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.
Thank you to all of my reviewers. You make my day!
Chapter 7
OOOOO
Hinata removed her things and left to scout the perimeter of the reunion site as Shino's numerous uncles began unpacking the carriages. It was a traditional setup, complete with covered walkways between buildings and a hot spring area. A wall surrounded the property, but the gates were simply barred with wooden locks. A thorough scan revealed that there were no hidden traps. The only people around were the minimal staff kept on hand to support the place.
After making a quick report to Shibi, Hinata was released from duties to join her teammate. Even with dozens of people around, Hinata easily found Shino's chakra signature.
"…train with me, Shino-niisan," came Shinomaru's little voice from around the corner.
"Yes. Sometimes training is difficult, but if you persevere, you will surely become stronger."
"I will!"
"Good."
"What are we going to do first?"
"First and foremost for an Aburame is the ability to track. That is what we will be concentrating on."
"Like tracking enemies?"
"Yes, although tracking is by no means limited to one's enemies. It can also be helpful to find your friends and loved ones, or it can be used to find someone or something that is lost."
Shinomaru nodded dutifully.
"First, we are going to practice scent recognition. Every person has a unique scent, and your kikaichuu will become skilled at recognizing any scent, even if they are only briefly exposed to it. Then they will be able to track that scent. Let's start with your father, shall we? Do you think you could send some of your kikaichuu to find him while you remain where you are?"
Shinomaru nodded slowly.
"You must command them to find him and then report back to you."
The boy raised his small arms and a line of kikai bugs flew down the corridor.
OOOOO
Shino and Shinomaru peered around the corner. Their fathers were talking to their grandfather.
Shibi sighed. "So it couldn't be helped. The Ishitaka Clan is coming."
His father nodded sagely. Your mother insisted. You know how fond she is of your Great Aunt."
"We'll just have to be careful, Shiribi. They will surely cause trouble."
"Are you still holding a grudge because of that prank?" Shiribi smirked. "That was years ago. They haven't bothered with that 'tradition' in a while."
Shibi sent his brother a quelling look, which Shiribi shrugged off.
Shino quietly raised his eyebrows. What prank were they speaking of?
"They did," Shibi pointed out. "I stopped them."
"Really? You never mentioned anything."
"Kaoru-san requested that I not mention it."
"WHAT?!" Shiribi shouted.
"Exactly. We must be on our guard. They will be arriving tomorrow. We should…where are you going?" asked a bewildered Shibi.
"To go speak to my wife," his younger brother growled.
Shino scooped up Shinomaru into his arms and withdrew (a.k.a. ran away).
OOOOO
"Shino-niisan? What was Daddy upset about?" Shinomaru asked worriedly once they were out of the way.
"It seems there was some sort of prank played on our fathers by the Ishitaka clan. Do not worry about it, though, for it is not a serious concern." Though it is very interesting, he amended silently.
Shinomaru seemed more at ease after hearing Shino's reassuring words.
Shino wondered where Hinata had gone. He'd sensed her down the hallway as he spoke to Shinomaru earlier. He always knew when she was near. Instead of showing herself, she'd slipped off somewhere, probably going to help his mother.
OOOOO
Shiribi pulled away from his wife to let her catch her breath, though he kept his arms wrapped tightly around her.
"All of this excitement for something that didn't happen four years ago?" Kaoru chuckled with amusement.
Shiribi muttered something that was muffled by the kisses being trailed up his wife's throat.
"Shiribi, it's the middle of the day," Kaoru blushed. "What if Shinomaru comes looking for us?"
"He's playing with Shino," he murmured huskily.
"The girls are going to think we're having a big fight, what with you stalking up to us and growling about—Ah!" Kaoru broke off as her husband possessively suckled the tender flesh at the base of her throat. She grinned up at the ceiling and clutched fistfuls of his white jacket as a quiet moan escaped her throat.
"What would you have done with all of this pent-up energy if I'd already managed to leave for the shopping excursion?" she giggled against his temple.
"An Aburame can track his woman anywhere," he growled.
"So you like to remind me," she answered as she pushed the lapels of his jacket away from his torso. Her eyes flickered once more to the screen wall and the tentatively latched door. "Are you sure about…?"
"Yes," he reassured her as he claimed her lips with another possessive kiss that left her breathless.
OOOOO
Hinata nonchalantly strolled through the compound, making sure to patrol all of the major walkways and check for anything unusual. Even though Shibi and Tsunade didn't seem overly worried about another Supaichuu incident, Hinata's shinobi training had taught her caution. After her third uneventful round, however, even she was willing to admit she was being a bit paranoid.
Perhaps she would trail Shino as he trained Shinomaru in scenting and tracking. The way Shinomaru looks up to Shino is just so cute, she sighed to herself. It was a privilege to see him with his family. Her normally stern and silent teammate had an affectionate, kind side that only his family and teammates got to see.
Hinata stopped short when she heard a groan of pain. Who was that? The Aburames were similar to the Hyuugas. Hinata knew that if a Supaichuu slipped in, it would be difficult to find right away because the Aburame men would bear with any pain for as long as possible. She made up her mind to speak with Shibi on the subject. She understood his desire not to worry his family, but the bug users needed to know the risks they faced, however slight.
Byakugan activated, Hinata scanned down the hallway and found the source of the…
OOOOO
There were dozens of inner courtyards throughout the compound. Wide paths meandered through the inner gardens and met with the covered walkways between buildings. A few of Shino's uncles and cousins stood chatting in small clumps, one group at a small picnic table, one in the shade of a large maple. He found his teammate's chakra signature easily. Of course, it helped that she was barreling toward him at top speed.
"Hinata-neesan?" Shinomaru inquired with a worried tilt of his head. Hinata-neesan's face was very red. He hoped she wasn't ill.
"Hinata, what is the matter?" Shino asked quickly.
"Nothing!" Hinata squeaked.
Shino relaxed. He knew that blush for what it was. Hinata must have grown embarrassed for some reason. Perhaps one of his relatives had made a comment. He would train with her and coax the truth out of her.
"Would you like to train with me, Hinata? I was just going to take Shinomaru to his mother."
"NO!!!" Hinata's panicked shout rang throughout the courtyard.
Shock and hurt passed over Shino's face, and it took a moment for him to school his features back to some semblance of his normal, cool demeanor. Hinata…had never rejected him before, not so strongly. Once, she'd gently remonstrated with him for trying to choke Kiba. She'd also used a strong, impassioned voice when convincing her teammates to take on the Bikouchu mission. But now…he didn't know how to respond.
"We need to check the perimeter!" Hinata declared. Her tone now held only a hint of panic.
Shino blinked. Check the perimeter? What? "Hinata, what is the matter?" If we are under high alert, why doesn't she just say so? Is she trying to keep Shinomaru from being worried? If so, she's not doing a very good job. Shinomaru was looking up at them with a worried frown on his small face.
"I-I need to check the perimeter defenses," Hinata rambled, grasping at a plausible sounding excuse, "a-a-and I need you and Shinomaru to come with me!"
"Hinata, if there is any cause for concern, I should take Shinomaru to his parents," Shino pointed out.
"No! There's no cause for concern! A-a-and we should all go together because then we'll be a three-man cell! All shinobi missions should be conducted in a three-man cell whenever possible." Hinata pointed out desperately.
While it was true that the three-man cell was the preferred ninja team, surely Hinata realized that a three-year-old (even a Kikaichuu-armed, Aburame three-year-old) was not the most suitable third. Something was wrong with Hinata. Shino stared at her intently for several seconds, weighing all the information he'd gathered in the last several hours. Hinata wanted to spend time with him, though she didn't want to train. He tucked away the warm feeling of relief that flooded his chest at that realization, and he concentrated on the matter at hand. Hinata wanted to keep Shinomaru with them, and it was a pressing reason because otherwise she wouldn't be this panicked. The last time Shino had seen his uncle, he'd been striding out the door to find his wife. He hadn't worried at the time because all of his uncles had very loving relationships with their wives, but it was possible the two were having a quarrel over whatever had happened years ago.
"Hinata," Shino began carefully, "are Uncle Shiribi and Aunt Kaoru busy having a discussion?"
"Yes!" Hinata sighed with relief. Shino understood. It was still really embarrassing to be talking about it, though, and she could feel her cheeks warming up all over again. "They're having an important discussion, so we should be helpful and check the perimeter."
Satisfied with her answer, Shino nodded and led the way outside.
Author's Ramblings:
I wanted a scene that hinted at the passion the Aburame's are capable of, which is why I had that scene with one of the younger married couples.
On a completely different note: Could anyone tell me how to make those light blue lines between sections?
