Title: Bikouchuu Belief

Genre: General/ Slight-Angst

Category: Naruto

Pairings: None. One-sided NaruHina, as in keeping with the canon. Shino-sided ShinoHina friendship, if you squint.

Rating: K+

Notes: This takes place soon after the Bikouchuu Hunt filler in the anime. Not really any spoilers. More a 'slice-of-life' than anything else.

Type: One-shot/Drabble-thingy.

Sunlight streamed down on the two teenagers as they sat together on a stone bench. A quiet breeze ruffled the girl's hair as she twiddled her fingers together, staring at the ground. Her pale white eyes darted nervously over to her tall companion, his expression unreadable due to his high collar and dark sunglasses. He appeared to be looking somewhere in front of them, past the crowded trees and into the darker depths of the forest that surrounded their village. The girl looked back at the ground, a soft blush gracing her cheeks pale pink. Her teammate watched her closely- his dark eyes saw almost everything from behind his protective glasses-, but he didn't speak.

"Ano, Shino-kun…" the girl whispered, pressing and re-pressing two of her slim fingers together awkwardly. He remained silent, mentally coaxing her to continue. "Did Naruto-kun… s-say anything when I was g-gone?" she finished, her voice wavering slightly. Her friend didn't respond right away. The girl fidgeted nervously to pass the time, her fingers rapidly poking themselves together in a self-conscious manner. After a few moments, a warm hand descended on top of hers, effectively hiding the smaller hands from view. The hand gently squeezed, stopping her movements. The girl looked up at her companion, surprise written across her features. He still appeared to be watching the trees ahead of them, although she couldn't be sure he wasn't looking elsewhere.

"He told me something," the bug-user said, his voice deep and smooth at his young age. He shifted slightly as a small insect scurried across his neck before disappearing through a hole in his skin. The girl looked eager for a moment, but her face fell when he didn't elaborate.

"O-oh…" she said, her voice soft. Her posture slumped as she looked away from him. He withdrew his hand from hers, and she began to fiddle nervously. His hand covered hers again, squeezing until she stopped her fingers. He left his hand there, still squeezing gently. "Shino-k-kun?" she asked. The squeezing stopped, and a moment later he withdrew his hand.

"Hinata," he said. He tilted his head a fraction to the side, light reflecting off his sunglasses. "She is strong." Her eyes widened at the unexpected praise. "Far stronger than you think." The girl blinked, turning her body to face him as her eyes shot to his face.

"Shino-kun?" the girl asked, her pale eyes focused on her companion.

"That's," the boy paused, weighing the pros and cons of his next few words, "what he told me."

There was silence, a dark blush crossing the girl's face as she turned to stare dreamily into the forest.

-KRA :3

Edited: 03-19-06