Airi yawned and stretched.

She'd overslept, but not by much. It was 8:15, and she was supposed to have woken up five minutes ago because Shikamaru had to leave on a mission.

She unwillingly got out of bed, and took a five minute shower, but spent ten minutes trying to get those two strands of hair that her mom insisted upon her having ("Your hair looks so cute when layered, dear! The bangs are adorable, and so if you just have that middle length right here, about your chin, it'll look sort of like that Hinata girl's. She's so sweet...") into a ponytail, and finally gave up when it was officially proven that they were too short. As it was every day. She inspected her face in the mirror, and, deciding that she didn't want to bother with makeup, got dressed in her usual outfit (her fave sweatpants and a t-shirt).

"Hey, Akane!" she said cheerfully when confronted with the toddler, who was currently toddling around on her two mini-sneaker-clad feet.

Akane looked happy to be noticed. Not that she'd been ignored at all, Airi thought wryly, as Hinata, who was visible cooking in the kitchen from Akane's position and height, made a handsign and was heard by Airi's ninja ears to mutter a whispered "Byakugan: Deactivate".

"Shika gone. Shika say bye-bye!" She grinned. Airi smiled back.

"Looks like it's just you and me today, honey," she replied. "Shika's gone off on a mission, and Mommy isn't feeling well. He'll be back in a while. And she'll be better soon."

Akane had lost interest, though. She had spotted something of interest just down the hallway, and begun to crawl (having lost her balance on her feet) towards the other end. Airi followed close behind. With Akane, it was best to just follow along and save her from herself. For now. Airi intended that they put a stop to all this soon, but Shikamaru, who was basically destined to dote on her in Asuma-sensei's place, seemed to have no problem with the role of being Surrogate Daddy for a Daddy's girl.

"Akane, no," said Airi gently, removing the kunai from the toddler's path. Akane frowned, but moved onto the shiny thing behind it almost immediately.

"Oh, that's where Hinata's necklace went," Airi muttered to herself. Well, best to keep Akane from eating it. Once she had moved on- and she would move on, soon, Airi would retrieve the necklace and hand it back to a soon-to-be-very-happy Hinata.

Akane picked it up and frowned at it. Airi vaguely wondered if she recognized it- associated it with the shy Hyuuga girl.

"Hina!"

Even if Akane was destined to be spoiled, she was also destined to be pretty smart.

"That's right, Akane. That's Hina's," she said. "Do you want to take it to her?"

"Hina! Up!" said Akane imperiously. Sighing, Airi lifted the small girl into her arms.

"Want to go see Hina-chan?"

Akane nodded.

"Okay, then. Hinata!" called Airi.

Hinata's head poked out from the kitchen doorway to the hall they were in. "Yes, Airi-san?"

"It's just Airi, Hinata. And Akane found your necklace."

Hinata squealed with delight. "Oh, thank you, Akane-chan! You too, Airi..." She trailed off, for once listening to Airi and leaving off the suffix. "Oh, and Shikamaru said that he had asked someone to help out, since Kiba had mentioned to him that you might be tired."

Airi nearly dropped Akane. "He said that? Really?"

Hinata smiled. "Of course he did. They were awfully worried, since you'd just come back from a mission and all. I hope that is all right?" As usual, Hinata's final statement was, in tone, a question.

"That's fine by me,"Airi responded, trying to keep her general tone of conversation all the same.

Airi was, in fact, elated. Kiba! Worried! About her! Today was a good day.

She really ought to have gotten over that Genin-days crush, but Kiba was always so... sweet and kind! They'd been good friends since Academy, when Akamaru had basically attached himself to Airi. She loved the large, sweet dog. And the crazy boy that came with him.

"Airi? Airi-san?" asked Hinata, waving her hands in front of the Jounin's face. "You really are tired, aren't you! I sure hope Yamanaka-san comes soon."

Airi then had to run after Akane, who had somehow slipped out of her grasp and was currently chasing down the cat.

"Let me know when they get here, okay?" asked Airi.

"Of course," said Hinata, nodding, and went back into the kitchen.

Hinata prepared breakfast diligently, every day, nearly. Her particular skills and inherited talents weren't usually needed by the village, as there were several other particularly capable Byakugan-users, so she hardly went on missions where she was required to stay unusual lengths away from home. She had obtained a temporary leave on the grounds of helping Kurenai adjust to life with a baby and without her husband, and happily stayed in the kitchen with Chouji day after day.

Hinata did not mind this. She enjoyed it much more than she enjoyed killing people- which wasn't saying much, to be honest. But still, she was happy and content and occasionally burnt, but that was okay. She was doing something she loved with the people she loved around her and she was in no mood to change this.

She turned back to the currently cooking breakfast.

"Hey, Hinata," said Chouji, stepping in lightly for someone so very large. He stepped in beside her and grabbed a few cups. "I'll get everyone's drinks ready."

They smiled at one another and went on with their tasks.

"Oh, you're missing one," said Hinata, surveying Chouji's work five minutes later.

He counted on his fingers. "You, me, Airi, Akane, Kurenai... Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino are on missions, 'member?"

Hinata shook her head. "You mean Shikamaru didn't warn you? He asked some girl to come help out today. Yamanaka Ino, I believe her name was..."

Chouji frowned.

"I never heard about-"

The doorbell rang.

Hinata blinked. "Suppose that's her?"

"I'll get it!" called Airi from the other room.

Chouji and Hinata turned back to the food.

"Hello," said Airi upon opening the door.

"Hey," said the blonde standing there in sweatpants and a t-shirt. "I'm Ino. Does Akane live here? Or Shikamaru, but he said he was going on a mission and that's why he asked me-"

Airi nodded. Clearly the girl was nervous.

"Come on in," said Airi. "We really are short on people today. I'm glad you came." She gave the girl the warmest smile she could muster and gestured to the inside of the house. "Kurenai's sick... we think with the flu bug that's going around so she's staying in her room, basically quarantined for now. Shikamaru and two other people are on missions. Chouji and Hinata can only be here for a little while today. Thanks so much."

"You're welcome," said Ino brightly. "Glad to help. I met Akane the other day- oh, and Shikamaru too- in the grocery store. Kinda long story, but he was busy and I changed Akane's diaper for him and he paid for my groceries. Which was really nice of him, I think."

"Ino!" said Chouji, poking his head out the kitchen door. "I thought that might be you."

"Hi, Chouji!" said Ino. Inwardly, she relaxed. Even if he wasn't really very familiar, Ino had found Chouji to be one of those comforting people. He was one of those people that was just... nice.

"Good to see you again," he said genially. "Here in the kitchen with me is Hyuuga Hinata. You're talking to Airi. Most everyone else is out, or else I'd introduce you to them."

Ino nodded. A dark-haired girl stepped out from behind Chouji. "Nice to meet you, Yamanaka-san." She bowed politely.

Ino bowed as well. "Nice to meet you too, Hyuuga-san."

"Please, call me Hinata."

"Then please call me Ino."

Hinata smiled, and Ino smiled back.

"And you are Airi, I guess," said Ino, turning to the girl with the brown ponytail.

Airi put out a hand. "Hello, Ino."

Ino shook it. "Hello, Airi."

"And of course you've already met me and Akane, and you can meet Kurenai later when she's feeling better," said Chouji. "Now, me and Hinata have to get back to breakfast before it burns."

"Did you by any chance eat breakfast this morning?" asked Hinata.

Ino shook her head. "I never do."

"Today's a good time to start, then," said Chouji, still smiling kindly at her.

The two retreated to the kitchen, and Ino was tempted to follow them; judging by the delicious smells, breakfast was going to be really good.

But she turned her attention back to the red-eyed baby tugging on her pants leg.

"'No. 'No! 'NO!"

Ino smiled at the abbreviation of her name. "Yeah, Akane?"

"Want up."

Ino assumed this to mean "pick me up", so she did. Akane giggled and pulled at her hair. "Pwetty!"

"Thank you. I happen to like it, too."

"Akane, don't pull on other people's hair..." said Airi.

Ino shrugged and detached Akane's hand. "It'll be fine."

"Well, okay, then..."

Akane pointed down the hallway, so Ino went in that direction too. As they passed by a closed door that said "Shikamaru" on it, Akane frowned. "Shika!"

"You miss him, huh?" asked Ino.

Akane's face answered with a pout. "Shika!" She pointed at the room. Airi opened the door.

"It's kind of just Shikamaru's shogi practice room." She smiled. Ino supposed it was sort of an inside joke.

Until she entered.

Various shogi books were scattered across the floor. Plays were mapped out on boards that were also on the floor. The bed didn't look slept in, and several drawers were open in the dresser- and empty.

"He doesn't live here, does he?" asked Ino.

Airi frowned. "Well, a lot of the time he just falls asleep wherever he is." She shrugged. "Not really, no."

Ino nodded, still confused.

Akane poked a few pieces on a shogi board near her. She frowned as if in thought, and poked them forward slowly.

"She's Daddy's girl," said Airi without thinking, and was a little surprised at Ino's gaping reaction.

"Shikamaru's her dad?"

Airi threw her hands up. "No! No, what I meant was that Shikamaru is a lot like her dad, and he kind of acts like a father to her. You know, dotes on her... stuff like that. I don't think he can help it." Airi grinned. "It's so cute."

Did Airi like Shikamaru? Ino wondered. She didn't have long to ponder this, before she and Airi snapped back into babysitter mode as Akane aimed for her mouth with a shogi piece.

"Akane, no!"

"Sweetie-"

Akane started to cry. Both kunoichi had nearly pounced on her.

"Oh, no, sweetie, it's all right," Ino said. Akane's wailing slowed down to sniffles. Airi picked her up.

"Maybe we should leave," said Ino. Airi nodded.

"Yeah, let's go to her room."

Ino laughed upon opening the door this time.

Akane's room was your average little girl's room, pink teddy bears lining the borders of the walls, with the walls behind it painted a matching pink. Her crib was a standard affair, light-colored wood, a mobile on top. What Ino found laughable, however, was the dull kunai and shuriken strewed about the floor. She picked one up.

"Is she training to be a ninja?"

Airi laughed. "No, it's just that when she was littler and we sent the guys off to get toys for her they had no idea what to get, and so they just dulled- practically cut off, actually- the edges of their shuriken and kunai. They're sort of lazy. She likes it, though, so we keep them here for her, and occasionally dull them more."

Ino fiddled with a shuriken, spinning it round and round in her fingers. Other, more acceptable children's toys could also be found, but Akane was busy throwing the shuriken at her crib- of course, the fact that they were dull and the other fact that she couldn't spin them properly when throwing prevented her from really causing any harm. There was a dent or two in her target, but Ino supposed that Akane's throwing was like a monkey's typing- sometimes you got Shakespeare, and other times you got gibberish.

"Breakfast!" called Hinata from the other room.

Akane looked up at the sound of the girl's voice, and, possibly recognizing the word, began to crawl out. Airi scooped her up and briskly walked out the hall.

Ino trailed after them, and inhaled the smell of actual, real cooking for once. Yup, she liked these people.

So... yeah. I like it, and I hope you do too... but whether or not you enjoyed it, review and let me know what you think!

Eh, so- my life has gotten kind of busy lately, which is why I don't update as often as I wish. : / Sorries.

Pairings that might be subject to change: ChoujiHinata, KibaAiri, ShinoHanabi. ShikaIno is set in stone, people. Don't worry about that. No one's going to come between them, either. (I think...)