Koishii (Beloved) Part XXII
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.) This chapter has a variation of manga chapter 282 "Return of Team Kakashi" when Naruto meets Team 8 again after the timeskip.
Warning: lovey dovey fluff, WAF (warm and fuzzy) prolly a little angsty too. Takes a different direction then the canon and now things get "complicated".
A/N: Imzadi belongs to Peter David, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Italics: Thoughts
Koishii (Beloved/yearned for)
Shitawashii (Beloved/dear)
Otosan (Father)
Erosennin (Old Pervert/this is Naruto's nickname for Jirya)
Kekkai Genkai (Bloodline limit)
Previously
"Should I be afraid?"
"Of what, the fact we are going to have a huge party with two very reclusive clans, or that I am going to name Neji-niisan a former branch house member clan leader, or that I'm going to be your wife?"
"Do I have to choose?"
"So my koishii, should we assign seating arrangements or just do open seating?"
"How about open bar?"
"Only if you promise that your otosan is not the bartender."
Chapter 22
Hinata's delicate fingers traced the bottom rim of an elegant cup. The porcelain was nearly perfect save for one little chip not visible to the naked eye. A calm smile graced Hinata's face as her hand paused at the small imperfection.
It was the cup Shino was holding when she finally accepted his proposal. They were all drinking a horrendous concoction in beautiful sake cups. It was very Shibi-like to serve his special drink in such finery.
Hinata's smile grew into a full grin as she remembered her koishii almost losing full reign of his cup with her simple statement.
He was so composed and serious. It melted Hinata's heart that she could affect him so. And even though she was the only person in the Aburame home at the time, she did not feel alone when she thought of how Shino loved her.
"Should I be afraid?" Shino's question echoed in her mind.
My brave koishii? What do you fear? Hinata suppressed an internal smirk as she imagined Shino as he was currently making preparations for a party he did not want to attend.
She was skeptical when he had volunteered to make arrangements with the Aburame clan for the upcoming engagement party. She even teased him of being an imposter.
"I am your dutiful Aburame Shino" was his only reply. Hinata couldn't even decipher if he was teasing back.
She had teased him then too, when he asked her if he should be afraid. She didn't mention it then… that she knew what he was truly afraid of.
Hinata faintly heard the sound shattering porcelain after she felt her vision blur. She remembered touching her face to find blood on her hands.
Picking herself off the kitchen floor Hinata couldn't help the tears that ran down her face as she looked at the remains of the beautiful cup.
All traces of the broken porcelain were cleaned, save for one piece that had a lavender bloom still recognizable on it.
In the bathroom Hinata washed her face and hands cleaning remnants of the nose bleed she had.
Looking up from the running water she noticed how her pale eyes stared blankly back at her. It looked like she had been crying for hours.
"Should I be afraid?" the pale eyed Hyuuga asked aloud.
"It doesn't matter. I cannot fail. I have something I have to protect…"
Hinata chuckled to herself. A familiar voice almost yelled in her mind.
"I can hear it now... I guess I can't help it… I sound just like him… dattabayo."
"I know Neji. Talking to yourself becomes a little crazy when you start answering yourself." Hinata chimed out as though she was still in the Hyuuga compound and caught by her cousin taking to herself and…worst of all answering her own questions.
A hesitant knock brought Hinata out of her thoughts of questioning her own sanity.
Opening the main door the Hinata gasped sharply.
"Naruto-kun!"
"Hinata-chan…er…sama! Uh… are you ok? Your eyes are kinda puffy and swollen looking."
"Y-yes, I-I'm just getting over a c-cold."
"Yeah I guess so, your face is kinda red too."
"So Erosennin was supposed to come by…but…errr…" Naruto began scratching the back of his head "he had research to do for his new novel."
"Oh."
"Well, I have the scroll he was supposed to bring and he showed me the gist of the jutsu. We could practice if you want." Naruto's voice sounded hopeful with his last sentence.
"It has to do with chakra manipulation! I mastered a jutsu that can help you learn yours…well I have to…but anyway if… I could help you." He continued in a hurry.
Hinata stepped out of Shino's home and led Naruto in the direction of one of the training grounds.
"The basics of the Rasengan are simple chakra manipulation."
"So if you form some chakra outside of yourself…" Hinata begain.
"You can practice extracting chakra from it!" Naruto finished.
Well the extracting chakra part isn't the hard part…it's the donating chakra part that is.
Hinata thought to herself staring at her feet as she walked.
"RASENGAN!"
A bright blue chakra blast obliterated an un-expecting tree and brought the raven haired kunoichi out of her reverie.
The orange clad shinobi was grinning madly, "but I can do this too!"
The blond shinobi held his hand palm up in front of Hinata and suddenly blue orb of chakra appeared. "See when I keep it still like this…"
"I can pull from your chakra without hurting you." The wide eyed Hyuuga supplied.
"This was the easy part." The sound of a clone popped and an exact copy of Naruto was standing next to him.
"Getting the chakra to move was the hard part." The clone mirrored Naruto's look of concentration as the clone's hands moved quickly over the chakra orb.
Pale eyes watched in fascination as the chakra moved wildly within its little sphere.
Another pop and the clone disappeared as Naruto yelled "RASENGAN!" once again and destroyed another tree.
"Hee." Naruto exclaimed happily as he moved closer to Hinata and made a simple chakra orb for her to inspect.
She took a deep breath and tried to emulate the scroll that Naruto brought. After following the hand seals she touched the orb trying to pull chakra from it.
"If you could bottle up Uzimaki Naruto's strength energy, hope, dreams and desires, this is exactly what it would feel like," was Hinata's passing thought just before she fainted.
"Oi, oye! Hinata-chan-I-mean-sama, are you ok? Maybe you're not over your cold yet…we should wait till your better."
He's just as I remember hopeful, strong and unyielding. He still has his dream and each day he's getting closer. Just being who he was made me feel I could change myself…made me feel like it was ok to be me.
After a cough and some nervous finger poking, she was standing and shaking her head.
"Thank you." Hinata said in a voice just above a whisper. "I'm fine…" she continued with more strength.
"I just pulled too much the first time. Let me try again."
This jutsu is just so different from the gentle fist style. Stopping the flow of chakra and controlling my chakra into tenkitsu doesn't require pulling any chakra. I don't know what to do with the extra chakra.
"Ok, but let me know if you're not feeling well."
With two out reached fingers Hinata was able to pull a small amount of chakra from the orb and instantly formed the hand seals for her buyakagan.
Using up the chakra she extracted relieved the throbbing pressure that caused her to faint the first time.
A feeling of relief washed over her.
Hinata was internally smiling to herself but all Naruto could see outwardly was the concentrating look of the buyakagan.
With her Kekkai Genkai activated, Naruto had no idea the shock that Hinata felt when she saw him.
As a girl growing up she had always admired the "number-one-knuckle-headed-ninja" and secretly had watched him from afar. In the shadows she knew of his hardships, how he would never give up at anything and always saw the good in people. He truly valued friendships and family even though he was denied both. Knowing all this, Hinata was shocked to see for the first time what her Kekkai Genkai could reveal of him.
At the very center of him was a fierce red chakra, but throughout Naruto was a regular blue chakra. The red chakra was "contained" (as far as she could decipher) but seemingly limitless. She couldn't help but shudder, Hinata guessed it was "sealed" within him.
"Oh..Naruto-kun…" she whispered.
"Did it work?"
All those years…was it this? Was this why the elders treated him so coldly? They…they knew what was inside? And the children…they just blindly mirrored their fear.
The sorrow and loneliness that he suffered, Hinata silently suffered with him. When others would laugh at his exclamations that he would be Hokage, Hinata admired his strength and desire to protect the village he loved. (The village that turned its back to him.)
Reaching out, Hinata embraced the dumbstruck shinobi. Confusion and relief radiated off him in waves.
Naruto was still leaning into Hinata's embrace as he spoke with his usually energetic tone. "It worked! I knew you could do it Hinata-chan."
As soon as he voiced his words small hands griped orange fabric to support herself. Hinata felt as though her legs would no longer support her weight.
"HINATA!" The sound of a very loud and deep voice vibrated through the embracing couple.
"I think she's overdone it, she said she wasn't feeling well." Naruto explained while holding the now unconscious Hyuuga leader protectively against himself.
"It's been a while Naruto." Shino stated calmly as he instantly scooped up the kunoichi that was once in his arms.
"Who?" Naruto stared blatantly as he took in the taller green-coated shinobi.
Dark sunglasses faced the orange clad shinobi squarely. "It's me."
"Who's me?"
"Just because it has been a long time since we met, you should at least recognize the face of a comrade because… it is hurtful for the one who calls you."
"That weirdo speech style" Naruto eyed the taller shinobi and the kunoichi in his arms. "Are you…Shino!"
Easily distracted Naruto caught sight of an Inzuka riding a large white dog.
"Hey Kiba! Wow! Akamaru has gotten huge!"
"Really I'm with him all the time so I haven't really noticed" Kiba responded nervously eyeing Naruto, Shino and an unconscious Hinata.
"You recognized Kiba right away."
"Well, urm… Hinata's always fainting…" Naruto interjected the glares he felt.
"I will take Hinata to our home. Thank you Naruto." Shino turned on his heel and briskly departed.
A/n: Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the next chapter… as always reviews make this author smile and type...