Chapter 5

"Shino! There you are! I thought you had died or something…" Kiba zealously patted Shino on the back as he walked up. They were at their usual meeting spot under the large, gohei-draped tree.

Shino cringed, "Please don't touch me Kiba…" he said in a pained tone.

Kiba blinked, he was used to Shino's less-than-social behavior, but this seemed more than usual, "You okay?"

"…not really."

"What happened?" Kiba was sincerely worried now.

"I was attacked by Hiashi. His jutsu scrambled my charka flow, so my muscles are achy and my kikaichu are disoriented. I am better than yesterday, but I won't be normal again fora few days." He said in a matter-of-fact way.

"…w…Wha!?" Kiba blinked.

"Please don't shout," Shino sunk his head into his collar.

"Oh geeze…he found out about you and Hinata?"

"…yes."

"Damnnn," Kiba ran his hand through his hair.

"Rrrrrr," Akamaru growled with worry.

"Hinata isn't here yet?" Shino asked.

Kiba shook his head.

They waited for a time, and finally the familiar sight of Hinata came from around the corner. She walked up in front of the boys and glanced nervously at Shino.

"You…you okay?" She asked.

"I will be fine," He replied.

Kiba looked in-between the two as they looked at each other.

"I was…really worried…I hadn't heard anything since I left that morning," She gripped her hand onto her other arm. Shino stepped closer, and she took the moment to gently dart forward and embrace him. He didn't complain, as she was so gentle it wasn't even bothering his achy body. After her contact sunk in he lifted up his arms and hugged her back.

"…" Kiba smiled, looking away for a moment, "We have some training to catch up on…so we better get going."

"Ah," Shino nodded, the two of them breaking apart.

…

"Yahoo!"

"Gatsūga!"

"Hyyaaa!"

"Woof!"

Screeee!

TWACK!

"Nice one Hinata! You're sure into this today," Kiba grinned and caught his breath, rubbing his arm where he'd been hit.

Her serious training demeanor melted away as she instantly blushed and looked to the ground, "Uhh…thanks Kiba-kun."

Shino could tell what was up. She was channeling her anger towards the situation with her father into her training. Even though Hinata didn't have a mean bone in her body, pent up aggression took its toll on even the kindest human being.

"And Shino, you're the opposite it seems, you completely missed me. But you're recovering, so it's understandable," Kina grinned.

Shino glared at him, which didn't take too much effort for an Aburame to do, "Don't push your luck, Kiba."

"Oh, is that a challenge? Why do you always think you're the boss, even when you're incapacitated?"

Shino's kikai bugs stirred, "When approaching an animal who is injured, that when you should be at your most cautious."

"Please Kiba-kun - Shino you two shouldn't fight…" Hinata sighed.

After a period of uneasy silence of the boys staring at one another, Shino said softly, "I think I'll retire from training for today," He turned and walked to the edge of the clearing and sat against a tree.

"Time for a break anyway. Hey Hinata, want to continue with me after we eat?"

"Umm," Hinata thought, looking at Shino all alone, "I…think I'll stop too, I'm tired."

"Phehh, whimps," Kiba jested, flicking his thumb at his nose.

"Rrrroorrr!" Akamaru bumped his leg.

They broke out some rice balls and water. Hinata took a seat right next to Shino, her body pressed up against him about as far as one comfortably could. Kiba lay down with Akamaru a few trees over, sensing the two may need a little space, considering what he heard happened. He kept one eye on them though; being nosy was not above him.

She took a small wrapped bento and held it out to Shino.

He looked at it, "For me?"

She nodded, "I am…really sorry about what happened. I can make no excuse for that my father did. Please…forgive me," She bowed her head. Shino put out his hand and lifted up her face by her chin. She felt a blush come over her.

"I'm not mad at you, don't give it a second thought. What's done is done."

"Then you…can we still be together…?"

"Of course. Your father said he'd allow it, even though he's not pleased with us. And," He leaned forward and kissed her softly before continuing, "Even if he had forbidden it…I'd still want to."

She smiled, and nodded, running a hand up through her hair. Shino then noticed what had been holding it up as they trained.

The ribbon I gave her, He gave a hidden smile.

She took a bite of her rice ball, and looked down at the still wrapped bento in his hand, "Eat it before it gets cold, maybe it will help you gain back your strength."

…

Shino was normal again in a few days. Shibi still kept a suspicious eye on the Hyuga compound whenever he passed it. He'd forgiven Hiashi, but would never really trust him again (they two had never gotten along to begin with anyway).

Hinata was not allowed to visit the Aburame clan, as very frankly stated by her father. So it was that all their time spent together began to revolve around their missions and training time together. However, this did not satisfy them of course. Winter came and went (with it Shino's 17th birthday) and they began to take long walks in the Konoha forest together as Spring came around. Shino made the forest almost like an extension of his clan's tree groves. He'd point out every insect of interest to Hinata and even call some of them over. She enjoyed getting to see some of the beautiful insects up close.

On one of these particular Spring afternoons,

"W…what is that?" Hinata blinked as a very large beetle was placed on her head. It was a light color of muted gold and had marking on its wing covers that looked like someone splattered black paint on its back. A dark, horn-like protrusion came from its head, making it look rather intimidating.

She winced a little at the strange sensation of its spiky little feet. It didn't hurt, just…felt creepy-crawly. Even though she'd been around Shino since she was 7, she was still not completely beyond the human instinctual aversion to insects. She tried to ignore her instinctual feelings, as she really wasn't scared of it at all, she knew it wouldn't hurt her with Shino there.

"A Dynastes tityus, or a unicorn beetle - as it is called."

"O…oh." The beetle must have been three inches long.

"…he's not bothering you is he? He likes you, so that's why I put him on your head."

"Oh no! It's fine," It began to crawl down towards her neck.

He smiled a little, "Want to eat lunch at that clearing we found yesterday?"

"Sure," She reached out and crooked her elbow into his and let him lead her.

As she felt the beetle on her shoulder she spoke up, "…remember when you said you could teach me insect language?"

"Ah, I do."

"Um…you think you could start giving me…lessons? Is it that simple?"

"I could train you in it, yes. With your quiet, gentle nature it should only take you a year to get the basics, but it takes years to master."

"I could really learn the basics in a year?"

"I think you could, I believe in you."

She blushed a little, but then was reminded of the large beetle as it tried to tuck itself into her soft and puffy sweatshirt collar. She reached up her hand reflexively and grabbed it, not hard, but still it was abrupt. The beetle attempted to burrow deeper under her collar to escape. It's prickly 'fuzzy' edges of its leg joints and underbelly tickled her skin, kind of like a bunch of bristly horse-hair paintbrushes being put down your neck.

"Eeeep!" She voiced.

Shino instantly reacted, "Hinata, hold still," He placed his hand out, the back of it brushed against her neck softly. She fidgeted as tried to hold still for him as he had asked. He asked the insect to come back out and that Hinata's sweatshirt lining was not a good place to nestle into. He complied and crawled onto Shino's palm. "I forgot he was still on you; I apologize. Are you alright?" He looked at her apologetically

"I'm fine,"

He stared at her.

"…"

"You still are a little scared of insects, aren't you?"

"No I'm not! I 'm not scared of them whatsoever…it's just, I don't know if I like the feeling of them touching me so close like that...like on my neck, that's all."

"My kikaichu get on you when we train." His voice remained calm and not angry in the slightest.

"That's different."

"How so?"

She sighed, then took a glance at the large beetle, which was now tucked into the crook made by Shino's sweatshirt hood (that was on his head as per usual) and his high collar's edge. It was peeking out, little shiny black eyes starring at her, or at least she figured it was starring at her. She continued, "Because they are yours. They're...an extension of you."

He tilted his head slightly, and nodded.

"Oh Shino…" She went forward and gripped her arms around him. She loved how hugging him was like holding a big teddy bear. He was so soft and squishy, and the vibration of his kikaichu always made him feel a little tingly. She liked that. "I love you, but I don't know if I can love all insects quite as…intimately as you do," she grinned nervously.

"Oh, so you just have problem with the big and crawly ones? I see how it is; typical, no problem with the cute ones like butterflies, lady bugs, and caterpillars…" he somewhat jested, which he tended to do when alone with her. It was still a side of him she was not totally used to, but she of course liked it.

"I'm only human I suppose," She nuzzled her head into his chest, "After you teach me, perhaps with knowledge will come understanding?"

"Most surely. People fear what they don't understand."

"I understand you."

"…" He reached up and brought the large golden beetle back out. Hinata watched as he and it seemed to consider one another, and it then quickly spread it's hard wing covers and buzzed it's wings and flew away into the trees.

"I can't wait to eaves drop onto your conversations," she smiled.

He returned the smile, and Hinata didn't need to see it to know it was there.

…

Under the guidance of Shino, Hinata began learning insect language. They would have little sessions on the subject while resting on missions or during training. Of course, sometimes the training sessions wouldn't always stay on topic. More and more frequently, Hinata would find herself, lets say distracted, at the mercy of Shino's deep voice or gentle touch, or lost in the dark depths of his eyes when she was allowed the privilege of removing his glasses when they were alone. Shino of course was always entranced by the beauty of Hinata's eyes. It was one of her many features he found…interesting.

So quite often training sessions became making out sessions by their end. ;)

…

By the time Hinata's Seventeenth birthday rolled around, she had almost mastered the basics of speaking to insects, and the tensions between Shino's and Hinata's parents had mostly faded (but Hiashi still kept a watchful eye on his daughter). What he feared most was if that 'Aburame boy' got her pregnant. However, thoughts began to roll through his head, about his younger daughter, Hanabi. She was already quite skilled, and an outgoing, ruthless and determined ninja. The way things were going, even with Hinata's growth and becoming a chunin (and on a road to Jounin), Hanabi was most likely going to be the next clan main house leader, even though Hinata was by clan tradition next in line. With modern times came change…and this move against clan tradition was one he was truly considering to make.

Hiashi began to wonder…were his fears about Hinata a really warranted if she wasn't going to be clan leader? He still needed to protect the clan ability, no Hyuga with the Byakugan eyes was allowed to marry out and leave the village. It was protected just as closely as the Uchiha's Sharingan. However…if she ended up marrying Shino, she would still be in the village…and her child would be then be the heir to the Aburame clan (Albeit of a beastly clan of bug users, as he himself thought, but still, it was a noble bloodline). It was something he began turning over in his head…a lot; and it was a common sight in the Hyuga household to see him staring off into space while mulling over his tea, which usually went cold before he remembered to drink it.

…

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(((From the author: Sorry for the lack of update on this, I have ideas but I was kinda writer-blocked and also I'm very busy! I'll try to at least finish this fic. :3 I'd hate to leave it unfinished )))

(((I was so happy & surprised to see so many reviews from eager readers! Thank you so much for the kind words! )))

(((Also for those readers concerned with the M rating, there WILL be sexual scenes in coming chapters (hence the rating) but I can assure you it will be written quite tastefully and not graphic at all, but I will put warnings before the start of that part of the chapter so those wishing to NOT read such things can skip over it. )))