Koishii (Beloved) Part XXIII

Koishii (Beloved) Part XXIII (edited)

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 and now things get "complicated".

A/N: Imzadi belongs to Peter David, Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I reworked this chapter hope you like it.

"...--...--...--...--..--...--" Change of POV

"-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o" Change of setting

Italics: Thoughts

Koishii (Beloved/yearned for)

Shitawashii (Beloved/dear)

Kami (God)

Sakura (Cherry Blossom)

Previously

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.

Chapter 23

Hinata tried to think of a curse word as she willed her heavy eyes open. A smile spread across her face as she inhaled soft bed linens and exhaled all the irritation of knowing she had fainted again.

Dark spikes and peaks of hair came into vision, the oval of dark sunglasses and the hard set line of a… frown.

Hinata held her breath a moment choking back the joke she was about to tease her Koishii with (something along the lines of him getting her in his bed again).

She prepared herself for the feelings that would follow the scowl that painted his face. Would he be angry, jealous, hurt?

"Koishii" she called out in her thoughts.

"…."

The silence unnerved her.

"Koishii" she tried again reaching out to his emotions. Trying to read beyond the surface of his expression to the very source of his feelings.

"…"

It felt like touching a wall in the dark.

"Um… ah… about Na-naruto…he…I-I mean I… we were just pr-practicing…."

"THIS IS NOT ABOUT NARUTO!!" Shino shook as he took a ragged breath from shouting an inch from Hinata's frightened face.

Wide round pale eyes where searching the young Aburame's face.

"Sh-shino-kun…" Hinata's voice shook as her whole body was trembling. "What is this about?" Whispered in her thoughts.

"My hands are trembling…no it is Hinata that is trembling. Oh kami, what have I done?" Shino thought quickly.

"Look at me Shino." The sound of Hinata's strong voice in his mind conflicted with the quivering he felt in her shoulders.

"N-no" Shino could barely choke the words out.

...--...--...--...--...--..--...--

Soft fingers caress my face and I am forced to look at her. "Why aren't you angry at me?"

"Why would I be angry?" She replies like an innocent angel.

"I just yelled at you!" I practically scream again. I half expect her to flinch but it's me who flinches instead. I pull away from her delicate fingers. My skin instantly cold from the absence of her touch. I close my eyes because I am ashamed that I want her to hold me again.

I feel the soft flutter of her eye lashes against my neck and her arms are circling around me.

I didn't even notice I was crouching to conform to her small frame in the midst of my huge bed.

I find the curve of her neck and inhale her soft feminine scent and her hands in my hair; and I know she is waiting for my answer.

"Why?" I ask softly.

"Well… Jiraya-sensi was unavailable so he sent Naruto-kun to train with me-" Hinata's opal eyes search the room before locking with mine.

I start laughing hysterically. I really have lost it…

"Koishii?" She says gently.

"Why? Why? Why!? WHY!?" Shino's hysterical laughing still echoes as he repeats each question louder and more urgent then the first.

...--...--...--...--...--..--

He isn't asking why I was in the arms of my former crush. Hinata felt her chest tighten as the realization set in.

"I don't know." I shake my head thinking that would emphasize my ignorance. My breathing is as shallow as his and I think I feel feverish too.

"I'm sorry." I add weakly.

...--...--...--...--..--...--

"Your sorry? YOUR SORRY? I yell at you make you tremble and you are the one apologizing?" The young Aburame is screaming but his voice is silent.

I see her smile softly at me, her eyes are sad.

"Why do you keep fainting? Why is it getting more frequent? Why don't I know how to help you?"

Caressing her delicate features in my hands and she folds into me, her warm face feels like fire in my icy hands.

I feel exhausted and I know she is too. I'm sorry… no more questions… I say more to myself than anyone else and I don't know if she hears me.

She is so small. I envelope her in my oversized coat, with my too long arms but she fits just perfectly.

Her skin is like silk, she is so delicate.

She looks up at me, to reassure me. She is stronger than me…

She smells like the sun, and flowers and the springtime. I only want it to be springtime…

...--...--...--...--...--..--...

Opening my eyes I realized that I had fallen asleep. Shino's eyes are closed but I know he is awake.

"I have to see Neji-niisan… I made some great progress with—well I think he needs help with the preparations." I couldn't help but smile as I hear my Koishii groan.

"Let's elope." Shino deadpans.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Naruto is already annoying Neji-niisama and he's only been in the room with him for two minutes.

"So Hinata-chan's amazing, she picked it up really fast!" Naruto gushed; his voice echoed slightly in the large main hall of the Hyuuga compound. "A bit more practice and we will have you curse free dattebayo!"

Neji winced at Naruto's enthusiasm.

"Thank you for taking care of everything Neji-niisama. The banquet hall looks beautiful." I say truthfully.

"It is appropriate for the occasion…" Neji was about to say more before Karoi came storming in trailed by a sullen Kiba and Akamaru.

"What? What did I say?" Kiba hollered after an irate looking Karoi.

"What?" The canine like shinobi looked genuinely bewildered, "you would look good in that dress. I liked the sakura pattern."

"Well if you like it so much you wear it to the party!" Karoi snapped.

"What? What I say, geeze woman, don't bite my head off. It is going to be an engagement party for royalty. I think you're going to have to dress up a bit" Kiba began laughing to himself.

"For a fair and beautiful Hinata-chan and a royal pain in the ass… otherwise known as Shino."

The new Hyuuga clan leader quickly takes in the scene before making a pointed look behind Kiba.

The once smirking Inzuka face drops as he quickly turned around expecting to see aforementioned "royalty."

"Too easy." The now smiling Hyuuga clan leader comments as her raven hair sways with the shaking of her head.

Kiba quickly closed the gap between the two of them and inhales deeply.

"Who are you? And what have you done with our shy innocent Hinata-chan?" He questions with one eyebrow raised and his nose nearly pressed onto Hinata.

...--...--...--...--...--...--...--...--...

I shrug and feign innocence.

Glancing over at Kaori I notice her posture stiffen with the lack of space between me and my teammate. I quickly pull away from the grinning Inzuka.

To my left Neji-niisama looks annoyed that he was cut off by Karoi-chan and Kiba-kun and his absently stroking his hair. Smirking I go to point out his grooming habits and maybe to slap his hand away from his hair twiddling.

But before I could stop his little habit, Neji was already moving away from my side. Kuso he's too quick, but I can still call him on his hair twirling.

Really, are there any other shinobi that are so obsessed with their own hair, well maybe other then Ino?

Before I could capture his hand, Karoi was in front of us both.

Kiba had caught her as she fell. There was a pool of crimson. The blood… the blood was everywhere!

"Hinata! Hinata!" Karoi was screaming my name.

I was wrong! Neji wasn't trying to evade me; he was trying to protect me… but Karoi… but Karoi…

"Oh kami…" The choking sobbing sounds were coming from me I realize.

"Do it!" Karoi was still screaming.

Do what? I couldn't think; this couldn't be happening.

"Do it now!" The tips of Karoi's fingers lit softly blue with the crackle of chakra.

I looked from Karoi to Neji who was now beside her. Kiba was cradling the taller Hyuuga in his arms, tears streaming from his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I shook my head violently.

Karoi's hand reached for Neji's chest.

"I have the answer." Karoi whispered.

This wasn't making sense civilians did not wield chakra…

"NO!" I screamed.

"Do it, give him freedom… let me go, let me be free…" Karoi's chakra was fading yet she looked at me intently. Her thoughts tore into me, the truth of it shredded at my soul and I could not deny her her true request.

Making the hand seals I had just learned I grabbed Karoi's hand and touched it to Neji's chest. Chakra from Karoi rushed through me and I became a conduit for the energy that poured into Neji's circulatory system. It was as though Karoi willed her chakra into him.

Was it me who was screaming? I can't remember.

I do remember thinking. I killed them, oh Kami what did I do?

Karoi's body was limp in Kiba's arms and I could not suppress the horror that welled within me.

"What have I done? What have I done?! Someone please help! Koishii where are you I need you…"

Neji and Karoi were not moving, not breathing… Naruto ran in the direction of the kunai that was meant for me. Kiba was howling, Akamaru trying to comfort his master and I was completely lost.

A/n: Hey folks! I live! So I haven't abandoned my story and here's another installment of my little ficcy.

I played around with the POV being tossed around. Hope it wasn't too confusing.

Edit: Ok so I fixed a few things and made some markers for the changes in POV and the change of setting from the Aburame complex to the Hyuuga estate.