A/N: Here is Chapter 3! (Finally.) Thank you so much for your reviews, they've given me such great support and motivation! :) I've decided that whenever I update this story, it will be done with two chapters at once. Hope you enjoy this pair of chapters, both done in Shino's POV.

Shino

"You know Shino, if you've got a crush on me, you can just say it. You come here every day now."

Why did Ino insist on perturbing him so? If her knowledge of flowers and other plants wasn't so indispensable, he would surely choose another flower shop in the area to spare him from the teasing. He wouldn't have liked it—it was true that the Yamanaka Clan topped all others for the best flower shop this region—but it would save him from the constant verbal prodding, winking, and other such behaviors. It was apparent Ino wanted him to react in some way, though he knew not how.

It was now his fourth visit, two more after the last time he had ventured here in the pouring rain. Perhaps it had been the weather, but the beetles had been doing particularly bad that day, which is what spurred him to make the trek to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

They were weak and he could sense their low spirits. What was it that he and Ino were doing wrong? No, what was he doing wrong? He felt he should have known better, being the only son of the Aburame Clan leader. His father could not help him at all, as Shibi was much too busy on tracking missions and dealing with the already stressful business of managing the Clan. It was solely Shino's responsibility to figure out what was happening with these mysterious bugs.

He heard Ino sigh out of futility behind him. "Wouldn't that be the day? When Aburame Shino has a crush on someone. No, when he falls in love with someone. What's a girl gotta do, hm?"

She seemed to have gotten used to his silence throughout the course of his visits to the flower shop, considering she had gotten into the habit now of continuing to talk as though she had received a response. Shino was grateful, actually, that she no longer expected answers from him. In truth, he was not entirely avoiding a response out of spite; he had no response. No girl had flirted so blatantly with him before. He was not sure if he should take it as a sincere attempt, or if she merely was searching for material with which to mock him. And what, perchance, was one to do with a sincere attempt?

She laughed impishly at her previous words, but it seemed to Shino to be in time with his thoughts.

"By the way, I have a surprise for you." She reached for something underneath the counter as Shino looked on with interest.

Hopping off her stool, a box no larger than a shoebox in hand, she strolled over to the back door which presumably led to their back garden. She opened the door, and realizing that Shino was still in his position across the store, urged, "Follow me."

Shino cautiously followed her into what was soon revealed to be the Yamanakas' backyard garden. Ino made herself comfortable sitting on the ground next to a pit of soil. She motioned for Shino to sit down next to her, and he obliged.

"I am going to teach you how to plant. I mean, I've already had to accept that you're feeding my flowers to your beetles, since your stubborn mind is so set on it. If you learn to plant everything at your house, it's cheaper that way, and you can get so many more blooms right there at your house."

She excitedly opened the box she had brought outside. "We've got all these different flower seeds. Tulip seeds, mum seeds, camellia seeds, snapdragon seeds—we've got fruit and vegetable seeds too, but those take longer to grow. You can also take a plant that's already grown and transplant it to your own garden. My father takes care to have the greatest variety in this town. Here, take your pick."

He sifted through the seed packets before holding up one. "How much are they?"

"What? I'm not going to charge you. You're my protégée," she said, a twinkle in her eye. "Let your sensei teach you the art." She sounded pleased at her self-appointed title.

Ino then pulled out an array of tools from a satchel that had been laying not too far away from where they were sitting. She took out each one and explained what their use was—the spade, the shovel, and the trowel, among others. She took one, the trowel, and began poking small holes into the soil using a methodical circular motion.

"This is what you do once you finish preparing the soil in order to plant the seeds, or transplanting a flower. See how I'm just slowly moving the tool? There's no need to rush or be rough with it, like my friends were when they tried doing this. Shikamaru kept trying to take shortcuts so he could get it over with and Chouji kept using too much force. It takes patience and time," she said. "Your arm will definitely get tired, but it's absolutely necessary."

Shino studied her, mentally taking notes on her technique and her advice. He had plenty of patience and time. Learning to plant could certainly prove useful in helping him figure out what was plaguing his mysterious bugs. He was starting to feel a resurgence of hope that he could solve this dilemma after all. He would simply sow all kinds of plants all over his garden, let his beetles roam the garden, and perhaps then they would—

Ino suddenly grabbed Shino's hands, and his thoughts were interrupted as he jumped from the sudden contact. Her touch was gentle as she placed the trowel within his grasp, and guided his hands with the proper motion for tilling the soil. The warmth and softness of her hands contrasted against the cool soil.

"Just like that. Now you try on your own." She pulled away, and it was only then Shino realized he did not find the touch unwelcome. He did not usually come into physical contact with others outside of combat. His family was not usually the touchy type.

"That's right. Perfect."

She sounded pleased with his technique and he felt a small rush of accomplishment. It always had pleased him to be recognized for his ability to pick up skills quickly, even if he didn't show that he did. There was a long moment of silence as Shino continued tilling the soil, and when he finally looked up, he found Ino studying him in interest. There was a rush of heat to his face and he suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Hmm," Ino began, squinting her eyes a bit as she contemplated him. "I'd say you're night phlox."

"What?"

"Your flower. I like matching a flower to a person. There's not really a system to it, it's kind of a gut feeling thing. See, Chouji's the red lotus, because it represents compassion. Shikamaru's the blue lotus, for knowledge. I also think their hair resembles the spiky petals, don't you think? Sakura's easy, of course, being the pink cherry blossom. I can't imagine her as anything else.

"You're the night phlox. They spend all day soaking up the light of the sun with their petals closed, and only open them in the safety of night," she said. "Just reminds me of how you act. Soaking up all of the words of those around you, but you stay silent and private, until you're in the right conditions. The trick is finding out what those are." She paused for a moment. "And you know what else? Night phlox represents a 'united soul,' which is kind of like the bond between you and your kikaichuu."

A united soul, he thought. He liked the concept. "And what are you?" he asked.

"I've always liked what my father's always called me, the violet bush clover. He says when it thrives, the blossom weighs the branches down with all the love it carries in its petals," she smiled, seemingly reminiscing about a moment in her past. "And my undeniable beauty, of course," she winked.

Ino's attention focused on something behind Shino and she suddenly stood in excitement. "Yes! You could totally use that!" she exclaimed, running over to what looked like a small tree, once Shino had followed Ino's line of sight.

"It's a dwarf peach tree," she finally explained as she stood over the mini plant, which did not look all too impressive, and did not have fruit yet sprouting from its limbs. "We've been growing it for a while to have to be ready for sale, since buyers usually want it ready to produce fruit. It's still got some time left before it fruits, but it's about there. Judging from what I've seen today, I think it'll be safe in your hands. You can replant it in your garden, like how I showed you, except you put this baby into the soil instead of a seed. If you need help or forget how to do something, you can always come ask me."

"Thank you. How much is it?"

"I'm not going to charge y—"

Shino interrupted her. "Ino, the seeds were one thing, but I cannot take this without purchasing it. Please take the money."

"All right, all right," she rolled her eyes as she told him the price. She hastily took the money and stuffed it into her pocket. She huffed in annoyance, making a show of her displeasure in her wishes being defied. Still, it did not seem mean-spirited to Shino. Perhaps he was becoming more used to her personality, loud and persistent as it was.