“Oi, oi, don’t be bothered by stuff like that.” He gave a wide grin. “Uncle buggy.”
“I am not bothered. Shut up, Idiotmaru.”
“It’s Kibamaru! No, it’s not Kibamaru either!”
That was the topic of their conversation as they flew over trees. The smell of earth and greenery was strong, and bugs were moving everywhere. It was a nice day with clear weather. It was surprising and incredible, far better than he’d expected going on the strong winds from last night. Beautiful butterflies were dancing around in the peace of the morning.
After a while of silence, Shino opened his mouth again.
“I’m not old enough to be called an uncle yet, but if I am called one, then you should be called one too, Kiba, because we’re classmates of the same age…”
“You really are bothered by it!”
“Yes, it bothers me. Kiba…do I really look that old?”
Kiba grinned at Shino openly speaking about his feelings.
“Well, well, look at that. Compared to when we were kids, you’ve gotten a lot more honest.”
Kiba’s all-knowing grin grated on Shino’s nerves.
Shino deliberately looked the other way when he said, “I’m asking you because we’ve known each other for a long time. So, do I really look that ol–”
“You’re really serious about this! Asking twice! Alright, I get it already. You’re fine! You look just right for your age!” Kiba ran a hand through his hair, his voice strengthening. “You’re taller than me, and you’re always quiet and wear those sunglasses all the time, so of course you look mature! Come to think of it, for a tiny kid like that, we all look old!”
“Really? So, I’m really okay…?”