A/N: Hey, I'm back, but not with Beginnings, so, for anyone reading it, I'm probably not going to update that for a while. WB's (writers block) a bitch. This is an idea I came up with a while ago but I couldn't think how to make it work. Then I got an awesome idea and this thing came out of it. It's set in the world of Naruto, but they have cell phones and stuff because I am confused as to the level of technology available so, go with me here.

Summary: Hinata's not the delicate flower everyone thinks she is. Kiba's not as stupid as he looks. And Shino? -- well, he's just re-evaluating every thought he's ever had. Team 8 fic with eventual KibaXHinata.

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

Chapter One: Team Eight.

'Poor Naruto kun' Hyuuga Hinata thought as she made her way to the Ninja Academy for the last time.

"Hey Hinata chan!" yelled Inuzuka Kiba, the Hyuuga heiress' only friend.

"Ohiyo Kiba kun" she said quietly. Kiba and his clan were the only people in the world who Hinata felt truly comfortable with. It was only with the loud-mouthed, pack orientated clan that Hinata could lose her stutter and was even seen to shout on more than one occasion.

"Wazzup?!" Kiba asked, "You're being even more quiet then usual! If that's even possible" he let out a dog like laugh, followed by two yips from Akamaru, who was, as usual, riding on top of Kiba's head.

"A-ano" Hinata murmured, blushing a deep red (I know I said she didn't mutter when she was with the Inuzuka's, but they're in the middle of a crowded street in public, no way is she gonna be carefree when you never know when a Hyuuga is going to turn up).

Her brash friend pulled to an abrupt stop, halting Hinata with a hand on her arm. He peered into her face, taking in her blush as his sharp gaze swept her familiar features. "It's that Uzumaki again isn't it?" he asked in a long suffering tone, turning back towards the Academy which had just come into view, a strange flashing across his face before being replaced by one that more suited his tone as he continued "What happened this time?" he sighed and walked on towards their destination.

Hinata looked at Kiba carefully before answering. Whenever the subject came up, she always got the feeling that her friend didn't like the blond prankster, but always tried to hide it from her. "Ah – ano, it's just, Naruto kun was the only one not to pass the exam" she explained softly. "Anyway" she said in an attempt to change the subject, "I hope you're in my genin team Kiba kun"

"Yeah," Kiba said, that strange expression back on his face, "I hope so too." He shook himself suddenly and grinned "anything to escape them damn Uchiha fangirls" Akamaru yipped in agreement, somehow having kept his perch atop Kiba's head.

Hinata's blush, which had only just receded enough to be considered normal, came back again as she nodded quickly, "ha-hai" she said with a small smile.

--

The two entered the Academy classroom that the new genins had been assigned and made their way to their usual seats.

"Hey Hinata," Kiba said, expression confused, poking his friend in the arm.

"Hai Kiba kun?" she asked quietly, staring at the desk in front of her.

"If Uzumaki's the only one who failed the test—" he winced when her saw her face and mentally scolded himself over his choice of words, and rushed on, "—who's that next to the Uchiha?"

Hinata looked up and over to where the Uchiha prodigy was seated. Sure enough, sitting next to him, and getting bashed over the head by the pink-haired, over-obsessive fangirl, commonly likened to a banshee, otherwise known as Haruno Sakura, was none other than Uzumaki Naruto.

"Naruto kun" she breathed.

Kiba looked at the Hyuuga heiress and sighed when he saw the glassy eyed expression on her face, which was as much of a fangirl mode Hinata could enter.

'At least she's not all mopey,' he thought. But when Iruka sensei had entered the room and she was still out of it, he decided it was time to take desperate measures. "Hinata, if you don't stop staring at Uzumaki, Iruka sensei will send you back to the academy for being a liability, then there's no chance that you'll be on either mine or Uzumaki's team. Just think what your father and Neji and Hinabi, not to mention Hana would say if they found out you had been kept down for…" here, Kiba put in a dramatic pause, having the kunoichi staring at him in horror, "… fangirling."

Hinata's hand flew to her mouth as she let out an un-lady like shriek, and glanced once more at Naruto before focusing on Iruka sensei who had already started reading out the team assignments and was already up to:

"Team Seven, led by Hatake Kakashi: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke"

"Damn," Kiba winced, "poor Uzumaki, imagine being stuck on a team with that Uchiha prick and his number one fangirl"

Hinata nodded, hoping now more than ever to be placed on her loud-mouthed friend's team.

"Team Eight," Iruka continued, "led by Yuuhi Kurenai: Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino."

Hinata's face was pure joy and she gave Kiba an impromptu hug that set his face alight, but Hinata took no notice, such was her joy.

Kiba too, had a huge grin on his face, despite his blush, and Akamaru yipped happily from atop his master's head.

Neither of them knew the Aburame very well, but neither of them disliked the bug boy.

--

At lunch, Hinata dragged Kiba to where Shino was sitting by himself.

Contrary to public belief, it was Hinata who thought up their schemes and pranks, Kiba just liked to feel important.

"Konnich wa Shino san," Hinata said as they neared the Aburame, "do you mind if we join you?"

That's right; the image of a shy, stuttering, well behaved Hyuuga was just that, an image. The real Hinata was a bold, confidant young woman (A/N: yeah, she's only thirteen, but in the universe of Naruto, they're considered adults once they pass the exam, plus, in the 1500's and there 'bouts, girls were married and having children by that age, so please don't review just to complain about minor details like that, not that I'm discouraging reviews or anything *grins*) who was actually quite sufficient in her family's taijutsu style. At least on par with Neji, if not surpassing him (A/N: there is a reason for this that will be explained later in the fic, get over it and don't complain), she just didn't like to hurt her cousin or little sister. And anyways, it helped her keep the image of a fragile little flower.

Sure, she was polite, but being kidnapped at the age of three had stripped her of any childish illusions she might have had, better to be labelled a weakling and a disgrace to your clan rather then get your arse handed to you because you couldn't keep your mouth shut and your true abilities to yourself. Okay, so maybe that was a little severe, but you get the picture, and you can see why being called a fangirl was so bad.

"Of course," Shino said, moving over so they could join him beneath the tree that no one who wasn't an Aburame had dared gone near before. Everyone knew that that was where generations of Aburames had spent their lunchtimes while they were at the academy. And thus they kept away from the tree, frightened by the rumours of the bugs that ate flesh and blood rather than charkra.

The two sat down and Hinata got out their lunch, dango and onigiri.

Shino just watched as his two new teammates divided the food into three equal parts, one for Hinata, one for Kiba, and one for Akamaru.

"Itadaikimasu!" three voices said in unison, whilst Akamaru yipped his agreement.

"Arigato Hina chan" Kiba said with his mouth full, "vish ish delishus"

Hinata merely nodded her acknowledgement of the compliment much to Shino's surprise. Kiba noticed his shock (A/N: don't ask, it's a dog thing) and swallowed his mouthful before explaining.

"Hinata's not some delicate flower we need to look out for," he said, "she can almost beat my big sister Hana, and she's a jounin." (A/N: everything will be explained later, patience is a virtue)

Shino looked at Hinata for confirmation, expecting her to blush and stutter about how Kiba was exaggerating and she wasn't that good. So you can imagine his confusion when, rather than doing any of that, she just looked annoyed and snapped "I thought we'd agreed to keep that under wraps!"

"Hina, he's our teammate now, he's got a right to know our abilities, and I'll be telling our sensei too" Kiba said, "uh..." he suddenly grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, "...what was his name again?"

"You're hopeless Kiba!" Hinata giggled, "her name is Yuuhi Kurenai" she threw her last piece of dango at her friend who expertly caught it in his mouth.

Shino pushed his glasses up, 'it seems as though the data I have collected of my new teammates is invalid, I shall have to collect more,' he thought, and for some reason, he found himself looking forward to the experience.

--

"So..." Kiba began once they were back in the classroom, "anyone know what our sensei's like?"

"Yuuhi Kurenai, genjutsu mistress, serious but knows how to have fun, sometimes, friends with Mitarashi Anko who holds the snake contract –" Shino began.

"And she just walked through the door" Hinata interrupted, standing up and moving forwards to greet the jounin, Kiba and Shino following.

"Follow me" Kurenai said as the trio reached her, there's someone else who will be instrumental to your training you still have to meet." And with that she jumped out the window.

Hinata and Kiba just looked in the direction she was headed for a moment, then towards each other, "Hokage Monument," they said in unison before following their sensei out the window.

Shino stared out of the window after his team, before deciding to trust their judgment, although he left via the door.

A/N: so yeah, that was the first chapter. I realised when I was typing this up that there's a lot of stuff that's not gonna really make sense just yet. Sorry about that. But I swear it all makes sense, you just have to wait for Hinata to realise something important (nothing to do with romance or Kiba) and then things will start to clear up. So yeah, Hinata's a lot more powerful than in cannon, but there's a reason and, believe it or not, it actually makes sense. O.o

Hinata and Kiba knew where Kurenai was headed because of their long history of pranks they had to learn how to read peoples' movements and destinations. Shino had to trust their judgment because he hadn't put a bug on Kurenai yet.

Now, who is this mysterious person Kurenai was talking about? If someone can guess correctly before the next chapter comes out, I'll write a one shot for them. But warning, the next chapter will be out soon.

Reviews are much loved *hinthint*, but flames are just used in torture and interrogation, so if someone gets hurt, I blame you. xD.