Author's note: Sorry for the wait on this one - no fancy excuses, I was just lazy.
Also this was supposed to be a silly mini chapter, but somehow ended up twice as long as it was supposed to be, so, I guess I wasn't that lazy. It's still silly though.
And as always; thank you so much for all your faves, follows and reviews - it makes me happy to know that other's enjoy this story as much as I do~
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Bonus Chapter: Team 8's Spy Mission
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"Why are you hiding man?" Kiba asked, glancing down from the branch he was lounging on.
The silent nin, who was crouched in the shade of the same great tree, tipped his head back to look up at the man hanging above him, "Why? Because-"
"It's not like Naruto ever notices you anyways" the dog-nin interrupted, playful glint in his eye, like that of a bored dog looking to start trouble. Not surprising really, seeing as they had been waiting for 20 minutes by now, and Kiba's limit for sitting still was fast approaching.
"Hinata however, always notices me" Shino replied coolly, adjusting his glasses. They still had a mission to do and the bug-nin was not about to lose focus for the sake of the dog-nin's games.
"Ya' think Hinata will notice when she'll be busy making dreamy eyes at Naruto? No way dude" Kiba continued to goad, a smirk on his face.
The Aburame turned his gaze from his teammate to the Hyuuga compound's front gates again, still not taking the bait.
"There is also the fact that the pungent smell of wet dog could cause anyone to look this way and thereby notice me if I did not hide properly" the silent man stated moments later, ever calm voice turning the tables on Kiba.
"Oy oy! You saying I stink Shino?! Because I-" the Inuzuka paused his outburst and sniffed at the air for a moment. Frowning, he pulled out the neckline of his shirt and sniffed again, making a face as he did so "Alright, ya' got a point there".
...
"Uurgh, what is this? Some kind of cheesy romance novel?" the dog-nin groaned, taking in the scene in front of them. "This' got to be some kinda Disney bull- no one greets each other like that!" he continued as Naruto finally stopped twirling their female teammate around and set her back on the ground.
"Your proficiency in selective memory continues to astound me" Shino commented monotonously.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiba asked, looking down at the man with a raised brow.
"I seem to remember you greeting Hinata in much the same way upon our return from our last mission without her" the silent man said, "Not to mention the way you greet me whenever I bring your favourite jerky"
The Inuzuka shook his head, "That's completely different dude"
"How so?" Shino asked, brows raised in curiosity.
"'Cause I ain't Naruto" the dog-nin said, rolling his eyes, as if it was the most obvious thing.
"So, Naruto is what makes this a scene resembling something from a fairy tale?"
"Exactly" Kiba said, "Wait, no, that's not what I meant!"
...
"Shino-nii-san, Kiba-nii-san, you guys wouldn't happen to be spying on Nee-chan would you?"
"Of course not" Shino said, glancing sideways at the young Hyuuga, who was following him and Kiba down the road, in the same direction which Hinata and Naruto had gone.
"We're spying on Naruto" Kiba clarified, making the Aburame look at him strictly, "We've got to make sure the idiot keeps his grabby hands to himself, yeah?"
Hanabi gave him an incredulous look, "You really think Naruto-san would do something inappropriate to Nee-chan on their first date?"
"Listen Hanabi-chan, all men are the same – it might be the first date but even so, they all got just one thing on their minds and th-"
"Kiba, that is enough" Shino interrupted warningly, knowing full well where the dog-nin was going with this, and more importantly, how crudely he would present it.
The girl rolled her eyes at them and stepped in front of Kiba, walking backwards in time with his steps, hands holding her sides, "You guys are men too Kiba-nii! Are you saying you guys are like that too?"
"Obviously we're different," the Inuzuka said, grinning, "Cause we're awesome, yeah?"
Hanabi didn't look convinced and stopped walking, forcing the men to follow her lead to avoid walking in to her.
She squinted up at each of them and raised a pointed finger, "If you do anything to Naruto-san and ruin their date, I'm telling Nee-chan on you!"
Shino's lips turned up in a small smile, "We would never do anything to ruin Hinata's first date, you know that Hanabi-chan. Why? Because we are family and we want the best for her" he said, placing a hand on the young girl's shoulder.
"And don't 'cha worry Hanabi-chan, when it's time for your first date, we'll do the same" the Inuzuka grinned wolfishly, "we'll make sure to do proper background checks on the person as well, y'know, make sure they're good enough for ya and everything, and then of course give 'em a good warning about what's in store if they ever hurt you"
"You wouldn't!" Hanabi squeaked, eyes wider than ever at the mere thought.
"Oh, we would imōto" Kiba said, ruffling the horrified girl's hair, "That's what big brothers are for after all!"
…
"Aachunh! Acho-on! Achuu-uuurggh"
Shino raised a brow under his glasses as he watched Kiba miserably wipe his itchy nose after the latest of many sneezing-fits.
"Why'd they have to come here?" the dog-nin whined quietly, glaring at the flowers around him.
"Why? Because both Hinata and Naruto have a great fondness for nature and flo-" the Aburame cut himself off at the sight of his miserable-looking friend, "Your question was hypothetical."
"You don't say" Kiba commented drily, before another sneeze attack came over him.
"You will give our position away if you continue this" Shino said, holding out a clean tissue for the other man to take.
"I can't help it!" the Inuzuka hissed, yanking the offered tissues out of Shino's hand and stuffing it up his nose as protection against the heavy floral perfume which attacked him from every side, "Forget it! I'm going back to the Badger's Cave!"
"I believe you mean the Mole's Hills"
"Whatever," Kiba grumbled, "Just send your bugs if you need me"
"Hn"
...
Some time after separating with Kiba, Shino had followed the young couple to a place dubbed the Butterfly gardens. Here he had found himself the perfect hiding place amongst the flowering butterfly bushes, where he would have been well hidden from sight, even without his natural ability to blend in.
He watched carefully as the couple investigated a cluster of constructions made from different materials, which had been labelled 'Insect Hotels'. There really wasn't much 'hotel' about these structures, but they were a great asset to the biodiversity of the area, and Shino could look past the name for that fact.
The bug-nin instantly froze in his place, senses on high alert, at the sudden sound of his own name being spoken nearby.
"Shino-kun would enjoy this" Hinata said softly.
Anyone who knew Hinata, would hear the words as the kind consideration it was, a thoughtful comment indicating their bond was not one to be forgotten, but rather one to be shared in the presences of Naruto.
Anyone who knew Hinata as well as the silent man himself did, would know they were in trouble.
The way she had shortened the 'i' in his name, how she had put just the slightest of emphasis on 'this' and the way she had tilted her head as she spoke. This had not simply been Hinata sharing their bond with Naruto, no, this had also been a perfectly concealed reprimand, which would only be caught by the one it was aimed at.
The Aburame continued to stay completely still, barely moving for even the smallest of breaths, though he already knew that too late was a moment which had passed long ago.
Long ago, when the pale and perceptive gaze had first swept over the butterfly bushes and seen straight through the smallest of gaps between the mass of leaves.
A part of him was happy at the confirmation, that his teammate would never overlook him, that he would never be lost to his surroundings in her company. A different part of him felt almost disappointed that Kiba had not been right, just this one time.
And then there was the part of him which felt equal parts guilty and repentant, as he felt Hinata's warm, but piercing eyes, finally move away from his hidden form.
...
"Thank you for your hard work"
Kiba awoke to the sound of his teammate speaking quietly, seemingly to himself, and opened an eye, glancing to the side to watch the silent man.
"I see, so that is it? I will make sure to look for those before we leave" the Aburame said.
The dog-nin frowned and opened both of his eyes, turning to lie on his side as he continued to look at his friend, "What are you on about?"
"Ah, Kiba, we will need to go to the shop nearby" Shino said, looking towards the other.
"Is that were Hinata and Naruto are now? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Kiba asked, getting on his feet quickly.
"Hm? Ah, no, my friend here was just telling me that the chrysanthemum seeds currently for sale at the shop are from a particularly delicious harvest" the bug-nin replied, holding his open palm out for Kiba to see.
The dog-nin raised a brow and leaned in to look at the bee sitting calmly on the man's palm, "Seriously?"
The bee buzzed happily in reply.
...
Kiba stretched his neck, trying to get a better look at the two people inside the closed-off part of Ichiraku Ramen, when the owner's daughter came through the door, pen and notepad in hand as she finished scribbling orders down.
The dog-nin waited for the moment she looked up and caught her eye with a smile, turning on every bit of charm he had, "Hey Ayame-san, you're looking lovely as ever~ D'ya think we could get one of those free tables in there?"
Ayame squinted at him suspiciously, "It's closed for customers today"
"Wha- but you got 2 customers in there right now don't cha?!" the Inuzuka said accusingly, forgetting his charming ways for the moment.
"It's a private party, now shoo" the woman said, poking his chest with the back end of her pen, "If you really want to get a table inside you can come back on Saturday, kid"
"You can't just- come on lady! Why'd you le-"
"I will have a serving of your shōyu ramen with menma and nori, please" Shino's monotonous voice had Kiba whipping his head to the side with a look of disbelief.
"What the hell are you doing?" he barked at the silent man.
"Ordering dinner" the man replied calmly, "would you care to join me?"
"We're still on a mission dude!"
"Hinata knows we have been following them for most of the day, if not from the very start, and we have found no valid reason not to trust Naruto with her" the Aburame stated, "I believe it is due time for us to give them some space"
"Space my ass" Kiba grumbled but sat down none-the-less, accepting the bowl of ramen which Shino had ordered for him.
"If you would also add the expenses of Naruto's and Hinata's meal to our bill, that would be much appreciated, Teuchi-san" Shino spoke to the shop owner, who agreed with a smile.
"WHAT?!" the dog-nin spat, sending bits of half chewed meat and noodles flying everywhere, some of it landing on Shino's displeased face.
"They will be more likely to forgive us sooner, Hinata in particular, if we make sure to give our apology in advance to seeing either of them" the silent-nin said, using a napkin to wipe his wet cheek.
"Dammit" the Inuzuka growled, stabbing his chopsticks into his ramen and stuffing his face angrily, "Fine! But you damn better buy me jerky on the way home in return Shino"