Author's Note:
My apologies on the delay of the release of the new chapter but if you've been reading my stories long enough, you already know that I'm about quality rather than quantity.
Special thanks to wonderwoman29 for being my human guinea pig and giving it a read before I did the posting.
So – without further interruptions… here's another installment of Shino and Ino goodness for your enjoyment.
A sentence in Italics denotes the private thoughts of a character.
Disclaimer: Yep – you got it. I don't own it. I don't make a profit from this either. I just do this out of lurv. Enjoy, beautiful people, enjoy.
So, if I decide to waiver my chance to be one of the hive
Will I choose water over wine and hold my own and drive?
It's driven me before and it seems to be the way
that everyone else gets around.
But lately I'm beginning to find that when
I drive myself my light is found.
Drive - Incubus
Chapter 6 – Word gets around
The Hokage stared out of the window, deep in thought. The situation with the Yamanaka still lingered prominently in her mind long since the man's dramatic departure.
Her beloved apprentice had left an hour ago and was planning to go over to the Aburame Compound this evening to check on Ino and let her know about this afternoon's meeting with her father.
It was going to be interesting to see how the other clans view Ino Yamanaka's choice to leave her own clan ties behind to formally embrace those of her lover. She personally didn't see what the fuss was... women usually became a member of their husband's clan when they married anyway.
The Hyuugas for one were more than likely to view the whole business as sad and sordid.
They had always viewed the Aburame Clan as beneath them, despite the fact that Hinata had been in the same cell with Shino when they were younger.
Tsunade personally felt that the young woman couldn't have picked a better man than the Aburame Heir. Yes – Ino was going to be just fine being cosseted by those two Aburame males in the main house.
Shibi Aburame for all of his love of village gossip, a cup of fine sake and the odd wild wager, was essentially a loyal family man with a deep respect for his village and clan.
She knew that if there was a potential problem that would prevent his son's happiness, the crafty old devil could always be trusted to find a way to get around it. The Hokage had to admit that suggesting to Ino that she could invoke her right to enact the Sanctuary of the Kikai was a stroke of brilliance. No one was going to want to take on a bunch of destruction beetles just to try and break a contract.
Tsunade stared off into the distance, an odd smile to her face. She knew she would hear from the old beetle nest before too long, but right now, he was up to his fine neck in potential scandal fodder and having a great time being in the thick of things.
Yes – Shibi, you have a lot of gossip to fill me in on…
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The woman managed to find the large Aburame Compound, thanks to the excellent directions that were in the message scroll addressed to her.
Emiko was nervously shifting her enormous hand bag, standing at the large ornate gates. She wasn't sure whether the Aburame would allow her to visit her daughter now that she had effectively walked away from her own clan.
She was soon dispelled of that silly notion as soon as she stepped through the gates and heard a cheery male voice proclaim, "Ino, you better bring your mother inside before she thinks she's not welcome in our home."
A cloud of beetles came out of the front door then, followed by her daughter's voice, "Mother, I'm coming but I am not allowed to run. These two would have my hide if I hurt myself."
She could hear the smile in Ino's voice and knew she was happy being around the Aburame Clan Leader and his son.
Two little destruction beetles buzzed out the door before Emiko saw her daughter appear, grinning on the arm of Shino.
Emiko smiled broadly at the sight of Ino in the pretty kimono coming towards her.
"Ahh, Ino. How are you feeling? I was so worried about you when you left yesterday." murmured the older woman with a worried tone in her voice.
"Mother, I was feeling much better this morning." replied Ino calmly.
Emiko didn't miss the way her daughter worded that but she wasn't about to ruin her good mood by probing her with questions.
She looked up to see an older version of Shino standing on the front landing of the house patiently waiting for everyone to come back inside. She knew she had this man to thank for suggesting to Ino the option she elected to take that would essentially give her daughter her heart's desire.
Emiko watched the young couple travel up the stairs, occasionally scolding the two little beetles that seemed to follow her girl around and smiled at their obvious happiness.
She waited for the couple to disappear into the house before she addressed Shino's father.
"Mr. Aburame, I am happy to make your acquaintance. I'm Emiko Yamanaka." said the older woman, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Please call me Shibi. Let's not sit on formalities when your daughter will soon be part of my family. Can I call you Emiko or would you prefer Mrs. Yamanaka?" replied the clan leader smoothly, returning her bow.
"Please call me Emiko. Shibi, tell me the truth. Is Ino okay? She wasn't in the best of shape when she left our house yesterday and I have been so worried sick about her." murmured Emiko anxiously.
"Why don't we go inside and get comfortable with some tea? We can have a nice long chat, hn?" countered Shibi.
The older woman shot him a look of gratitude and replied, "Thank you. Tea sounds wonderful."
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Emiko and Shibi sat in an airy sitting room, comfortably drinking tea and chatting about their children.
"She looks very happy, Shibi. Thank you." murmured the blonde woman before taking a sip of her tea.
"Emiko, I didn't do anything. It was ultimately her choice to make." countered Shibi, smiling warmly at his guest.
"Uh, Shibi… now that Ino was effectively removed herself from her clan, is it permissible for me to visit her? I'm afraid I am not clear on the guidelines of the sanctuary law." asked Emiko, the worry apparent in her voice.
Shibi smiled slightly and murmured, "Emiko – come and visit your daughter as often as you want. You don't need to worry that I am going to forcibly eject you from the Compound."
"I tried to persuade Shino to stay a while longer yesterday but he said he needed to get back here to take care of some formalities. Shibi, be honest with me. Ino was in bad shape when she arrived here last night, wasn't she?" queried Emiko.
She watched the Aburame Clan Leader take a sip of his tea before he answered with a small sigh, "Yes, I'm afraid so, Emiko. She was clearly exhausted, experiencing bad morning sickness and the stress of telling your husband really did the poor girl in."
Emiko sipped her tea deep in thought before replying, "Well, it's a good thing that Ino decided to make this choice then… my husband wasn't going to approve a union between our clans."
"Ahh… had a change of heart, did he? I'm sorry to hear that, Emiko. I imagine your husband is currently speaking with the Hokage trying to figure out a loophole in this law of ours, hn?" murmured Shibi slyly.
Emiko grinned and took a sip of her tea then commented, "Yes, I'm afraid so. He really wasn't thrilled when your clan messenger showed up."
Shibi clucked his tongue and said, "That is a real shame. I take it the directions were easy to follow?"
Emiko liked this man. It looked like her daughter had fallen in with a good clan.
"Yes, they were most helpful... I don't believe I would have found this place without them. " said Emiko with a broad smile.
"Yes… we are hard to find but we prefer living out here on the outskirts of the village." mused the Aburame Clan Leader.
Emiko took another sip of her tea and worriedly asked, "Since Ino elected to take this option – our family isn't obligated to provide a dowry for her. Is that correct?"
Shibi sipped his tea before answering the beautiful woman, "Yes, I'm afraid that is indeed the case. You don't get rewarded for turning your back on your clan. I wouldn't worry though because your daughter is going to be well provided for."
Emiko gave the man a measured look before carefully asking, "If I chose to provide a dowry for my daughter, would that be permissible?"
It was good to see that Ino had such a loving mother.
"Yes, that is acceptable. I am sure she will be delighted with the gesture." replied the clan leader.
Shibi took a sip of his tea as the woman reached into her bag then and pulled out two separate packages. It was clear to the clan leader that she had been collecting one item for a number of years as the paper was faded in places.
They say that I'm crafty! He obviously had nothing on this woman's resourcefulness.
"Since these are mine to give, I wish to provide these items for my daughter's dowry when she is ready to marry your son." replied Emiko in a calm voice.
She really was a clever one! Any items that were personal could be freely given without the clan getting upset.
Emiko slid the two items across the table to give to the clan leader.
Shibi unwrapped the brown paper on the larger item, carefully removing the wooden chest from its confines.
It soon became apparent why the older woman had been carrying such a large hand bag.
The Aburame unlatched the chest and lifted the lid before looking over in shock at the woman who suddenly seemed absorbed in the act of drinking her tea.
This woman really loved her daughter. There was easily a small fortune in gems in this chest, and what looked like a few complete sets in little cases. Some of these pieces were extremely old in design.
"The chest has been in my family for generations and has always been handed down from mother to daughter. I would prefer her to have it now." murmured Ino's mother.
Shibi nodded in understanding and gently closed the lid. He would get Ino to look through her mother's gift later.
He opened the heavy envelope next and was astounded by the contents.
"I had planned to use that to provide for Ino's wedding kimono and her trousseau when it came time for her to marry." said Emiko softly.
It was now apparent why the envelope was so old and worn in places. She had been carefully squirreling her spare yen away for years, most likely from the time Ino was a baby. A wedding kimono wasn't a cheap purchase, especially a silk embroidered one.
He was overwhelmed by the woman's generous nature towards her only child and really couldn't fault her. He would have done the same if he was in her position.
Shibi looked at the woman across from him and quietly murmured, "Why don't we take these to the study and put them in a safe place for your daughter. We can finish our tea later. There is something I would like to show you."
He carefully picked up Ino's bridal dowry and waited for Emiko to stand before leaving the sitting room.
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Emiko followed the Aburame Clan Leader into his large study and went over to one of the chairs to sit down while Shibi got his beetles to guard the door so they wouldn't be disturbed during this particular conversation.
Emiko suddenly had a thought.
"Where did Ino and Shino go? I noticed that it's pretty quiet." asked the woman, more than a little concerned.
Shibi chuckled, "I imagine Shino has persuaded your daughter to lie down and rest after this morning's excitement."
Yes, she could imagine things had been a little on the exciting side this morning if her husband's reaction this afternoon was an indication.
The man walked over to the safe, opened it and gingerly slid the two items inside.
Emiko notice him retrieve a scroll from the top of the safe before securely locking it.
He walked over to the seated woman and gave her the scroll before sitting down at his desk.
"I haven't mentioned this to my son or Ino yet but there is a special endowment that is given to the bride if she does decide to follow her heart and enact this particular law. The last time a woman was given this endowment was nearly two hundred years ago. We deliberately do not mention it for the reason that the agreement has to be entered into freely and unconditionally. The endowment can't be used as an inducement for the woman's decision. The Kikai would know the difference since the woman enters into a contract with the destruction beetles themselves." murmured the Aburame Clan leader.
Emiko nodded in understanding at that logic.
She looked at the scroll she held in her hands and slowly unfurled it, her eyes widening in shock as she continued to read it.
She looked up at the man behind the desk, stunned by the contents of the scroll.
Shibi smiled wryly at the woman's obvious shock at what was revealed in the document.
"Yes, Ino will be more than adequately taken care of… but I know whatever we provide for her isn't going to be as precious as what you yourself have provided for her." replied the clan leader softly.
"Thank you." murmured Emiko now choked up by emotion, silently handing over the document.
Her daughter was going to be treated like a queen by this clan and she couldn't wish for anything more…
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"Shino, you sure your father won't mind if we didn't join them for tea?" asked Ino in a concerned voice.
Shino placed a kiss on her bare shoulder before he whispered in ear, "No... I'm sure. It's best if we let our parents have their chat."
Ino laughed at her lover's matter of fact reply.
"You're not fooling me for one moment, Shino... You just wanted our parents to have tea alone, so you could have your wicked way with me..." murmured the young woman, stroking the hand wrapped around her waist and then continued in a whisper, "I'm not complaining though...I missed having you by my side last night."
Shino smiled against her shoulder and idly stroked her small belly with his hand before softly replying, "I missed you too, sweetheart... the spare room is a poor substitute for your warmth."
Ino twisted around to place a soft kiss on the bug wielder's firm lips, admiring the way his silvery eyes watched her as he stroked her back with long elegant fingers.
"Yo! Bug Freak! Open the window! I know you're in there...your Kikai have barred the window." called out a voice.
Shino sighed and gave the young woman in his arms one last lingering kiss before he rolled over to pick up his glasses from the small bedside table.
"Kiba, I'll be there in a minute... keep your voice down." replied the bug wielder sliding over to the side of the bed to retrieve a pair of pants.
"Hey, Bug Freak... what's going on?" called out Kiba.
Shino pulled on his pants and picked up the kimono from the floor.
"I'll be there in a minute, Kiba..." murmured Shino with a small warning in his voice, leaning over to give the blonde one last kiss as he handed her the kimono.
"Why don't you go and use the bathroom while I let Kiba in?" asked Shino as he helped his naked girl friend out of the bed.
"You know, he's going to figure it out with that sensitive nose of his..." replied Ino as she walked off to the bathroom with the kimono over one arm, not realizing that her lover was watching her with an admiring half smile on his face.
"Well, I would rather he discover it with his nose than see with his eyes." murmured Shino, hearing her soft laughter before she closed the door behind her.
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Kiba watched the Kikai beetles retreat from the window and saw them disappear into the sleeves of Shino's jacket as he finished zipping it up.
The dog nin pushed up the window and was immediately assailed with a familiar smell.
"Oops... my bad, Shino... the clan messenger arrived at my place and I was concerned." replied Kiba sheepishly before continuing in his usual brash way, "So, it's true then... She really gave up her clan for you? That's pretty damn romantic, bug freak!"
"Yes – I was surprised by her decision. I wasn't expecting her to do it." murmured Shino quietly, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose, as he watched in mild amusement at his old team mate lifting a long muscular leg over the window ledge and climb into the room, like he'd been doing for years.
"Yeah – well, I was more surprised by the news that my best bud has been hot and heavy with Ino for god knows how long. It's always the quiet ones that you have to watch, eh Bug Freak?" replied Kiba as he landed gracefully onto the wooden floor.
"Yes, I am sorry about that, Kiba... Ino preferred to keep our relationship discreet and I respected her decision." returned Shino in a serious undertone, the color high on his cheeks behind his high collar.
Kiba shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded in understanding, muttering, "Yeah – I can't say I blame her...considering the fact that she was treated so badly by Shikamaru."
"You knew?" asked Shino with a frown.
"Yeah... It was kind of a similar situation to this one actually. I had to collect Shikamaru for a mission and...yeah, my nose pretty much filled in the details." replied Kiba sheepishly, reaching up one hand to rub the back of his head.
"Did he mention why he did it, Kiba?" asked the bug wielder quietly, giving the bathroom door a quick glance.
"Yeah... he said with Temari... he couldn't help it...it just happened." responded Kiba with a shrug.
"I see." murmured Shino, turning away to retrieve his hooded jacket.
"Well, maybe it was a good thing that he did screw up so spectacularly... because if he hadn't – you and Ino wouldn't be together now." replied Kiba cheerfully.
Shino looked over his shoulder and frowned at his friend, groaning, "You're enjoying this, aren't you – Dog Breath?"
"Well...yeah. My old team mate and best friend scores a hot blonde... that's freaking awesome!" said Kiba with a grin.
"Have you told him our other news yet, Shino?" asked a feminine voice behind the two men.
"What news?!..." exclaimed Kiba with a scowl at his bug wielding team mate before turning to smile and murmur in an admiring tone, " Oh hey, Ino...the kimono suits you."
Shino glanced over at the blonde standing in the doorway of the bathroom with the soft blush to her cheeks.
She looked beautiful.
"I was waiting for you to come out of the bathroom before I told him." replied Shino with a small smile.
"Well?! She's here now... spill!" exclaimed Kiba excitedly.
"Ino's expecting... I'm going to become a father..." said Shino, still smiling at the young woman.
"Holy shit... I can't freaking believe it..." yelled Kiba before rushing over to pick up Ino in a bear hug.
Ino realized what Kiba was about to do and quickly gasped, "No, Kiba... stop!"
It was too late.
As soon as Kiba placed his hand on Ino's waist, they attacked.
"AAAARRGGHHH!!!"
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Emiko and Shibi had returned back to the sitting room and were sitting there comfortably drinking their tea when they heard the blood curdling scream.
Emiko looked up horrified and asked, deeply concerned, "Oh Kami... should we go and see if the poor man needs any assistance?"
Shibi looked up mildly amused before returning back to casually sipping his green tea.
"There's no need... It's just Kiba. He just found out about your daughter's little watchdogs." replied Shibi with a small smirk.
"Ino's little watchdogs?" asked Emiko, very puzzled.
"Yes – those two Kikai that follow your daughter around are there for her protection... no one but their host is allowed to touch Ino without permission." murmured Shibi, picking up the plate of cookies and offering one to the blonde woman sitting across from him.
"Oh... is that normal?" asked Emiko taking a cookie from the plate.
"Yes – it's normal for the Kikai to form a bond outside of its bug host when their host's life mate is expecting. The number of Kikai that bond with the woman is an indication of how many children are present. What isn't normal is how ferocious those two destruction beetles can be." commented Shibi dryly, pulling up his sleeve for the second time that day to show Emiko the evidence of the Kikai's viciousness.
"Is he going to be okay?" asked the older woman weakly, as her blue eyes widening in shock at the sight of the large red welts all over the man's arm.
"He'll be fine... he just won't be making that mistake again in a hurry... that's all." replied Shibi with an evil chuckle.
"CALL THESE BLOOD THIRSTY LITTLE MONGRELS OFF ME!" howled out the same voice that yelled earlier.
The Aburame clan leader gave a heartfelt sigh and called out, "Kiba – if my son could stop laughing long enough, he'd tell you to take your hand off Ino... the little bastards will leave you alone then."
"Is that what happened to you? You touched Ino?" asked Emiko slightly aghast.
Shibi looked at the blonde woman in shock before chuckling once more as he shook his head in the negative.
"No... they just don't like me... their grandfather didn't like me too much either..." replied Shibi with a smirk before taking a sip of his tea.
"You don't seem too upset that those two beetles are that nasty..." questioned Emiko as she took a bite of the cookie in her hand.
The Aburame laughed and responded, "No... I'm not. I'm rather pleased by it actually."
"Why?" murmured Emiko raising a blonde eyebrow as she took a sip of her green tea.
"It means that our grandsons' are going to be formidable Shinobis when they grow up." responded Shibi with a knowing smirk.
"I don't understand." remarked Emiko with a shrug of her shoulder.
Shibi wasn't offended and grinned at the woman's blank look.
"Each of Ino's kikai will become half of a breeding pair that will be placed into our grandsons when they come of age to accept their first destruction beetles. Any beetles sired by these two are going to be feared – even by this clan." murmured Shibi conversationally and lifted the teapot, asking with a small smile, "Would you like some more tea?"
"Thank you, Aburame-sama." called out a relieved voice from Shino's room.
Emiko looked at Shibi acting so calm and collected, pouring the tea before she finally lost her composure and started laughing.
The Aburame clan leader smiled and picked up a cookie from the plate.
Yes – these grandchildren of theirs were going to be a handful but he wouldn't have it any other way.
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Inoichi arrived home to silence but wasn't surprised by this.
He knew that his wife was mad at him and in retrospective, he couldn't blame her.
If he had been thinking rationally about all of this and instead of thinking about how accepting a union with a bug clan would be a blow to his manly pride, then maybe his daughter wouldn't have chosen the path she took.
The fact that his daughter had taken this path before he had been given the opportunity to refuse the contract told him quite plainly that he had let his baby girl down.
He sat down on his couch and stared off into the distance.
Inoichi was in a quandary. The hokage was correct – as blunt and cruel as her words were at the time.
He accepted that the sanctuary agreement was binding. There was no way that he was going to take on a swarm of chakra eating destruction beetles to try and break the contract... he knew that now.
If he wanted to salvage a relationship with Ino and have an opportunity to develop one with his grandsons... he needed to suck it up and make an appointment to talk with Shibi Aburame.
The shrill ringing of the phone broke into his chaotic musings.
Inoichi looked at it in mild surprise before he sighed and picked up the receiver.
"Yamanaka." said Inoichi gruffly.
"Well, I don't need to ask you how you're handling the news, old friend." replied a familiar voice.
"Shikaku...now is not a good time..." started Inoichi.
"You screwed up and you're trying to figure out a way to rectify the situation, right?" broke in Shikaku.
"Yes." replied Inoichi in surprise.
"I'll see you in an hour at the Korean Barbecue place. I suggest you bring a couple of empty scrolls as well as your seal. We're going to help you work out an agreement that will allow you to see your daughter, despite the sanctuary law." murmured the voice on the phone.
"Wait – Shikaku... there's more to..." began Inoichi, only for his friend to cut in once more.
"Inoichi... you can tell us about it when we meet up at the barbecue place... now, get going, leave a message for your wife and collect what you need... oh yeah... bring plenty of cash because if this works out as well as I anticipate, you're paying for dinner." replied Shikaku before hanging up.
The man stared at the receiver in his hand for a moment before finally hanging it up with a heavy sigh.
Inoichi pushed a hand through his hair and bleakly contemplated a future without his daughter being a part of it.
The phone began to ring once more and he frowned slightly as he picked up the receiver.
"Yamanaka." said Inoishi morosely.
"Tsk... troublesome. Stop beating yourself up, Inoichi... you're not the first person to do something bone headed and you're not going to be the last. Now, grab your stuff, plenty of cash, leave a note for your wife and get your ass down to the barbecue place." drawled Shikaku before hanging up once more.
Inoichi gave a heartfelt sigh before pushing himself up from the couch.
It didn't take too long for him to collect what he needed and to leave a note for his wife on the kitchen table.
He gave his wallet one final check to make sure he had plenty of cash before he walked over to the door and exited with a soft click.
If Shikaku's plan worked out – he was tempted to pay for the sake as well.
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Sakura was about to knock on the front door when she heard a smoky male voice call out, "Come in, Haruno-san... we've been expecting you."
"Sakura? ow! That freaking stings, Shino!" called out another male voice cheerfully, only to end in a yowl of pain.
"Kiba? You sound like you're in pain... are you okay?" called out Sakura in concern.
"Please come in here and patch me up... Shino has been trying but quite frankly, he sucks." called back Kiba in a pleading tone.
"Ino has medic training...can't she..." asked the pinkette with a small frown only to hear Kiba quickly yell out.
"NO – ABSOLUTELY NOT!!"
"Haruno-san... please come in... and tend to Kiba's injuries... he's in Shino's old room." called out that smoky male voice once more.
Sakura pushed open the door and gingerly walked down the corridor, following the sounds of Kiba cursing at his friend.
"Damn it, Shino... gentle." growled out Kiba.
Sakura stared in shock at the sight of the dog nin sitting on the edge of the bed, covered in bright red welts on any exposed part of his body.
Shino was standing nearby with a tube of ointment and a roll of bandages.
"Oh Kami ...Kiba what happened?" asked the medic nin in dismay as she rushed over to treat Kiba's injuries.
"They happened." growled out Kiba in disgust, jabbing a finger over in the direction of where Ino was standing.
Understanding came swiftly as Sakura saw the hissing kikai sitting in their usual perches on her blonde friend.
"Ino – they attacked him? Why would they do that? They seemed awfully sweet to me." asked with a frown as she listened to the tiny beetles chirping.
The pink haired medic nin knelt down in front of Kiba and started to heal the large red welts with her chakra.
Kiba was relieved to feel an initial tingle and then no pain. Sakura continued to work in silence before she stood up and sighed, "I think I got them all... how do you feel?"
"Much better... thanks Sakura... I don't think I could have handled much more of nurse blood's bed side manner." grinned Kiba in relief, nodding in the direction of his old team mate.
The pinkette laughed and nodded, "I understand what you mean. Shino is not really known for his medical skills."
A smoky voice called out from the other side of the house, "Oh Haruno-san... now that the Inuzuka is patched up... could I impose on you to treat my injuries also?"
"Same thing?" asked Sakura with a sigh, looking over at the little kikai cooing.
She couldn't believe those two were capable of inflicting that much pain.
"They are only sweet when they want to be... but those two are all business especially if they think Ino is threatened...never doubt that, Sakura." murmured Shino quietly.
Sakura glanced at Shino in shock, before finally sighing and leaving the room.
They heard her call out, "I'll be right there, Aburame-sama."
"I'm so sorry, Kiba... I did try to tell you..." murmured Ino, a little upset by what just happened.
Kiba looked up in surprise and suddenly grinned, "Ino... its okay. I am actually relieved, if you want to know the truth."
"Relieved? Why is that, Kiba?" asked Ino, clearly puzzled by the man's odd behavior.
"When I heard that you had disowned your clan, I was worried about your safety, especially if both Shino and his father are called away for missions but I can see that you will be just fine." replied Kiba with a wry smile.
The sound of Ino's stomach grumbling caught the attention of both men then.
"Sorry... I guess I'm hungry..." murmured Ino embarrassed.
Kiba laughed and replied, "Yeah... I guess so... how about we wait until Sakura is finished treating Aburame-sama and then we could head out to find some food for you and that baby of yours, hn?"
"Babies, Kiba... as in twins." countered Shino's quiet and matter of fact tone.
Kiba's head swiftly swiveled around and looked at his friend in shock, exclaiming hoarsely, "Holy shit, Shino... when you knock a girl up – you don't mess around, do you?"
Ino's soft laughter drifted in the air as she watched Shino lift his hand and softly threaten to drain his old team mate if he didn't shut his mouth.
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Shikaku locked the door and slipped his house keys into his pocket as he walked across the covered porch.
He was about to step off and onto the road when he heard his wife call out, "Shikaku! Don't stay out until the early hours... You need to mow the lawn in the morning like you promised!"
The Nara Clan Leader sighed and called back, "I won't stay out too late, Yoshino."
Shikaku was about to step off the front porch yet again when he saw the familiar figure of his son walking lazily up the road.
"It's just not my night to catch a break." muttered Shikaku under his breath.
Not that he didn't normally welcome a visit from his son... just tonight... well, was a little inconvenient.
"You heading out on a mission?" asked Shikamaru in mild surprise as he stopped in front of his father and noticed the small bag on his father's back.
"In a way ... I'm heading over to the Korean barbeque place to meet with Choza and Inoichi." replied Shikaku.
"Oh? It's nothing serious, is it?" asked Shikamaru with a slight frown.
"Troublesome..." growled Shikaku under his breath and said loud enough for his son to hear, "Look – I can't hang around here all night. If you want to talk – we need to do it while we're walking."
Shikamaru nodded as his father stepped down and started walking briskly down the dirt road.
Okay – his father was lazier than he was... he never rushed anywhere.
He quickly caught up with his father and asked with a slight edge to his voice, "Okay, father... what is going on?"
"When was the last time you talked to Ino, son?" countered Shikaku.
Shikamaru stood still, rigid in shock at that question but quickly broke into a trot when he realized that his father wasn't going to slow down.
"I haven't talked to Ino since my engagement was announced but you know that, father... Why are you suddenly asking me about Ino?" asked Shikamaru with a scowl.
"I'm not surprised by that answer, Shika... I know your woman never did like the fact that you and Ino were still friends after your relationship ended." murmured Shikaku dryly as he shifted the small pack on his bag.
"What's going on, father? Does this meeting with your drinking cronies have something to do with Ino?" asked Shikamaru, feverishly working over a dozen different possibilities in his mind.
"Yes, son... It does indeed have something to do with Ino." replied Shikaku more than a little impressed at how quickly his son came to that conclusion.
He shouldn't really be surprised though... his son was a genius... but still...
"Is she sick? Injured?" asked Shikamaru, now a little concerned.
"Well, not that I am aware of..." responded Shikaku distractedly.
"Then what is it that is so important that you need to be in a rush to meet Yamanaka-sama and Akamichi-sama?" bit out Shikamaru, beginning to feel a little frustrated by this situation.
"Ino has formally disowned her clan." replied Shikaku with a sigh.
"Wha? Why would she do that?" exclaimed the younger Nara in shock.
"Why? Because Inoichi is a hard headed fool. Instead of thinking of the consequences of his actions, he decided to make rash decisions and now, he's having regrets." muttered Shikaku in a bitter tone.
"Okay... I'm..." started Shikamaru, only for his father to stop abruptly and face his son.
"Shika... because of the way that Ino chose to remove herself from her clan, every clan in this village is now aware that she has sought protection from her lover's family rather than allow her father to force her into an arranged marriage."
"Oh." murmured Shikamaru understanding start to dawn in his dark eyes.
"Yes... very big OH." remarked Shikaku with a wry twist of his lips.
"What's going to happen to Ino? She's going to be branded as this loose woman..." responded Shikamaru with a concerned frown marring his brow, only for his father to cut in.
"I doubt anyone is going to be game enough to even make a whisper regarding Ino's morals, son... not if they value their lives..." replied the older Nara with a small chuckle.
Shikamaru watched his father glance at his watch and shifted his pack on his back before he moved off once more.
"Ino invoked her right to enact the sanctuary of the Kikai." drifted out Shikaku's voice softly as he disappeared down the road.
Shikamaru did not bother to catch up with his father this time. His mind was still busy dealing with the bombshell he'd just received.
He didn't know what the hell the Sanctuary of the Kikai was but there was only one clan in this village that could have a law like that.
Aburame.
------------ ---------------- --------------------
"Shino... How do you and your father do that? It's been bothering me..." murmured Sakura as they walked down the road towards the village.
"Do what, Sakura? You need to be a little more specific, I'm afraid." countered Shino with a small smile to his lips as he felt Ino's hand slide up to curl around his arm.
"You know... the way you both just seem to know what's on a person's mind... it's kind of freaky...uh, no offense, Shino." replied the medic nin, now feeling a little foolish.
"The Aburames, like the Inuzuka, are renowned for their tracking ability but it's their skill to observe and gather information that makes them a true asset on a team. They can pick up what a person is thinking by watching their body language and facial expressions as well as picking up changes in chakra levels in addition to changes of emotions using their Kikai." responded Kiba in a quiet gruff tone.
Sakura looked over at the broad chested nin with the clan tattoos on his high cheekbones and silently marveled at this other side of the man.
She still couldn't believe that Kiba who had been as loud and obnoxious as a certain blonde former team mate of hers was now a respected Clan Leader.
How was it possible that this man like Naruto could excel in a way that constantly surprised others?
"Don't let the creepy stoic exterior fool you, Sakura... Shino and his father are highly intelligent for bug freaks." drawled out Kiba with a small smirk to his lips, hearing the subtle humming of Shino's destruction beetles at his comment.
"So, Kiba – where's Akamaru tonight?" asked the pink haired woman, finally noticing that the large man was alone.
"His mate is expecting their first litter of pups. I don't need him for a mission, so I let him stay at home." murmured Kiba a little sadly.
"What's wrong, Kiba?" asked Sakura now a little concerned by the sudden mood change.
"While Kiba is excited by the impending arrival of Akamaru's first litter... he's sad that he hasn't yet found his own life mate... He would have liked his first born to have one of Akamaru's pups from the important first litter...but Hana's first child will have that honor instead." replied Shino from behind her.
"Oh... I see." whispered Sakura looking at the encroaching twilight as a feeling of sadness settled inside of her.
Kiba was a handsome guy... How was it that he hadn't found someone that he wanted to settle down with?
Kiba glanced over at Sakura and could see the questions flit across her expressive face, even in the dark.
"Sakura... while I still have the urge to rut... I just haven't felt the desire to put my mark permanently on a woman and claim her for life." murmured Kiba quietly.
"How do you know if you've found the right one, Kiba?" asked the medic nin in a whisper.
"It's not something you can put into words, Sakura... but I will know when I have found the right woman to bear my children." replied Kiba, noting the dark flush that appeared on the woman's face at the mention of children.
"And you? Have you found someone special?" murmured the Inuzuka slyly as he watched the flush darken on her face, correctly guessing what her answer was going to be.
"No...uh... I mean, I want to...I do... but..." broke off Sakura, looking away from Kiba and now feeling a little uncomfortable about how personal this conversation had turned in a short amount of time.
"Don't worry...Sakura... You're an incredibly beautiful woman... I am sure that the right man will eventually come along and sweep you off your feet." remarked Kiba, shoving his hands into his pockets before he finally strode slightly ahead of the group.
Sakura felt her cheeks burning brightly as she watched him walk ahead.
Why did she suddenly get the impression that he was embarrassed?
-------------- 0-----------------0--------------
Inoichi stepped into the restaurant and looked over to see his two old team mates and friends waiting impatiently for his arrival.
Choza was happily helping himself to a pot sticker as Inoichi sat down at the table.
"Did you bring the blank scrolls and your seal?" asked Shikaku lazily.
Inoichi nodded as Choza finished the pot sticker in his mouth and jovially murmured, "Don't worry, Inoichi... I'm sure that despite how badly you feel you royally put your foot into it... there is always a way to redeem yourself."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Choza... I really did it this time and I've only got myself to blame for this mess." returned Inoichi morosely.
"That bad, eh?" asked Shikaku with a raised eyebrow at the dejected look on his friend's face.
"Yeah – I'm afraid so... not only did I refuse to listen to the Aburame Clan's offer of an alliance through marriage between the two clans, there's a strong possibility that I have lost my chance to ever know my grandsons." confessed Inoichi to his two friends.
"Hehehe... you were right, Shikaku... as per usual." murmured Choza with a small smile.
"You knew?!" asked Inoichi in shock.
"No – but I suspected that the reason why your daughter opted to invoke this particular law was because of the fact that she was expecting a child." replied Shikaku with a smirk.
"So – my daughter is truly...lost to me then?" asked Inoichi sadly.
Choza and Shikaku looked at each other in contemplation before the Nara finally murmured, "No... you can still recover from this... but not without a small sacrifice on your behalf."
"Okay...You have my attention, Shikaku... how?" queried the blonde man leaning forward on his folded arms.
"You can still prevent your grandchildren from accepting their first Kikai, despite the sanctuary agreement. Since both clans will be relying on these grandchildren to continue their respective lines, the Aburame will be prepared to take any concessions you offer in a serious light." responded Shikaku with a sly smile.
"I see... you mentioned that I would need to make a small sacrifice... what are you suggesting I do, Shikaku?" asked Inoichi with a frown, as he contemplated this strategy.
"Give your permission to allow both your grandchildren to accept Kikai when it comes time, but request that your daughter's next child be exempt from the ceremony and given to your clan for training." replied Shikaku.
"Why – both children... why not just one?" questioned Inoichi.
"They will be formidable and powerful nins if they are kept together and trained as a team. The Aburame knows this... and he will be prepared to negotiate to keep the children together...especially if the father is an exceptional shinobi himself." countered Shikaku with a smile.
"From what little I have observed of the young man's technique... he seems to be at a Jounin level - skill wise and I imagine that enemies do their best to avoid him... quiet, highly intelligent with quick reflexes, despite that tall angular frame of his and an ability to assess a situation in a small amount of time... yes – I say he is quite exceptional... as well as extremely dangerous if crossed. " muttered Inoichi out loud as he continued to give the plan serious thought and completely missing the look of shock and understanding that passed between Choza and Shikaku.
"Inoichi... the father of Ino's unborn children wouldn't happen to be Shino Aburame, would it?" asked Choza carefully, quickly losing his appetite for food as the pot sticker slipped unnoticed from the man's slack chopsticks.
"Yes – I believe that was the young man's name." replied Inoichi, looking up in surprise and noting that Choza had gone pale at the confirmation of the father's identity.
"So – Ino managed to capture the heart and attention of the Aburame heir himself. I'm impressed, Inoichi... no wonder Shibi isn't pulling any punches." murmured Shikaku with a calculating gleam in his dark eyes.
"Eh... I'm sorry, Shikaku... but I fail to see what is so impressive about this situation." replied Inoichi glumly.
"Shino Aburame is quite the catch despite his notoriously reclusive nature. Many clans have tried to arrange alliances with the Aburame, only to be politely refused…and yet, Ino managed to achieve the feat without too much effort. Also - the fact that your daughter is carrying Shibi's grandsons will make him more adamant than ever to ensure the boys are trained together as a team. " remarked Shikaku in a deceptively casual tone, carefully watching his friend under hooded lashes.
Inoichi picked up the cup on sake sitting in front and took a sip, staring down at the table, now deep in thought.
"You still have the chance to recover from this situation and gain an extremely powerful ally in the process." countered Choza as he reached down to retrieve the pot sticker from the sauce.
Inoichi looked up then and contemplated his old team mates for a while before finally replying, "Okay – what do I need to put in this scroll?"
Choza smiled in delight as Shikaku responded, "Why don't you unroll one of those parchments and we'll get started, hn?"
------------------------6--------------------------
Shikamaru unlocked the front door of his modest apartment and slipped inside, still in shock from his father's news.
"Shika? Are you okay? You look pale as a ghost." murmured a concerned female voice.
The lazy nin absently locked the door behind him and walked into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge.
Temari frowned at her fiancé's preoccupation as he walked into the living room, open bottle in hand and watched him sit down beside her on the couch.
She waited for him to have a sip before prompting, "Well?! What happened? I thought you were going to spend some time with your father tonight."
Shikamaru took another pull from his beer bottle, swallowed before finally replying, "There was a change of plans, Temari. My father needed to go and meet the Yamanaka."
The blonde responded with a small smirk to her lips, "It was that time of the month, eh?"
Shikamaru leaned back into the couch as he put the bottle to his lips and took another healthy swallow.
He reached out and absently stroked the top of her hand before replying, "No... nothing like that. Dad is helping the Yamanaka try to work out a way to see his daughter."
Temari stared blindly down at the floor, trying to hide from Shikamaru how even the slightest mention of the other blonde upset her as she replied, "Why would he need to do that?"
"Ino formally disowned her clan today." responded Shikamaru as he lifted the beer bottle to take another sip.
The fan wielder turned to look at her husband to be in disbelief before exclaiming in an incredulous tone, "You're not joking, are you?"
Shikamaru grimaced and replied, "No, I'm not... She's staying with her lover's family for the moment rather than being forced to marry against her will."
"Lover?! When did that happen?" murmured Temari in shock.
"I don't know but I'm guessing that she's been seeing this guy for a while..." replied Shikamaru lifting his bottle to take another sip.
"Do you think it's just a ploy to get your attention?" asked the blonde, a little suspicious about the news of her rival's new man.
"Huh? What do you mean?" countered Shikamaru absently as he placed the bottle onto the table.
"Well, don't you think it's strange that she's suddenly seeing someone, after all this time?" replied Temari, giving her fiancé a long look.
"Normally I would find it strange but... when I heard which clan Ino's lover is from... I wasn't surprised that the relationship was kept so low key." murmured Shikamaru with a frown as he clasped his hands together under his chin.
"Okay... you have caught my attention now... which clan is this man from?" asked Temari with a raised eyebrow.
"Aburame." came the succinct reply.
The blonde reared back in shock before exclaiming, "Wait – aren't they the clan with the creepy bugs that eat the chakra?"
Shikamaru looked over at his lover, a small smile tugging at a corner of his mouth as he nodded, "Yes – that's the clan."
"Gahhh! I remember Kankuro telling me about that fight he had with that bug wielding nin all those years ago. He said that it was one of the most vicious battles that he had ever experienced." responded Temari with a shudder.
"Well, Shino hasn't changed too much over the years... if anything, he's become a more formidable opponent as he's gotten older." muttered Shikamaru, his mind already trying to work out which Aburame male Ino was seeing.
"Yuk... she must be desperate for a man if she's sleeping with a guy who has bugs living inside of him." mumbled Temari in disgust.
The lazy nin turned and looked at his fiancée in shock before bluntly replying, "I doubt it. This relationship is pretty serious for her to make that kind of commitment...She's not the type to just sleep with a man."
An awkward silence settled between the couple sitting on the couch.
"You put the moves on her?!" hissed out Temari after a while.
"Troublesome...but yes, I had tried a couple of times – only to be politely rebuffed...and before you bitch me out... this was before things got serious between us." murmured Shikamaru with a warning frown.
"Don't you mean – until she caught us in bed?" countered Temari archly.
"Gahh!! Temari...we've been through this countless times before! I was planning to tell her long before then...but poor timing and missions got in the way. It was just...unfortunate." replied Shikamaru tiredly as he lifted a hand up to rub his forehead.
He didn't want to get into this tired old argument... not tonight.
Temari bit back her frustration as she caught the telling hand movement and instead asked, "I'm surprised that she's decided to make her relationship public knowledge in such a way... what prompted her to make her announcement in such a spectacular fashion?"
Shikamaru looked up in surprise.
Hell – that was an excellent question.
He drummed his fingers on the arm of the sofa as he went over the conversation he had with his father in his mind.
The lazy genius sat up abruptly as his fingers still their tattoo and muttered, "Shit."
It was so damn obvious...
"What?" asked Temari, now curious.
"The Aburame must have made an offer for Ino, only for her father to decline the offer of an alliance between the clans." murmured Shikamaru in disbelief.
"Yes...but I still don't understand the rush if that was indeed the case...I mean...why disown your clan?" asked the fan wielder with a frown.
Shikamaru stared at his lover with wide shocked eyes as understanding finally dawned on him.
He reached over and gave the blonde a quick kiss on the cheek before moving away to push himself up to a standing position.
"Shika, where are you going?" asked Temari in alarm.
"Sorry, Temari... I need to go and see someone to confirm my suspicions but I won't be out late."
The young woman watched in frustration as Shikamaru walked over to the hall table and picked up his keys.
"Shika... you're going to see Ino, aren't you?" murmured Temari tightly, feeling the old jealousy simmering to the surface.
Shikamaru paused at the front door, biting back the curse rising to his lips at her question and countered quietly, "Temari...when are you going to let this go? I want you – not Ino."
The fan wielder watched him slip out the door with a quiet click before she finally replied, "I want to believe you, Shika... I really do."
----------------------------------------
"Another order of the beef, please...and another side of the rice with the red bean paste on top." murmured Ino sheepishly to the beaming waitress.
The blond felt her face burning in mortification as she turned and saw the rest of the table watching her in amusement.
"No need to be embarrassed, Ino. You're a little underweight... so eat up." said Sakura with a smile as she took a sip of her green tea.
Ino smiled in gratitude at her friend's encouraging words, feeling a little more relieved about the sudden need to eat her body weight in food.
She glanced over at the stoic man sitting beside her with his wide collar unsnapped and was surprised to see him lift her hand up to bring it to his lips.
"Kawaii..." breathed out Sakura wistfully with a small sigh, watching the blush bloom once more in Ino's cheeks, this time for an entirely different reason.
Kiba gave the pink haired woman beside him a contemplative look as she took a final sip of the green tea before putting the cup down.
He felt a little angry when he heard that tell tale tone in her voice and privately thought it was a shame that this intelligent and beautiful woman was still single.
"Sakura, I imagine you have another early day over at the hospital... why don't I walk you home while these two have some quality time together?" asked Kiba quietly.
The medic nin briefly looked up and witnessed her friend lean close to give Shino a tender and loving kiss before turning her gaze swiftly back on her tattooed companion.
"Oh! Um... that would be nice of you, Kiba... thanks." replied Sakura, suddenly feeling shy for some unknown reason.
Kiba dug a large hand into his pocket and extracted his wallet.
"Shino...I'm going to walk Sakura home. I will see you tomorrow, okay?" murmured Kiba as he stood up and placed enough money down on the table to pay for dinner.
"Kiba..." said Shino with a warning tone in his voice as he looked back at his dinner companions standing to take their leave.
"Shino... I want to pay. I've waited a long time for this day..." returned Kiba with a wide grin.
"Thank you, Kiba." replied the taller man with a rare smile.
"You can thank me properly when you send me an invitation to the wedding." countered the Inuzuka with a knowing smirk.
"Kiba! That was rude!" gasped Sakura in dismay, shooting the couple an apologetic look before dragging a laughing Kiba out the door.
"Nonsense... you have eyes in your head. It's only a matter of time before those two decide when they plan to do the deed." drifted back the large man's voice back to the pair seated at the table.
Shino chuckled softly as he watched an annoyed pink haired medic nin drag his ex-team mate out of the restaurant and into the evening.
Ino bit her bottom lip and dropped her eyes down to where her hands rested on top of her small belly.
"I'm in no rush, Ino...I can wait." murmured the bug wielder with a tiny quirk of his firm lips.
"It doesn't bother you… what people will say then?" whispered the blond, not bothering to mask her concern.
"No, Ino….I worry about you and our children but I don't worry about what a bunch of narrow minded gossips think. It's none of their business." replied Shino quietly, reaching over to brush a long strand of hair out of Ino's eyes.
Ino leaned in and rested a small palm on the Kikai wielder's lean cheekbone before brushing her lips across his and whispering, "Shino…I love you."
"You're the man she left her family for?" bit out a male voice.
Ino stiffened with shock as she heard that voice, feeling the ripple of the destruction beetles under Shino's skin as he too recognized the voice.
Shino frowned as he felt the small tremors course through Ino's body as he turned to face the man standing not far from their table.
"I am." replied the Kikai master plainly as one of his hands dropped down to gently caress Ino's hands now clasped tightly in her lap.
"Shikamaru….what are you doing here?" asked Ino, feeling a sense of unease settle in the pit of her stomach.
"Shino – we need to talk….outside." murmured Shikamaru, ignoring the blonde's question and pinning the other shinobi with a look of disgust.
"As you wish, Shikamaru." returned Shino with a tiny lift of his lips, giving Ino's hands one last comforting squeeze before lifting his hand to snap his collar into place.
"Where are you going, Shino?" asked Ino in growing alarm as she watched him push up to a standing position as Shikamaru turned and left the restaurant.
"Shikamaru wants to make an issue out of this and I'm not about to disappoint him." replied Shino grimly as he turned and followed the shadow wielder outside.
"Here you are… an order of beef with a side of rice with red bean paste on it." murmured the waitress as she placed the order in front of the stunned woman.
"Thank you…um, could you put a cover on this… I'll be back in a few minutes….promise." replied Ino before she pushed herself up and hurried over to the front door.
She just hoped that she got there before those two did something stupid…like get into a fight over her.
Now – that would be really dumb.