In which Shino-ness is discussed

Kiba crossed his arms petulantly. "And he's always so…so…whatever about everything!" Kiba complained. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Actually, Kiba-kun…" Hinata began quietly, "Shino-kun's more like - " Here she sat silent for a few moments, staring off into the distance with a slightly annoyed expression on her face, then reached up and pushed a finger up the bridge of her nose, as if she were pushing up invisible sunglasses, " – about everything."

Kiba's eyes had gone very wide. "Wow…you're right."

"Thank you," Hinata said, turning red.

"Since when have you paid so much attention to Shino?" asked Kiba interestedly. "No one pays attention to Shino. I mean, come on…he's Shino."

"Well, we have been on the team for quite some time, Kiba-kun," Hinata said, starting to feel uncomfortable from all the attention.

"Yeah, but still…I didn't know you were so observant."

"Thank you."

"But I still think he's really 'whatever' about everything," Kiba insisted. "Maybe he doesn't say 'Whatever', but you can tell that he's thinking it!"

"Um…actually, you can't tell."

"You're right again, Hinata. I guess you can't tell what he's thinking."

"You two were talking about me, weren't you?" asked a low, flat voice from behind Kiba.

Akamaru began whining, and Kiba ever so slowly turned around. Hinata looked as if she were about to faint.

"Uh…heh, heh…of course not, Shino!" Kiba protested. "Why would we talk about you?"

Hinata was hyperventilating.

"Why wouldn't you talk about me?" countered Shino.

"But why would we?"

Shino did exactly what Hinata had said he always did, even pushing the sunglasses up and everything. Then he said, "I don't know."

"So how would you know we were talking about you, if we had been?" continued Kiba.

Hinata had collapsed in a dead faint. She couldn't handle the idea of lying to Shino.

"My bugs told me," Shino said simply.

"Oh."

If Shino were the kind of person that said, "Ah-HAH!", he would have, but he wasn't that kind of person. So instead he said, "So you were talking about me."

"You can't prove that!"

"Yes, I can."

"Oh, yeah? How?"

"Hinata has fainted in a fit of panic. She only reacts that way when she's feeling guilty about something."

"Oh," Kiba said again. "And…were you serious about your bugs telling you about us?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Yes."

Kiba had a sudden idea. "Shino, do you ever say, 'Whatever'?"

"…No."

"Well, do you ever think it?"

"…No."

"Oh."

"Do you have any other pointless questions to ask?"

"No."

"Good. Now, let us revive Hinata."

"Oh, yeah…okay." Kiba had another idea. "Hey, Shino? Could you take off your sunglasses?"

"Must we go through this every day, Kiba?"

"…Yes."

"Then, no, Kiba, I will not remove my glasses."

"Oh, well."