Author's Note: Something I whipped up for Valentine's Day. No, it's not an AU. I've never written with Team 8 before so criticism is—as always— welcome ^-^

According to my beta, I made Naruto a tad too mature…and I agree.

Disclaimer: I wouldn't be writing this if I owned it now would I?

~Eight Trigrams~

"Fang Over Fang!"

"Kya!" Hinata leaped out of the way of Kiba's attack, just barely avoiding a scratch. The two Kibas crashed unceremoniously into the ground.

Hinata's head whipped around to the sound of buzzing as her byakugan zeroed in on hundreds of insects zooming towards her. She did a few back flips but the bugs persisted. Hinata assumed a defense position; feet close and hands beginning to rotate in circles.

"Eight Trigrams, Protective Sixty-Four Palms!"

The squalors of insects dispersed in all directions, almost all escaping the chuunin's chakra strikes. Hinata's pupils lurched around in their sockets, searching for her target. Eyes alight; she hurtled out of the way of more insects and towards the hooded figure known as Aburame Shino.

She halted a few meters away from him; crouching in a Hyuuga stance.

"Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms!"

She charged, eyes narrowing intensely. Now!

"Two Palms!" She hit two tenketsu in his chest. "Four Palms!"

"Eight Palms!" She attacked his right arm but missed three tenketsu. Shoot!

"Sixteen Pa—"

Hinata was interrupted by another attack by the dog duo. She was knocked back, now getting farther and farther away from Shino. She quickly dug a kunai into the ground, effectively slowing her down as she continued to skid back.

Hinata's attention shot to her right as a chakra system appeared in a couple of bushes. She threw a few kunai at it and the figure jumped into the open. She ran towards it, arms at the ready.

"Sixteen Palms!" Hinata continued her attack on the bug-user. With all her might, she struck him all over, careful not to over do it.

"Thirty-Two Palms!" She missed over half of the strikes as Shino dodged persistently. She took a deep breath.

"Sixty-Four Palms!" At the sixty-first strike Shino's figure disappeared, only to be replaced by a swarm of insects.

Hinata gasped as she fell to her knees. A-An insect clone?! Her palms hit the ground as she caught her breath, her mind taking in everything that had happened. In the back of her mind she heard her teammates halt, catching their breath as well.

"I believe that that is enough for today." Hinata looked over her shoulder to the source of the voice; Shino. His head was tilted skywards and Hinata looked in the same direction. Shino was right; the sun was setting and the moon began to make it's appearance.

"That was awesome Hinata! A little more practice and you'll have mastered it. Right, Akamaru?" Said dog omitted a loud bark.

"Thank you for helping me again." Hinata said, smiling as she stood up.

Shino nodded. "We'll be here as always to lend a hand. That is the duty of teammates as well as friends."

Kiba let out a yawn, stretching his arms above his head. "Shino, why don't you say it in normal people language like, "No problem" or "It was nothing?" He scowled when Shino replied with silence. "Whatever, let's go then."

Shino and Kiba started away from the training grounds.

"Um—"

They turned. "Hinata?"

"I, um, want to stay a bit longer."

Shino nodded in understanding; it wasn't unusual for Hinata to stay after training.

Kiba sighed. "Whatever you say Hinata, but please don't stay out too late. Last time you did that your cousin came up to my door. The last thing I want at two in the morning is an irritated Hyuuga asking where you are."

Hinata cheeks were flushed slightly. "I-I'm sorry Kiba-kun. I'll pay attention to the time. I hope I haven't gotten you in any tro—"

"Yeah, yeah." Kiba dismissed her with a wave of the hand. "I know this is all for your precious Naruto so I'll forgive it."

"Kiba-kun!"

Kiba laughed. "See ya Hinata!"

Hinata stood panting in front of a dummy; hands still up in a ready position. I have to master this. I was helpless against that Guren woman. She began to attack but stopped when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she whispered.

Indeed, there he was at the base of a tree many meters away. His head were directed towards the stars but his eyes were a million miles away. The moonlight made his skin glow and his hair blew slowly with the soft wind. He had a forearm resting on a bent knee and a hand lying next to an outstretched leg. His hiate was off and his orange jacket was unzipped, faintly showing his lean form.

Hinata blushed. It was a sight drool worthy for even someone like Ino. He must be thinking of Sasuke. Hinata frowned a little at this. She watched as he continued to sit there uncharacteristically unmoving.

It was a few minutes before she realized that she had been staring at him for well over ten minutes. She turned shyly back towards the dummy. Should I practice somewhere else? Hinata mulled over the thought for a moment. No, Naruto-kun is too deep in his thoughts. He wouldn't notice.

"Eight Trigrams," she whispered. "Sixty-Four Palms." She ran at the dummy.

She was about to make her first strike when—"Hinata?"—a voice started her.

"Eeek!" Hinata tripped over her foot, landing awkwardly on the ground. She quickly scrambled to her feet and zipped behind the dummy, shyly peeking out from behind it.

"Naruto-kun."

He rose from his spot and start toward her.

Hinata gulped.

"What are you doing here Hinata?" His voice was soft.

"I, um, well…this is my team's training grounds," she replied.

"Oh, really?" Naruto laughed awkwardly, scratched the back of his head.

He now stood only a few meters away from her and she tried to breathe steadily. Keep your cool Hinata. Now say something.

Hinata pressed her index fingers together. "What brings you here?"

Naruto paused for a moment. "I was thinking about a lot of stuff. The view of the stars is pretty nice here."

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence.

"So what were you working on?"

Hinata's head jumped from the ground to Naruto's face. Is Naruto-kun take an interest in m-me? "I, um, well that is to say that I um, w-was practicing some clan jutsu."

"Anything in particular?" Naruto asked.

Hinata studied his face for a moment. He was looking at her, but his eyes were like they were before; distant. Hinata felt a pang in her heart. So he isn't really interested.

"The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms," she said timidly.

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four what?" He thought for a while, then something clicked; an image of the Hyuuga prodigy giving him chakra filled strikes. Naruto clutched his stomach, a pained expression flashed on his face. "Oh, that jutsu."

Hinata let out a small gasp. Oh no! Did I do something wrong? Have I upset him? She dug her foot in the ground, fidgeting her fingers.

Naruto grinned. "Hey Hinata, I know how that jutsu works. Do you want me to show you?"

She looked up at him and her eyes widened in slight shock. His eyes were with her now as he smiled. Hinata hesitated, biting her lip. How can Naruto-kun know how to do a Hyuuga clan jutsu? Something else unsettled her.

Naruto's expression resembled one of their academy days. It was that mischievous smile that he always had a few minutes before he set up a prank…one of the deadlier pranks. But this is Naruto-kun. He wouldn't do anything harmful.

"Um, okay."

Naruto nodded. "Just stand there and watch me." He crouched down into a sloppy version of the appropriate stance.

"Eight Trigrams!" he shouted. He ran towards her, hands up.

Hinata took a protective step back. Naruto-kun?!

Hinata had no time to react when Naruto grabbed her; holding her in a sort of dip, one hand at her lower back and the other at the base of her neck.

A blush traveled up Hinata's face faster than the speed of light. She wanted to die as she felt his hot breath tickle her face.

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"Sixty-Four kisses."