Unrequited Love || Shino x Neji

Chapter 2: Panic

A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter, I wanted to get something out since some people were asking for it and I finally got an idea, I'll do my best to continue writing but I have many other stories I want to get out and because of school I don't have much time but I promise I'll do my best, enjoy :)

The group of young ninja had grown bored and split into their own separate groups, some, including Shikamaru, even heading home. Most of the people still there had split into their teams but Shino had gestured for Neji to sit with him under one of the trees lining the field they were in.

"It's a nice day today isn't it?" Shino asked as he sat down facing Neji.

"Yeah," Neji started, looking at the sky before turning to look at Shino with a small smile, "it is quite nice today."

They smiled at each other for a moment before the bug user broke the silence.

"So," Shino started, "why were so nervous to tell?" He paused. "If you're uncomfortable telling me the reason I completely understand, don't feel pressured to tell me."

Neji loved that part of Shino especially, he was so sweet and understanding of other peoples feelings. Neji smiled slightly and tilted his head down, he was nervous but he knew he'd be even more nervous telling this to anyone else, even Tenten.

"Well, you guys are like the first people I've come out to so," Neji took a breath, "yeah."

Shino took in the sentance and thought about the wording. Neji was a closed-off person but sometimes he let little bits of information about him slip, like how what he just said indicated that he had told someone before.

"Understandable." Shino stated as he tried to make eye contact with the Hyuga. "Coming out is hard, especially to multiple people at once."

"Exactly." Neji replied, not wanting to say too much in fear that he'd spill everything he was thinking.

The two sat in silence for quite a few minutes before a shouting match errupted next to them. They both alertly turned their heads to the noise.

"I DONT CARE HOW MUCH YOU LIKE HIM I WANT HIM AND I SAID IT FIRST!!" Sakura screeched at Ino, of course it was those two.

As the shouting continued Shino stood up, "I'll be headed home, see you later Neji."

"Oh! Okay, yeah see ya." Neji replied with a wink, Shino angled his head down almost as if he wanted to cover his face.

A few days went by and Neji was back in that same field training, Shino and the rest of Team Kurenai had gone on a mission the day after the "coming-out circle" and Neji was waiting for his team to get a mission. Usually he wouldn't expect another mission since they had finished their last one, which had been quite long, just a week ago but since there were threats of a war, missions were many. Over the last few days Neji had been thinking about what Choji had said "Are you going to ask him out?" Neji really wanted to but after his lst relationship he didn't know if he could take it. Finally he was brought out of his thoughts when his teammate called out his name.

"Come one Neji! We have a mission!" Tenten followed up as she walked to up to the Hyuga with a smile.

"Really? What is it?"

"No idea, Gai/Guy-sensei said he'd tell us at the gate, apparently it's near Kirigakure."

(A/N: Kirigakure = Village Hidden in the Mist)

That was strange, that was where Shino's mission was as well, had something happened? Neji had a bad feeling about this. They split up as Neji went home to quickly grab his mission bag. Within a few minutes all of Team Gai/Guy was at the gates, the three younger ones curiously gazing at their sensei.

"We have a mission to find Team Kurenai and bring them back here, their mission was supposed to be a week but yesterday we got a message from Kurenai saying it had gone downhill and we haven't heard anything since." Gai/Guy stated, way less enthusiastic than usual.

Neji knew he didn't have a bad feeling for nothing, how bad was it?

* * A Few Days Later, Outside Kirigakure * *

The team had gone straight to Kirigakure with almost no breaks and the rest of the team could tell Neji was nervous, which he never was, but they couldn't figure out why.

"What that?" Neji suddenly asked in a paniced voice as he stopped jumping and looked to the ground. The team immediately jumped down to investigate. It was a backpack with a Konoha symbol on it. "Those are Shino's glasses." Neji whispered as he gazed to the foot of the tree next to the backpack he had initially seen.

Almost immediately Neji activated his Byakugan and looked around. The rest of the team watched Neji expectingly as he looked around them. The panic on his face grew and he lengthened the span of his vision before finally seeing something.

"There! I think it's Team Kurenai!" Neji blurted before dashing off in the direction he was looking.

The team followed Neji deeper into the forest and found Team Kurenai tied to a tree, seeming to be in a Genjutsu. Neji immediately took Shino out of the Genjutsu as Gai/Guy and Tenten got the other three out.

Once they had awoken Kurenai explained that they were ambushed by Kiri nin, apparently they weren't trusting of anyone right now because of the war threats. They jumped through the trees till they were out of Kiri and then stopped to rest, they were all extremely tired right now so they couldn't travel far.

* * Later * *

Everyone was asleep and Neji was on first watch, he looked around for a while, making sure it was safe before landing his eyes on Shino. They had picked up his glasses before leaving Kiri but Shino ahd them off now as he slept. Neji thought he looked so good without his glasses, if only he had them off more often. Neji continued to think about life as he watched Shino sleep. Little did he knwo that Shino was not asleep, he was trying but was too neevous. The Kirigakure ninja team had caught them at night while Kiba was on watch, Kiba had fallen asleep and befor ethey knew it they were caught in a Genjutsu, a powerful one. Shino knew he could rely on Neji but because he sensed someone watching him he still couldn't sleep. So he sat up.

"You're awake?!" Neji asked, seeming slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched." Shino replied as he watched Neji's face turn pink.