Seeking Comfort

Rating: PG-13
Characters: Neji, Sakura, Shino, Chouji
Summary: This summer in Konoha … Neji jokes, Sakura flirts, Shino gossips, Chouji eats.

Disclaimer: We've corresponded with Kishimoto-sensei and we've prepared many different flavors of ramen this year. He did hint of something tasty with many legs…

Aburame Shino was smooth, aloof, and detached, the epitome of objective. That's why he was perfect for the job. Konoha Shinbun had requested his skills for this week's 'Featured Youths' column and he had accepted readily. Journalism was not something to be trivialized, Shino knew that much. It required an intricate network of information and strenuous investigations of the facts, both at which he excelled. Add that to his admirable work ethics, Shino was ready to take Konoha by storm. Or by words, that is.

Writing was a secret passion for Shino. He was not a boy of many words, but when he clutched a brush and dipped it into black ink, an empowering feeling to write would overwhelm him and…

Ah, hell.

Who are we kidding really? Shino needed the money. He broke his father's butterfly collection the week before and got no allowance for the rest of the month. But it wasn't Shino's fault, oh no. His father just had to put a trap behind the glass case. Who'd ever heard a butterfly collection with FIVE explosive seals?

Shino was lucky to survive intact, without losing even a pinkie, but his favorite bumblebee, Wendell, had suffered some form of mental breakdown due to the explosion. He refused to fly afterwards. Needless to say, Shino was aggrieved though he didn't look any different.

The money he'd make would go directly to the Save Wendell Fund his mother had generously established. Thus, Shino vowed to work hard.

And one blazing-hot noon in Konoha, he spotted his first victims…

Neji felt something soft and cool pressed against his cheeks. It felt really nice, a welcome change from the scorching heat that crowded his senses. He squirmed a bit, gaining consciousness.

"Aa…," he tried to speak, but found his throat parched. Neji moved his body slightly, just to find that it was taking too much energy, and slumped right back to whatever he was lying on. Something squashy was pressed against his back and for the first time since the world around him went black, he was aware of his surroundings. He noticed the shadows. Lots of shadows. And the fresh scent of grass.

I'm under a tree? Since when?

"Hyuuga-san, you're awake!" cried a distant, feminine voice. A hand immediately flew to his brows, feeling the temperature while the other checked his pulse. The fingers against his skin felt nice and cool. Neji sensed no danger from this person, so he relaxed.

"What—"

"You fainted, Hyuuga," the voice supplied cheerfully. Neji almost swore that it was teasing him.

"Not possible…a Hyuuga doesn't faint," he corrected. Now the hand had moved to his neck and two fingers were pressed against the skin on his lower jaw. Neji realized that his collar had been folded down, exposing his pale skin to the air.

"Your temperature is almost back to normal," the girl said, "and yes, a Hyuuga can faint if he's too stubborn like now."

Neji frowned, he didn't like being reprimanded by anyone. The focus on his eyes had returned, the broken colors were finally taking shapes, and for the second time that day, the pink caught him off guard.

"Haruno?" he gasped.

"Who else? You scared me back there, I thought there was an enemy attack and they got you," Sakura chatted while her nimble fingers work on his shirt.

"What are you doing?" asked Neji when he noticed that his shirt had been opened halfway.

"Undressing you," she replied calmly.

"Why?" the tone betrayed none of his confusion.

"Because I'm dying to see what's beneath this layer of fabric," she continued with the last two straps that hold the shirt, smiling.

Before Neji knew, his tongue had run free with words, "You should just ask. There's no need for this trouble, you know."

"Ah, you're offering?" she lifted one inquiring eyebrow at his face while removing his shirt. A slight blush had formed on her cheeks when she saw his bandaged torso. Sleek, she thought, and strong.

"I'm advertising," he retorted.

"Apparently the heatstroke has gotten hold of your brain, Hyuuga. You're still making jokes, heaven forbid."

After she said that, a trickle of cold water fell on Neji's head. He almost yelped, before his trained body forced him down. He glared at the kunoichi who was now holding a half-empty water bottle.

"In the case of heatstroke, cool water will be the best option to bring the body temperature down," she stated innocently.

"Ever think of just giving the water for me to drink?"

"Now that you mention it," she paused, "I'll buy you some juice. You can pay me back later."

"I gave you my money, woman."

"Darn, I thought you won't remember."

"Trust a kunoichi to steal a man's purse," Neji muttered.

He rolled sideways on the grass and his sight fell on a forehead protector lying nearby. He took it into his hands and glanced back at the girl. She still had hers on. So…

"Haruno, did you remove my forehead protector?"

Shino couldn't believe what Edna, his number one black beetle scout, had told him. A Hyuuga spotted in the presence of a pink-haired girl, relaxing, laughing and fainting! If Shino's news sense was anything to rely on, this could be the next big thing Konoha had ever seen since…since… well, since everyone in the village found out that the missing-nin Orochimaru preferred men for his bedmates (and that wasn't even that big of a surprise, was it? Come on, people…it's Orochimaru-sama we're talking about here). Shino wasn't even born when it happened, but he remembered his father speaking with the other shinobi about it.

Those grown men had shuddered. (1)

He whispered some commands to Edna, before the black beetle flew again towards the direction of the news source. Shino then dashed madly home, he had no time to lose. Reaching his house, he sped upstairs, grabbed the camera his mother had given him for his birthday last year, and raced outside again. This time he used the rooftops to progress.

Edna, being the reliable beetle she was, had informed Shino that the couple could be found under the shade of a big tree across the Hokage's building.

If anyone could see the predatory smile slowly forming on Shino's face hidden inside his collar, they would run away screaming.

An Aburame was hunting.

The kunoichi with the peculiar pink hair looked at her sullen patient, confusion apparent in her green eyes. She did remove his forehead protector, yes, because she needed to put a chilled towel on his brow. Now Sakura couldn't understand why Neji was giving her the evil glare and worse, the silent treatment. He'd refused to make any jokes and was now wearing an all too familiar frown.

Maybe that's a sign that he's getting better, she thought.

"Ne, Hyuuga-san, how are you feeling right now?"

Neji didn't answer. He kept sending murderous vibes towards the younger kunoichi, who refused to be afraid of him.

"If you're being unfriendly like this, does that mean you're recovering?" she persisted. Her hand reached out to feel his temperature again, only to be slapped aside harshly.

"Don't touch me," he growled.

Sakura blinked. The slap had hurt a bit, but what stung more were his words. If all of sick people were this weird, Sakura wasn't sure anymore that she wanted to be in medicine. Where had his jokes gone to? Why the sudden animosity? They were fine before, weren't they? She had thought he had a nice smirk, and couldn't wait to see it bloom into a real smile. Apparently that would not happen.

Damn him and his stupid jokes.

"I see, Hyuuga. I guess my excellent skill has cured you from the heatstroke. Be thankful, eh? Now you can go back being your conceited self," she huffed, standing up.

"What conceited self? I'm charming as I am," he said loudly. Sakura stopped, and turned around to face him abruptly. As if realizing what he'd just done, Neji pursed his lips together and muttered, "I didn't just say that…"

"You…," her eyes had turned into slits. She crouched down and scooted next to his lying form.

"Go away, Haruno," he turned his face from her.

"I don't understand you, Hyuuga. First you were making silly jokes and now you're telling me take a hike?" she asked. When she got no response, she started poking his bare arm.

"Stop it," he ordered.

"Not a very good husband material, are you? Leave'em when you're done," she said with a sneer while jabbing her finger to his flesh.

"Haruno, you'll make a lousy wife."

"Really?" she nudged harder.

He snorted, "Yes, and you're poking me to death here, woman." He hated to admit that he still wasn't able to move and his head was still throbbing. Besides, lying on the grass was quite nice.

"What, the great Hyuuga is afraid of death by poking?"

"I'm defenseless!"

Then it was her turn to snort. "Tell me one good reason why I should not start jabbing you with a kunai," she said.

"You're the medic here, and you will be killing your patient," he replied quickly.

"Not good enough," she answered, her hand had already opened her weapon pouch.

"You took off my forehead protector, that's why!"

She blinked, again. "And what's that got to do with anything?"

"Haruno, are you blind or just ignorant?" he scowled.

"That's it, you're getting a kunai for that comment." She leaned closer with a sharp blade on her hand. Neji's eyes widened, even without the Byakugan he could see that the kunoichi was somewhat serious.

"You didn't see the cursed seal on my forehead?" he suddenly said.

"What?" the kunai stopped mid-air.

He pointed to his forehead, "This, Haruno. Don't tell me you don't see this."

She was silent for a while and then broke into a knowing smile, "That's it? You don't want me to see it?"

"Oh no, you can play bingo with it, I won't mind," he replied, his voice dripping with unfettered sarcasm.

"Goody," she leaned closer, "I've always wanted to beat a forehead in a game of bingo."

"Ha! Mine will kick your forehead anytime, Haruno," he smirked.

"Now who's blind here? I've got a big forehead, didn't you notice?" she tapped the side of her head softly.

Without warning, his thumb brushed against the clear skin of her temple. She blushed.

"Oh, I noticed," he said.

From where he was hiding, Aburame Shino almost whooped silently with joy. His camera then began clicking continuously for several minutes. He could almost sense the smell of new money that he'd be making with these pictures. Wendell is saved! Who would've thought that the stiff Hyuuga prodigy would be caught making out with none other than Haruno Sakura, love interest of his own teammate, Rock Lee?

A love triangle had never been so profitable like now. Sod the measly 'Featured Youths' column, what he had here was the stuff that made the front page!

The Aburame grinned. (2)

He could already see tomorrow paper's headline.

To be continued

Hear, hear!

(1). The grown men shuddered because they remembered the times when Orochimaru-sama himself had hit on their younger selves. Are we cruel or what?

(2). When Shino makes a facial expression, we assume that it's hidden behind his high-collar. One more thing, an Aburame grin is different from, say, a Hyuuga grin. If you're an Aburame, you don't let your grin gets too big. The enemy's flies could get in easily. And if you're a Hyuuga, well… Hyuuga doesn't grin. Period.

(You liar! You made Neji grin like an idiot in the first chapter, what do you say about that?!)

Hush. Pity the confused boy, will you?

(3). The three of us thank the readers and reviewers for their kind words. We're glad that our joint project is starting well.

(4). neonate and Ranier had ganged up against BullyKilla in this chapter. They want more romance, he wants more humor. Where, oh, where should we go from here?

(5). Ranier says: "Yes, it's my real name." Don't listen to him.