Summoner Nin

Page 26: Another Friend

Summoner-nin

Part Three: Team Kage

Chapter Nine

Shikamaru did not voice his suspicions the next day… or the next… or a week later, a month – several months. Instead, he slowly incorporated himself into her group – a small "Hey, Hinata" in the mornings – every now and then sitting with her and Shino on their bench at recess – once in a while cloud gazing together when the tulips and crocuses began to bloom behind their bench – occasionally joining them at her desk for lunch, bringing Chouji along with him (they had had to push another desk to hers in order to accommodate their growing numbers, but no one complained).

At first, Kiba had eyed them with mistrust, protective of his Pack. He hadn't understood the sudden encroachment on his territory or why the Nara continued to do so, and had been rather rude to both the Nara and Akimichi. It wasn't until Shino, who had decided to intervene, reminded Kiba that Shikamaru had known Hinata longer than they had did he decide to heel, reluctantly and with a sour expression. But he had stopped… sort of.

In a way, Kiba's doubt had not unfounded. Shikamaru, Hinata could hypothesize on her own, had only decided to entreat upon their group because she was somehow involved with his father. He had not said his theory aloud and she did not encourage him to do so, but they both had understood that the silence between them was a confirmation of his suspicions. It hadn't take them long to notice how much they enjoyed each other's company and, after all these months she had been absent, the warm silence from their years of knowing each other was something they were familiar with and found comfort in.

Their silence bound them together.

"We have one more week before summer holidays." Kiba smirked, pushing back on his chair until he was balancing on two legs. "What'cha wanna do for summer, guys?"

Choji munched on the last of his lunch and Shikamaru craned his head back to look at the clouds from the classroom windows. Shino followed this silence by wrapping his empty bento up and putting it away.

Usually Shikamaru and Choji had lunch with them once or twice a week, preferring their own quiet duo most of the time, but that day Hinata had brought her homemade oatmeal cookies and Choji, of course, could never resist homemade oatmeal cookies. Kiba, similarly, took advantage of their larger group to plan for summer. What he intended for them to do at eight-years-old was beyond them.

Kiba straightened and let his chair back down to the ground. "Seriously, guys? Nothing?" And here he looked to Hinata expectantly.

She only smiled and shrugged. She had several plans, most of them involving her garden, and she wasn't sure her friends would be interested in helping (much less allowed in the Hyuga Compound).

"We usually go to the beach during the summer," Choji voiced through the cookie he was chewing. "Shikamaru's family, Ino's, and mine."

Kiba blinked and even Hinata was surprised.

"Really?" Kiba asked. "The beach?"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled

But it was Choji who answered the Inuzuka, "Yeah. It's a tradition of sorts with the Ino-Shika-Cho team."

"Tradition?" Hinata quipped. She knew all about traditions.

"Our fathers are friends," Choji continued with a smile. "Going to the beach is what we do every summer."