my thanks is offered once more...

"They're called moon flowers. They show their full potential at sunset, blooming at night and wilting by sunrise. The white petals are spectacular in the light of the moon."

Neji Hyuuga had caught the sentence out of the cacophony in the street and it had made him pause. He hovered at the entrance of the Yamanaka flower shop, looking at a girl with blond hair standing with a young man shrouded in a hooded jacket. The girl looked at the clutch of delicate white blossoms in the vase and continued, "The color attracts night-flying moths. And they're pollinated by those moths instead of butterflies or bees."

"These would suit Hinata-chan." The young man said, a faint trace of amusement seeping from his voice.

Shino Aburame, Neji thought, his eyes narrowing. The girl standing with him was giving him a puzzled look. Ino Yamanaka, Neji's mind supplied.

"What are you talking about, Shino-kun?" Ino asked.

Shino Aburame, however, did not deign to answer the question. He pointed at a bunch of more ordinary-looking carnations that were, nevertheless, cheerful and colorful. Ino sighed with frustration, throwing her hands up at the cluelessness of the other half of Konoha's population. "I'm sure your mother deserves more than carnations, Shino-kun. But why would you ever take advice from a beautiful expert?"

Shino, his face as covered as it was, managed to convey the expression that he did not, in fact, care. He pointedly held up his money. Ino rolled her eyes and took a dozen of the carnations, went back to the counter and wrapped them up.

Neji watched Shino Aburame pick up the flowers and head out to the door. The Aburame, however, stopped when he drew level with Neji. Refusing to look at Shino, Neji continued to watch the interior of the flower shop as Ino Yamanaka stood up uncertainly, eyeing him.

Shino Aburame did not turn his head as he spoke, looking out to the street. "Hyuuga-san."

"Aburame-san." Neji acknowledged, still facing ahead.

"Did you want something with me?"

Neji chose to not speak for a moment, his eyes wandering to the moon flowers. "Why did you think moon flowers would suit Hinata-sama, Aburame-san?" He asked softly, his words heavy with implication.

This time, Shino did turn his head. And for the most fleeting of seconds, Neji felt the skitter of bugs on his skin. Then, Aburame walked on out into the street.

Neji felt his mouth tighten. It certainly wasn't going to end that way. He turned heel and walked after Aburame, leaving an even-more confused Ino looking after them. "Boys!" Neji heard her huffing out.

Neji quickened his pace, his long hair flying out after him. He soon caught up with Shino who had not slowed down at all, nor even spared Neji a glance. The bug-user looked slightly odd, hooded and menacing, carrying carnations. "As her teammate, you have her complete trust," Neji began angrily.

"And I have done nothing to betray that trust," Aburame replied. The bug-user gave him a sideways glance, "I have looked out for her longer than you have."

Neji hissed. "Whatever my actions towards Hinata-sama in the past does not negate my duty to her now. If she is endangered in any way by her actions--"

"Can't you believe in her?" The quiet question stopped Neji's words. Aburame went on, "She is not so weak that she needs protection all the time. She has worked herself hard. Harder than you can imagine. Even that training--" And even though Neji could not see it, he could have sworn Shino Aburame had smiled briefly, "was to become stronger."

"The issue of her strength is not what her father worries over now," Neji said. "Nor am I asking how well you know her strength, but how you know of that training."

And for the first time in the conversation, Shino Aburame was unbalanced. He jerked and looked at Neji from beneath his hood. Neji could not really tell, but he thought the other young man was reddening. "I--" the bug user said precisely, "am not a pervert."

"When and how did you know, then?" Neji asked, attacking.

Aburame-san looked ahead. "While we were on the mission to find the Bikochu, Hinata-chan went training in the middle of the night. Naruto Uzumaki saw her by accident,"

Neji brought a hand to his eyes.

"I do not think he saw much," Aburame-san said, attempting to reassure the Hyuuga, "he said he just saw an ultra-pretty girl at the waterfall whose hands made the water sing."

"He said that?" Neji said suspiciously.

Aburame-san paused. "Not exactly like that, no, but close to it. He did not see; he even wondered if she was real."

Naruto was not the only one, Neji thought. Out loud, he said,"you haven't said how you found out."

Aburame-san gathered the carnations to his chest, as if drawing on his dignity, "I had been the squad leader. I set nocturnal bugs on the perimeter of the camp. They report, I do not see what they see."

Neji nodded. "She cannot do that training again. Her father is not going to be pleased."

Aburame-san did not say anything, but Neji could feel the disapproval roll off him. Neji snapped out, "training is not exclusive to night or to...to nud—" Neji abruptly shut his mouth. He took a deep breath. "There are safer ways to train," Neji finished. He could feel his own cheeks heating.

For a time, the two walked in embarrassed silence.

"If you must know, Kurenai-sensei knows and thinks it does no harm."

"Does the whole village know?" Neji muttered.

"Do not forbid Hinata anything," Aburame-san said, ignoring his remark. "If you truly think her actions are unwise, speak to Kurenai-sensei. So that it is she, and not you or your uncle, who will offer…" And now Neji was sure, Aburame was smiling, "safer ways to train."

Neji let the impertinence go and nodded grimly. It saved Hinata-sama humiliation and would rest Neji's mind about Hinata's safety.

"By the way, how did you find out?" Aburame-san asked.

It was the first time that Neji Hyuuga had ever used a Substitution Jutsu in non-combat circumstances.

Then again, he was feeling threatened.

Shino Aburame, for the second time in that day, was caught off guard. He gaped at the log at his feet as smoke dissipated. He shook his head and went on to his house, wondering at the strangeness of the Hyuuga clan. "And they say I'm weird," he said to himself.