Koishii (Beloved) Part V
By: Rylolynn
This is the sequel to Shadow of Hinata continuing after Shino and Hinata's first kiss. Hinata and Shino share an empathic bond that is tied to their feelings for each other. (If the premise sounds familiar it is loosely based on Imzadi.) Warning: lovey dovey fluff, prolly a little angsty too.
I am taking on the same Chuunin exams format from the anime (starting from episode 24.) Part I written exam (cheating/information gathering), Part II forest of death (survival), and Part III one-on-one combat (fighting). I probably won't get into too much detail about the exam parts mostly focusing on the characters (hope you're not too disappointed about that)
A/N: Imzadi belongs to Peter David, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Italics: Thoughts
Koishii (Beloved/yearned for)
Shitawashii (beloved/dear)
Shino smirked at the irony of how serene the "Forest of Death" was. Even Kiba had quieted down in the peaceful scenery of tall woodlands. The scent of the earth and trees, and a cool breeze reminded Hinata of her teammates. A small smile touched her lips as she regarded them.
The cool air bit their cheeks as they ran at ninja speed. Their feet skimmed across tree branches as they raced through the Forest of Death. Hardly a sound could be heard in their haste but a soft breeze rustling the tree leaves.
It was too quiet. Akamaru thought just as a coughing sound cut into the soft sound of the wind. A spitting and sputtering Kiba cursed all insects as he had almost ingested several flies. Shino shook his head, and Hinata suppressed a chuckle in her throat. At this she could feel an internal sigh from the stoic bug user running beside her.
"Kiba how many times do I have to tell you? If you keep a small amount of charkra in the direction you are running, it will give warning to the insects around you so that they will no longer be in the path that you travel." Shino's voice was firm while Kiba noted how it resembled a low growl.
Hinata felt her cheeks warm as a blush threatened to stain her cheeks. Shino and Kiba were really good friends, when they weren't trying to kill each other. She decided to stay quiet this time and hope she wouldn't have to "referee" (as Kurinai put it) between the two shinobi. 'Hinata you have your own strength already. And with time you'll find another type of strength as well. Don't you see that it is you that keeps your team together?' Kurinai's old words replayed in Hinata's mind. "Yes" was her simple reply then; even though she had not meant it at the time. She glanced over at her two teammates. Yes she had learned another type of strength. Through them she was able to get stronger. Kiba and Shino truly cared about her (it was a feeling she was not used to.) They trained with her and helped her grow. They too had grown.
"They will not need me to 'referee.'" The Hyuuga heiress thought to herself.
"He knows better." Shino's incensed voice echoed in Hinata mind.
Hinata's connection with Shino allowed her to better understand his relationship with the kikai that inhabited his body and his views on all insects in general. He better then any one else (other than another Aburame) understood the importance of insects. He understood their instincts and to some extent their thoughts. He had empathy for them but he also knew there was a natural rhythm to life. Insects provided other animals, even other insects with sustenance. They are born, they mate, they work, they fight, and they die. Bugs lived and died, just like all living things. But for Shino the unnatural tormenting of insects was not something he tolerated. Death without purpose was unforgivable.
"Shino, the flies are fine." Hinata soothed. "Maybe a little wet, but for the most part unharmed."
Milky white eyes widen in surprise while almond shaped hazel eyes narrowed at the Hyuuga heir that Shino cherished.
"Hinata" Shino paused for a brief moment. "How do you know the flies are fine?"
"I-I don't kn-know."
The ability to sense the well being a several insects from a distance was difficult for even a skilled Aburame member. It requires precision chakra control to communicate with insects that are not ones own kikai.
"Sorry! Heh," Kiba flashed his trademarked toothy grin, brushing his hand through his messy hair. "I forgot." Kiba took a breath. "You know they should teach that in the academy, I used to get bugs stuck in my teeth all the time when I first learned how to run with chakra for speed and endurance. Oi! I don't want to eat them just as much as they don't want to get eaten." Kiba supplied catching a quick glance at Shino.
Shino gave Kiba a quick nod in recognition. The sprint through the forest continued in silence until the setting of the sun.
"We will rest here for tonight." Shino's deep voice addressed his teammates gesturing where they should camp. Their teamwork mirrored an insect colony (Shino reflected), or a dog pack (Kiba thought) just like a family who loved each other (Hinata thought privately to herself). She loves Shino with all that she was and aspired to be and loves Kiba as the brother she never had. The sun disappeared in the forested horizon just as team 8 finished setting up camp.
The night was warm and Hinata lay in a sleeping bag on the ground near a tent. Kiba's snores could already be heard through the tent. Hinata whispered a quieting jutsu and the slumbering Inzuka and ninja-dog were no longer heard.
They had covered a lot of ground on the first day of the second Chuunin exam trial. Hinata brushed several strands of ebony hair out of her face as she stared up into the night sky. The brilliant stars reflected in Hinata's moon eyes. 'How beautiful they are away from the city.'
Even though Konoha was a 'hidden village' it was also a busy city being the largest and most prominent of the shinobi villages. The city lights drowned out the numerous stars of the night sky. But here in the forest away from the bright city lights, the only light that could be seen was beautiful star lights.
Shino looked down from the tree he was perched in. Having first watch during the night he regarded the opal eyed girl that captured his heart. She was not yet sleeping. Shino smiled to himself. She had stars in her eyes. The reflections of the starry sky in her large white eyes were like stars on a lake and so (Shino amused) she literally had stars in her eyes.
"Koishii, my beautiful."
"…" A pink blush flushed Hinata's pale skin that could be seen the dark night.
"Although I love getting lost in your eyes, Hinata, please rest. You will have the third watch and we will continue at dawn."
Hinata closed her eyes and wished he was at her side and speaking (out loud) next to her. And although Shino's "voice" sounded the same in her mind as it did out loud, she loved the vibrations it sent through her as he talked to her in his baritone voice. The way his warm breath would caress her skin when he would whisper in her ear.
Hinata woke before Akamaru could give her a playful lick on the cheek (this was the ninja-dog's favorite way of waking the quiet kunoichi) She gave the growing dog a quick pat on the head and a piece of jerky she had in her pack. Kiba whined, "Man he gets all the luck. Well, Hinata's it's your turn, it's been pretty quiet. Yeah Akamaru, too quiet." Kiba glanced down at his furry teammate who was already settling in for a quick nap before sunrise. His eyes met Hinata's again and he flashed her a quick smile as he passed her their scroll. He tilted his head upwards and smelled the night air.
"Sunrise should be in three and half hours, I haven't noticed any other teams around." Kiba smiled again his hand on Hinata's shoulder. "We'll definitely beat our old Chuunin exam record time for getting the other scroll and finishing part two."
Hinata smiled back at the shinobi with red painted cheeks. He had just talked to her in a calm voice. With a nod he headed back into the tent with Akamaru already asleep. Yes, slowly they were all improving, changing, growing.
Hinata held the Heaven scroll in her hand and had already known that a team from the Hidden Grass Village carried an Earth scroll. She quickly placed it back in her pack while she scanned the forest with her byakugan.
Hinata could see that one Grass shinobi was "answering the call of nature" and see that another one was gathering supplies. Hinata, most importantly, could see that the kunoichi taking down their camp site held the Earth scroll on her person.
"Shino, Akamaru!" Hinata called out, not really knowing if in their slumber they could "hear" her. "Kuso, it's not working!"
Three small charkra signatures stirred in under Shino's coat. Several of his kikai were roused. Without hesitation Hinata thought "Wake Shino and Akamaru now!"
Hinata could sense that Shino and Akamaru were no longer sleeping and gave them instructions as to the current situation. Akamaru immediately woke Kiba and set off after the "busy" shinobi. Shino was already securing the other shinobi while Hinata and Akamaru prepared to take the Earth scroll.
Mwahahaha evil laugh ok a bit a cliffy, but I need to think out the "action scenes" a little more so they don't suck (hopefully) Plus it was very late at night that I wrote this. I apologize for my sleep deprived writing. Hope you like it.