Hello to old and new readers!

If you are new to my stories you should know I never post a story until it is 100% finished. So you may always read with confidence that my stories will not be abandoned, held hostage, or waiting months or years for updates.

After 3 years of working on this story, I have finally finished it! I knew I wanted to write a romance for Shino but it was only after Rayne storms ink, (the incredible artist that made the cover art for this story), prompted me with two words "blind civilian", that this story came into being.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 1

A Blessing in Disguise?

Shino Aburame walked through the streets of Konoha after a particularly violent training session. He had become the unsuspecting test dummy for a new and rather effective Jutsu of Kiba's invention.

The roads were nearly bare on this early spring morning. Snowflakes seemed to mock his mood as they landed gently upon his hooded head. A few flakes managed to enter the side of his hood when the wind blew them gently towards him.

His irritation with himself increased with every step he took. His loss of the match with Kiba weighed on him more than usual. Knowing the intricacies of even the tiniest organisms such as insects showed him long ago that no one should be underestimated, and it was for that exact reason that he was upset with himself for his surprise at Kiba's new jutsu. He should not have been so arrogant to assume he knew all of Kiba's moves.

His kikai buzzed, echoing the displeasure of their master.

It seemed he was due for some introspection about life and underestimating one's opponent. The lack of insects to observe in the winter months could be to blame, but it was really no excuse for one such as Shino. A bug master never belittled even the most unlikely or minuscule sources.

"Excuse me?" a voice called from behind him.

Shino turned around to discover the source of the voice. It appeared to have come from the heavily clothed young woman closest to him on the street, just a few paces behind him. He recognized at once that she was blind, the cane and dark sunglasses attested to that assumption.

"Yes?" he questioned.

"Is there a nest of bees near here?" she asked.

Shino was puzzled at the odd question. While it was technically spring, the snow currently made the area inhospitable for many insects that frequented Konoha.

"It is too cold for bees to be out today. Why would you ask?" He doubted this blind woman could know the passerby she questioned was one of the few experts on insects. Therefore, a question to a stranger about spring insects in unseasonably cold weather required a pretext of sorts.

"Oh, I just hear a buzzing noise. I was a bit worried I would walk too close to a nest of angry bees, it must be something else. Anyway, thank you." She smiled in his direction over her multicolored scarf and stepped past him, her cane swishing through the light snow as he watched her disappear down the street.

Shino stared at her as she walked away. Being a shinobi, his hearing was greater than an average civilian, he listened curiously but he didn't hear what she described as a bee's nest.

It was possible his ears were not as sharp as the blind woman he had just encountered. He knew individuals that lacked one or more senses naturally compensated with their remaining senses.

Though, even to his sensitive ears, he couldn't hear even a faint buzzing. The only buzzing was from his kikai

Was it possible she had actually heard them? He had never heard of anyone claiming to have heard the kikai whilst the insects remained in their host. Even as irritated as his were at the moment, none had ever detected such a thing. Were her ears really so developed that they could hear the tiniest movements under his skin?

It was unlikely he would get answers to his questions standing alone in the snow.

He proceeded home but not without a lingering curiosity settling in his mind of one blind redhead.

Please review with your thoughts.