Characters: Shino, Hinata
Summary: Take note schoolyard bullies. Take note and beware.
Pairings: Light ShinoHina
Author's Note: Since it's chibi Shino and chibi Hinata, don't expect anything serious as far as romance goes. It's just the suggestion of a crush on Shino's part, though obviously he would refuse to acknowledge it as such.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
There is one thing everyone in the Shinobi Academy of Konohagakure knows about Hyuuga Hinata: she is far too polite and far too shy and timid to stand up for herself when she is verbally or physically harassed. What everyone also knows is that this makes Hinata easy prey, and she often ends up easy prey to her cousins.
It's not Neji who corners her on the training ground, catching her as she's practicing throwing shuriken at a post. Neji, though he resents Hinata greatly and would gladly talk trash if he ever had the opportunity and knew he could do so with impunity, he has enough grace and dignity not to actively try to belittle her. Aloofness and the cold shoulder are more than enough for Neji.
But not enough for others, such as Hyuuga Anzu. Hyuuga Anzu, one of Hinata's distant cousins, is a Branch House Hyuuga a year older than her, in the same class with Neji. She has troubles with aggression and resentment of the Main House, and Hinata… Hinata, with all her shyness, is an easy mark and an easy scapegoat.
Today, it's the "So you think you're better than us" talk and the systematic "Well you're not" lecture. Physical force doesn't even enter into it. Yet.
Most don't care a whit about who's getting bullied and beat up (it is a shinobi academy, after all; they all know what violence is and everyone nurses bruises brought on by official and unofficial fighting), and those who do ignore this particular case, knowing Anzu's reputation and her penchant for mercilessness. She won't kill Hinata; she won't inflict any serious injuries. That knowledge is enough to balm the stunted consciences of children and battle-hardened shinobi.
At least one, however, is tired of ignoring things and letting nature take its course. At least one has finally decided that enough is enough. There are others who don't approve, but he will be the only one to break the mould.
Aburame Shino has known Hinata since before they both started in the Academy. Their fathers are friends and as such they've run into each other at clan functions, festivals, and the like. Shino has decided that Hinata is too nice for her own good and Hinata… Hinata still doesn't know what to think of Shino.
Anzu is chased away with words; words are all Shino needs, has ever needed or will ever need. Shino doesn't think he's ever needed to threaten someone with physical violence in his life; being a member of the "creepy" clan has advantages enough to outweigh the downsides, and being untouchable is one of those advantages. Instead of violence, Shino merely speaks of what Hiashi's reaction would likely be if he knew that she was bullying his daughter. Anzu stiffens and slinks away, muttering something thankfully (for her own sake) inaudible.
Hinata blinks at him, dazed and unblinking. No one ever sticks up for her.
Shino has several reasons for choosing to stand up for Hinata today.
Their clans have a history of friendship, even if they have never been particularly close. Shino feels that he must stick up for the Hyuuga clan heiress, even against her own kin, in the interest of maintaining cordial clan relations.
Shino has also overheard, listening to Iruka-sensei and some of the other teachers talking, that he and Hinata may be assigned to the same genin cell when they graduate in a few years. If timid, delicate Hinata is going to be his teammate Shino figures he might as well start looking out for her now. It won't hurt to get an early start.
One of the few things Shino can truly profess to hate is bullying, probably because his younger sisters all face the same problem. Though the strict calm instilled in him by the Aburame prevents him from showing it, his hatred of bullies is almost over-powering and instantly noticeable.
And to be honest, Shino… likes Hinata, likes her enough not to like the look of tears or bruises on her pale, pretty little face. She never did anything to her resentful cousins, never so much as lifted a hand against them so why should they be making her life a misery? He just can't understand it. And Shino doesn't like to see Hinata cry, not at all; that heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, uncomfortably hot, tells him all he needs to know.
So Aburame Shino starts to make it his business to look after Hyuuga Hinata, albeit quietly. And people learn not to mess with the little girl with a quiet, Aburame shadow.
"Shino-kun?" Hinata asks, plainly confused, brows knitted together. She gets to her feet, brushing dust off her pants. "Why did you…"
"I don't think she'll bother you again," Shino says flatly. A little more softly, he asks, "Are you alright, Hinata?"
"Y-yes, I am."
From this day on, take note, schoolyard bullies. Take note and beware. Hyuuga Hinata is officially off-limits.