Came to me at 11:30 PM last night. I've been thinking about this idea for a while, but hadn't actually written it. I don't know how much sense it actually makes. Have fun.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

It is a rare event when Shino speaks, and an even rarer one for him to remove his sunglasses, or any other part of his clothing. To most, he just wasn't Shino without the round bug-eye-like glasses or the tall jacket collar or the deep hood. They were part of him, irremovable.

Everyone agrees that Hinata is by far the shyest ninja ever in the history of ninjas. She can barely say a sentence without stuttering, and it is a miracle for her to meet anyone's eyes. It seems like she's always afraid of everything, and fearful ninjas don't last long.

Kiba is known for his wildness. It is inherent – he is an Inuzuka; they have a reputation for being some of the craziest, most reckless ninjas in Konoha. He is never seen without his white puppy, and never knows when to keep his mouth shut. He is brave, yes, but brave to the point of foolishness, and he's always getting into fights. He is loud and maddening and somewhat violent.

Aburame Shino. Hyuuga Hinata. Inuzuka Kiba. This is the team that Yuuhi Kurenai is given to train into functional ninjas. She knows it won't be easy. The three are as different as they can get – one is dead silent and serious; one is shy to the point of vanishing; one is wild as a feral dog. One is from a clan that shares their bodies with insects. One is the heiress to the most renowned clan in Konoha, as well as much of the ninja world. One belongs to a half-wild clan of dog-nin trainers, who many say are almost as canine as the animals they raise.

It takes months, years. They progress in inches, clawing all the way. But a few more dangerous missions – the kind that can end with you returning home lifeless – force them to rely on one another, push them closer to each other, and as they grow closer, they start to let down their walls. Kurenai watches in awe as the three mismatched children she was given slowly transform into a strong, close-knit team.

It is a rare event when Shino speaks, and an even rarer one for him to remove his sunglasses, or any other part of his clothing. But around Hinata and Kiba, he'll talk; he'll even laugh on rare occasion. He even will take off his glasses when they're alone together. His eyes are a metallic silver, as shiny as the shell of an insect. His teammates are the only ones beside hospital nins who have ever seen him pull his hood down, push his collar away from his face, even take off his jacket. He is smaller than he looks. But only they know. When he's with them, he doesn't have to worry about what they'll think of him; he doesn't fear that their faces will twist in hatred and disgust if they see his bare skin, seething with the foreign life beneath it. He knows that he can do as he wishes around them. They will always be there for him.

Everyone agrees that Hinata is by far the shyest ninja ever in the history of ninjas. But now, when she's with Kiba and Shino, she doesn't even stutter anymore. She talks, she smiles, she laughs, she even teases them sometimes. They are more of family to her than any Hyuuga ever has been. In less than a year, she can talk to them in a way that she has never been able to talk to anyone – not her sister, not her father, and of course never ever her cousin. But with these two boys, she can do what she wants. She can say what she thinks, tell them how she feels, and it's okay. When she's with them, everything is okay. They will always be there for her.

Kiba is known for his wildness. He's crazy. He knows it, too. But when he's with Shino and Hinata, he calms down. He'll listen to reason, he'll think before he acts. Well, for the most part, he'll let them think and decide how the group is going to act. But still. It's different. He's relaxed around them. He loves his clan, but there's something different about his and Akamaru's bond with their teammates. He's content around them. There's no need for him to be wild. He doesn't have to defend himself around them. They've accepted him and Akamaru and all their problems, just like he's accepted both of them and all their issues. He's gotten used to Shino's stiffness and silence, Hinata's overwhelming shyness, and has developed a talent for getting under their shells. He can get them to open up, and in return, they can make him slow down and rest. It's kinda nice. Reassuring. He has a safe, calm place with them. They will always be there for him.

They are so different, but they complement each other. Shino is intelligent enough to compensate for Kiba's occasional idiocy. Kiba is reckless enough to balance out Shino's over-cautiousness. Hinata is diplomatic enough to make up for Shino's dislike of people and also for Kiba's loud obnoxiousness. Kiba can get under both their skins and make them open up a little. He can get Hinata to talk and even sometimes make eye contact; he can convince Shino to share his oh-so-brilliant thoughts with the others. Shino is Hinata's refuge when Kiba's craziness is overwhelming, and Kiba is who Hinata goes to when Shino gets so withdrawn that he scares her.

They are such a mismatched jumble of characters, but somehow, they made it work. Deep down, maybe they aren't so different. Kiba's not really as feral as he acts sometimes. Shino has things to say, when he feels like it. Hinata's introvertedness is a façade – she likes people far more than she seems to and really would like to have more friends. They are all stubborn, determined, brave.

Somehow, they turned their differences into advantages. Somehow, they've gone from a closed-off Aburame, a cripplingly shy Hyuuga, and a feral Inuzuka to three very capable ninjas – one of the best tracking and sensory teams there is. Now, they are Team 8.

Infinite.

Woo. I love Team 8.

Not sure I like the title. It was the first thing that came to mind. Don't know what else to call it.

Sigh. It looked so much longer on Microsoft Word. I really don't remember where this came from. Oh well. I hope you liked it.

… Now to go write some other fanfiction – like the stuff I was supposed to be doing…

- Ruyax