#shibi: fuck wait that’s not what I meant

[dark-elf-writes]

I’m literally cackling thinking about Shino’s reaction to everything that went down. He would have been praying for both Sasuke and Sakura’s downfall since day one, but this is a declaration of war.

Maybe Naruto and Sasuke somehow still had the kiss happen and Shino was just in the background buzzing like an angry eldritch god. Or he saw Sakura hit naruto one time and decided one day she would die vry painfully and be humiliated.

Shino has never liked the Haruno girl or the Uchiha.

Both of them have swatted at the stragglers in his hive more than once (the girl had actually screamed when she did it then called him a plethora of names that had Naruto vibrating with anger next to him) both of them were childish and arrogant at best seeing themselves as so much more than the rest of them regardless of the fact that the race for the top was far closer than either of them were willing to admit.

Worst of all, however is how they treated Naruto.

Most of the class was, if not friendly, then willing to ignore his friend for the most part. There was his odd not-friendship with Kiba that persisted through the years, and the fondness he had of both the Nara and Akimichi, but most of the rest of their class had taken one look at those fangs slick with venom and decided that polite distance was their best option.

Their loss, truthfully. There was never a more devoted friend than Naruto.

(Not that Shino was offering to share. He had been the one to see Naruto’s worth from the beginning.)

But Haruno and Uchiha had never been the same way.

He remembered Iruka-sensei watching him out of the corner of his eye the first time the girl had hit Naruto in annoyance, even as their teacher rushed forward to correct the behavior. The buzzing of the hive filled the classroom. So loud that Iruka-sensei had to raise his voice to be heard over them. Most of their classmates had edged away from him with wary eyes and disgusted expressions. Not Naruto who tucked himself under Shino’s arm and asked loudly with their teacher only feet away if Shino wanted to skip the rest of the day (Iruka-sensei didn’t even try to stop them.)

The less said about the Uchiha the better. It had taken all of Shino’s self control not to lungs at him when Naruto was knocked practically on top of him and their lips met only days after he realized he was head over heels in love with his best friend.

But this?

This?

Naruto sobbing into his chest, gasping out mangled explanations and apologies between each one. The horrible truth of what had happened on Team Seven’s first and only mission out of the safety of the village.

(That the two of them had nearly let Naruto die twice?)

His father met him at his bedroom window that night after he had claimed to go to sleep, hands tucked into his jacket and a single eyebrow raised high enough to be seen over his sunglasses.

“Go back inside, Shino.”

Shino’s hive buzzed loud enough that he almost didn’t hear the order. His fists clenched on the window sill so tightly the wood creaked.

“They hurt him,” Shino spat voice shaking, buzzing in his rage.

His father nodded. “And they are being punished. You can go help him if you are thrown in prison for killing your fellow Shinobi.”

“Technically they aren’t Shinobi anymore.” His father did not look impressed at the distinction.

Shino can’t breathe, poised halfway out his window with his father watching him and the horrors Naruto had confessed to him only Horus before. Can’t think of anything except.

“They hurt him,” He says again, weaker now. Defeated more than enraged.

His father comes closer, climbs up to meet him in the window and pulls him in to a side hug (the first hug Shino can remember from his father in a long time. Physical affection is not their clan’s way.)

“I know,” His father says.

Shino sags against him. Neither of them move until the first light of morning breaks over the horizon.