Chapter One: Reform

Notes: The story takes place at the beginning of part two. I actually started this story a while ago and intended to keep it following canon, but as of now it will likely branch off in its own way. Anything will be possible in the story, despite my attempts to still roughly follow canon. Also, the start will be a little slow as we go through the characters and get the feel for them, but bear with me and the more exciting stuff will come in no time. Good characters take time to develop. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Other than the soft sound of bath water running, you wouldn't think a soul was alive in the Hyuga household. Members of the Hyuga main branch were the closest thing to royalty amongst the diverse clans in Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. As such, in the early hours of the morning, they heavily insisted on having some peace and quiet.

Hinata Hyuga tiptoed quietly to her bath wearing only a light blue bathrobe. She couldn't help but smile. This was her favorite time of day, and on mornings where she wasn't obligated to meet her team early, she usually spent those few peaceful hours in the bath, relaxing until all her worries washed away--or at least until her fingers and toes looked like pink raisins. That image was always very funny to her.

Hinata dropped her robe and slipped into the steamy bath water, entering only a few inches at a time to get used to the temperature. She liked the water to be hot at first so it wouldn't get cold for a while. A relaxed sensation washed over her as she eventually lowered herself all the way in and leaned back in the bathtub.

She giggled, surprising even herself as it echoed against the walls. Her hand covered her mouth to stop it from happening again, but she couldn't help it. She'd been grinning all morning, because the previous night she heard some of the best news in a long time. Her long wait was finally over.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, she rest her head back on a soft bath cushion and spoke his name out loud. "Naruto..." she uttered slowly. It had been a long time since she had said his name aloud. It felt comforting.

Naruto Uzumaki had come home. After two and a half long years, she had heard he was finally back in Konoha. Needless to say, she was overjoyed.

Sadly, Hinata hadn't seen him yet. It was late when she heard the news, so she reluctantly turned in for the night shortly after. She did so knowing she would have a difficult time sleeping. Her thoughts had been all over the place, just like they were as she soaked in the tub. What would she say to him? More importantly, what would he say when he saw her? Would he smile at her? Would he even remember her? After all, the Hyuga's girl's hair was much longer now.

She wondered, did he even consider her a friend in the first place? Would he approach her, or would she have to approach him? Would he shake her hand? Or even...hug her?

A cute blush crept onto Hinata's cheeks. No, no, she couldn't think of that. A proper Hyuga girl's thoughts should not go down a path such as that. Father wouldn't like it. As two ninja of Konoha, she should greet him professionally. She'd been trying for years to be a stronger ninja and a better member of the Hyuga clan.

But...still...

Naruto's return made her want to ignore all of her teachings in proper Hyuga behavior. She wanted to hug him and welcome him home--assuming she could bring herself to do that. She wanted to celebrate his return. And if all went well, maybe she would ask him to tell her about his adventures outside of Konoha. Maybe...he'd ask her what she's been doing the whole time, too!

Hinata's smile promptly disappeared. What had she been doing, anyway? Certainly nothing exciting...

She had been overjoyed upon learning about Kurenai's pregnancy--which Kurenai made her and her team promise to keep a secret until it was necessary--but in the end it became a problem for the team's missions. They slowly became less and less exciting, and nearly every mission they took lately had been within the walls of Konoha. Hinata sorely missed the days when she could go on a mission for weeks on end with her team, away from the strict rules and serious environment in the Hyuga household.

But Hinata would have to put up with it. She knew it was that or replacing Kurenai, something she would sorely dislike. The girl's jonin teacher was like a mother to Hinata and a critical part of the team. She'd already lost her real mother...she couldn't imagine Kurenai not being a part of her life anymore. Boring missions were more than worth it.

Besides, Kiba had always found a way to make their missions fun in some little way, and sometimes humorous. And even Shino was a joy to be around. His straightforward, clear, unbiased mind made it easy for her to talk to him. And who could forget Akamaru? Even his full grown size hadn't changed his lovable puppy attitude.

Hinata sighed and dipped her head under the water momentarily. She came up for air after a moment and ran her hands through her dark hair, getting it out of her eyes.

She knew Kurenai felt guilty. Her teacher always insisted on taking a tougher mission, but the boys and Hinata didn't want to, fearing that something might happen to Kurenai or the baby. Kurenai offered to pick another jonin herself to replace her as the team leader, but it wouldn't be the same no matter who she found.

Hinata washed herself and climbed out of the bath. As she dried herself off she pondered again on Naruto's return. Deep down she had a feeling things would be different now that he was home. Naruto's wild personality always did tend to stir things up.

That thought prompted another giggle from Hinata as she remembered Naruto's introduction to the first chunin exam they participated in, when he had announced himself right before the written exam began. Every eye in the room had been on him. It was just like him to focus the attention on himself. Hinata couldn't blame him for wanting it.

Hinata looked at a clock, noting she had a few hours before she had to meet with her team. A light breakfast, maybe followed by some taijutsu training in the garden... She reminded herself she'd have to be quiet, though.

For the hundredth time that morning, she smiled. Naruto had come back.... And for the hundredth time that morning, she wondered, what should she say to him?

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"Mm."

A large mouth opened and yawned, revealing a set of great teeth with enlarged canines. The mouth closed, showing it belonged to a very groggy boy with messy brown hair.

Kiba Inuzuka climbed out of his bed, scratching his arm, and instinctively followed what had woken him up: the smell of his sister's cooking. He nearly stumbled over his best friend on the way out of his room. Akamaru opened his eyes and snorted.

"Eh, sorry buddy," Kiba said quickly, waving him off as he disappeared down the hallway while slipping a black shirt on.

Kiba entered the kitchen and sat at the table, laying his head down on the cold surface. It was too early to be up, especially after a late night game of tag with Akamaru, but he couldn't resist. He always preferred his sister's cooking to his own, and if he didn't ask for some now, he'd have to make his own breakfast. His sister, Hana, worked as a veterinarian and had to leave for work shortly. Kiba couldn't understand how she always appeared to be wide awake in the mornings. After all, he could barely pull himself out of bed for his missions.

Hana was standing next to a frying pan. Her light brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, just like always. She wore her veterinarian outfit, just like every other morning. Kiba always thought she looked like a mom in it, but he never would have said it out loud. Some things are better left unsaid. She knew most of his weaknesses, after all.

"Hanaaa, I want," Kiba mumbled, almost slurring his speech. Even he had to wince at how pathetic it sounded. Oh well, he thought. Maybe the pity route would land him something to eat.

Hana sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Kiba want, Hana cook. Got it." She cracked a couple of eggs flawlessly and started to fry them. "And get your head off the table. When was the last time you showered?"

"Last night," Kiba grumbled in reply. He pulled his head off the table just as Akamaru wandered sleepily into the room. The large dog nudged Kiba's leg several times. Kiba ignored the action at first, too tired to move, but Akamaru continued doing it. Groaning in frustration, Kiba got up and filled Akamaru's bowl up with food.

Hana, obviously amused, watched and said, "You need to get Akamaru around some more people. He's turning into another you."

"Nope, never. Neither man nor beast can match these good looks," Kiba said, grinning. He then added, "Even when he's transformed into me, it's obvious which one I am."

His sister was unable to resist. "Yeah, you're the one who drools," she replied quickly, laughing at her own joke.

Kiba glared daggers at his sister. She was always so dang perky and awake in the mornings. How in the world did she manage it? "Hey now. If we argue today, you can let mom know that you started it," he managed to say after failing to come up with something more witty. It was too early for him.

"Lucky me, I'll be gone all day," Hana said as she slid a plate full of food to Kiba's place at the table. Kiba sat down in a hurry, and breathed in the beautiful smell. Even his enhanced sense of smell wasn't enough for such a fantastic thing.

Hana gave him a genuine smile. Kiba knew that, deep down, she enjoyed his love for her food. Well, who was he to give her doubts now? He shoveled a large amount into his mouth. The boy often earned delicious dinners by enthusiastically eating what she cooked him for breakfast.

"So what about you?" the Inuzuka girl asked as she ate her own meal, which was a significantly smaller portion than her brother's. She waited until Kiba swallowed the mouthful of food he was chewing on. "What are you doing today?"

"Dunno," Kiba said, and shrugged. "I'll find out later. Probably more boring missions."

Hana eyed her brother carefully. "Boring missions, huh? How come your team isn't taking anything more exciting? You're qualified for it."

Kiba kept his eyes on his food. "Er, just a team agreement. Nothing else really. We'll do tougher missions later on."

"Mm, I see," Hana replied. "Does the Hokage agree to your team skipping out on the harder missions?"

At the way Hana worded her sentence, Kiba almost angrily blurted out the reason why his team had been choosing easier missions, but he held his tongue. He made a promise to Kurenai, after all. "Yes, she does, as a matter of fact." He could at least say that part honestly. Tsunade didn't really like the idea of their team taking easier C-rank, and even D-rank missions--especially with their rank and how valuable their specialized skills were. However, it couldn't be helped. Kiba, Shino, and Hinata all agreed to do whatever it took to make things easy for their teacher, and so far they never liked the idea of having another jonin fill Kurenai's place.

Thoughts of his team reminded him that he had better hurry up. He had to meet with them in less than an hour. He began cramming his meal into his mouth at a phenomenal speed. Hana almost stopped him, clearly worried he might choke, but thought better of it. After all, interrupting an animal during its meal can lead to a very hostile attitude, and sometimes a very nasty bite.

Hana put her dishes in the sink then walked out, saying, "I cooked it, you do the dishes. See you tonight!"

Kiba sighed. He always got stuck doing the dishes.

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Shino Aburame awoke with a start. A familiar, yet foreign bug was crawling on his face. He knitted his dark eyebrows, as he didn't prefer to be woken up this way. He knew exactly what the bug meant.

His dad wanted to speak to him downstairs.

Shino allowed the bug to crawl off his face and onto his finger as he sat up in bed. He felt his own bugs begin to stir throughout his body, reacting to his movements. After giving his eyes time to focus, he grabbed his equipment and headed downstairs.

"I take it you're busy?" Shino asked as he walked into the kitchen, wearing his dark goggles. He held the bug out to Shibi, his father.

Shibi Aburame was already dressed for the day, and looked much like an older version of his son. Unlike Shino, Shibi didn't prefer to wear his sunglasses indoors, and had them pushed up on his forehead. With his poofy hair it had a somewhat comical effect as it threatened to engulf the shades. He took the bug from his son, which immediately ran up his sleeve. "Yes," was all he said. He gestured to a pile of papers sitting in front of him.

Shino nodded, recognizing the papers as mission reports. His father had completed a particularly tough assignment over the previous week and had to write up an entire retelling of it; every detail of importance that he could remember was to be written down. By the looks of things, a lot of it had been important.

The Aburame boy dropped his jacket and coat onto a chair. "Did you want to talk to me about something?" Shino asked. He walked over to the refrigerator and started making himself a salad.

"Mm, yes," Shibi said quietly in concentration, then added, "Would you like to go on a mission with me today?"

Shino sat at the table. "I'm meeting with my team shortly," was all he said before he began to eat.

It wasn't often that his dad asked him to go on missions together, and when he did Shino would always agree to it if he could. He was disappointed he'd have to pass this particular opportunity; missions with his father were always influential on Shino. He'd come back having learned at least one thing about his clan, a technique, wildlife, or just learning a thing or two about Shibi himself. An Aburame is an enigma to most people, and despite being a close parent to Shino, Shibi was a prime example of that rule.

Still...his own team's missions came first, and he could still learn quite a lot from Kurenai.

Shibi nodded thoughtfully. "Very well then. I'm sure picking up garbage will be a much more fun mission. I was hoping to take a mission where we get to save a beautiful princess. Perhaps she would have given you a kiss as a thank you."

Shino's eyebrows creased. The teasing about a potential princess didn't bother him. His father had a weird sense of humor and Shino was used to it. But the comment about the garbage... His father knew about their recent mission to pick up litter? "That was only once..." Shino said, going over in his head the possible ways his father might have found out. A direct question to the Hokage? A planted bug? Stalking? All of them seemed likely...though the stalking option was the most unsettling.

"Kurenai is pregnant?" Shibi asked. His tone of voice almost made it seem more like a statement.

The fork in Shino's bowl stopped moving as Shino froze. Of course his dad would find that out sooner or later, but he thought it would be much, much later. Sometimes his dad's observations surprised him, and Shino wasn't surprised easily.

"She is," Shino replied. It would be pointless to hide the truth from someone who already seemed to know it.

Shibi nodded as his eyes ran over the last page he was working on, double-checking it. "She slips up hiding it at times, and also Asuma has been a little jumpy lately. I would even say he's been giddy. At the jonin meeting a few days ago I confirmed my suspicions. Since then I checked on the missions you had taken lately with the Hokage." He stacked the finished papers in a neat pile and then looked at Shino directly. "It's having a negative effect on your team's progress," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Shino said nothing at all. It was true, after all. His team was severely out of practice for the past few months. But what could he do about it? He and the others agreed to keep it easy on Kurenai, and Kiba and Hinata didn't want a new team leader. Shino had to admit that he'd really miss Kurenai, too, if only for the lack of a familiarity and the trust he had already developed with his team leader.

"I should be open to replace her," Shibi said, choosing not to casually ease in what he wanted to say; the Aburame clan had a habit of getting straight to the point. "But that is up to you and your team. I spoke with Kurenai about it and she agrees we should leave it up to you three."

Shino began to eat again. Kiba and Hinata wouldn't like it one bit. Kiba would likely say no to the proposal right away, and Hinata would be on Kiba's side, even if she didn't really express it. Shino couldn't blame them--Kurenai was a great teacher and leader. She was the mother figure Hinata needed, and just like another sister to Kiba.

But what was she to Shino? He thought about that hard. Would it be worth it to replace her? She still had a lot to teach her chunin students, even though they couldn't go on advanced missions. He delved deeper into his experiences with her. She had always been a thorough teacher who didn't mind questions. She was young and fit, so she never had to slow down. Not until recently, anyway, but Shino figured she still could go on the most exhausting of missions if she wanted to. Kiba would fight against it, however.

Still, his father had always proven himself to be a great leader and teacher, at least to the Aburame boy. Shino desperately wanted to go on a mission outside the walls of Konoha again. Kiba, Hinata, and even Akamaru had become his best friends, and he once again wanted a mission that put their specialized teamwork to use. If accepting a new jonin in the team was the key to that...well...

No. He knew it wouldn't work that way. Shino knew replacing Kurenai would upset Kiba and Hinata quite a bit, which would affect the team's performance on missions. Team Kurenai was great because of how the team fit together. If everything didn't fit...it would be difficult. Things would not be the same at all.

Shino's mind was at a standstill. Kurenai and his father were two completely different teachers with different methods of teaching. They couldn't be compared. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided he had no definite input on the situation. His father taking over would get the gears of Team Kurenai moving again, but at a cost that could potentially lead them to fail missions. Shino was unsure if it was worth it or not.

"I'll discuss it with my team, but I am confident they will turn the offer down," Shino finally said. He finished his salad, put his bowl in the sink, then grabbed his black, high-collared jacket and started to put it on. He wanted to take a walk before meeting up with his team.

"Mm, I see," Shibi said. "And what about you? How do you feel about it?"

Shino finished putting on his jacket and grabbed his large military-green coat. "I go where my team goes. If we begin to disagree, even for a second, then the threads of our team will start to come undone." He finished his short little speech and put his hood up over his head.

Shibi nodded. "That statement holds a lot of truth," he said mysteriously. "Keep it in mind."

The younger Aburame froze just as he had his hand on the door. What did his dad mean by that? He's the one who said it--why wouldn't he keep it in mind?

As he walked out the door, Shino heard his dad say one last thing behind him. "Don't forget that Kurenai is part of your team, too, Shino. As the leader of your team, she usually knows what's best."

Shino shut the door slowly behind him. So that's what his dad meant. Disagreeing with Kurenai about taking a new leader made a hypocrite out of Shino--something he sorely disliked.

Sometimes, Shino's dad put things into perspective for him. And most of the time, since it shattered Shino's current views, it was truly annoying.

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!-O-R-A-T-E-!

Hinata walked slowly toward her team's meeting place. While she normally would have her eyes glued to the street in front of her, today was different; she bumped into two people and a dog, and went in the wrong direction twice, all because she was eager to somehow spot Naruto on her way. She could've sworn about a dozen people were Naruto until she got a closer look and realized she had been imagining things.

She originally started off by searching with her Byakugan, but she had focused so hard that she already felt a little tired from it. Plus, she ended up frightening a few of the younger civilians who weren't used to seeing such things. Thinking better of it, she had decided to rely on her regular eyesight to try to spot him. Before she even left her home, she had her fingers crossed in the hopes of spotting Naruto. Maybe even a little glimpse would be enough, she told herself. Just for now, anyway...

And even if she couldn't see him right away, maybe her team would help her find him. Maybe after they finished their missions... Maybe they wanted to see him, too! Kiba and Naruto seemed to get along well enough, after all. And Shino...well, Hinata thought that she could detect some respect between the two back before Naruto left. She hoped that would be enough.

But...what if they didn't? Then she'd have to see him on the way! Who knows how long it would be before she was free from her missions? Of course, picking up trash and walking dogs were easy, but sometimes the missions took hours to finish, even at the fastest possible time.

Hinata frowned. An unpleasant thought had crossed her mind. What if Naruto went on a mission of his own? What if he wouldn't be back for a while?

What if...he went away for another two years...?

Suddenly, stars filled Hinata's vision and a loud thud rang through her ears, followed by a yelp in pain as she rubbed her forehead. She sidestepped the pole she had just walked into, blushing furiously as people stared at her. The Hyuga teen decided she would have to pay a little more attention to where she was walking. Stupid, stupid, stupid...!

She let out her breath as she moved out of sight of the people who had watched her little embarrassing accident. Her thoughts drifted back to Naruto once more. Hinata couldn't imagine going another two and a half years without seeing Naruto again. She fondly remembered the strength she felt in herself every time she saw him. He had given her the courage she needed. It was because of him she had made it as far as she had.

Granted...she had proven capable without Naruto, and she had completed her fair share of missions while he was gone, too. Heck, she had even become a chunin! That was something that surprised her as much as anyone else. Anyone except the rest of her team, of course. Shino and Kiba always told her they knew she could do it, and Kurenai didn't seem surprised at all.

But still... Hinata desperately wanted to feel that courage fresh in her heart and mind again. The courage that Naruto always gave her. The same courage that led her to confront Neji, which was arguably the turning point in her ninja development. The last time she had felt that unique feeling was so long ago...

Hinata snapped out of her thoughts long enough to realize she was at the team's meeting place. She almost walked right past it, mainly because nobody else was there yet.

Her thoughts suddenly focused. Why wasn't anybody from the team there yet? Hinata was rarely the first to arrive. Kurenai was there most of the time, and Shino almost always arrived early. Even Kiba would beat Hinata to the meeting locations now that he could ride on Akamaru's back.

Hinata looked around. Was this the right place? It had to be. After a moment of checking the surrounding area, she was sure of it. More than a little shocked, she sat down on a nearby bench and sighed. She didn't even catch a glimpse of Naruto. Not unless he literally had changed into a completely different person over the course of two years.

Oh well... she told herself. She doubted the Hokage would send Naruto on a mission the day after he had returned from being away so long.

She hoped...

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"Alright, Akamaru!" Kiba shouted. "Let's go!"

His shouting was echoed by a loud bark coming from Akamaru. The large dog moved up next to Kiba, allowing his master to climb onto his back.

Akamaru had only recently been able to carry Kiba long distances on his back. The dog had a huge growth spurt over the past two years and instead of riding on Kiba's head like he used to, he would happily give his best friend a ride instead.

"Kiba."

Before Kiba could even climb onto Akamaru, a deep, calm voice called out to Kiba from seemingly nowhere, causing him to jump in surprise.

Stepping out of the shadows of a narrow alley near Kiba's home, Shino nodded his head once.

"Shino!" Kiba growled. "You have to stop doing that!" After several years of experiencing the same thing on occasion, Kiba still hadn't got used to it.

"You should train your nose to sense me, then you wouldn't be surprised," Shino said simply.

Kiba waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Your scent is too familiar. Unless I'm paying attention to it at all times, I don't think I would notice very easily since I'm around you often."

Shino turned and began to walk. "Being a ninja, there's no such thing as being too prepared, Kiba."

Stepping up beside Shino, Kiba snorted. "I know, but you're so dang quiet, you'd surprise anybody."

"Being a ninja, there's no such thing as being too quie--"

"Alright, alright, I get it already!" Kiba said loudly in an annoyed tone. Geez, it never ended with a guy like Shino.

Shino's eyebrows furrowed above his shades. "There is such a thing as being too loud, however," he stated.

Kiba glared at his teammate. He never got far in his arguments with Shino before deciding to change the subject. "So... Did ya hear Uzumaki is back?"

"Yes, I did," Shino said. He glanced at Kiba for a second. "Hinata will be happy." He had a cautious tone to his voice, as if he were testing something.

"Well, yeah, I mean, you're not? The kid got annoying sometimes, but it was nice having someone to talk to who would actually talk a lot, y'know?"

Shino looked straight ahead again, but didn't say anything else. He often met Kiba's criticisms with even more silence.

Slightly infuriated, Kiba rolled his eyes. Time to change the subject again. "So how come you're not at the meeting place yet? You're always there early."

Shino nodded. "I know. Today, I wanted to talk to you, alone."

Kiba's interest was suddenly at its peak. Anything Shino wanted to talk to him alone about was usually pretty serious. Especially if it caused him to be late, and at the rate the two were walking, they'd definitely be a little late showing up. "Oh? Really? What about?" he asked.

His teammate hesitated and appeared to be choosing his words carefully. "I like to think that you're not completely against thinking rationally, Kiba... You're smart, and you want what's best for the team."

Kiba immediately liked where this was going. Shino complimenting him was five times better than any other person's praise. He could feel his chest swelling with pride.

"I wanted to discuss something with you," continued Shino. "My father talked with me this morning about it."

"Huh? Your dad?" Kiba asked. What did Shino's dad have to do with the team?

"Yes." Shino paused. Kiba was used to his teammate thinking before he spoke, so he waited patiently. Finally, the Aburame added, "You're not as close to Kurenai, emotionally, as Hinata is. That is why I felt I should talk to you first."

Kiba braced himself. Here we go. He knew this would come at some point.

"The team is suffering, Kiba. We are talented and useful, but if we continue with these simple D-rank and lower-tier C-rank missions until Kurenai has her child, our teamwork--and eventually the team itself--will be risking a lot. We will be out of practice even more than we are now, and once we continue more difficult missions the risk of failure will be much higher than normal."

Kiba didn't really know what to say. So far it made sense, and he knew what Shino was leading up to. Even if he didn't really want to believe it, he knew that what Shino was saying had at least some truth.

"Furthermore, even after Kurenai has her child, she will not be able to participate in missions for some time while she recovers and tends to the baby," Shino said. "The Hokage, and even Kurenai, will not allow us to take it as easy as we have been for that long. ...I'm concerned that when they finally do assign us harder missions it will not be with each other, and we will be too out-of-practice to succeed."

The pair turned a corner that would lead them to the meeting place within a minute as Akamaru walked quickly behind them. Shino talked a little bit faster, which Kiba assumed was to get his point across before they would be within earshot of Hinata. "To avoid being placed on separate teams, and so that we will not fall behind our peers in talent, I propose we accept a new jonin to replace Kurenai in our team."

Kiba frowned, and Shino quickly added, "At least until she is well enough to join us on missions again." Shino slowed his pace down a little bit, with Kiba doing the same shortly after. "My father has offered to take on that job. I don't think the offer will last for long," he cautioned, "so we'd better decide quickly what we want."

Kiba thought hard about all that Shino had said. Of course Shino would make it sound reasonable. He could make anything seem logical. But the thing is...he was right. They had been fooling themselves into thinking this could last as long as it took. Kurenai still had six months of pregnancy left, then the birth, and everything that follows... There was no way they could keep this up for that long. He was sure Tsunade would find ways to punish them severely if they kept it up much longer.

Sighing, Kiba crossed his arms. Well...at least it was Shino's idea, and not his. If you're going to do something you don't like, the position with the least amount of guilt is always the best.

Akamaru pushed his way between Kiba and Shino, and whined softly as he walked between the two boys. Kiba looked down at Akamaru and pat his head. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

Shino looked over to Kiba. "What did he say?"

"Mm, he says you're right," Kiba replied. "And I guess I gotta agree with him. I don't like it, but I guess we weren't really thinking in the long-term when we said we wouldn't do any missions without Kurenai."

"No, we weren't. We let our emotions get in the way. As ninjas, we shouldn't do that."

"Pfft, who really follows that rule in this village?" Kiba laughed. "Other than you, that is," he added, slapping Shino on the back, unable to hold back his teasing comment.

Shino's eyebrows creased in annoyance. "We need to tell Hinata," was his only reply.

Kiba bit his lip. "She won't like it, but she'll agree with us, I think." He thought for a moment, then quickly added, "But I'll let you try to break it to her."

"Kiba..." Shino said, visibly upset.

"Hey, you convinced me, right?" Kiba said, pointing to himself. "You'll be better at it!"

Akamaru barked and wagged his tail.

"Yeah, you convinced Akamaru, too, and he's the most stubborn dog around!" Kiba added. Akamaru glared at Kiba and bumped into his legs with his massive body, sending Kiba stumbling. After he regained his balance, he informed Akamaru that he was just joking, and told him to stop being so serious.

The two boys and Akamaru turned down a narrow walkway that would lead them to their meeting place. In the distance, they saw Hinata waiting patiently. Kiba and Akamaru--who appeared to be ready to start arguing--stopped what they were doing and ran ahead to meet her while Shino continued walking slowly, contemplating how to best present the idea to Hinata.

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"Yo, Hinata!" shouted Kiba as he ran up to the Hyuga girl. Hinata snapped out of her thoughts and realized her team had arrived. Kiba skidded to a halt while Akamaru stopped next to Hinata and licked her hand. "How are ya doing?" Kiba asked.

Hinata smiled and scratched Akamaru behind his ear while thinking how to answer Kiba's question. She was feeling so many different emotions at once, she didn't know how to answer. Today had stretched her feelings in many directions, and it wasn't even past noon yet.

Holding back a sigh, she decided not to trouble her teammate with her complex feelings. "I'm okay, Kiba," she answered softly, keeping her smile firmly on her face. She wondered how her team would feel if she asked them if they'd like to find and talk to Naruto after their mission. Would they find it weird?

Shino, who had been walking at his own pace, stopped beside them. "Hello, Hinata," he said with a nod.

Before she could respond, Kiba took a step back. "Well, I'll let you two get talking then. Good luck, Shino!"

An irritated look crossed Shino's face. "Kiba..."

If Kiba heard Shino, he didn't show it. He was already walking away to an adjacent bench with Akamaru. Kiba slapped Akamaru's side lightly and declared a game of tag, and then jumped up into a tree with Akamaru in hot pursuit.

Hinata looked back and forth from the tree to Shino, who was staring at her and standing motionless. She was more than a little confused. Talk about what?

Shino's stare seemed never-ending. She felt oddly transparent under his gaze. He just had his own way of knowing things. The Hyuga girl was used to it by that point, however. To her, it was okay if Shino could read her. He never had even the slightest bit of malicious intent toward her. It was comforting in some strange way... He was always so helpful because of how he understood her, and she was fine that he didn't feel the need to hide that he was looking at her. It's just how he was.

"Um, Shino... What was Kiba talking about?" she asked softly.

Finally turning away from her, Shino walked to a bench and sat down. "I have something to discuss with you."

!-A-M-E-L-I-!
!-O-R-A-T-E-!

Kurenai Yuhi's plan was coming to fruition. It was almost complete. Knowing all was going well brought a warm smile to her face.

Plead with her team to take on another jonin in her place? Check. She knew that particular step wouldn't do much all by itself--her team was incredibly stubborn when they set their mind to something. However, combined with the other phases of her plan, she knew her team would relinquish their stubborn ways soon.

Take on boring missions? A big check, and one that she didn't even set up herself. It started off as Kiba's idea, who was responding to some concern from Hinata. And now after all this time, she felt they finally were regretting it. Kurenai could tell her team wanted to complain, and even she was getting tired of the tedious, mundane missions that never utilized their abilities. She assumed they didn't complain for her sake. A sweet gesture, she thought, but how much longer could they stand it?

Step three was patience. Wait it out and show them by example that the answer they had wasn't the right one. She had tried to tell them, but once they got an idea in their head, it was hard for them to change their minds, even if she was their leader. When it came to the safety and well-being of a teammate, they certainly knew how to stand their ground.

Step four went surprisingly well--convince Shibi Aburame to talk to Shino. Shibi was more than willing to help, and Kurenai knew Shino would be the easiest to convert. After all, it was clear as day that the team's current course of actions was wrong, and Shino always strived for efficiency. Even without Kurenai giving her team a push in the right direction, it was only a matter of time before Shino questioned where things were going. For all she knew, he may have been questioning it the entire time.

Kurenai's hope was that Shino would convince Kiba and Hinata to take on another jonin. Her team needed it. The only missions they were currently taking just weren't beneficial enough to the growth of their abilities. Day-to-day training with each other wouldn't be enough for them, and certainly the D-rank missions they had been receiving lately would do nothing to help them.

In addition to that, if they waited too long the Hokage might split them up. It had to be their decision. They had to co-operate. She felt bad for manipulating the situation a little as she had, but it was for the best. They worked well together, and Kurenai felt it was important they remain on the same team.

She checked the time. She would be fifteen minutes late, as planned. That should be enough time for them to discuss it, she hoped. Grabbing her equipment, the red-eyed jonin started praying everything had clicked into place, and walked out of her house.

!-A-M-E-L-I-!
!-O-R-A-T-E-!

Shino had been cautious when talking to Hinata about the proposal for a new jonin. She agreed, as he knew she would, but it wasn't easy seeing her struggle to do so. He had tried to appeal to her by saying they would still visit Kurenai in between missions. That was something he fully intended on doing, too. He knew Kiba wouldn't have a problem with it either. Following that, he convinced her that getting a replacement jonin is what Kurenai really wanted, as it would benefit the team the most in their current situation.

The rest of his speech was carefully worded, and in the end, she simply agreed quietly. Nothing more. And who was he to blame her? He stared straight ahead as she sat next to him. Even without looking at her he could sense she was staring at her feet, no doubt running over everything he had said in her mind.

Ever since Shino had known the Hyuga heiress he found her to be quite intriguing. It wasn't hard to figure her out, but there were definitely layers to her. The most interesting layer he had uncovered in the past was her admiration for Naruto Uzumaki. And not only that, but the strength she seemed to gain from him. Hinata gave off such a shy and delicate image, yet there were times when she broke through that and expressed a side of her that Shino rarely saw. It fascinated Shino that Naruto had been the key to that.

And here she was, fragile again. Shino imagined the absence of the motherly figure in her life would prove to be an interesting development for Hinata. Would she grow stronger, or retreat into her shell more? In addition to that, Naruto Uzumaki had returned to Konoha...

Shino turned his head a few inches to his right to look at her. He suddenly felt some guilt... Hinata was guaranteed to have been feeling several emotions today just from Naruto's return. And now Shino convinced her to go along with his plan to have a substitute jonin, which couldn't have been something she really wanted. She was surely feeling very emotional, and half of it was his fault.

He knitted his eyebrows and sunk his hands deeper into his pockets. It was for the good of the team, wasn't it...? They all needed it... He was convinced it had to be that way. Was there a better way? Could he have eased her into the idea more effectively?

The teen repeated everything over and over in his head several times before he heard Hinata speak to him.

"I'll be okay if you and Kiba are still with me. I'll miss having her on the team, but I trust you and Kiba to know what's best," she said before turning to look at him. Her lips were curved into a small, yet genuine smile.

Shino stared at her for a moment. In the background he heard Kiba giving Akamaru words of encouragement as they chased each other around. Kiba was acting normal and didn't show any signs of being upset. Hinata appeared to be serious as well. Perhaps everything would be okay after all. Was it that easy?

"I see," Shino said, turning away from her and staring down the road in front of him. He knew she was being sincere. She seemed confident... That was a good thing. But, he wondered if she had thought ahead far enough. Things would be different from here on out. Did Kiba and Hinata realize just how much? Shino wasn't sure.

One thing he was certain of... The next mission they take would be very interesting.

Kiba and Akamaru rolled within eyesight, with Kiba holding the dog in a headlock as they struggled awkwardly on the grass. The side of Kiba's face was mashed up against Akamaru's mouth as they tumbled over each other. Suddenly Akamaru jammed his wet tongue into Kiba's ear. Shuddering visibly, the boy released Akamaru. The large dog took that opportunity to knock Kiba on his back and sit on him. His tail swished back and forth triumphantly while Kiba tried to call it a forfeit due to cheating.

As Shino watched them play like they often did, he noted that some things would never change.

Good.

!-A-M-E-L-I-!
!-O-R-A-T-E-!

Kurenai had a hard time keeping her face straight, but she managed well enough. After arriving a little late, she was immediately informed that her plan worked perfectly. Kiba, Shino, and even Hinata all agreed it would be best to replace her. As bad as that sounded, she knew it would be the best for everyone involved. She could just imagine how excited they must be for, as Kiba put it, a "real mission". At least Kiba seemed excited, anyway. She could tell he didn't want to offend her, but every now and then he let it out in some form of acrobatics. Usually a back-flip out of a tree or some other object as they made their way to the Hokage's office.

Shino and Hinata kept their pace beside Kurenai, as she expected them to. Shino never was one to do unnecessary things, and Kurenai would give up being a ninja the day she saw Hinata do a quadruple back-flip for the fun of it as Kiba had just done.

Five minutes later they were all in the Hokage's office discussing the team rearrangement.

"Oh? It's about time, you three," Tsunade said from her chair, smirking. "I was beginning to wonder if I had to break up the team to have you get anything more useful done."

Kurenai rolled her eyes from behind her students. She thought that was a little too harsh. Poor Hinata couldn't even make eye contact with Tsunade anymore.

"Lady Hokage," Shino spoke up. "My father has offered to lead our team in Kurenai's place. We've all agreed that it would be a good idea."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and yawned. Kurenai had seen that a lot lately. Tsunade had been pulling several all-nighters after the flood of reports about Akatsuki's recent activities.

"I'm sorry Shino, but I had to give your father an emergency mission earlier," she said as she dug through some scrolls on the table. "We've been getting several today."

If Shino could be depressed, the way he looked now was certainly the best representation of it. His hands were sunk so deep in his pockets that his coat was being pulled against his shoulders tightly, and he replied with a simple, "I see."

Kurenai mentally cursed Tsunade. Shibi Aburame was an important part of her plan and one of the better fits for replacing her. Why did the Hokage have to go and send him off on a mission now of all times?

Tsunade caught Kurenai's irritated expression and seemed slightly surprised. After a moment her eyes narrowed as she realized she did something wrong. Kurenai wouldn't have been surprised if the Hokage shrugged and said, "Oops, sorry."

Instead she closed her eyes, crossed her arms and murmured, "Tch. I don't read minds."

Kurenai put on a blank face as her students turned to look at her to try to figure out what was going on. She praised herself inwardly on being good at that.

"In any case, I've got the perfect mission for you three, and another jonin is already assigned to it," said Tsunade as she pulled out the scroll she was looking for. "A B-rank mission. Your first in a while if I remember correctly."

"Yes," Kurenai acknowledged. "Who will they be assigned to?" Now that she wasn't in the loop anymore, she was as curious as her students. She wanted to cross her fingers and pray for someone pleasant. She didn't need her team taking more steps backwards.

Tsunade opened the scroll and held it out for them to see. "An important client list has been stolen from our archives at a time when they were lightly guarded. It contains the names of some of our wealthiest clients, and can be devastating in the hands of thieves. We've tracked it down to a known thief gang's hideout and we're in the retrieval process now. That will be your job."

Kurenai's irritated expression started to slowly return. "And their leader will be?" She had a bad feeling...

If anything Kurenai was saying reached her, Tsunade pretended not to hear. "It will take about three days total, so take the proper equipment. The mission begins in just a few hours," she said, rolling the scroll up and handing it out to Shino.

This time an annoyed Kiba spoke up. "C'mon, who's going to lead us?" he grumbled. "We want to know."

Tsunade looked from one face to the next of Team Kurenai, sighed, then leaned back in her chair. Kurenai had a feeling they wouldn't like the answer.

"Anko Mitarashi," Tsunade muttered. "Anko Mitarashi will be the temporary leader for Team Kurenai on this mission."

Kurenai felt her heart stop. Anko? Of all the jonin... Anko was capable, yes, but nearly the complete opposite of what her team was used to. It would be a disaster! Images of her team coming home beaten and bruised flashed through her head. Except instead of the enemy having done the beating, it was Anko herself.

Suddenly, the doors to the office were thrown open. As if she had been waiting outside for the perfect cue, Anko Miarashi in all her glory marched into the room. "Lady Tsunade! Have you found my subordinates yet?" she exclaimed with a hard look on her face.

All of Team Kurenai exchanged glances. Kurenai caught Hinata doing something she hadn't done for quite a while--trying to hide behind her teammates. Shino's eyebrows were so far down his forehead that Kurenai wondered if they might fall right off onto his jacket. The room was so silent, she could even hear Akamaru give the softest of whimpers.

As for Kiba... He put his hand over his face and closed his eyes. "Oh man... She's perfected her timing. Is it too late to go back to the academy?"