#and you added INOE!!! 😭🖤🖤🖤

[kankuroplease]

AAAAAAAA I love this so FREAKIN much!! Thank you😍 I can’t believe you wrote all this for my little Aburame fam and included Torune and Fuu in the cutest way possible!! 😍😍 but not you having me want to draw an old centipede

Calling (part 2)

@kankuroplease here is the second installment of that fic. It's still not done, but this piece itself deserves its own post because it's so sprawling.

Characters: Shino, Katsura, Shigeki, Niwa, Yasuo, Fuu, Torune

Ships: Shino/Katsura + ToruFuu

To say that he had been dreading this year and what it would bring wasn't quite correct, but Shino certainly did have his reservations about what chaos the newest batch of students to his classroom would bring. From the moment his wife had handed him the sheet containing the names of who would be his responsibility that year he knew it was going to be one hell of an experience. Katsura seemed to know before he did that something about this year would be special and so she was all too quick to take the paper from Iruka in order to confirm her hunch. It only took but a moment of visually scanning the contents of the page for her suspicions to gain merit. Shino felt his stomach drop just for a moment while watching his wife vet his next class roster, knowing that if she was looking it over before his eyes could even grace the page that something fishy was going on. When she finally lowered the paper from in front of her face, revealing raised brows and an implacable expression before she slid the sheet into his hands, he prepared himself for devastation. He chanced a look at the column of names and one after another the bombs hit him…until he reached the bottom and there it was. Uzumaki Boruto. The Hokage's oldest.

"Good luck my love, I will keep you in my thoughts every day." She teased, making sure to fill her voice with half-faux pity. It was all in good fun but damn the acting was convincing. So convincing that he actually considered asking for her prayers for real.

It had completely escaped his mind for a hot minute that this would also be the year that Shigeki would be starting, and the remembrance of such was a welcome shift for his outlook. When that fact had time to set in, giving him that much needed renewed sense of hope, it occurred to him that Iruka hadn't placed his son in his class. Meaning that another of the Senseis would be the one with the honor of teaching Aburame Shigeki the most important parts of being a Shinobi. The fact that Shino would not be his son's first Sensei didn't particularly surprise him even if it was a bit of a letdown, really he was more surprised that he dropped Shigeki's Academy entry from his mind just at the mere thought of having to wrangle Boruto on the daily. Boruto, and whoever else decided to flock to him because charisma ran in that family like horses on a track.

"And good luck to you, my little grub." Katsura turned to her son then and pulled him to her. It wouldn't be long until he was taller than her and it would be him doing the pulling in for a hug. Damn, the way time flew around here made her head want to spin.

"Dad is gonna need it far more than me." He crosses his arms in front of his chest and takes a bit of a cocky stance once his mother lets him go. "I just hope Izumo Sensei is ready for me."

"I'm sure you'll get along just fine. Try not to run laps around your classmates though, if you can. Be nice."

"No promises."

"If I get a call from his husband saying that you bullied him, I'm going to make sure Iruka gives you at least a week's worth of mandatory extra credit." She knew her boy would give everyone a run for their money but was confident he would fit in very well regardless. If it took some time to settle in, that was understandable. Time and effort were all that was needed now.

***

Watching the two of them take off in the same direction for the first time leaves her feeling just a little bit of melancholy. Of course, she still has both Niwa and Yasuo here with her for a couple more years, but before she knew it they would be making their ways too. For now she needed some time to think about about this and really process it so the first thing that popped into her head was to go out back and see how the plants were doing. The twins would understand when she told them in case they asked, they were old enough now to grasp slightly more subtle feelings. So she made sure to let them know where to find her as soon as her husband and oldest son were way out of view. Perhaps she would spend a few hours in the backyard, tending her flowers and hanging out with the local pollinator species, really just let her mind work through everything that was weighing on her. Yes that sounded very nice.

Several hours were spent in the company of the flora and the smallest fauna, watching the way the wind blew the grass and the leaves the flowers around, observing all of the insects checking out her well cared for gardens. Around the middle of the day, the twins came out to join her, bringing Tomo out with them to get some fresh air on his old body. Seeing the hardy little thing getting to enjoy the natural surroundings from which it came despite being advanced in age made her want to go out on an insect hunting expedition some time soon. Bring her entire family out and see what sorts of critters they couldn't uncover. Maybe even find another centipede to bring back with them to keep Tomo company (from a distance, in another enclosure, of course) if they were lucky. It had certainly been a while since any of them had gotten the chance to do something like that with all the preparation that has to be done for the new school year. So enticing was the thought of it that the rest of the time she had to herself had passed before she realized it. Shino and Shigeki had made their way home with plenty of things to say.

"I'm sorry, he did what now?" Her shock and awe and at the revealing of Boruto's antics was indeed great.

"Unfortunately we had to suspend him for an entire month and that means he will be responsible for catching up with the material at home. I have spoken to Hinata about it and she will make sure he doesn't slack in his studies."

"Now I'm really glad I'm not in that class. Can you imagine messing up that bad before the first day even begins?" Shigeki scoffs. He knows he's above all that type of stuff. But both of his siblings give him a look and it brings a very slight red tint to his cheeks out of embarrassment. "What? I'd never do anything like that. Lord Hokage should ground him. Though it does take some kind of crazy skill to not only crash a train into Hokage Mountain but land exactly on your own father's stone face."

Katsura places one hand on top of her bragging son's head. "I told you to be nice."

"It's not like he's around to hear it." He mutters.

"I know you'd never behave like that. But you can't let him hear you talk shit or it could turn into a rivalry that's more trouble than it's worth. Rein it in now lest something accidentally slip the next time you're sharing space. Trust Me on this one."

There is much left to be discussed but it can all be saved until later. She also remembers that she wants to bring up the little insect hunting excursion concept to the lot of them at some point as well. They're all going into this year with high hopes and Katsura will make sure that it turns out better than the previous two years. Yes her husband still has two students who had not managed to pass yet, as both Iwabe and Enko were repeaters this year, but she had a good feeling that this would be the year it all changed. Something (or maybe multiple somethings) would swoop in and make it all better. Shino would finally see his entire class off once again. Onto bigger and better things, a clean slate in preparation for the year after this one. And then her son, too, would make it just as far in his own studies. Being a Shinobi may not have suited her all that well but it seemed like a better path for Shigeki and it was important to support him in that decision. Both her head and her heart are full that evening, all the thoughts buzzing like busy bees in her brain and all of her pride in her family evident in every way that she spoke with them. Shino and her share a look before sending the kids off to bed that night, and he knows that she's willing this year to be different for the better. Better for everyone.

***

Better, it turned out, was very much a process. Because as soon as Naruto's troublesome son returns to class for real, the ball gets rolling in several insane directions. First Boruto gets into a scrap with none other than Yuino Iwabe and they go to duke it out in the sparring room without even letting their Sensei know about it. But the outcome of that one on one blows Shino's mind when the two come out the other side with a good understanding of each other and a brand new friendship. Boruto, of course, doesn't come into the relationship alone either. He comes flanked on one side by another boy that seemed the opposite of someone with Boruto's energy level could hang out with, Kaminarimon Denki. And then there's the case of one Nara Shikadai and one Yamanaka Inojin. They come as a package deal and are easily tacked on to the new little clique headed by the Hokage's son. So a feud between two hotheads managed to come in and begin on the process of solving the current longest running issue in the class. Who would have thought. The power of one optimistic fool was more potent than expected. But who was Shino to complain, really, because sometimes the best friendships were forged from the most unusual of circumstances.

Next up on the docket of nonsense however was a quarrel between the boys and the girls. It started, apparently, over some food and quickly spiraled into ridiculous back and forthing primarily between Boruto and Sarada. Shino should have expected his charges to have some growing pains with their status as the children of all his beloved weird friends but this was ridiculous. No matter. Being 12 was difficult and he wouldn't begrudge them that fact. He would instead solve this just like he solved everything else that came his way. When the students were busy with other matters, he so brilliantly laid a series of traps and obstacles around their wing of the building and announced to them that if they wanted to resolve their feud then he was giving them the opportunity. A free pass and on school grounds too. It seemed like a foolproof plan. Until the children did exactly what they were told and literally brought the house down in the process. Their classroom looked worse than the time Iwabe tore up the tile the year earlier. Instead of just the floor of one room, it was a sizeable chunk of the entire building. Whoops. Now classes had to be held outside until repairs could be completed.

And THEN amidst the chaos of outdoor class, a brand new transfer student was placed into his class. Mitsuki, a strange but seemingly mellow child from the Hidden Sound, here after an agreement between Naruto and none other than Orochimaru so that the boy could experience life in the Hidden Leaf. The ordeal had him going back to his own childhood Sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai, for guidance when he needed a little extra reassurance and she managed to give him a grounding pep talk that he badly needed. Though the action he took on the heels of said conversation had both his wife and oldest son laughing at his new choice in outfit. Shino was going to throw a welcome party for Mitsuki while wearing a pair of goofy shades and red jacket over his usual attire. That obviously did not go as planned but his new student did not hold it against him one bit and managed to adjust just fine. For every sign of trouble, a light at the end of the tunnel awaited. Shino counted his lucky stars that this sequence managed to keep up with him through the adjustment period. If this was the outcome of every hurdle then he'd gladly accept some gentle ribbing from his family every time he brought his eccentric solutions to the table.

Until another, far more serious predicament came to a head. Dubbed the "Ghost Incident" by Boruto and his clique, people were put in serious danger by an unknown sinister force. He himself had even become one of the victims and damn near brought serious harm to three of his students as a result. It was like a horror story when he came back to himself only to realize what has just transpired. Never in a million years did he want to hurt a single child, no matter who they were, and he'd almost killed three in one go. Katsura knew something was dreadfully wrong when he arrived home late that day and told her everything without taking enough breaths between sentences. She held him tightly and reassured him over and over that it wasn't his fault and that the kids did not blame him. Whatever this Ghost Incident really was would have to be solved as soon as possible so no more harm could come to anyone in the village. It took him a while to let it sink in properly, but he was grateful to have his beloved wife there with him through it.

Again and again there were reports of people being possessed for a short period and only brought back to reality with physical force. Eventually, the victims began to lose their chakra to whatever was possessing them and that's when Sai had to get involved. He took over looking into what was going on and Shino had to put all his faith in the man to actually find out the root cause. But that cause…turned out to be something that turned his blood to ice in his veins. If he thought the first time one of his students had trouble at home was bad, he was not ready for this revelation. Kakei Sumire. The girl everyone liked to call Class Rep. Sweet and friendly, a bit skittish but a great friend to have, turned out to be the one behind the entire Ghost Incident. And it was all because her father forced this initiative on her. If it wasn't for the intervention of Boruto when the situation reached a critical mass then it could have razed the village to a crater. Once more, the undaunted son of the Seventh Hokage had reached out to help someone who really needed it with his special way of connecting with others. And it worked. He, with help from Mitsuki, pulled Sumire back from the brink and solved the Ghost Incident in a brazen sweep. Shino was floored at the way this boy had with his friends. Whatever reservations he had before about teaching him that year has to take a backseat to the amazement.

Each and every time he came home with new incredible (often almost unbelievable) stories to tell his family, the more Shigeki envied his father's class. He rethought his position on being glad not to be placed in it and found himself wishing a transfer was possible. At this, Yasuo made sure to tease him about doubting his first stance because his older brother always tried to stick to his convictions when he made up his mind. To see Shigeki have clear doubts and jealousies over something like this was novel and Yasuo didn't want to miss it for anything. Niwa, meanwhile, sided with her oldest sibling. He should be able to change his mind whenever he wanted and not be poked fun at for it. Katsura made sure to let all three of them know that they shouldn't be squabbling about this because their father had been through hell and back in just a few short weeks of the new year beginning. She was right, of course, but Shigeki in particular simply huffed and cursed his rotten luck with placement. Dad was living life like an action packed Kagemasa movie and he was going through the motions as normal. No fair.

Shino had other things to worry about though rather than the fact that his son was jealous that he got Izumo as his Sensei instead of his own father, even if the actual jealousy was over having an eventful environment rather than who was teaching the lessons. Once Boruto and Mitsuki has managed to save Sumire from her dreadful and miserable life path imparted to her by her deceased father, the matter of what to do with her became a concern. She was clearly very shaken and afraid to hurt the rest of her class even more and there were plenty of people higher up than him that thought her a danger even though she no longer was. So her new fate hung up in the air in limbo and he knew as her teacher and as someone who had made a vow to protect all of those who needed it most, this was the time to step up and say something. All of his remaining students shared a lot of his worries about their dear friend and classmate. It did his heart such good to see, so now it was on him to see to it that they didn't lose her and that she didn't lose them. The value of bonds in times of crisis simply could not be understated.

"Do you know what you can do for her? I wish I had any ideas, but I'm lost." Katsura had expressed to him while he was deep in contemplation over it. She hated watching it eat away at her husband and it killed her to know that this has been brought down on a child who already had it hard enough.

"I'm going to go back to Sai and ask him something important. If he can help me here, then I believe we will have a workable solution." His face was stern and his words were solid. She hadn't seen him this determined to figure out a solution to a problem in a while, and it gave her confidence that he would be able to do it.

"Good luck. If you need any reinforcements, call me and I will come double down with you no matter what I'm doing."

Katsura watched him take off that morning not for his classroom but instead in the direction of where his shaken up student had been given quiet refuge while awaiting her fate. Though he said he had to speak with Sai, it seemed that he most likely wanted to keep her in the loop first. It was always like him to be so considerate of the needs of his students, this class in particular felt like an extension of his own family in a way after all, and it only made her hope harder that he would be able to steer this the way he was clearly envisioning. Unfortunately it wasn't as clear to her how long the process of stabilizing Sumire's life would take but Katsura knew her husband would waste no time or energy in the task. Everything he set out to do had a purpose and she couldn't wait till the time he came home to tell her the good news she knew could be the only possible outcome. Having faith in Shino never failed her before, and this time would be no difference.

And she has never been so proud to be right. There has been a couple days of deliberation between himself and (as it turned out) more than just Sai but it was all worth it for Shino. Especially when he was able to bring his wayward student back to class, the looks on the faces of everyone else made him internally emotional every time he thinks back on it. When she asks him for the details and he allows a smile to creep up slowly onto his face she knows that she will enjoy everything he's about to say. Details about his talks first with Sai and then Iruka, reassurances paid to several high ranking members of village security, and of course what Sumire herself had to say when he sincerely asked her if she wanted to return to class with everyone. Katsura stood in awe at the dedication and compassion her beloved spouse had shown in his efforts to ease the burdens off a child who had had it so rough until now. It fully reinforced her belief that teaching and guiding was the right path in life for him.

"I must find a proper way to thank Sai myself for agreeing to this." He begins. This part immediately made her perk up her ears. "And of course, Ino as well."

"Both of them?" She cocks her head to the side just a little in order to express curious confusion.

Shino nods just slightly before continuing. "Because of the shared link back to Danzo's cruel pet project, there is much he can offer Sumire in the way of support and healing. He's in fact the most qualified for the job. It took a little longer than expected because he had to run the idea by his wife before bringing me a final yes."

"I think I know what you're implying…"

"None of us are keen to leave the girl to fend for herself after all of this. I wish I had been made aware of things sooner because we could have made it easier on her and perhaps avoided this entire traumatic explosion. As of this week, she will be permanently staying with the Yamanaka family."

With that, Katsura reaches up with both hands and holds her husband's face. Reverently she looks upon him and feels like the most fortunate woman in the world to not only know him but love him too. There was no length he wouldn't go to in order to help a friend, a loved one, or a child who needed it. This time he had expressed his thorough methods to their fullest extent and closed an important case for good. He revels in the warm touch of his wife for only a moment longer before reaching up to remove his visor. Their eyes lock and he knows she's mesmerized by all that he is so he has to be the first one to break that hold by slowly leaning down to kiss her. She shifts her hold to around his neck as he lifts her up, making sure to support her weight fully so that she may cling to him like a koala. The two are just a little too wrapped up in each other to properly notice when the door opens and Shigeki enters. He looks his folks up and down and decides he's going to elaborate about his day regardless of what they're doing.

"Inoe had it out with this cocky little Fuuma boy today. She won, obviously. But then Izumo Sensei ruined all the fun."

The lovebirds spend just a few more moments in their lock before letting out a mutual sigh, releasing their grip on each other so that they may turn their collective attention to their storytelling son. Another time…they'd pick this back up later. Shino, knowing that if this story involved Kiba's daughter it would surely be one to pay attention to, addressed Shigeki on behalf of both himself and his amorous wife.

"And you didn't get yourself wound up in it too, did you?"

"Well…"

***

"Are you kidding me!" The gripe is loud enough to damn near echo through the entire first floor of the house. Shigeki is not happy.

"I wish it were possible for you to go too, but your father has informed me that there's an ulterior motive behind this entire decision so it's best you stay back and continue with class." Katsura knows how unfair her son thinks all of this is. She doesn't blame him one bit for his reaction. But at the end of the day, her hands were tied.

"Who cares what the reasons boil down to! I wanna go to Kiri too. I want to see everything they're going to get to see." His arms cross over his chest and he puts on his best unhappy face. It doesn't improve even when his mom puts one hand on top of his head to smooth back his hair just a little.

"I'm sure he'll bring back something good for you to treasure even if you're not allowed to go." She sighs, hopeful that she's not wrong. "Whatever business is going on behind the scenes I'm not sure…but I'm confident that you won't be forgotten in all of it."

"Why is it that my class doesn't even get half of the interesting shit happening to it but theirs seems like they're the main focus of an adventure novel?"

"I wish I could give you an answer that made sense, I really do. One day you'll get to see the Hidden Mist too. It will just have to be on a mission. And there will be plenty of those."

"I don't wanna have to wait that long."

Katsura feels for her son in this moment. He's done pretty much everything right in his studies and barely gotten in any trouble yet. Izumo Sensei isn't even to blame for not taking his own class on an extended field trip the way her husband would be guiding his students through Kiri. No, she was sure that the ones who arranged for that were above the heads of the average teachers. Shino had told her that Anko was to accompany them when they went over to Water Country and there would be more than one "meeting" with the former Lady Fifth Mizukage. All of it sounded more than a little fishy and it made her wish she could be a fly on the wall to hear what was to be said at those gatherings. If not for her own sake, than for the sake of her oldest who was missing out on seeing more of the world simply because he has been placed in the "wrong" class from the start.

"I'll make a deal with you, does that sound okay?" The idea pops into her head after she's done feeling petulant on his behalf.

"What kind of deal?" He's skeptical, both eyebrows raised to not quite meet his hairline, but willing to hear his mother out.

"After all of this travel is over and done with, I will ask your father if he would be willing to take all of us somewhere else to make it up to you." She steels herself for the next part. "And if he isn't, then I will let him know that I'll take you somewhere myself. Just the two of us. So you get to see somewhere beyond Fire Country's boundaries too."

The sparkle in the boy's eyes do not betray him. Such a vow has his immediate attention and he looks at his mother like she has superpowers. Katsura is just a little proud of herself for steering his unhappiness into better territory and finds that even just the talk of getting out excites her. With any luck she would be able to weasel their collective way into going to the border of Kusa and Taki because that was prime territory for hunting rare insects. The environment was hospitable to such creatures with its abundant plant life and warm temperatures. Now the only thing she could see as a blockade to the plan was the fact that, if it were her husband taking the lot of them, he would have to have someone fill in for him in class. Though…Anko could probably manage. Especially if she was even partly behind the ulterior motives for this Kiri trip. She owed him, that was for sure.

"I know asking you to keep this hush-hush feels like a big thing but we don't want to overload him right now because he's already stressing over this entire Mist mess."

Shigeki shakes his head so as to banish any traces of guilt she may have. "If it's for the chance to go out, I can do it. I promise."

Katsura beams brightly at her son and his tenacity. "What would I do without you."

Events feel like they pass slower than usual after that conversation but Shigeki knows he must learn patience. It's worth it to wait this out because no matter what happened he would get the chance to go somewhere he had never been before. Maybe even somewhere cooler than Kirigakure, and then he could brag about it to everyone back at the Academy when he returned. Bragging rights sure did sound like a great incentive to keep his patience in check so he made a promise to himself to act like nothing was out of the ordinary so as not to rouse suspicions from either his Sensei or his classmates. Both of his parents seemed rather impressed with his unusually put together behavior though only Katsura knew what it was for. If Shino were to ask, she too would play coy and go on with business as usual.

Not seeing her husband for between one and two weeks was the only part she truly thought was shitty. Everything would be fine at home but lacking his company was a downside she wish she did not have to take on. So distractions from his absence would absolutely be in order. From the moment she saw him off, watching him go down the same path he took every day but knowing this time he'd not be home later the same day, she willed herself to focus on other feelings aside from primarily missing him. Shigeki would at least be back later on and hopefully he would still be in a good mood. In fact, she could probably let Niwa and Yasuo in on her little plan now too since their father was out of the house and the temptation to tell him was removed. Oh that was an excellent plan. One she began looking forward to right away.

Until…her son arrived home after class was done for the day. He had a similar sparkle in his eyes that she had seen when she divulged the plan to him several days ago and it gave her the funny feeling that the plans were now in need of a serious update, if not being put off for a while altogether. He found her seated at the table looking over an unfurled scroll full of her beautiful handwriting and could barely take a seat across from her without vibrating out of his own skin. Katsura set her brush down carefully and rolled the scroll up to continue with later as it would be unfair not to give her child her full attention when he clearly had much to say.

"Uncle Torune's boyfriend stopped by today when I went to go talk to Iruka Sensei."

Immediately her right eyebrow shot up. "What did you do this time?"

"Don't worry about that we talked through it I promise it's not a big deal." He glazed over all details in order to move the plot along. "He was bringing some documents or something in for approval and I was there to hear about it!"

"We're going to talk about that first thing later but what did you hear from Fuu?"

That's when all of his energy came to a peak and he jumped out of his seat, voice raised to match his motions. "They're taking our class to Kumo!"

Katsura blinked like a Nara deer caught red-hoofed eating out of someone's garden. "Who's taking you?"

"Not my Sensei that's for sure." He scoffed. "Uncle Torune and Fuu are taking us. I don't know why yet but we're going to the Cloud next month!"

Having to process all of this new information so suddenly felt like cramming a novel's worth of words into her brain just then. It wasn't that complicated but the suddenness of it took her by enough surprise that she hadn't had enough time to adjust yet. Of course she was excited as hell that her son would finally get his chance to see another place, ecstatic even. It meant that her plans had to be put on hold but it was worth it for the sake of Shigeki's happiness. Maybe it would even work out better because now there would be more time to plan in tandem with her husband when they would go, how long they would stay, who he could get to cover his class, and what they'd be bringing to and back from their destination. Somehow this wrench tossed into her plans was shaping up to be more of a solution than a hindrance. All of her mental gears were turning beautifully in that moment.

"You're going to be good for them and not cause problems, right Shigeki?" She gives him a look and accompanies it with a smirk. This kid is too much like her and she knows he's bound to get himself up to something. "I won't have to hear a laundry list of your shenanigans from Torune when I get back?"

"Even if I could give Uncle the slip, I doubt his emotional support Yamanaka would be as careless." He's laughing, clearly having fun being caught up in the concept. "So whether I want to or not, yes I will try to behave and not start an international incident."

"Good boy, I know I can count on you."

The rest of the evening is spent in high spirits. The twins come around later after the loud commotion has died down to ask what trouble their brother was in this time only to find out that it was good news he had brought home instead. Katsura was only all too happy to watch her three beloved children talk about what was going to happen together around the table as she made what would be their dinner that evening. The idea that maybe class trips to far away places was becoming the norm had both Yasuo and Niwa intrigued about someday possibly doing the same as their big brother. Both were still two years off from entrance into the Academy but they had more patience than Shigeki ever did. And by the time they did get to where he was, who knew what would be in store for them. All of the joy shared between the three of them was contagious and had Katsura in a good mood all the way to bed that night. Though she still was missing her husband, it was made much easier to bear with the upbeat atmosphere at home.

***

Shino looks like he had been through two weeks of hell by the time he makes it home from the field trip. He makes sure to reassure his wife from the get go that he's okay but will need some time to come down from the constant action of the last half of his time in Kiri. Katsura is eager to hear the entire story but makes sure to give him enough time and space to decompress enough in order to properly interact with his loved ones again without feeling like a cornered animal. Shigeki opts to sit the conversation out as he doesn't want to divert much needed attention away from his father's understandable concerns with his own hype to take off in a couple more weeks. But in his place both of his siblings come to comfort and hear out their father, a gesture he appreciates very much so. Being surrounded by most of his family who he had missed dearly does wonders on his frayed nerves.

"What happened where you went? I don't think I've ever seen you this upset, dad." Niwa speaks first. She's a smart and observant girl and very much concerned about her father.

"Did you guys get attacked?" Yasuo picks up where his sister left off, hoping the answer to his question will be a resounding no.

The now less frazzled man takes a deep breath to collect his thoughts and swivels in his seat to face his children. He hadn't even bothered to don his visor so the look on his eyes was on full display, which only added to everyone's worry. "There is still an incredible amount of instability over in Water Country. We knew, going there, that it was still working on healing from everything that has gone on in the past but apparently some individuals with valid points are very good at keeping their plans under the radar until it's time to move. This is probably because giving away their tactics will have the Mizukage's security forces on top of them in a heartbeat."

"Is Chojuuro really doing that shitty of a job picking up where Lady Mei left off?" Katsura interjects. She knows little of the blue haired maan personally. Most people speak kindly of him, but she's aware that it's very possible to carry biases.

"No, he's doing the best he can as someone still new to his position." Shino very lightly shakes his head side to side. "Obviously not everything he does will sit well with every person. It's going to take several years to find the right balance like his predecessor had established for herself."

From the other room, Shigeki admittedly is listening in the best he can to the conversation going on. He shouldn't pry why he made it clear he didn't want to be present for the talk but it's impossible to resist when the talk of instability in another land is the topic at hand. Konoha all around him is doing pretty well for itself, as far as he can tell, but it seems that wasn't a universal thing everywhere. Would he arrive in the Hidden Cloud in a couple of weeks only to discover something similar…or was this a unique problem of just the Mist? All of this questioning made him truly feel like he did not have enough experience beyond the walls of the village and that wasn't a good thing. Maybe later he would talk one on one with his father and ask about the world around him that he wasn't seeing. Just to get an idea of what he was going out into after he graduates. It would never do to jump into something ill prepared and end up fucked over. Just the thought of the scope of what he didn't know made him equal parts jealous that he couldn't go on that trip…and thankful that he hadn't been there to see the raw state of things.

He got his chance just before bed, after both of his siblings were in their room and their mother was taking a nice long bath to soothe her stuff shoulders. Shino had sensed that his oldest was having some sort of troubles he was hesitant to voice and opted to make the first move. The two of them spent some time together at the kitchen table discussing exactly what had gone down in Kiri and talking about what the world at large was like outside of Konoha. It was difficult being so young and inexperienced and not having a way to safely see everything firsthand yet. While the world was moving towards true peace, it was still a time of transition and not everyone was going peacefully. There was still more safety in a three man squad (four counting the instructor) than for a solo Academy student when it came to venturing beyond the gates of the Leaf. Hopefully that would not always be the case, but for the moment it was just reality.

"What's going to happen to everyone that followed Shizuma off the deep end?"

"Right now, almost all of them are being detained in a special holding facility for further observation. Kagura is being granted leniency as he had been manipulated but the others are still of unclear fates."

"Do you think it's fair that they're behind bars for acting out for justified reasons?"

"That's a very complicated answer. While yes they were justified in being upset with how their village treated their families, their methods were too radically violent to just trust them running free. Eventually it will hopefully change for the better."

The two of them go back and forth until Shigeki is truly satisfied and caught up. He still is unsure how to really feel, be he trusts his father's words and wants to believe that the best will come of this misfortune. Shino knows it's a hard dose of reality to give to a child but he valued honesty when it was something this serious. Shigeki had asked and wanted to know so that's what Shino told him: the truth. And when the mood finally began to settle after that topic was over, the thought occurred to the younger Aburame that there was something he wanted to make his dad aware of. He was going on his own class trip to the most prominent village in Lightning Country and despite his uncertainties he was still quite excited for it. Upon hearing the news and seeing the hope written on his child's face, Shino allowed himself to finally smile and truly be happy for the boy as well. Kumogakure was a beautiful and relatively relaxed place. It would be a great experience for him. And, hopefully, one wholly unlike what he himself had just weathered in Water Country.

They spend the rest of their time together talking about what it was like in the elevated landscape of the Hidden Cloud and all the sights that were there to behold. Shino mentioned to him that he may even have the honor of meeting one of the only perfect Jinchuuriki in history, Lord Killer Bee, if the man was keen to entertain the class. Thankfully his wonderfully hammy nature would probably ensure that to be the case. And of course, the fifth Raikage would surely welcome everyone in the class warmly. Shigeki went to bed that night with renewed eagerness to explore a land he'd never seen even though just a little bit earlier he had heard than another village was still having its own struggles. Shino was simply glad that his son was able to face the unknown world with such determination rather than fear and hesitation. He, and Katsura when she came out refreshed from her bath, took the time to do their own private catching up before allowing sleep to take them. They all managed to rest easy.

***

Time seemed to fly past and before anyone knew it Shigeki had gone and returned from his trip. Both of his parents knew the moment he was home because all of the ruckus behind the front door could only have come from him. Katsura had volunteered to be the one to slide that door open to greet her son and was surprised to see that he had not returned home alone. There with the happily buzzing boy was his uncle and said uncle's partner. A happy smirk slid onto her face right away upon recognizing them and she pulled Torune in particular in for a hug. While the former Root agent was momentarily tied up in greeting his sister in law, Fuu had to grab a hold of Shigeki's shirt collar to keep the boy from darting into the house like a madman and risk tripping and falling on his face. Or worse, running into one of his siblings as they were probably both around here somewhere. He shot a look back at the copper haired Yamanaka and only received a sly smirk in return.

"No you don't."

"You're lucky I don't bite."

"Be careful what you wish for, maybe I bite back."

When Katsura pulls back from her beloved brother in law, she puts a palm to her face and laments how forward her child could be. Though…he did get it from her, so maybe it was hypocritical to chastise him for it. Either way, her son was home and they had extra company that was very much welcome so she made sure to invite the two adults in a long with Shigeki. Her husband would probably be along shortly as well so it was just a waiting game until he joined them. Sure enough, it was only 45 minutes until Shino had made his way home and he too was pleasantly surprised to see his older brother and almost-in-law in the company of his family. Torune offered a gloved hand to his younger sibling, a gesture Shino was all too happy to return, and the two shared their first familial hold on what felt like forever.

"It was amazing, dad, I can't believe how beautiful it is over there." Shigeki could not wait to start delving into his tales.

"Don't let him fool you, he got himself into plenty of trouble. Scrapped with Darui himself. I'm actually impressed with this bold little bastard."

Katsura's eyes went wide and she turned to her beaming son. "You started shit with the Raikage?"

"Just a friendly challenge. Obviously he beat me…but he gave me something to bring back home for my forwardness. Right now it's in my Academy locker but I'll show you tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"A sword." He's all too proud of himself while announcing this. "And I got to see something else really cool too!"

"He's talking about the Eight Tails. We ran into Lord Bee while touring around the village and he let out Gyuuki to see the entire class. I've never seen my nephew speechless before." Though it's subtle, everyone can see a smile on Torune's face as he speaks.

"I know you said Lord Hokage has one of those Bijuu things too…but I've never seen it before. I want to see it now."

Shigeki babbles on happily about everything he had seen and done in the 10 days he was away from home. Both his siblings are awestruck themselves at his tales and Katsura can tell that the two of them are probably hoping to have the chance to go to another village someday too during their time as students. She, too, hopes they get that chance. It had really lit up Shigeki's life and that made her overjoyed for him. All of her babies deserved the opportunity to experience unbridled joy and nuance like this. She's also happy that at the moment the three of them are locked in a hot debate about Kumo food vs Konoha food because it allows her to tune in to what her husband, brother in law, and honorary in law are currently discussing amongst themselves. And it shocks her when she finds out just what it is.

"This has really helped me decide." Torune begins.

"Decide what?" She inquires, head cocked curiously.

"I'm not ready yet to take on a team. In a couple of years I think I'll be able to. But not yet."

Now Fuu picks up the slack. "But I'm going to this year. As long as Iruka is all right with it, I am more than ready to handle some Genin."

It's just their luck that Shigeki picks that moment to inject himself into the conversation with a petulant whine. "No fair! I want to be Uncle's student!"

Torune holds his hands up halfway in apology. "I'm sorry buddy, I just need more time. Maybe when your brother and sister have graduated. I'd be happy to show you some things in your downtime, though."

This drives the spike deeper into his heart. "That's even more not fair! They might get to be your students but I don't."

Fuu picks up the slack just then. "Maybe you'll be assigned to me instead. I'd be happy to deal with you and your ways."

"If that's the case then I'm warning you right now. I won't make it easy on you." If he had been an Inuzuka or an Izuno, he surely would have bared his teeth to rile up his almost-uncle.

"Challenge accepted. Now I hope Iruka DOES assign you to my team." The two of them lock gazes across the table from each other, the competitive spirit palpable. Everyone around them is caught between shaking their heads and chuckling.

"Oh this is either going to become the most embarrassing period in his life or the most enlightening." Katsura laughs. "Either way I feel like it'll do him some good. Give him a teacher as forward as he is."

"I'm not afraid of the big bad beetle child. In fact, I think it'll be fun."

It's an exchange that ropes the whole family into a good time catching up and sharing their hopes and dreams for graduation in a few months. Of course, the exams will not be easy, but no one doubts Shigeki has what it takes to pass. And he is in fact beginning to feel very okay with the idea of answering to Fuu as his next Sensei. It's not what he wanted at first, because Uncle Torune would have been an amazing option, but he's not as sad about losing out on that as he thought he would be. Besides. Maybe, in two more years, Torune would indeed be ready to take a team and have the honor of teaching either one or both of his niblings. There was much they could pick up from their wonderfully skilled uncle and just the thought of his brother teaching his children made Shino feel fond.

When the visit comes to a close, everyone happily sees off the pair of former Foundation nin and hopes that they can reunite again soon. Especially when the current school year is over and Shino has a lot more free time on his hands. Though, if Fuu does end up getting a Sensei role, he will probably become the much busier one. No matter. They'd find a way to make a gathering or two work in between everyone's obligations. The ability to even have these get togethers was something no one would take for granted every time thoughts of what was almost lost in the war resurface. Shino holds onto everyone precious in his life tightly and thanks the forces at work that he would have them around for a very long time to come. And as Shigeki goes on about both his trip to Kumo and his hopes for graduation, his father counts every lucky star in the sky that his children will never be at risk of losing what was most important to them (nor their opportunities in life) like his own generation did. Without war being the norm, they could grow up knowing and learning from their relatives and they could go anywhere they pleased in peace.

***

Graduation day comes for Shino's class and it blows his expectations clear out of the water. The teamwork and performance of every single one of his students, including the two left behind from previous years, nearly makes him cry. Boruto had had an extremely profound motivational effect on the lot of them and it carried the entire group of 18 children through to the triumphant end. They had done it, they had beaten even the likes of Lord Sixth (no easy task) in order to earn their titles as Genin of Konoha. The moment their adorned white cloth headbands transformed into proper Hidden Leaf headbands was the moment real tears began to flow from several kids. He finally saw the passing of an entire class for the first time since his first year and it made his heart feel fuller than ever. Shino is able to hold his head high when he returns home that day to report on how proud he was of everyone he'd spent the past several months instructing and guiding.

Shigeki, after congratulating his dad on everything, then had to face down his own graduation in four days time. His nerves thankfully did not get the best of him though they had certainly made a solid attempt to do so several times. When he noticed his older brother having conflicting feelings, Yasuo invited him out to the yard to mindlessly spar in order to relieve the stress and pressure. The older child of the family was too quick to agree and easily sank into the motions as soon as the rules were laid down. He let a cloud of insects fly and spent the next hour dueling with his little brother until the two had let off enough steam to carry them through the rest of the day unbothered. This routine became their norm every day up until it was time for Shigeki to face the music.

And face the music he sure did. He even got the chance to go toe to toe with his father as Shino had been asked to help proctor the exam. Shigeki faced the challenges presented to him like a champ and did not allow his nerves to overwhelm him for a second. He and all of his own classmates made it through to the end just like Boruto's group before them. Kakashi may not have been involved with this graduation, but that was all right with the Aburame boy. All he needed was to get over that hill and earn his place as an official Genin. The feel of the headband, the weight of it around his forehead was a sensation that he simply couldn't put into words. Shino, Katsura, Niwa, and Yasuo were tremendously proud of the boy for sticking to his guns and passing with flying colors. His mother had even made him a selection of his favorite desserts afterwards to celebrate the amazing job her boy had some becoming a full fledged Shinobi.

The final hurdle came in the form of being assigned to an official team. One by one the others around him were grouped up and told to meet their Jounin in another room until his name had finally been called. With him would be Kiba's daughter Inoe and a quietly observant but usually friendly Hyuuga girl by the name of Meisu. When they arrived in the room labeled with the number 11, the sight that greeted the new trio was one Shigeki felt was inevitable. Yellow eyes and copper hair, a tall stature, and the undeniable aura of self assured strength. Yamanaka Fuu. Destiny had seen to it that his almost-uncle would be the one overseeing his progress from here on out and he could not find a single argument against it. The two shared another look, yellow locking onto green, and the mutual competitive fire was ignited. Shigeki grinned broadly and set his hopes high for everything he would do and see and experience with his teammates and their Sensei from then on out.