Chapter Text

You knew that honey doesn't spoil. Shino told you before, but now you knew firsthand. Your massive, over ten-year-old stock, glinted at you from its penthouse pedestal in your kitchen. The longevity of the product, you considered, was probably one of the reasons you had paid so much for it in the first place. The Aburame clan, after all, put a lot of effort and hard labor into maintaining a high-quality apiary. Surely, if you used the honey, you could have had a tea sweetener for upwards of ten years. Perhaps more, you weren’t sure. But even though you never dared to even open any, you didn’t have the heart to throw any of them away. It seemed like a waste of both money, for one, not to mention the food waste. So those huge, fifteen-ryō jars of sweetener took up space on your shelves, never to be touched. 

And now, as you stood in the middle of your kitchen with two brand-new bags of groceries and nowhere to put them, you considered the amount of honey you had in your house slightly ridiculous . The cupboard consisted of three shelves with the whole top shelf and half of the second fully stocked with honey jars. The glass containers were lined right up to the edge, peaking over at you like disappointed and neglected overlords. The second half of the middle level and the whole of the bottom shelf were chocked full of equally tall products. Your palm pushed at the containers on the first level, hoping that they’d shift back. Culinary containers, to your dismay, did not make good puzzle pieces. You pursed your lips before turning to your other cabinets. If you just did some rearranging, perhaps you could fit what you needed somewhere else.

With your perishables in your fridge, you took the next hour to reorganize your kitchen. You, after all, had no idea what to do with time to yourself. The village, all of the Great Nations , had been so busy rebuilding. With the Akatsuki at the height of their power and the resurrection of Madara among others instigating chaos, there was a lot to address after the dust settled. Most shinobi, including you, had worked for small consistent wages instead of larger mission fees as private contractors became scarce. A lot of you ended up in shifts as patrols sharply increased with the rate of petty crime. 

The war had come and gone. It was hard to believe that the armistice treaty was made only a handful of years ago. It felt like you were on the battlefield yesterday, yet also a lifetime ago, but you supposed that most of the shinobi who served in the war still lived a bit in the past. It was hard not to when everything around you served as a constant reminder. But out of all the things you lost to the war, after all, your relocations and the destruction of several areas of the village, the honey jars still stood— and you salvaged them. You didn’t like to consider growing emotionally attached to jars of honey of all things, but time and time again you would always ensure that your useless supply of honey (that you bought at age sixteen, may you add) was well taken care of.

But as the new age began, you couldn’t help but wonder about the future.

You picked up three containers: one ginger, the other black peppercorn, and the third a vial of rose wine. Despite the closeness you felt in the war, you didn’t see much of your classmates these days. You tried to talk to Naruto a few times. He, for the most part, seemed the same. You didn’t know the specifics of what he went through— though you could only guess how horrific it was— but he seemed, at least to you, relieved. Perhaps it was because he got his friend back. Sasuke hadn’t been seen since he was released from prison. The pardon had been a controversial decision in the village. You never talked to him much. You talked to Sakura a few times (when she seldom had time off from the hospital). Although, even though she seemed more eager to chat, she never had much free time. You could understand that. As much as you wanted to check up on Team 7, you felt like you were prying. They, after all, had people closer to them. You filed the spices and the wine into your shelf, the space already looking better filled. 

You sorted through pink salts, rare spices gifted to you from Mizu no Kuni, wolfsbane, and simple sugars. Ino was pioneering her way after experiencing so much loss within her clan. Shikamaru stepped up during reconstruction. Kiba, you heard, was dating. After a rowdy early twenties, you had always wondered if he’d ever want to settle down. Hinata and Naruto set the trend: their relationship set a blaze of excitement throughout your old group of friends. All of the vials fell neatly into your cabinet with the rest of your foodstuff, clearing just enough space to cram your new goods into. Everyone was figuring out their lives. 

Your eyes darted to the cupboard holding your jars of honey.

And you still felt like a teenager. 

***

Tap tap tap.

The little noise snapped you out of your thoughts. You felt like you’ve been getting distracted far more easily recently. A hawk sat perched at your windowsill, claws wrapped around the little, outdoor perch stand. You maneuvered your way to the window, the large bird pecking at your glass incessantly despite being able to see your movement inside. Old scratches marred a patch of your window and new ones deepened with every nip. You jerked the window open in annoyance and went to untie the message on the hawk’s back. You couldn’t say for sure if you were above slapping a bird. His beak nipped at your hand, causing you to recoil briefly before repositioning your arm to block his face (although that still didn’t stop him from trying to peck you again). With the message in your hand, you swiftly closed the window once more.

You unraveled the note. 

Naruto and Hinata finally set a date for their wedding and it was soon. 

You sat down at your tiny kitchen table, rereading each word and taking in the intricate, Hyūga stationery. Hinata had wanted exactly this for so long that you wouldn’t be surprised if this was her way of trying to lock Naruto down before another global catastrophe struck the Great Nations. You knew a part of her had been terrified that Naruto would never marry her (she shared this one night after one too many sips of sake), but no one else seemed to have ever shared that fear. Granted, telling her that would never make a difference so you didn’t think anyone ever did.

You marked the day down on your calendar. The heel of your palm rested against the glossy paper hanging on the wall, your weight shifting slightly as you leaned in a semi-awkward position. You stared at the writing. The thought dawned on you slowly.  Everyone will be there . And as your thoughts began to drift once again, you couldn’t help but wonder. 

Tap tap tap.

The hawk returned, tapping even more incessantly at your window. You were never allowed to stay lost in your thoughts for long. He screeched, wings raised in annoyance. You looked at the bird before looking back at your save-the-date. It had your name on it, so no mistake there. Curiously, you strode back across your kitchen to the window.

“Bite me and I’ll turn you into a hat,” you muttered. The messenger hawk made a volley of annoyed sounds, but overall, your threat seemed to work. You untied the new note, not even bothering to close the window again before shooing the bird off. You leaned against the frame as you sighed. No time for thinking when there was always work to do.

***

You had never seen the village whipped up into such a frenzy. Perhaps everyone was starved for a bit of good news and cause for celebration. The end of the war in itself had been one, but the uncertainty and haplessness that followed served to only blunt any leftover hope. You supposed people were simply excited to celebrate since perhaps this all signified that things had finally gone back to normal. A wedding between Leaf royalty and the savior of the Great Nations seemed to have no downsides. If anything, it meant that you needed to find a gift.

You waded through the bustle of the market. You could barely move. Despite its normal amount of foot traffic, the market road was a straight shot from your apartment to the office. But today, after everyone in the village seemed to have received word of the upcoming wedding, maybe this wasn’t the best way to get to the Hokage office. You hadn’t had enough foresight to choose a detour. 

You followed the current of pedestrians before tearing off into a small alcove between vendor stalls. You stood on the balls of your feet, hand shielding your eyes from the sun as you looked over the crowd. Yes, you could see the red emblem from where you stood. 

But as you lowered yourself, you saw a familiar stool. A stool meant for children, but this time, an actual child sat on it. You blinked a few times, a wave of nostalgia hitting you at once. The kid at the stand kicked his legs, sitting silently and facing forward with a blank expression on his face. You stepped out into the street to take a look at the sign that hung above. The letters had been neatly and analytically painted on to read, “Bouquets 12 ryō” and under it “Honey 15 ryō”, just like it did almost ten years ago.

You didn’t know what possessed you to approach the stand, but when the kid’s stare met yours, you snapped back to reality. He said nothing as you gaped at him for the briefest of seconds before you took to pretending to examine the stand’s goods. His dark glasses were, at best, unnerving. You glanced at your reflection.

“So…” you trailed off, feeling the need to fill the silence as you averted your eyes once again. The stand next to his sold zucchini. “New spot?”
“Uh-huh.”

You nodded a few times, a flurry of mixed emotions battling for dominance in your head. Surely, there was no reason for you to be there. Surely, Shino Aburame would not be happy to see you interacting with a member of his clan. You picked up a jar of honey, pretending to read the label.

“Get a lot of customers?” you looked up at the Aburame child with a nervous smile. He did not smile back. You kicked yourself, wondering why you came over in the first place and how you’d get out without looking like an idiot.

“Nuh-uh.” He remained expressionless, something you supposed was shared by the rest of the clan. A small bug traveled up his cheek and disappeared under his glasses. You glanced around, not looking for a face as much as praying you wouldn’t see it. 

“You, um, by yourself?”

“Are you trying to kidnap me?” The young Aburame didn’t miss a beat. Your head snapped forward, causing a sharp pain to erupt in your neck. You set the honey down. A mix of embarrassment and sheepishness shot through you like a kunai to the heart. The child, barely of genin age, watched curiously as you rubbed your neck with one hand and waved the other in front of your chest. You quickly gathered your bearings as you tugged on your vest, a hand still on the side of your neck.

“No, of course not! I’m a jōnin .” You accented your credential with the tug. You had no idea why you thought telling this random kid that you were a jōnin would help in any way nor did you think about the stash of honey you already had in your home (that would certainly be disposed of only at your death). “I know, um, I mean I would love to buy a jar of this honey.” You scrambled for your wallet. Hopefully, no one else in the market heard and thought you were trying to abduct this child from the Aburame honey stand.

“Fifteen ryō,” the Aburame kid sighed. He was significantly less bothered than you.

“Here’s a ten and two fives.” You handed him a colored note before shoving the jar of honey into your pack. The child frowned.

“This is too much.” He stated plainly. You glanced up.

“Keep it. Think of it as a tip for staying out here all day.” You could sense that he wanted to dispute you, but he made no effort to. And you were far too mortified to say more than a thanks before you darted off in the direction of the Hokage office. Enough embarrassment and panic could surely get you to where you needed to go. 

***

Even despite your detour and the traffic, you still arrived at your meeting significantly early. The jar of honey felt like a massive weight compared to the usual scroll that you would have held in the pack that rested on the small of your back. You took in a deep breath at the top of the steps. No matter how much training and grueling mission work you’ve endured, the steps up to the Hokage’s office were enough to make you want to pass out. 

Shikamaru came down the hallway, flipping through papers. Other employees and shinobi alike walked quickly through the halls of the second floor. You let the door to the stairwell close behind you as you walked toward him. Shikamaru looked taller. Or maybe his form had filled out with muscle since you last saw each other. He had a bit of stubble and despite what you could only assume to be long hours in the office, he looked like he was doing well for himself. 

“Hey, Shika,” you called lightly. He stopped and glanced up from his reading, his features softening as his eyes found you. Shikamaru offered you a nod and a polite expression as you approached each other. “It’s been a while. How have you been?” 

“I never thought I’d be doing this with my life, that’s for sure,” he sighed. Shikamaru shrugged, hands finding his pockets. His arm pinned his file of papers to his side.

“A little responsibility looks good on you. You look happy.” You smiled at him warmly as you gave him a friendly swat on the bicep. He attempted to fight off the bashful grin that threatened to turn the corners of his lips upward. He cast his gaze downward as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

“Thanks…” He glanced up and you caught his dark pupils. “How have you been? I hear they put you on that communications shit. Pretty impressive stuff. It’s been a lifesaver around here that’s for sure.” You let out a nervous laugh.

“I wouldn’t say that. I just happened to tinker with the right parts with the right jutsu nature.” You glanced towards the door to the Hokage’s office, realizing that Shikamaru had to have just come from there. You looked back toward your childhood friend, making a gesture. “Is he in right now?” Shikamaru made a glance over his shoulder, nodding.

“Yeah, I think they’re already in there talking about your assignment.” A silence. Shikamaru inhaled sharply before clearing his throat. “Well, it was nice seeing you.”

“Nice seeing you too!” you told him as you maneuvered around each other. Shikamaru opened the door to the stairwell and you gripped the doorknob to the Hokage’s office. You opened your mouth before closing it again. You didn’t look at Shikamaru when you spoke. “Will I see you before the wedding?” He once again stopped in his tracks, thinking to himself.

“I always have time for a drink. I’ll see you when you guys get back.” 

And before you could ask, Shikamaru disappeared into the stairwell. You didn’t think much of it. Shikamaru, after all, probably had more of a hand in the overall affairs of Konohagakure than any of you did. Most of your class ended up taking a specialty to assist in reconstruction and you were no different. It wasn’t uncommon for news to reach your old classmates before it reached you. You were just glad you got to see a familiar face. 

You hummed, satisfied that you got to see a friend, even if for the briefest of seconds. You turned the knob, but chipper greetings soon died on your lips as laid your eyes on Lord Sixth and Shino Aburame. 

Shino’s glasses were not reflective like the younger Aburame you had met in the market earlier. Rather, they were pitch black and further shadowed by Shino’s hood. He turned away from you, not sparing you a second glance as he returned his attention to Kakashi. You closed the door and approached the desk.

***

It didn’t feel like a raw discomfort. After all, the last time the two of you had a real conversation had to have been more than ten years ago. And between the war effort and reconstruction, you had plenty of time to forget the two-day-long romance you had as teenagers. If you could even call it that. Ino chalked it up to only having each other in a high-stress, life-or-death situation. You owed the tension to the fact that you took your bet with Naruto too far and that Shino was justified in not forgiving you. You went through a period trying to convince yourself that there were no feelings between you and Shino, but the moment you met his dark frames, you knew you were wrong. 

“Respectfully, Lord Sixth—” Kakashi groaned, leaning back in his chair. The back of his head pinned his hat behind him, causing it to float over his forehead. 

— “Kakashi, please.” He corrected you. You had, after all, known him since you were fresh out of the academy. Even if he wasn’t your direct team leader, Kakashi would have liked to think that he had a deeper relationship with your class that extended far beyond stuffy formalities. 

“Respectfully, Kakashi , is there a reason we should know about why there is so much manpower on a simple installation job?” You made a conscious effort not to look toward Shino. You didn’t want him to think that you didn’t want to team up with him. Granted, you didn’t , but that was neither here nor there. Kakashi stared at you blankly. “I mean, I’m sure that the people we have in the field can do a simple start-up.”

“No.” Kakashi crossed his arms and slung an ankle across his opposite knee. “They can’t. This isn’t a task I’m about to sign just anyone .” Part of you felt flattered at Kakashi’s indirect compliment. Being of use to the village was about all you felt like you could do. But the idea of traveling with Shino alone through the Land of Fire brought up uncomfortable memories at best. “And if we were shown anything these past few years, it’s that Konohagakure is severely disconnected to not only our own bases but to the nations that surround us.” Kakashi sat up. His hat fell back into place as he placed both of his elbows on his cluttered desk. “I’d like to try your gadget out. On a wider scale.”

“I mean, I only developed it for long-distance fieldwork. I know we’ve been using it differently, but this technology was originally to communicate from one team back to the village, and still have access to the central database. I’m not sure if a standard field tool is appropriate for this sort of implementation.” You rambled nervously, almost laughing at the insecurity you felt about an invention of yours being utilized on such a large scale. A part of you just didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Shino who you felt was a constant, judgemental presence.

“We’ve already been using your system successfully for a while now. It has certainly evolved beyond a standard field tool , wouldn’t you say?” Kakashi’s eye narrowed. “I’m not sure why you’re fighting me so hard on this.” Shino cleared his throat.

“No, I have to agree.” You couldn’t help but look up at him, your look of surprise betraying you. “I’m not entirely sure why you need a scout for such a low-level mission. Especially with everything here that needs to be done before the wedding.” You toyed with the hem of your vest. You didn’t even think about preparations for a wedding on the scale you knew Naruto and Hinata’s would be, let alone how duty and patrol were going to be handled. Wedding aside, even with the efforts towards unity, the village could hardly spare one shinobi being away from the village let alone two. It took years of reconstruction and recovery after the previous Great Shinobi war and this one served no different. “This sounds like a job that can be done by the creator alone. I don’t see a need to be an escort.”

“I’m not sure if the two of you understand the weight of what his communication system would do for our village.” Kakashi stood, taking the two of you in with scrutiny. Surely, he thought to himself, he was missing something. He could sense it the moment you stepped in the door, but that was information to be gathered another day. “Get your affairs in order. I’m sending the two of you out in two days' time. The people stationed at the east and southeast bases will be expecting you.” He leaned on the edge of his desk, two case files between his fingers. 

You took one.

Shino took the other.