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! That's why I'm posting you another chapter so soon.
Chapter 8
A young man sighed as he knotted several strings on his pack. After a final yank, he sat back on his heels and ran a strong, lightly-tanned hand through his golden locks. He leaned his chin against his fist in quiet contemplation. As far as he was concerned, this was a ridiculous mission. His vibrant blue eyes narrowed. And as for being ethical, well…
"Tachoro, aren't you ready yet?" grumbled one of the two older men walking up to him. "We need to leave now if we're to infiltrate the compound and capture the target by tonight."
The other older man shifted his Kusagakure (Land of Grass) hitai-ate, a quiet glow of anticipation radiating from his determined visage.
Tachoro simply stood, shifted the long box on his back into a more comfortable position, and nodded once before falling in line with his team.
OOOOO
After dinner that evening, Shibi called a meeting of all the Aburame bug-users. Since Shinomaru was still a little boy, he was exempt from the meeting. Hinata smiled as his small form cuddled against his mother on a sofa in the large lounge. Traces of Hinata's homemade sweets lined his left cheek. Kaoru gently wiped his face as he settled in to hear a story.
Couches and comfortable chairs divided the room into cozy sections, and various Aburames were happily ensconced in their nooks. Many of them were already drifting off to sleep.
Hinata felt her eyelids grow heavy. The atmosphere was so warm and pleasant. She couldn't remember a single time when she'd felt this comfortable in her own home.
OOOOO
The youngest three mothers had tucked their little ones into bed. Karika remained to watch over the babies while her sisters went to chat with the others. She hummed a quiet tune as she stitched small flowers onto a tiny shirt for her daughter.
Low chuckling interrupted Karika's quiet reverie, and she froze. She whipped around to find two men dressed all in black in front of the open window.
"Look at the lovely little wildflower we've found, Genbo," the one on the right chuckled.
"She looks sweet enough to taste, Panto."
Karika stepped in front of the children and gripped her only weapon, the small needle she'd been working with.
OOOOO
Hinata's eyes snapped open. The seal was broken. All of the Aburames in the family lounge were asleep. She disappeared in a flash. Byakugan activated, she leapt to the courtyard while masking her chakra. Hinata located the intruders at once. There were two already in the room with the children. Hinata moved swiftly around trees and small structures. She landed like a silent shadow behind the two men advancing on Karika.
OOOOO
One of Tachoro's butterflies reported the disturbance and he hurried through the myriad inner courtyards. Silently, he suppressed his chakra and prayed no one would notice him.
They'd been found out. This was obvious to him when the forms of his "teammates" flew out the window and into some nearby bushes. He sighed and straightened up. It was pointless now.
He looked up to see who was responsible for catching onto their plan, and Tachoro's breath hitched in his throat. Crouched in the window was the silhouette of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her eyes shone with the beauty of the full moon. Her long dark hair flowed around her, caressed by the evening breeze. He wished he had his sketching pencils with him. So beautiful. So beautiful. So beautiful he almost didn't dodge her three kunai in time.
OOOOO
Shino fell silent. He'd been in the middle of explaining what it felt like to be infected with the Supaichuu when he'd sensed the spike in Hinata's chakra. His father, uncles, and cousins stared quietly at him.
Hinata's chakra leveled and plummeted until it was almost untraceable, which meant she was either actively suppressing it or had been attacked.
"Shino?" His father frowned. "Your report?"
"The women may be under attack," he said suddenly.
Shiribi started. "Under attack? Why do you say that? I've got some of my bugs with my wife. They'd have reported if something was amiss."
Shibi nodded. He, too, had stationed some of his bugs with his wife, just in case.
"I'll check," was all Shino said as he disappeared.
Shibi immediately followed his son. Shino had good instincts, and he wouldn't run out of a clan meeting for no reason.
OOOOO
Tachoro leapt back as the mysterious young woman dropped like a cat from the second story window into a graceful battle stance. He shifted uneasily into his own taijutsu stance. He'd been the top genin in his year, so he was certain he could overpower her, but he didn't want to attack her.
She was a shinobi—that much was obvious—but she also wasn't an Aburame. His indecision almost cost him. He managed to dodge her second set of kunai, but not the mid-level kick to his torso. The air rushed out of his lungs, and he only barely blocked her twelve quick, painful hits.
She was good. He jumped back and ordered his comrades to restrain the girl but not hurt her. Her eyes narrowed as the fluttering creatures drew closer. Her right hand came up and her left arm extended out to form a seal. Her eyes met his directly, and a strange jolt of electricity ran up his spine.
"Wait!" a voice shouted. "Hinata, stop!"
OOOOO
Confusion passed over Hinata's face, along with a light blush, when Shino's arm wrapped around her from behind. Restraining or protecting, it was hard to say. Probably a bit of both.
Tachoro stared at the arm around his mystery woman's waist and felt his heart sink unpleasantly into his stomach. Was this young woman his cousin's wife?
"Tachoro?" Shibi inquired impassively.
"Yes, sir?" Tachoro replied in defeat.
"I was expecting something like this from those two scoundrels that are your uncles, but I never thought you were the type of young man to get involved with such activities."
"My mother asked me to watch out for them," he explained sheepishly.
"I see."
Hinata's confused face whipped from one man to another. Most of the Aburame Clan now stood quietly watching their Clan Head gently chastise his young relation by marriage.
"W-W-What is going on?" Hinata murmured uncertainly.
"That is a distant cousin of mine, Ishitaka Tachoro," Shino murmured in response.
"C-C-Cousin?!" Hinata squeaked.
"My uncles were intending to play a prank. Apparently it is a tradition between the Aburame's and Ishitaka's, though this is the first year I've heard of it," Tachoro explained shyly. For some reason, he found her stuttering endearing and sweet, and it made him feel bashful in response.
"U-U-Uncles?!" Hinata gasped in horror. " Oh no!" With that, Hinata disappeared into the bushes. Quiet sounds of dismay answered the general curious looks of the Aburame men.
Hinata's flushed form managed to drag out two groaning bodies moments later.
"I-I-I'm so s-sorry, Shibi-san! I d-didn't realize th-they were r-relatives of yours. They're still breathing!" Hinata's voice grew smaller and smaller as she assessed the damage, injuries she had inflicted, with her Byakugan. "Only a few broken ribs…each…s-some internal bleeding. I can fix that!" she reassured desperately. Her voice again grew smaller. "Some bruises, and scrapes…p-probably from falling out the window…I'm not sure about the puncture marks…p-probably from the bushes…"
Hinata started when Shibi's quiet chuckle reverberated off the courtyard walls and grew into a full, deep laugh.
Shino raised a single brush-stroke eyebrow. He'd never heard his father laugh that deeply, or for that long, in his entire life.
When his laughter subsided, Shibi placed both of his hands on Hinata's slender shoulders. He stared down at her solemnly.
"Good work, Hinata."
Hinata's small mouth formed an "O" of bewildered surprise. She'd just beaten up his distant relations, and yet he wasn't angry with her? He was commending her?
"There they are!" shouted Karika to her sisters. The three came tearing out of the kitchen bearing all manner of sharp, pointed implements of destruction.
The two older Ishitaka's had been quietly moaning on the ground, milking the situation to try and get the cute kunoichi to feel sorry for them and offer to nurse them back to health. Genbo and Panto took one look at the advancing trio and ran, broken ribs, bruises, and all.
"Come back here, you Ecchi perverts!" screamed Karika as she and her siblings chased the two out of the compound.
"Pervert?" Karika's husband, Sori, frowned before taking off after his wife. Sora and Soru followed.
"Ano…should we go after them?" Hinata wondered.
"Let's leave them be. It will be just punishment for their crimes," Shibi decided.
"Crimes?" Shino wondered. "Exactly what was their intention, Father?"
Shibi merely shook his head and walked inside.
"Uncle?" Shino tried. "I don't recall any event like this. How can it be tradition?"
Shiribi looked uncertain, but then he seemed to make up his mind and shrugged.
"It's not a yearly tradition. It only occurs if an Aburame gets married. During the next family reunion, those two attempt to kidnap the bride. If successful, then they each kiss her and then let her go."
"Oh…. That is…rather a strange tradition," Hinata murmured.
"The 'tradition' is only in their heads. No Aburame would let another man kiss his wife."
"When did this tradition begin?" Hinata wondered.
"With Kinako, actually," Shiribi chuckled.
"Mother?" Shino frowned.
"Since it was the first incident, Shibi had no warning. He's never really forgiven them. I can't say that I blame him. Early on, if no Aburame had gotten married recently, then they would try to kidnap Kinako again. I thought those childish pranks had ended years ago, but it turns out Shibi has merely been preventing their attempts. They were especially sneaky this year. Normally the attempts occur during their visit. The Ishitaka Clan is not supposed to arrive until tomorrow, so sneaking into the compound a day early was unexpected."
Hinata laughed uncomfortably. "I think I was a little too hard on them, for a prank, that is."
"You were perfect," Shibi disagreed from the doorway.
Hinata flushed at the second compliment she'd received in a single day.
"Hinata, how did you know they were here?" Shibi inquired.
"I placed a warning seal on the window of the babies' room, so if anyone tried to enter through there, I would know."
Shibi nodded his approval. "That was a good idea."
Shino listened and watched, occasionally voicing his suggestions, as Hinata explained her security measures. He liked that she seemed comfortable with his father. Many people found him, all of his male relatives really (himself included), to be aloof and uncommunicative. Hinata, however, was quiet and attentive. She picked up on subtle nuances that were lost on many attempting to speak with an Aburame. Unlike Naruto, who tried to fill the void with chatter, Hinata simply waited until a person was ready. Naruto. Shino sighed. What with having Hinata to himself for the past few days, he'd almost forgotten the loud-mouth ninja that Hinata loved.
"Shino-kun?" Hinata repeated with a sweet smile and a gentle tug on his sleeve. "Shall we go inside?"
He nodded and allowed her to playfully pull him through the doorway by his coat sleeve.
