A/N: It's back on! I thank every single one of you who has reviewed, favorited, alerted, or read this story over the years. You've helped me continue with this story, and I'm determined to finish it no matter how long it takes. So thank you to all of you! Fyi, I took some liberties with some canon details and embellished them a bit (namely, the parts involving Shino's interaction with someone in the past war), but it is fanfiction after all.

Shino

"Lose the coats, Shino. Like for one day. Actually, just for a few hours."

Hinata and Kiba cocked their heads to one side, examining him and their handiwork, and seemed to approve.

"You look very handsome," smiled Hinata sweetly.

"Yeah, dude," Kiba added. "Just wait 'til Ino sees you without your jackets on, she's gonna bust a nut. Well, the female version of it."

"She has seen me without my coats," Shino replied.

"What?" his friends responded in unison.

"It was early on in my research of the nettaichuu. It had been pouring rain that day, but it was urgent that I continued searching for anything that could relieve their ailment, if I couldn't find a cure. I had to take my coats off when I reached the Yamanaka flower shop as they were completely soaked through."

"Wow, I had no idea you two had gotten that far already," said Kiba. "That's like what, third base with you?"

"It is not," Shino responded seriously, looking annoyed, while Hinata giggled.

"Ok, but she hasn't seen your insect sanctuary, yet."

This time, Shino paused, knowing what his friends' reactions would be to his next words.

"She has seen that too. Also during our research of the nettaichuu."

Kiba gasped dramatically while Hinata had her mouth slightly open in surprise.

"I'm starting to think this 'research of the nettaichuu' really is your foreplay," said Kiba.

"Enough…" Shino replied quietly, pulling his head down slightly and realizing he no longer had his collar to keep him safe.

After the moment of teasing, Hinata turned more serious. "How are you feeling?" she asked, concern in her voice. "You really don't have to go out without your coats if you don't want to."

Shino remained silent for a moment, turning his head to the mirror next to him. He looked different. Scary, new.

"This whole situation feels uncomfortable," Shino answered honestly. "But I think it's time for me to step out of my comfort zone for something like this."

So now here Shino was, strolling down the street sans jackets and feeling a lot of more naked and uncomfortable than when he left Hinata's. Out of his comfort zone he was, and by his own hand too.

Despite all the preparation Shino had done with his friends, asking Ino out on an official date had been the easiest part. Ino had accepted excitedly and, in her usual fashion, began talking about all the different things they could do; Shino hardly had to do any work at all. The hardest part was realizing that making big changes to oneself in the comfort of home was much different than actually taking those changes outdoors in public.

He was getting attention. It was nothing special by the average person's standard, but to Shino, it felt like he was center of attention everywhere he went. Shopkeepers would call out to him advertising their wares; strangers would accidentally bump into him and actually respond with a polite apology; small groups of chattering girls would eye him and then giggle excitedly. He slightly missed the typical anonymity he encountered in his full attire. Was this good or bad?

A lot of things were changing in his life, he realized. A Shino from two years ago would have never dreamed he'd be out in public dressed (or undressed?) like this, heading out for a date with Yamanaka Ino after making out with her on a bench in the middle of a public park.

He didn't know how Ino chose him, and what it was in him that she found attractive. He was well aware of his assets, but he'd always considered them in regards to what made him a great ninja or researcher—not what a girl may like about him. He hadn't been trying to do anything to attract her, and now that he had, he couldn't stop worrying about what he should be doing now to keep her interested.

As Shino neared their meeting spot, he caught sight of Ino. She was wearing a pretty lilac sundress that Shino hadn't seen before. Ino's eyes widened as she spotted him approaching.

"Where are your jackets?!"

"At home."

She gave him a look. "Oh, thanks for clearing that up. I was thinking you just had the whim to toss them in the river on the way here."

Ino seemed like she was about to ask more questions, as she kept examining him curiously.

"You look pretty," said Shino, before she could say anything else.

It was a genuine compliment, but it also served its purpose to distract Ino enough to not pursue more why he wasn't wearing his usual clothes.

"Thank you!" Ino grinned, taking a spin around in her dress. "You're not the only one who wanted to leave an impression." She scanned him over again. "I like this new look. Different. But still handsome."

"Hn."

Perhaps the new look was worth it after all.

It was Ino's idea that they try visiting the site right outside the border of Konoha, where a band of traveling civilian merchants had set up wares. Shino had been to civilian towns, but he'd actually never gone to one of the traveling merchants' markets before. He figured it'd be a good idea since Ino wanted to go there, even if it pushed him off-script a bit. Now, the pair wandered through the narrow aisles in between tents. Shino mildly scanned the items around, while truly being concerned with whether Ino was enjoying herself of not.

Ino would sometimes make some girly, enthusiastic gasp about some piece of art or random trinket and Shino would mostly respond with a nod.

"You're a bit quiet, today," Ino said, putting a knitted bracelet back on a rack.

"…I'm usually quiet."

Ino smiled. "Yes, that's true, usually. But you've become a real chatterbox lately. At least, compared to how you were with me at the academy. Back then I was lucky to get a nod out of you."

"Hm."

"Well, excluding that grunt of a response."

"Ah."

"Well now you're just trying to prove me wrong."

"In most circumstances, I usually would not be a 'chatterbox,' as you call it. In your case, however, I learned fairly quickly that you would not let me stay silent even if I wanted to."

"Mm, yes. I'm a good teacher," she said. "So, guess what?"

"This isn't a plot so you can eventually respond, 'Chicken butt,' is it?" Shino responded with his usual deadpan.

She snorted. "No! Are those the kind of lame jokes Kiba pummels you with?"

"You wouldn't believe."

"I was going to say I've been reading up on some bugs," she grinned. "Remember those books I got from Shika? There's stuff on making medicines and antidotes from their poisons or saliva. I could really use some of that in my medic work."

Shino was pleased, to say the least. It wasn't common he came across someone who seemed to understand the vast usefulness and virtue of the critters, and he could tell Ino's appreciation for them truly had grown (even if she still didn't match his love for them, but then who could?).

"But beetles…I think I like them the best. Maybe that's also because I worked with the nettaichuu, but just seeing how many colors and shapes they can come in is crazy. They're pretty much just as diverse as flowers. All of those from Order Cole-blahdeeblah."

"Coleoptera."

"Yeah, that. Did you know that some bug called the milkweed beetle has antennae that actually splits its eye into two halves? Makes it look like there are four eyes, but really it's just two."

"Yes." Shino adjusted his glasses. "Though you do know that even with my lifelong studies I do not know every single fact about every insect that has ever existed?"

"I'm just testing you, Aburame. Sharpening your mind."

They walked in silence for a long moment. Shino was appreciating their little banter, and realized that conversation with Ino was easier than he thought it would be, considering the shift in their relationship.

She bent down to examine some pieces of handmade artwork, and out of the depths of Shino's mind came a long dead memory of an erotically-posed woman he'd seen in one of Kiba's magazines, back when they first became genin teammates.

"You'll thank me later, Aburame."

The Inuzuka, evidently proud to take on the role of teacher, had brought out his covert magazine collection when Shino let it be known he had never seen porn before. Kiba hadn't believed Shino when he said he'd never looked at it because he wasn't interested.

Kiba sifted through the pages, stopping every so often to showcase a new naked woman in a new position. One was lying down, biting her finger seductively. Two big-breasted women posed together, holding hands. Another one was bent down wearing frilly ribbons, turning around and wearing an "Oops!" expression for an inexplicable reason.

"Man, it'd be pretty sweet being in between those two, right? Oh she's a good one, too. Damn, why can't all girls have tits like that?" More pages shuffled. "This girl's my favorite. Acting so shy, hehe." Kiba looked up at Shino. "Sooo, what do you think? You're so quiet, it freaks me out."

"It's…interesting," he responded. He still didn't know Kiba all that well and didn't want to come off as rude. "They're pretty."

"'They're pretty'? Really, that's it?"

"What am I supposed to say?" They really were pretty, and yes, their bodies were appealing. How else was he supposed to feel about strangers on a page?

Kiba stared at him like he was the stupidest being in the world. "Oh my GOD, Shino. Are you an alien or something?"

Kiba never tried showing him the magazines again, though it certainly didn't stop him from talking about them. He seemed to understand that he wouldn't get much of a reaction from the Aburame, but as Shino was the only other male on his team, Kiba felt he was his only outlet for this information.

Imagining Ino as one of those naked women in the magazine was not something Shino set out to do, and yet this time, it had caused an uneasy reaction in him. She would look quite good in one of those poses…perhaps the one biting her finger?

Ino turned around to face him and he quickly looked away, erasing the thought. Apparently it hadn't been quick enough.

"Were you just checking me out?" she asked.

Shino's face grew hot. There wasn't any way he could say to her what he'd been thinking. Was she really that perceptive? She was a Yamanaka, after all, a clan well-known for their mind-probing abilities.

"It's just you looked away so quickly. I've hung around Shikamaru and Chouji enough to know how a guy looks like when he's checking out a girl but gets caught." Ino watched him sternly for a long moment. Shino gulped, mentally grasping for a tactful response.

"Just kidding!" Ino said, bursting into laughter. "I'm sorry, it was just a perfect moment, I had to tease you a bit," she said in between breaths. "You don't have to look like you've seen a ghost right now."

Was she serious? Did she think this was all funny? She was causing him to think thoughts he'd never had before and questioning his whole identity, and she was just joking around?

He was getting a bit irked, until she said something else. This time, her voice was quiet, though it still had a lilt to it.

She slowly combed her fingers through the hair that laid around her shoulders. "Is my hair reminding you of golden spider webs right now?"

"…You're making fun of me."

"Maybe a little," she smirked. "But that doesn't mean I wouldn't like it if it were true."

Ino slightly glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and then walked on to the next booth. Shino followed, unsure of what to make of it other than if Ino was ok with it, then he wasn't going to complain.

When the two became hungry, they stopped for a quick bite nearby the civilian town. It wasn't as good as their usual Konohan spot, Ichiraku, but in their state of hunger, the restaurant was better than decent.

Ino kept up most of the conversation in between bites, with Shino adding in a few contributions when he wanted to. He felt quite all right with allowing Ino to be the dominant talker, and Ino hardly seemed to get tired. Shino was fascinated by extroverts, as he'd often have the same thought when he was around Kiba. They always seemed to easily think of things to say, and never grow exhausted over the lack of silence.

Ino suddenly stopped her diatribe about annoying customers she'd had at the flower shop, and eyed his dish. "What you're eating look so good. Can I try some?"

Shino nodded, presuming Ino would reach over with her chopsticks to grab a dumpling for herself. Instead, she opened her mouth expectantly.

Shino was slightly shocked for a moment, though he did drop a morsel into her mouth. Ino chewed happily.

"Here, try some of mine," she said, grabbing some of her food and holding the chopsticks up to his mouth.

He shyly complied, though he felt that twinge of satisfaction as Ino gleefully fed him from her dish.

Shino had one more place he wanted to take Ino before the end of the day. She seemed wrapped up in talking again about the things she'd learned in her readings about different beetles, and wanted to ask Shino numerous questions about each one. He subtly guided her through the forest road to their destination as he answered them.

Ino looked around, registering her surroundings for the first time. "Uh…where are we?"

"The entrance of a cave."

She raised an eyebrow. "Huh, yeah, I can see that. But why are we here?"

"As I recall, because we walked here," he answered calmly. "Follow me."

Ino watched Shino in surprise as he began walking into the darkness. "You're being cheeky with me," she said to his back before continuing to follow him.

Shino didn't respond but he heard the smile in her tone.

When they'd finally reached a point in the passage where the light from the entrance began dwindling, Shino thought it best to warn Ino. "It will be getting quite dark soon. I have no means of lighting our path, so you'll have to stick close to me for at least a few moments."

He felt her reach for his left arm and cradle it within her own, close to her body. "Is this close enough?"

The kikai buzzed within him. "That will work."

They continued on in content silence, as Shino wound the pair through twisted pathways and rocky terrain. Stalagmites and stalactites lined the earthy ground and ceiling, the sound of running water faint but its scent overpowering. Though their eyes were now more acclimated to the darkness, it was still difficult to see past several feet. If Shino didn't have his kikai to guide them, this journey would've been a much more burdensome feat to accomplish. He knew they were very close now to their destination judging by the very dim light in the distance.

"Do we really need to be wandering this deep into the cave?"

"You'll see."

"'You'll see'?" Ino repeated, clearly unsatisfied with this as a response. "What does that mean?"

"Your impatience rivals Kiba's."

"Impatience?!" Ino retorted, her voice echoing through the cave. "You are not answering my questions, Shino.I think anyone in my position would be impatient too—"

She faltered after they turned down a corridor that opened into a damp cavern. The source of the water's sound became apparent, as numerous narrow waterfalls trickled from gaps in the walls and led into a small underground lake. Shino watched Ino as she took in the sight of the thousands upon thousands of tiny specks of bluish-white light that now glittered above them.

Strange translucent tendrils—crafted by the glowing orb-like creatures that surrounded them—hung down from the ceiling, looking like someone had draped their hidden treasure of pearl necklaces across the stone and left them there, forgotten. The lights were impressive enough, but their reflections off of the water added more to the magical sight.

"It looks just like the sky at night," Ino admired, her previous tirade disregarded. "What are they? Fireflies?"

"Glowworms," he corrected gently. "They are a type of gnat, in their larval stage, which is the only time they glow like this. They are in a delicate phase at the moment and usually remain secluded, but they will allow us to be around them as long as we keep our distance."

"So in other words, you got me an exclusive front-row seat?" she smirked. "I never knew there were other insects that glowed like this, besides fireflies."

"Yes. There are many that share this characteristic."

"Hm, I have to say nice choice for date, Shino," Ino replied. "Now it's just you and me, surrounded by a beautiful scenery and," she paused briefly for dramatic effect, before adding, "romantic lighting."

Shino's face flushed. "Hn."

Ino certainly wasn't shy about flirting, was she? Perhaps that's what he liked about her. She challenged him to match her frankness. Others might not have viewed taking a girl to a dark cave to watch glowing larvae as daring and romantic, but then, they didn't speak 'Aburame.'

"We're not exactly alone, if you count the millions of larvae—"

Ino sighed, and pretended to be annoyed. "Yes, Shino, I know."

Well, he still had work to do on the flirting part of the Aburame love language, but progress had been made. Ino was now sitting by the small lake, peering into the dark water.

"So once the glowworms have grown out of the larval stage, they'll stop glowing forever?"

"Yes."

"That's sad."

"I don't think it's necessarily sad. They've merely become something different, not better nor worse. They don't have very long lives. They create a new generation and the cycle repeats."

"Hmm, they really are like us humans after all," she mumbled. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then, "Do you know what you want to do in life?"

"What makes you ask that question?"

"I don't know. All this talk about 'becoming something different' and 'creating a new generation' has me thinking. We've reached that age where people start asking us about what we've got planned for the rest of our lives. They treat us like we're supposed to have all the answers." She lied down on the rock and stared up at the ceiling. "My father just hinted today for me to hurry up and choose the internship at the Intelligence Division before all the slots are filled for the season."

"Why haven't you accepted it yet, then?"

"That's what my dad asked," she sighed again. "I dunno. I think I will accept it soon. Better to be in my father's shadow in Intelligence than in Sakura's shadow as a medic-nin."

"I have never known you to be someone who stands in a shadow."

Trust this from a guy who's lived his life in the shadows, Shino thought a bit glumly.

Ino laughed. "Guess you're right. But even on Team 10, it was Shikamaru who often got the attention. Man, I really sound jealous right now. You should know that I'm happy for my friends…I just want to feel like I'm known on my own terms."

She seemed to suddenly remember something. "When your clan gave me that award? It felt pretty good. I felt like I did something that mattered, and couldn't be taken away by anyone else."

"You did," Shino said confidently. "We do not give such accolades lightly."

For the first time since Shino had gotten to know Ino better, she looked shy at the recognition.

"I don't know what it is about being around bugs that look like stars, but it's making me bare my soul out to you," Ino suddenly joked. "So what about you? Have you thought about what you want to be?"

"I haven't given it as much thought," he responded. "As the future heir of the clan, especially the size of the Aburame Clan, there are certain responsibilities you must take over that are very time-consuming."

"But besides that," she pushed. "You know you can still do other stuff while being Clan Head. Yes, even with all the research you do. There really isn't anything else you've thought of being? Even once?"

"I suppose there is one thing, but I don't fully expect the opportunity for it to happen."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "What is it?"

He hesitated, and she urged again. "Come on, you can tell me."

"To become a teacher."

"A teacher! Like Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes. Or like Kurenai-sensei, or Asuma-sensei."

Ino smiled as she thought of her late sensei. "Yeah, they're pretty special."

"They changed our lives forever. I want to know what that feels like, to have such an impact on another person."

Shino's statement came off sounding firm. Ino remained silent, though she listened intently.

"I had someone else who was like that when I was very young…before we had Iruka-sensei at the academy. He was an old friend—no, he was more like my brother," Shino began. "His name was Torune, a member of the Aburame Clan as well. He became my mentor. He did something for me that I could've never repaid—he saved my life, by sacrificing his own."

Shino thought of what Hinata had told him, about trusting a person enough to share more about himself. But would this be too much? How much should he bare at this early point of their relationship?

"I saw him, that day during the war when the dead were reanimated. He told me he befriended a good man from the Yamanaka Clan. Though we were fighting, and he did not choose to be used as a weapon in that way, he still thought it important to tell me that. I didn't know then that I too would grow—" He paused for a moment, realizing the depth of what he was about to say.

"Grow what?"

"Grow…close to someone from the Yamanaka Clan," he finished. "It seems as though history does repeat itself in some ways."

He did not look over to see her expression, but he could feel her eyes on him. There was a long stretch of silence, and Shino simply figured Ino wouldn't respond. But he felt at home in silence, and after gazing at the the glowing surface of the water for a bit, he closed his eyes in comfort.

Ino spoke up at length, her voice gentle.

"Shino?"

"Hm?" He opened one eye and noticed she had moved up much closer to him.

"Could I see you without your glasses on?"

She seemed to not know the sort of reaction she would receive from him after a question like that. Following a moment of contemplation, his answer was quiet but absolute.

"All right."

He slowly raised his hand to his dark glasses and after a quick pause, removed them. Ino did not show any immediate signs of a reaction, but stared straight into his dark brown eyes as though she were trying to sear them into memory.

Then, she smiled. "Hm," she said, a small sound of satisfaction.

"What?" he said self-consciously. "They're just eyes." There was uncertainty in his voice. This was not something an Aburame usually did.

"They're your eyes," she said. The bluish lighting from the glowworms made colors more indiscernible, but Shino thought he could make out a blush on her cheeks. "That makes them special."

It was almost too much for him. He was not used to attention like this, and he wanted to gloat in it shamelessly and hide from it all the same.

He moved to put his glasses back on. Ino looked a bit disappointed, but did not say anything.

Shino put his arm back down, glasses replaced, and averted his gaze. It was time to focus on something more familiar. "The nettaichuu have been feeling better."

"Really? That's great!"

They fell into comfortable rapport as Shino updated her on the status of the rehabilitated insects.

"The end result would be best if we could get them back to their home in Mist Country. The journey would be too much for them right now, as there is no way to transport them without it being a bumpy ride. However, when they are strong enough, I'd like to take them back and release them into their home."

Ino leaned over to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'd like to see that."

Shino tried his best to look at her out of the corner of his eye, without making it too obvious. Perhaps it was an unnecessary action with his glasses on, but he always worried that Ino could somehow see through them anyhow.

"We could go together," he told her.

Ino watched him to see if he was serious, and Shino too was surprised by his own boldness. The effect she was having on him was perplexing.

"Ok," Ino smiled. "Just say the date and I'll be there."

She looked at him, cheeks flushed and her eyes with an unreadable expression in them. "Have you ever thought what it would've been like if you never walked into my shop that day? Sometimes I think about that. How we'd known each other for years, but never spent more than two minutes getting to know each other. I feel like I came so close to missing out on something that could be very big, and I'm glad I didn't."

Shino swallowed, feeling his heart pound.

"Do you get what I'm saying? Thank you for letting me get to know you. Thank you for tonight, Shino."

Even if he wanted to, Shino could not articulate what to say after a confession like that.

How was she so brave to tell him such vulnerable things so easily? He admired her for it.

Shino leaned in and kissed her. His hands cradled her face gently, but his lips were more forceful. At this point, he hardly cared about keeping up propriety. Kiba would've been proud.

Shino knew this night would have to end soon, considering the sun had already been setting when they arrived to this cave hours ago. But he wanted it to go on forever. He wanted Ino to know that he, too, was grateful to know her. That after the moment when he'd seen her so happy being in his insect sanctuary—a place he guarded from outsiders as strongly as he did his inner self—he started to feel that loneliness perhaps wasn't his fate after all.

But he didn't say it, at least not with words, and struggled between feeling that familiar sense of safety that came with his silence, and disappointment in himself for once again not expressing what he wanted to. He pulled away from the kiss to look at her, and hoped she would decipher some part of his message.

Ino had moved on to nestle into his side and closed her eyes. Did she get it? Does she understand? he questioned himself.

He stopped as his inner voice changed. Are you blind? Look at her, she's happy. Don't overthink it.