Koishii (Beloved) Part XI
By: Rylolynn
This is the sequel to Shadow of Hinata continuing after Shino and Hinata's first kiss.
Summary: Hinata and Shino share an empathic bond that is tied to their feelings for each other. (If the premise sounds familiar it is loosely based on Imzadi.)
Team 8 are now all Chuunin ranked ninja. (Timeline wise, Tsunade is Hokage, Naruto is away training, Sauske is a expletive who ran away with Orochimaru—basically a little before the Shipuuden series, pre-time-skip.)
Warning: lovey dovey fluff, WAF (warm and fuzzy) prolly a little angsty too. Takes a different direction then the canon.
A/N: Imzadi belongs to Peter David, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Italics: Thoughts
Koishii (Beloved/yearned for)
Shitawashii (beloved/dear)
Okasa (Mother)
Oneesan (older sister)
Otosan (Father)
Juin (Seal)
Previously
The two kikaichu that were inspecting Hinata returned to Shino.
"NO!!!!" Shino's mind was screaming. The kikaichu had to be wrong. If something was wrong he would have known it first. He had imprinted himself to her and his bond to her would tell him so.
"My first (and last)—" Hinata's cynical mind added without thinking. "…act as clan leader is to dispel the practice of juin jutsu."
"Hanabi-chan please bring me Kiba." Hinata's silent request had Hanabi leaving swiftly to comply.
The Hokage deep hazel eyes searched the innocent pale eyes of shinobi in front of her.
"Kakashi and I will make some arrangements. I believe I have some scrolls in my office that may help." With a slight bow Tsunade motioned for Kakashi to follow her.
"We will reconvene in two days."
"Thank you Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensi."
Only three shinobi remained in the large Hyuuga main room.
Neji's hair whipped around as his emotionless eyes pierced into Shino. There wasn't even a need for the Hyuuga genius to begin a long winded monologue for Shino to know he should take leave of the two Hyuugas.
The silent Aburame lingered for a moment worry etched in his usually stoic features before he left. Hinata could hardly calm herself with all the emotions that emanated from her koishii. It made her heart pound and her skin feel flush.
Shino closed the door quietly behind him. His kikai were already buzzing with his contradicting emotions. A crumpled heap of gray cloth landed silently in a corner. Shino cursed his rising temperature as he traced the misshapen outline of his coat. He let himself fall to the floor.
"No. No. No…" he repeated breathlessly to himself.
He was shaking his head, hiding his face in his hands. He made a quick glance back at the door where Hinata and Neji were and let out a shuddering breath.
"What is Neji doing telling me to leave." Shino already knew he was lying to himself. "Why did I leave her with him. Him! A self-pitying, delusional ass who tried to kill Hinata. With his stupid long hair. What man has hair like that?"
An image of his hive attacking Neji's long, flowing, feminine hair until he was completely bald brought a small smirk to Shino's face.
"I've lost it. Hinata wants to free the branch house, to remove the cursed seal from her cousin and I want Neji bald. I want to see my kikaichu buzz right through his silky long locks! I've gone crazy. See, I'm talking to myself!"
Tears streamed down the young Aburame's face.
"Please don't die. Please don't die. You're not sick. You can't be sick." Shino pleaded through his choked sobs. He didn't know it was possible but he felt like his heart was breaking.
Aburame Shino was a man of logic. He received top grades in his classes. He was ranked among the top three shinobi of the Kohona academy. He had held intellectual conversations with the gifted and lazy Shikamaru. He was made leader of his team and other teams. He was usually correct in his assumptions. He shared the same sensitive senses as his kikaichu. He was rarely ever wrong about things.
He desperately wanted to be wrong now.
Hinata felt warm hands cup her face. Silvery eyes bore into her own.
"Hinata-sama I never believed that one could change. I never thought that one could be more then their own predestined fate. I knew that destiny had branded me and I had resigned myself to my own…stupidity."
Soft pearlescent eyes widened with her cousins words.
"That day I…that day you fought me."
"Neji-onisan… at a lost for words… I didn't think it possible" Hinata teased.
"Hinata-sama. I'm serious." The young clan leader couldn't help but think that Neji was never "not serious" and smiled.
A ghost of a smile touched her cousin's lips.
"You refused to give up. You refused to yield as I declared your defeat. You wished to change yourself. You wanted to be more then what people thought of you. You had something to prove to yourself and everyone. And on that day you did. I was the one who lost that day."
Hinata felt the ache in Neji's heart as his voice softened.
"…I lost control. I fear to think what would have happened if no one had been there to stop me."
"Neji-onisan, you don't have to…you would have never hurt me."
"You don't know that."
Hinata wrapped her arms around her cousin and felt him stiffen.
"You would never have hurt me."
Neji felt a whisper brush his thoughts.
Hinata felt him relax in her arms as he let out a sigh.
"Hinata, it is you that needs to realize that I have already hurt you. I have abandoned my responsibility. I was supposed to protect you. But all I did was blame you. I blamed you and your father. I blamed the main house."
Neji broke free from Hinata's embrace.
"Hinata-chan, listen. You were right. You should be more like yourself and less like the idiot I was."
Delicate eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"You cannot resign yourself to fate…"
A small gasp came from the young Hyuuga clan leader.
"Y-you know." Hinata felt like the weight of the truth was pulling her to the floor. It was easier when no one else knew. It was like it wasn't real. But now Neji was confirming her horrible nightmare. Her father was gone. Her mother died of a tumor that gave her an incredible ability. An ability she now shared, along with her fate.
"Fate?" Hinata whispered.
Shino felt afraid. He was afraid of losing her.
A/n: sorry, here's another cliffy for you. I know I haven't updated in awhile, but it's getting pretty angsty in the story and I've haven't been feeling so angsty lately. (Blame my uplifted spirits)
Leave a review and I promise the next chapter will have some Kakashi action! Woohoo.