A/N's: Hey, y'all! Welcome back! This and the next couple of chapters are gonna be a bit more emotionally involved, but the good news is that Shino and Mitsumi's relationship is going to start progressing more truthfully.

As always, thank you all for being with me and following this journey with me. I truthfully love writing this story and playing with ideas in my mind about it. I never wanted it to be a rushed job from the start. Make sure to leave a review/follow/fav if you can! Now, onto the story! :)

Chapter 9: Houttuynia Cordata

Shino observed the student run across the balance beam, evading a series of traps and kunai. As the young boy crossed the finish line, sweaty and panting, he jotted down the last score of the day.

He was impressed. From the looks of it, his class as a whole was improving in their speed and reaction time.

He tucked his clipboard safely under his arm and turned towards the tired Shinobi-in-training, applauding their efforts.

"Excellent job everyone," he announced. "From the looks of your scores, you've all shown immense improvement in your speed, balance, coordination, and reaction times. I've noticed that the largest issue everyone seems to be struggling with is chakra maintenance and control when climbing up walls vertically. We'll discuss the manners of training you can do at home to help with this deficit..."

The Aburame trailed off. He looked at his students, wanting to continue with his lecture, but paused when he realized most of them were only half-listening. He felt a pang of guilt at the exhaustion evident on their faces.

"... However, we'll be sure to cover that matter in future lessons," he said with an understanding smile. "You're all dismissed for lunch early; make sure to use the extra time to rest up and recover before class."

He chuckled when he heard a unanimous sigh of relief as the students made their way inside the school building. Shino made some mental notes on possible team matchups based on a few individuals' skills and weaknesses and jotted ideas down in his clipboard.

Just as he was about to make his way inside, the sound of bright laughter caught his attention.

From the gates of the building, he noted a rather young couple holding hands and walking along the street, enjoying the warm summer day together.

He found himself pausing to observe the two.

The young woman clutched onto her male companion's arm, happily giggling at something he said no doubt. She leaned her head against the man's shoulder, and he shifted hos own to place a soft kiss on her temple, nothing else seeming to matter in that moment except the other person.

Realizing he was staring, the Aburame quickly turned away.

He cleared his throat and readjusted the clipboard in his arms.

The Aburame had been doing relatively fine going about his day as he normally would, keeping his mind away from yesterday's events, but it was as if that small act of intimacy between the two regular civilians—who he would probably never see again—opened up a floodgate of indiscernible emotions within him.

A mix of anger, disappointment, sadness, frustration, disgust, and everything else in-between churned in his chest for a brief moment. Almost mechanically, Shino mentally worked to seal those emotions away beneath a thick wax of logical practicality.

He had his work and his clan and his friends. Not to mention all of the students that relied on him to guide and teach them.

There were higher priorities in his life that required attention, priorities that should come to mind before the memory of a failed date with a woman he hadn't seen since yesterday. Nor did he wish to see at the moment.

He was a friend. A teacher. A Shinobi. An Aburame, the clan heir no less. The list went on for miles. That should be enough for him, shouldn't it? It shouldn't matter that he would never be someone's lover.

And yet…

As if against his own will, Shino turned back, watching as the man so easily and naturally intertwined his fingers with the young woman's next to him as they faded from their secret onlooker's view.

And yet no matter how deeply he could mask the anger, toss away the sadness, and bury the insecurities, what felt the most disheartening was the longing that managed to seep through the cracks of his façade.

Shino was many things, but first and foremost he was a human with a heart.

With a quiet sigh, he shook his head before finally making his way inside. Longing or not, he still had his work. No matter what he felt, he shouldn't focus on the 'what ifs' and the 'what else's'. He needed to stay rooted in the present and do what he could now.

And in the present, Shino Aburame had everything that could make him happy and then some. That's all that mattered.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Shino shut his work folder, having finished all of his grading. Normally, he would feel content and satisfied at the prospect of finishing his grading for the day so he could eventually return home.

However, in an almost masochistic way, he longed for more work to keep his mind busy even after his long day of teaching.

Though it was still early in the year, the Genin exams would arrive before he knew it, and eventually he would have to send this batch of students on their way towards becoming full-fledged Shinobi that partook in missions.

Perhaps he could stay a few moments longer and jot down long-term plans and team combination ideas that would be successful for them in the field? He had also been meaning to contact older Shinobi for helpful interviews for the students; that was another thing he could do.

He could also—

"You're still here," a soft voice questioned, interrupting his thoughts.

The Aburame quickly rose up from his office chair and bowed.

"Principal Iruka," he greeted politely.

"The sun's just about set, you know?" His old sensei commented, moving towards him. There was a genial smile on his tanned face. "You don't have to stay here and work, Shino-sensei. You work hard enough as it is; I'm sure you'd like to get back home, not spend your Monday evening at school."

"Well actually," Shino began. "I just finished my grading. I wanted to stay for a few additional moments to write down plans and ideas I had for the upcoming Genin exams. Because—"

His superior stopped his words with the raise of his hand. "Anko-sensei mentioned how you looked a bit… off today in the teacher's lounge. Is everything alright?" Iruka stared at him with a look of concern.

The Aburame nodded slowly, taking in his surroundings. He hadn't even noticed he was the only one left in the office. "I'm… fine, Principal Iruka. Just a bit preoccupied with other matters." He looked down at his empty hands before beginning to pack away his things.

Iruka continued to observe the young man, watching as he put his desk in order before stepping away.

"You know," Iruka started, shutting off the lights and locking the doors. Shino paid close attention as he walked quietly beside his former sensei.

"When I was your age, working on expanding the Academy, I used to shoulder a large amount of stress on my shoulders. Issues with funding, disapproval from upper management. Even some threats from the village's parents, saying how they didn't wish for their children to be influenced by the Shinobi lifestyle."

Shino looked up at his sensei in surprise.

"Looking back," Iruka continued with a nostalgic sigh, "I realize that if I had opened up and let others know about my stress and the emotional turmoil I felt, it would've been much easier for me. Relaxing now and then might've also saved me from all these stress wrinkles." Iruka laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

The Aburame looked down at the floor, observing that his steps were out of sync with the man's next to him.

The older man faced the young Academy instructor as they reached the building's doors. "Pardon my bluntness, but you look like you've been working yourself ragged," Iruka said, looking at the younger man empathetically. "I think taking some time off to decompress would do you good, Shino."

Shino swallowed but nodded nonetheless.

"In fact," he hummed thoughtfully. "If I recall, I don't think you've ever asked for a personal day off."

"No, sir."

The older man's eyes twinkled. "Now this isn't a direct order per se, but as your superior and hopefully as a friend, I think you should take a few days vacation from work. Visit a hot spring, or something along those lines."

Shino's shoulders slagged in a noticeable show of displeasure. That was the absolute last thing he wanted to do.

Iruka chuckled. "I know it may seem like distracting yourself with work is the best solution to your problems, but sometimes all you really need is some time to take a deep breath and readjust before you can get back on course."

"Readjust myself," Shino echoed in thought.

"You do so much for the Academy, Shino. I don't think anyone else would've been qualified to teach that Boruto Uzumaki's troublesome class, but you managed it, didn't you?" Iruka put a friendly hand on the man's shoulder. "You're an immense help to us and to these students, but you shouldn't overwork yourself. Take it from me, it's not healthy."

Shino looked down.

He sighed lightly. As much as he wanted to deny it, Iruka-sensei had a point. Since he became an instructor, Shino always worked and worked and worked, even when he didn't need to. He liked working. He liked feeling needed, and over the years, he's always fallen back to his work as a way to distract himself.

Working was a way to escape the longing he's always felt for 'something else.'

As the two men stood beside the front gates of the Academy, the Aburame spoke up.

"I might just take you up on that offer some time. Readjust myself."

"Glad to hear it," Iruka responded. "You deserve to have some rest, Shino."

The Aburame nodded. "Thank you, sensei," he whispered, suddenly feeling drawn back to his days as an Academy student. He shuffled a bit. "Have a good night."

"You're welcome, Shino," Iruka ranswered with a nod as he walked towards the other direction. "You as well."

Shino wistfully made his way home, losing himself in the sounds of the nature around him.

He registered Iruka's words carefully in his mind, but something inside of him found it hard to grasp the idea of actually giving himself a break.

After most of his friends got married early and had children, Shino found himself alone, longing to not feel left behind by the winds of change. He prioritized his work because it filled the desire in his heart to feel needed.

He prioritized his clan because only his family that possessed the same abilities as him could fill the desire in his heart to be understood.

After all these years prioritizing the both of them, and after yesterday's events, Shino began to realize that somewhere deep down, he wanted to be loved.

He wanted what that young couple on the street had. To be able to hold someone intimately, that could love him, need him, and understand him.

Like a comet of emotion struck the man where he stood, he could say what he truly wanted.

He wanted someone to want him.

With those thoughts swirling about in his mind, the Aburame found it hard not to stop.

The store was empty, not even the lights outside of it turned on.

He exhaled, feeling both disappointment and relief that the woman wasn't there. For all Shino knew, she might have simply turned tail and fled the village.

After all, Mitsumi said herself that he was the reason she hadn't left Konoha in the first place. If it was an Aburame that made her stay, then it was an Aburame that could make her leave all the same.

Negative emotions began to cloud his mind at the thought of the honey vendor. Yet no matter how much he wanted to hold onto those feelings and stay angry with her, he simply couldn't. He couldn't be mad at Mitsumi for having her own feelings and thoughts.

Being angry at her for his unfair expectations is what a coward would do. She had the right to like and dislike whoever she wanted.

He exhaled calmly. If she didn't like Shino, then so be it.

Even with those words in mind, a large part of him wished that the woman was still here so they could talk things over. Despite everything, he only wanted the best for her and for her store.

Even if she found him… unappealing because of his insects, a small part of him still hoped that they could be somewhat friends, perhaps good acquaintances. Afterall, he did like her products, and the woman was good company to be around.

He imagined the situation. Once his honey jar ran out, he would politely ask to buy another on a warm summer's day. Her store would be fixed with a new name, shining beautifully along the quiet street with a wide array of flowers encircling it.

Maybe Shino would even congratulate her on the long-term relationship she was in with a person she absolutely adored, while Mitsumi politely asked about his own work. She would still be comfortable with him and converse with him, even if the relationship never crossed the realms of acquaintances.

That would at least bring him some comfort.

With the way the woman's materials from Sunday were haphazardly scattered about the floor of her store, not even bothering to be locked in the backroom, Shino shook his head.

That would probably never happen though, would it?

With a heavy heart, he walked away from the quiet shop, unsure if he would ever see the friendly woman behind the counter again.

"There you are!"

With all of the events from yesterday, Shino was honestly surprised he hadn't seen the man earlier.

"Hello, Kiba," Shino greeted him evenly. He took in the man's indolent sitting position by his door, even seeing that he had a drink in his hands. "May I ask why you're sitting on my front porch?"

"Tch, well I tried calling you yesterday for like 10 minutes! But no one picked up," he explained. "I wanted to come in this morning, but the police station asked me to come in early. Get this!"

Shino unlocked his front door, gesturing for the Inuzuka to come in as well. Kiba made himself comfortable on the man's recliner while the Aburame stepped into his bedroom to put his work bag away.

"There was a bombing yesterday at the market!" Kiba yelled from the living room. "One of my coworkers said you were the one that caught the loon that did it?"

The Aburame returned to the living room and replied quietly, taking a seat on the sofa parallel to the couch Kiba sat on. "I did. He caused quite a scene, threatening a poor old woman with a kunai. What was wrong with him? He seemed out of his mind, so to speak."

"That's just it! The guy's crazy! We interrogated him over at the station, but couldn't get a single cohesive sentence out of him."

Shino's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he leaned forward in interest.

Kiba crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. "Hiroto Goya," he said cryptically. "His personal history's a bit shady, but apparently he was a spy and explosives novice back in the day. They caught him over in Iwa and he was in jail for a long time until he was released a little while ago."

The Inuzuka sank deeper into the recliner. "The guy was spouting random information on Sunagakure that would've been worth a fortune back in the day when we were still at war with them. Stuff's basically useless to us now, but he didn't even try to fight for the information. Pretty crappy for a spy, right?"

The Aburame nodded, not quite sure of what Kiba was thinking.

"That's not all," he continued. "The weirdest thing was that he was giving us all this information in exchange for 'gold'. Saying how he "needed 'gold' right now!"

Shino did recall how the man threatened the market, but he simply thought the madman wanted money or coins. It was reasonable for a person to go to any lengths for money if one was desperate enough, that was just human nature.

Kiba grunted. "He kept on screaming and thrashing, we ended up showing the guy pure 24k gold, even all sorts of money and currency, to get him to calm down, but that wasn't what he wanted. We had to knock the guy out. Look!" he lifted up his sleeve. "He bit me!"

The Aburame looked away, wondering if his interaction with the man yesterday could give any insight into the issue. What could he possibly mean by 'gold' if not money?

"I wanted to tell you about it in case you knew anything, but it looks like you're just as puzzled as we are," Kiba said with a sigh. "Anyway, we told Naruto. Wasn't too thrilled about the matter, but we thought he should hear about it. He's gonna get in contact with Iwa's Tsuchikage, let us know when he's got something."

Shino remained quiet, still stuck on what exactly was going on. A few moments later, he chuckled dryly. "Looks like things are getting a bit more lively, aren't they?"

"Yeah," the Inuzuka answered with a grin, a strange wave of excitement rushing through him. It almost felt like he was a Chuunin again, going about on dangerous missions every other week. "They sure are. Anyway! I told you all that mainly because I was concerned," he explained. "You and Mitsumi were at the market yesterday, right? Were you two ok? How'd things go?"

The Aburame paused, knowing this conversation would come eventually. He mentally groaned at the way his heart seemed to drop with the woman's name. He just wanted the churning in his gut to stop.

"It was fine. Up until the very end at least," Shino replied lightly, trying to avoid going into specifics.

The Inuzuka quirked an eyebrow, leaning forward in anticipation. "And?"

"Mitsumi… understands fully well now that I'm an Aburame."

"Well good!" Kiba exclaimed in displaced happiness. "Did she see you save all those civilians? Bet you looked really cool, huh? I heard you got quite the big round of applause yesterday."

Shino shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't… seen nor spoken to her since I left the market yesterday."

A look of confusion on Kiba's face only widened, and Shino found himself growing irritated with his interrogation.

"So are you meeting again or no—"

"—She was afraid of me, Kiba," he snapped, a rare emotional outburst coming out. "She saw me use my kikai and stood there afraid of me." He sighed loudly. "I heard your phone call yesterday, I just didn't… want to answer the phone. I didn't want to tell you and Tamaki that Mitsumi didn't want me."

Shino regretted his final words as soon as they left his mouth. He didn't look up from the floor, but he could feel Kiba's eyes looking at him. After a long and tense moment of silence, the Aburame finally spoke up.

"... I apologize for my outburst."

He heard the Inuzuka shuffle to where he sat on the couch and pressed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be sorry, Shino. You don't have to be sorry for showing your emotions," he said comfortingly. "I'm sorry that happened to you, man."

The Aburame simply shrugged to hide his very obvious dejection. The Inuzuka mentally sighed in pity for his best friend. He… no, they all thought it was going to work out this time. In a flash of brash anger, he exclaimed.

"You know what? If Mitsumi can't see what a great guy you are, that's her loss. She's an idiot for that, Shino." He shook his head, crossing his arms like a dramatic child. "And you know what else? I didn't even like her in the first place!"

Shino chuckled at the man's untrue words. "It's alright, Kiba. Thank you… For everything," he said quietly.

Kiba shook the man's shoulder. "It'll be alright, Shino."

The Aburame remained silent, but nodded his head slightly. He was surprised at how tired he felt. Maybe he had exerted more energy than he wanted throughout the day? Not physical energy, but more so emotional.

Perhaps he should take up Iruka on that offer for a day off after all? Spend his day comfortably at him in the solitude of his house.

He shifted before getting up from the couch. "Not that I don't mind your company, Kiba..."

"No, no," the Inuzuka said sympathetically, getting up as well. "I'll let you rest, buddy. You sure you'll be ok?"

Shino nodded. "Thank you," he answered quietly. "I'll admit that… It hurts to think about. But I'll get over it. Take things day by day. That's because all scars fade eventually."

"Yeah, just take things slow and steady, buddy. That wound's gonna heal and you'll be on your feet again in no time flat," Kiba looked at Shino, trying to mask the sadness and pity he felt for his old friend.

The Inuzuka quietly left the Aburame's home, not before giving him one last reassuring pat on the shoulder.

He sighed deeply as he walked through the quiet Aburame forest. Taking a deep sniff of the air, he could tell that a storm was coming. As the scent of honey picked up, the Inuzuka made sure to glare at the small shop that stood in the distance.

He had half a mind to go over there this minute and leave Mitsumi a colorfully detailed letter on how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. He knew Shino certainly wouldn't do something like that. The man was probably going to be wallowing for a few days.

Eventually, Kiba shook his head and walked away, unable to go through with the idea.

Mitsumi hadn't really done anything wrong. His friend's abilities were something you really needed time to understand and get over. He felt a sympathetic pang in his chest, wishing so desperately that finding someone for his Aburame friend was a simple and easy task.

With the way Shino and the honey vendor so comfortably acted around each other, he really thought there was something there this time. He hadn't seen Shino look so happy with a romantic endeavor in awhile.

Or ever…

Kiba paused along the street corner and ran a tired hand through his messy hair as a thought surfaced in his mind.

"Oh man," he groaned loudly to himself. "How am I gonna tell Tamaki?"

The woman hugged her pillow tighter to her frame.

She inhaled deeply, finding a semblance of comfort in the familiar scent of honey and wildflowers lingering upon its worn surface.

She was curled in a fetal position on her bed, steel-gray eyes staring blankly at an interesting spot on the wall.

She knew a full day of wallowing had passed by, but she simply couldn't bring herself to do anything productive. Not after yesterday.

The honey vendor didn't want to think about those events, and it seemed like anytime she thought about her store and the notion of going to work, she would get another unhappy reminder that she was a horrible, terrible, hypocritical traitor.

Rising from her sprawled position on the bed, she looked towards the plant sitting happily upon her windowsill. She slowly made her way over, brushing a gentle knuckle against its leaves.

Even with the chaotic state her emotions were in, and the nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her to abandon it for dead, she simply couldn't let anything bad happen to the little plant. Every so often she would find the motivation to get up and ensure that it was still happy and alive, as if she were still determined to give it away.

She looked down, becoming lost in its combination of red, yellow, and green. The plant may have been unusual compared to others, but somehow it managed to fill the loneliness of her room.

The honey vendor would have been happy to care for it until the end of its life.

But moreso if she could simply give it to the person it was intended for.

Memories of yesterday flooded her mind and the honey vendor slowly sank to the floor, raking her fingernails through the carpet as she let out a tired sigh. She wished so much that she could get over herself and work up the courage to face the man.

Every time she thought back to Shino's kindness and every small interaction between them, the woman couldn't help but feel like she was betraying everything she knew. Betraying what she had been taught for as long as she could remember.

She remembered the first night they met, and how the woman thought she had found her angel that night. Funny how her angel was the vermin scum so ill-spoken about back home. She laughed to herself dryly, the noise echoing about in her small room.

She ducked her head into the circle of her arms. It would have been easier if Shino was as she imagined an Aburame to be like.

Cruel.

Never before had she met someone so kind and accepting.

Dangerous.

The man wouldn't hurt a fly.

Cold.

She found his quiet awkwardness rather endearing.

Enclosed in darkness.

The man—and the rest of his clan from the looks of it—dressed more modest than the average person. There was nothing wrong with that, was there? If one member from the Aburame was kind and wonderful, then surely the rest of the clan would be the same?

She paused. Was it her own clan that was wrong then? But how could she think to go against her family like that? She loved her family…

The torn woman leaned her head against the wall, hitting the back of it with a soft 'thud.'

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"I believe you've grown into quite a strong and beautiful young woman, Mitsumi-san."

"I wouldn't mind helping you, Mitsumi-san. Really."

"You look very lovely, Mitsumi-san."

Her chest warmed with those small memories.

The woman wished she could muster up the emotions to feel proud of how she left Shino the other day. Her clan would have been over the moon with joy that she was able to draw an Aburame in and break their spirits. But all she felt now was disgust and frustration with herself.

Since she was young, she always struggled with the idea of being herself. The woman always sought to be as comforting and amicable as possible, always striving for the acceptance of others at the cost of her own individuality. She hated how fake she could be.

"If you're good-natured and apologetic, people will like you! They'll accept you," her heart always seemed to tell her.

"Acceptance is a good thing! Much better than getting yelled at or being alone."

For most of her life, she thought it didn't matter how much she had to bend over backwards for others, just as long as she knew she was wanted.

She worked so hard to hide the sides of herself she didn't want shown to people outside of her clan. She loved her family because the honey vendor felt like they were the only ones that could truly accept and understand her.

Her family was her life. But sometimes...

Sometimes in the late hours of the night or on the lazy summer days she spent gardening alone, the woman imagined a life where she was free to do as she pleased and live how she wanted, unbound by the traditions of her predecessors and the need to fight for unconditional love.

The night she met Shino, the honey vendor's world was crashing down around her. She came to Konoha to try and live out her fantasies, to get a taste of the sweetness of make-believe, even if it was only for a short while.

But once she came to the beautiful village hidden in the leaves, everything was different. She had never felt so alone, so overwhelmed with change. As she sat in the darkness of her shop that fateful night, rain pouring endlessly outside, the honey vendor arrived at the hasty conclusion that she couldn't cope with life outside of her happy little glen.

Until she met Shino. Awkward, quiet, stoic, Shino.

Aburame Shino, who listened to her and comforted her at one of the lowest points in her life.

Did she really want to let all of that go?

She groaned loudly, hitting her head against the wall in succession in hopes of an answer. She rose to her knees and laid her cheek against the windowsill, halfheartedly staring at her present from this newer angle.

Houttuynia Cordata. The chameleon flower. A strange little plant if she were being honest with herself, but from the moment she laid eyes on it, she found it beautiful. Perhaps not as conventionally beautiful as others plants, but beautiful in its own unique right.

As she stared for a few moments longer, she gasped. The woman's steel-gray eyes became wide.

Within an open crevice she hadn't noticed before, a small white flower began to grow between the plant's leaves. She brushed a gentle finger against the new addition to the plant, her eyes becoming unexpectedly misty at the contact.

She shook her head, rising unsteadily up to her feet to pick it up.

Strange leaves, unimposing flowers.

Unique leaves, lovely treasures of white that blossomed underneath.

A single tear dripped down the side of her face. She laughed at how much of a crybaby she was before wiping it away.

She adored the way the plant looked before, why should anything change now?

She gently cradled the plant and its container close to her heart, even if a few stray bits of soil ended up on her shirt. She remained like that for a few moments, looking outside to the darkening clouds before gently placing it back on the windowsill.

With a newfound sense of motivation, the woman willed herself to clean up the mess of clothes she left scattered about from Sunday. She took a deep inhale in... and a deep exhale out.

Coming to grips with everything would take time, but the woman knew within her heart that she should apologize.

No.

She had to apologize.

She had to make things right with the man she unrightfully judged. The man who heroically saved the market using his abilities, which he should never be ashamed of. How could the young woman judge him for his insects when she was in the same boat?

Maybe worse than that, even.

She knew that Shino was kind, understanding, wise, and downright wonderful. He was all of those things, and above all, he deserved the truth. It was the least she could do, even if the man wanted to end things and never see her again.

She could live with that, just as long as she at least tried to make things right while she could.

There's no harm in trying, right?

After taking a long wash and changing out of her old pajamas, the woman laid back down in bed, staring up at the ceiling. A crack of lightning resounded from outside, and she knew that the rain would begin to pour down eventually.

Slowly, her eyes began to close as the hard pitter-patter of water droplets resounded.

AN's: I had to post this pretty quickly before summer classes start and ruin my work flow LMAO. I got some pretty long notes for this chapter, so stick around! Or not :)

I never wanted Mitsumi to be a Mary Sue (that was my biggest concern with writing her character). I always intended for her to be of the happier, bubbly sorts (that sort of personality would mesh well with Shino's imo), but it's not healthy for someone to always be happy. I wanted to convey a young woman that wants change but still holds onto tradition.

I would say that Shino (within my story and in general from the looks of it) doesn't try to hide who he is or be more friendly for the sake of others. He wants to be loved, but isolates himself when faced with the prospect of rejection. Mitsumi on the other hand hates being alone, becoming a people-pleaser to gain acceptance.

Both are pretty traditional and attached to their perspective clans (more on that in the future), which will become the largest barrier between them.

AND! For those of you interested! Because I'm getting into MBTI, I see Shino as an ISTJ and Mitsumi as an ESFJ (those are the types of my dad and mom lol). I played with the idea of making her an ESFP, but I think I made Tamaki more of the ESFP in this story (whereas Kiba is an ESTP).

Anyway! Thanks again for reading this far! See y'all next time!