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Hinata was drinking a cup of tea in the teacher’s lounge as she revised her lesson plans.
She thought about giving her students a class project, but it was tricky to think of something that the whole class could do. Hinata absentmindedly clicked her pen in thought and stared at her notepad. The paper was still blank, aside from a little doodle in the margins.
She thought to herself, What should I do?
Teaching wasn’t always easy, but every day was more than with the trouble. There was something wonderful about seeing her students being so eager to learn, and she got to nurture that feeling every week. Still, she sometimes found it tricky to come up with a good lesson plan.
“I wonder if this is how Iruka-sensei felt sometimes.”
Hinata decided to stand up and get herself a cup of water to clear her head when she heard footsteps coming nearby. She peeped up and saw Shino, one of her old friends and fellow coworker, carrying a massive stack of paper.
A few moments later, he slowly walked into the room, gripping the stack as tightly as he could. Sweat dripped down his brow as he tried not to drop everything all at once. Hinata had never seen him carry such a large stack before, not even on the busiest days of the school year. Whatever it was had to be important.
Shino glanced over and said, “Hello, Hinata. How are you doing?”
She rushed over and grabbed part of the stack.
She said, “That looks like a lot to carry, let me help you!”
Shino sighed in relief.
“Thank you. This was pretty difficult to carry,” he said.
The two of them carefully carried the stack of papers over to the table in the center of the table. Even the smaller stack felt a little unwieldy in Hinata’s hands. She still couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but she assumed they had to be important.
Then, he started taking papers off of the stack and skimming them, his brows furrowing in frustration. He set paper after paper into one pile.”
“No, no, no… Hm, no.”
Hinata asked, “What’s the matter?”
Shino said, “I feel overwhelmed with these papers all at once. This was far more work than I had ever expected.”
“Do you need help grading your students’ work? I might be able to help you a little,” Hinata offered.
Shino shook his head, “No, thankfully these aren’t my students’ papers. I’m caught up on grading work for now since nobody turned in late work this week.”
Hinata gasped, “Nobody? Not even Iwabe?”
“Not even him. Crazy, huh?”
He continued, “The reason I have these papers is because the last teacher left them behind. These were all shoved in an old drawer in the corner, but none of them were organized. I don’t even know what they all are.”
Hinata glanced over at the tall pile right beside Shino.
“I was hoping that I could reuse the drawer once I had everything sorted out. The reason is because I’m a little short on storage space,”
Hinata scooted her chair next to him, looking her friend in the eyes.
She offered, “I can help you sort the papers if you’d like.”
Shino’s cheeks started to turn a rosy pink and he started to fidget with the sheets of paper.
He asked, “Are you sure? You seemed a little busy.”
“I don’t mind at all. Besides, I think it might help me clear my head a little bit.”
“Thank you, Hinata.”
“You’re welcome.
Shino passed over a stack of papers and said, “Would you mind checking to see what should be discarded? Any old records, old notes the teacher left, lesson plans that are outdated. And if you want me to make sure something can be discarded, I can check.”
She nodded, “Okay.”
The process was tedious, but Hinata felt less bored than she would have otherwise. There was something about Shino’s presence that made her feel better.
At one point, Hinata found a brightly-colored map of the Hidden Leaf Village that was very clearly created before Pain’s attack years ago. There were even little hand-drawn illustrations of major sites in the village, like the hokage’s office and the various clan compounds, all of which had large-print characters underneath. Some of those spots were in the same place any more, not after all of the reconstruction work that had to be done. Heck, some of those places never even got rebuilt at all.
Hinata felt nostalgic at the thought of all of those old paths she used to cross back when she was little. She’d walk alongside Hanabi to the Academy, or cross through the woodlands near the edge of town just to visit Shino.
Shino said, “Hm?”
She pointed at the map and said, “Look at this, Shino. Remember when the Hokage’s office was right next to the Hokage Rock?”
He said in amazement, “That was years ago, wasn’t it? I mean, we were teens back then. I’m surprised nobody got rid of it yet.”
“I am too!”
She noticed another building, one that had been torn down a few years before she had graduated. She remembered her father visiting that place every now and then to conduct meetings with the other clan heads.
She said, “Wow, this map must be a decade old!”
Shino looked back over the map.
Then, he had a somewhat puzzled look on his face as he said, “Though, this lesson was for young children, I assume. I’m even less sure why it was in my classroom in the first place, since this room’s only ever been used for the older children.”
Then, Shino noticed something. He pointed at another location on the map, a place near the outer edge of the village.
He said nostalgically, “I remember this place: the Hidden Leaf Greenhouse. It was the best place to find insects in the summer aside from the woods themselves. You could hear the cicadas loud and clear in those hot summer afternoons.”
Hinata said, “Oh yeah! They grew a lot of plants from all over the world there, didn’t they?”
Shino sighed, “I miss that place. I think the younger members of my clan would have loved it.”
They pointed at other old places and shared their old memories. It had been such a long time since many places had been around.
The two of them kept on talking about all of the old places they used to visit, laughing about the fun times they had together. The two of them got so distracted that they almost forgot about the big stack of papers they still had to go through.
Hinata’s eyes drifted back down to the stack of unsorted papers after the chat.
“Oops!”
Shino shook his head.
“My apologies. That wasn’t really professional of me.”
“N-no, you’re fine. I was the one who showed you the map. Um… I guess we better get back to work.”
Hinata continued her sorting, this time going at a much faster pace. Every now and then, she found herself sneaking glances at Shino.
Eventually, the two of them had everything sorted. There was a stack of school records, a stack of lesson plans that Shino could reuse, a stack of lesson plans for other teachers, and a large stack of documents that would get shredded.
Once everything was done, Shino sighed in relief.
Hinata said, “Wow, we did it.”
“Yeah. I’ll have to alphabetize each of the stacks, but that could wait for another day. I’ll call this a good start.”
Shino readjusted his sunglasses and said, “Thank you, Hinata. That was a lot to get through.”
“Of course. Anything for you.”
He then fidgeted with his shirt sleeve and cleared his throat.
Shino complimented her, “I like your dress, by the way. It looks nice on you.”
She blushed.
“Thank you, Shino.”
Then, he used a set of sealing scrolls to seal up each stack of papers, with the exception of the ones that needed to be destroyed.
He put the scrolls in his bag and said, “I’ll go through these later once I have the chance. There may be some useful lesson plans there. I’ll also give any records to the principal in case he needs them.”
“For now, I’ll take care of that stack.”
A steady stream of long, silvery insects flowed out from him, scurrying all around the stack of papers. They looked quite different from the kinds he normally used in combat, but they still seemed familiar.
Hinata stared at the insects in fascination as they scurried towards the stack that needed to be shredded. In a few brief moments, the entire stack of paper was completely covered in those insects.
There was something interesting about Shino’s ability to command all kinds of insects and with such ease as well.
She asked him in a curious tone, “Are these silverfish?”
Shino nodded, “Yes. The reason I brought them here is because they can eat paper. I didn’t want to jam the paper shredder again, so this seemed like an efficient way to take care of the problem.”
Hinata exclaimed, “That’s a clever idea! The paper shredder always gets jammed, doesn’t it?”
Little by little, the stack of paper was reduced to nothing. Then, all of the silverfish swarmed back to him. Shino sighed in relief as he rolled back his sleeves.
Then, he stood up for a moment to get himself a glass of water. Hinata sat patiently and watched him.
He then remembered why Hinata was in the lounge in the first place.
He apologized to her, “Oh, sorry I interrupted your work. I’m sure you were busy.”
“It’s okay, Shino. I’m just glad I could help,” she reassured him, “Though, um, can I ask you a favor?”
Shino sat back down and said, “Of course. You helped me a lot today.”
Hinata pulled out her notepad and pencil from earlier, still as blank as it was earlier.
“What would be a good class project that we could all do? I want it to be something special. You know, like something that will stick with them.”
Shino rubbed his chin in thought.
“Does the topic matter?”
She shook her head.
“No, as long as it covers some basic science or maybe Hidden Leaf history. Well, or anything else I teach. This would just be something for the whole class to do together.”
Hinata handed Shino an outline of everything she usually taught in a school year. He looked over it carefully, softly muttering some of the words to himself. All of a sudden, he flashed a tiny little smile and hummed to himself.
Hinata teased, “What’s got you smiling?”
“I just had an idea,” he offered, “How about you and your class try raising caterpillars?”
He pointed out the part of the outline discussing metamorphosis.
He continued, “The reason I suggest that is because they’d learn the basics of insect life cycles and how to care for other organisms. And, well, most children like butterflies, even if they are afraid of other insects.”
She said, “Oh! I hadn’t thought about that! That’s a great idea! And I could also use it to help teach kids about your clan!”
“Right. I… Thank you.”
She patted him on the back. Even when they were little, Hinata remembered how a lot of the civilian children would shy away from Shino and the other Aburame children, just out of fear. She wondered if Shino found it tough back then, even if he was a reserved kid.
He reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a hefty, well-worn book, handing it over to Hinata. On the cover was an illustration of a variety of insects and a small signature in the corner.
“I can even show you some species that might be easier for your class to raise.”
Hinata looked at the notebook carefully. The writing on the outside was very neat. The more she looked at all of the details, the more impressed she was.
Shino explained, “This was my father’s notebook, and he wrote every detail over 20 years. It’s got information on all kinds of insects native to the Land of Fire, and each one has illustrations. And well, the reason I have it is-”
Hinata gave him an understanding look. Such a book would have been an absolute treasure to have, especially since his family
Shino whispered his thanks before he opened up a section focused on butterflies and moths. He then handed the notebook to Hinata, pointing out a species that he thought would work. It covered diets, locations, morphology, behavior, and more for every single species. Not only that, but there even were maps depicting the migratory patterns of the various species.
Shino suggested, “Perhaps this species could work: silkworms. They’ve been raised for human use, so they’ll be easier to work with.”
He held up his finger.
“However, I have one warning: silkworms only eat mulberry leaves, so make sure to keep them in stock if you decide to use them. They’re not too hard to find, but you can’t use any substitutes.”
She nodded, “Good point.”
The two of them traded notes for a long while, discussing how they could organize the class project. After all, they had to time everything based on the life cycles of the silkworms. Shino even helped her write down an outline.
“Why, thank you, Shino. I could just, um, ki-”
Shino cocked his head, “Just what?”
Hinata shook her head wildly, and she felt her heart beat a little faster all of a sudden.
“Oh! Uh, it’s nothing.”
Even after they finished planning, the two of them took turns looking at all of the insects in the notebook. Hinata was fascinated with the sheer variety of insects, and how each one was carefully drawn.
The two sat in silence for a brief moment, just to relax and admire the artwork. Neither of them felt the need to say anything. Then, their eyes locked onto each other in admiration. As Shino looked at Hinata’s eyes, he couldn’t help but think that she looked even more lovely than she did moments ago.
All of a sudden, she asked, “Oh, mind if I look at the section on silkworms for a second?”
“Sure.”
Hinata immediately flipped back to that section before pulling out a spare sheet of paper from her bag. She hummed to herself while sketching out something on the notepad. At the same time, she had the byakugan active as she concentrated on her work.
He asked Hinata, “What is it?”
She held up a finger and winked.
“You’ll see what it is in a few moments. It’ll be a surprise.”
Shino wondered, What does she mean?
She leaned over the notepad just enough to block Shino’s view. At first, he wondered if she was trying to draw a diagram for her students. Perhaps it would be something she could use in her classes, while explaining basic science to them.
He wondered, Or is it?
A few moments later, Hinata finished the drawing and handed it over to him. It was a carefully copied illustration of a silk moth standing on a leaf, a perfect imitation of the illustration from his father’s guide. Even the texture of the scales was as fluffy as the scales on a real silk moth.
Shino’s cheeks blushed a soft pink as he held it close to his chest. He almost felt like a young boy again, hanging out with his father. He had never expected to receive such a personal gift all of a sudden.
Shino tucked the drawing into his pocket and said in a flattered tone, “Why, thank you, Hinata.”
She giggled a little bit and said, “You’re welcome. I knew you’d love it.”
Then, Hinata noticed the sun beginning to set in the sky. All of the children were gone for the day, and most of the staff was probably gone as well. The custodial staff were probably going to lock up the school before long.
She gasped, “Oh goodness! We’ve been out this long already? I can’t believe it.”
Hinata scrambled to gather her bags before heading home. She then quickly waved her friend goodbye.
“Bye, Shino! I’ll see you later.”
“I can walk home with you if you’d like.”
She shook her head and said, “Don’t worry, I don’t want to bother you any more than I might have.”
Shino then grabbed his own bag.
“I don’t mind at all. I like spending time with you,” he said while fidgeting with the straps of his shoulder bag, “And, well…”
Hinata cocked her head and went, “Hm?”
He shook his head and said, “Nevermind. Let's go.”
The entire school was now dead quiet, aside from the custodian doing some last-minute cleaning. The moment he noticed Shino and Hinata, he jolted in shock and stopped what he was doing.
“Oh goodness! I didn’t see you two there, You’re out pretty late,” he said.
Hinata bowed apologetically, “I’m sorry, sir. Shino and I were just a little busy earlier, that’s all.”
“Ah, okay. Well, I’m glad you’re both doing well. Um, are you…”
The custodian then shook his head in embarrassment.
“Oh, no, never mind. That would be rude of me.”
He waved Shino and Hinata goodbye before returning to his work.
Then, the two of them closed the door before admiring the sunset. The sky was now a soft orange color with pink streaks near the sun, casting a warm glow over the village.
Shino quietly held onto Hinata’s hand, giving her a gentle squeeze. His hands felt warm and comforting, just like always. She gently squeezed his hand back before they started their walk back home.
The walk back was peacefully quiet at first, aside from the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze and the distant sound of insects buzzing. Hinata’s chest felt warm inside, as if she was getting something she never knew she wanted. She didn’t think it was just companionship. After all, she had been friends with Shino, Kiba, Naruto, Sakura, and so many other people for years now.
Perhaps it’s best to just enjoy it, Hinata figured.
But then, as she and her old friend turned a corner, a couple of her students bounced up and down and waved at her. Their parents were standing in line to get some ice cream, chatting with each other about work and their families.
She waved back and said, “Hello there, Taro and Yukiko! How are you doing?”
Yukiko giggled, “Good, Miss Hinata-sensei!”
Taro asked, “Are you and Shino-sensei in love?”
Hinata’s face began to turn a rosy pink, and she started fidgeting with her fingers like she did as a child.
“U-um…”
What should I say?
If Shino had feelings for her, he certainly had never said anything before. She wondered if it was because he knew she used to have feelings for Naruto. Still, she didn’t want to pressure him.
Then, she said, “No, we’re just close friends. My apologies.”
Taro bowed his head down and said, “Aww…”
His parents said, “Sorry if our son was being nosy.”
Hinata shook her head and waved her arms, “Oh, no, he’s fine! I, uh, I can’t blame him for being confused.”
Hinata suddenly felt a little sad at the thought. She wondered what Shino might have thought. Sure, he had stayed quiet, but he might have seen her as more than a friend. Perhaps it would have worked out if she just said something.
Still, Hinata didn’t want to dwell on it too hard. She could always talk to Shino about things later, especially since they had their lunch breaks at the same time.
“I guess we better get going,” she said.
Shino nodded and gave her hand a squeeze.
“Indeed.”
Then a few blocks later, they saw Kiba walking Akamaru. Akamaru was definitely looking older, with wrinkles on his snout. He moved at a much slower, more weary pace than the young pup he once was. However, he and his owner were no less happy to see their old friends.
Kiba waved at the two of them while Akamaru gave them a hearty bark. Kiba even gave Hinata a pat on the back.
“Hello, Kiba,” Shino said with a polite bow.
“Ah, come on, you don’t need to be so serious, Shino. We’re friends, right?”
He smiled slightly as he said, “Indeed we are.”
Kiba gave his dog a few scratches before leaning up against a telephone pole.
“It’s been a while, huh? I wound up getting really busy all of a sudden, since they wanted me to get involved with some new committee for shinobi animal trainers.”
He then gestured as he said, “You
He looked at Hinata, “I know Kurenai said you started teaching at the Academy. How’s your teaching gig going?
Hinata said, “I love it. It’s not always easy, but I love seeing them.”
Shino said, “And I have been doing well as well. I was a little busy this afternoon, which is why we’re here so late.
Hinata said, “Oh, and Shino and I helped each other out today.”
Shino told Kiba about what had happened earlier.
Kiba sighed, “Man, I don’t envy you. I hate dealing with paperwork.”
Akamaru barked as if to agree with Kiba.
“Anyways, How have you been?”
He said, “I’m doing great! The whole breeding program’s been going well. Everyone in the clan’s excited to start training the new puppies.”
Hinata excitedly asked, “Can we see them tomorrow? We should have the day off.”
Kiba exclaimed, “Sure! I’d love to have you guys over. It’s been way too long since they last visited! Right, Akamaru?”
Akamaru barked in agreement and licked Hinata. She scratched behind his ears, which made him zone out in delight.
She said, “You’re as cute as ever.”
He asked, “By the way, are you two dating?”
Hinata was shocked. That was the
She said, “Um, uh…”
“Wait, what do you mean you’re not? I mean, you’re holding hands and everything.”
“Um, the reason we’re holding hands is because I just wanted to make sure Hinata would be fine.”
Hinata pulled out her notebook
“Yeah, we wound up staying a little late today.”
Akamaru cocked his head in confusion, but Hinata gave him a little reassuring scratch behind the ear. He wagged his tail happily as she petted him.
“Don’t worry. We’re all still friends,” she whispered.
Kiba winked and said, “Well, you two would be a cute couple, just saying. But that’s your business, not mine.”
Hinata thought about what Taro had said earlier. She thought about whether he and Kiba had noticed something that she hadn’t. If not, it was a funny coincidence that two different people thought she was dating Shino.
She looked back at Shino, who was readjusting his sunglasses again. His cheeks were now turning the faintest shade of pink as he brushed her fingers with his thumb. She felt something stirring in her chest, as if she needed to tell Shino something. However, she swallowed instead.
It’s fine… Maybe.
The three of them continued talking for a while about everything that had been going on in the Hidden Leaf. New construction projects were going on, businesses were opening and closing, and even their old peers were taking on new tasks. The Hidden Leaf may have been changing quickly, but the three of them were proud. After all, the people were safer and happier than they once were.
Once the conversation had slowed down, Akamaru turned around and barked.
Kiba asked, “Oh yeah, what time is it, anyways,” glancing at his watch.
He stood back up and stretched with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.
“Oh, I better get going. I don’t want to keep Tamaki waiting for too long.”
Shino and Hinata waved him goodbye, “Bye, Kiba!”
He waved back and said, “See ya!”
Akamaru barked one last time before walking off with Kiba. The streets were quiet once more. That is, until Shino felt his stomach growl. He noticed a little takoyaki stand right nearby, and best of all, there wasn’t even a line.
“Do you mind if I pick up some takoyaki? I’m a little peckish right now,” he offered.
Shino noticed that Hinata’s face was suddenly flushing a reddish color.
She said, “Oh no, I-uh, I don’t mind at all.”
He asked, “What’s the matter, Hinata?”
She twirled her hair while staring down at the ground.
“I, um, I’m fine.”
Shino couldn’t help but remember the way she used to be around Naruto back when they were young. She’d always get flustered whenever he noticed her, stuttering and fidgeting whenever he talked to her. But now, both Shino and Hinata started doing those same things this evening, now that it was just the two of them.
Does she like me?
Still, Shino didn’t want to accidentally sour his friendship with her. If she wanted to just be friends with him, he’d be content with that.
Still, I want to give her something nice.
“Do you want me to order, then?”
Hinata nodded rapidly before letting go of his hand. The takoyakis were made quickly, and the scent made Hinata’s mouth water. They decided to sit on a little wooden bench right near the stand.
“Here we go,” Shino said, passing Hinata a toothpick.
‘Thank you!”
The two of them took turns eating the bites of takoyaki. They were soft and piping hot, and the scallion garnish tasted pleasantly fresh too. It didn’t take long for the two of them to polish off the container.
Shino smiled warmly and patted Hinata on the back.
“Thank you for all of this. For helping me with those papers, for letting me help you with the project, chatting with me, giving me that drawing…”
He sighed in contentment.
“Well, for everything really. This has been the best day I’ve had in a while.”
Hinata rested her head against his.
“Same here. It’s been a lovely day.”
They rested in silence for a little while, watching the stars in the sky.
Shino gasped, “Oh goodness! We got a little carried away, didn’t we? We better head back.”
“Yes. Sorry about all of that.”
Thankfully, the main entrance to the Hyuga household was just a block away, and nobody seemed to be too worried. However, Hinata stopped right in front of the door.
She gave him a small kiss on the cheek without even thinking. He jolted back in surprise.
Mortification was stretched on her face as she gasped, “I’m sorry!”
Shino took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure.
“No, it’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting that.”
He blushed ever-so-slightly as he said, “But…I liked it anyways.”
He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“It seems like there’s something you’re worried about.”
“Oh no, it’ll be fine. I just have a lot on my mind today,” she lied.
However, Shino gave her a look that suggested he knew she was hiding something.
“You don’t have to be afraid to tell me anything, you know. We’re friends, right?”
Hinata nodded before clearing her throat.
“Well, I was thinking about what Kiba and Taro said earlier.”
Shino shifted his posture slightly.
“Oh, yeah. You did get flustered, didn’t you?”
He then pushed his sunglasses back up.
“Well, you don’t have to feel pressured to go on a date if you’re not interested.”
“But then, he thought about that random kiss. That couldn’t have been a coincidence, could it?”
Hinata kept fidgeting with her bag straps.
“No. It wasn’t.”
Then, she cleared her throat.
“I didn’t want to make things weird earlier, so I said we were just friends. But, you’ve always been someone I can trust. You’re calm, hardworking, passionate about your interests…”
Hinata took a deep breath to calm herself. Then, she made eye contact with Shino again, though the palms of her hands were still a little sweaty.
“Mmm, what I meant to say was… I’d love to be with you. And I really, genuinely mean that. I just didn’t know if you liked me back.”
Shino was left speechless
“Oh no, did I say something weird,” Hinata
“No, you didn’t. I’m happy. The reason is because… Well, I wanted to ask you out too.”
Hinata started bouncing in excitement as she giggled to herself. Shino’s face melted into the warmest grin as he watched her.
“Oh my goodness! I can’t believe it,” she cheered.
Then, she turned her head around and noticed a couple other Hyugas nearby. She tried to settle back down before looking back at her old friend- no, her new lover.
She offered, “So, um, do you want to get something on Wednesday? After work, that is?”
“How about some tea? I heard they opened up a new shop not far from the Academy. I heard they also serve house-made cinnamon rolls.”
“They make cinnamon rolls?”
“Indeed they do.”
“Yes! That sounds wonderful! I can’t wait.”
Shino’s cheeks flushed as he said, “I’ll see you then.”
“You too!”
Hinata eagerly waved him goodbye before almost skipping back inside. In that brief moment, the two of them felt like kids again, happy and carefree.
As he walked back, Shino smiled to himself and whipped out Hinata’s drawing. He rubbed his finger along the edges of the moth’s wings, admiring her skills.
“Guess you’re like a little lucky charm, hm?”
He felt so lucky to have a lady like Hinata in his life, and he knew he’d always treasure that little moth she gave him.