Dance with Night Wind








Every time, just like the last... I'm her ship, tied to the mast. To distant lands, takes both of my hands... Never a frown with golden brown....



Hinata woke up to a soft, lonely singing, but wasn't alarmed. Shino would often do this at times, during long missions like these. Usually when the moon was out, and there was a breeze, to carry his voice off someplace where potential threats could not ascertain where it was coming from. Kiba was sitting on a branch nearby; whether he was awake or not, Hinata could not tell. His ANBU mask guarded his face well, no signs of the skin underneath. His wild hair, however, was shown with full effect, wafting gently with the night breeze. The moon outlining the edges of his hair, and every now and then, a moonbeam would hit his mask, giving him an eeriely respectful aura.


She shifted and and pulled the jacket that Shino gave her to sleep on when it was her turn to rest.


It was nights like these that put her in peace. Shino would sit and sing, and Kiba would watch over them, with Akamaru scouting the area constantly. Hinata never knew Shino had such a good voice until quite recently. usually she would hear him sing and assume it was in her dreams, which spoke volumes of how good he was. He said nothing of it, and Kiba, oddly, never called him on it. Hinata believed that Kiba enjoyed his singing as much as she did. It made her feel like she was young again, when she was able to play outside and not worry about training with her father, and forgetting how much of a failure that turned out to be.


A new strong breeze picked up, and the tall grass bent over backwards, complying with the will of the wind, and for a split second, before the breeze stopped, the face of Shino's slightly tilted to look at her. Hinata's eyes met Shino's eyeglasses.


And Shino smiled slightly. A small smirk, more than anything. And already, it appeared that years of stoic reserve crumbled on his exterior, and Shino genuinely looked like he was enjoying himself. Neither Hinata, nor Kiba, for that matter, knew why Shino enjoyed these nights. Hinata returned his smile meekly, and Shino turned his head around.


No one... No one knows my troubles but me... And no one... No one can help that... But... It helps knowing... There are others like me... Fueled with the urge... To roam free...


Hinata smiled wider, and stretched lazily, feeling the soft cotton underside of Shino's coat reminded her of home, of a nice warm bed, where she can think for hours on end without fear of reprimand.


The moon glowed brighter, it seemed to Hinata, and she felt strangely comfortable on the hard rocks. She looked one more time at Shino, whose back remained turned to her.


You and I... are together... Roaming the sky... Away, you wretched world of tethers... I wish to fly...