#ShinoTen

[konradeketchup]

I'm back from the dead! Sorry for the inactivity! Here are some (not so clean, and inconsistent) doodles for the Shinoten nation:

I'm still madly in love with this ship, and I'll try to be more active around here 🫶

[spellcasterlight]

@aburamesproject - ShinoWeek2025 - Day 5: Second and Third Love

Tenten and insect Pokemon! Caterpie evolved! 🥳

Pokémon AU Masterpost

Ao3 ✨ |Story Request Bingo Cards 📖 | WIP Game Always Open ✒️| Ko-Fi ☕ | Silly Fanarts 🎨| Reblog Blog 🟢🟢

[shinoposting]

( by bjorkubus on DeviantArt, 11/08/2010 )

[alumort]

@full-frontal-lotus thank you for indulging me hehe

i hc neji is also arospec and nb, but hes not cis lol

@spellcasterlight hi spell!! ill go one by one lolol

Shino and tenten have the most AroAce vibes. To me, but i can see them being platonic partners or smt, they would understand each other very well

sakuino!! they love each other very much even if they are rude hehe

i rlly can't see shika dating a woman tbh sowwy, but i wanted to put my hcs too lol

hinata is graysexual! The few crushes she's had(naruto... kiba... shino) its bc they were nice to her at some point. bby

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Just Add A Little Extra

Words: 1276

For: @spellcasterlight

Get it out!

Shino screwed his eyes shut. He’d wanted to check in on his latest creation, but rather than the joy he had hoped to extend to mortals, he was greeted with disgust.

Eww, gross! 

More insults, more screams. No matter where he looked it seemed that mortals were terrified by his creations rather than excited.

Get off, get off, get off!

A flurry of desperate hands his creation away, almost smacking it along the way. The fear it feels as it tries to scurry away radiates in his chest, a painful grip on his heart. 

‘They’re beautiful’ Mito’s words echo in his ears, but he can’t help but feel like they are lies. If something were really so beautiful why would others scream at the sight of them? Why would mortals fear his creations if they were truly things of beauty?

All he had ever wanted to do was share his creations with mortals. To show them the wonderful bugs that he had crafted with his own two hands and watch as they worked with them to better the world. When they were younger it had worked out. Mortal had loved his spiders for the webs they created, and his bees for the honey that they made. They’d found the good in everything that Shino gifted to them, even finding ways to make art out of their bodies after they had died.

Now they refused to look at one of his bugs without screaming or trying to harm them. There were a few exceptions to the rule, of course, but not enough. 

No matter what Shino did mortals hated his bugs.

He could make them bright and colourful or dark and hard to see, and the response was always the same. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, holding out a finger to catch his latest creation as it flew back up to him. Shaking itself off, it settled onto his finger with a slight shiver and stared up at him with sad, empty eyes. “I really thought that this time…maybe I should just give up.”

At that moment a presence appeared behind him, their cheerful energy radiating off of them and surrounding him with a comforting warmth that he’d become used to over the centuries. 

“They’re wrong,” she spoke, reaching out and gently tapping the beetle’s body. “They just don’t see how wonderful you are. How wonderful you both are,” Her last words are directed at Shino, but he shrugs them off. There’s nothing she could say that would cheer him up now. Not after he’d worked so hard to show the mortal’s how wonderful his bugs were only to have them lash out at them again. “Ah, come on Shino,” stepping around him she plopped herself down at his side and grinned when he looked her way. “You know better. Your bugs are amazing, mortal’s just…they don’t understand.”

“They never understand,” he grumbled bitterly. “When did they stop loving them? When did my bugs stop being amazing creatures that helped them survive and grow, and instead become a nuisance that needed to be…”

Killed.

Murdered.

Slaughtered.

There were so many words that he could use to describe what mortals did to his bugs, but he found it impossible to say any of them. To admit that the beings who inhabited the world and worshipped a pantheon of talented, dedicated Gods, would be so cruel as to harm a creature that meant them no harm.

“Mortals are fickle,” Tenten reminded him. “They have gone through different phases in their existence. Remember when those groups came up that hated music and dancing?”

The reminder sent chills down his spine. Jiraiya had always been one of the more relaxed Gods, but he’d been ready to wipe mortals off of the face of the planet when he heard the cruel things they said about dancing. Sora had been right there behind him, a rather timid goddess ready to throw hands at anyone who dared to insult dancing. Even Bee had forgotten his more relaxed lifestyle in favor of returning to the mortal realm to remind them of the importance of his music. 

“Anyways,” returning her focus to the beetle sitting in Shino’s hand, she twirled her finger around it for just a moment. “How about wings?” as the words left her mouth a pair of wings grew on the beetles back. They seemed awkward at first, causing the beetle to teeter a little on his hand when it first opened them up, but before long it had adjusted itself and was able to raise itself up into the air and hover just in front of his face.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, awestruck by her ability to create something even more stunning out of a creature that he’d already thought was perfect. “But won’t that just scare them more?”

Bees and wasps terrified mortal’s whenever they flew too close to them. If a beetle, something that already caused them to scream in terror and struck out at them, were to begin flying he was certain that their intention to harm his creations would only grow more determined. 

“Mmm, maybe you’re right,” waving her finger once again, Tenten grinned when the beetle's outer coat began to shin before solidifying into a harder outer shell. “What about this? Now it’ll be harder to hurt them.”

Once again Shino was left stunned by Tenten’s creativity, though he had no reason to be. She was the Goddess of weaponry after all. Creating durable, steady weapons was a talent of hers and all she had done was extend that talent to aiding his beetle. Still, it wasn’t enough. “They’re five hundred times its size,” he sighed. “I don’t think there’s any shell strong enough to protect it if they’re really determined to do it harm.”

A click of her tongue told him that she was annoyed, but Tenten was not one to give up. Taking a moment to think things through, she reached out once more and tapped her finger against the beetle's head. In a flash of brilliant light a large pair of pincers extended out from its head, big enough that they were nearly as long as its body.

“What-”

“To protect it,” she insisted, grinning so wide that he could see her teeth sparkling in the sunlight. “I mean, there’s not much that I can do to make it invincible. Unless…” She eyed him for a moment, but he quickly shook his head. The last thing he needed was to set an immortal beetle loose on the world. The mortals would certainly remember him for it, but he’d probably end up relegated to the ‘terrible god’s side of the pantheon alongside Orochimaru, Kakazu, Danzo, and some of the others. “Well, if I can’t make it immortal then I’ll just have to make it hard to kill, able to fly, and with pincers large enough to snap off a rude mortal’s finger if necessary.” 

A smile stretched across Shino’s face. It was nowhere near as bright as Tenten’s, but it was there. A soft, fond smile quickly earned him a hug from Tenten that he was certain would crush his lungs if he had any. 

“You are-”

“Amazing?” she asked. “Fantastic? Wonderful? Intelligent?”

Resting a hand on the back of her head, he pulled her in close and pressed a kiss against her temple. “Perfect.”

As the two of them sat there hugging Shino’s beetle flew in circles around them, dancing in the only way that it could. Celebrating the new features that Tenten had added to its fragile body to protect it from those who would wish to do it harm.

[kiljoius-writes]

Cooler Than Me - Chapter 1

Ao3 | FFN

Next Chapter

Chapter 1: Day One - Shikamaru

Pairings: Hinata Hyūga/Sasuke Uchiha, Shino Aburame/Sakura Haruno, Kiba Inuzuka/Tenten, Sakura Haruno/Rock Lee, Neji Hyūga/Tenten, Hanabi Hyūga/Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara/Ino Yamanaka, Shino Aburame/Tenten

Summary: It’s a beautiful day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The Hokage tower stands tall with all previous Hokage’s faces on display behind it, as well as the current. Faces the citizens of the Leaf know quite well. Hashirama Senju, founder of the Leaf. Tobirama Senju, his brother. Hiruzen Sarutobi, God of Shinobi. Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash. Jiraiya, Sannin. Might Guy, the Leaf’s Noble Green Beast.

And of course, the current Hokage himself, Rock Lee, Handsome Devil of the Leaf.

Within the Hokage tower, at the very top, in the esteemed Hokage’s office, Rock Lee is on his hands, nearing one thousand standing pushups while Shikamaru Nara frantically pens a letter to Neji Hyūga.

When the hell is your ‘sabbatical’ going to be over? I am drowning. Our Hokage is trying to open up another dojo. We’ve already opened two in the last week. It’ll make 12 since you left. I need a goddamn nap.

Return or I’ll send my deer.

Exhausted, Shikamaru

Rating: T for language, but likely to get upped to M later

a/n: This is pure crack. I honestly have no idea. Let's just enjoy the ride, I guess.

Disclaimer: No one is innocent, everyone's a menace in their own way. No one's really happy, but they're not miserable either. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

It’s a beautiful day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The sky is clear save for a few fluffy clouds, the birds are chirping, children are running through the streets, filling it with laughter and glee. The smell of Takoyaki and freshly baked Yakisoba Pan permeates the air, the local dojo is blasting old school rock, and the Hokage tower stands tall with all previous Hokage’s faces on display behind it, as well as the current.

Yes, faces the citizens of the Leaf know quite well.

Hashirama Senju, founder of the Leaf. Tobirama Senju, his brother. Hiruzen Sarutobi, God of Shinobi. Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash. Jiraiya, one of three Legendary Sannin. Might Guy, The Leaf’s Noble Green Beast.

And of course, the current Hokage himself, Rock Lee, Handsome Devil of the Leaf.

Within the Hokage tower, at the very top, in the esteemed Hokage’s office, Rock Lee is on his hands, nearing one thousand standing pushups while Shikamaru Nara frantically pens a letter to Neji Hyūga.

When the hell is your ‘sabbatical’ going to be over?

I am drowning. Our Hokage is trying to open up another dojo. We’ve already opened two in the last week. It’ll make 12 since you left. I need a goddamn nap.

Return or I’ll send my deer.

Exhausted,

Shikamaru

“Shikamaru, what do you think of putting this one next to Ichiraku’s?” Lee questions without looking up as the Nara rises and bolts to the other side of the room. “I believe it would be a wise location—after training, one can immediately replenish nutrients, then right back to training!”

“Uh—” Shikamaru grunts out, throwing the door open. He darts his eyes around until they land on a mildly frightened-looking chunin, who is mooning their eyes up at him. He thrusts the letter into her chest and points down the hall. “Take that to Kanoko, for Neji Hyūga. And insist on speediness today.”

“Sir.” The young chunin bows before making haste.

Shikamaru lets out a tired sigh—the only type of sigh he’s ever given in his 25 years on this god-forsaken planet—and turned back to his Hokage. One he was foolish enough to agree to advise only under the pretense Neji would be here, too. He pulls the door shut, returns to his desk, and falls into it. Pinches the bridge of his nose, rubs his prickly cheek and then clasps his hands together. “Lee. Please, listen to me. We do not need another dojo right now. Listen, Hinata came in the other day asking about funding—”

“Hinata was here?” Lee stops just short of one thousand, flipping right side up to land on his feet. “I missed her! How unfortunate, her youthful demeanor is always a delight—OH!” Shikamaru recoils as Lee shouts. “Silly me, I stopped at nine-hundred-ninety-five.” Shikamaru grimaces as Lee backflips onto his hands. “No problem at all! As Guy-sensei would say, there is always room for more training. Back to zero! One! Two…”

Shikamaru buries his face in his hands.

He desperately needs a cigarette, so he scans his desk. They settle on a small report that came in yesterday that he’d put off because it actually needs to go to the police department, and he hadn’t felt like running it down. He had planned on having one of the assistants do that, but now he realizes he really does in fact want to bring it in himself.

“Gotta run this down,” Shikamaru says eagerly, swiping up the folder. He hops to his feet with more vigor than he normally does and gives a wave to Lee as he passes him. “Be back in a jiff.”

“Of course!” Lee says between numbers, flashing him a stunning smile as the door closes on him.

“Gods help me…” Shikamaru sighs as his shoulders slump. He makes quick work of jogging down the stairs, tucking the folder under his arm, and rummaging in his pockets for his cigarettes. He nods shortly to the chunin posted outside and fumbles for a stick from the carton. He pops it between his lips and then looks for a lighter and—

“Fuck,” he breathes, patting down every single pocket. He gives himself a good search over before he nearly collapses to his knees. The sound of metal scraping over a wok catches his ear and his eyes find the flame beneath. He hustles over and bends over the tapestry, sticking his face far too close to the fire, and sucks in.

As soon as that feel-good chemical hits his brain, he calms.

“You good buddy?” the man asks, pulling the wok away from his face to better protect him from a nasty burn. He pops his eyes open to see the end of the cigarette flaming up and he stumbles back, waving his hand to fan it away.

“Sorry.” He bows his head before taking off towards the police department.

When he realizes his stride is much too quick, he slows.

Unfortunately, the police department is within the Uchiha district, and that’s quite close to the Hokage tower, and he’s there before he can even finish the damn thing.

He paces briefly, sucking it down until it’s burning up the filter, and he lets out another tired sigh. He rolls it out and flicks it into the trashcan, then yanks the entrance open. Black hair and black eyes turn to meet him and he ignores every one of them until he finds the one he’s come to burden.

“Uchiha,” he drawls as he approaches, causing a few more heads to turn as he tosses the folder on the desk. The only other face in the village that could rival the tiredness of his own rises to meet, and he can swear he sees a vein pop in the man’s forehead.

“Nara,” he sneers, setting his hand on the folder. “More paperwork, as always.”

“Hm?” Shikamaru questions innocently, leaning a hip on the desk. “Thought I’d be bringing you lunch?”

“Hmph,” Sasuke pouts, leaning back as he folds open the report. “Might be nice for a change.”

“Noted,” Shikamaru responds, perking an eyebrow as he lingers. Sasuke eyes him suspiciously.

“Anything else?” Sasuke asks, tilting his head forward. Shikamaru shrugs.

“Need any help around here?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be back at the tower?”

“Well—”

“Tsk tsk,” Sasuke tuts, tossing the report forward with a smirk as Shikamaru frowns, “skirting responsibilities as always, Nara.”

“You just seem so bored,” Shikamaru offers, gesturing out, “ever thought of switching places? Never a dull moment with Lee.”

“Wouldn’t doubt it,” Sasuke scoffs, folding his arms, “wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world.”

Shikamaru taps the side of his head. “Sharp.” Still, he lingers. “Hinata have any idea when that shithead cousin of hers will be back?”

Sasuke snickers, looking out the window next to him along with Shikamaru. Hinata is teaching a group of maybe 15 young, up-and-coming shinobi how to create light from the chakra in their hands. When Sasuke’s eyes linger too long, Shikamaru clears his throat expectantly. Sasuke snaps his gaze back up, irritation clear on his face. “No clue. Bother someone else about it.”

“Always a pleasure, Uchiha,” Shikamaru sighs, shaking his head as he stands up straight.

When he gets outside, he fishes another cigarette out of his pack, then curses quietly at the realization he still doesn’t have a lighter. He looks up to see Hinata showcasing a small flame in her palm and his eyes go wide.

He pulls his hand up to his face and snaps, creating a small spark at the end of the cigarette, lighting it.

“I’m losing it…” he mutters as he treks away.

[soky-tf]

Sobre as minhas dificuldades de escrever fic no fandom de Naruto:

1) Não consigo escrever SasuSaku de forma que pareça interessante para mim. Eu shippo, acho que os personagens foram criados para ficar juntos. Mas não consigo escrever sobre eles.

2) Também não sei escrever NaruHina. Pra mim, eles são perfeitos juntos, não problemáticos, dois gostosos. Mas a dinâmica "Hinata é secretamente apaixonada por Naruto, que não percebe"... Sei lá. A história original já é assim, amigos. Pra quê eu vou colocar na minha fic?

3) As pessoas lêem 20 fics SasuSaku, 15 fics NaruHina ao mesmo tempo. Você entrega 1 fic em que nenhum dos dois é protagonista, e os fãs: "Vim por SasuSaku", "Vai ter NaruHina?", "Meu deus, a Sakura não vai ficar com o Sasuke?"... Poxa, não percebeu ainda que a fic não é sobre eles? Se quer mais do mesmo, fic desses casais é o que não falta.

4) Eu gosto de criar crack ship. Eu AMO deixar os relacionamentos fazerem sentido dentro da dinâmica da fic. Eu já escrevi ShinoTen acidental que acabou sendo o casal melhor trabalhado da história que era pra ser NaruHina 😅. Agora tô escrevendo uma fic KibaIno, que um dos casais que acabou surgindo foi ShikaSaku e foi totalmente inesperado, mas eu meio que gostei...

[kakashiswilloffire]

Let's bring back fun ask culture one ask at a time! 😁 ❤️

The last popular ship you drew/wrote/thought about is fighting the last rare pair you drew/wrote/thought about! 😱

Who's winning?! 💪

(I say ship but if you feel more comfortable to do your last popular character vs last rare character instead that would be cool as well! 😁 Also feel free to ignore this ask completely! Please don't feel any pressure to answer ♥ )

Sending good vibes frienddddd! 🎇

aaaah good to hear from you!!!

the last popular ship i wrote was kakayama, a college au. and the last rarepair i thought about was shinoten! i think the fight would be fascinating, especially to see shino's insects vs yamato's wood style. and tenten has spent years listening to gai talking about his eternal rival, she's had a masterclass in ways to beat kakashi. I think it would be a really good fight that went on for a while before kakashi and yamato narrowly take the win.

[naruto-shipping-confessions]

It was ShinoTen once upon a time for me.

[konradeketchup]

Sooo... After being a coward for months, I've decided I finally wanted to start posting my art here!!!

Yes, it's a Tumblr post inside of a Tumblr post. And for the 4 total Shinoten fans out there: ily..... 😇🙏

[spellcasterlight]

@aburameweek - Day 5 Prompt: Any AU

Sometimes, you just need to therapeutically draw terrible fanart of your own fanfic 😂

Pokémon AU Masterpost

Ao3 ✨ |Story Request Bingo Cards 📖 | WIP Game Always Open ✒️| Ko-Fi ☕ | Reblog Blog 🟢

[alumort]

Hi frienddddddd! 😁

I headcanon Tenten as bisexual and Shino as demisexual but apart from that I don't really have any I'm half ashamed to say 😂

What are yours for Neji and Lee?

Sending good fireworks bright vibes! ✨

a lil doodle for you! those are great hcs, i see shino as acespec as well :) you dont need to have hcs for everyone, your faves are enough 🥰

my hcs for neji: for me, he only likes men, so he's achillean and aspec (both in the asexual and aromantic spectrum) idk, just makes sense to me hehe. also he just has trans/nonbinary vibes owo

and lee! sometimes i hc him as transmasc, but hes always biromantic and asexual in my mind, though hes sex-favorable while neji is sex-repulsed ^^

thanks for the ask!!

[depressedhatakekakashi]

What Are We?

Words: 3043

Characters: Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten, Maito Gai, Hatake Kakashi.

Pairings: NejiLee, Kakagai (Background), ShinoTen (Only Mentioned)

For: @alumort who won my 1500 followers event raffle back in friggen february and has been patiently waiting for me to get my crap together. Thank you for being so amazing <3

Sunlight shone through the living room window, filling the room with a bright glow. On the right side of the room, boxes were piled high, waiting to be opened so that their contents could find their new place.

Opposite the wall of boxes, as Tenten so fondly referred to it, sat the five shinobi who had spent their morning moving all of those boxes from Lee and Neji’s old places to the new house. A task that hadn’t taken all that much time, but had sufficiently drained three of the workers of energy. 

“You need a table,” Tenten sighed, staring at the space between them. “Somewhere to put drinks, or play board games.”

“We’ll be getting a table,” Neji assured her as he cradled a cup of tea in his hands. “And a few other things.”

“When we’re done this will look like a real home,” Lee threw his hands into the air with excitement. “A home that anyone would be envious of. Even better than Gai-Sensei’s!”

Kakashi, who had up until that point been comfortably leaning against Gai’s side, snorted. “Don’t go making promises you can’t keep, Lee.”

Rather than starting a passionate argument with their Sensei’s boyfriend, Lee turned his attention onto Neji and grinned. “You agree with me, don’t you?” He asked. “We’re going to have the best house in all of Konoha.”

The only response Neji could offer was a fond laugh and a shake of his head. He expected that Lee would turn this whole ordeal into a challenge, but to choose Kakashi-Sensei and Gai-sensei as his standard for how beautiful their home would seem like quite the stretch.

For one, the two older men had been living together for years at this point, whereas Lee and Neji had only just moved in together. It would take them years to reach a point where their home could safely be considered more beautiful if that was even possible. Though, Neji did not doubt that whatever they did with this new living space it would be perfect.

A home that they could both enjoy to the fullest.

“I think that wall would be perfect,” Lee continued, undeterred from his goal. “I can put up pictures of our team. There are a few in my camera that would fit very well, I think.” those big bushy eyebrows of his furrowed together in indecision. 

“You have a lot of pictures,” Tenten noted, pointing over at the camera in question which was currently sitting atop the pile of boxes. “You seem to love taking pictures.”

“He does,” Neji confirmed before Lee had the opportunity to gush about his love for photography. That lessons he took with Sukea were beneficial.” Sukea had been reluctant at first to take on a ‘student’, but as always Lee was determined and refused to take no for an answer. After five hours of being constantly hounded for lessons, Sukea had caved like a paper crane being crushed by a rock. 

“Well, one of the benefits of having your own home is decorating it how you want,” Kakashi-Sensei settled back into Gai-Sensei’s side with a sigh. “And a wall of pictures does seem rather…Leeish.”

“What about Neji, though?” Gai-Sensei pipped up. “What is there that you’re looking forward to doing to your new house to make it feel a little more like home?”

Neji couldn’t help but cringe when all eyes turned to him. Although they’d been planning this move for months he hadn’t put that much thought into what he wanted his home to look like. The only thought that had concerned him until now was getting moved in with the few things he had.

Once he was settled, then he would think about what he wanted his home to look like.

“I’m sure Neji has some wonderful plans for the house,” Lee nudged him in the side with his elbow and grinned when he looked his way. “Of course, it will take some time to set everything up. We’ll have to invite everyone over for dinner when it’s done so they can see the splendor for themselves.”

“And until then?” Tenten leaned forward in her spot and stared at the pair. “How do we refer to you going forward?”

The smile dropped off of Lee’s face, replaced by a look of complete confusion.

“What exactly do you mean, Tenten?” Neji asked when Lee failed to produce any words in response to Tenten’s question. “Why would you change how you refer to us? We’re still Lee and Neji.”

“Well, yes I know that,” she settled back in her spot and sighed. “But what do we call you as a pair?”

 Lee and Neji glanced at each other for a second, searching for the answer to Tenten’s question in each other's eyes, but what they saw staring back at them was the same confusion that they felt within themselves.

“I don’t-”

“She’s asking if this means you’re officially dating or not,” Kakashi answered, sighing when Gai glared at him. “What? Clearly, they didn’t understand the question.”

Gai could only shake his head in disappointment. “As always, Rival, your way with words is a little too blunt,” he explained. “Neji and Lee already have so much to think about without us asking questions about their relationship.”

“I wasn’t even the one who asked the question.”

“I know, but-”

Their words faded into the background. Neji and Lee were too busy processing what they had just heard, and what exactly those words meant, to listen to anything else their companions had to say. In a matter of seconds, their entire worlds had been turned upside down.

What were they? Seconds ago they would have both claimed they were friends, but Kakashi’s words hovered in their heads.

Lee was the first to break the silence between them. “D-dating?” 

Neji simply nodded his head, confirming his understanding of what they were being asked.

“I-” Turning his attention back to Tenten, Lee opened his mouth but for the first time since they’d met Neji was surprised to find that no words fell from his lips. 

“Oh come on,” Tenten reached her arms behind her head and sighed. “Don’t tell me you two didn’t think of this.” Neji could hear his Sensei snickering, though his face was conveniently hidden behind Kakashi-sensei’s shoulder when he’d turned to glare at him. 

“I’m not sure I understand,” Lee spoke slowly as if contemplating his words before saying them for the first time in the seven years Neji had known him. “Are you suggesting that Neji and I are…dating?”

“Suggesting? No,” Tenten huffed. “I mean, what else would you call it? You two aren't just friends.”

Lee puffed out his chest. “Yes, we are!”

“Oh?” arching an eyebrow, a smile stretched across Tenten’s lips. “So you two go out to dinner without me as friends?”

“That’s not-” glancing towards Neji, Lee sighed when he was met with a blank expression. “Neji, tell her. We don’t go out to dinner without her. It's a team dinner, we never would!”

Thinking back over the years, it only took a second for Neji to realize that Tenten was telling the truth. He couldn’t pinpoint when exactly it began, but somewhere along the line, they’d simply stopped inviting her to their dinners. Not all of the time of course. Tenten was still their teammate and friend who they enjoyed spending their downtimes with.

It was just that once in a while the two of them would go out together alone, and it slowly became the norm for them. These days the two of them didn’t even need to ask if they wanted to go out to dinner. Once a week they would simply choose a place they wanted to eat and go out. 

Just the two of them.

“See, even Neji knows I'm right,” lowering her hands, Tenten leaned forward and poked Lee’s nose. “You just haven’t been paying attention to your own life.”

“Tenten…”

“No, I’m not going to go easy on him,” she huffed, shooting Neji a glare before he could even begin to reprimand her. “Seriously you two, how did you not notice? There had to be something that happened to clue you into your changing situation. Honestly, even I managed to realize when Shino and I stopped being ‘just friends’ and became ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’”

At that moment, Gai-Sensei lifted his head from Kakashi’s shoulder and grinned. “Sometimes life gets ahead of people, Tenten. Love isn’t always obvious to those who are experiencing it.”

“Wise words,” Kakashi rolled his eyes. “For a man who took three years to realize our challenges had turned into dates.”

“I- that’s not- Kakashi!” 

There was too much going on. Too many words are being said all at once for Neji to focus on his thoughts. Just a moment's peace was all he needed to sort through his memories and figure things out.

“N-Neji?” Lee called out to him when he stood up and made his way toward the kitchen. There was nothing in the room to distract him. No boxes to unpack, or dishes to put away into cupboards. 

It was quiet. His friend's voice is a distant sound in the background. If he focused on their words he could still make out what was being said, but he’d left the living room for a moment to breathe and focus.

‘What are you two?’

Tenten’s question echoed in his mind. A simple phrase that had turned his world upside down in an instant. Yesterday he would have been able to answer her with certainty, but now he was questioning his understanding of the bond he had formed with Lee.

What were they? When had their friendship changed into something else, and why hadn’t he noticed until now?

“Come on, Neji,” Lee jabbed a finger into his arm. “A quick spar. It will be fun.”

Neji sighed. For the last three hours Lee had followed him around the village asking for a challenge, and no amount of ‘No’s’ would deter him from his goal. It was the last thing that Neji wanted to do after training all morning, but his options seemed limited. Lee was someone who would happily waste away his day following him everywhere, and Neji had no desire to allow that.

It was better to give his teammate what he wanted so he could enjoy his day.

“Fine,’ he turned toward Lee, a sharp look in his eyes that caused the other boy to retract away from him. “One spar and then you leave me alone for the day. Deal?”

A smile broke out across Lee’s face. “Really?”

“Only one,” Neji clarified. “And then you leave me alone.”

“Deal!” Lee reached out and grabbed hold of his arm without warning. “Come on! I know the perfect place!” 

Neji’s lips curled upwards into a smile as he thought back to the day he’d finally accepted one of Lee’s challenges. The results had been exactly what he’d expected, with Lee laying on the ground groaning in pain and Neji unscathed. Something had changed that day, though. He hadn’t realized it then, but now it all seemed too obvious.

Still, that didn’t change who they were. If anything, that was the day that they started down the path to becoming friends. 

“Lunch?” Lee’s face was covered in dirt after being knocked down by Neji’s last attack, but his smile seemed to shine just as bright as ever. “You want to go to lunch?”

“Well, we did just have a spar,” Holding out a hand towards his friend, Neji watched as Lee studied it. “It’s good to eat once in a while, even if it means you have to stop training.”

“I know that,” Taking hold of Neji’s hand, Lee grunted when he was pulled forward and up until he was standing in front of Neji once more. “It’s just that- well…” Tilting his head, Neji waited for Lee to find the words he was looking for. He knew that if he interrupted his teammate it would likely result in Lee completely forgetting what he was trying to say. It was better for him to wait and see if Lee could find the words he was looking for. “You want to go to lunch, with me?”

The words struck Neji like an arrow to the heart.

Lee wasn’t confused about the offer for food, but rather it was the suggestion that they go together that seemed to stump him. 

“We go to lunch together all the time.”

“With Tenten, yes,” Lee agreed. “But just the two of us? I don’t think we’ve ever-”

Seeing where the conversation was going, Neji held out his hand once more. “Let’s change that,” he suggested. “Lunch. Just you and me.”

Without a moment's hesitation, Lee took hold of Neji’s hand and grinned so wide that Neji was surprised his face didn’t split in half. “That sounds wonderful.”

Neji’s heart fluttered as he thought back to that smile. Throughout all of their years together, he’d never seen a brighter smile than the one Lee had given him that day. Not only was it the brightest smile he’d ever seen, but it was the most beautiful as well.

A smile that was worth framing and putting up in a museum for all to see, except Neji didn’t want to share it. He wanted to be selfish and keep it for himself. A small gift that he could wrap up in a box and stare at whenever he needed something to lift his spirits. 

That was the moment he knew things had changed. When they stopped being just ‘Neji and Lee’ and started being something else. Something that he’d never been able to assign any sort of word to. It was new and exciting, but also the same old bond they had already formed.

There was no romance. No stolen glances in a crowded room or whispered promises of love. 

Something had changed, but at the same time, it all stayed the same. The two of them were still just ‘Neji and Lee’. Nothing else. They didn’t have the same dramatic love story as Kakashi-Sensei and Gai-Sensei where they realized after years that they were in love with each other. Neji wasn’t in love with Lee. He didn’t love him more than Tenten, Gai-Sensei, Hinata, or Hinabi.

Lee was different, though. He was the one person Neji could see himself spending the rest of his life beside. He was the one person whom Neji could tell all of his secrets to. The one friend who was allowed to cuddle up to Neji during movie night and steal popcorn from his bowl without having his hand slapped.

Lee was his soulmate, but without the romance.

“Oh…” realization struck, and Neji found himself looking back on all of those memories once more but with a completely different understanding of his relationship with Lee. The two of them weren’t dating and Neji wasn’t sure that they ever would, but their bond was different from all the other bonds Neji had in his life. Stronger in some ways, and more intimate in others. 

“Neji?” Lee poked his head into the kitchen at that moment. “Are you alright? Everyone’s worried about you.”

The words reach his ears, but Neji doesn’t process them right away. Too many thoughts are running through his mind at once for him to be as attentive as he normally is. Questions swirl around in his brain, demanding answers when he has none.

How long has it been like this?

Why didn’t I realize it earlier?

Does Lee realize?

What are we?

“Neji?” Lee took a cautious step forward. “Are you alright?”

“We’re- us,” he answered slowly, unsure of his own words. “We’re Neji and Lee.” 

Lee stared at him as though he’d just jumped head-first into the river and then said he was wet. As though he’d just heard the stupidest thing in his life, all from Neji’s mouth.

“We…we are,” he confirmed, though it was rather obvious that he was just as unsure about his words as Neji was. “We’re friends.”

At least one of his questions had now been answered. Lee was just as clueless as him, and knowing that made him feel just a little less ridiculous for missing what was right in front of him this entire time. 

“No,” raising a hand, Neji cupped Lee’s cheek. “We’re something else. I’m unsure what it is, but it’s somewhere between ‘friends’ and ‘boyfriends’. Something that I don’t have a word for.”

Lee leaned into his touch, a sigh passing by his lip.” We’re us,” he answered with a comfortable certainty that surprised Neji. “Do we ned a certain word to be who we are?”

All of Neji’s questions washed away at that moment. It was as though a wave of common sense had smacked into him, waking him up from the muddled, confusing dream that had been his life for the past ten minutes.

Lee was right. 

With just one simple question he’d answered every thought in Neji’s head and found a response to the question Tenten had posed to them.

They didn’t need a specific word. Their friends didn’t need to call them anything except ‘Neji and Lee’. That’s who they were at the end of the day. Two men with different dreams and goals, who had nonetheless found a life that worked for both of them.

A life that they could live together. 

“Us,” the word fell from his lips with surprising ease. As if it was the only word he’d ever needed to say in his life. “Just us. I like it.”

Turning his head, Lee rubbed his nose against Neji’s palm and snickered when he was rewarded with a tiny yelp and a quick, gentle finger flick to his nose as punishment. “Us,” he repeated with pride. “Neji and Lee, forever.”

Forever.

That was a word that brought a smile to Neji’s face.

“Promise?”

“Of course I do,” Lee threw a hand over his chest dramatically and gasped. “Forever and always.”

“Forever,” Neji couldn’t help but laugh at the cheesiness of it all. If they weren’t careful they were bound to turn out exactly like Gai-Sensei and Kakashi-Sensei. “I like the sounds of that.”

[kiljoius-writes]

Cooler Than Me - Chapter 4

Ao3 | FFN

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

First Chapter

Chapter 4: Day One - Hanabi

Hanabi huffs as she stomps through the gates, throwing her glare at anyone who looks at her questioningly.

That damn Konohamaru.

That damn Kiba.

He’s just so annoying. So stupid, so rude. So ridiculous. So cute.

NO.

Hanabi has to remind herself she’s mad at him when his face flashes across her mind. He’s just so damn charming. If he wasn’t, he’d have been dead long ago.

She looks over her shoulder to see Tenten sitting on the edge of the railing of the watchtower, swinging her legs. Hanabi’s stomach flips as her gaze lingers for a little too long.

Tenten’s hair is just so perfect, Hanabi thinks. She wonders if it’s transformation jutsu that keeps her buns so perfectly neat and high, even after hours of sparring or combat. And her uniform is just so crisp, her weapons always shiny and dangerous-looking.

Hanabi doesn’t think it’s fair for one person to be so good looking. It makes her want to blind herself so she doesn’t have to be graced with such beauty.

The worst part is that Tenten is nice. So nice, in fact, it is impossible for Hanabi to dislike her, even though she really, really wants to.

They may have been trying to keep it a secret, but they were so obvious. Kiba and Tenten are seeing each other, and it makes Hanabi want to scream. Some days, she’s tempted to write a letter to her cousin, pretending she’s in danger, to get him to return faster. That way, Tenten will go back to being enamored with his stupid face instead of the stupid face Hanabi’s enamored with.

Ever since she caught them making out outside of an izakaya at the devil’s hour, whenever she sees Kiba, she can only see Tenten’s lips on his, and she wants to cry like some pathetic baby. It’s just not fair. Everyone tells her she’s beautiful, but she just can’t believe it. Not when Kiba Inuzuka of all people hasn’t told her so himself. She wonders why his eyes always glaze over when she’s around.

She’s tried everything. Changing her shampoo from something flowery to something scentless. Showing more skin to the point even Natsu was scolding her. Bringing him his favorite barbeque. But no, Tenten brings him ramen and he’s over the moon.

Idiot.

Hanabi waves at her older sister as she passes the field of the Academy. She flashes as bright a smile as possible despite her headache at the children who look at her. Hinata told her some weeks ago that she scares children with her classic Hyuga stone-cold expression. Hanabi said she’d try harder not to look like such a bitch. Hinata immediately kicked her out of her room.

“Hey!”

She groans when she hears Konohamaru’s voice. She rolls her eyes and spins on her heel to face him. “What?”

“Are we going to the Hokage’s tower, or…?” he asks while rubbing at his abdomen.

Hanabi clicks her tongue. “You are. I have to drop off this scroll to Itachi.”

“Gonna leave me to do the report?” Konohamaru’s face falls and she wants to laugh.

“Yep. Better get to it, Honorable Grandson.”

“Hey—I’m sorry, okay?” Konohamaru steps forward, tilting his head down at her.

Hanabi wants to groan, but doesn’t. He’s too kind for her to belittle, at least right now. “It’s fine, Konohamaru.”

“Really, I am,” he tries again, stepping closer. She steps back and shakes her head. Sometimes, she wishes Konohamaru would be better receptive of her feelings. “It just kind of came out.”

“Can you go now?” Hanabi presses, shifting her eyes.

“Are we good?”

“As good as we can be.”

“And that means…?”

“It means what it means. Goodbye.”

Hanabi ignores the crestfallen look on his face and turns around.

Sometimes, she wonders why she even still does this stupid job. When she signed up to be part of the Hokage’s guard, it was to skirt clan duties. But then Konohamaru followed her like the puppy he was, and now she’s with him nearly every day.

Their relationship was complicated. A lot of people liked to pair them up based on their statuses, pushed them together like they did Naruto and Hinata. Heiresses of the Hyuga with the son and grandson of Hokage’s just seemed to be everyone’s jam for some reason. Konohamaru is too much like Naruto, and she sees how Naruto turned out. No thank you.

No, Hanabi had a crush on Konohamaru when they were kids, but it remained there as far as she was concerned.

“I’m here to see Itachi.” Hanabi leans on her right foot in front of two Uchiha guards standing outside of where she knew Itachi would be.

“He’s busy at the moment,” one of them responds, tartly. She rolls her eyes and activates her byakugan. “Hey! You can’t use that here!”

“It’s just him and Shisui in there.” She quickly deactivates it, perking an eyebrow up at the one who told her no. She sucks in a deep breath. “SHISUI!!!”

“Is that my bratty Hyuga I hear?!”

Hanabi lets a smirk tug her lips up as the Uchiha men visibly grimace as the door flies open, Shisui’s grin greeting her. She groans when he charges at her, throwing her over his shoulder and swiftly carrying her inside, slamming the door closed behind him. “Put me down! I’m too big for you to do that now!!!”

“Nahhh—” Shisui chuckles as he tosses her down and she huffs, smoothing out her skirt.

“Or rather, you’re too old,” Hanabi snarks and Shisui bellows out a laugh. “That why you didn’t come to my party last night?”

“I am getting up there, little Hyuga.” He roughly pats her head and she swats at his hand. “Can’t keep up with you babies. I heard it was fun, though.”

“Yeah, until Udon pulled down Moegi’s shirt,” Hanabi growls.

“Yikes.” Shisui grimaces. “Glad I wasn’t there, then. I’ll stick to my beer and books.”

“Hanabi,” Itachi cuts in, looking tired of this conversation. “I’m happy to see you, but what is it you’ve come for?”

“This.” Hanabi fishes into her satchel, pulling out a scroll. Itachi tilts his head curiously as she hands it over. She shrugs. “It’s from father. Dunno what it is.”

“Thank you.” He nods, accepting it.

“Probably making more demands,” Shisui comments loftily, settling next to Hanabi. “Maybe he’s trying to get Hanabi married off to you, huh, Lord Itachi?”

“Gross.” Hanabi sticks out her tongue, then immediately frowns when Itachi perks an eyebrow at her. “Sorry. I just mean, well. You’re old.”

“Good ol’ Hanabi.” Shisui roughs up her hair. “When are you going to come play shogi with me? Itachi’s too easy to beat, I need a challenge.”

Hanabi snickers as Itachi sighs, unraveling the scroll. She looks up at Shisui and shrugs. “Could always ask Shikamaru? I’ve been busy.”

“You’re busy? Have you seen that guy?” Shisui coughs into his fist and shakes his head. “We’re on our 100th dojo. I’m kind of wondering where all the money for this is coming from. Shikamaru seems like the kind of guy who has connections for dirty money.”

“Loaned out from the Hyuga.” Hanabi sets her hands on her hips and puffs out her chest. “With a heavy interest rate.”

“Yikes again.” Shisui tuts. “Using those eyes to find hidden treasure?” He blinks down at her and she watches his eyes flash red. She squints at him and puts her hand over his eyes. He laughs, forcing her hand off. “Man, why are you soooo cool, Hanabi?”

“Why are you suuuuch a jerk, Shisui?” Hanabi retorts, glaring now.

“ITACHI!”

Hanabi whirls around, blinking at the door and the voice screaming from the other side. She looks back at Itachi. “You’re popular today.”

“Just—it’s fine, send them in.” Itachi sighs out, beckoning a hand. Shisui dutifully rips open the door once more, and a blond head of hair comes skipping in.

Ah, yes, another woman who makes Hanabi want to be blind. Ino Yamanaka. Effortlessly (but with much effort) beautiful. The way her hair cascades up and out, her gem-like eyes, her smooth skin.

Hanabi thinks it’s just wrong that her sister’s entire class of ladies are drop dead gorgeous. How is that fair?

And of course, the beautiful bouquet she’s holding only makes her prettier. Shisui whistles. “That’s a pretty nice arrangement. One of my admirers must have been feeling colorful today, huh?”

“Sorry, not for you.” Ino shakes her head, making her way straight to Itachi. Hanabi giggles as Itachi’s expression turns confused. “For the one and only leader of the Uchiha.”

“What?” Itachi asks, dumbly. “For me?”

“Are you the leader of the Uchiha?” Ino asks sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she shoves them into his chest.

“I-uhm-I’m flattered, Ms. Yamanaka—”

“Oh my GODS,” Ino screeches, a look of disgust coming over her face. Hanabi and Shisui immediately buckle to their knees in laughter. “These are not from me, who in the world do you think you are?!”

Hanabi doesn’t think she’s ever seen Itachi turn such a deep red that it matched the sharingan, but it is thoroughly amusing.

“O-of course—” Itachi clears his throat, still looking confused and embarrassed. Ino tosses her hair over her shoulder effortlessly and flashes one of those dazzling smiles.

“You have a secret admirer, Lord Itachi.” She giggles, looking back at Hanabi to wink at her. Hanabi pales.

“The way you just looked at me makes it seem like they were from me,” Hanabi snaps, squinting her glare at Ino now. Ino cackles.

“Not for me to reveal!”

“Not like it isn’t obvious, anyway,” Hanabi scoffs, folding her arms. Everyone turns to look at her simultaneously and she raises her eyebrows at them.

Is everyone around her stupid? “Darling Hyuga, please indulge us.” Shisui tilts his head at her, blinking his pretty black eyes at her.

Hanabi shakes her head. “Inuzuka. The older one.”

“HANA?!” Shisui gasps and Hanabi thought it would be impossible for Itachi to turn even redder than he already was, but here they are.

“My my,” Ino tuts, folding her arms and tapping her foot, “called her out just like that, huh, baby Hanabi?”

“Can everyone please stop calling me a baby!” Hanabi groans, throwing her head back.

“This is truly a remarkable conversation, Shisui, Ino—” Itachi cuts in again, setting the bouquet to the side. He casts his gaze at Hanabi before continuing, “but if you’ll excuse me, baby Hanabi, I must pen out a reply to your father.”

Now it’s Ino and Shisui falling over each other in laughter as Hanabi’s eyes turn veiny.

Shisui wipes a phantom tear from his cheek, then stumbles over to Hanabi. “Sure thing, boss. Allow me to take out the trash.”

Hanabi’s eyes go wide as Shisui’s sinister grin turns to her. She squeals as she bolts away.

A/N: Hi. Uploads will be erratic at best. I hope you'll be patient with me. Thank you. &lt;3

[anannua]

Hi there! Happy new year! And thank you once again for opening up your requests! Could I pretty please ask for [Shino x Tenten] with the prompt 'comfort' or 'rain'? (Whichever you are more comfortable with!) and the colour green? Please and thank you so much! ❤️

a nose kiss, for comfort

[tophthetrickster]

Thousand-year storm is live! Turned out to be over ten thousand words of almost non-stop action.

Here we goooooooo!