Chapter Text
With another puff of smoke, Shino rematerialized into the quiet apartment, a soft sigh of relief falling from his lips as he took note of the quietly snoring kunoichi. The last few days had taken a bit of a toll on his emotional restraint, and he could admit if only to himself that he was way in deep over his head. Even now as he watched her shift in her sleep, curling tightly to the pillow beneath her and frowning slightly, he couldn’t help the way his heart sank at her despair.
Grabbing a blanket from the back of the couch, he bent down and covered her sleeping form, watching sadly as tears fell past her cheeks once more.
How can she keep crying like this? You’d think she’d run out by now.. He frowned, reaching down to brush the hair from her face despite her muffled whimper. Hard lines softened, her body subconsciously leaning into his touch and he contented himself to brush a calloused thumb across her brow and watch as she settled slightly in the minimal comfort.
I don’t know what else to do. I promised to stand by her and pull her from the depths of her mind, but how does one even go about doing such a thing? He sighed, kneeling onto the carpet beside her and leaning onto the couch’s arm. His head hurt terribly, the emotional instability of the last few days having taken its toll on him in a way even the hardest A-ranked mission never could. Silver eyes closed, inhaling deeply as he tried to quiet the buzzing in his mind while silently commanding the infamous kikaichu to stand guard once more.
Look out for her, Haru. I’m afraid I need a few moments to compose myself. He apologized, registering its knowing buzz and allowing himself to lie heavily against the leather, relishing the cool material on his cheek. Assured that his kikai would alert him should something happen, he reached up to snatch the glasses off his face, rubbing at the pressure behind his eyes.
He felt her stir, another sigh on her lips before she sprawled out, flipping herself onto her back and dragging the pillow to her chest, snoring softly in the relative quiet. He paused, studying her closely in the dim light. Her face was smooth, even, only the barest hint of lines around her eyes to show for her years. Those same eyes were red, cheeks and nose matching all the same, earlier evidence of her tears. His gaze traveled down, taking in the slightly bowed lips, parted ever so slightly as she mumbled something incoherent. He frowned, watching her shift again to bring her arms closer to her chest. The same arms that could tear a man limb from limb with little effort were deceptively slim, defined in soft muscles and currently holding that pillow like it was her only lifeline left.
He exhaled slowly, letting his eyes drift shut before his gaze could travel down further. He had far too much respect for the kunoichi and despite her less than composed manner, he knew she would feel incredibly outraged to know he had been checking her out. It wasn’t purposeful, but he’d always been fascinated by her, at first for her unique appearance and then later by her fiery spirit. She’d always been quite the mystery, especially to him. Though he never outwardly expressed his interest in other people’s lives, he’d remained up to date on the latest news thanks to an annoyingly loud Inuzuka and the routine gossip that spread amongst the Hyuuga clan.
He smiled at that. The Hyuuga were a highly respected and revered clan, one of the oldest in Konoha’s founding and with that were treated especially well. Some even likened them with royalty, and with Hiashi’s leadership he’d made damn sure they were treated as such. The elder Hyuuga had always been a stickler for rules and etiquette, something he’d come to learn after the many years of friendship with Hinata. Whenever their team frequented the Hyuuga compound, he’d been regaled with tale after tale of the clan’s founding, their influence in the village and the respect they felt they rightly deserved. None were the wiser of their penchant for gossip except those like him who were privy to the inner works of the prestigious clan.
In any case, he was thankful that the news had reached him when it did. He’d been impartial to the death of the last Uchiha, unlike some he knew. Some of the village had come to accept him and move past his once traitorous ways, but a few still held animosity for the now dead man and how easily he seemed to have abandoned their village for revenge. Many people were divided and most had ended up chalking it to a closed matter since there was nothing more to be done. Those who had any ill feelings for the man had kept their opinions to themselves, everyone all too aware of how devastated Team 7 had been upon hearing it.
What most were unaware of was his involvement in this whole debacle. He’d always been a logical person, not easily swayed by emotions or impulsive by nature. It only made sense that they’d asked for his help. At first it was whispered gossip of the Haruno’s sudden reclusive nature, then it became the talk of the village. All of Konoha 11 had attempted to help their grieving friend, but none had succeeded. It was only when he’d visited the Yamanaka flower shop to pick up some last minute flowers for the hyuuga princess at Naruto’s insistence, i.e. begging, that Ino had ranted and raved to him about Sakura’s latest relapse. Ino had been angry and spiteful in her words, but her features were pinched and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Truly, he understood where she had been coming from and when Tsunade had approached him with the unofficial mission, he’d been reluctant to refuse.
He too was worried, overwhelmingly concerned with the change he’d seen in the once thriving and confident young woman. At first he was content to let her grieve and mourn in a way that she saw fit, but as time wore on it became abundantly clear that she was spiraling. So without any hesitation on his part, he’d accepted the mission and followed her like a shadow for weeks before his initial approach. He’d seen more than enough to know that she was a shell of her former self and it only boosted his resolve to save the bright and exuberant woman she once was from her own self-imposed prison of isolation and mourning.
His thoughts drifted farther away until he eventually fell into a restless sleep, assuring himself that he’d try again in the morning. He would be there, would help her no matter what it took.