Shuyin and Ino

"So, what was our mission again?" A boy with brown hair asked a girl with blonde hair, his tone bored.

"Would you be quiet, Shuyin? Gods above, you do realize we're in enemy territory right? Our mission is to find out where the enemy ninja's base is and report back to Tsunade-sama so that we can launch a full-scale attack on them. Now shut up." She replied, annoyed. Shuyin looked down at the little golden-red fox that was traveling on his shoulder.

"She's not happy with me now is she Ryokuin? I mean, not as long as I talk, right?" He was silenced by a loud shushing noise from his blonde-haired companion. He grinned a toothy grin and the exasperated Ryokuin, who was tired of being in the middle of their constant squabbling. The trio went on in silence for a while more before Shuyin stopped and sniffed the air.

"I smell them nearby." He whispered quietly. "Don't you Ryokuin?" The little fox nodded and growled low and quiet. They both went closer to Ino, who was looking at them both funny.

"What are you talking about? I don't smell anyth-UMPH!" Her comment was stopped by Shuyin clasping a hand over her mouth with a shushing noise. A bush rustled, a twig snapped, and then all of them were surrounded. Shuyin let Ino go and gave a few hand motions to Ryokuin. The duo split apart, ripping and tearing at the enemies with their teeth, Shuyin's eyes flashing dangerously. Ino quickly got into the fray as well, fighting with kunai and shuriken instead of with tooth and claw.

They had been fighting for hours now, and it seemed like whenever they took one enemy down, four more stepped up to take their place. All three of them were sporting serious looking wounds and bruises, but kept going at it. Shuyin ducked under a punch and slammed his fist down on the back of one of their necks, snapping it neatly in half. He was growling and went after the new ones that followed. Ino knew she couldn't use her mind replacement technique. It would require someone to look after her original body and Shuyin was too busy fighting to do it for her.

Suddenly a gripping pain entered her back. An enemy ninja was there with a kunai embedded in the skin on her back. Her vision went black and she crumpled to the ground. The enemy ninja moved as one and fled the scene. Shuyin, who didn't witness the stabbing, smirked.

"Heh. I guess we were too much for them, right, Ryokuin? Ino?" He panted, then turned around and saw Ino in a pool of her own blood. His eyes widened and he ran over to her body quickly. He pulled the kunai out of her back and kept his hand pressed against her wound. "Ryokuin! Follow them to find out where their base is! GO!" He yelled. The little fox let out a sharp bark of understanding before running off.

"Ino…Ino wake up…Come on, Ino! Wake up and tell me to shut up again! Wake up wake up wake up!" He cried, shaking her gently. He felt for a pulse and sighed with relief when he found one. "All right, Ino. Hang in there until we get home. You're not going to die on a mission with me. I won't let it happen. Hang in there, Ino, please." He whimpered quietly. When Ryokuin came back a minute later saying he had found it, Shuyin gave him a soldier pill along with giving himself one.

"We're running home, buddy. We're not going to let Ino die, so let's go." He told his double and started running so fast there was a dust cloud behind him. Ryokuin wasn't far behind and they kept running like that until they got to the Konoha gate, sweating and panting. "Ino's hurt. Get Tsunade…quick." Shuyin passed out from running the whole way, Ino still in his arms. Tsunade got there quickly and they were both rushed to the hospital.

SCENECHANGE!!!

Shuyin groaned as he sat up in a hospital bed. Another boy with brown hair was sitting beside him, a little white dog in his lap.

"Kiba? Is that you?" Shuyin growled out, his muscles crying out in protest of him moving. Kiba looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah. It's me. Don't worry." He told his cousin when he didn't see Ryokuin around him. "Hana's taking care of Ryokuin. She's the best in the village. He's in good hands, but what happened out there? You and Ino came back really badly beaten up!" He exclaimed. Shuyin stretched, no matter how much his muscles didn't want him to.

"The enemy found us. There were too many…we tried our best but one of them got to Ino before I could get back to her. She's okay, isn't she?" He asked. Kiba nodded.

"She's fine, cuz. She was asking about you too. If you can walk through your stupidity by running all the way here from another country, we'll go see her."

"I'm fine, Kiba. Take me to her. Now please." He growled, getting out of bed. He winced when his feet touched the cold floor. He let his cousin lead him down the hallway and into another white-walled room. "Do these rooms even have a different color scheme at all?" He groaned. Ino's head snapped over to him when he came in.

"Shuyin? Oh, you're okay!" She cried and ran over and hugged him. Then she hit him on the shoulder, making him wince. "You IDIOT! How could you be asleep a full two hours later than me! You made me worry sick, you jerk! You little -! I should skin you right here! You'd better feel lucky that - " She broke off when she felt lips on hers. Shuyin smiled at her.

"Your turn to shut up, Ino. I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you are too, Shuyin!"

"This makes me sick…" Kiba groaned. Shuyin gave his cousin an evil smile.

"Should I just tell Ino about what I saw with Hinata? Oh, it was around twelve noon and we were…"

"Shut up Shuyin."

"Oh and then they kissed and I think they used tongue and everything!"

"SHUT UP SHUYIN!!"

I hope you liked it Inuzuka Shuyin! I liked writing this one. I'm usually not as good with boy original characters, but I hope I did yours justice!!

Kulani Tawanoki