Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. So if you recognize anyone or anything from the anime, I'm just borrowing.

Takes place sometime before Shippuuden

Chapter 3

OOOOO

"Shibiki isn't home yet?" Kinako fretted as she wrung her hands and glanced out the window one more time.

"Perhaps he was delayed because of his mission?" Hinata suggested.

Kinako sighed and sunk back down into a kitchen chair. "I can't believe this. The guests are going to be here any minute!"

There was the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

"Shibiki?" Kinako called eagerly.

"Yes, mother?"

"Oh good! I was so worried you wouldn't make it in time. Why don't you…What happened?!"

A taller and older version of Shino walked into the room. His Aburame jacket was brown, not because of a desire to be an individual, but because it was entirely caked with mud.

"It's a long story."

"Go and get cleaned up!" his mother shrieked.

Shibiki sighed morosely and trudged back to his room.

OOOOO

Hinata arranged the tea cakes on the tray. The girl was very pretty, though she seemed very uncomfortable and nervous. Her aunt also seemed skittish and kept glancing at the tabletop and the floor. Hinata didn't have a very good feeling about this omiai, so the least she could do was make sure the tea tray was perfect.

As Hinata neared the formal room, a high piercing shriek rang down the halls.

"Get it off! Get it off! GET IT OFF!"

Two hysterical figures rushed at Hinata through the halls. The kunoichi barely had enough time to dodge without spilling the entire contents of the tea tray on herself.

That was the omiai guest and her guardian! Hinata set the tray down and ran after them.

OOOOO

"Shino, we need to wash up, so let's go in through the back," Shibi instructed.

His son nodded his agreement. The two entered near the kitchen and were heading toward the bath when the unmistakable sound of shouting drifted from the formal meeting room.

Shibi sighed wearily. "That can't be a good sign."

Shino shrugged. Omiai's were not his thing. Though shouting is probably not a good sign, he silently agreed.

OOOOO

Hinata caught up with the ex-omiai candidate several streets away. The shrieking was a good clue.

"They're still on me! I CAN FEEL THEM CRAWLING!!!"

The girl raised the sleeves of her kimono and screamed at the bugs crawling on her arms. She immediately squeezed her eyes shut and began crying.

The aunt raised a trembling hand to swat the bugs away.

"I'll help you!" Hinata exclaimed as she rushed forward. "Don't do that!"

She gathered chakra into her palms and placed the tips of her fingers on the girls shaking, outstretched arms. The kikaichuu eagerly crawled onto Hinata's hands, hungry for chakra and pleased to be off of this generally upsetting creature.

Hinata silently activated her Byakugan to make sure she'd gotten all of the bugs. Five more. Two more. She sighed when the little bugs were safe.

"Okay, it's safe now," she informed them. The girl carefully opened one eye, took one look at the bugs crawling over Hinata's hands, and ran screaming in the other direction.

Hinata sweatdropped as the twin dust clouds slowly settled down.

OOOOO

"What happened?" Shibi asked impassively.

"Oh! Um…" Kinako trailed off. She gave her husband a brittle smile. "Hi, Honey! You're home early!"

"What happened?" Shibi repeated.

"Well…there was a little incident…so now the omiai is over," Kinako laughed nervously.

"What happened?"

"It turns out that Miss Jurimuko dislikes bugs," Shibiki answered flippantly.

Shibi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And how did you find that out?"

"I'm sorry," Kaoru burst in. "It's all my fault! I should have been watching him more closely."

Shibi started. "It is hardly your responsibility if my son misbehaves," he explained cautiously.

Kaoru pulled her own son into the room. "Shinomaru! Apologize to your Uncle Shibi right now! You ruined a very important meeting," she scolded.

Though Shinomaru's trembling mouth and tear-streaked cheeks might have been hidden by the collar of his coat, everyone was much bigger than him and could see his unhappy face from above.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Shibi," Shinomaru whispered.

The narrowed eyes widened in confusion. He had almost expected his eldest son to pull an impolite prank that would ruin the omiai, but Shibi had never expected something like this from his obedient little nephew.

"What happened?" Shibi wondered.

"I was training with my bugs," Shinomaru explained to his toes. "They found this scent that was really strong, so some of them went to investigate."

"I thought it might have been something like that," Shibiki nodded nonchalantly. Then he scooped his little cousin up into his arms. "It's not Shinomaru's fault at all. That girl was wearing enough perfume to give the village flower shop a run for its money. No wonder your bugs got confused."

Then Shibiki grinned and gave Shinomaru a squeeze. "You really saved me there, Shinomaru. No Aburame wants to accidentally marry a girl that hates bugs that much, right? So I owe you one, buddy."

Shinomaru sniffled, but he nodded in a miserable way.

"Shinomaru, don't be sad. I'm not mad at you at all, okay?" Shibiki bounced him up and down a little before setting him on the ground.

The little boy was still crying silently.

"Shinomaru…?"

"What's the matter, Shinomaru?" Kaoru asked worriedly.

"M…mm…my bugs. Some of them are missing. I think that woman might have taken them and squished them." Now the tears were fat drops that rolled down his cheeks in a wave.

"It's okay, Shinomaru-kun! I got them all back!" Hinata rushed in, knelt down, and held out her palms for Shinomaru to inspect. She'd even checked carefully on the way home to make sure none had fallen off on the wild flight from the omiai. The distinct color and pattern of the kikaichuu were easy for Hinata's perceptive eyes to recognize.

Kaoru and Kinako's eyes widened. There were over a hundred kikai bugs on Hinata's hands. She was just letting them crawl over her! Shibiki and his father narrowed their eyes to scrutinize the chakra glowing under the bugs. It was highly unusual for a non-bug user to be able to control bugs like that.

"See? This is all of them, right?"

Shinomaru stared and then nodded more happily. He held out his arms and called the little bugs back. They disappeared up his sleeves.

"Thank you." Shinomaru wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face against her throat.

Hidden by the collar of his coat, Shino smiled at the sweet sight of his little cousin hugging Hinata.

"Well, dinner's ready," Kinako said cheerfully, the horrors of the afternoon already brushed aside. "Let's go eat.

Shino fell into step with Hinata and whispered softly. "My mother looks like she's doing very well. Thank you again for helping her."

"Of course, Shino-kun," Hinata whispered back.