A/N: seeing as how Shino talks very little, this may be a bit OOC. I'm basically just using Shino's perspective to investigate the relationship in his team.

What "Bugs" Me

Hmmmm…. Maybe that's why I don't talk so much. I really do apologize for the horrible joke. It's not that I'm really anti-social. I do get along with my teammates just fine. I'm just quiet by nature. It's a good quality for a ninja to have. A ninja should be able to plan and carry out an attack without being discovered by their enemy. It's a trait my family has passed on for generations. It's a lesson I've been learning my entire life. It's one of the things that makes me such a great ninja.

Granted, not all the great ninja in Konoha are quiet. Naruto, for example, couldn't be quiet to save his life. Fortunately for him, he doesn't need to be quiet to save his life. He's got quite a few other talents. Kiba, my teammate, used to be very loud and obnoxious. He's matured a great deal in a short amount of time. He doesn't complain as much as he used to. I think his fight with Ukon and Sakon made him realize he has to be serious to be a successful ninja. It was hard truth for him to face, but it's helped him hone his skills and become stronger.

Kiba's not the only one who's improved greatly. Hinata has been working relentlessly since the Chunin exams. He chakra control, flexibility, and strength have surpassed my wildest imagination.

Hinata… Kiba and I are certainly very protective of her. She's like a sister. A frighteningly skilled warrior-type sister, but a sister nonetheless. I remember Kiba's deep resentment towards Neiji, and honestly, I felt the same way. I was relieved when Neiji and Hinata reconciled after the Chunin exam. I had been dreading the day when Kiba would make me fight Neiji with him.

When we first became a team, I wasn't sure I'd get along with either of them. If not for Hinata, I'm sure I would have murdered Kiba many times over. She kept us both calm, and made us work through our differences. We became very close, as normally happens when you're surrounded by people whom you face life and death situations with constantly. Kiba calmed down, I became less serious, and Hinata grew slightly more confident. We became very comfortable in our roles: Kiba the strength, Hinata to heart, and myself, the mind. It hurt our balance when Hinata fought on her own when we were looking for the Bikouchu, but she had to prove herself. And besides, she's still the same basic Hinata.

Kurenai-sensei, despite her inexperience, is a great leader. She's very compassionate and understanding, but strong and completely ruthless. As a female ninja, she's not afraid to use one of her greatest weapons either- her mesmerizing sexuality. Yeah, I said it. So she's my sensei, so what? I can still think that she's hot. There's no ninja code against that. Besides, I would never act on it. Unless my dreams came true…

Hey, no one said you had to pay attention to me. (That's probably another reason I don't talk much.)

Where was I? Ah, yes, my team. We've become very functional in a rather short period of time. We've learned to rely on each other's strengths, and are working together to remove each other's weaknesses. Kiba's weakness was his inability to stop and think out a situation. He's learned to slow down and make sure he's prepared for what's coming in battle. Hinata's weakness was her lack of self esteem. She's become more confident, and is thus able to act quickly and precisely. My weakness was… well, I don't know. Perhaps I was a little too cocky, and relied too much on myself. I've become quite dependent on my teammates.

They still think I'm strange though. I have bugs living in my body. Of course I'm strange. But in my family, it's not just strange, it's our ultimate weapon. Controlling the bugs lets me set up traps for my opponents, scout out ahead, and be an excellent tracker. I wouldn't fit it on my team if I wasn't able to find our enemies. Our missions are relying more and more on our tracking skills. We seem to always be hunting for someone, or something.

There was a hunt that I missed though.

I should have been in the group that went after Sasuke.

It's not that I'm angry that I missed the action. I just can't help but wonder if my presence would have made a difference. Would Choji and Neiji have avoided their life threatening injuries? Would Kiba and Akamaru have been so badly hurt? Would Lee have had to risk his life fighting that Kimimaro guy? Would Sasuke have gotten away?

I doubt that I would have made that much of a difference. The team still would have had to split up. But I can't get it out of my mind. Maybe, just maybe, I could have helped…

And of course, I really am angry that I missed the action. It seems like almost every genin in Konoha was there, the guys at least. Even that gimp, Lee, was there. Heck, even those Sand ninja showed up. It sounded intense, too. Kiba told me what happened, eventually. It was a challenge getting him to talk, which is unusual. Once I heard the details, though, I knew I should have been there. I may be a weird, quiet loner. But I still don't like being left out.

It was kind of like how I felt after the Chuunin exam. I was the only person from my team to make the finals, but that jerk Kankuro dropped out of our match. I didn't have a chance to prove my strength then, either. I got cheated out of my chance to become a Chuunin. I have to wait till next time, I guess. It's still annoying. What a pain in the ass.

Well, whatever. I'll keep training, keep working, and do the best on my missions. Someday we'll get Sasuke back, and someday, I'll become a Chuunin, no matter what anyone does to try to stop me.