A/N: You can thank massive writer's block for how damn long this chapter took (besides some major IRL stuff going on for me, haha, phew)! Shino is a fun, badass character, but man, his chapter has been the hardest by far, followed by Kiba's! Everyone else's before and after him were pretty easy - all the way to the epilogue in ch 11, I more or less have figured out almost entirely - but this one and Kiba's were just like pulling teeth, this one in particular! X'D Thank you for being so patient with me! So appreciate it!

The thing that finally helped me crash through my writer's block was actually ClandestineCat's review on ch 5 on AO3: "Applying [the concept behind this fic] to real life is definitely something I'll try from now on to help myself be a kinder person! …Reading this fic has made me wonder if living life and thinking about people as if my thoughts will show up on their skin will help me prevent myself from thinking or sometimes saying things I'll regret later, but it has also given me some inspiration to try standing up for myself more." (Thank you so much! Might never have finished this chapter without you! You're the best!)

That gave me the idea for Shino's word and why, and once I had that, it was off to the races! I wrote and edited this over the last few days! Woo!

Hope you enjoy!

A biting wind whips through the quiet street, and Hinata, wearing a thinner jacket than her companions, grimaces and shivers violently. It wasn't this cold this morn—oh!

Suddenly, something big and soft and warm plops! on her, and she reaches up to take hold of it.

Any doubt dissipates instantly. She'd know this material, never mind its familiar, comforting scent, anywhere.

Looking over at a jacket-less Kiba, ever at her side, she's momentarily shocked and touched, but not surprised. How can she be? This is just how he is. Pulling the jacket down, she smiles shyly. "T-thank you, Kiba…"

Kiba just grins widely, hands folded behind his head. "No problem! Can't have you getting sick again when we just got you back, now, can we?" Akamaru, lying across Kiba's shoulders like a scarf, barks in agreement.

Hinata smiles a little more, flushing some as she rights the jacket on her small frame. She always feels so warm inside when he does things like this…but she hopes she's not a burden… "I guess not…"

Another cold wind blows, and she's quick to shove her arms through the giant sleeves and curl all the excess material in close for added warmth. His jacket dwarfs her, and that's being generous, but she doesn't mind. She feels safe in it and so, so warm, the same way she feels in Kiba's arms. Since she's already here, she doesn't hesitate to close her eyes and breathe in his familiar scent for good measure. It smells like the forest and the river and Akamaru especially, and some of the tension she always feels going home seeps from her shoulders in a shaky, relieved exhale, expression smoothing out in contentment. Kiba doesn't miss a single thing. All of it just stokes the protective fire he always feels walking her home, hotter than the ever-present affection burning his cheeks.

She glances over at him again after a moment or two, something sparking in her mind, and he hurries to look away. "A-are you sure you and Akamaru will be okay, though? I don't want you getting sick, too..."

Kiba snorts, shaking his head and reaching over to ruffle her hair, making her miss the soft look he sends her way. If she only knew how precious she was to him, that he'd let her wear his jacket every second of every day if it meant she'd feel like this. "Hey, don't worry about it! We Inuzuka are natural space heaters, remember? So we'll be fine!" Akamaru barks insistently, and Kiba's grin turns even more wolfish, edging territorial. He huffs a laugh. "Besides, Akamaru's right: you're pack, and we take care of our own!"

Hinata can only stare for a long moment, lips parted and cheeks steadily darkening. Her gaze finds the Loyal half-circling the still-healing bruise on his cheek, and her gratitude and adoration grow tenfold. She loves them so much! Beaming, she nods. "Right! You're mine, too!" She looks to her other side. "You, too, Shino!"

Shino, quietly observing this whole time, feels a familiar spark of camaraderie and belonging flare in his chest, a rare, barely-there smile flitting across his face. This is how he always feels with them. He's so lucky to have found best friends like these. He nods right back. "Likewise."

They arrive at the Hyuuga compound a few minutes later, and as always, Hinata's good mood dampens significantly. Taking a deep, slow breath, then a few more, just like Neji and Uncle Hizashi taught her, she curls a fist in Kiba's jacket over her heart, willing it to give her strength. Hopefully her father's meeting with the clan elders went longer than expected…

The fluff around her fingers reminding her, she snaps out of her thoughts and turns to face Kiba, reaching to take off his jacket. "O-oh, Kiba! Your jacket!"

But Kiba just waves a calming, dismissive hand with a smile. "Keep it!" Hinata pauses, a shocked squeak leaving her, cheeks lighting up, and Kiba beams. "It's fine! Just give it back to me tomorrow!"

Hinata opens her mouth to reply, but nothing comes out. Averting her eyes and pressing her fingertips together, she bites her lip. He's…he must know, then…how comforting his jacket is for her and why… Not that she's surprised – he's really good at reading her, always has been – but…she hoped he wouldn't… Because what if he…what if he thinks less of her now…?

—?!

Warm, gentle fingers tilt her chin up, a hot forehead presses to hers, and Hinata's eyes widen and cheeks dye red as Kiba's soft eyes meet her own. "I know, yeah," he confirms quietly, wanting to respect her privacy as best he can. "It's easy if you know where to look."

She opens her mouth to apologize, but he cuts her off with a fond chuckle, nuzzling in so their noses brush. A tiny thrill runs down Hinata's spine. She's seen Inuzuka clan members do that many times, but it's usually reserved for mates or those they consider infinitely precious. To think Kiba thinks that of her…!

"Don't you dare apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for." Kiba's voice has taken on the slightest gruffness, a warmth and affection in it she knows runs deeper than his human side – it's his animal instincts kicking in, all for her. "I'm glad I know you so well, Hinata. It may be a bother or a burden to your stupid father, but you never could be, not to me. I want to help when you're feeling sad or scared, when you doubt yourself. More than you could ever know." He offers a toothy grin, pointedly ignoring the growing heat in his cheeks. "It's the same for you with me, right?"

Hinata's eyes widen. He's right. Of course he is. Kiba's loud and fiery, her polar opposite, so it's easy to tell what his more obvious moods are, but the quieter ones…even for their friends, those are harder to pin down. She's made a point of learning them over the years, though.

When he's scared, his claws itch to poke out and his voice shakes. When he's nervous, he bites the inside of his cheek or his tongue. When he's pissed (and can't be loud about it), he grits his teeth, clenches his fists, digs his fangs into his lip, or some combination of the three, even making himself bleed on occasion. When he's sad, he goes quiet and is more easily riled than usual. When he's happy, he's like the sun, warm and bold and bright. Depending on the set of his shoulders, she can tell even from behind what his mood is at any point.

And right now, he couldn't be happier or more at ease if he tried. It's his default with her, she's found, which fills her heart with joy.

Finally able to relax in full, she giggles when Akamaru leans over to lick her cheek. "Y-you're right. It's exactly the same." She threads their fingers together and squeezes. "Thank you, Kiba."

"Any time, princess." Then, Kiba does something he never has before. Pressing a split-second kiss to the star of her face, he turns a red-dazed Hinata around and gently pushes her toward the compound doors. He sure hopes the sunset hides his blush. "Now, go find your uncle before Neji comes looking for you!"

The prospect of seeing her two favorite family members (sans Hanabi, of course) overrides her fear of running into her father, and she brightens and nods. "All right! Be safe on your way home! See you guys tomorrow!"

Kiba and Shino wave goodbye, wait until she's safely inside, and then hang around a minute or so more to make sure nothing goes down with her father within their earshot. Once they're sure everything's fine, they start on their way again.

"You'd be better off just telling her how you feel."

Kiba stiffens. Shit! He almost forgot Shino saw all that! Turning bright red, he looks away to pout. "S-shut up, Shino! She just needed some reassurance, that's all!"

Sigh. "Right…"

Inwardly, Shino shakes his head. May the gods have mercy on his soul...

Kiba insists on walking both his best friends home every chance he gets. Shino attributes it to his pack instincts, needing to make sure all his packmates are safe and well taken care of at all times. Not that Shino minds, not really. On the contrary, it makes him feel…good.

Wanted, needed, necessary. Seen.

Today, however, Kiba has to get home early for clan business, so he reluctantly leaves Shino to walk the last stretch on his own.

Shino doesn't mind the alone time, though. He's always been more of a loner by nature anyway, and being able to stand on one's own is a skill in and of itself.

He's always been a proud child. Proud to be part of the esteemed Aburame clan of the Hidden Leaf, its next head besides. Proud to be able to use clan jutsu and strategize on a level that, at least according to his Dad, kids his age normally can't. Proud as hell to be Kiba and Hinata's future teammates and to have such good friends in the rest of the Konoha 10. He can't ask for better friends. He wants to be there for and protect them just like they do him. (Kiba's most recent scuffle comes to mind, the bruises and cuts and Loyal on his skin curling Shino's fists and warming his heart at once.)

That said, having pride doesn't count for much against the onslaught of his peers' harsh words.

Words like freak, gross, creep, mute, wise-ass, bug-shit and more crawl across his flesh like his clan's infamous bugs.

Because he's difficult to faze and not what one would call 'emotional', the other kids see him as some kind of sick challenge. Hell, he's pretty sure they've invented some sort of game around it, if the steadily increasing snickering and high-fives are anything to go by. Granted, their words don't stick around for very long, only a few hours at most, and they're mostly hidden by his favorite jacket, but still… That doesn't mean the rude, frankly ignorant things they come up with don't weigh on him like they would anyone else…

Sudden raucous laughter rings out behind him. Shino closes his eyes and reminds himself to breathe.

Speak of the devil…

"That stupid Hyuuga heiress thinks she's so great, but she's so timid and weak, it's pathetic!"

"Right? If she's the next clan head, we're all doomed! And don't even get me started on her teammates! A creepy mute and a one-trick mutt are just as bad!"

A little ways behind both parties, Naruto's taking a long way home. On his way out of the Academy, he saw Shino and Kiba walking Hinata home and decided to discreetly tag along at a safe distance, just in case. She's recovered from her fever just fine as far as he's seen, is even able to participate in gym and sparring sessions again, but he's always known something isn't quite right with how she feels about home (minus Neji and the little sister and uncle he's heard about in passing), so he wanted to be sure she'd be all right. Not that she didn't have her friends with her, but still.

And then, once Kiba left and Naruto heard these guys coming Shino's way, well…that settled it. He wasn't going anywhere.

Of course, that's not to say that Shino can't handle himself. Naruto knows he can! Hell, unlike the other kids too dumb to realize it, Naruto actually thinks Shino's pretty cool and interesting!

Sure, his bugs are kinda creepy (it was definitely something Naruto had to get used to when they first met), and the idea of having them crawling around inside him gives Naruto the willies, but it's Shino's family's way, so it's normal for him. Just because it's not for the other kids doesn't mean they should make fun of him for it. And more importantly, Naruto knows for a fact how smart Shino is, particularly when it comes to using his bugs in battle, and considering he's never actually been in a battle before, Naruto finds it even more impressive!

That's not all Naruto's noticed either! Shino may be a guy of few words, but that just means he's even more awesome with his actions!

After sparring, he always offers a bug to his partners to help replenish their chakra, and Naruto's seen him help a spider the other kids were scared of out of a storm drain once. There was also this one time Shino totally owned this jerk in one of his sparring sessions, but instead of gloating, he just turned on his heel and walked away. It was awesome! Shino's also surprisingly hilarious! Sometimes he'll grumble about some of the more annoying teachers, so quietly that nobody else hears but Naruto (because he can hear better than the other kids for some reason, has always been able to), and Naruto will have to smother his laughter in his hands or rush out to the hall to burst out laughing.

"They're all so useless and annoying! Not clan head material at all!"

"I know! The Leaf's gonna be ruined in their hands!"

Naruto tunes back in to hear what the bullies have to say, glaring at their backs. That's not true at all! How dare they say things like that about them?

"They think they're so high and mighty just 'cause they're from some of the Leaf's most important clans! 'Oh, look at us, we have no soul, no brain, and can't be assed to say a word, but we still think we're so much better than you!'" one of them mocks, doing a little voice and dance and everything, making their friends snicker and laugh. Naruto clenches his fists, biting back a growl. Still, if he didn't know any better…he could swear there's some jealousy hidden somewhere in there…

Shino stops in his tracks and turns toward the brats in almost the same motion, and Naruto darts to duck behind a telephone pole. He doesn't know what Shino will think if he sees him tailing him. "Say what you will about me," the kids, not seeing him there before, jump at his quiet, scathing tone, but just sneer when they see who it is, "but I won't allow you to speak of my friends like you know them." He glares behind ever-present sunglasses. "Why? Because your brains are too small to comprehend their struggles."

Naruto barely bites back a snort at that, can't help smirking like a fiend. This is probably his favorite thing about Shino (about all of the Konoha 10, really, but Shino always brings his A-game with his take-no-prisoners sass that Naruto can't help but admire and respect): how unrepentantly protective he is of his friends!

"What do you know, bug-shit?" one of the bullies spits, pointing accusingly at him. "Hell, I bet you've been dumbed down and brainwashed just hanging around those losers! The three of you are as useless as it gets!"

Naruto grimaces in not-quite-sympathy, catching the difference in Shino's posture immediately. It's like lightning's struck him, so eerily stiff and stock-still. That does it. No more Mister Nice Guy! Naruto almost pities these idiots. Almost.

"Enough." Shino's voice carries through the deserted street, so much so that Naruto's eyes widen. He's never heard Shino get so loud before. He must really be pissed! He doesn't envy these jerks one bit! "Anyone who insults my friends will pay dearly. I'll make sure you remember that in the future," he vows. Slowly raising his arms, his bugs swarm around him in a dark cloud, and Naruto gulps, hiding himself a little more. "If I were you, I'd start running." Not that it will do them any good, but sue him. He likes to watch the little bastards squirm.

The bullies, rightfully scared shitless (a little late, in Naruto's mind, but Shino was right when he called them dumb), run screaming for the hills. They really screwed up this time, Naruto can't help but snicker with glee! True to his word, Shino's bugs give chase, and it's only a few seconds before shrieks and sobs echo in the distance.

With a satisfied "Hmph," Shino returns his hands to his jacket pockets, and if Naruto didn't know any better, he'd swear there's a small smirk on his face, too.

Naruto can only stare, starry eyes wide and mouth agape. Not only was that super cool (and a reminder to never piss Shino off if he can help it), but he's pretty sure that's the most he's ever heard Shino say at one time!

That's another thing he's really come to admire about Shino over the years: while Naruto has his reasons for being loud and calling attention to himself any way he can, Shino only speaks when necessary, making sure he's chosen his words carefully, never wasting them, never saying anything that doesn't need to be said.

When they first met, it actually concerned Naruto a fair bit. It didn't seem natural to be that quiet, so especially when he caught sight of the mean words on his skin, he thought something might really be wrong. But then, one day, he overheard Ino comforting a worried Sakura about it, saying, "He who knows speaks the least."

That made Naruto think. He thought back on all the times Shino finally said something, and every time, it was show-stopping or really smart or just plain hilarious! From that moment on, Naruto paid closer attention to anything Shino had to say, and he's never let him down!

Of course, Naruto still hates how cruel the other kids are. Can't they see that even if Shino doesn't show it on the outside like other people, their bullying still hurts on the inside? Maybe they're all just stupid and blind or just don't care, but he can see clearly how those awful words weigh on Shino in more subtle ways. The too-tense or too-low set of his shoulders, retreating into his high collar, when he's somehow quieter than usual, and there was that really worrying time a year or so ago when he stopped talking altogether. (Luckily, that hadn't lasted more than a few weeks, but still.)

How they can treat someone like that with no regard for how it makes them feel…! He curls a white-knuckled fist in his jacket, right over that weird mark that appears on his stomach sometimes. It's…it's foreign to him! He can't even fathom it. His own words, for instance… They tore him apart when he first found them, still do, and he could never, ever paint anyone with anything that cruel, not even close, especially people who don't deserve it. The very thought nearly makes him sick. The Konoha 10 are the nicest kids he's ever known! Wanting to hurt them like this, in a way that stains their skin and pains their souls, however temporarily… His knuckles crack. It's the lowest of the low!

That's why he's kept this word mission of his going since discovering his really do work with Choji. He knows what the Konoha 10 are going through with the bullies better than anyone else, and he wants to help them, all of them, in any way he can. He wishes he could do more, so much more, but…this is the best he can do with how much the villagers hate him. The adults would never listen and just ignore him like always if he tried to tell them what was going on, and with some of their families, the Hyuuga especially, if he tried to do anything more to help, it would only make trouble for them, and that's the last thing he wants.

Of course, all those troubled-righteous thoughts fly right out the window when Shino turns on him all of a sudden. Shit! Of course Shino would know he's here! If he thinks he's with the bullies, he's so in for it!

Naruto scrambles out of there as fast as his legs can carry him, praying there are no bugs following.

Shino, for his part, just stares after him, curious and amused, if a little concerned. Why would Naruto Uzumaki be watching him, let alone with such…awe and admiration on his face? It's not a look he's used to seeing on anyone but his friends and family, much less after seeing what his bugs can do. And why would he be going this way anyway? If he remembers correctly, his apartment building is in the opposite direction…

Realizing it's getting late, though, he opts to push those questions aside for now. He needs to get home. (Though he lets the pride of inspiring such a look on the younger boy's face linger for a little while longer. He thinks he's earned that much, at least.)

That night, after eating dinner with his father and finishing his homework, Shino gets ready for bed. Taking off his jacket, he reaches for his t-shirt—only to freeze, breath catching in his throat.

There, written across his voicebox, is the word Decisive.

Shino hesitates before reaching for it, slow and cautious, like it's a scared wild animal that will bolt if he moves too quickly. It doesn't disappear when he touches it, doesn't smear or rub off like it would if this were some kind of cruel prank. No… This is a genuine good word someone put on him, thought about him so hard that it's lasted quite a few hours already, if not most of the school day, considering it wasn't there this morning when he got dressed.

His mind whirs, going back to what his friends have been saying about getting good words lately, one by one, Hinata's Strong and Kiba's Loyal at the forefront. So….looks like he's been chosen this time, huh…? Honestly, he's relieved. Happy, too. The others getting theirs makes sense, but he's…well, almost invisible compared to them. Secretly, he was afraid he'd be the odd one out, forgotten by this mysterious do-gooder who's chosen to bless the Konoha 10.

But knowing that's not the case, that someone outside their friends sees him for who he really is, how he wishes the rest of the world would see him…

For someone like him…this is earthshattering.

Now he understands how the others felt finding their good words. It's a wonderful feeling, better than almost anything he's ever felt in his life. More than ever, he wishes they knew who—!

All at once, he recalls his seconds-long interaction with Naruto Uzumaki, a few of the others mentioning Naruto being present before finding their new words, too, and Shino swallows, trembling fingers brushing his new word again.

The only hitch is, he and Naruto hardly know each other…don't they…?

Shaking his head, he slowly starts changing again, eyes never leaving his new word in the mirror. Whatever the case, Shikamaru and Neji will want to know about this first thing tomorrow, the former in particular.

After all, as it stands now, Shikamaru is the last (but if Shino's suspicions are correct, certainly not least).

A/N: Shino's word explanation, just in case it's not obvious (it took me some thinking, too, so haha!): Shino might not seem like much to a lot of fans, but his personality, particularly surrounding talking, is actually kinda complex. He's naturally very quiet and only speaks when he feels it's necessary, choosing his words carefully and not wanting to waste words or say things that don't need to be said. Because of that, he's relatively predictable and hasn't changed that about himself over the years, so his Konoha 10 friends (and Naruto) have come to view him as dependable, reliable, steady, and controlled. But really, what all that boils down to, at least to me, is being incredibly decisive when it counts, about what he's going to say and why, if he decides to speak at all. And I don't know, I just thought it fit really well! :D

The first section of this chapter (with the Hinata-Kiba interactions) is mainly just meant to flesh out other lesser-seen members of the Konoha 10 a bit more! I figured, while I was here, why not? I also added in some Kiba/Hinata hints 'cause I love them, haha, but if you're not into that, feel free to ignore! Thanks! ;)

IMPORTANT: Short writing hiatus notice (as of 10/19/21): As you can probably tell by how long this chapter took me, lol, things are very busy IRL for me rn. (If you want the whole story, can read the End Notes of the latest chapter of my main Naruto AU, Surface Breaker ( s/13570086/17/Surface-Breaker)! ;)) So, I think it would just be best for me to take a step back from writing as a whole for a little bit. I will not be abandoning this fic! I have the last 4 chapters through the epilogue all planned out, have for months, and I'm so invested in this fic, so I will definitely come back! Haha! I just need a little break for a month or two or so to recharge my batteries, yk? I might write some tiny things here and there, but we'll see! I hope you guys understand! Thank you so much for everything so far! I love you all so much! See you in a few months (provided I can even manage to stay away - honestly, I love writing this fic so much, we'll see if I can restrain myself, haha)! :D 3

Thanks so much for reading!