The Right Choice

This story is completely finished. I am just going through and doing some final proofreading, but I will be uploading at least once daily. There are over ten chapters and the story is a little over 45,000 words. I've never actually posted a story of mine before, and I'm a little nervous so be kind. If there's a lot of bad feedback from this one I probably won't post any more of my stories in the future, but no matter what I will have this one posted in completion hopefully by the end of next week. I hope you enjoy it, I usually write for my own pleasure, but this one I enjoyed so much I thought it might be nice to share. Please let me know if you like it, I am hoping for at least ten good reviews once I finish. I know it's a high goal considering most people are lurkers (me included), but I would appreciate knowing that at least a few people enjoyed it. Thanks, and enjoy!

WARNING: Naruto is in several other pairings before he gets to Shino. The story works through a failed relationship and a comfort relationship before we get there so don't freak out when Naruto doesn't jump straight into Shino's arms. It will happen, but like the description said this is the story of their struggle to come together so just wait for it.

Chapter 2

When Shino had heard the news that Naruto was gone, he hadn’t taken it well, but no one knew it but Hinata. He was his usual stoic on the outside, but his withdrawal was evident to anyone that spent time with him. Kiba had noticed, but had just tried harder than usual to lighten the mood so to reward his effort Shino sometimes acted like it worked.

Several months passed after the new Ambassador had taken his position when word finally got back to Shino of the particulars of the situation. Temari had come into Konoha, and Shikamaru always seemed to be her guide so it was no surprise when Shino heard the news from Hinata about Naruto’s living arrangements, but with gossip being what it is, he needed to hear it for himself instead of from Hinata who heard it from Kiba who heard it from Ino who heard it from Choji who heard it from Shikamaru. He would have to talk to Shikamaru himself, but that was always a problem.

Shikamaru loved shogi, and playing with an opponent that actually thinks before he moves always leaves Shino with bargaining power, but the price he pays is time. They had played once when they were younger for days before Shino had let Shikamaru win just to end it. He’d tried to end it sooner, but Shikamaru had seen what he was doing, and demanded that they start again. His youthful pride had gotten him into this situation years ago and there was no way out of it now. The first time they had played each other Shino had been so full of his self thinking that there was no way lazy, lay about Nara was going to beat him in a game of strategy and deception. What he hadn’t realized at the time was how much fun it would be for Shikamaru to actually have an opponent that challenged him and ever since then when Shino needed anything he would demand a game.

It was never a complete waste of time though. Shikamaru was a good friend. The problem with this was how long Shikamaru was going to have piecing together why he wanted the information he’d be asking about. He was positive that Shikamaru in no way was going to let him leave without answers to his own questions after figuring out Shino’s reason. It was a good thing that the Nara’s were known for being very good at keeping secrets.

ooOOoo

Shikamaru was as usual laying on his back under one of the trees just outside the door of his room just as his mother said he would be, not that Shino hadn’t known already. His eyes moved lazily across the sky as he watched the passing clouds.

“Shino.” He greeted passively. “I wasn’t expecting any visitors today. It’s my first day off in over a week after following that crazy woman around town.” He stood up slowly and stuck his hands in his pockets and gave Shino a once over, appraising his friend before he spoke again. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this high strung Shino. What’s on your mind?”

Shino tried to relax, but it wouldn’t work around Shikamaru. “I’ve come to ask you a question.”

Shikamaru rolled to his side to get a better look at Shino. “So ask already. It’s been eating at you long enough to turn you into this mess. Your nervousness is almost overwhelming, and your reluctance to just come out and ask leads me to believe it’s something personal. Something you don’t really want me to know, but for some reason you’re here.” He moved to sit on the edge of the nure’en with his feet flat on the ground in front of him making his knees stand nearly to his chest. Shino sat beside him and after a long uncomfortable silence and several bored sighs from Shikamaru, Shino asked his question.

“Is Naruto living in the Kazekage’s quarters?” Short and simple, that’s Shino Aburame.

Shikamaru took a long time thinking over the question before he spoke again. “You’re more anxious than I’ve ever seen you before Shino. The only reason I can come up with is hard for me to believe since I never would have figured you were the type to fall for loud and brash.” Shino didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t even really know if he wanted to know the answer to his question or not at this point. He just wanted to get the game over with so he could leave.

“I’m not going to force a game on you Shino so you can stop brooding. I can see that you’re in no mood. You’d probably loose without trying for once.” At that Shino looked up, and in that instant he knew he’d never fooled Shikamaru. He hadn’t been looking for a reaction, he had just known. “I’ve known the whole time you were loosing on purpose. I just enjoyed making you be inventive about it. You are the only one I can play that I can honestly say I’ve never truly beaten. Maybe someday you’ll come to me and we’ll play all the way to the end. For now though I think it would probably be better to talk.”

Shino was embarrassed, but not ashamed. He was finally starting to believe that he hadn’t done anything wrong by falling for Naruto, but he still wasn’t comfortable talking about it, even to Hinata. “I just need to know if he’s with Gaara. If he is then I can marry like my mother wants me too and father a new Heir for the clan. My father is constantly worried that he made a mistake having only one son. He thinks I’m reckless.”

Shikamaru laughed at the thought of Shino of all people being reckless. It was definitely an entertaining thought. “Compared to the others in your clan I guess you are reckless. Your dad seems measured and calculating. I wouldn’t want to fight him. I can see what he’s talking about with you though. You spend a lot of time in combat when the rest of your clan focuses on spying and espionage. Neji asked me once if I’d ever seen any other Aburame besides you. I told him I’d met your dad and seen a few shadows with matching sunglasses around the village, but that was it. It makes him nervous to think that your clan might be as large as his when no one ever sees them. How many of you are there?”

Shino didn’t have to worry about the politics of answering. His clan didn’t have the strict structural ranking of the Hyuuga clan but they did have them about matched in numbers. “We have about as many as the Hyuuga clan, but we don’t have the same boundaries. Because of what we are we tend to be quiet and solitary. It makes people uncomfortable when they know what that we are hives.

“We live together as a family and my father is the head of our family, but we don’t serve him. It’s more about honor, we honor our family by honoring his decisions, but he doesn’t dictate our lives to us. I am the heir of my clan, but I am not bound by any law to marry and have children. It is his wish that I do so, but he would not force me into it nor would he banish me should I not comply. I will still become the head of my clan when my father submits the title to me and when it is time if I have no children then I will name my own successor from the clan.”

That was quite a bit of information to be given without really fishing for it, and Shikamaru was intrigued to say the least. He never imagined there were so many Aburame in the village, but if they were like Shino he could definitely see how to any normal villager they could be overlooked. “Why is your father the leader then if there isn’t any real structure?”

This would be something Shikamaru could understand easily since he already knew enough about his father to be weary of him. “My father was the strongest ever to be born into my clan. He is really the first of us that was truly built for more than just mid to long range combat. He chose a shinobi for my mother to enhance those skills and natural ability for close combat. I am the product of that match and I can say without a doubt that I am exactly as my parents envisioned me. They just didn’t know what they were asking for when they were making that wish. Now that I am a skilled shinobi, and I go on combat missions more often then not, they aren’t really happy about it. My mother is like most mothers and would like to have me under foot all the time to ensure my safety. She’s very frustrating at times. Like most women from what I’ve seen. I don’t know how anyone puts up with them.”

Shikamaru laughed at that. “I know, my mother drives me crazy with how controlling she is. I want to be free to relax when I get a little time off, but she’s always telling me to go help my father tend the deer, gather herbs, and see to the forest. There’s very little rest to be had in this house, today being the very rare exception. Women are just crazy from what I can tell and there’s no getting around it.”

“You’re like me. You think to literally to understand them. You’re going to have a tough time finding a woman.” Shino added as he finally started to relax into the conversation. This was the most he’d spoken to anyone in a long time.

“Nah, I’ll just marry Ino. She’s loud and crazy just like my mom.” Shikamaru’s smirk was positively evil when he spoke, and it gave Shino chills just thinking about what it would be like to be married to that crazy blonde, not that he couldn’t understand, being that he had his own infatuation with a different crazy blonde. But with all his worries about how to land Naruto it did beg the question, “Aren’t you worried that Choji will beat you to it?”

A dark eyebrow lifted slightly with amusement, “Choji loves Ino to death, but he’d never marry her. She’s too skinny; he likes ‘em big like his mom, and he needs a woman that can cook. Ino doesn’t even know what food is much less how to cook it. As for anyone else, Ino is to in love with herself to notice anyone that might be interested. The only reason she wanted Uchiha was because he was unattainable. Dad says women always want the impossible. One day I’ll just ask her and it’ll be done. Maybe we’ll even have a little Nara that’ll play shogi with me and give her hell like I do with my mom.”

There was a flash of jealousy across Shino’s face at the thought of Shikamaru having children when he couldn’t, but it passed quickly. “Well, good luck with that. I’ve always thought she was a little more than any one man could handle, but if it’s you then I suppose it could work.”

“It’ll definitely be better than what you’ll go through. You picked the hardest nut to crack. You have your work cut out for you.” Shikamaru gave in to his laziness then and lay back on the nure’en with his hands clasped behind his head.

Shino was suddenly very interested in the answer to his next question.

“How so?”

“You’ve been on missions with him before. Didn’t you ever notice? He’s truly gifted. A genius.”

Shino just looked at him with open curiosity.

“You really don’t know do you. Even after a solo with him all those years ago when you had all that time to watch him you still haven’t figured it out.”

Shikamaru laughed.

“He’s a master of the heart Shino. He can look inside you and see who you really are. He can tell just by spending a short amount of time with someone exactly what it is that they need though he never seems to realize it. If he likes them he’ll stop at nothing to give it to them. He grew up more alone than I think anyone ever has. The whole village treated him like he was diseased and contagious. They looked on him with contempt for his entire childhood and well into his teens over something he had no control over. Yet, he still loves them, all of them. He would give his life for any man, woman or child in this village and not have a second thought about it, and that’s what you have to worry about. If you are with him you will have to get used to always sharing him. But it won’t be impossible. He seems the type to have true devotion for the one he’ll give his heart to. He has a heart capable of the kind of love people only dream about. I imagine that once he finds the love he’s looking for he’ll be the type of man romance novels are written after, sappy as it sounds.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear this but you have a lot of competition. There are quite a few people in this village alone that would sacrifice just about anything to have him, not to mention the people outside the village. He has a way with people that makes them incapable of turning him away, but he’s so inexperienced with love that he can’t see it. He’s so starved for affection that he’ll attach himself to anyone that looks twice at him. Look at him and Uchiha. That idiot treated him like shit the whole time they were together, but every once in a while he would do something special for Naruto, and Naruto was so starved for it that in his mind he turned something pathetic and shameful into something beautiful and fantastic, and was willing to give his life for it. He was willing to die for someone that cared for him yes, but was so incapable of showing it that he hurt everyone around him. Sasuke is messed up. He doesn’t know how to deal with the past and that makes him dangerous, but Naruto sees him as a prince that will someday return to his kingdom and be welcomed with open arms.

“The reality for you is that the living breathing competition right here in this village aren’t the people you have to worry about. It’s the people that are in his head that are the real threat. Sasuke will be a problem. As far as I can tell, he’s never given up the mission. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were still willing to give anything to get him back. Also, you will have to compete with every person that crosses his path. In a relationship with him you will have to be the kind of person that can share, and you’ve never struck me as the sharing type.

“Even though he is with Gaara right now it’s nothing to worry about. What he feels for Gaara can’t compete with his love for Konoha. He’ll be home soon and when he gets here there will be grief, but he’ll handle it. He’s stronger than anyone I’ve ever known.

“When he does get here, make sure you give him his space. Everyone else will crowd him. I know you’re good at spying. Just run into him whenever he’s at Ichiraku. Sit next to him. Listen to him and give him your full attention. Then, when he leaves, only follow if there’s an invitation. Soon he’ll pick up on what you’re feeling, even though he won’t realize it, and he’ll start seeking you out. Then one day after a few months pass and he starts to get really close to you… Kiss him.”

“What?” Shino uttered in a horrified voice.

“Kiss him. He’ll be ready if you wait for the right time.”

Shino huffed in irritation. Sometimes Shikamaru’s plans were impossible. “But how am I supposed to know when that is. What if I think it’s the right time and it’s not. I couldn’t bear it if he rejected me.”

Shikamaru sighed in his usual bored fashion, but there was no condescension in it. “Don’t force it. Let him come to you. If you wait it out he’ll let you know. Believe me. Naruto is anything but subtle.”

“One more thing… I’m curious about how Hinata is going to take this. From what I’ve seen she’s been mad for him since we were kids.”

Hinata was still a sore subject for him. No matter how much she said she was over him it still didn’t feel right crying on her shoulder about his heartbreak. She was always honest with him thought so he had to believe her when she told him she was over it. “She’s not upset about it. She knows that I wouldn’t have risked her friendship for a whim. The only part she was upset about was that I hid it from her. We’ve discussed it quite a bit, and she told me that when she found out he was gay she grieved and then moved on. I know it still hurts her, but she’s getting better. I think she’s starting to actually notice Kiba.” And that was true. Kiba had been trying to catch her eye for a long time, and Shino was happy that he might actually get his chance.

“Well it’s good that she might actually notice that he’s in love with her, but Naruto’s not gay.”

At that Shino’s head snapped around so hard when he looked at Shikamaru that he was afraid he’d broken something.

Shikamaru just went on as if he hadn’t noticed. “He’s not anything… and he’s everything at the same time. Naruto wants love and he doesn’t care where it comes from. If you really love him then show him. That’s what he needs. It won’t be any work at all after that.”

Shino’s mind was so full of thoughts then that he missed what was left of the conversation. Shikamaru fell silent shortly after that, most likely lost in his own thoughts, and so Shino didn’t say anything more than a quiet thank you and goodbye before he left.

He needed to find Hinata. It was important that he was honest with her. Especially now after she’d been an amazing and forgiving friend.

ooOOoo

He found her in at the training grounds nearest to the Hyuuga district. She was practicing again with Neji and holding her own. She’d never be as good as he was, but she was remarkable in her own right. They saw him as he withdrew from the shade of the trees, but continued with the training. It went on for another ten minutes before they came to a stopping point. It was always enjoyable for Shino to watch them use their bloodline limit so he hadn’t minded waiting. Neji excused himself quietly and left Hinata in Shino’s care. He had become overprotective recently because of her near death at the hands of Pain, but he trusted Shino implicitly with her safety and there was an unspoken agreement between them.

Hinata walked over to one of the larger shade trees and sat down giving Shino an expectant look. He was nervous and she could see it. He sat next to her, but they didn’t speak for some time. What he had to say could change everything so he wanted to make sure he worded it properly so that there were no misunderstandings between them.

“I just spoke to Shikamaru. He told me something about Naruto that I think you should know.”

Hinata was quiet. Shino would say what he needed to in his own time so she just waited.

“He told me that Naruto isn’t actually gay. He said that Naruto just needs to be loved. I thought you should know. I know that Sai told you he was with Gaara, and he is from what Shikamaru told me, but there could still be a chance for you.”

They both sat for a moment taking in each other’s body language and trying to gauge what to say to each other. Hinata was the first to break the silence.

“Shino, I appreciate your honesty. You are a very good friend, but it wasn’t his preference that made me stop perusing him. You remember how I told you that he knew how I felt. I told him. The reason I’ve lost hope is because he didn’t reciprocate. I poured my heart out to him that day when we fought Pain. He was very kind afterward, but he made it clear that there was no future. I’m so sorry you worried over this. I thought you understood.”

Hinata pulled Shino close and wrapped her arms around him. He accepted the affection with appreciation and pulled her closer. They were just about ready to pull apart when a pained/enraged howl tore through the air around them. Kiba leapt into the clearing in front of them and snarled at Shino. Angry tears streaked his face as he growled incomprehensible words through his teeth. The two of them pulled apart quickly and jumped to their feet.

Shino understood without being able to understand what Kiba was saying. Jealousy and betrayal lit a fire in Kiba’s eyes that was irrational and if he didn’t get control of the situation quickly he would have to fight one of his best friends.

“Kiba calm down. There’s nothing going on between Hinata and me. We were discussing something and she was comforting me, that’s all. You have no reason to believe otherwise.”

Kiba snarled again, but when he spoke this time there were actual words this time. “You had your hands on her. I saw you. How long has this been going on behind my back?”

Hinata stepped forward a bit and reached a hand out to touch Kiba’s cheek. She had always had a calming effect on the young man and she was hoping it would work, and it did. He instantly relaxed and nuzzled her hand to inhale her scent.

“Why are you so angry Kiba? Shino was upset and I was comforting him. I would do the same for you if you needed it. Tell me why this upset you so much.”

Kiba ducked his head away from her hand, and started to back away toward Akamaru who was standing just behind him. Shino realized that even after all of that Hinata didn’t understand and Kiba wasn’t going to tell her. He couldn’t let this chance pass him by. They were so good for each other. They just needed a push in the right direction. He was just weary of getting in the middle. He was never good at these types of situations, but he would do it, for their sake.

“Hinata, Kiba is in love with you. He has been for many years. This was his reaction to seeing us together. He thought he had lost his chance. He has been waiting for you to notice, but I think that with how circumstances are that’s not going to happen.”

Kiba was shocked into silence. He wouldn’t look at Hinata, and had started to move away again this time with Akamaru. Shino knew that if this didn’t work out he was going have a very angry Kiba on his hands later, but Hinata was suddenly moving toward Kiba, and Shino knew that it would be alright.

“Is that true Kiba?” Hinata asked as she finally caught up with him. He still wasn’t looking at her, but he had stopped moving away. “Tell me Kiba, please.” She lifted her hand to his face again, and he nuzzled it again. His hand came up to hold hers in place as he told her the truth of what had been in his heart for so long.

Shino was smart enough to know when to leave, but before he was too far from them to see, he looked back to see the sheer joy light up both their faces before they shared a gentle kiss. It was a beautiful moment, and he would cherish it. He only hoped he was lucky enough to be in that position with Naruto someday.


All the information for this fiction was either taken from actual episodes, manga, or one of several Naruto information sites. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments on any of the info I use, I'm trying to stay in line with the actual story as much as I can. Thanks.