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Kiba thought of himself as a decent parent. In fact, he would describe himself as more than decent. Hell, he was confident that his parenting skills could be good, or even better than good.
Since he wasn’t the only parent in his friend group, Kiba had learned a few things from his childhood buddies, but he also knew not to compare himself to them.
As Kiba would say, they all had their own unique parenting style.
When reviewing his history as a parent, he prided himself on not being a scolder or a constant nagger. Kiba patted himself on the back for not being one of those parents who constantly talked their kid’s ear off with an endless stream of complaints.
Lord knows, during his youth, he had dealt with enough of that when he had lived with Tsume. Being raised by Tsume never included abuse or anything physical of any sort. Verbally, she could be a little harsh but never abusive. It was for that unfortunate reason that his mother had a habit of delivering her words in an unpleasant manner. Although Kiba had accustomed himself to his mother’s parenting style, which had involved yelling and fussing at him over trivial things, he didn’t enjoy it. As a consequence, he had vowed that whenever he did become a father, he wouldn’t be like Tsume, constantly yelling and shouting.
No way in hell, Kiba had promised himself, so when Ino had told him she was pregnant, he had vowed from that moment forward to do things differently from his mother.
He loved his mother deeply and unconditionally, but he wanted to do parenting…. alternatively.
Right now, Kiba’s parenting beliefs were being put to the test as he found himself in a conflicting situation, feeling stuck and the reason was his teenage daughter, Hanako.
Kiba’s brown coffee eyes watched the disinterested teenager in front of him, who took small, unfocused bites of her food. From the moment she had walked into the kitchen, she was glued to the phone, only giving short responses when he had asked about her week. He wanted to ask more about school and other things, but Hanako’s responses made him feel like she wasn’t…interested in having a conversation.
The few sentences Hanako had given Kiba left him feeling… a little annoyed, dare he say, irritated, and he wondered if this was how his mother had felt when Kiba would disregard her commands.
A shiver went down his spine at the thought of yelling like Tsume in response to his daughter’s behavior.
Even still, Kiba couldn’t get Hanako off that phone. She was always glued to that damn device, rarely putting it down.
It started a few months ago. Hanako made it a habit to keep her cell phone close as she seemed more invested in responding to text messages than talking to her parents.
To Kiba, the messages seemed endless. How many friends does one teenager have? Kiba had wondered on more than one occasion as Hanako had often checked her phone at the dinner table, interrupting family time. It had become such a bothersome recurring problem with Hanako and her precious phone, that Ino and Kiba established a strict stipulation: no cellphones during mealtime.
This rule was to apply to all of them, but more specifically to Hanako.
Honestly, he hated this phase of Hanako’s life. Kiba despised Hanako’s teenage years because she was so…complex, and this was simply year one, and year two was due to come in a few weeks. Although Shikamaru and Chouji had warned him about this stage, the teenage stage, he couldn’t have prepared himself for this.
On multiple instances, Kiba had battled with the urge to scold her, yet every time he resisted, fearing the possibility of morphing into his mother.
Sighing inwardly, Kiba made a mental note to message Chouji on any tips for dealing with a teen girl. Chouji had his own extensive experience with his own daughter, Cho-cho.
Prior to Hanako entering this current agehood, Kiba had naively assumed it wouldn’t be so hard dealing with a teenager the second time around.
Oh boy, he was horribly wrong.
He stupidly had assumed that his experience with a teenage Inojin meant that he was more equipped to handle a teenage Hanako. Kiba had entered Inojin’s life just when the boy was eight years old as a result of Ino becoming a single mother due to her divorce. Loving Ino included Inojin, and Kiba had accepted this fact when he fell in love with her. Although she had only been divorced for a few months at the time, Kiba could no longer conceal his true emotions. Fortunately, it all worked out in his favor as Ino had felt the same, and he had no problem being a stepfather.
As the years went by, Kiba bore witness to his stepson’s teenage years while also dealing with his daughter’s terrible twos.
Looking back at the time he spent raising a teenage Inojin, Kiba definitely thought he had it down.
How hard could it be …he had thought to himself, bearing witness to Hanako’s changing height and personality. His baby girl had entered her last year of junior high school and was already in her teens.
Again, Kiba was terribly wrong because Inojin wasn't as unpredictable as Hanako. One day, she was bubbly and outgoing, wanting to overshare about her day, sharing so many names and details that Kiba struggled to keep up. Then, the next day, she would act reclusive, only giving her parents curt answers or keeping to herself in her room.
It confused Kiba, and he sometimes had a hard time figuring out his daughter all on his own.
Does she hate me? Kiba would ask his wife, deeply frowning at the thought of his daughter possibly resenting him. However, Ino had always done her best to soothe his anxieties.
Relax, she’s just growing up. It’s a teenager thing, ” Ino had often explained, but Kiba still had a hard time figuring Hanako out, and this made him anxious. Fuck, he missed the times Hanako just wanted an ice cream cone or to be thrown into the air.
Even now, as he watched Hanako eat, he didn’t get her. His deep brown eyes observed the teenage girl as she took uninterested bites of her breakfast.
The same breakfast Kiba had worked so hard to prepare to her liking, and he slumped his shoulders lightly, knowing that it couldn’t be helped.
His little girl was growing up.
Meanwhile, Hanako continued to focus on the mobile device in her hand, fingers scrolling endlessly through mindless content, only occasionally hovering over the phone screen to like a post or watch a short video clip. She had barely looked up from the screen, and it was bugging him more than he hated to admit.
Kiba rolled his eyes, but this went unnoticed by Hanako, who remained oblivious to the sour attitude that consumed the room.
A few months ago, Ino, fed up with Hanako’s constant attention to the mobile device, had established a rule: no cellphones during mealtime.
Only in case of emergencies, Ino had explained at the time of the rule’s introduction.
Kiba, being the supportive husband he was, agreed to Ino’s new rule. Plus, Kiba enjoyed Hanako’s undivided attention when he could get it.
Still, he battled with the urge to scold her and lecture her on the evils of the device, but he didn’t want to be a nagger.
Kiba did not want to be his mother.
He shivered at the thought of being like Tsume.
Even now, sitting in front of his daughter, Kiba felt a little peeved, but he made a habit of allowing Ino to be the assertive one. The main conflict came with the fact that Hanako was Ino’s daughter, so she had inherited her mother’s bothersome habit of disregarding rules.
Ultimately, Kiba favored the role of the good cop, so he battled with the thought of disciplining Hanako. Plus, Ino made the perfect bad cop, and sometimes, Kiba enjoyed Ino’s dominant side. For those reasons, he allowed Ino to deal with her twin, or mini-me, as she had jokingly referred to Hanako in the past.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Kiba, baby blue orbs that were identical to Ino’s looked up at him, making eye contact with his soft brown glare.
“What?” Hanako questioned, blind to his mood.
“What did I tell you about using your phone?” Kiba questioned in a voice that was monotone and still.
This was Kiba asserting his dominance as a parent. Maybe today, he would play the bad cop.
“No one is here yet,” she gestured to the empty seats around them, lightly rolling her eyes. “It’s just you.”
Kiba softly grimaced at the last part, “Oi! Is your old man not worth your attention and time?”
In seconds, he leaned over the table, lightly flicking her freckled nose to prove his point, and this caused Hanako to scowl softly. She pulled away, creating enough distance to escape her father’s antics.
Kiba smirked triumphantly when Hanako finally placed the phone down as a result and focused on nibbling her breakfast.
”Besides, it breaks your poor parents’ hearts when you ignore us so easily.” Kiba took a bite of the generously toasted bagel on his plate.
“Whatever, touu-san, ” she rolled her eyes, continuing to take small bites. “The both of you are just needy and dramatic.” She puffed out her cheeks, twirling a lock of her sandy blonde hair in her finger.
This small action made Kiba pause.
Every passing day, Hanako reminded Kiba of a younger version of Ino, in terms of both looks and mannerisms.
Hanako possessed long hair that reached her mid-back that was reminiscent of her mother, but she did not inherit either of her parent’s hair color, instead having a shade of blonde that looked to be lightly roasted by the sun. Hanako also didn't have straight hair like her mother’s, but the girl’s hair came to life in the form of long, gorgeous, wavy hair. There was no coil to it, but her hair certainly wielded more life. Inuzuka’s genetics showed itself through her hair texture as Tsume, the girl’s grandmother, often had commented that Hanako’s hair resembled Kiba’s older sister, Hana.
When Kiba had discovered the baby would be a girl, he fell in love with the name Hanako as Ino possessed a deep love for flowers, and ironically, their baby was due in the spring.
Truly, Hanako turned out to be her parents’ spring blessing.
To top it all off, the Inuzuka-Yamanaka girl was named in honor of her aunt. Kiba and Ino had only found it fitting to name their child after Hana, as she had been the one to reunite them.
Continuing to watch his daughter closely, Kiba knew Hanako was a copy-and-paste version of Ino, but just packaged to the world in a different color palette.
A palette crafted with love and molded by a complex history shared between Kiba and Ino. Eventually, as Ino’s mother had often commented, the pair had been reunited again by the red thread of fate.
Deep brown colored eyes watched Hanako with a softened gaze, and the small annoyance he had possessed earlier suddenly melted away because, truly, Kiba had the biggest soft spot for his daughter. Ino had declared this just minutes after Hanako arrived into the world.
“She already has you wrapped around her finger,” Ino joked breathlessly, sweat still coating her forehead as a result of the childbirth. “You’re so screwed, Inuzuka, “ she declared confidently, followed by an exhausted laugh.
His eyes fell on the tiny bundle balled up on Ino’s bare chest.
“No kidding,” he agreed as the tears gathered in his eyes.
Since that March afternoon years ago, Ino’s statement had been true for the last thirteen years.
Kiba just stared at Hanako with a small smirk forming on his lips, and this didn’t go unnoticed by the teenager, who gave him a puzzled look.
“You’re exactly like your mother,” were the only words to come out of his lips.
“Ugh!” Hanako faked a gag. “Please, I'd rather not look like either of you.” She picked up her phone once again, trying to look distracted and hide her blushing face. Kiba knew Hanako hated feeling like a child, but she would always be his little flower.
He hated to admit it, but it killed him to know that she would be fourteen in just a few weeks. Nostalgia occasionally kicked him in the gut, reminding him of moments when Hanako’s little feet chased after the dogs at Hana’s clinic. The times Hanako had cried when he had to leave early or the excitement that she had exuded the minute Kiba had walked through the door, jumping straight into his arms. Kiba recalled the fits of giggles that escaped from her when he had tickled her little belly, possessing a contagious laughter that infected him every time.
Easing out of his nostalgia, Kiba sighed, trying to squeeze out the wistfulness that fogged his brain. Coming back to reality, he realized what Hanako had said, and instead of finding any validity in Hanako’s earlier accusation, he let out a hearty laugh. One that started from the belly and erupted from his throat.
“Not only do you look like her, but your attitude is exactly like hers, too,” Kiba continued to tease her.
Hanako had heard that statement many times before, but coming from her father added a pinch of vexation. “You can eat alone today,” Hanako stuck out her tongue at him, preparing to leave in order to avoid her father’s foolishness. She grabbed her plate, ready to exit the kitchen ,when another voice interrupted.
“And where do you think you’re going?” the voice questioned with an authoritative tone.
“Sit down and finish your breakfast. Put that phone away, too. You’ll be perfectly fine without it, Hanako.” Ino’s voice froze everyone in the room as she entered the eating area. “I'm sure your father told you there are no cell phones at the table.”
She wore a simple plum colored house dress while sporting her signature ponytail. Instead of having her usual side bang, a small roller sat neatly on top of her head with the assistance of a few bobby pins. Ino’s cozy morning style didn't take away from the beauty and grace she naturally possessed, and Kiba’s now-lingering eyes were evidence of this.
Meanwhile, poor Hanako pouted at her mother’s presence, sitting back down in her seat as she instantly obeyed Ino’s command, “Good morning, mama.”
”Good morning, baby,” Ino moved a few untamed hairs from her daughter’s forehead as the girl muttered an apology about using her cellphone. Ino moved to be at Kiba’s side, placing a kiss on his lips. Being accustomed to her parents' open affection, Hanako remained indifferent. While most teenagers squirmed or felt grossed out, she didn’t care too much for it. If Hanako was being honest, seeing the way her father openly doted on her mother even after so many years molded her idea of love.
Hanako wanted an image of her love painted in similar colors to those of her parents.
Meanwhile, Kiba’s lips lingered on Ino’s a little longer before he pulled away, a sly smirk covering his face. He couldn’t help but find it amusing that Hanako obeyed Ino so easily. “I love it when you’re the bad cop.” He placed another kiss on Ino’s lips.
Accepting his kiss, but not feeling one bit amused by his comment, Ino rolled her eyes at him, “I’m only the bad cop because you’re such a sucker, and let Hanako get away with everything.”
Hanako giggled softly and said, “It’s funny because it’s true.”
At that, Kiba said in a low voice, “Not true.”
Ino gave him a knowing look before going to the other side of the kitchen to make herself the usual cup of tea: rosehip with jasmine and a light hint of lavender-infused honey.
“Hanako, do you know what you’re wearing for the gallery opening tonight?” The blonde woman took a small sip from the cup, baby blue eyes ignoring Kiba’s soft frown and glare, instead, zoning in on the teenage girl.
”About that, can I just stay home?” she asked nonchalantly, biting into a small piece of toast she had smothered with strawberry jam.
“Absolutely not! No one will be home with you,” Ino asserted, leaving no room for argument. As expected, Hanako turned to her father for help, looking for a good cop to support her.
”Dad! Tell her I am old enough. I am going to be fourteen in five weeks,” the teenager pleaded, hoping her feigned sad voice would have some effect.
”No can do,” Kiba shook his head, “I agree with your mother on this one, you should come with us.”
“I have homework to finish,” Hanako said, but Ino and Kiba knew this was a total lie, and Hanako knew she was caught from the apathetic looks on their faces.
“What about aunty hana?"
“No, sweetie, Hana is out of town for a conference,” Ino reminded her.
“OI!” Kiba spoke up, “What is your deal? You don’t want to spend time with your parents?”
Ino looked confused, and Hanako possessed an identical look of bafflement.
“What! This isn't even about you guys!” Hanako defended, “It is just going to mainly be old people! There's rarely any people my age there. It sucks!”
“We’re not old,” Kiba protested.
Ino glared at him for his outburst, “Honey, ignore your father’s outburst and I know these things are boring. I promise we can cut it short. Besides, your dad hates these things too.”
Kiba nodded. “It’s true, tiger lily. You and I are suffering together in this.” He frowned at the endless small talk he would have to engage in.
Hanako expanded her cheeks, and the freckles on her face made her look like a puffer fish, sitting back in her seat and accepting defeat. She accepted defeat for a few seconds before she perked up in her seat, a magnificent idea arising.
“I can join big bro at his job!” she beamed, proud of the compromise she just proposed.
“Absolutely not,” her parent’s voice came out at the same time and in a tone that was a little stronger than she would have liked, and she outwardly winced at their tone.
“Geez, I thought you trusted him,” Hanako pouted softly, looking down at her food as she shrank in her seat.
Noticing her behavior, Ino and Kiba both sighed, sharing a knowing look.
“Don't drag your brother into this. You know we trust him deeply,” Kiba explained in a gentle tone. “But your mother and I would be idiots to let you hang out at a bar. It's full of creeps!”
Ino nodded her head in agreement, taking a small sip of her tea.
”So I can stay at home then!” Hanako grinned, waiting for her father’s response.
Instead of fighting back, the man sighed heavily before finishing the bagel in a few bites. “Ino, this is your daughter. You do something.” Kiba got up from his seat to retrieve the cranberry juice from the refrigerator, needing a break from the conversation. He had to retreat because truly, Hanako could be relentless and stubborn, just like Ino.
A cunning smile formed on Ino’s beautiful face, and she placed a hand on her hip, turning to face Kiba. “Oh, so now she is my daughter?” She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder, “Oh, please Kiba, you weren’t complaining about my attitude for the past sixteen years.”
Ino moved closer to be by his side, “You can’t handle a teenage girl~” the blonde woman teased. The man shrunk away and this made Hanako giggle, seeing her father retrieve.
”I can’t deal with the Yamanaka attitude,” Kiba confessed, avoiding eye contact with Ino and sipping on the juice as a distraction. “Doubled, mind you.” He glanced at Hanako and Ino.
”Hey, now! Don’t act like you don’t like it. Besides,” Ino moved closer, wrapping an arm around Kiba’s muscular one, “This attitude will be here by your side...” She flashed the wedding ring as a reminder. “Forever.”
When Ino was close enough, Kiba closed the distance by placing a light kiss on her nose, “You’re right, and I am grateful for that.”
Hanako rolled her eyes softly, ignoring her parent’s sappy behavior before she chimed in once more, “I don’t want to go to a boring gallery opening,” Hanako sulked, trying to plead her case once more.
“Grandpa wants all of us there. Honey, grab the fruit for me please.” Ino requested, not wasting a second, Kiba retrieved the packages of blueberry and strawberry from the refrigerator. Meanwhile, Ino fetched a knife before she focused back on her daughter, “And it’s important that we’re all there for him.”
She chopped up a few pieces of strawberry and bananas and threw them into a porcelain bowl. Ino then retrieved a handful of blueberries to add into the mix before she mixed it all together with greek yogurt. Just to keep Kiba away from her breakfast, Ino added a spoonful of flax seeds before she drizzled a bit of manuka honey over it. She smirked when Kiba sneered at her bowl.
Although her meal was finished and ready to eat, Ino cut up a few strawberries and placed the vibrant red slices on a plate before setting it in front of Hanako.
Strawberries were her daughter’s favorite fruit.
The teenage girl silently thanked her mother by quickly consuming the fruit pieces.
Once finished, Hanako responded, “Aww, don’t use him as an excuse to drag me along to a boring event,” Hanako said after finishing the strawberry slices. The girl felt conflicted because she loved seeing her grandfather, but she also dreaded these events as they felt like a waste of time.
Before her parents could touch on the topic again, someone interrupted.
“What are the two love birds up to now?” A new voice came from the kitchen’s entryway. The brightness that shone in Hanako’s blue eyes the moment she heard that voice could have rivaled the brightness of the morning sky.
“Big bro!” Hanako practically leaped out of her seat like a frog, running to hug the other blonde.
Inojin welcomed her into his arms, patting down back into place the butterscotch colored waves on her head, “Yo, Hana- chan ,” he greeted.
Her older brother was the only one who called her that.
”Can you convince them to let me stay home alone?” Hanako’s blue eyes stared at an identical pair, doing her best to give him the same feigned pitiful look that she had given Kiba. She clung tightly to his arm, hoping that Inojin would come to her defense.
“Haha, no way, Hana-chan. I’m staying out of this.” he gave Hanako another firm hug before he peeled the sulking teenager from his side. Hanako continued to beg if she could accompany him to his job, not backing down or taking no for an answer. However, Inojin continued to shake his head, not switching up. He stayed adamant about staying out of it because he wasn’t the parent.
Once out of his sister’s reach, Inojin gathered the ingredients to make his go-to cup of green tea before greeting his parents.
”Morning, lovebirds.” Inojin smiled at his mom and stepdad. He knew his mother hated the nickname, meanwhile, he was aware that his stepfather didn't mind it one bit. Inojin knew Kiba had enjoyed the way his mother easily reacted to that name.
”I’m surprised you weren’t up earlier, kid,” Kiba asked. “Did you get enough sleep?” he probed in a concerned tone, taking notice of the dark coloring forming under his eyes,
Inojin yawned lightly before responding, “It took longer than usual to clean up the bar last night. I’m sorry if I woke you guys up with my late arrival last night. Plus, uncle Chouji wanted me to stay a little longer, and then shortly after, Sarada and Boruto showed up.” He let out a long tired sigh, one that resembled his uncle Shikmaru’s, “On top of that, there were other customers there that I needed to attend to, so yeah, it was a long night.” Inojin stretched his shoulders, reaching his arms to the sky before dropping them to his side.
”To be honest, I might go back to bed before the start of my shift tonight just to catch a short nap.” Inojin looked at his mother. “I don’t think I can make it to the gallery tonight, Mom. Tell grandpa I said hi, though.” He gave his mother a reassuring smile that warmed Ino right up.
“It’s okay, honey,” she said with a small shrug. “I’m just happy to see you become independent and grow up.” Ino let out a small, wistful sigh because being a parent meant seeing your kids grow up. And fuck, that was definitely hard.
Inojin gave her a tender smile. No words were exchanged between mother and son, but they both understood.
Hanako interrupted the moment with a burst of energy, “Yay! I can stay home!” she declared happily, thinking she finally got her way.
Ino, in the most loving way possible, tuned her daughter out and Kiba wisely followed suit. He thought it was best to not revisit the subject since he and Ino had firmly decided that Hanako would accompany them to tonight’s gallery opening.
Choosing to ignore his daughter’s unyielding attitude, Kiba shifted his attention to teasing the 21-year-old instead.
”Hhmm,” Kiba lightly nudged his elbow into the blonde man’s side. “Must be tough having to entertain all the ladies that come by, eh Inojin?”
Before responding, Inojin blew softly into the mug, sipping the hot tea slowly. “Not just women,” he muttered softly, but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. “Men too, sometimes,” he finally added.
Haanako’s eyes went wide, and a wide mischievous smile graced her lips. “Oh my god! You have a boyfriend?” Excitement was clear in her voice.
“Haha, no Hana-chan, I don’t have anyone in my life, and if I did, you'd be the first to meet them.” He gave his little sister a tender smile.
Meanwhile, Ino was simply silent.
“Did he….” she thought to herself because truthfully, he didn't know how to react. Of course, she had no problem with her son having an interest in both genders, but she was thrown off by the nonchalance behind the confession. To her, it seemed like he had dropped something major on them, yet to Inojin, it didn’t seem significant.
Ino looked over at her husband, who didn't seem at all surprised. Instead, he seemed to have a quizzical and focused look on his face. She prayed Kiba wouldn't say anything stupid or sensitive towards their son.
“Hmm, I’m not surprised,” Kiba mused softly, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Looking at both blondes, Kiba remarked, “ It must be a Yamanaka thing.”
”W-what does that even mean?!” Ino blurted out, and Inojin laughed so loudly that he almost spilled his cup of tea.
“I have to know too!” the young man grinned at his stepdad, finding more amusement than offense in the comment. “What exactly did you mean by that?”
Kiba shrugged, not thinking much behind his statement. “I’ve heard stories from my mom about Inoichi, and let’s just say that he wasn’t easy. Back in the day, he definitely had a reputation for getting anyone he wanted. It is definitely a Yamanaka thing.”
He stressed the anyone, implying the unspoken to everyone in the room.
“Oh my god,” Hanako’s voice piped up with a mixture of shock and excitement in her voice, “Grandpa too!’
”I mean you Yamanakas can get anyone you want, just sayin’. Seems to run in the family.” He briefly looked at Ino in reference to her, “I’ve seen it first hand myself.”
Kiba went back to drinking the cranberry juice, ignoring the chaotic reactions erupting in the cozy kitchen.
“Kiba, please.” Ino reprimanded him, and she turned to look at Hanako. “Don’t ask Grandpa anything about this at tonight’s party.”
The long sleeves of the fluffy lavender sweater covered her hands, but Hanako still held them up in defense, “I wasn’t going to ask grandpa about that, but I was thinking of asking grandma about it.”
Ino didn’t react to Hanako’s honesty and simply glared at the teenage girl, who softly snickered as a response.
Inojin let out another laughter, there was never a boring day having Kiba as a father figure. Secretly, he enjoyed the ways Kiba’s jokes threw his mother in an absolute loop.
Right now proved to be one of those moments as Ino just rolled her eyes and frowned. “Inojin, ignore him,” she responded with her signature scowl. Her son simply shrugged, not minding it.
“I can’t argue with that since I got a lot of tips last night,” Inojin gloated as he patted the pocket of his pajama pants for emphasis, earning a thumbs up from Kiba.
“Great for you, but unfortunate for me.” Kiba pointed towards Hanako, faking a pout. “Gotta keep trash away from this little flower.”
“Ugh, keep me out of me.” Hanako picked up her phone, knowing that it was the perfect time to clock out of the conversation since the last thing she wanted was her father going on a lecture or her family inquiring about her nonexistent love life.
Hanako scrolled through her phone, praying for a new text message to distract her from the moment. The nickname alone made her blush from embarrassment. She was almost fourteen! Hanako didn’t think of herself as little.
“You and me both, Kiba,” Inojin said, and this earned Inojin an exasperated look followed by an eye roll from Hanako. “I'll be right there with you, keeping the trash away.”
“Big bro! You’re supposed to be on my side!” she cried out in frustration.
“I’m sorry, Hana-chan.” Inojin shrugged apologetically. “I saw all the chocolates you got for Valentine's Day recently. You definitely have some admirers.”
Kiba nodded in agreement. "Good chocolates too.”
”Godiva, Lindt, Meiji… very expensive brands from way too many boys,” the young man listed off, holding a finger for each chocolate brand.
“They were mostly from friends,” Hanako countered sharply. “T-there is no one I like,” she defended herself in a meek voice, a blush still coating her freckled cheeks.
“For now,” Kiba and Ino replied at the same time. Both adults smiled like teenagers at their synchronized comment while Hanako rolled her eyes in deep annoyance.
Choosing to ignore them, Hanako dramatically flipped her hair and turned to the other side, giving her back to her parents.
“See,” Kiba gestured toward his daughter, watching the girl have the same attitude as Ino. “ She gets more than just looks from you.”
Inojin laughed in agreement. “From the stories I heard about you, Mom. Kiba is right!”
“You both can be insufferable,” Hanako said between bites of food, but she mumbled the last part.
“We are so what?” Kiba acted oblivious to Hanako’s snarky remark, “Amazing? Great? Incredibly good looking for our age?” he countered back with jokes.
“As long as we’re alive, we’ll be insufferable.” Ino made the declaration with motherly pride before she surprised Hanako with a hug that the girl couldn’t escape from. “But it isn’t too bad, right, Inojin?”
Hanako stayed still in her mother’s arms and tried to look as serious as possible with a light frown. Ino looked down at Hanako, smiling widely at her daughter’s reaction. The look on her freckled face reminded Ino so much of a younger Kiba. The same frown that possessed his face whenever the group teased him or he didn’t get his way. It didn’t help that Hanako also inherited Kiba’s sharp canines, a lower canine sticking out a bit from her lower lip.
The frown morphed into a pout that also mirrored her father’s.
This just made Ino snuggle the teenager even more, the sweater’s delicate fabric adding to the perfect hug. Ino had been the one to buy the sweater for Hanako, and when she had first seen the lavender piece of clothing at the shopping center, she just knew that she needed to get it for Hanako. Ino was very happy with her purchase as the sweater perfectly suited Hanako.
“ Kaaa-channn …” Hanako started to fuss softly in Ino’s arms. “What’s up with you?” she tried to pull away from her mother’s embrace.
Geez, they’ve both been so weird lately, Hanako thought to herself, glancing at them both. What’s up?
Hanako was taken out of her thoughts when Inojin spoke up. “You’ll get used to it when you realize how special a family is,” he explained with a light chuckle. “Trust me, the older you get, you’ll realize not everyone has a family to turn to, Hanako chan.”
Inojin wasn’t speaking about his close friends, but more so talking about the patrons he often encountered at his uncle’s bar. Inojin had heard enough stories to make him aware of how lucky he was to have a home to come to. Although he lived in his own apartment with Shikadai, Inojin cherished the times he spent with his family on weekends, taking the time out of his schedule to drop. Especially since Hanako was growing so fast, and every passing day, Inojin felt like he was missing out.
While Inojin was flying into a cloud of nostalgia, everyone turned their attention toward him. He finally noticed his family’s gaze and froze in place. For Kiba, he was overwhelmed with an unnamed warm feeling because just like Hanako, Inojin was growing fast too.
Each day, Inojin morphed into a wise man, and Kiba couldn’t be prouder.
Ino beamed, and she squeezed Hanako a little too tightly as a result of uncontrolled excitement and pride. “You sound so philosophical, Inojin. No wonder you’re so popular at your job,” she teased. “Shikamaru must also be rubbing off on you. He always knew the right things to say to me, and here you are, guiding Hanako with mature advice.”
Then, Ino smiled at the girl still in her arms. “Guiding her and being an amazing brother. Aren’t you happy to have a great older brother, Hanako?”
The sandy blonde teen looked up with a bright smile and nodded, “You’re the best big brother, and I am lucky to have you, onii san.”
Ino’s heart melted at this, and she looked down at Hanako with a tender smile, having properly raised her children to love each other, pouring an equal amount of love into the both of them, and raising her babies with unconditional love and care. The moment Ino had brought a newborn Hanako from the hospital, Inojin had quickly adapted the role of big brother, always going above and beyond for his little sister.
“You were always a velcro baby for your older brother, Hanako.” Ino watched the interaction between her children, and she recalled the times Hanako would have a fit when Inojin placed her down or had to leave for school.
Not being far from Hanako, Inojin placed his tea down and leaned over to affectionately ruffle her hair, gaining a giggle from the teenager. “Don’t worry, Hana-chan. I’ll always be there for you.” Inojin stood by his mother’s side, smiling down at the girl.
“Aw shit,” Kiba’s eyes burned as he watched the scene in front of him. “I am about to cry.” he blinked hard, trying to hold back the incoming tears.
“Kiba, don’t curse in front of Hanako!” Ino scolded, glaring at her husband, but halted her scolding once she saw that he was actually about to cry. She was genuinely taken aback by the actual tears forming in his eyes. “Kiba?”
“Tou-chan, stop acting so weird,” the girl softly chided, feeling turned off by her father’s random waterworks.
In a few short steps, Kiba moved closer to the rest of the Yamanaka-Inuzuka members. Wrapping his arms around each of them, Kiba pulled everyone in for a firm bear hug.
Hanako softly yelped in surprise, Ino rolled her eyes out of slight annoyance, and Inojin nervously chuckled as the height difference between everyone made the position slightly uncomfortable.
“Tou-chan,” Hanako whined, trying to push him off, but he didn’t budge. “You’re heavvvyyy.”
Kiba stood firm, embracing everyone.
“I love you, guys,” Kiba openly gushed with a look on his face that resembled a drunken smile.
“We love you too,” Ino echoed for everyone. “Now, please, honey. Get off of us because you really are heavy.”
“Yeah, Kiba. You’re not the young twenty-eight-year-old security guard you used to be.” Inojin teased with a light shove, but nobody could even budge as Kiba had everyone in a tight embrace.
Truly, never a boring day in the Yamanaka-Inuzuka household.