"Shina."
Shina was leaving the dinner table again after another silent meal when her father spoke.
"I will reserve judgment until you bring her for dinner this weekend," Shibi said after an uncharacteristic silence.
"Thank you, Father." Shina paused. "Might I bring Nara Shikamaru as well?"
Her father's brown eyes bore into hers.
"We are teaching Naruto to read," Shina specifies.
"I see." Her father paused. "Permission granted."
~:~
"My father wants you at dinner tomorrow." Shina figured it would be better to tell her outright rather than in a roundabout way.
Naruto choked on her noodles.
"What?!"
Shina nodded. "I did not tell you yesterday because, logically, it would have made you nervous and uneasy." Naruto stared at her for a long moment, then laughed a little.
"Do I bring anything?"
Shina shook her head. "Shikamaru-san should be bringing a bouquet. It is simply for my mother, as clan tradition dictates."
Naruto frowned.
"Which brings me to ask you a question," Shina added. "Your father must have been the Fourth Hokage, which leads me to assume you are truly part of the Uzumaki clan. Furthermore, your mother must have been Uzumaki Kushina. Am I correct?"
Naruto gave her the most genuine smile yet.
"You're smart," she said with a chuckle.
~:~
Shibi is exhausted. Of course he doesn't show it. Meetings with the civilians always gave him headaches; Shira knew this. Most likely Shira would be at home right then, getting a cold compress ready.
"- final matter. Shibi-san, Shikaku-san, we have heard rumors of your children befriending the demon child."
Of course it had to be Haruno to bring this up.
"That's Aburame-san and Nara-san to you, Haruno-san," Shikaku said in an amicable tone.
(Shibi knew better; nobody on the council liked that bitch. Even Danzou, who agreed with her sometimes, couldn't stand her. The Professor's smile strained a little before he reeled it in; the Hokage had no knowledge of this?)
"Well?" Haruno said, impatient.
"My child has eyes," Shibi said when Shikaku said nothing. He stood. "If you'll forgive me, I have a dinner to go to."
"A dinner is more important than this council?" Haruno asked in that whiny voice.
Shibi looked at her directly.
"Not all of us decide to waste their lives getting into other peoples' business, Haruno-san."
He dispersed in a cloud of bugs.
(Shibi hated the meetings so much he used a clone. And better yet? He doubted even Danzou knew that.)
~:~
Nara Shikaku gave the Aburame head a silent applaud.
"And you, Nara-san?" The Hokage smiled at him genially.
Shikaku sighed.
"Because my kid's not an idiot, either." He didn't add the like you he so desperately wanted to add.
The Hokage looked like he was having trouble not laughing at everyone else as the meeting ended.
~:~
Shina opened the door to her home, sunglasses off.
Naruto held up some wine, while Shikamaru held a pretty bouquet.
Naruto and Shina both exchanged amused glances - hanakotoba was useless for the serious shinobi, but Naruto and Shina had both participated enough to pass it. Well, Naruto gave her an amused glance and Shina gave her the typical blank one.
"Your eyes are pretty, Shina!" Naruto said, smiling at her.
Shina blinked.
"Thank you," she said.
They settled down, Shira taking the bouquet. Naruto ate her food slowly, sneaking glances at Shina.
"Apologies," Shibi said suddenly, starting the three children. "I give you my apologies, Uzumaki-san. I did not expect that you would make such a good impression on Shina."
Naruto blinked stupidly. "Ehehehe, Aburame-sama! I'd say she made the best of impressions on me more than I did on her."
"I told her not to befriend you, Uzumaki-san." Naruto froze. Her fork trembled. "My daughter disobeyed me. She had never done so before you. I know that Shina must be an heiress, but she is also quite alone." Shibi nodded to Shikamaru. "I would have used your friendship with my daughter to gain an alliance."
Naruto looked horrified.
"It is commonplace in clans," Shira said, her emotional voice making Naruto blink even more. "Shibi is practical. Shina is also my daughter even as she is Shibi's."
"Okay," Naruto nodded. She hesitated. "Was the Uzumaki a clan?"
Shira paused.
"Yes," she answered quietly. "Shina did not tell you?"
"I felt it was more Father's place to," Shina admitted. "Shikamaru did not explain it, either."
Her father glanced at her.
"Tattling, daughter?"
"Simply explaining, Father," Shina replied blankly.
"Shina told me about my parents."
Shibi and Shira glanced at their daughter.
"You broke -"
"He specifically said, as you told me, all present must say nothing," Shina said. "I was technically only barely formed at that point in time. Therefore, I was not present and therefore I felt it was my duty to tell her. The Third's Law pertains to the ninja and civilians present at the time. I inferred it to mean I was breaking no law, as at the time of the Kyuubi fight I was not present."
"Weren't you alive?" Naruto frowned. "You're my age..."
"I was born in January... After you," Shina responded slowly.
Naruto swallowed. "Oh," she said meekly.
"Either way, technicalities aside, you could have gotten in trouble," her father said in a strict tone. He smiled. "Good job, Shina."
Shina stared at her father.
"Mother, is it illogical to assume my father's headache from the council has gotten to his head?" questioned the Aburame heiress.
Shira chuckled, but did not answer.
Instead, she turned to Naruto.
"Where did you get the wine?"
"The store," Naruto said after swallowing her food. "I had to use a henge 'cause they wouldn't sell it to me."
Shira chuckled.
~:~
Yoshino did not truly expect much of manners from the other clan heiress, but as custom dictated, a bundle of flowers.
She did not ask where Naruto got the wine from.
Shikamaru bowed at the jacketed Aburame and at the Uzumaki; Yoshino warmly welcomed both in her home.
"Aburame-san, Uzumaki-san! Welcome!" she said, smiling without reserve. "I'm afraid Shikaku is busy making dinner!" She called into the house.
"Nara-sama," Naruto said with a hesitant smile.
"Nara-sama," Aburame Shina said with... Well, Yoshino didn't know if Aburame smiled, so... Yoshino assumed she was smiling.
"Please, call me Yoshino!" Yoshino smiled. "Come in!"