It surprised me that everyone who read this seemed to think that Shino actually was in love with Hinata. However, I am basing this on the reviews, so perhaps I am mistaken.

(,',)

Her pink hair was a very recessive gene, much like blue and green. No one else in her family had the distinctive pink colour that she did. Her attitude was from her mother, though apparently the green eyes were from her father. Her slim build, narrow hips and small breasts were a family trait, and were excellent for the lifestyle of a Kunoichi. Not many of her relatives were shinobi, though.

Shino watched her walk out of the library with an armful of books as he continued mentally cataloguing what he knew of Haruno Sakura. Possessive, he recalled from their academy days, and very intelligent. She had an excellent memory for facts and details, and the tightest chakra control seen in an academy student in ages.

Shino watched from the far side of the street as the books wobbled, first this way, then that way, and then…

"Oh no!"

CRASH

Sakura managed to catch a few before the majority toppled into the dirt, one landing incorrectly and cracking its bindings. Sakura cursed quietly as she knelt to pick them up, cursing even more violently as she found the one which had broken its spine. Shino watched as her newer, shorter skirt rode up, revealing muscular and thin lightly tannedlegs. Under his skin, he could feel his Kikai bugs stirring.

"Oi, Shino!" Kiba yelled as he threw his arm around Shino's shoulders, "Thanks for waiting for me. I don't understand why that damn vet thinks that Akamaru needs such expensive medicine just for a little cold, but I'll do anything to get Akamaru feeling back in top shape before the next Chuunin Exam. Hey, it's gonna be out in the Hidden Rain, right?"

Shino nodded, continuing to watch Sakura as she piled up the books, a little more carefully this time, and leaned over slightly to give herself the leverage to stand. In that moment, Shino had the perfect opportunity to see right down into the small opening in her vest-like shirt.

"So, I know that Hinata still needs to work a bit on switching from offensive to defensive forms, and we're gonna work on that tomorrow, and I still have to work out how to keep the backwind from unbalancing Akamaru and me, but we'll have to do that a few days from now when Akamaru's feeling better. Maybe we should pick up another C-rank mission to do until Akamaru's well again."

Shino watched Sakura walking away, her gait slightly unsteadied by the books she was carrying, but her thin hips still swung back and forth subtly, her waist and spine bending to allow her upper body to remain stable. "I agree. You will tell Hinata tonight?"

Kiba nodded and they started walking, the opposite direction that Sakura was walking in, but the same direction as a thin yet busty brunette in a dark blue yukata. Her hips swung much more obviously, and her gait was swinging and unchecked, meaning she was a civilian. "I was gonna leave a message at the Hyuuga Compound's main door." Shino nodded to show that he understood. It was a good idea.

"I have an errand to run for my wife, and then I'll be working with my father for the rest of the afternoon." Kiba knew better that to ask what Shino and his father were working on.

"Alright then, I'd better get home before Akamaru starts whining again." Shino turned to the hairdresser's shop on his left. From that roof, it would be five roofs east and two to the south to reach the only bakery that made strawberry tarts just the way his wife liked them.

"Oh yeah, Shino?" He paused a moment, turning his head to look at Kiba over his shoulder. "I like your new look. The hood is pretty cool." Kiba said with a smirk, snickering to himself. Shino raised an eyebrow in amusement, and then left, jumping up onto the hairdresser's rooftop.

(,',)

Panting hard, Shino laid down beside his wife who obligingly moved over to give him room. She too was breathing irregularly, perhaps even more so than he was. She adjusted her glasses, which had been knocked slightly askew when he'd mashed her face against the pillows. Removing the pillows from the bed beforehand would be something Shino would remember for thenext time.

Once she had caught her breath, she leftto goto the washroom just outside their door to wash off. Shino went to their dresser and chose a lighter nightgown for her and a pair of loose shorts for himself. It was a warm night.

He knew that she had seen the stream of Kikai bugs that had delivered the scent and feel of several different women to him during the act, just as he had seen her own Kikai bugs doing the same for her. At one point, just before she came, he recognized Kiba's scent on one of her bugs.

When she came back, he went into the washroom for a quick rinse. She was already asleep when he returned, and he dressed for bed and got under the covers. They didn't touch one another, because it was too warm a night for cuddling, and neither of them often indulged in it.

Shino could still smell the lingering scents of several different men and women in the air, and sex on the sheets. He closed his eyes. Aburame always were considered to be deviant.