"Did you tell her yet?" said Shino. "She's gonna cry."
"I don't think so. She's more mature now than you might think. I mean just because… I've…" Kiba mumbled incoherently and breathed out loud. "Don't start making me feel bad. There's you. I'm leaving her to you so I'm not worried at all," said Kiba.
Shino stared at Kiba. Till Kiba melted into a puddle of nerves and change his mind. But Kiba remained doe-eyed.
"For some reason, I find this hard to believe," said Shino.
Kiba crossed his hands, blunt thumbs pressed on each other. "Yeah. Me too. I've been living forever in Konoha. It's gonna be a different life out there, different people, no fam and my mother's cooking on the dinner table. But I think it's cool. It's not like we could stay the same all throughout. Heard they're sending people to Cloud in case you're interested?"
"You said you're leaving her to me. Are you serious?" Shino's voice grew bold. "You of all people."
"Are you mad at me or something?" Kiba raised a brow.
"You're running away," said Shino. Oh he knew how to fray Kiba's nerves. Partly, he could admit Shino was right: he confessed to Hinata, got turned down—he was drunk and felt daring—and things got awfully awkward; but that wasn't enough reason to leave Konoha for three straight years.
"No. Geez!" Kiba threw his arms upwards. "I decide something for myself and you're suddenly acting like an ass."
"It's not like my suspicions are unfounded. You running away is the most logical explanation to this situation—"
"That's not it!" Kiba's nostrils began to flare up.
"Is that the path you've chosen for yourself? Running away? Breaking the team?"
Kiba knocked the flat boards and the whole shed shook. "The hell Shino! You don't understand! Are you saying that's how much of a pea brain I am?"
Shino jumped a step back seeing the roof wobble. "Get a hold of yourself and think it over. The worst thing you could do is leaving Hinata to an ass guy."
"I just said you acted like one! I didn't say you were!"
"And you're a coward running away.."
"I said that's not it! Are you picking a fight?!" Kiba walked up to Shino, eyes almost blood-shot in the heat, and grabbed him on the collar.
"Maybe I should," said Shino. "Seems to me you've been bored enough you're now confused. What do you expect to achieve from this? Do you want her to stop you? Tell you she'll reconsider? Are you doing this to make yourself feel relevant?"
They matched glares, jaws set strong. Then, there came a sudden shift in Kiba. A film of clarity passing his face.
"Oh, I know what this is." Kiba smirked showing his fangs. "You're just saying that because you're afraid. That once I'm gone, you'll have no excuse."
"What for?" Shino grumbled low.
"You love her," he said. "You loved Hinata first. You love her more than I do. For the longest time. And yet, here we are. You pushing me up like a betted horse because you can't forge ahead yourself. That sort of excuse."
Kiba didn't want to be pushing a friend's buttons, but maybe, it's time he steps up and point out to Shino that he should grow some balls once in a while.
They both knew they had feelings for Hinata. And as the years turned out, because of Naruto, it was as if there was an unspoken rule about keeping their mouths shut. But Shino was letting himself into this, as though willing, like some kind of martyrdom. He let himself be pushed around by his own rules and expected other people to act the same.
Shino rid Kiba's hands off his coat. "Inconsequential. If I had been as narrow-minded as you, I would be unworthy of the Aburame name."
Kiba rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You're the one running away. You're always in denial."
The aura around Shino took a gloomy feel. For a second, Kiba worried he pushed too hard.
"Hinata doesn't deserve your half-heartedness, Kiba. You can look good if you want, pursue her without restraint, and you were what? Drunk? Now you're claiming you're not leaving because of her. Sorry to break it to you but she will think it's because of her, regardless. I want you to at least feel accountable for crossing the line."
He didn't want to be near Shino after that. Because Shino was right, every bit of what he said, dammit! His guilt ate at him for months. Time was kind, however, and he was happy living in Water. Kiba soon found courage to reach out to Hinata.
They've been in touch and Hinata was coming to terms with the fact that better things are happening to him and she shouldn't feel sorry for turning him down—it was to be expected, really—and all he deeply wanted in the first place, was to simply let her know.
One day, a letter came to him:
Meet me at the port. Monday. -Shino
For someone stuck up on details, Shino message didn't say much it terrified Kiba with much speculation: Is it another confrontation? Is he gonna end their friendship for good? 'Cause everyone knows Shino isn't the type to apologize first for reconciliation's sake.
Downing a glass of whiskey, Kiba buckled his belt one more hole and felt Akamaru's fur, "Wish me luck, buddy."
The shores of the Land of Water aren't used to many visitors. A local could immediately spot a newcomer, even Kiba who was here three months short of a year. Coming out from the fog was a straw-hat, goggled weirdo in a fancy red dress shirt with big-ass white floral print, cargo pants, and what seemed to Kiba, a diver's suit underneath, which should be burned in the incinerator.
Kiba was speechless. Upon recovering his wits, "Why are you here?" was all he could muster.
"Running away," said Shino.
"Oh."
"I would like to think there is purpose to my pain."
"What are we talking about again?"
"I can say this to you Kiba. You're not a coward. And I'm proud of you." Shino clapped Kiba on the shoulder.
Kiba wasn't sure if he was catching up on any of this development. "Okay… So… About running away, you're supervisor now, right? Why are you here?"
"I quit. I didn't think it was doing me good."
"Right…" Kiba nodded slowly. "And you're now assigned to?"
"None. No official assignment. And since I'm out gallivanting, I also quit my family and being at the Hokage's disposal. Now I'm an official fugitive."
Who is this dude? Shino never breaks away from the system. Ever. Kiba was starting to worry. "Do you want to—I dunno—talk about it or something?"
"My grandmother died," continued Shino,
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Then I realized, what was holding me back in the first place? I was holding myself back. So, I decided to get real with myself. I let her go."
"Who did you let go?" Kiba slightly panicked.
"Why you ask? Because, I owe myself that. What I have here…"—Shino put a hand over his chest—"This is the realest thing for me."
"Who did you let go? Damn it! Are you talking 'bout Hinata? Is it Hinata?"
"Now, I just wanna be free to explore the world and fulfil my dreams of finding the ultimate giant kikai."
Kiba was stunned. How could Shino leave his position in the village for something so random?
"Just kidding," Shino said stoically. "Why don't you decide? What should I do next?"
Kiba blanked out and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't ask me that out of the blue. I dunno. Return to the village? Go back to teaching?"
"Hn. Let's not kid ourselves." Shino fixed his slightly skewed goggles. "But I'll humor you."
(END)
Pro-uchiha shared her music used in Regrets Raise No Citadels (SasuHina). Listening to the music she listened to was an intimate experience though I've never met her or known her name. I maybe just a mochi as my preferred existence on this site, but here's my playlist for BITSWeS:
Can I Call You Tonight by Dayglow
Hand Over Hand by Roland Faunte
Wandering Lip (feat. Jesus Noris) by Killkiyoshi
I'm usually a classical music type of person, but I stumbled upon these beauties on YouTube and to me, they helped bring back atmosphere, mood, and impression of character.
Another thing. I admit, my two main goals for this fanfic were:
1.) To make you, dear reader, fall in love with Shino. Because he's so underrated (How'd I do?); and
2.) An excuse to make SasuHina kiss. Okay? (Did you feel it?! Did you?!)
Let me share to you this short poem I wrote two years ago. It's nothing special. I wrote this at the time I felt so jealous and insecure, and wanted to remind myself those are not the things I want to focus on because they make me feel ugly thus affecting my perspectives about everything else. The person whom I wrote this for still hasn't read this poem so this is our little secret... okay? xD
Mating Frog Calls and Jealousy
by: some person
Bullfrogs croak in the night.
They each call upon the other to mate.
Their gurgling sounds remind me of the tremor,
Twisting and turning into a trembling,
A pain striking my muscle oozing blood.
I became weird. Now I know jealousy of the romantic kind.
It's your fault. The frogs croaking to mate annoys me.
But I'm different, now I know. The frogs remind me so.
Not a plea but a declaration: I love you;
Not like the frogs croaking at each other,
But as the night and the cool, comely breeze,
Surrounding all, embracing with a gentle kiss.