The Shop on Yarrow Street

by Ginkodechu

Four years after his father's death, a young man is trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of grief. However, after the arrival of a sickly houseplant, he soon finds himself embroiled in the oddest hobby, meeting the oddest people, in the oddest little plant shop located in the Kohaku Shopping Center. Welcome to the Shop on Yarrow Street. How can we help you today?

4. Chapter 4: The God of Longing

Chapter Four: The God of Longing

"Pirururu! Pirururu! Pirururu!"

Kiba groaned as the shrill ring of his smartphone cut through the once quiet morning. Rising, the young man dug through his pile of work clothes, extracting the device from his work apron, "Moshi m-m-moshi?" Kiba yawned as he answered the phone.

"Yo," Shino's deep, calm voice greeted him, "The little helper is here."

"Hai," Kiba sighed, "He's learned my schedule, huh?"

"More than that… He has discovered your mint patch."

"No way."

"Yes."

"I'm on my way, right now."

Half an hour later, Kiba could be seen frantically tying his work apron around his waist while he lightly jogged in the direction of Yarrow Street. The usual morning commuters raised their hands in greeting, only to have a flier high fived right into their grasp. Even when rushing to work, the young man still took the time to advertise. Just a little. Approaching the Shop on Yarrow Street, Kiba noticed that the display window had already been lit, and to his surprise, a small cardboard display had been placed on the window.

It read: LOCAL, HAND-PAINTED PLANTERS FOR SALE BY OUR VERY OWN ABURAME SHINO!

And beneath the text was a small doodle of Shino, wearing his characteristic round sunglasses and black head scarf. Next to the doodle was a unique GramCHAN app tag, no doubt an attempt to plug the shop's social media page.

Reading the advertisement, Kiba felt a huge grin begin to spread across his face. Fishing out his shop keys, he opened the door and went straight to the back room. "Shino!" Kiba called, "Shino! Did you see the new poster?!"

"Hai," brushing aside a few large fig leaves, Shino emerged. In his arms he cradled a small, gray striped kitten.

"Did you see, Little Helper?" Kiba walked over, taking the shop's kitten from Shino's hands and scritching its cheeks, "Shino's famous!"

"That is not true," Shino quickly corrected him, a slight flush coloring his usually pale cheeks, "It is just another brilliant marketing campaign by-,"

"Shino's famous!" Kiba cheered, lifting the kitten up and tickling its belly.

"Maow!" the shop kitten responded, its tail twitching happily.

The two, with Little Helper perched on Kiba's shoulder, got to work opening the shop. They spent the majority of their early morning relocating older plants into their clearance area, unloading and stocking up fresh plants from the back storage room, and watering the more finicky plants scattered throughout their store. Just as Shino finished sweeping behind the checkout counter, the shop door opened with a tinkle of bells, followed by a loud thud.

"Kiba! Shino!" Tsunade greeted them, sliding a large box across the room, "We got a shipment of planters for you, Shino. Did you need any more supplies?"

Shino shook his head, "No, Tsunade-san. But… This is too much?"

"Nonsense!" Tsunade laughed, slapping Shino on the shoulder, "You wanna sell your planters here? I want to help! Besides," Tsunade winked, "We did agree to split the fame and fortune, right?"

Shino grimaced at that.

"Oi, what about-," Kiba started to whine.

Tsunade's smile tightened, "Is it that time of year then?"

Kiba rolled up his sleeves, "I'm not going to let you haggle as you please this time, Boss."

"Oh?" Tsuande pulled out her notepad, unafraid of the challenge, "What do you have this year, then?"

Shino sighed as Tsunade and Kiba butted heads over this year's coming spring plant sale. He spent the rest of his shift organizing the new shipment of planters and mulling over his collection of painting supplies. Shino had initially been inspired by the scarab beetles displayed at the local museum. However, with his recent increase of followers, Shino wondered if he should expand the variety of his patterns. Pulling out his phone, Shino began to browse a variety of butterfly scale patterns. It was Spring, afterall. However, he found himself lingering on that new following. Switching to his new GramCHAN profile, Shino felt a lump in his throat. Since Shino had opened the account, he had only posted the two planters he had painted and a few sketches. Several followers from IchirakuRamen and GemSaku had started following his profile soon after. Their comments, for the most part, praised Shino's work. However, here and there, a few speculated about his next designs and each theory became wilder and more impossible than the next.

"Uuuuugh!" Kiba groaned in defeat, finally finishing up his negotiations with Tsunade, "Bosslady sure knows how to haggle…" the young man collapsed into the nearest stool, "I sold the tomatoes too low… But at least she bought the peppers and herbs at full price…" Kiba eyed the plain, unpainted planters still seated before his friend, "What's up, Shino? Need some inspiration?"

Shino looked up from his phone, "I am worried about… This new following. It feels like there are sudden expectations of me."

Kiba cocked his head, "Since when? Ichiraku seems very happy with your first two planters. Why not just paint it again? It's a solid design."

Shino glanced down at his phone, "I'm not so sure…"

Kiba raised an eyebrow, "Mm… Well, why don't we go ask your past client's what they think?"

"My past clients?"

"You know, that guy that came to the plant swap, Naruto-kun? He works for Ichiraku. And he bought that last planter you painted. He might be able to give you some ideas. Besides," Kiba rose, untying his apron, "It's good to get some feedback from customers every now and then."

Shino slowly nodded, caught off guard by his friend's wisdom, "Are… Are we going right now?"

Kiba nodded, "Might as well, it's lunch time anyway. Naruto-kun left during the lunch rush last time with Sakura-chan. Even if he isn't there, we can speak to the chef and see what he says about your planter," Kiba turned, giving Shino a wave, "I'll meet you there in five. Gotta see if the Bosslady wants us to bring her anything back."

A few minutes later, Shino and Kiba entered the Ichiraku Ramen shop. They were initially surprised to see a medium sized crowd already surrounding the bar top. Craning his neck over the crowd, Kiba managed to catch sight of Teuchi, the chef and owner of the shop, but he had his hands quite full, passing out drinks and topping off bowl after bowl of ramen.

"Please be seated!" the waitress Ayame called from afar, "I'll be with you in a second!"

Kiba nodded and made his way through the crowd, managing to secure a small nook with a small table and, to his surprise, a small houseplant.

"That's…" Shino stopped, staring down at the plant.

The plant, as far as Kiba could tell, was an ordinary snake plant. It was its jade green planter, hand-painted with shimmering beetles, that kept his gaze. It was true then. Shino's plant had achieved stardom here in this little nook. Taking his seat, Kiba couldn't help but smile at his friend's success. Shino hesitated briefly before taking his own seat, adjusting his sunglasses nervously. He had assumed the plant had been placed there for mere marketing purposes. It seemed, based on how healthy the snake plant looked, that Ichiraku had decided to put a lot of care into not only saving the plant, but maintaining it as the star of the shop.

"Kiba-kun? Shino-san?"

"Oi, Naruto-kun!" Kiba waved the blond over, "We came for some lunch! Also, do you have cookies?"

After taking their orders, Nartuo rushed back to the bar top, his face flush with excitement. Even though he had just met the two men properly a few days back, it delighted him to see two familiar faces dining at the shop.

"Teuchi-san," Naruto said, surprised by his own sudden spurt of boldness, "My f-friends are here for lunch. Can I-,?"

Even surrounded by customers, Teuchi was two steps ahead of the young man, having noticed the skip in Naruto's step from across the room, "Go, I'll send Ayame over with their order later."

Naruto gave the older man a quick but grateful bow before throwing his apron aside and making his way back to the plant nook. Pulling up a seat, Naruto reached out and gave Kiba a strong handshake, nodding his head to Shino in greeting, "Thanks for stopping by, guys."

Kiba chuckled, "Of course! Gotta remind our customers that their patronage is greatly appreciated… And greatly needed," he snickered, receiving a disapproving look from Shino.

"How was work today?"

"Ah, same old, same old… But get this!" Kiba pulled out his little notebook, "I managed to strike a deal with the bosslady for my vegetable starts!"

Naruto looked down at the estimate, feeling his eyes grow wide at the price, "Vegetable starts?"

"Young, immature vegetable plants," Shino explained, "Kiba grows a large amount every year to sell at our shop for our Spring Sale."

"Yeah, but the Bosslady drives a hard bargain. I mean look!" Kiba pointed at the line that read TOMATOES, "She got me to sell her these beauties at half price!"

"You should speak to Hinata-chan. She's very good at negotiation," Shino murmured.

"H-Hinata-cha-... San?" Naruto stuttered, his mind flashing to the dark haired beauty from the plant swap.

"Yeah," Kiba sighed, "She beats me in sales every year. But what can you expect from the owner, right Shino?"

"Owner?" Naruto felt himself growing dizzy. Maybe he had been mistaken in calling these men his friends. He was learning so much so quickly and couldn't figure out how to respond properly.

"Aaaah!" Kiba vigorously scratched his head, as if trying to shake off his negative thoughts, "Forget about all that! Naruto-kun, what about you?"

Naruto swallowed thickly, "Uhm… Well… It's been very busy since Ayame-chan started building the IchirakuRamen page,"

"Yeah, we were just talking about that," Kiba pointed down at the snake plant, "What are people saying about it?"

Naruto stroked his chin, thinking back on the last few customers who had bothered to review the nook, "Well, this spot is very popular with girls, couples, and a few older folks looking for a quieter place to eat," Naruto paused for a moment, searching his thoughts, "Oh, and people want to know if we're going to buy more of your planters, Shino-sa… Shino-k-kun?" the young man stumbled on the last part. He wasn't used to being familiar with them just yet.

Shino nodded, unphased by the change in formality, "I am… I am struggling to paint my next piece. Kiba advised me to seek my client's opinion. I do not believe butterfly patterns are sufficient."

"Eh?" Naruto was taken aback. How could he, a food runner, help an artist like Shino decide his next design? Struggling for an answer, the young man felt his heart race under the pressure. Still, this was a new friend, seeking his opinion. Surely Naruto could offer even a sliver of assistance?

"Last time, Shino was inspired by some beetle he saw at the museum. We haven't been able to think up a new pattern since," Kiba explained.

"... Uhm…" Naruto cocked his head, "Was there a special display at the species room that day?"

"At the museum?" Shino rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "No… Not really. I've always liked to browse the insects at the museum. It was the usual collection… Except…" Shino paused, searching his memory, "Oh! The scarab beetle!" Shino eagerly reached into his apron, pulling out a small, worn sketchbook, "The scarab beetles were a new species added to their beetle display!"

Shino opened his sketchbook and furiously flipped through it before stopping on a large charcoal spread. Turning the sketchbook, Shino passed it over to Naruto and Shino to examine. Sure enough, there in charcoal, were a few crude sketches of the scarab beetle display. In charcoal, it was difficult to see the scarab beetle's gorgeous shimmer and shine. However, Shino had taken extensive notes, even scribbling down a quick color palette to consider for his future art piece.

"Alright!" Kiba cried, only to suddenly deflate in defeat, "But… I doubt the museum will have any new species this week. Doesn't it take years for certain pieces to be approved for display?"

Shino nodded, slowly closing his sketchbook, "I'm sure I can find a different beetle on the internet to use as reference."

"But…" Naruto shook his head, "It's better to see them up close, right? You were able to pick out its colors by seeing it in perso-," Naruto stopped as an idea suddenly dawned on him, "... What are you guys doing this weekend?"

"Huh?"

"This weekend," Naruto pressed, "Are you off from work?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you…?" Naruto hesitated, his voice catching in his throat. Maybe he was being too bold. Maybe he was reading the room incorrectly. Surely this was just a quick brainstorming session between acquaintances? Pushing away his rising anxiety, the blond blurted out, "Do you guys want to stay at my place this weekend to help Shino-kun with his next piece?"

The two men raised a quizzical eyebrow in union. Naruto swallowed. He had been too bold. He had read the room incorrectly. The young man barely knew his new acquaintances. How inappropriate to even voice such a ridiculous request!

Before Naruto could croak out an apology, however, Kiba reached out and slapped Naruto roughly on the shoulder, "Uh, yeah! Of course we will!"

---

"Thank you for the invitation," Shino bowed deeply in greeting as Naruto opened his studio door.

"Yeah, no problem! Sorry for springing this on you so suddenly. I know you have work-," Naruto started to apologize as they entered his studio.

It would be another week before Shino and Kiba had an opportunity to take a day off from work and come by to spend the evening at Naruto's apartment. While it didn't show on the surface, Naruto had been anticipating their visit since the day he had suggested it. Unbeknownst to Shino or Kiba, the young man had taken the time to actually deep clean his studio, throw out and replace all the stale food in his fridge, and had even managed to score an old dining table Ayame had thrown out that week. Now with this upcycled addition, Naruto didn't have to host dinner at his kitchen counter anymore. Instead, for the first time in years, the young man could actually enjoy the company of his friends seated around an actual table.

"Don't worry about work," Kiba stretched, throwing his arms behind his back as he casually strolled into the room, "Spring sale isn't for a few more weeks. Business will pick back up after the last frost though, best to take advantage while it's still slow."

"Last frost?"

"It's the average date we will experience the last frost of Spring," Shino explained as he took his seat at Naruto's tiny, new dining table, "Our area is projected to experience the last frost sometime around April."

Kiba nodded, "We usually don't sell outdoor, frost tender plants or vegetable starts until after the last frost. The temperatures here will get too low and kill everything," with a sigh, the young man then plopped down in Naruto's armchair, "Nice place you got here, by the way."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "T-Thanks… Teuchi-san set it up for me years ago when I first moved in… I haven't really updated much since but… It's just me so…" he trailed off, averting his gaze quickly from Kiba's curious expression. The young man couldn't help but thank the gods that his new friends hadn't noticed his half-covered shrine.

As Shino and Kiba settled in, Naruto took some time to distribute a few beers and loaded up his new, but old, table with a variety of snacks. Kiba took his drink gratefully, gulping down a good half of the bottle before sighing in relief. Shino, on the other hand, set his drink aside in favor of unpacking his large art bag filled with painting supplies. Naruto watched in fascination as the snacks on his table were slowly shifted aside to make room for a large box filled with pencils, a paint speckled vase bursting with brushes, and some large sheets of thick paper. Shino took his seat at the table, opening his sketchbook and browsing through some old designs while he sipped his drink.

"So, what's the plan, Naruto-kun?" Kiba asked as he set aside his now empty beer bottle and reached for another, "You got some art books to share or…?

"Uh, actually… No…" Naruto pointed at his window, "We'll have to wait until evening but…" Naruto shifted a bit as he glanced nervously at his shrine, "When I was a kid, my d-dad would turn on the porch light to attract insects at night," Naruto took a deep breath, fighting off the strange anxiety that crept up his chest, "I used to try and catch the biggest one to show him…" Naruto swallowed thickly, "I thought maybe… With a few flashlights… We could see what insects populate the area?"

"Live specimens…" Shino murmured, his sunglasses suddenly shining in the sunlight, "That's… That's brilliant!" the man furiously dug through his supplies, producing a thick, fat piece of charcoal, "Kiba, did you bring a few planters?"

The three men spent the rest of the afternoon eating, drinking, and helping Shino list out the potential insects they would hopefully see that night. Kiba even took the time to charge his phone to snap a few pictures for reference. However, by the time the sun set, all three men were quite drunk off of Naruto's beer supply and, to Naruto's horror, Shino had practically passed out at the table. The man clutched his charcoal pencil like a lifeline but, based on the bright red flush spreading across Shino's naturally pale cheeks, Naruto knew that pencil was nothing more than a twig being swept away in a torrent of beer.

"Oh shit!" Kiba barked in laughter as Shino, with a final groan, collapsed into his sketchbook, "Looks like we're not getting anything done tonight!"

"N-no!" Shino's muffled protests sounded from the sketchbook, "I will… The insects… Tsunade-san…" he continued to complain into the paper.

Kiba shook his head, "Come on, Naruto-kun, let's take a few pictures of these bugs while Shino sleeps it off," he rose, grabbing his smartphone, "You got a light?"

Naruto nodded, grabbing his spare flashlight before walking over to his balcony door and throwing the curtain open, "D-Dad used the porchlight but this is the next best thing," switching on the flashlight, Naruto slid the door open and motioned Kiba to follow him.

The two men stepped out into the darkness, glancing up briefly to catch sight of the moon cloaking herself in a fluffy robe of stormy, gray clouds. Taking a seat, Kiba leaned against the balcony door and drank his eighth, at least Naruto thought it was his eighth, beer for the evening. Having tapped out a while ago, Naruto joined Kiba's side sans beer and instead focused on attracting the insects towards his flashlight. The two men sat for a while, allowing the crisp chirp of crickets fill the silence between them.

"So… Who's the old man?" Kiba asked, swiftly slicing through the comfortable silence with little hesitation.

Naruto felt his heart skip another beat. He felt his grip on the flashlight tighten as a wave of anxiety washed over him, "Uhm... You… You saw that?"

"The shrine? Yeah," Kiba set his beer aside, tossing his head back to stare up at the stormy sky, "I was just thinking… Using a blanket is pretty smart."

"Y-yeah?" Naruto raised an eyebrow, now wondering if maybe eight beers had been a little much for Kiba.

"Yeah. Then he stops smiling at you, right?" Kiba titled his head, giving him a single look that said eight beers wasn't enough.

Naruto swallowed thickly, "W-Well," and then he hesitated. Wasn't it wrong, he asked himself, wasn't it wrong to unload all of his problems on his drunk friend? What good would it do, Naruto chastised himself, to burden Kiba with such nonsense? It was unfair, he reminded himself, to force his emotions on others.

It seemed, however, that Kiba was well aware of Naruto's dilemma. But instead of pressing for the identity of the man in the picture, Kiba downed the last of his beer and threw the bottle aside with a loud clunk., "... Blanket's ugly though," the young man chuckled, "Get yourself one of those massive pothos we just got in. They'll cover it up, promise," he reached out and grabbed Naruto by the nape of the neck, pulling him in for a rough embrace.

Naruto felt himself flush as Kiba began to list other large leafed plant varieties, his arm still wrapped tightly around Naruto. He didn't say it out loud but Naruto was very thankful for his new friend. Kiba didn't need to ask for details. He just wanted to offer some fun solutions. And if it increased sales at the shop, Naruto mused to himself, the better. Naruto didn't know how long they sat there in silence but soon enough he noticed that the gray sky had turned black without a single shimmering star marring the unearthly darkness. Clicking on the flashlight, Naruto shined the beam against his studio wall in the hopes of attracting the nighttime insects to this blank canvas.

"Come on, let's get these pictures for Shino-kun," Naruto murmured, jostling the man still leaning against his shoulder.

Kiba could only snore in response. The eighth beer had been too much.

---

"So which insect did you end up choosing for your next planter, Shino?" Naruto asked as he slid a steaming bowl of ramen over to his friend.

Shino did not look up from his sketchbook but did take a moment to reach out and squeeze Naruto's wrist gratefully before accepting his meal, "A moth."

"A moth?"

It had been another few days or so since the apartment bug hunt and, after browsing Naruto's excessive gallery of porch insects, Shino had zeroed in on a few choice specimens. "Yes. You took a picture of… This one," Shino handed his phone over to the curious blond, "A cabbage moth."

"Gross. Don't paint those," Kiba scowled, "They're demons."

Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow, "It's… It's a moth…"

"Cabbage moths are considered pests in the gardening world," Shino explained, "They will decimate crops if untreated."

"Demons," Kiba grumbled, "They're not too picky about what they eat but, if given a choice, they'll always go for cabbages, broccoli, anything related to brassicas."

"That's why they're called cabbage moths," Shino chuckled, "Kiba despises any pests that threaten his plant sales."

"I lost half my sales last year to those fucks," Kiba snarled, "Don't bring even one specimen into the garden. Skewered with a pin or not, they're banned."

Shino shook his head and resumed sketching, "They're masters of disguise too. Look, Naruto," Shino reached over and blew up the image of the cabbage moth, "See its wings?"

Looking closely at the specimen, Naruto observed that the moth's wings were an earthy brown marbled by streaks of white and beige. Its woody wings stood out in stark contrast to the plain white porch planks below its tiny feet. "They look like tree bark…?" Naruto asked.

"That's right," Shino nodded, "I'm going to make a design where the planter looks like wood from afar but when you get closer-"

"You'll see the moths!" Naruto breathed, "Just like the other planters."

"That's right."

The three spent the remainder of their lunch chewing the fat before Kiba suddenly rose, glancing at his phone before pulling off his apron, "Oi, Shino, the boss approved our early day. Let's go get these extra supplies before the trains stop running."

Shino nodded and started packing up his supplies.

"Naruto," Kiba turned back briefly, "You should stop by the shop to see that pothos I mentioned. Ask the bosslady to help you out."

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat. Kiba had not forgotten their conversation from the night before, eight beers be damned. He gave the man an awkward smile, which earned him a rough but reassuring slap on the back, "... Al-Alright…"

With that, Kiba and Shino exited the ramen shop. Knowing that Kiba would ask about the pothos as soon as he saw him again, Naruto quickly cleaned up the little nook with its little plant before heading off to find Teuchi. He would need to take an early day himself if he wanted to find this pothos before the Shop on Yarrow Street closed.

"Go," Teuchi said as soon as Naruto approached him, "Bring me back a few herb plants if they have any."

"I'll ask," Naruto shook the man's hand gratefully, "Ayame's going to be mad that I get the early day again."

"She needs to earn those new benches," Teuchi tsked, "And now she wants mason jar lamps over the tables… Can you believe it? Who puts a light inside a spaghetti jar?"

Naruto could only laugh in response before giving Teuchi a wave and heading off to the plant shop. Once he arrived, Naruto pushed the plant shop door open and heard the merry greeting of bells chiming above him. Before Naruto could get his bearings, however, a stern-faced, elderly man immediately approached him.

"Welcome," he greeted Naruto, his cold gaze glancing briefly at his work shirt. For a moment, Naruto thought he caught a bit of disdain curl the old man's lip, "How can I be of service today?"

"Uhm…" Naruto glanced over the man's shoulder, "Is… Is Tsunade-san here? I wanted to-,"

"She is not," the man answered tersely, "How can I be of service today?" he repeated, his oddly familiar pale, lilac eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Uhm… I am looking for a… A pothos plant?"

The man's jaw suddenly clenched, "A pothos plant?" he said slowly, as if gnashing his teeth over the word, "Certainly… This way," he turned on his heel and led Naruto deeper into the shop.

Now with his back turned, Naruto tried to get a better look at the man. Outside of the oddly familiar lilac eyes, Naruto didn't recognize him from any of the guests that attended the last plant swap. The young man would certainly have remembered an elderly man with long, dark hair dressed in a traditional haori. As they passed shelf after shelf of houseplants, the man made no attempt to engage Naruto in small talk nor try to raise his interest in any of the neighboring plants. Instead, he led Naruto straight to the pothos collection before stepping back and allowing the young man to browse.

"Uhm…" Naruto winced as he glanced at the massive collection of heart-shape leafed plants, "W-What would you-,"

"Why," the man asked coldly, "Do you want a pothos in the first place?"

"Erm… Well… I have this shrine-," Naruto started to explain.

"A house plant? For a shrine?" the man asked, his voice lowering to a sinister growl, "Flowers… Flowers are for shrines," he sighed, giving Naruto an exasperated look, "Dear customer, may I please redirect you to the nearest flower shop? I do not believe a pothos would be appropriate for your shrine."

"But… I…" Naruto stopped himself. He didn't need to tell this man anything regarding his father's portrait. Instead, he turned back and gently brushed the leaves of the nearest pothos plant, "... Why?"

"Sir?"

"Why wouldn't a pothos be appropriate for a shrine?"

"Upkeep," a voice chimed in from behind the old man.

"F-Father, please, you don't need to make such an effort," a softer voice soon followed.

The elderly man scowled but stepped aside, revealing Hinata accompanied by a younger woman who Naruto did not recognize. However, glancing between the three, Naruto realized that they all shared the same pale, lilac colored eyes. The younger woman bounced forward, tapping the leaf of the pothos Naruto was admiring.

"Pothos plants aren't very needy," the girl explained, "They thrive on neglect and can be forgotten for quite sometime between waterings," she then pointed at another neighboring pothos, "They also don't need a lot of light so they're pretty popular with beginners and apartment dwellers."

"Then… Why not for a shrine?"

"Aren't you listening?" she teased him, "Since the plant isn't needy and is easy to forget, there's no need to visit the shrine frequently to freshen it up, right?"

"H-Hanabi," Hinata hissed to her little sister in warning. Upon first coming up to Naruto, Hinata had noted Naruto's genuine curiosity as he interacted with the pothos. It alarmed her to see his happy expression suddenly cascade into disappointment.

Naruto swallowed thickly, struggling to respond. Instead, he drew his hand back and asked, "Okay… Do you have any herbs? Teuchi wants fresh ones for the garden…"

"Y-Yes!" Hinata quickly stepped forward, leading Naruto away from her cold father and curious little sister, "K-Kiba brought some more basil in… F-Father," Hinata quickly bowed to the elderly man, "Please relax and browse the store. I will take care of the customers, thank you."

The man huffed but wandered away. His younger daughter followed but not before taking a moment to glance back at her elder sister and gave her a quick wink. Hinata wouldn't have to worry about her father for a little while, Hanabi silently reassured her. Relieved, Hinata led Naruto over to their small, but growing, collection of fresh herbs and vegetables.

"... N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as she watched the man listlessly browse a bundle of thyme.

"... Yeah…?" he murmured, looking up at her. As their eyes met, Hinata felt her heart waver. Those bright blue eyes had darkened, now a stormy sea of utter sadness. The expression was all too familiar to her and for a moment, Hinata wanted to embrace him. Such sadness, her own heart whimpered, was truly frightening to see.

"I'm sorry about m-my father…" she first apologized, "... Do you… Do you want to t-tell me what type of p-pothos you're interested in? I can g-go grab it for you so y-you don't have to-"

"But… Flowers are for shrines, right?" Naruto asked, picking up the nearest mint plant and looking it over.

"There isn't a perfect plant for the perfect occasion," Hinata said, "It's impossible, some of them aren't even in season."

Naruto stared at her. He knew she was right the minute he glanced around the store. Here, in this little shop, were all the plants that were proper for his season in life. Amongst them not a single flower bloomed, so why seek them out in the first place? Reassured, Naruto picked up a few herbs but did not make an attempt to return to the pothos plants. Instead, he decided to place the matter into the hands of the person more capable and understanding of his situation: the plant shop owner herself.

"Kiba said a pothos would be good to help cover the shrine up," he explained, "It's seen better days but I don't have time to get it polished up," that last part was a lie but he hoped Hinata wouldn't notice.

Hinata gave him a quizzical look but nodded, "A pothos is the right suggestion. Like Hanabi-chan said: they don't need a lot of light, water, or maintenance… Hm… But I don't think you want a variegated variety."

"Variegated?" Naruto pressed. Hinata had dropped her stutter once again chatting about plants and he didn't want to waste a moment basking in her confidence. It was a definite pick me up after meeting her father.

"Plants that have different colored leaves, especially marbling or striping of leaves," she pointed to the herb plant nearest to Naruto's elbow, "See that? That's pineapple mint. It's known for having variegated leaves."

Naruto bent down to examine the plant and, sure enough, its fresh smelling leaves were striped with yellow and green. Each leaf had its own unique striping, giving the little mint plant a bright and striking appearance against the remaining, plain green herbs.

"Some pothos varieties exhibit variegation as well," Hinata continued, "But since your shrine gets low light, variegated pothos might lose their coloring. It'll be too confusing to discern disease from lack of lighting… Oh!" Hinata's eyes suddenly brightened in realization, "I know!"

A few moments later, Naruto was surprised to find himself leaving the plant shop clutching a little box of four fresh herb plants and, following close behind him, Hinata carrying his newest house plant addition: a golden pothos. Like its namesake, the plant had large, bright green heart-shaped leaves splashed with gold and was so massive that it completely obscured Hinata's torso with only her head gingerly peeking over the top of the fluttering leaves. Naruto had tried several times to unload Hinata's burden onto himself but the young woman had refused.

"Hinata-chan, it's not too far now," Naruto made one more attempt to take the plant, "You can hold these while I grab Teuchi-san and-,"

"N-No!" Hinata shook her head, her long ponytail whipping to and fro, "T-Think of it as an apology f-for how my Father acted to-today."

"It's alright," he tried to reassure her, "I got my plant anyway so no harm done. Besides, do you really want to leave the shop in your Father's hands?"

"H-Hanabi-chan runs a flower shop," she explained, "She'll keep F-Father in check. Still," Hinata sighed heavily, "It wasn't much fun having him question your c-choice, right?"

Naruto paused, pondering the question, only to respond, "Honestly? I'm just glad you were there to help me pick the plant. I have no idea what I'm doing…"

Hinata let out a little giggle, causing Naruto's heart to skip a beat in mutual delight, "Well, Kiba can't make all the commission at the shop, r-right? Oh, is this you?"

Naruto stopped admiring Hinata's pretty forehead peeking over the pothos plant and looked over to the now-bustling ramen shop. Eager to avoid Teuchi's prying questions, Naruto reached out and grasped the edge of the pothos' pot, leading Hinata around the building towards the backstair case. There, Naruto would no longer be refused. Despite her protests, Naruto took the plant from Hinata's arms. Handed her the herb tray, Naruto climbed the stairs and unlocked his door, throwing it open with a light kick. As Naruto made his way over to his dining table to set the plant down, he did not expect Hinata to follow. However, the young woman entered the studio soon after and, to Naruto's growing horror, began to explore the lonely bachelor pad. He tried to make an excuse to escort her out but Hinata had already spotted the half covered shrine seated beneath his window.

Or so he assumed, for Hinata approached the shrine, only to to ignore it completely and sweep up the ginger sprout, now a massive collection of ginger plants, that had been growing on Naruto's window sill. "Oh!" she cried in delight at the sight of the dark-green ginger stalks swaying about in their golden pot, "You've taken such good care of it! It'll be ready to harvest soon!"

"H-Harvest?" Naruto said, his voice a weak whimper.

"Oh course! I'm sure-," Hinata then looked down, finally noticing the half covered shrine. She stood in silence for only a few seconds, examining the shrine from top to bottom, before suddenly reaching down and grasping the edge of the blanket. With a soft grunt, Hinata pulled the blanket off, revealing the old worn shrine with its single smiling portrait.

"Now I see," she smiled softly, "Why Kiba suggested a pothos…"

"I… Uhm…" Naruto could only duck his head, trying to hide his shame. What must she think of him, he silently despaired, ignoring his Father's shrine for so long, keeping it covered up and hidden from even himself?

Hinata made no attempt to chastise him. Instead, she motioned for Naruto to bring over the pothos plant, taking only a moment to return the ginger plant back to its windowsill before focusing all her attention on the neglected shrine. Setting the blanket aside, Hinata took a moment to brush off the excess dust that clung to the dinghy wooden surface before setting the pothos down. At first, the pothos was set to the side, the portrait sitting front and center in the sunlight. However, after a couple of shuffles here and a slide to the right there, Naruto watched as Hinata adjusted the pothos to cover the portrait. Leaning back against his dining room table, Naruto became engrossed at the sight of Hinata's delicate hands gently teasing and fluffing the pothos' massive leaves, ensuring that they obscured the shrine but allowed the portrait to peek through just a little bit.

"There," she smiled, presenting the shrine to Naruto, "Now you can use that blanket for something else. Maybe a picnic?"

Naruto did not respond. Instead, he walked over and sank down to his knees, kneeling side by side with Hinata, taking in the sight of the newly decorated shrine. Naruto had assumed the golden pothos had been quite massive but, now seated inside the shrine, its beautiful bright green leaves burst forth from the old wooden enclosure. His father's portrait was now seated further back, nestled deep within the pothos jungle, only half of his face exposed to the sunlight. Staring at his Father, Naruto imagined him peeking through this jungle of life, giving him a cheeky grin, before the shadows of the leaves obscured him again. Once again, that awful feeling of dread came over him and for a moment, Naruto wanted to grab the portrait and move it forward, ensuring his father didn't get lost within the wild greenery.

As if reading his mind, Hinata spoke, "You can always trim it back," her hand reached out and gently rested on Naruto's wrist, "I'll show you how to propagate the cuttings."

Naruto turned to her and as their eyes met, he longed, ever so badly, for her cool fingers to wrap themselves around his, "... Why did Kiba decide to recommend a pothos?" he asked instead.

Hinata took a moment to ponder the question, "Well…" she spoke slowly, feeling out her answer, "It's true that pothos are easy to care for… But, I think in Kiba's case, he was also considering their meaning."

"Meaning?" Naruto leaned forward to get a closer look at his new plant, "Plants have meaning?"

"Sure!" Hinata smiled, "You've heard of the language of flowers, right?"

Naruto did not but nodded anyway to encourage Hinata to continue her explanation.

"Well, houseplants have meaning too. Like your snake plant. It's a pretty popular Feng-shui plant that symbolizes good luck. Your pothos also symbolizes good luck… And," here, Hinata hesitated. Maybe it would be best to hold off on the second meaning. However, seeing Naruto's expression, she chose to continue. Gently, softly, she reminded herself, "... It also means longing… Particularly when you're alone…"

The expression on Naruto's face shifted from interest, to a flash of pain, followed by reservation. Hinata fought the urge, once again, to embrace him. His reaction was all too familiar and she wished she could share in Naruto's grief. "I-I c-c-can…" she started, her voice trembling, "I c-can t-take the p-plant b-back if-,"

"No," Naruto took her hand into his, giving it a grateful squeeze, "That is exactly… That is exactly what I need."

Their eyes met again and staring deep into his bright blue eyes, Hinata knew Naruto would be alright. The pain still swelled and crashed about like waves within him but in that moment, Naruto was anchored and ready to face the coming storm.