A/N: Whoever reviews this time around gets to request a pairing! Please do, since I badly need a challenge. However, I do not write NejiTenTen. Anyway, let's begin.

She looked at the beautiful sword. She felt fear and revulsion cloud her being. It was such a disgusting sword… stained in her protector's precious blood.

Reluctantly, she forced her hand down to pick up the sword. As soon as the very tips of her fingers had touched the sword, she withdrew her hand. The sensation of sparks was could still be felt. It felt like she was touching something made of raw magic and power, she mused. Perhaps, just perhaps it was not the sword's fault. It was so beautiful…

Shino was still waiting patiently outside the Hyuuga compounds.

Hesitantly, she reached out to pick up the katana. Yes, the sword felt magical in her hands. That feeling…it washed away her inhibitions. The sword was always meant to be hers, to be held like that.

Confidently, she walked out to meet Shino.

Slash!

Yet again, Shino's numerous insects could not get close enough. The sword moved in her hands easily, so easily that it felt like an extension of Hinata herself.

"Hinata? Wow! Where did you get that sword?!" questioned a voice that she knew too well.

She turned to hug her boyfriend.

"It's… someone returned it to me."

Naruto smiled good-naturedly, as if that was entirely plausible. "Ok! Do you want to go for Ramen, Hinata-chan?"

"S-sure!"she replied, a slight blush on her face.

As Shino watched this display, irritation marred his face. Why was Naruto allowed to call Hinata 'Hinata-chan' when he couldn't? Granted, 'Hinata' seemed more intimate. Yet, why wasn't she afraid of Naruto?

Shino sighed. He decided to visit Neji and see what he could find out.

He raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Come in"

"Neji."

"Shino," came the reply.

"About Hinata…"

Almost instantly, the Hyuuga looked irritated, his face closed to any form of probing. Still, for Hinata's sake, Shino decided to try.

"She told me that you protected her during those dreams of hers. Can you define what she meant by 'protect'?"

Neji looked up, his eyes filled with a strange curiosity and surprise. Perhaps, just perhaps, there might also be a hint of delight and pride. In fact, since Neji usually looked stoic and emotionless, to see this strange blend of emotions was interestingly powerful and impactful. There was definitely something that Hinata hadn't told Shino.

"I stay by her side when she rests. Now, please leave," he told Shino.

Shino frowned. He knew it couldn't have been that easy.

Suddenly, he became aware of a light shower of knocks on the door.

"Come in, Hinata-sama," Neji told her, while glaring at Shino. The message was obvious. Neji wanted Shino to go away. Still, Shino decided to observe their reactions. Perhaps Neji had hurt her, too.

"Neji nii-san! A-Are you okay?"

"You asked in the morning."

"Shino-kun?"

"I'm just leaving, Hinata,"he told her, noting the upset on Neji's face when he did not add the suffix behind.

"O-Okay," she replied, head cast down.

"Nii-san, that s-sword is powerful," Shino heard, just as she was about to close the door.

"No, Hinata-sama… you are powerful," came Neji's reply.

They sat by each other silently. Shino felt envious of their relationship. He was merely a teammate; she was so much closer to Neji. The gap was so large that he felt it would never quite close.

A sigh.

"Don't you want to hurt her anymore, Yuzuki-sama?"

"He does not understand… it is not her fault, after all," came the reply.

"Such a pity…she was interesting. Does this mean you will no longer be needing me?"

"Not quite. I still need him to guide me home… and to kill the one who hurt us… that is, if he is still willing to aid me."

"I will try. Life would be boring without you, Yuzuki."

There was a pause.

"You look so much like Hinata-chan."

The girl ran her hands through her white hair. "Perhaps."

Hinata wondered where her life was going. Was it normal to be torn by so many varying emotions? Was it truly fine to hide so much from her teammates? If someone had asked her these very questions but a few months back, she would say that this was wrong. However… these emotions of hers felt so strong, the strongest feelings she had ever felt. It had to be write. She wanted it to be. It had to be.

These conflicting feelings… what did they mean?

She felt strangely happier than she had ever been. She wanted to protect. She did not know what she had to protect, but deep in her soul, there seemed to be a programming. She had to protect something, but she did not know what it was.

Secondly, after she had hurt Neji, she had felt a curious urge. She wanted to destroy. Yet, she did not know what she had to destroy.

Of all the things she felt that she had to protect or destroy, she could feel one very special item. This was the item that she wanted to protect the most. However, she also wanted to destroy it; completely wreck it and turn its shards to shards themselves.

She also knew that this 'item' was a person very close to her.

The question was…who was it?

She didn't know.

Hinata was afraid of going to sleep. Without Neji, she was plagued by constant tremors of fear. She simply couldn't shut her eyes in her own room.

She sighed. She had to find her Neji nii-san, otherwise she simply wouldn't get a single wink of sleep.

With this thought, she walked to his hospital room.

A/N: Hope you liked it!