Disclaimer: I not own Naruto or any associated characters. They belong to Kishimoto.

A/N: Written for the ShinoTen winter contest. Check out my profile for a link to the official site. First time posting anything Naruto related up on here. Hope it turned out alright, and most of all I hope you guys enjoy the story. For that is why writers write.

X

'I can help, she says. Let me come along, she says. You can't go alone and I'm bored out of my skull so I'm coming!' Shino inwardly sighed as he crawled forward on his hands and knees through the dark hole, feeling his way along the slick stone that surrounded him. He couldn't believe he'd agreed to let her come. Out of all the people that could have, why did Tenten have to be the one to accompany him on his mission to find this beetle?

It wasn't that he disliked her exactly, or that she was squeamish like most other girls in the village, or a burden in a fight...but she was so...he didn't know how to describe it. She always had to state her opinion on everything, she asked more questions in a day than his team had asked in a week and she was always twirling one of those kunai! Weapons master or not, if she accidentally flung that thing into an unstable rock they'd have an avalanche on their hands.

Shaking his head, Shino forced himself to keep moving forward towards where he sensed a nest of the beetles. He had never seen these kind before, but from what his research told him they were as big as a grown mans hand, with a white and gray spotted shell, and naturally excreted the exact kind of base for an antidote Tsunade needed. It was that reason he alone he was crawling around in a hole in the dead of winter in the Land of Clouds. If they didn't get that...well...he didn't like to admit that he worried about his team on an emotional level but he did. After years of being together it was hard not to. Even that stupid dog. He was left out quite a bit though, and this one time it had been the thing that saved him.

His team had gone on a mission while he was busy elsewhere, and a week after they'd come back all of them collapsed. Apparently they'd been hit with a slow acting poison and though the mission was a success they all lay near death now.

That was another reason he wondered if Tenten insisted she come along.

She knew how it was to almost loose her entire team. When Lee was nearly killed by Gaara, and then later when he tried to help by going after Sasuke. Neji nearly died after being poisoned by one of the four sound ninja and Gai had faced death more than any of her team wanted to admit. She also knew what it felt like to be left out. Even if she was on another mission, he knew she hated being left behind.

'So the two cast offs make a team.' Shino rolled his eyes. There was no self pity in the thought, simply cold logic. Unlike Tenten though, he had the feeling he was often left behind because he was uncomfortable to be around.

Creepy, was the word often used.

A slow smile tugged at his face that he had to bite back. He liked that word.

"Have you found them yet?" Tenten's voice came over the radio.

"I've located them, but I'm still several meters from their exact location." he answered.

"Well be careful. I'm looking around and I really don't think you should have gone alone. This thing is ready to collapse."

"Then how would you coming have been of any help? If it collapses on us both then the mission will surely fail."

What sounded like a muttered growl came over the radio.

"In case you've forgotten, I can actually use my scrolls for more than just shooting weapons. Infused with the right amount of chakra they can..."

"Become as hard as steel." he sighed. "Yes, you've told me multiple times, Tenten."

"Then why don't you listen?"

Aggravating woman. He did not ask for this.

"I do. But it is not something that would help us in the long run. Save us from being crushed perhaps, but your scrolls cannot provide air, heat, or a way out."

There was a moment of silence on the other end and Shino held back another sigh of relief. That was something else that aggravated him about Tenten. She was good in a fight, but wasn't much of a strategist. She could be if she didn't let her emotions get in the way so frequently, but they always did.

"Well at least they'd have given you something to work with. You'd better hope this thing doesn't cave in on your head because you insisted on carrying the protective gloves needed to handle those things."

"Your worry overwhelms me." he muttered, before turning his radio down to keep from hearing the exasperated response. He wished someone else had been available to go with him on this mission. Anyone! He would have rather gone with Shikamaru than Tenten or even Sakura. Anyone but her. Why though?

That thought nagged and nibbled at the bag of his mind like a mosquitoe feeding. Why did he hate being on this mission with her so much? Was it just that she was so different from what he was used to, or was it the fact she didn't find him creepy that unnerved him? Out of all the females he knew, Tenten was one of the few who had never run away from him. At the academy, he remembered that despite being a year older than him she'd helped him collect bugs once. She didn't mind that he obscured his face and even poked fun at him for it without fear.

'You know if you're hiding a rash or something, you could always ask Lady Tsunade for some cream.' she'd teased.

'Shinobi should always keep their identity a secret, should they not? This is simply my way of doing so.'

'Not everyone's as oblivious as Naruto, you know. I can spot you a mile away with that big coat and glasses of yours.'

That was true at least. Unlike Naruto and others who always forgot his face or failed to recognize anything about him, she never did. It both intrigued and infuriated him. He didn't mind that people knew him. Enjoying solitude was different from wanting to be lonely. But at the same time he hid his face to be more effective. Not to stand out.

The coldness around him began to deepen and Shino bit back a shudder as he forced his mind to focus simply on the task at hand and move forward. The rocks seemed to be turning to ice though and he was sure his bugs were not enjoying this at all.

Moving forward at a faster pace to try and keep himself warm, Shino soon arrived at the end of the tunnel and looking down saw a ten foot drop to a smooth surface. Just beyond his line of sight was the nest. He was almost there.

"I've found the drop." he reported quickly, then turned the sound down again before swinging his legs over the side and leaping down. His land was soft and soundless on the rock but he still braced himself in case the disturbance caused some kind aftershock.

Nothing happened.

Relieved, he put on the special gloves needed and headed towards the nest, making sure to walk as softly as possible with his hands visible and relaxed. Some would think it strange how cold he could be towards humans and yet how gentle he could be with bugs. He didn't understand it himself all the time...but maybe it came from the fact that despite being wild, bugs were easier to trust. He could read them perfectly, and still stay distant. They didn't judge him, but welcomed him. Maybe it was easier for him, because...they were so similar?

What was Tenten then? If he was like a bug was she then like a collector who observed and understood without fear?

He pushed the thought away.

"I am not here to harm you." he said as he came closer and kneeled down in front of the nest. It was almost like a birds nest in terms of how it was shaped, but the beetles were under a thin layer of dirt rather than on top of it and they huddled together for further protection. They probably wouldn't be able to survive without each other. Meaning he'd at least have to take two so they could curl together and keep each other safe from the cold. Even if they could survive in some conditions, he knew being outside was different than in the cave.

Carefully, he leaned forward, brushing off the dirt from one corner. The beetle started scuttling away, but he caught it in time and then pulled out his spare kunai pouch. It was lined with the same material as his gloves were and he eased the beetle inside before snapping it closed. Then he scooped up another one and repeated the process before smoothing the dirt back over those remaining.

They had what they needed now.

Turning on his heel, Shino tucked the pouch inside his jacket and made his way towards the drop off. Infusing his feet and hands with chakra, he prepared to climb up the slippery side. As soon as his hand made contact though, he heard a loud rumble from overhead and jerked back just in time to avoid being crushed by a chunk of rock.

The roof overhead was beginning to split in half and more and more rocks were tumbling down. He raced towards the side again, this time leaping up and attaching to the wall before scrambling upwards. The static in his microphone reminded him of thousands of insect legs rattling along and intermixing with wings. Using one hand he turned it up as he pulled himself over the edge just as a sharp rock slammed down where he'd been climbing up.

"It's caving in!" Tenten's voice came over the line. "I don't know what happened, but I think someone knows we're here!" she yelled before cursing and he could hear her moving around.

Was she under attack?

"What makes you think that?" he asked, trying to stay calm as he crawled forward as fast as he could. Sides of the hole he'd been in were now widening and as he crawled on his knees he was already performing several hand seals to create a thick bug shield over him.

"I heard an explosion outside. No one came by but..." she was cut off and static filled his ears to an almost painful level.

Shino bit back a curse of his own. Despite the supposed peace treaty the Land of Fire was on anything but good terms with the Land of Clouds. Everyone put on a good show during meetings, but there was bitter water between the two lands. Especially with the current political turmoil in this land that forced many skilled workers, wealthy business men, merchants and even politicians into the Land of Fire.

Picking up his speed, Shino pushed his upper body out more while keeping his legs behind in a straight line so that he was running while almost laying down. The bugs underneath helped stabilize him while the bugs overhead acted to keep him safe from the breaking ceiling and making protective arches ahead of him. It wasn't enough though. The entire thing was breaking apart and he was to far away to reach the cavern in time before everything fell on top of him. He had to do something though. They had to get these beetles back to Tsunade in time or his entire team would die. He wouldn't let that happen.

Tenten said she could use her scrolls as a protective barrier, perhaps he could do the same with his bugs? If he mummified himself in a protective case thick enough he'd be able to survive the initial hammering of rocks and his bugs could help him tunnel out once it was settled.

With this plan in mind, he made sure his radio was turned up so he could communicate with Tenten afterwards and began making hand seals at a rapid pace. He'd keep moving until he could go no more, but this would ensure he had protection when he needed it.

Just as he was finishing the last sign though a large sharp rock fell towards him, slamming through the first bug shield with enough force that it cracked him on the head and sent him skidding forward. The smell of blood instantly filled his nostrils and there was a copper taste in his mouth as he rolled and slammed into the sides of the widening tunnel. He dug his hands into the ground, trying to come to a stop so he could get up again, but it was to slick to find a hold which left him spinning and slamming into walls while more stone attacked from above. He curled up as best he could to try and keep the beetles safe but as he finally came to a stop against a sharp embedded boulder, keeping them safe became the least of his worries. Adrenaline kept the pain from making it's way to his senses but when he tried to get up he saw his left leg was at a strange angle and he could see a bit of bone jutting up through his thick pants leg. As the pain hit, so did the ceiling and Shino watched as large stone came to end his life.

"MOVE IT!" seconds before it hit, Shino was slammed into from the side, further injuring his leg and causing him to let out an uncharacteristic cry of pain as he was skidded over the ground. Instead of rocks falling, when he looked up he saw the crème' color of a scroll in the caverns natural dim light and heard the sound of kunai attaching themselves in the sides of the walls to create a type of net overhead. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tenten on her knees, infusing the scroll with chakra with one hand while she pulled out a second scroll with the other and with a quick wrist movement wrapped it around their location horizontally, giving them a good five feet of room length wise.

"Stay down!" she ordered as if he were about to jump up.

Shino growled under his breath, forcing himself onto his uninjured leg and coming closer he forced his bleeding hands to work together for signs. He could still use his mummifying technique, but not on himself. Ten seconds later, bugs began skittering from his body and heading towards the scrolls overhead. They crawled on the top and began encrusting it.

Part of him expected Tenten to let out a yelp as she saw what was happening but she only kept her eyes on the scrolls before attaching them both to a shared point on the ground and using four large kunai to keep them down.

The mixture of scroll and bug began to sag under the pressure, but after a minute of holding their breath, it ceased to drop and held taught against debris.

It took a minute more before both of them let out their breath. Though Shino's was more of a hiss and his hands instantly shot to his bleeding leg.

"I did not realize I'd been hit." he muttered as he reached for the small med kit in his kunai pouch hoping that Tenten would take the hint not to come closer.

Unfortunately for him, she did the opposite and began inspecting his leg.

"Bad." was all she said as she looked at it, but then a small smirk took over her face. "Could have been worse though. It's a clean break. Easy to set."

"So it appears. But I do not need..."

"Yes you do. Setting a leg is two man job. Though three is best."

"Why three?" Shino cocked an eyebrow as she began working on his leg despite his protest.

"One to set the bone, and one to hold the other person down."

"That's two."

"No. The third is whoever's injured. Their job is to try not to scream...or stop people from helping them!" she smacked his hand away from his leg.

Shino glared, but she rolled her eyes. Why was it that she hated being offered help herself and yet was one of the first to offer it for others? He didn't understand it. Then again he didn't understand much about her. The way she reacted to things. How she could be so calm one minute and the next be on a rampage. He didn't understand why he found himself hating that she was with him, and enjoying it at the same time or watching the way she moved like he would that of a nests queen: with fascination and respect.

"Here. Bite on this." she didn't give him a choice before she pulled out a wooden decoy kunai and all but shoved it sideways between his teeth.

"whmmphat?!"

"You'll thank me." she said simply. "On three. One...THREE!" she set the bone so fast and with such force that Shino felt his eyes bulge out, nearly touching the lens of his glasses and his teeth sank into the wood as he fought to keep a scream from rising up.

He'd had broken bones before but he'd never been awake for the resetting process. That always happened while he was still unconscious from fighting with everything he had. This time though...he had no idea how much it was going to hurt!

"Glad you had something to bite on now huh?" Tenten tried to get him to smile as she fished through his med kit, and then her own. She pulled out a slim needle from her pouch and after cleaning the wound with specific supplies from his kit, threaded a chakra string through the eye and began stitching it shut.

He watched in mild interest and fought the urge to flinch every time the needle entered his skin. Normally, medical ninjitsu would have been applied in this situation, but she seemed perfectly fine with old fashioned first aid. Not that he minded. He didn't particularly enjoy having that green chakra around him. As a human, it healed his body, but the bugs inside were affected as well and he was often times left weaker from the interference. Still, it seemed strange that she didn't at least try medical ninjitsu first like most kuniochi's would have.

"In case you haven't noticed, my teams not exactly accident proof." Tenten grinned through chattering teeth as if she knew what he was thinking. "Since Lee can't use ninjitsu though, we've gotten lessons in how to use non-chakra based first aid."

Shino nodded, pulling out the decoy kunai from his mouth and before he realized his mouth was open heard his voice.

"So you cannot use any medical ninjitsu then?" he wouldn't be surprised. One needed patience to learn that and patience wasn't something Tenten always had much of.

"Don't go that far! I may not be Lady Tsunade but I still know a few things." her eyes narrowed and he felt her grip tighten around his leg making him wince. That was another thing he'd noticed about Tenten. Whenever she perceived someone suggesting she was weaker than anyone else, her defenses shot straight up. Even if that's not what was meant to be implied at all.

"Gai-sensei had me and Neji take a few lessons in medical ninjitsu, but this just works better for certain injuries. Plus it won't mess with your bugs."

Shino's eyes widened slightly before he regained complete composure. That was unexpected. Especially since hardly anyone outside of his clan thought of the interaction. She was a remarkable specimen.

"There. Should hold up till we get out of here."

Remarkable and sickeningly optimistic.

"It may take at least a day to reach the cavern, and after that half another to get through whatever debris could be blocking the entrance. If we don't freeze to death that is." he said as he looked towards where they needed to start. His voice betraying none of the concern he felt.

"We won't. I just made chunin. You think I'll let a little snow kill me now?" her hands were on her slim hips as she stared him down.

"No. But this isn't 'a little' snow. And you're shivering as is."

Tenten folded her arms, obviously unsure what to say but glaring for all she was worth at him.

"We won't change anything by simply sitting here though will we? I believe not." he said before she had the chance to come up with something and then turned his attention to the tunneling process.

X

Five hours later, with numb bleeding fingers, low chakra and their chests heaving so hard it was painful to breath, the two reached a stopping point in their tunneling and nearly collapsed.

"We'll...take a short rest....then start again." Shino gasped as he wiped at his sweat soaked face before it could freeze and slumped against the grated rock wall. His left leg was throbbing and his head was spinning from dehydration and hunger. Tenten was probably experiencing the same effects. Thirst and hunger would be easy enough to overcome, but it was the temperature that had him most concerned. He was better at hiding its affects than Tenten, but it was biting through his thick coat and making his bones feel as if they were made of glass.

"G-got f-farther than...I thought we would..." she tried to keep him optimistic. Within the first hour of digging he'd come to reason this was a side effect of being on Gai-sensei's team. It was just fortunate wearing that green suit was only something Lee took to.

Although...

He shook his head. As the temperature dropped so did certain barriers in his mind and this wasn't the first time he'd had to reel in his thoughts as he looked at the girl sitting across from him. He felt his face heating up despite the chill. As with anyone in his clan, he'd been taught how to properly treat and interact with a woman, but he was still a teenager alone with a girl who the more he looked was actually quite...

"THWAK!"

"Shino!"

He looked over at Tenten with his mind firmly redirected and a self inflicted bruise on the back of his head.

"With the temperature dropping would it be wise to sleep? We cannot fall asleep." he explained.

Tenten stared at him, her mouth slightly open in half a gape before she shook her head.

"Ever h-heard of p-pinching yourself?"

"I refuse to reveal any more skin than I have to in this weather."

"So concussions...are a c-compromise huh?" she raised an eyebrow as she blew hot air into her hands.

"You know you have a very sharp tongue."

"B-better than a dull mind."

Shino sighed. Interesting as she was, why did he agree to let her come along? True she saved his life but...well she shouldn't have been in the tunnel in the first place.

"Look before...w-we start f-fighting," Tenten scooted closer to away from the cold stone. "Let me say this, and you'd b-better listen because I'm n-not good at s-saying this."

He raised an eyebrow in a silent prod.

"Thank you for l-letting me c-come."

Out of all the things she could have said that was the last one he expected.

"Of course you d-didn't have m-much choice once L-lady Tsunade officially assigned us, b-but you could have made this trip as h-horrible as possible or pitched a fit...so thank you for not d-doing that."

"Being antagonistic towards you would only hinder us would it not? It would have since you are my teammate. And it's not as if we have spoken enough to truly fight." if he was honest this was the most they had communicated throughout the entire trip.

"We don't a-always have to talk. B-besides, you've got a lot on your mind."

Shino felt his hand subconsciously rise towards where the beetles were safely stowed in his jacket before he caught himself and dropped it. As a shinobi he should not care this much. People died just as bugs did and were replaced. Survival of the fittest. The cycle of life. Whatever the preferred term. Death was as much a part of life as birth was.

But even knowing this, he couldn't remove himself as much as he'd like. Kiba and Akamaru drove him insane and he had considered giving them both fleas on more than one occasion, but they always had his back in a fight. Hinata had annoyed him when they were first placed on the same team because he could see her potential and saw it wasted. Then he saw her change and now though she was still shy and stuttered, he knew full well that pity should perhaps be given to those who harmed who she cared for or stood in her way of a mission. Then there was Kurenai-sensei. She was easily unnerved by his bug jutsus, but she never pushed him away intentionally and she did try to help him. When something went bad on a mission, she easily reminded him of a mother spider. Deadly, determined and willing to die for them. Annoying as that was...it was also nice that someone cared so much.

If he lost his team...they all aggravated him in one way or another but they had become as much a part of him as his limbs. Loosing them would be just as painful if not more so.

"We'll make it you know." Tenten said as if she could read his thoughts through his glasses.

He didn't know why, but hearing that made him feel oddly better even as he shook his head to reconnect himself to the hard reality past emotions. The cold was getting worse and he had to realistic about their situation. They were both exhausted and loosing body heat more rapidly by staying still. If they didn't do something soon hypothermia could set in and then any hope would be gone.

As he remembered the beetles though, a sudden thought hit him that made his face grow slightly hot. How did the beetles survive this cold? Some of it was natural tolerance, but the other reason was they were together.

With a quick clearing of his throat, Shino did his best to push past the embarrassment.

"Are we going to freeze to death unless we find a way of retaining body heat? It's quite likely." he said, his tone matter of fact.

"Well we can't start a fire." Tenten said.

"No. But our joint body heat should be enough to keep us warm until we start moving again."

Brown eyes widened and he swore he heard a quick intake of breath.

"This is purely for survival. We can't sleep but we do need to rest and sitting still alone is killing us."

"So...you're saying..." she scooted back some and he sighed. It wasn't like that. It just wasn't. He didn't think of her as anything but a teammate. Albeit an interesting one and he'd always thought she was adequate in terms of looks but...

Before he could say anything he heard her coming closer, muttering under her breath.

"Fine. But hands were I can see them at all times!" she barked.

"Do not put me in the same category as those who would take advantage of this. It is simply so we don't die." he rolled his eyes as he began quickly unzipping his oversized coat and once Tenten was had curled up against his chest he zipped it up again stretching it further he was sure. Her head was nestled into the crook of his neck and he could feel her holding him as his own arms wrapped around her to bring her as close as possible. He felt a sudden wave of exhilaration and anxiety at their current situation that he couldn't explain. It made him notice the smell of her hair though and wonder how her skin felt. Were her hands more callused or soft?

"Just to block out the cold." she murmured.

Shino nodded, his chin lightly touching her forehead.

"Yes. Just to keep out the cold."

X

Cursing under his breath, Shino glared hard at his leg that was currently in a cast and keeping him from being outside where he should be. It had taken him and Tenten at least a day to burrow themselves out of the collapsed tunnel and then another half a day to escape from the cavern. It was only fortunate they were able to find pockets of air or they could have suffocated to death.

The worst part though was what happened after they arrived back in what he thought was just in time...and were then told Lady Tsunade had found something else to nullify the poison.

So the mission, his broken leg and nearly dying had been for nothing. His team said they were still grateful for what he did, of course Kiba had punched him in the arm to say it, and Tsunade said they needed the beetles anyway. But that wasn't the point. Tenten and him could have been killed.

That's what he was most upset about. Not that he could have died but that she could have. Even if there was no way to let them know once they'd left it still twisted his stomach in angry knots. If he had Kiba's streak for revenge he might have let a bee loose in Lady Tsunade's office.

Wincing as he tried to sit up and accidentally bumped his leg against his bed's wooden frame, Shino bit back another curse. But not because of his leg. His mind wouldn't stop wandering to the only good thing that came out of the mission that he didn't want to admit was anything.

He should have regretted it all, but he couldn't regret the time he'd spent with Tenten and it was driving him insane. This feeling inside was so new and exciting, but also frightening because he had no control over it. Loosing control was something he hated. That scared him and made him feel more vulnerable than he ever wanted to feel. He'd felt this way several times before, always with childish crushes that soon justified their namesake, but it had never been this swelling sensation in his chest. This annoying barrage of images in his head of her or how he remembered the way she felt against him whenever they stopped to rest and how he enjoyed it!

It felt...right. Strangely enough.

Shino sighed and rubbed his temples as he picked up his crutches and stood up. Just as he started crossing his room to his desk he heard a soft knock on the other side of his door.

"Come in." he said. Despite being at home, he was still dressed appropriately for company though he wore a black long sleeved shirt instead of a high collared coat.

As soon as the door opened, he wished he'd said to leave and fought to keep his eyes from looking away from her. Even if he was wearing his normal black glasses, he didn't want to give any hint he might be uncomfortable.

"Heard you were laid up in here, just thought I'd come by and make sure you were alright." Tenten smiled as she stepped inside.

He briefly looked around the room. Focusing on anything that would make her call him creepy and leave. His insect collection was ordered all along the walls of his room, exposing the smallest to the most large and grotesque to all who entered. His desk was cluttered with books on battle strategy, bug diagrams, and several experiments.

Tenten wasn't looking at his desk though, but at his collection and as her eyes rested on a large spider, a smile quirked her lips.

"I think I've seen one like that before on a mission. It jumped out of nowhere and attached itself to Lee's face." she laughed. "I didn't think it was possible for him to move faster but you should have seen him go trying to get that thing off! The best part was when he finally got it off and accidentally threw it onto Neji." there was a mischievous glint in her eyes and Shino understood instantly that Neji hated spiders and she had exploited that before.

He had never been one for practical jokes but he suddenly didn't mind that one had been played on the Hyuga and felt like kicking himself. That was his natural instinct reacting that perceived Neji as a threat...but he didn't want to admit it. Not now.

"Was coming to see me all you came to do?" he suddenly asked.

She looked over at him and cocked her head as if he were the one being studied and not her.

"That, and Lady Tsunade said that once your leg was better she had a mission for us. Said we work well together or something." she shrugged.

"Do you agree?"

His question caught her off guard he could tell, and it even surprised him that he asked. Still, he wanted to know.

"Well...I guess. We worked pretty well together on this last one."

'Guess?' he wanted to prod further but restrained himself.

"Did she give you any details?"

"A few. Come on, we can go for a walk and I'll tell you what I know."

Shino raised an eyebrow. A walk? On his leg? True he had crutches but still.

"Come on! This is the perfect time of day! And some fresh air will do you good!" she didn't give him a chance to protest before grabbing his coat from the back of his desk chair and handing it to him.

He thought he noticed some slight change in the way she released it. As if she were remembering...but she said nothing and he eased his arms through the holes just as silently. Of course it didn't help his thoughts when he started to wobble on his crutches as he zipped his coat up and she grabbed his arm to steady him while pressing her other hand against his chest. He picked up his pace, trying to brush her touch off as fast as possible, and at the same time wanting it to linger. Hopefully the cold air would help clear his head.

A few minutes later, once he was completely balanced again, they headed outside into the chilly afternoon. However any hope his thoughts would suddenly change direction was in vain. Like a fly caught in a web, Tenten had captured his heart in hers somehow and there seemed no way to become free.

The End

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought.

Be blessed

your friend

innocent-rebel