Shino's muscles trembled slightly from the adrenaline burn after a rigorous training session with his teammates. It felt so good! Hiro made sure to keep her distance from Akamaru. He growled and nipped at her heels when she ventured too close. It caused some tension between him and Kiba. Kurenai-Sensei had asked that Hiro remain on the edge of the training grounds to keep distractions down to a minimum, a rule that suited both parties. She waited patiently for him as he trained and her head perked up as he approached. He reached out to scratch her behind the ears. Her long snout affectionately nuzzled his wrist and he couldn't help but marvel at her level of trust. Kiba had mentioned several times how unnatural it was for an Inuzuka Ninken to trust anyone besides their companion. Even the time Akamaru spent around them hadn't necessarily endeared them to him. His loyalty to Kiba was absolute.
He frowned thoughtfully. What made Hiro so different? What made her loyalty shift? Was it because loyalty to him was better than none? No…Kiba said that most die shortly after their Masters for the prospect of being solo was burdensome. Her dark eyes locked onto his. More than once he marveled at her emotional depths. In the steadiness of her gaze, he saw both loneliness as well as implicit trust. He dropped down to one knee and hugged her round the neck. "I'll bring Isae home, I promise. Then we will be whole once more." She whined softly in response.
"Woah, hey, break it up," Kiba gently nudged his teammate with his foot. "She's not a pet, you know." Even Akamaru seemed to find the scene bizarre.
Shino wasn't deterred by his friend's discomfort and released Hiro when he felt ready to. As he turned towards him, she remained close to his side. "I can assure you that I treat her with all the dignity due to a Ninken. It's just a shame that your Clan seems biased in their treatment."
Kiba rolled his eyes. "Nothing could be proven against the Kennel Keeper and you know it so let's not go over all that again."
"But absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," he firmly countered.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter," he brushed him off. "But seriously Shino, who do you think you're kidding? You can't keep her forever, Hiro doesn't belong with you." Shino opened his mouth to speak but he continued on. "And don't say Isae-chan will be coming back. We both know that she's as lost a cause as Sasuke-kun."
"Kiba!" Hinata protested as she approached the pair. "You don't know that!"
"Well is she here? Has she come back?" He asked pointedly. "He was willing to die for her and she-!" He stopped when he realized that the Ninken were squaring off defensively. With a growl of his own, he turned on his heel and stormed off. Akamaru faithfully followed after him.
"He was really worried about you," Hinata informed him. "We both were. We didn't want to lose you. That you still persist on retrieval…worries us," she softly confessed.
"But surely you understand," he persisted. "Wouldn't you go to the ends of the world for Naruto-kun?"
She blushed modestly at the mention of his name. "It would make absolutely no difference if I did for I don't exist in his world."
He had to admit that she was probably right. Naruto was courageous and strong…but incredibly short-sighted when it came to anything of a sensitive nature. Poor Hinata wasn't likely to attract his attention, let along his heart. "We both persist in impossible ideals," he murmured. "But that doesn't make them any less special."
She blinked in surprise before a tender smile spread across her face. "So does that make Isae-chan your special someone?"
The corners of his mouth turned down thoughtfully. "I…cannot speak for her, but for my part…" his face reddened slightly in embarrassment. It was one thing to experience emotion with Isae, but saying them aloud felt so unnatural. "I'll see you tomorrow Hinata," he muttered as he hurried away. Hiro trotted after him. He kept his head bowed as he ran home, his face burned with shame.
Once he got home, he was surprised to discover his Father cooking an elaborate meal. And what's more, the table was set for company. His brow knit in confusion. "Who's coming for dinner?" He couldn't remember the last time his Father had invited anyone. Entertaining wasn't something he liked to do.
"I've invited your Uncle Hisashi and his family to join us."
He bristled. "Surely you're joking…"
"Not when it comes to a brute like him," Shiba huffed.
"Then why-"
"It may be the only opportunity we have to assure Konomi-san that her daughter lives." He gently reminded him. "Surely that would be worth the aggravation."
Shino paused for a moment and then bowed his head in agreement.
"Please wash up and help me with the preparations," he gently instructed. "They will be here within the hour."
Shino dutifully did as he was told. His thoughts returned to her secret letter. He still hardly knew what to make of it. Shiba noticed how pre-occupied he was as he slowly diced the vegetables. He caught hold of his wrist before he could slice into his thumb. "There's something else you haven't told me about that letter, isn't there?"
"She included some personal information meant for me only," he said vaguely.
Shiba raised a suspicious brow. "Does it relate to Isae-chan?"
Shino stiffened. "How did you know?"
Shiba sighed. "Because it seems these days that more things begin to revolve around her. Now if only you paid as much attention to your cousin…"
Now it was Shino's turn to be suspicious. "Dad…are you…match-making?" Shiba made a disgruntled noise in the negative but Shino was quick to notice that he didn't out-right deny it. "Don't misunderstand me, I do find Mikka's company engaging and delightful. And naturally I owe her my life as she has saved mine, but I do not owe her my heart."
"And yet you owe that Inuzuka?" He asked critically.
Shino lowered his head. "I know she would disapprove," he confessed. He remained silent about his work from then on. Shiba briefly wondered which girl his son referenced but decided to drop the topic altogether.
They finished just a few minutes before there was a knock at the door. Shino went to answer it and greet their guests. Hisashi and Mitsuru seemed normal enough but Konomi seemed more withdrawn. Her down-cast eyes seemed heavier and her skin paler. It was obvious that her daughter's disappearance had been a terrible ordeal for her. Still she managed a small smile in greeting. "Thank you for your kind invitation Shiba-san."
"And it is our pleasure to have you all with us," Shiba greeted his guests in turn. "I know just how distraught you must be over Mikka's disappearance."
"Which could have been avoided if you hadn't submitted her name for the internship in the first place," Hisashi said in a tone that suggested he was more interested in humiliating his brother than actually concerned about his daughter. "I hold you personally responsible Shiba. If you recall I told you that she wasn't ready but you-"
Shino turned towards his Aunt. "Perhaps you'd be willing to help me prepare the drinks in the kitchen?" She nodded mutely, eager to ignore her husband's contentious words. In the solitude of the kitchen, Shino produced the letter. He tore off the first paragraph; surely she would recognize the hand-writing. As she read it, she stifled a gasp. Tears silently fell down her cheeks as she read. "Thank you Shino…thank you…" her voice trembled with emotion as she handed it back to her nephew. "Did she say anything else?"
"Yes," he admitted. "But it's confidential." He wondered if that would upset her. After all, if Mikka was forth-coming with anyone, it was definitely her mother.
To his surprise, she cracked a soft side smile. "I see. I'm pleased that she is beginning to trust you."
He humbly inclined his head. "Oh I don't know about that."
"I'm sure that by now you're well aware of her secretive nature. It's not to protect the secrets within her family but to protect her own heart. To share that would be to expose herself, something she isn't capable of yet. She's…experienced too much to show such weakness." She slipped into a bit of far-off trance, similar to the ones Mikka used to do whenever she was deep in thought. It was interesting to compare the similarities. But in the end, she looked pleased. "I do hope that one day you will consider her as more than a friend."
He reddened in embarrassment. While he wasn't able to talk to his Dad about Isae, he certainly couldn't to his Aunt. Not just because his affection was special, but because he was well aware of how taboo it was. To love at his age wasn't acceptable but to love an Inuzuka was practically unthinkable. Also how could he let her down lightly without insulting his cousin? He stammered uselessly. "She is special but…I can't…I mean we-I don't…"
She patted his shoulder gently to stop him. "Don't worry about it now," she reassured him. "You are still in your youth. You should enjoy it while you can."
He frowned curiously as he blurted out. "Did you?"
She flinched at his blunt question. Now it was her turn to be embarrassed. Just then Mitsuru entered the kitchen. "What's keeping you two?" He grumbled irritably. "The food is getting cold."
"We're coming," she assured him and soon everyone was gathered at the table. Strangely Hiro didn't want to join them. She seemed leery of the present company and signaled at the front door to be let out.
"I'm surprised that you allow her to wander about so freely," Hisashi mused aloud.
"She isn't our pet," Shiba pointed out. "She's our guest here and is welcome to stay as long as she wishes to."
"But how did she come to stay with you in the first place?" Mitsuru asked his cousin pointedly.
There really was no way to answer that without going into personal detail. He answered with a shrug and remained silent. The awkwardness of the get-together was so obvious. Both brothers were stand-offish and neither cousin had anything in common with the other one. Konomi knew just what to do. "Mitsuru, why don't you tell them about your recent promotion?"
With a self-satisfied smirk, he immediately launched into the details. Shino didn't really care about the boost to his already inflated ego but he was curious about the medical program in general. What set the Medics apart from the Shinobi within the Clan? Are the insects different as well as their use of them? At what age does training begin and what are the ranks within? Mitsuru was more than willing to answer all of them for he was always eager for an audience. Shino had to admit that he was impressed with his cousin's accomplishments. That is if he had reported accurately. He wouldn't put it past him to embellish the details. "Mikka is very talented too though her approach seems more holistic in nature. Your studies seem more single-minded. Is that intentional?"
His expression hardened. "She lacked focus," he scoffed. "She forgot her duty to her Clan in pursuit of a universal approach. I suppose that she wished to learn elsewhere because she didn't have the skills to excel within the program." Could it be that he was dismissive of her due to resentment at the comparison or was he actually jealous of her?
"Duty had many forms." Shiba gently cut in. "There is duty to Clan as well as to the Village."
Hisashi snorted in derision. "Oh come now, there's no need to make betrayal sound so noble. It's all well and good for you to travel in your profession but we medics know our place. And if Mikka had remembered hers, she would have been safe from harm."
Again there was that unnecessary bite to the conversation but Shiba noted with interest how Konomi knew just what would keep the conversation going whenever it began to stall again. Perhaps she was more cunning than she appeared to be. Was that due to intelligence or was it more of a survival tactic?
After dinner, Shino excused himself. He was worried about Hiro. She'd never been gone this long before. He stepped outside to look for her. He checked the front of the house first and along the street. She didn't come when he called. When he checked the backyard, he found her sitting perfectly still and fully alert. Her gaze was focused on the woods behind his house. Her eyes narrowed at the shadows within, cast by the moon overhead. It was a peaceful scene with a haunting sort of beauty about it. Why the suspicion then? He knelt beside her. "What's wrong?" He asked in a hushed whisper. "Do you see something?"
"I've heard that this dog belongs to some Inuzuka traitor." Mitsuru murmured behind him. He must have followed him outside. Shino looked at him from over his shoulder. His cousin's gaze was fixed on Hiro with obvious uneasiness and well as contempt. Then he gently smirked as he turned towards Shino. "There's even this crazy rumor running through town that you were sweet on her."
Shino's nose wriggled in disgust. "Sweet? That sounds so juvenile."
"Oh I didn't believe a word of it," he reassured him with suave smarm. "I knew you wouldn't disgrace yourself like that. After all an Aburame would never stoop to that level."
Hiro growled low in the back of her throat, making him a little wary.
"You should be careful what you say against her Mistress," Shino felt it only fair to warn him. "She won't tolerate such disrespect."
He snorted. "It's a dog! There's nothing special about mutts like-"
With a snarl Hiro whirled around and snapped her sharp fangs just short of his hand. He let out a high-pitched squeal of terror. "Tell her to knock it off!" He demanded with a face pinched with fury.
"She doesn't answer to me for I'm not her Master," he calmly explained. "I wouldn't presume to tell her what to do but I suggest that you keep your mouth shut."
Mitsuru scowled darkly but remained silent as he stormed away with a sullen sulk. Shino shook his head in exasperation. What a fool his cousin was, so incredibly short-sighted despite his medical talents. But then again he treated his work as an extension of logic. All facts and numbers carefully calculated. There was no toleration for compassion, empathy, or understanding. In those areas Mikka clearly out-ranked him despite her being a novice in the field. Shino sighed as he gently rubbed Hiro's back. "He just doesn't know what it's like to care about someone other than himself. How small his world must be." Hiro seemed to hear the apology within and settled back to her usual self. As they walked back towards the house, he continued. "Though for what it's worth, I'm happy that both you and Isae have become a part of mine." She nuzzled against his hand affectionately. Perhaps she felt the same way?
