Yeah, this is mainly a Shino/Hinata thing. 'Cause they be cool. There'll be some Neji/Ten as well as a few others. :)

Disclaimer: I own Naruto. That's why I'm putting it on Fanfiction. Common sense, people, common sense.

Hinata sat on the rock, her eyes closed as she reviewed the past hour in her head.

-Flashback-

"Hinata! If you do not learn that technique in one week, and one week only, then you shall regret it. Now, out!" Hiashi's voice bore through her mind, as he pointed at the door. Hinata had stood up, bowing, and then turned and walked out as fast as she could.

Her feet walked by themselves, treading a well worn path to a field nearby. Somewhere where she could cry in peace.

-End of flashback-

Now she was seated on a lonely rock. There was a single rock, quite flat, and was easy to sit on. It was beautiful. And nobody else went to it. It was hers.

All of it hers.

She closed her eyes, and felt the tears welling up. They rolled down her cheek slowly. She had to make him proud. He was her father. She was a Hyuuga. She was supposed to be the best. She was practically royalty within Konoha. She had to act like it, not weak.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

He watched her. Sitting on the rock in the middle of the quiet field, a place that could only be described as 'picturesque'. Long grass, flowers everywhere. The kind of place that lovers went to for their picnics. Not that there were any lovers in this field, he thought with a feeling he couldn't quite determine yet. She was hunched up on the rock, arms around her soldiers, and crying silently. Probably her family again…he thought. One day, he would do something to them.

A moth fluttered past her and then around her. She watched it, tears still streaming, and lifted her finger to it. It landed on her finger, fluttered it's wings twice, but stayed. Hinata lifted it closer to her, and smiled at it, through her tears. It was a silvery one, and Shino's favourite.

"Hello. Are you one of Shino's?" she whispered to it.

On an impulse, he went to stand behind her. "Yes," he said, softly, so as not to frighten her.

She jumped around, and looked up into his glasses. She is…very pretty. He half-froze, wondering where that thought had come from. Surely, it couldn't be his. She quickly wiped her tears away, and smiled at him. "S-Shino-kun."

He didn't say anything for a while, then sat next to her. "Hinata? Why are you crying?" he asked. His voice was as flat as ever, and he kept a reasonable distance away from her.

That is Shino, she thought with a wry smile. The only one to keep a far distance away from girls. Even his friends. She wished that just once, he would be more…open. Friendly."I-I'm n-not crying."

"You are," he stated again, eyebrows raising. There was something…in his stomach. Something that was making it twist and churn. Nervousness? No. It was something else. Something…he couldn't quite determine it, but it was there. "Hinata? You can tell me."

She shook her head, looking down at the ground. "N-no. T-thank you, Sh-hino," she hiccupped. He leant closer to her, and patted her back gently.

"Hinata," he said, half-warning, half caring. "Tell me." She turned her eyes to him, shivering slightly. "Please," he added, in a half-whisper.

"I-it's just f-father. You sh-shouldn't trouble yourself with it. I-it would only be a b-burden," she said softly, not looking at him, but more at the hand on her shoulder.

He wanted to do something. Hug her. Tell her something. Anything. So long as she wasn't upset in this way, he would do anything and just about everything for her. "You're not a burden. You are a…friend. And you know that."

"Hey! Shino! Hinata! What are you guys doing here?" a loud voice was heard. They spun around, Shino's hand quickly returning to his original position. They looked on at the knuckleheaded blonde, and the dog nin, who was currently grinning at them with a twinkle in his eyes.

"H-hi, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata stuttered straight away, turning red.

Shino resisted an urge to roll his eyes. Naruto. For her, it would always be about Naruto, and nobody else. That was one fact that he would have to live with, no matter how much he may hate that. He allowed himself to scowl, knowing full well that nobody would be able to tell. Naruto was too…dumb. Hinata was infatuated with the presence of the blonde. Kiba might realise, but he didn't hold out much hope. He glanced at him, and was met with Kiba's usual grin and a wink. He looked away. That couldn't be good.

"Anyway, I was here 'cause I promised to help Shikamaru, him being the lazy twit that he was, couldn't be bothered to do this. Anyway, Shika's dad, along with Ino, forced him to have a big party. It's going to be in this large place that Shika's dad owns in the middle of nowhere, up north. And Shika couldn't be bothered to deliver all of these, so I offered to do it," Kiba grinned.

"You offered to deliver?" Shino's voice managed to convey the incredulity he felt as he stared at his team mate. Kiba of all people had offered.

"Like, yeah! I mean, come on! All of the girls promised to go, so it should be fun, eh, Naruto?" Kiba grinned, winking and nudging Naruto, who nodded fervently.

"Idiot," Shino muttered, watching Hinata's face turning red. "Yes, I will come. Hinata?"

"I-i-…" she paused, glancing at Kiba, who was staring at her with wide eyes, and Akamaru, who was lying on his back, practically begging to be tickled. "Y-yes," she smiled, tickling him.

"Oh, yeah!" Kiba grinned, punching the air with delight. "Now, we've just got a few hundred more to go! Bye, Beautiful," he winked at Hinata, who went red, and grinned at Shino. "Later, freaky."

With that, Kiba, Naruto and Akamaru ran off.

Shino half-closed his eyes. What have we let ourselves in for? he groaned mentally. He stood up. "I have to go. Goodbye, Hinata."

"Goodbye, Shino-kun," she said, her eyes fixed on where Naruto was last.

Shino sighed. There were some battles that could only be won by one person. And this seemed like one of them. A battle of love.

Firstly, I don't think Hiashi is all that cruel, he's just cold. I'm a major Hyuuga fan, and I refuse to think badly of him :p Seriously. But, in the interest of better writing, I have to put it that way.
Secondly, Kiba and Shino are friends, so when Kiba calls Shino freaky, it's friendly.
Thirdly, thank you for reading :) I appreciate it.

I'm not going to press you to review. But it would be nice :) And I welcome flames. I like fire :)