Many people assume that Team 8 became friends the first time they met and for the most part, they are right. The first meeting between Team 8 formed the foundation for their friendship, but they didn't cross the boundary from simple teammates to friends until much later. Her first solid friendship didn't happen with Kiba like many think, it actually happened with Shino, the stoic insect manipulator.
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It was only their third meeting and Hinata was running late. Her feet pounded the ground, kicking up clouds of dust in her wake; she was going to make it on time, failure was not an option. Her breath was ragged and made her chest heave dramatically with every pounding step she took. The sweat beading on her forehead a testament to the heat and pressure she was forcing upon herself. She shouldn't have gotten so distracted. She was getting ready to push herself again, when Kurenai stepped in front of her.
"Hinata-chan, I'm so glad that I saw you. Hokage-sama has sent me on a very important mission and thus, training for today is canceled." Hinata's breath of relief was hard to miss and it made Kurenai smile. "However, I do expect to see you all at the training grounds tomorrow. On time." Hinata blushed a deep red and looked down at the ground. Her breathing was still coming in deep pants and she contemplated sitting down at the nearest cafe to catch her breath, but one thought plagued her mind as Kurenai left.
What if Kurenai-sensei forgot to tell Shino-san and Kiba-san? She didn't want her teammates to spend their whole day waiting for Kurenai so she began her trek to the training ground. Her pace had slowed down considerably; she was no longer a blur of dust. Instead, she was a speeding mass of limbs to be avoided; she really didn't want to waste her teammate's time. Her worrying, however, seemed to be for naught, because when she arrived the grounds were empty.
She slumped forward, her hands on her knees as she tried to ease the burning in her lungs. Her breathing was erratic and if she didn't want to pass out, she had to gain control. After a considerable amount of time, she stretched her arms above her head in an attempt to make her breathing more efficient. She was obviously out of shape if a short run had taken so much out of her.
Maybe I should go home and train. Then again, training by myself here is just as effective. She debated the idea for a few more minutes before she came to her decision. The idea of going home and being lectured once again was rather unappealing so she decided to wander around the training area and familiarize herself with it. She would train once she was more familiar with the area.
As she wandered about the forest she came noticed the vast differences in terrain. There were streams, plains, rocky terrains, and the dense forest; each had its own beauty, but not more than what she found in a more secluded area of the forest. There she saw a sight that amazed her with its beauty. Off in the denser area of the forest was a swarm of butterflies. The few rays of light that had been able to break through the thick canopy glinted off the butterfly wings creating a kaleidoscope of colors. Their flying seemed to be more of a sway and they seemed to be dancing to an unheard song.
The dance, Hinata was certain, was stronger than any genjutsu Kurenai could ever perform, it was more enthralling than any song that could be heard vibrating off the compound walls, and soon enough she found herself walking towards the butterflies. Her feet avoided any shrubbery or exposed roots and gracefully led her to the beautiful winged dancers. The trance she was in dissipated, however, when they began to fly farther away in a flurry of delicate wings. She pouted in a childish display of disappointment and dropped to a log to watch from far away. The light that had shone from her eyes had not faded and she wanted to experience this little miracle for a while longer, even if she could not be closer.
As she watched the butterflies dance with unparallel grace, she caught sight of another butterfly that was currently making its way towards her. This little butterfly wasn't as graceful as the others were and it seemed to be straining itself as it flew over to her. Her flying was erratic and she seemed to be loosing altitude with every frantic beat of her wings. Hinata in an act of kindness extended her hand to let the butterfly land on it. She only wanted to offer the butterfly some relief, but as soon as the butterfly landed, it toppled over dead. Hinata let out a small gasp and brought her palm closer to her body, her eyes now shone with unshed tears.
As she cradled the dead butterfly in her palm, she felt a surge of chakra behind her. She had been so worried about the poor dead butterfly that she had completely ignored her surroundings. She turned around slowly, expecting to see her father or Neji ready to reprimand her, but she did not expect to see Shino. She couldn't be sure if he was staring at her directly or at the accusatory corpse, but she had that uncomfortable feeling she usually got when some one stared at her. She brought the hand closer to her chest and Shino's head twitched just the slightest bit.
"I, I d-didn't, I didn't hurt h-her." Hinata said as the realization of what he may think hit her. She didn't want him to think she was some monster who went around hurting defenseless insects, especially since the Aburame clan was known for being hosts to Destruction Bugs. If her teammate hated her then the group dynamic would be off and it would be all her fault.
"I didn't accuse you of anything." Shino answered as he walked towards her. She turned red and felt like smacking herself on the forehead. She had just accused him of something and he hadn't done anything to her. He must think I'm such an idiot. I really am a burden to everyone.
"I'm, I'm sorry. I, I d-didn't. I didn't mean to, to acc-accuse you of, of anything." Hinata was mortified and he kept glancing at her hands, or at least she thought he was.
"The butterfly was weak since it left the cocoon, they don't usually last long." She looked down at her hands and felt her eyes water further. The tears would soon begin to cascade down her cheeks. She probably was a lot like the butterfly.
Will I die without proving myself to my family? Am I like this beautiful butterfly, weak from birth? I don't want to be, I want to be strong. I want to prove to my family that I can be everything they want me to be and still be me.
"Oh." Was her only audible comment as she continued to cradle the dead butterfly in her hands. Her voice trembled with suppressed tears and Shino shifted in discomfort. He hadn't meant to make her cry he was just telling her the facts so she wouldn't feel guilty about killing it.
"Are you aware that Kurenai canceled practice today?" Shino decided that a change of topic would be best suited in this situation. He really didn't feel comfortable with crying females, the only experience he had was with small children and they didn't really cry unless hurt. She looked up startled by the abrupt change in conversation.
"H-Hai. Sh-she told me…at uhm a-at the m-mar-market." Shino nodded and turned to leave, he didn't really know what else to say to her. "Uhm, d-does Kiba-san kn-know also?"
"I am not certain." Hinata nodded her understanding and began to walk towards him, the butterfly still in her hands. "What are you planning on doing with the butterfly?" Shino asked curiosity getting the better of him.
"I'm g-g-going t-to b-bury her." Shino looked at her in surprise, but she didn't seem to notice.
"You should bury her here." Hinata nodded and gave him a small smile in appreciation. She dropped to the ground, gently laid the corpse of the butterfly on a random rock, and began to dig a small hole. It wasn't until she was done that she realized Shino hadn't left.
She turned towards him and gave him a puzzled look. He ignored her obvious discomfort and kneeled on the ground beside her. Her face became inflamed with the potency of her blush and she turned her attention to the awaiting corpse. Before she could even bring her hands near the butterfly corpse Shino had gently laid it in the hole. He had turned toward her and given her, what she assumed was an impatient look. Hinata didn't really know what to do so she began to sprinkle some dirt inside the gap.
"Thank you." Hinata really wasn't sure why she said it, but it had seemed like a good idea. Shino just nodded and continued to fill the hole with dirt. After the burial was over, they stood up and just stared at the uneven ground. "Do-do y-you th-think s-she will b-be re-born?" Shino didn't answer her and she regretted speaking, she had ruined a nice moment between them. Albeit it was a morbid moment, but it had been nice nonetheless.
"I do not know." Shino was reluctant to admit it, but he wasn't certain what answer would make Hinata cry. He really wasn't sure what she expected from him. Hinata looked at him for the longest time, or at least it felt like it to him, before speaking again.
"I th-think she w-wi-will be, ma-may-maybe st-strong-stronger." Hinata's eyes clouded over and Shino knew that she wasn't really referring to the butterfly. This was the clue to finding out the correct answer.
"Yes, she will." Shino noticed the faint smile that graced Hinata's features for a moment, before adverting is gaze. "Come, we should find Inuzuka." Hinata nodded and followed him out of the forest.
While the beginning of their friendship was strange and sad, it led them to the strong friendship of today. Because Shino could see that Hinata and the butterfly were not alike, he saw the strength and uniqueness dormant within her. Because of the tragic death of a butterfly, Hinata found her most loyal friend. In turn because of Hinata's natural compassion and warmth, Shino found a friend who understood and accepted him without regards. Because of a butterfly, they found each other.