They Have Her

Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame both share the same feeling of attraction toward their other teammate, Hinata Hyuuga. They can't help it. Kiba Inuzuka is one who gets attached easily to people he has to spend a lot of time with—and if that person happens to be in his gender preferences, then it will, eventually, became something more than friendship. Shino Aburame, likewise, doesn't get close to many people—but when he does get attached, he's attached for life. Hinata was the first girl he'd ever been attached to, so it stands to reason that, eventually, after becoming someone he would be able to calla close friend, she'd become someone he'd wish he could get even closer (romantically) to.

For those reasons (though not those sole reasons) both Kiba and Shino bear grudges towards Naruto Uzumaki. He is the one that Hinata thinks constantly about, and he is the one who Hinata wishes to be with the most. For the longest time, Kiba and Shino suffered in silence while their precious flower lusted after another boy. Well, maybe lusted was too strong of a word—she definitely loved him, but Hinata didn't seem the type to lust after anybody.

Kiba had always been a childish and immature boy, in all matters and in all senses of the word. Shino Aburame, while one of the most mature shinobi of his age, was socially inept (when it came to friends and crushes), and therefore, also immature in the same way that Kiba was with Hinata.

Moreover, for the longest time, Kiba and Shino considered each other to be rivals for Hinata's love and affection. They considered each other to be their second greatest enemy—the first being Naruto. This was apparent to each other every time they fought, and every time they argued. It would take a long time for a good, solid friendship to build up around that sad fact.

But, eventually, it did. Hinata began to go in a different direction than that of Shino and Kiba. While Shino and Kiba were mainly fighters and reconnaissance, Hinata became much more interested in medicines and other concoctions, with the scouting of areas being a secondary interest. Because they had to spend so much time alone together, Shino and Kiba soon found kindred spirits in each other, despite their differences in things such as personalities and personal likes.

However, even when they'd return from missions together, battered and bruised—or, sometimes, simply tired, depending on the severity of the mission—Hinata would always be waiting for them. She'd make them their next meal (usually lunch, but it was sometimes breakfast or dinner) with different types of tea, usually made form leaves she had grown or found herself. She'd listen to the events of their mission with a small smile always adorning her face, enjoying both Shino's precise reports and Kiba's excited commentary. Hinata would be more relaxed around the two of them than she was around Naruto—she would actually comment on what they said, and she would be more comfortable closer to them than she would Naruto.

It took Kiba and Shino a while to realize that the weird, sometimes awkward girl was actually someone who was someone to be treasured. It took the two boys a long time to realize that they were kindred spirits with a common, and much larger, enemy. It took even longer for them to realize something else—a much more important truth.

Even with how much Hinata was infatuated with Naruto, Kiba and Shino could stand it, for one very special reason. They had her.

She cooked for them; she talked to them; she spent time with them—not Naruto.

She listened to them nearly daily; she laughed with them whenever she was around them; she took care of them constantly—not Naruto.

She wouldn't blush when Kiba hugged her; she wouldn't faint with Shino commented that she would make a good wife. Had Naruto done any of those things, she would have passed out. Naruto wouldn't get to enjoy the entirety of having Hinata chuckle and hug back, or smile when Shino made the wife comment—on her courageous days, she'd even wink and smile at him. Naruto would never be able to see her wink, or have her hug back...

So, for all purposes, Shino and Kiba were the ones who had Hinata—and not Naruto.

But they still clench their teeth (and, for Kiba, his fists as well) whenever they see Hinata blush at Naruto. They still mutter, 'Bastard,' mentally to themselves whenever he calls out her name jovially. And they still hold back the temptation to simply punch Naruto in the face whenever Hinata fainted and he had his arms around their Hinata, trying to wake her up.

But, Shino and Kiba can still sleep at night, knowing that Hinata takes care of them, and not Naruto. They have her.

And until Naruto could realize that Hinata had feelings for her, and perhaps develop feelings for him as well, they'd continue to be the only men that Hinata was close to.