vegetables in their diet. The problem is finding ones they like. Some dogs LOVE carrots, and others don't want to be in the same room as them.