Gah... I dunno how this plot's gonna go anymore! I had an idea at one point, and now it's just flown out the window! Oh well...
One Thing
The floating glasses stepped from the shadows, revealing a boy no older than Naruto, dressed in a long, pale coat with a high collar. Spiky black hair was pushed back by a ninja Hitai-Ate, leaving no guesses as to the identity of this boy.
"Shino?"
"Naruto.. I would like to speak with you on subject matters that are rather, personal."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, wondering what all that gibberish meant, but nodded and followed the boy anyway.
They walked for a good three or four minutes, their surroundings: the woods.
"Gomen.. But what do you want?"
Shino stopped and turned, gazing through those ebony shades, his expression hidden not only by his collar and glasses, but by the darkening shadows about them.
"Hinata-chan.. What is she to you?"
Naruto was stunned by the question, but thought of the words to describe it.. He had so few good things in his life, save a few good friends and Hinata...
"She's... Everything."
Shino smiled, though the action was well hidden. It had been the answer he was hoping for.
"If you hurt her, I will know."
It was the last thing the mysterious Aburame said before disappearing off into the night.
"Nani?" Naruto blinked once, twice, and then a third time before turning and striding back towards the tents...
"That was weird..."
Ahh, Naruto. My trust lies within the boy demon..
Shino watched from the night... Forever watching.
"Nani?" Her cherry-blossom hair arced around her face as she swung around to regard the source of her exclaimed name.
"Sasuke-kun?"
She had recognized the voice, it was obviously Sasuke's low, angsty tune, but the person to match was nowhere to be seen...
"Sakura-chan?" Ino was in front of her now.
"Ino! What do you want?"
"You looked all day dreamy, my big-foreheaded friend, and then you called out for Sasuke.. I was wondering what you were doing..."
"... Nothing, Ino-pig... Nothing.."
Sasuke glared down at his own two hands... Why the HELL had he chosen to do such a foolish thing? Sakura might have seen the blush on his cheeks, or the desperate look in his eyes... Or something like that... And then what would have happened if she thought he liked her? He'd have her clinging off of him like some sort of... clingy, thing.
Yes, Sasuke REALLY sucked at metaphors.
But WHY did he do it? It was just some sort of random impulse...
He did not understand how on earth Naruto lived as just one big impulse, when Sasuke had almost torn down everything he had spent so long building up on one, stupid impulse.
The impulse to call his friend a friend...
Now that would DEFFINATELY make Sakura all... clingy. He remembered the first time he had acknowledged her existence... She was literally latched onto his leg for three full hours.
That was one hell of a day, and this could have been one hell of another one...
He finally lifted his gaze from his hands, looking about his tent until he found two eyes gazing lazily back at him.
"What was that about?" Shikamaru asked after a long moment.
Sasuke shook his head, stating a dull 'None of your business', before wrapping himself up in his black sleeping bag and going to sleep.
He would forget about this overnight, and then tomorrow would be good again, right?
Shikamaru shrugged, it was far too troublesome to analyze someone else's feelings or thoughts, let alone get someone as silent and angsty as SASUKE to speak about them.
He fell back asleep within a few moments, dreaming sweet dreams about... Well... That's Shikamaru's business, and what he dreams about should be of no concern to the rest of us... You could make up your OWN little thoughts about what he dreams about, like perhaps he's dreaming about ponies... or for all of you fluffy hopeless romantics, perhaps he's dreaming of Yamanaka Ino. Those of you rabid fangirls may well believe he's dreaming about each of you...
But whatever it was, Shikamaru smiled in his sleep.
And Sasuke frowned.