AN:/ finally I might be getting to add some the romance I promised by, uhm, categorizing this as romance. Sorry for the long wait, hence did anybody even wait for the next chapter?

Disclaimer – Unfortunatly I still do not own Naruto

The forest wasn't of course silent, just knowing that Naruto is somewhere in it makes silence impossible, and yet team 8 found themselves in, what could only be described as, a place of perfect tranquillity, offering comfort to the chased genins. You couldn't avoid being chased when in this forest, yet the people from whom they took the scroll in the first place, had been stalking them ever since, drawing attention from at least one other group. Now they felt that the threat finally was gone. The burden that prey feel when the bloodhound prods it's nose into their lair, ready to call for the hunter, was now finally lifted from their shoulder. Shino turned to see Akamaru, lying on the ground, obviously asleep. Kiba just stood there, looking at his companion for life, before he himself lay down next to Akamaru. Hinata smiled shyly at this scene. They looked so peaceful down there and she couldn't help it herself.

This must be a magical place

She told herself before letting out a huge yawn, the past time hadn't been friendly to them, she had to admit. Everybody was worn out, with small wounds on their hands and in their faces. They were not to be blamed for being tired, and looking at the Inuzuka made her realize just how tired she was too. Without further thought she sat down against a tree. The trunk felt strangely soft and comfy, even though it was gnarled. Within a few seconds, Shino was sure he was the only one awake, and he too felt like succumbing to the tender feeling of safety, yet he didn't. Even if he had tried to would've done no difference, not now, not while his Kikai bugs were this agitated. He didn't know the reason for their consternation and it annoyed him slightly. He could feel them, buzzing inside him, and before he managed to calm them down, he found his face and hands covered with the tiny insects. He stared at them through his sunglasses as they began to nibble the air as if eating. Slightly surprised, though not showing it, Shino brought his hand up in front of his eyes. Each of the bugs continuously drew little blue sparks out of the air. As if the entire air was filled with charka. His eyes widened slightly, under his glasses, with realization. He had thought the tranquillity of this place to be supernatural and now he knew why.

Hastily he grabbed both of his team mates and as fast a possibly jumped off the ground and into the safety of the nearby trees. Roughly he shook Kiba, causing loud protests. He ignored them though, as he had yet another teammate to awaken. As he looked down on the sleeping Hinata, he realized that he couldn't get himself to shake her as he had Kiba. Instead he merely signalled to the dogboy that they had to escape as quickly as possible. Kiba send his friend an odd look but complied, knowing Shino it was probably important.

A loud swear came from the ground, confirming that whoever set up this trap, in order to cause their victims to fall into a merciless sleep, had noticed that the Shino in the clearing was nothing but a bugclone and that his fallen comrades was nothing more than a simple genjutsu. Had he not been Shino Aburame, he wouldn't've been able to help himself and laugh at their incompetence, but he was indeed Shino Aburame, and it was a known fact that Aburame didn't smile, let alone laugh.

The chase was on. Shino, still carrying Hinata, and Kiba was fleeing from an enemy of which they knew nothing.

Hinata hadn't been this comfy for a very long time. Most nights she lay restless, thinking of Naruto yet now the world only seemed to consist of peace and warmth. She sighed contently and slowly moved a bit towards the heat.

Shino's brow brows furrowed as he noticed Hinata snuggle closer to her. It wasn't what she did that caused this response from it. It was more like what it did to her that left him in consternation. He had known Hinata for a long time and she was pretty much like a sister to him. He stood by her when she needed him, he supported her, trusted her, helped her. The Aburame knew only a few friends, but those they really trusted, were true friends. Yet why did this simple thing she did, moving closer to him, cause this response from him? It was not as if he didn't knew what it meant, he just wondered why it happened to him.

"Increased facial heat?"

he asked himself, and had Kiba looked up at that time, he would've seen his teammate, blushing for the first time and, which he didn't know at that time, not the last one.