Tsunade had just returned to Konoha after her lengthy MIA.

Buzzing with excitement, the villagers were eager to catch a glimpse of the legendary Sannin, while the other shinobi, not privy to the council decisions, were already speculating the reasons about her return.

Meanwhile...

Shino, or rather his insect clone that was thrown out as a smokescreen to draw attention, was serenely wandering around in one of the training ground's forest, examining and recording wild bugs.

Nearby, Kiba and his faithful companion, Akamaru, embarked on their peculiar form of dog-walking - a superhuman display of synchronized movements through the air, where Akamaru gracefully marked the surrounding trees, leaving splats of mysterious traces in his wake.

On the other hand, the reserved Hinata approached Shino for some advice, to which he effortlessly and fluently responded, "... if you want him to notice you, you must first change your mentality and believe you are worthy of him. Next, you must get him to think with his lower body..."

Questionable advice aside, this... was one of their team's unique bonding moments.

Hidden beneath his stoic facade, Shino harbored a subtle disdain for the masquerade he maintained.

Yet, while he deemed it superfluous, he recognized the allure in this mundane charade and the role it played in crafting his perfect mask – one representing loyalty and friendship, concealing the deeper darkness hidden below.

And the cost for orchestrating this performance was not much: just a single clone – a marionette controlled by Karina's automated clone system, which currently has a maximal load of four clones.

With Karina's full-time management, no one discovered the clone's peculiarity, just like how no one paid heed to the bug's secret acquisition of information throughout Konoha.

Although Shino wasn't able to infiltrate the important departments of Konoha, he knew that big data could play a crucial role in the discovery of many secrets.

Thus, his vast network of bug monitors was now scattered across the village, aggregating data from the daily lives of the civilians almost full-time.

Suddenly, Shino's main body received an alert. His bugs had detected his father, Shibi Aburame, approaching the location of his clone.

The clone that was busy giving Hinata life advice seemed to shudder lightly, before his dull eyes transformed into one that glowed with intellect.

Throwing a glance at Hinata who had a face flushed red, Shino was momentarily perplexed, but he set aside his confusion, turning to face his arriving father.

"Shino..." Shibi threw a glance at Hinata, "I hope I'm not intruding?"

"It's fine." Shino maintained his usual impassive expression, "Father is looking for me because..."

Seeing his son like this, Shibi shook his head subtly, but still announced in a voice barely above a whisper. "The Konoha advisors have summoned you to the Hokage building. They have urgent news."

Shino nodded with a composed expression. "I'll go immediately. Do you know what it's about?"

"I'm afraid I don't." Shibi's expression was seemingly tinged with a hint of uncertainty, but his eyes, concealed behind the lenses of his glasses, held a glimmer of intrigue, as if already harboring answers to the mystery. "But I sense that it may a be surprise. Of course, don't get your hopes up."

Shino's brows arched in a calculated manner. When he synchronized the timing of events, a web of speculations began to weave in his mind, soon unraveling the mystery. Well, it seems the time had finally come.

"Well, you'll know when we get there." Shibi adjusted his glasses, keeping an air of mystery.

Shino turned towards his reserved companion, "Hinata."

"I-I understand, Shino-kun. I'll tell Kiba-kun," Hinata bowed respectfully, "Please take care of Shino-kun, Uncle Aburame."

With a nod that held a hidden depth, Shibi's lips curved ever so slightly as he beckoned Shino to follow.

...

When they approached the Hokage building, the pieces of the puzzle aligned themselves perfectly when Shino came face to face with none other than the astute Shikamaru Nara and his father, Shikaku Nara.

Shikamaru's lazy demeanor was evident, slumping his shoulders with uninterested eyes gazing into the unknown. Though his expression appeared lackluster, it concealed a mind buzzing with unknown calculations and secret analyses.

On the other hand, his father's face had a subtle glimmer of mischief, and his relaxed posture painted a portrait of his casual personality.

But behind this facade of tranquility, an aura of inherent seriousness emanated from his eyes, a display of his paragon of experience. It was a countenance that belied the depths of his true character.

Like father, like son, both weren't simple.

"Shibi, what brings you here?" Shikaku asked, his tone betraying his surprise.

"The advisors called for me," Shibi replied before his eyes fixed on Shino, "To be more precise..."

"Same here, oh... I wonder what's going on..." Shikaku drew out his tone, while sweeping his eyes over Shikamaru and Shino with a mysterious glint.

Sharpened by his astute perception, Shikamaru cast his discerning eyes upon the adults, his lids narrowed to mere slits. "Ah. What a drag, don't you think so too, Shino?"

Shino adjusted his glasses, causing them to glint as he considered: To answer or remain silent?

In the depths of his mind, a delicate balancing act unfolded, weighing the consequences...

Kiba's influence, like an indelible mark, had left its imprint on Shino's psyche, instilling a newfound habit of careful consideration before offering a single word.

This time, his choice was-

"Well, let's not keep them waiting. Haha. Let's go, let's go Shikamaru."

The adults ushered them forward before Shino could come to a decision. Well, at least he wasn't interrupted...

Thus, the party of four made their way up the stairs of the Hokage building, two pairs silent, two pairs relaxed. Just when they rounded a corner, they bumped into someone they didn't expect to see.

All eyes turn towards her, drawn like moths to a flame, Shino was no exception.