Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. So if you recognize anyone or anything from the anime, I'm just borrowing.
Takes place sometime before Shippuuden. Technically, it takes place in the Naruto world, but without regard to Shippuuden. The Konoha 11 are now 16ish, but I wouldn't call this AU, so I'll call it OS (for Outside of Shippuuden).
Seriously, your kind and supportive reviews give me the energy to write.
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Chapter 18
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"Well, I suppose if you take a bath with someone, that automatically makes you closer to them," Zuruiko-baasan chimed in as she sauntered in through the other doorway. She turned her full attention to the young kunoichi and waggled her eyebrows lasciviously. "Hinata, since Kiba has to bathe his dog, does that leave you to give Shino a bath?"
Out in the hallway, all Shino and Shibi heard was silence followed by a very loud THUMP.
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Hinata awoke to Zuruiko-baasan's grin-split face leering down at her and her wizened palm gently slapping her cheek.
"You fainted! Did I hit on the truth there?"
"I-It was an a-a-accident!"
Shibi's brow furrowed in confusion. Did that mean that she'd fainted by accident or that she'd given Shino a bath by accident?
From across the doorway, Shino looked equally puzzled. Oh, perhaps she's talking about the water training? Yes, that must be it. Even with a bloodline limit like the Byakugan, Hinata would never spy on me in the bath.
"Hinata, maybe you need to eat more red meat? You faint quite often," Kinako noted with a worried frown.
"It doesn't happen all the time," Hinata explained weakly. With an embarrassed blush, she went back to forming dumplings.
Unfortunately, Zuruiko-baasan seemed to be homing in for the kill. "Hinata, who was the first boy you ever kissed? That wasn't in your family, I mean."
"Umm…" Hinata paused and tilted her face up thoughtfully. Her characteristic blush was strangely absent and she seemed no more embarrassed than if she'd been asked about her favorite sushi restaurant. "Shinomaru-kun."
Several jaws dropped to the floor. If Hinata thought kissing a three-year-old on the forehead counted as a first kiss, then she and Shino really did need their help.
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"Hinata," Shino began quietly as he helped move dishes into the dining room, "What were you talking about with Shibiki?"
"Oh, we were just chatting about different things," Hinata explained quickly.
"He hinted that there was something you haven't told me," Shino attempted.
"Oh, did he…?" Hinata trailed off.
"Hinata, I am your teammate. Teammates tell each other things."
"I-I-I…"
"You've told Kiba already, haven't you?" Shino asked with the beginning of a sulk on his face. He hated feeling left out.
"N-No?" Hinata gulped. Shino could be very stubborn, especially when he felt left out or ignored. The surest way to get Shino's full attention was to pretend like you had nothing to hide from him. Oh, no. Now what do I do?
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They had trained until later than normal, and the sky was already shifting to the orange and crimson of dusk when the two halted their sparring match.
"Tenten?" Neji began as the kunoichi sorted her weapons for proper storage. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"
Tenten grinned up at him sweetly. "Sure, Neji. I'd love to. Let me just go tell my parents. I'll meet you at your place in an hour."
Neji raised an amused eyebrow. "I thought the man was supposed to pick up the woman in cases like this?"
Tenten chuckled. "Well, we live in a refined and open-minded age, Neji. We've got our first female Hokage, and it's perfectly reasonable and normal for a girl to do whatever she pleases regardless of gender restrictions."
Neji smiled warmly at her. This was one of the things he loved about Tenten. She wasn't a girly girl that pretended to be weak in order to catch a boy's attention. She didn't care about the way she looked, even though she always looked beautiful to him.
"Besides," Tenten continued matter-of-factly, "my brothers haven't met you yet, and I won't have enough time to take a bath, do my hair, and prevent a bloodbath, too."
"What?" Neji asked worriedly as she skipped away with a grin and a little wave.
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Hinata sighed. She'd somehow managed to escape Shino-kun's questions over the past two hours, but now she feared she was in a state of permanent panic. Whenever Shino appeared beside her with that determined look on his face, she felt the need to flee and conveniently made up an excuse to busy herself. You're being a coward, she reprimanded herself. You promised Naruto-kun and yourself that you wouldn't run away anymore!
Inhaling deeply, Hinata imagined simply finding Shino-kun and telling him that they needed to talk. He would nod stoically and they would find an unused room. Then they would sit quietly until Shino-kun's interrogation skills finally wore her down. Basically, he would sit there expectantly until she cracked. She wasn't good at keeping secrets from him. He would listen patiently to her speech, which may or may not be punctuated with moments of unconsciousness, and then he would answer her. More likely than not, he would simply be silent for a long while before explaining calmly and rationally that it was inappropriate for teammates to be romantically involved with one another and surely it would also disrupt their team dynamic. She would stutter out an apology and promise to protect their teamwork no matter what, and…and…and…And when had her fantasies become so depressing? The day before yesterday she'd wondered if he was beginning to really see her. This morning she'd been convinced that Shino-kun would accept her just to be kind. Now she'd managed to convince herself that he would turn her down for the sake of the team.
"Even then, he would still be kind and reasonable about it," Hinata mused out loud. He's always calm and in control, she thought to herself. Perhaps that's why she was taken by surprise when Shino's palms slammed into the wood panels on either side of her head, effectively trapping her within his arms. His voice, taut with frustration and hurt, came out low, husky, and intimately demanding.
"Hinata, who do you love?"
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Neji ran a hand through his long hair before putting on his hitai-ate and tying his hair back. He went to inform his uncle that he wouldn't be present for dinner and stopped in the garden to pick a single crimson flower before going to wait by the front gate.
Tenten was never late, so it was unusual to not see her anywhere. A pretty girl with long, dark tresses grinned and waved at him from halfway down the street.
Neji felt his throat go dry. That girl was Tenten. His teammate had forgone the usual twin buns and shinobi pants. Her wavy brown hair was as long as his, and she was wearing a pink dress of some soft, fluttery material that manged to hug her hips and flare around her thighs at the same time.
"Hi, Neji," she greeted cheerfully.
"You look beautiful."
Tenten beamed at him. "Thank you. You look very handsome."
"I look the way I always do," Neji shrugged.
"Yep," Tenten replied with a smile. She tucked her arm in his and asked, "Where are we going?"
"Anywhere," Neji replied. As long as it's with you.
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"Hinata, who do you love?" Shino demanded quietly.
Hinata gasped, her heart fluttering madly in her breast. Had Shino-kun ever looked at her like that before? All of his walls, all of his restraints, were gone. His face was mere inches away from hers. Could it be? The warm smiles, the gentle brushes of his hand against hers as they sat on the couch—did it all mean that he returned her feelings?
"Shino-kun," she managed to whisper.
"Please, Hinata. Tell me." A painful mixture of anxiety and need textured his voice. It sent shivers up and down her spine.
"Shino-kun," she answered in a louder voice.
Shibiki was right! Shino-kun does care for me as more than a teammate. She could hear it in his voice and in the way his kikaichuu buzzed frantically within him. It was as though they were calling to her. Her face tilted upwards and her eyelids fluttered closed in anticipation of the kiss she sometimes dreamt of. Hinata felt Shino's warm sigh caress her lips and his arms circle around her body.
Great, Shino sighed as he studied Hinata's closed eyes and serene expression. She's fainted again. Well, I'm not giving up this time. I will make her tell me who she's fallen in love with. Shino deftly picked her up in his arms and walked down the hallway.
Hinata blinked her eyes open in confusion. Why did Shino-kun just pick me up? She took in the firm line of his jaw and the tense lips that she'd thought were going to be placed against hers a moment ago.
Shino stopped and slid a door open with his foot.
"Shino-kun, where are you taking me?" Hinata asked shyly.
Shino stared down at her in surprise. "I…I was taking you to our bedroom," he answered blankly. When did she wake up?
Hinata's little mouth fell open, and her eyes grew wide as saucers. "T-T-To our bedroom?" It's too soon! Don't I get a first kiss, well, first
Shino slid the door shut with his foot and placed his teammate on her bedroll. He was beginning to suspect she fainted as an unconscious means of escape. Determined to find out the identity of her new love, he figured he might as well make sure she wouldn't hurt herself when she passed out. He looked down at her with a sad look of longing and placed his palm lightly on her heart. "Hinata, I want to know what's in here."
Hinata stared up at him with panicked eyes. H-He wants me to undress?!
"Sh-Shino-kun, n-no!" she uttered weakly.
Shino froze. She looked…afraid…of him. Was he so horrible and unwanted that she who had always trusted him would now look at him with fear in her eyes? An icy chill shot down his spine and settled deep in his stomach. He stood and turned abruptly. His fists clenched at his sides, and he moved to leave the room.
Hinata's unseen lips trembled dangerously. He was leaving. She didn't want that. If she let him walk away now, nothing would ever be the same. She would lose him!
Shino stilled as Hinata's slender arms encircled him tightly from behind. She pressed her face against his back and whimpered softly.
"You're angry with me." Her tiny whisper was full of anguish. "P-Please, Shino-kun, I care for you so much. Please don't be angry with me. I-I'm just not r-ready to h-h-have s-sex with you j-just yet!"
Sex? What?! Shino whipped around so sharply that his glasses flew off his face. His silvery gray eyes were wide with shock. "I-I wasn't trying to…I just wanted to ask you…I didn't want you to hurt yourself if you fainted again, so I…"
Hinata blanched and then burned with shame. "Y-You weren't…you didn't want to…"
Shino ran the last ten minutes through his mind. His brain searched frantically and then screeched to a halt. Yet? Yet?! Did that mean…?
Meanwhile, Hinata had curled up into a ball and buried her face in her pillow. That was it. There was nothing left to do but die, and she felt her embarrassment would kill her any moment now. She heard the shifting of cloth before strong hands cradled her face and lifted it to meet eyes roiling with emotion. Shino caressed her crimson cheeks with his thumbs and tried to form words but failed. Instead, apologies and explanations melted in a flood of tender kisses.
Author's Notes:
1) I suppose I got a little mushy in this chapter. Oh, well. It's also a bit short, but I think it highlights the important things that happened. I didn't forget Shinomaru! He's got another important role in the matchmaking.
