Thanks for reading! As with most of my stories, they build up a lot. This is a true ShinoxSakura story, though, so expect the payouts to be worthy of that. Please read and review!
-LovelyWrath
The day was long, and Sakura had taken many short breaks during her gathering to enjoy the scenery, take in the fresh air, and ponder all the usual things, like work, all the recent gossip Ino laid on her at every opportunity, Naruto's constant drama and books she needed to acquire.
In the past, Shino hadn't crossed her mind much, but on this day she was realizing what a mystery he was to her. It was obvious why- she (along with most of the other females she knew) had immediately dismissed Shino at a young age. After all, bugs were extremely yucky back then. Surely they were the catalyst of Shino's potential social life. Sakura began to feel a little guilty as she remembered shying away from the boy on many occasions, or downright following suit as her peers avoided him entirely. Children could be cruel- heck, by now it was obvious that adults could continue the cruelty out of habit.
Sakura's original planned path produced less-than-stellar results, so when she finally caved in and reverted to Shino's proposed location for gathering she was rewarded with an abundance of herbs and mushrooms, as promised. She chalked her earlier failure up to the fact that it seemed her favorite picking spots had been discovered by other inhabitants of Konoha, or passers-though. Wandering to another side of the orchards proved to be easy and rewarding- soon Sakura's pouches were filled with herbs and delectable mushrooms, and even a few wild roots. She only decided to return home because she had more than she could carry. It occurred to her that she should share her spoils with Shino as thanks, as she happily wandered back towards the village.
Late into the afternoon, Sakura purposefully passed through the orchards again, but there was no sign of Shino, and she couldn't sense his chakra anywhere within range. Making her way back to the village, she wondered if it would be okay to drop some of the spoils off at the Aburame property. It wasn't far from her own home, and it wouldn't be too much trouble for her to pop by after she unloaded the spoils at home- and it couldn't help to have a shower, she thought.
Sakura was lucky to have a nice apartment, easily afforded on her konoichi wages. It was off the main roads, so the area was always quiet, which was great because Sakura's sleeping schedule could be seriously skewed depending on when she was needed at the hospital. As she made her way inside and deposited the fresh findings on the counter, she sighed, happy to be in her own little private corner of the village. It wasn't much, but she had a generous kitchen, small sitting area, a nice bedroom and a private bath. Her only complaint would be the occasional loneliness, but her loud friends Naruto and Ino often managed to distract her from that. Even Sai was a help when Sakura needed not to be alone. It was almost like he could sense it, so he would remain perched on her sofa, sketching away while she did chores, cooked, or vented, and all the while he'd remain pleasantly quiet and agreeable. As wonderful as her friends were, they could not fill all the voids in her life, and at night, Sakura would find herself alone in that bed, wanting warm body to snuggle up to. It was for that very reason that she never allowed herself to drink at home while alone with Sai or Naruto- she wasn't the most controlled drunk in Konoha.
A shower made Sakura feel better about herself, every time. She was still young, and her body was in the best shape- she exercised, sparred, and ate healthy. Being a medic ninja helped her maintain herself, even though it was an often stressful, sleepless occupation. She had recently let her hair grow out long again, and had taken to pulling it up into a messy bun atop her head, and today was no different. A fresh change of clothes and Sakura felt better than ever- her tunic was comfortable, yet fitting, and leggings were always her go-to for lounging, work, or most missions.
It didn't take long for Sakura to sort out some herbs and vegetables that she wanted to take to Shino. Finding herself on the road to their family gate, Sakura grew nervous. The Aburame clan was small, and generally quiet, but above all, they seemed like a very private clan. This wasn't unusual, as most clans were private, but the Aburame clan was very small and close-knit. It was Sakura's understanding that there were less than thirty of them in total, and only three children had been born to the clan within the last decade. She'd seen some of the top-secret medical files on the clan, and assisted Tsunade in administering fertility treatments to one of the younger, recently married clan women. Aside from that, Sakura had zero previous experience with this particular clan, so as she approached at the gate, she found herself at a loss for how to present herself.
The sun was setting far to the west, and the light falling over the weathered walls gave the place an almost spooky feel. Sakura stopped to take in the sight, and was happy to see lanterns were already being lit around the complex. The gates were tall, riddled with vinery and small red flowers. The walls around the property were no different- tall, ancient looking, comprised of cracked stones and overrun with vines and foliage. Most other clans kept their properties crisp and clean- the Hyugas cleaned and repaired their walls weekly. But for the Aburame clan, the state of the wall, with all its cracks, crevices and plants, was likely kept that way in favor of the clan's specialty.
"Can I help you?" Sakura almost jumped out of her skin- the man standing on the other side of the gate had completely crept up on her. With vines obscuring her vision, and his chakra fields blocked by the odd walls, the man was afforded a great protection in the form of chakra-proof camo. The man was much older than she, with greying hair. Still, he appeared toned, healthy, and alert. "What is your business here?" He regarded her carefully, suspiciously. It wasn't often a stranger approached the Aburame property, let alone a pretty girl.
"Good evening," Sakura smiled, "I am Sakura... Haruno Sakura. And I've come by to drop some herbs off to Shino."
The man's mouth formed an "o" and he nodded gently, realizing suddenly that she was not only familiar to him, but she was in fact the famed prodigy of their own Hokage. He seemed to be appraising her. Even so, he remained guarded. "Are you expected? I have not been informed of your arrival, miss Haruno..." Several small black bugs gathered upon his shoulder, and flitted their wings before taking off toward the center of the compound. There was a short silence as Sakura thought her actions through.
"Oh, no." Sakura blushed- she really was unused to dealing the clans. Had she guessed wrongly? Was her unannounced arrival too invasive? "This is really spontaneous, and I apologize for that. I met Shino while on my way to gather today, and I gathered far too much for myself. I was hoping to share with his family since he was kind enough to advise me of a few good locations... I don't mean to intrude. I could leave it here, or make an appointment.. or send a message.." Sakura took a step back, with the intention of retreating.
Just as quickly as they had gone, the small swarm of bugs returned to their post upon the man's shoulder, and skittered around excitedly. Sakura shuddered involuntarily- perhaps she was not as over the bug thing as she'd previously thought. The man canted his head and seemed to be collecting information from the bugs, somehow communicating silently.
"Wait.." The man seemed suddenly desperate not to let her go, "You are now expected." He undid the lock from the gate and opened one side to allow Sakura entry, he even afforded her a lopsided grin. She hesitated before entering the compound for the first time ever, and the gate was secured behind her.
"Shino's home is strait down this main road, and left when you reach the fountain." The man had no intention of leaving his post, but he noted the sudden apprehension on Sakura's face at the mention of navigating herself further into the compound. With a wave of his hand, another small swarm of tiny bugs flew out and hovered nearby, "Just follow your friends, they know the way."
Sakura nodded gently and did as she was told. It wasn't a long walk- indeed, the beautiful compound was quite something to behold, with all of the greenery and several weathered statues. The fountain at the center of the property was also overgrown with vinery, but still functional and magnificent. Before she rounded a corner, she glanced down the opposite path, and could just make out bee hive boxes at the far end of the street. Grateful that she didn't have to take that path, the followed her newfound "friends" until she arrived at a two-story home with a wrap-around porch. It was one of the more prominent buildings in the compound, which led Sakura to believe that Shino's branch of the clan was one of the more wealthy ones.
As she small swarm of bug dispersed, Sakura ascended the steps to the porch. As she reached up to knock, the door flew open and she was greeted by an unfamiliar, yet handsome man, who stared at her for an awkwardly long moment from the dark recesses of the entryway.