Er...HI GUYS:dodges flying food items: Don't be mad! I promise, while there shall be a bit of angst, the humor will ultimately win out in the end. At least, I think it will... :grins: Hold tight, eh?

To all my reviewers: Honestly, this story has been a challenge to write so far, but your encouragement has helped immensely. I know I've said I love ya before, but I can't say it enough! I LOVE YOU GUYS! Thank you, thank you, thank you:tosses out cookies:

Chapter 5: When in Doubt, Give her Flowers
"What am I going to do? I can't believeI got myself into this! What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking! I can't do this. How am I going to get her to kiss me before Kiba? How am I going to get her to kiss me at all?"

Shino buried his head in his hands. He and his brother sat at the kitchen table, and he had just finished relating the entire fiasco. Jiro calmly peeled an apple with a sharp knife.

"I'd say you're in trouble," he stated as the skin of the apple fell in strips on a plate.

"Gee," Shino said sarcastically, "thanks a bunch, Jiro. I couldn't have figured that out by myself if you hadn't told me."

Jiro looked up from the apple, one of his brows raised. "Oh dear," he sighed tragically, "My brother has succumbed to the curse of teenage angst. And I thought that we'd moved past that stage, since you are almost twenty, after all, but I see that I was mistaken."

Is he trying to be funny?

"I do not have angst!"

"Yes you do."

"No I don't!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"You do, because you're arguing with me. Normal Shino is more composed, and he allows things to kind of slide off." Jiro motioned with his hand. "Smooth, like."

As irritated as he was, the more Shino thought about it, the more he came to believe that his brother might be right.

I have been moody the past few days, haven't I?

Yes, Echo replied, even though Shino had not asked for another opinion on the matter.

"I have good reason though!" He said out loud, answering both his brother and the Bug. "If Kiba wins the bet, then any chance I have to be with Hinata is gone! I'm such an idiot! It figures, the one time I let my temper get the better of me is the worst time possible."

Jiro nodded. "And the peanut gallery says Amen to that."

"Do you have any idea how immensely unhelpful you're being?" Shino asked, exasperated. Seeing his brother with the apple, he decided that he wanted one as well, and reached for the basket in the middle of the table.

"Of course."

To avoid a soaring blood pressure, Shino focused on his apple. When Jiro was in one of these moods, it was impossible to talk sense with him.

"I'm surprised at you, to be honest," Jiro said between mouthfuls of fruit. "You know how Kiba is, and yet you let him get under your skin. Now, if it had been me, I would've told him to kiss his own behind and gone after Hinata."

Calm, Shino. You are calm.

No you are not, Echo put in.

I am calm...

"Jiro, do me a favor and just stop talking, okay?" He said evenly, "I think we'll both be much happier that way."

Jiro snorted. "But I thought I had such a pleasant voice. You wound me so."

Calm...

"WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? I'M GOING TO DIE ALL ALONE BECAUSE I'M A STUPID, USELESS MORON, AND YOU'RE JUST GOING TO STAND BY AND WATCH!" Shino bellowed, his vocal chords protesting with this new use. It was a rare thing for him to get so worked up that he shouted, but every last one of his buttons had been pushed at present, and there was only one thing to do after that. Jiro dropped his apple in shock, and Shino felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Serves him right for provoking me.

"Whoa! Chill out, for cripes sake! Look, there's plenty of stuff we can do to fix this, okay?"

"Please, do tell. I'd like to know," Shino croaked, his throat raw.

I'm never doing that again...

"Er..." Jiro scratched his head and fidgeted a bit. "Well...you can...erm...oh bother. My experiences with women have all been ghastly, so I guess I have no room to criticize you," he conceded.

Shino sank into his chair, sighing. "What I need is a girl to talk to, so I can figure out what it is that girls like. That's the ideal solution—" He paused, thinking back on his days as a Genin on a three man team, when his sensei had been...

"Kurenai!" He blurted.

Jiro stared. "Who?"

"My old sensei!" Shino replied excitedly. "She's a girl, so she'll be able to help me out! Plus, she was my sensei, so that tips the scale in my favor, since she'll be more willing to give me advice. She seemed to like me well enough."

"Probably because you weren't so talkative back in those days," Jiro observed.

"Oh whatever," Shino waved his hand. "I thought you wanted to have a more sociable younger brother. You've been harping on me for years, hypocrite." He got to his feet. "I'm going to see her now, because I can't waste any more time. I'll bet Kiba's already up to something."

Jiro watched Shino leave, shaking his head.

The Other is quite brave, said Arrow, one of Jiro's Bugs. I fear for his future sanity once this ordeal is over.

"That makes two of us, buddy. Ah, well, he can handle himself. At least, I hope he can."

Your faith in your kin is admirable.

"I try." You'd better beat the snot out of him, Shino, or living with you is going to be an unpleasant experience, to be sure.

"Woah, woah, woah! WHAT did you do?" Kianna could hardly believe her ears. I swear the whelp gets stupider with every year that passes.

Kiba had gone back to his customary prowling back and forth across the floor. Akamaru rested on the top of his head, and his expression, despite the fact that he was a dog, resembled mild irritation.

You may have gone too far this time, Kiba, the dog said. If I had known you left me behind to do that, I would have bitten you.

Kiba's face became melancholy. "Well, that's not nice! You haven't bitten me since I was a pup!"

Yes, I know. I am beginning to think that my judgment was poor.

"He's right, idiot," Kianna growled. "Don't you know anything about females? It's going to be much harder for Hinata having two lovesick puppies after her, and if she ever finds out about this bet, I promise you, she won't be happy. I'd flay the both of you if it were me."

"I'm sorry!" Kiba exclaimed. "I got...caught up in the moment! I'm going to have a true quest, like a knight!" The dreamy cast returned to his eyes. "A valiant knight risking everything to woo his lady fair! A knight who doesn't balk from any foe! A knight—"

"Who needs to shut up before I kill him!" Kianna interrupted. "Good lord. I feel sorry for Hinata. She's got a fool like you on her tail...blech."

If he were a balloon, Kiba would have deflated.

"I'm sorry for being a romantic," he muttered.

"All right, so now what? How are you going to 'woo' her, huh?"

"I was thinking some flowers," Kiba said in a monotone voice. "And maybe a candlelit dinner. Is that okay with you?"

Kianna raised her brows. "Oh...well, that's normal enough, I suppose. Flowers are nice, I'll give you that. Dinners are too, come to think of it."

"Thanks," Kiba replied, though he was not enthusiastic about it. "Now that I have your blessing, oh picture of feminine wiseness, may I excuse myself from your luminous presence and get down to business? I have a lot to do."

Kianna looked at Akamaru. "I give you permission to bite him, if you'd like."

The dog grinned, and beat his tail against the back of his master's head, the equivalent of canine laughter.

"Oh, go on. Get out of here."

"You're too kind." Horrid beast-woman. No wonder why you don't have any boyfriends...

"Weren't you leaving?" Kianna inquired, her hands on her hips. Brat. I almost hope that Shino wins this bet. Kiba's on an ego-trip that's lasted nineteen years, and it's about time for him to have a taste of his own medicine.

"Adieu, wench," Kiba said, and scurried out the door before he could receive the brunt of his sister's rage.

I am amazed at how often you court with Death, Akamaru said dryly.

"Meh. She deserved it."

Whatever you say.

Kiba was not paying attention. "Now, I need to go to the flower shop, though I think I may do that last. I'll get the food first..."

Akamaru sighed.

Almost as soon as the boys departed, Hinata decided that a heart-to-heart with Ino and Sakura was in order. The confusion that plagued her before only increased after what had just happened, and she needed help sorting it all out.

I can't deny it: there is definitely something going on between Shino and Kiba. That little display proved it. Kiba was practically dragging Shino away.

She reached the Yamanaka flower shop in record time, yanking the door open so hard that the bell above it gave off more of a rattle than a tinkle. Looking towards the counter, she saw Ino standing behind it, and exulted in her luck.

The blond girl heard the bell, and glanced up from a magazine she'd been reading. "Hinata? What's—"

"I need a girl conference. I'm having a crisis, major."

She did not need to say any more. Ino calmly closed the magazine, went in the back to ask her mother to mind the desk for a bit, and linked her arm through Hinata's.

"I think Sakura's at home right now, so we'll check there first," Ino said on the way.

Luckily, her hunch was correct, and Sakura answered the door when Hinata and Ino got to her house. She was equally quick to throw on her sandals and grab a purse, and together, the three girls set out for their favorite park a few blocks over.

"Does this have something to do with what we talked about at the café?" Sakura inquired when they settled themselves on the grass.

Hinata nodded.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Ino said, mock-indignant. "You had a conference without me? Come on, fill me in!"

"It was sort of a spontaneous thing," Hinata explained, smiling. "But, anyway, here's the short version. Kiba asked me out a few days ago--"

"He did?" Ino interrupted, her eyes going wide.

"I know, I said the same thing," Sakura agreed, nodding at Ino.

"Yeah, he did. So, he asked me out, but I'm not really sure how I feel about him. I haven't given him an answer yet for two reasons: One, I've been thinking about Shino an awful lot lately—"

"Wait, wait," Ino cut in again. "Shino? He's the quiet guy with the bugs, right?"

"Mm-hmm. Anyway, I've been thinking about him, and I don't know if there's just friendship between us, or something more than that. It's really been baffling me, but that isn't the worst part. Now, listen up, you haven't heard this, Sakura," Hinata looked at the pink-haired girl, "because it happened like, fifteen minutes ago. I had just finished sparring with my cousin, and I heard arguing, so I went to see who it was, and both Shino and Kiba were there, all dressed up. Kiba said something about the two of them wanting to take me to lunch, and they were really snippy with each other while we were together. This is where it gets odd, though. So, after lunch, they walked me home, and they were acting all sugar-sweet to each other, right, and then Kiba said a bunch of stuff about having a lot to do, and then he toted Shino away. If that isn't weird, I don't know what is. I mean, I know Kiba. He doesn't forget things that easily, and I know he's been waiting for me to answer him. So now what do I do?"

Sakura and Ino exchanged glances.

"They were both dressed up?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah."

"And they were snippy," Ino added.

"Very."

"Something's up," Sakura concluded.

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I figured that much. I was sort of hoping you could tell me what."

Ino and Sakura looked at each other again.

"I'm inclined to believe that they both like you," Ino said. "That's the only thing that makes sense."

Sakura nodded. "I'm with her."

"No, no, that can't be it!" Hinata exclaimed, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I'm not all that special..."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. Did you not notice all the stares that you were getting when we walked here? You're a knockout, frankly. And you have a nice personality, on top of that. There are plenty of reasons for two boys to be in love with you at the same time."

"Yeah, I totally agree," Sakura said. "You aren't a little girl anymore, Hinata, and you've made it so people can't ignore you. Have a little confidence, eh?"

"I suppose," Hinata said, though she was still skeptical. "That doesn't help me solve this problem though. If they both like me, which I highly doubt, then I'd have to choose between them...I don't know if I could do that."

"You'd be stuck in that position, anyway," Ino pointed out. "Didn't you just say that you think there may be something between you and Shino?"

Oh...I never thought of that...oh dear...

Hinata rested her head on her knees. "I'm not used to all this attention from boys...I don't know if I'm handling it very well..."

Sakura patted her on the back. "It'll work out in the end. Ino and I will always be here for support, remember that. You can come to us whenever, okay?"

"Thanks, guys."

Ino grinned. "Let's get some ice cream and watch stupid girly movies. That always helps. Besides, it's chilly out here."

Hinata smiled back. "It's chilly, and you want ice cream?"

"Ice cream is always good, no matter what the weather's like. Come on."

Shino made his way briskly to the flower shop, repeating the words of his former sensei over and over in his head.

"I know that I like flowers," Kurenai said, giving Asuma a significant look. The two had married a year ago, to no one's surprise. The other man blushed, and Kurenai winked at Shino. "And, compliments are good, especially when we're having a bad day. Women need to be assured of their appeal often, don't forget that."

She tapped her chin. "It's all about the little things, really. You know, like a touch, or a gesture...something that lets a woman know that you're thinking of her. I don't believe that Hinata is looking for someone who will shower her with expensive presents and take her out to fancy dinners. Once in a while, those things are nice, but it means more if you do something...genuine...does that make sense? I'm trying to explain...though it's kind of hard to put it into words."

But that had been enough for Shino. Her words made more sense than anything he'd heard in a while.

"Thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

Kurenai smiled. "I hope everything goes well. I always had an inkling that something of this sort would happen eventually."

"You did?" Shino asked, taken aback.

"Yes, I did. Hinata seems like the type of girl who would be a good match for you," she said, and patted his cheek. And I'm not surprised about Kiba, either, the rascal." She sighed. "Leave it to him to turn this into a scene right out of a tragic play."

Shino snorted. "Tragic, indeed. This is more like a comedy of errors, and I'd rather be a spectator."

He rounded a bend and the flower shop was in sight.

So was Kiba.

"Oh not again!" Shino muttered. "Why does this keep happening?"

Because you are unlucky, Echo said.

"Shut up, Echo."

Grouch.

Closing his eyes, Shino counted to ten. "Okay, that's it. He said this was war, right? It's time for the bumbling Knight to make his stand, damn it!"

That decided, Shino marched into the shop.

Kiba had the same idea.

One boy stood at either end of the shop, and they glared at each other. Electricity seemed to shoot between their locked eyes.

"Not very original, are you?" Kiba smirked. "Going to try and win her with flowers, eh?" Damn it! He's stealing my idea! That's not right! I'm the romantic here, not him!

Loser. You're doing the same thing as me!

"At least I won't make them wilt by looking at them."

The sparks flew.

"You're asking for it, twinkle-toes!"

Shino thought about replying to that, but he didn't feel like wasting his breath. Instead, he turned his back on Kiba and began examining the flowers.

Twinkle-toes? That's the best you can come up with?

He's ignoring me! Kiba growled deep in his throat, and he, too, looked through the flowers, swearing at Shino in his head.

Occasionally, each would glance over a shoulder to check on the progress of the other, which did not aid matters much. The heaps of flowers to be purchased grew larger and larger as time went by. Shino did not know how he would manage to pay for everything, but at that point, he no longer cared.

I said I was going to beat you, so that's what I'm going to do!

Of course Kiba was thinking along the same lines. You cannot defeat me, foul cretin! The noble Knight always prevails! HAH!

Ino's mother watched the two boys as they frantically made to buy out her entire store, an eyebrow raised.

It must be a girl, she thought, shaking her head. Men can be so silly when it comes to that sort of thing. Though I can't complain. They're bringing me business, after all.

Hinata returned home that night from her day with the girls feeling refreshed. The ice cream turned out to be a very good idea, as did the movies. Of course, she did not expect to see what she saw when she walked through her front door.

"Someone obviously has a thing for you," Neji said as he emerged from another room.

That was an understatement.

Flowers of all shapes and kinds littered the main room of the compound. Everywhere she looked, there were flowers, flowers, and more flowers.

Hinata's jaw went slack.

"Wh—wh—wh—"

Neji grinned. "Have fun sorting all this out," he said, and plopped two small cards into her hand.

When she was able to tear her eyes from the mass of color, she looked down at the cards, and over at Neji.

"I didn't open them, but it was killing me." He said.

Her hands trembling, Hinata turned the first card over.

From a Knight who loves you more than the earth.

Hinata's brow furrowed. There was no name. She looked at the other card.

From a Knight who wants nothing more than to see you smile.

This card had no name, either.

Neji raised his brows. "It looks like we've got a bit of intrigue on our hands."

:grins: I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I wanted to have this story finished before I go back to college in two weeks, but I don't think that's going to happen. My updates may not be as frequent, but I'm going to do my best, I promise!

:tosses out more cookies to everyone: