Koishii (Beloved) Part VIIII

By: Rylolynn

This is the sequel to Shadow of Hinata continuing after Shino and Hinata's first kiss.

Summary: 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.)

Team 8 are now all Chuunin ranked ninja. (Timeline wise, Tsunade is Hokage, Naruto is away training, Sauske is a expletive who ran away with Orochimaru—basically a little before the Shipuuden series, pre-time-skip.)

Warning: lovey dovey fluff, WAF (warm and fuzzy) prolly a little angsty too. Takes a different direction then the canon.

A/N: Imzadi belongs to Peter David, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Italics: Thoughts

Koishii (Beloved/yearned for)
Shitawashii (beloved/dear)

Okasa (Mother)

Oneesan (older sister)

Otosan (Father)

Previously

Two of the greatest healers of Kohona stood side by side each other trying to heal the clan leader of the strongest and most noble Hyuuga house.

A man from the moment of her mother's death, Hinata had wanted dead in her place.

Hinata turned to hide her face into Shino's shoulder willing her nightmare to pass.

"Haruhi" her father whispered.

Part 9

The look in her eyes said it all. She didn't need to hear the words. Her emerald eyes shone in an apology she was not at fault for.

"I'm sorry…there's nothing more we can do."

Sakura's gentle words felt hallow and empty. Hinata felt as if she had just fallen into a giant chasm. Her whole body tensed preparing for the inevitable "landing". Her lungs felt thick and her legs heavy; she felt like the room was spinning out of control.

She didn't remember when they left the room. The loud Haruno had quietly left along with the Hokage, Shino and her little sister. The Hyuuga clan leader and Hyuuga heir were left alone in the cold and sickly room. Hiashi's labored breathing and painful coughs were the only sounds that broke the silence between them.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't know, I d-didn't know you were sick." Hinata's restless mind was the perfect contradiction of her still body.

"What do you have to be sorry for? This is not your fault." There was a long pause. "This is my fault."

Hiashi's voice was almost unrecognizable to his daughter. It was soft and caring. It held the slightest hint of regret. The sound reminded her of her uncle's voice.

Her eyes widened suddenly as she realized that the voice she heard was not spoken out loud. Her father's eyes were closed and his lips unmoving, almost as if he was restfully sleeping.

"Otosan?" Hinata's thoughts reached out to her resting father as if to test if her mind was fooling her. "Did we really just share each other's thoughts?"

"Haruhi…H-Hinata-chan….she l-looks j-just like you." Hinata gasped at the sound of her father's stuttering voice. The heaviness in her legs seemed to spread through her whole body and the familiar blackness seemed to envelop her.

She felt strong arms embrace her while she blinked away the darkness. Shino's concerned face gazing down at hers. Hinata's small frame shuddered against his as the fear and shock, guilt and sadness, and all encompassing release took over her in silent sobs.

"Haruhi, her name was Haruhi. My mother. I look just like her."

"There's not much time." Hinata could sense these thoughts rather then understand them like words. It was Shino's kikaichu speaking.

Shino looked into Hinata's wide opal eyes and knew that she needed to be alone with her father.

"Koishii, I love you. I won't be far. If you need me…"

Hinata nodded and Shino returned home.

It was just like when he was younger and didn't know how to control his kikaichu. After his mother died Shino remembered the searing heat his grief caused. With each strong emotion he felt like he was going to be swallowed by an intense fever that his kikai produced.

Even though his father had mourned over his wife's passing he was still able to comfort his son.

And even now he had his father to support him. Hinata, she had no one.

"You have me." He offered lamely. It made him feel a little arrogant to think that he was all she needed. As he made the thought he noticed that his connection with his beloved was…he didn't have the word to describe it. It was like she herself was unable to think clearly and as a result they could not properly transfer their thoughts to each other.

Shino sighed softly; he had to figure out what was happening.

Shino thought quietly about what he was about to ask his father, it just seemed so strange to ask out loud. He was a little bit embarrassed about it as well.

"Otosan, with the Aburame Clan's unique ability for you detail…what I am trying to say…what are the hallmarks….("Kuso", he sighed, saying what he wanted to ask out loud seemed ridiculous and weird)

"Not to mention the fact that now I'm experiencing…what is it? I just know that it feels--different." Shino didn't even know what to call it.

"What I mean to say is--are you able to read people's minds and speak to them without the faculty of spoken words?" Shino paused slightly, wondering if his father could answer him now with his silent question finally asked.

Shibi had a playful smirk on his face. "Son you seem a little flustered. Which is odd in itself." Shibi took a moment to regard Shino. He slowly raised one eyebrow scrutinizing his son's embarrassed behavior. An intake of breath cued Shino that his father had a sudden realization.

His eyes narrowed at Shino, (who rolled his eyes in response,) "Did you find yourself a mate son?" Shibi's eyebrows wagged with his slow drawled out statement.

The heel of Shino's palm planted itself firmly to his forehead. "Am I really related to you?"

"Yes son you are really related to me."

Shino's eyes hidden behind dark round sunglasses widened slightly. "So that's how he always knew…No wonder I couldn't get away with anything."

"…And before you think anything else…I only caught you because you were just too innocent to follow in your father's devious, footsteps." Shibi's glance dipped slightly and shook his head.

"Shino-kun you are just like Shino-okaasan" a small grin formed on his lips. Then a small twitch appeared in the corner of his mouth and Shibi's smile transformed into a smirk.

"And to answer your poorly put together inquiry, the 'hallmarks' or 'details' of imprinting do not include any type of mind-reading, telepathy or thought transference."

Shino was floored.

"…sensing moods and intent are all hallmarks of imprintment, not telepathy."

"Oh." The young Aburame finally let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I'm guessing it would be similar to the Hyuuga's--" Shibi paused, inhaled and made a pointed look at his son. "—kekigenki."

"It would not be the same understanding that we Aburame's have with our kikaichu. It is also different then the Inzunka Clans' ability to communicate with their nin-dogs. There are no words or language, just feelings and sensations." He continued after scrutinizing Shino's profile several times.

The young Aburame's expression had lost all the startled qualities it had before.

"Shibi-ojiisan, hummmm, it has a nice ring to it."

"Otosan, no one said you were going to be a grandfather." Shino deadpanned.

"Yet." Shibi added.

"How does he do it? No matter how serious a situation could be, Aburame Shibi could always find a way to turn it around."

"It's my cunning charm."

"Are you sure you can't read minds?" Shino's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

"Life stops for no one." It was a saying Shino's mother used to say. Shino guessed it was a variation of the saying "life goes on." But her saying also took into account that no one is more important then anyone else. No matter what is happening in your own life the world still goes on. There will always be laughing and crying, life and death.

It was the moment he felt Hinata's heart wrenching sorrow and the recent weakening of their connection, that Shino had forgotten his mother's wisdom.

Shino steadied himself a moment. "She will smile again." And with that thought he was able to loosen the tightness in his chest that still lingered in him.

Hinata looked towards her father who seemed to be peaceful again.

"I was a man who loved his wife and his children." Hiashi spoke as if to no one in particular.

"Haruhi was a beautiful strong woman who deserved better then me." Hinata's father's head turned to face her.

"…But for some reason she chose m-me…I felt it…I was able to see myself through her eyes. I could feel her emotions with my Hyuuga blood. For some reason I was able to make her happy."

"When Hanibi was born I was able to hear her thoughts. I was s-surprised." Hiashi took a long and cleansing breath as if willing himself to be calm.

Hinata visibly tensed. It was an action that she knew all too well.

"It is not something any Hyuuga could do. It was our secret." Her father's face furrowed into a look of pain.

"She was a sweet and shy woman. She would often faint when overly embarrassed…"

"So when she began to pass out more frequently and for longer periods of time everyone thought it was due to her shy nature."

"I-I w-w-was too l-l-late…" Hiashi's voice was ragged as he sputtered his words out. His face was contorted into an excruciating expression of hurt and loss.

"…by the time they could figure it out."

"Not if they could have done anything otherwise." Hiashi's last sentence was barely a whisper.

Father and daughter's eyes met. "You know Hinata-chan. Your ojii-san used to beat me thinking that that would cure my stuttering. Of course it did not. It was not until I met your mother that I was finally able to stop."

"Not that she cared if I did or not." A soft smile spread across his entire face.

And in an instant was gone.

"Haruhi died of a tumor. I think because of the tumor's location she and I could have our little 'secret.'" It heightened her senses; and as a direct result she was able to read thoughts and emotions."

"The bloodline limit of the Hyuuga clan has all to do with our unique eyes, so when Haruhi's occipital lobe was damaged it increased her kekigenki ability." Hashi voice was detached as if he was reading some dry textbook.

Hinata was barely breathing fearing if she made the slightest sound her father would stop speaking. Her eyes widened in fear her mouth was agape.

"I didn't want to lose you too. You had to be different then her. Soon after she died you were already starting to talk to me as she did. So I did the only thing my stupid heart would allow." The guilt and sadness echoed in Hinata's mind.

"I didn't want to love you and have you leave me—like she did..."

"You look so much like her." He said as if to only himself.

"So everyday I prepared for the worse. And everyday I was colder and harder on you. And everyday a piece of you died."

"But for some reason you became stronger. In spite of me you grew. And I have realized my mistake. Sorry is not enough. No apology is enough. For the wrong I have caused you."

"I am the cause of the very thing I feared most.

"I have lost you."

"NO! OTOSAN! You have not lost me. I am right here. I did it for you. Everything for you to be proud of me." Tears streamed down Hinata's face.

"I'm the one who is sorry. I was not able to heal the part of you that died when Okasa died." A small and quavering hand took Hiashi's hand.

"Otosan I love you…"

Hiashi's cold and clammy grip slipped slowly through tiny fingers.

A/n: I know the premise of Haruhi's tumor sounds familiar to the plot of the movie "Phenomenon" I swear I didn't steal this idea (I thought I was being original), I just realized the similarity after writing my chapter.

"Phenomenon" belongs to Gerald Di Pego, John Turteltaub, and Touchstone Pictures. Please don't sue me or accuse me of stealing.

A special thanks to Cyckest for his sweet review of Shadow of Hinata and constructive criticism of this fanfiction. Thanks to everyone who had reviewed.

I would also like to comment on my view of the Hyuuga's relationship with one another (and not to pick on Cyckest for his stand on Hiashi's perspective. Be sure to author watch him I'm sure he's gonna write great things :).

Hinata had suffered a lifetime of emotional abuse from her father. Having a degree in Child Development I know that telling a child they are worthless will not have a good outcome.

Neji had suffered with the loss of his father while blaming Hiashi. These are wounds that cannot easily be healed. Hiashi's had underestimated his daughter and nephew and when he was proven wrong he was able to see his own shortcomings.

Whether or not Hiashi had changed his bitter/cold ways will not change the damage/scars he has inflicted on Hinata and Neji. I'm not too sure if the canon was depicting Hiashi as still being bitter or as having changed. It seems a little too fast for me. So for my story you get a closed hearted man seeing the error of his ways on his death bed. And Hinata being the strong person she is forgives him.

Sorry about the rant and long author's note. I'm done now. Reviews always appreciated.