A/N:Okay, lets make this clear. I LOVE Hinata Hyuga! She has a whole set of morals and values that I admire a lot, and the Hinata in this story does not, in any way, reflect the Hinata in the real Naruto, nor my feelings towards her. Anyway, it's been a loooooong time. Is anyone still here? Hahaha. Enjoy! :)
"Seriously, Shino? Sakura? Like what? When did that happen?"
"It's not what you think, Temari." Shino had returned to his room after the dinner, tired out and exhausted, only to find a fuming Temari sitting cross-legged on his bed.
"Oh, wow, I thought we were in this together man, you have got to keep me up to date with all these developments!" Temari exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "You have yet to tell me what Hinata Hyuga did to send you into a state of depression, let alone the reason to why you're kissing Sakura?"
Shino huffed audibly. "It all happened too fast to be relayed to you in time! Wait. How do you know about Hinata?"
"Uh, Shino, I'm not blind. And as your best friend, I think I will notice if you've been out of sorts lately. So... Care to enlighten me, bestie?" She said, slightly teasing.
Shino started a little at her reference. Shino has never thought about what exactly Temari was to him, but now that she laid it all out so clearly, he realised that what she said was right. The fiery-tempered wind ninja of the sand was his best friend.
"Hinata said some really mean things about me, can't really remember exactly, and yeah, that hurt me badly." Shino said slowly, calculating his words, careful not to show his weakness- emotion. "And Sakura wanted my help to make Gaara jealous and start liking her, and so I agreed. That's it, we aren't actually dating."
Temari had a thoughtful look on her face. "Shino... Dont downplay your feelings. You remember exactly what she said, don't you?"
"Alright fine. She said that I was an overpossesive, self-absorbed, under-appreciating, stubborn, creepy bug ninja." Temari leapt up from the bed and seemed ready to shoot out the window and strangle the Hyuga. Shino had to use the help of his bugs to hold her down, she was that angry.
"Damn it, Shino!" She exclaimed indignantly, gesturing to the hundreds of crawling bodies fastening her to the cream comforter.
After she had calmed down a little, Shino released his beetles, and shuffled over to sit next to her. She looked at him sadly, sighing, and patted his knee in her own attempt of comfort. "I'm sorry that you had to fall for such a vixen. You alright?" She laughed mirthlessly. "What am I talking about it. Of course not. I'm really sorry, Shino." She said kindly, furrowing her eyebrows slightly.
"Why apologize when it isn't your fault?" Temari just looked absentmindedly out of the window, wishing she was in the Hyuga compound so she could give that little Hinata a piece of her mind.
"Temari..." Shino warned, clearly recognising her brain patterns of anger and indignation.
"Okay, okay fine. I promise to try to be nice."
"Temari! Wait up!"
Temari stopped abruptly as she heard the sickly sweet, shy voice calling out her name. She ground her teeth, shaking her head in disbelief. Was this girl sure that she should approach her without Shino to protect her? Temari made no attempt to turn around, just staying in the exact position, waiting for the Hyuga to state her purpose.
"Temari! Thanks! I-I need to ask you something!" The girl stuttered as she walked in front of Temari, puffing to catch her breath. Weakling.
"Yes, Hyuga?" Mentally, Temari applauded herself for the amount of venom her voice was dripping with, even better, the wide-eyed look of disbelief and hurt on Hinata's face. I bet Shino looked like that when he heard you, she thought, smirking at the Hyuga's discomfort.
"Oh, uh, is Sh-Shino-kun okay?"
Temari's eyes narrowed dangerously into slits. How dare she? After what she did to Shino, lead him on then brush him off, come sauntering up to her and ask, all concerned and caring, if Shino was okay.
"Peachy." She spat, revelling in the Hyuga's confused and upset face.
"What I mean is... Is he d-dating Sakura?"
Ohh, so this is what this is about. Temari thought to herself, teeth gnashing at the fact that Hinata still felt that she had a right to know.
"Yeah. So what?" Temari challenged, crossing her arms and pulling herself up to full height, towering over the little girl.
"N-Nothing. That's good. Yeah, he should be with someone that makes him happy."
Oh. No. She. Didnt. Temari had already spread her fingers and swung her arm, fully prepared to slap Hinata right across her cheek, if not for the muscular hand grabbing her wrist, preventing her from carrying out her intended action.
"Temari. You said you'll try to be nice!" Shino grunted, still not releasing his hold on her hand.
"Keyword: Try!" Temari exclaimed as she tried desperately to slap Hinata with her left hand, only to have that one blocked as well.
"Well, you're not trying!" Shino pointedly glared at the fact that her arms were still writhing to get out of his grasp.
"Okay, okay, fine!" She huffed, then tore her hands away from his, stalking off. "Though I have no idea why you're still protecting her. She isn't worth it." Temari called over her shoulder as she walked away.
Shino sighed and shook his head. Women.
"Sh-Shino-kun? Thanks." Shino had forgotten that she was still standing behind him, and his back stiffened, heart racing double speed.
What was he supposed to say? Yeah, no problem, I go around stopping my maniacal friends from slapping girls who break my heart everyday. No biggie.
Instead, he gave his signature non-commital grunt and started walking off. "Wait. Shino-kun." A jolt of electricity ran through his body as she clung on to his arm. It was not fair. Why did she still have this spell over him? He should have yanked his arm away, yelled at her to stay away, but he didn't need to, someone else helped to send that message loud and clear.
"Oh hey baby!" Sakura sang as she flounced over, gently peeling Hinata's hand off Shino's arm and claiming his lips in a kiss. She kept her arms around his waist, holding him flush against her chest as she grinned at him. Hinata had pulled away with horror at the sight in front of her. Shino forced a smile on his face, both to try and forget the hurt Hinta had caused and to help Sakura with her plan. His eyes searched the surroundings quickly, and affirmed the presence of the bloodred-haired sand ninja. Sakura launched into one of her girlfriend acts, and Shino responded. He turned slightly and saw Hinata looking striken, angry even, as she watched the couple. His heart gave a hopeful little jump, but he forced himself to conceal it. Hinata did not love him, nor want him, for if she did, she would have never said those things to him.
"Well, that was an interesting sight." Shikamaru drawled as he approached Temari, who was sitting on the ground, drawing in the sand.
"What do you mean?" Temari asked absentmindedly, patting the space next to her, inviting Shikamaru to sit. He sat, albeit a little reluctantly.
"Why was Shino Aburamae holding your hand?" He asked, voice slightly guarded. Temari's head whipped over to look at him.
"What? When?"
"Just now...?" Shikamaru prompted.
"Ohh!" Temari exclaimed, then burst out laughing as she realised what Shikamaru was talking about. "I was trying to slap Hinata and he was stopping me. Why? Are you... Jealous?" She winked at him and poked his bicep teasingly.
"Wait, why were you trying to slap Hinata?" Shikamaru asked, confused.
"You don't want to know. You would want to slap her too. Now back to the main issue. Are you jealous?"
Shikamaru pressed his lips into a straight line, but could not help the smile threatening to break through from her teasing. Temari felt a spark of happiness within her. He cared. He actually cared about her!
"Seriously though, I don't have to be threatened by Shino, right?" Shikamaru asked warily, an eyebrow raised.
Temari thought through all the times that she spent with Shino, did she ever feel anything more than what she should have? She tried imagining going on romantic dates with Shi- eww. No way. "Nope, not in a million years." She smiled, and interlocked Shikamaru's fingers with her own.