Koishii (Beloved) Part VI
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)

A/n: sorry about the long wait…

Previously…

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.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Part 6

The Grass Village kunoichi was almost finished striking her tent as Hinata concentrated her chakra into her hands and targeted several chakra points in the kunoichi's back. Three soft taps and the Grass ninja crumpled to the floor.

Akamaru was at Hinata side when she heard a soft growl emanating from the nin-dog. Suddenly Hinata felt the cold hard earth scraping her cheek as she felt thin razor like snakes crawling up her legs. With her byakugan already activated the Hyuuga heir knew that the "snakes" binding her was actually grass that was snaking up her giving her countless fine cuts on her legs. Hinata reached into her supply pack and pulled out a kunai knife and attempted to cut her bindings at the roots.

Akamaru had the grass ninja's arm in his mouth, while he attempted to hold her down with the rest of his body. Although he had grown since the last time team 8 had taken the Chuunin exams, he was still having difficulty pinning her down. The Grass ninja was using her free hand in a wild attempt to injure Akamaru and free herself.

Hinata felt panic rise in her throat as she saw her teammate take repeated blows to his body.

If only... I could reach… my supply pack; I think… I have Kiba's extra food pills…

Hinata's attempts to free herself backfired. The grass now engulfed her wrists and the razor cuts seemed to cut into her thoughts as the pain became unbearable.

Just then Hinata could feel her bindings loosening as Akamaru bit down harder on the Grass Ninja's arm. The kunoichi's concentration broke from her justsu as the fierce and growling Akamaru threatened to remove the girl's arm. With a large violent swiping motion the ninja-dog was thrown in the air and landed with a dull thump on the ground.

Hinata slipped her hand in her supply pouch and found the small pocket that held the extra food pills. Grasping one round pill in her hand Hinata quickly tossed it at Akamaru who was pulling himself up after being thrown off the Grass ninja.

A red and very formidable Akamaru now charged at the Grass kunoichi and easily pinned her to the ground as Hinata secured the Earth Scroll.

"Watch out!" Kiba yelled.

Hinata dodged a flying kunai before Kiba was able to take a breath to warn her. Akamaru was up in an instant after the other Grass ninja that fled from Kiba.

"Gatsūga!" The sound of Kiba voice rang in Hinata's ears as she incapacitated the kunoichi on the ground before she was able to get up.

Hinata's gentle fingers caressed her wrists as she could feel the soft wind of Akamaru and Kiba's spinning attack fade. A panting Kiba and Akamrau ran to Hinata side. While the red ninja-dog loomed over the two unconscious Grass ninja as Kiba scooped up Hinata in his arms.

He pulled out a small ointment jar he had in his coat and softly applied the healing salve on Hinata's wounds.

Kiba's expression of worry quickly faded into annoyance as soon as Hinata's large opalescent eyes met his.

"Who the fuck makes a clone of themselves while they take a piss?"

"Kiba…the shinobi I saw wasn't a clone." Hinata delicate eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she spoke wondering how she could have made such a careless mistake.

"Yeah, the one you saw wasn't." Kiba brought his hand to the back of his head and began to scratch in a very dog-like way. "But the one I went after was. While the real one went after you."

Shino was already tying up the two shinobi that Akamaru stood watch over.

"Hinata…" The quiet kunoichi heard a soft echo in her mind. It held the voice of Shino and Kiba. She thought she was mistaken, but she was sure it was both their voices.

Hinata rose from Kiba's on arm embrace only to quickly falter and find herself in the arms of her beloved Shino.

"I'm okay." She breathed softly, her own weakness starting herself.

Hinata felt several kikai roam her wounds careful not to hurt her as she was engulfed in the warmth that was Shino.

"The grass was laced with some type of toxin." Shino's baritone voice betrayed his stoic countenance. He was worried for her.

"I will have the kikai remove the poison now, just try and relax. Koishii." The last word Hinata felt rather then heard.

"You relax shitawashii, I'll be okay. Don't worry."

Within a few moments Hinata was able to walk normally. Akamaru was at her side allowing her to use him for support.

A soft smile graced the painted ninja's face. It would be an unusual sight for anyone that knew Kiba if they had saw it. (His face usually smirked rather then genuinely smiled.) Hinata had fought along side Akamaru like any strong Inzunka woman, no like a strong Inzunka kunoichi. Kiba corrected himself. And now the two were walking side by side each other so naturally.

"Like family…" Kiba wondered.

"Sure…like a sister." Hinata sensed a hint of sarcasm in the oversized red ninja-dog's words.

"Who's sister?" Hinata thought out loud.

"Ehhh, errr…What?" Kiba stammered.

"We have arrived." Shino's calm monotone voice cut through Kiba's stammering. The tall bug wielder raised an eyebrow at Kiba. His dark sunglasses reflected Kiba's blank expression.

"HAHAHA FIRST AGAIN!!! WOOHOO!!!" Kiba was elated at seeing that they were the first to arrive at the tower his previous nervousness replaced by childlike joy.

Shino shook his head. Very loud, very obnoxious, very Kiba.

Hinata giggled and followed the same path inside the tower the team had taken when they were there the first time. It was empty again.

"Oi, you got here fast." A shocked Shikamaru gasped, "How troublesome…" he sighed. "Follow me."

Shikamaru led team 8 to a set of double doors that led to an outdoor arena.

"It doesn't look like we'll need preliminaries to weed out excess genin. I believe only a handful will pass through this round. So you can wait here for part three of the exams to begin."

"Ehhh… looks like it'll be a long wait." Shikamaru tilted his head towards the shoji table beside him. "Care for a game while we wait? Asuma quit mid-game on me."

"Feh. How boring come on Akamaru." Kiba whined. "Let's go for a walk!" and the two took off toward some trees.

Shino's dark glassed faced Shikamaru then turned towards Hinata and back towards Shikamaru.

Shikamaru cocked his head to the side as he glanced over at the disheveled looking Hinata.

"I'm going to go clean up. I'll be back in a bit." Hinata brushed some dirt off her lavender coat as she felt a kikai check her wounds before returning to Shino, who nodded his head.

"Winner Inzunka Kiba." Genma called out to the crowd.

A bounding red Akamaru lept into Kiba's arms. Kiba crumpled to the ground under Akamaru's massive weight, both oblivious of the defeated rain ninja nearby on the ground.

The matches proceeded quickly. With the jounin Genma declaring the winners of each round.

Shino rose from the shoji table and bowed to Shikamaru.

"Thank you for the game I must depart and prepare for my match."

Shikamaru looked up from Shino and gazed at the beautiful clouds in the sky. A soft blush tinted his cheeks as one of the clouds resembled a large open paper fan. An image of him giving up during the last Chunnin exams flashed through his mind as he remembered his match with a certain pushy blond. A soft sigh escaped his parted lips as he ran his hand behind his neck. "How troublesome."

"Winner Aburame Shino." Genma announced in a monotone voice that could rival Shino's.

Hinata's two pointer fingers tapped together lightly as her nerves began to get the better of her. It was like she could feel the sharp sting on her cheek all over again when she remembered asking her father for permission to take the exam.

He wasn't in the audience. She did see her cousin and sister in the stands. Hanabi was sitting alone. She looked bored and Hinata wondered why she was even there. Neji was far off in the stands and observing with the rest of team Gai, Tenten and Rock Lee.

"Next match Hyuuga Hinata of the Hidden Village of the Leaf and Aki Matsumoto of the Hidden Grass Village." Genma's voice interrupted Hinata's self-doubting.

Hinata was shocked that the Grass Village kunoichi was able to pass on to the next round after their team's Earth Scroll was taken (by her none the less.)

The small hairs on Hinata's neck felt like they were standing on end, and that ice water was being poured down her spine.

"So, little Grass kunoichi, you want revenge?" Hinata asked in a cool and calm voice. A small smirk graced Hinata's face as she thought of her lecturing cousin. If it was him in her place the poor girl would have had to endure one of the Hyuuga genius's long-winded lectures. She could just imagine it. "A shinobi must be able to control his emotions…."

"Bitch, I'll wipe that smirk off your face!"

Hinata gracefully sidestepped the rushing kunoichi and landed eight soft taps on the Grass kunoichi flowing her own chakra into the other ninja's.

Activating her blood-line limit, the Hyuuga heir could see that the Grass kunoichi still had chakra flow in her arms and was already making the sparse lawn in the arena reach for her.

Sixteen more taps on the kunoichi's left arm and Matsumoto was making foul curses. She then swung around her other arm that was marred by Akamarus teeth marks and wildly attempted slice Hinata's throat with a hidden kunai knife.

Swiftly Hinata spun around and landed thirty-two more chakra points. Finally sixty-four tenketsu closed.

"Aki Matsumoto is no longer able to continue…Winner Hyuuga Hinata." Genma's voice seemed unreal to Hinata and felt as though the moment was happening in slow motion. A genuine smile touched her face then, and that foreign feeling of confidence welled up once again in her.

Waiting for results was pure torture for the usually patient kunoichi. She felt just as Kiba and Akamaru looked pacing anxiously waiting for the exam results.

Chuunin Inzuka Kiba…Kiba's mother and sister could be heard cheering in the stands…

Chunnin Aburame Shino… Shino's father gave a small nod regarding his son…

Chuunin Hyuuga Hinata…expressionless, Hyuuga Hanibi left her seat, and far off in the stands Neji closed his eyes a moment and then raised his gaze towards a sparrow that flew by.

"Chuunin…Hyuuga Hinata…" Hinata whispered to herself. "Hyuuga heir Hinata…" A pained expression touched her face and her soft white eyes found her cousin leaving the stands with his team. She found herself looking at the empty seat where her sister once sat and at the empty seat next to it. The sun burned her eyes and the tears that threatened to fall streaked coolness across her burning cheeks.

Hinata traced the path of the flying sparrow and brushed the back of her hand across her eyes. "Aburame Hinata…"

Shino drew in a sharp breath…

A/n: well I got hit with some serious writers block, but do have some ideas for the next chapter, so (crosses fingers) hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to come out.

Shameless plug (nice reviews always get me in the mood to write more). Thanks for reading