Sakura Haruno had changed a lot since her teammate and first love Sasuke Uchiha had left their village to join forces with Orochimaru. She trained herself in the art of medical ninjutsu and became stronger with the help of the fifth Hokage, her chakra skilled had increased more than she could ever imagine and she no longer felt the need to hide her true self. She didn't hide behind a cute smile, hoping that it would make him notice her when all it really did was make him think she was annoying. She was a fighter now, one that wasn't afraid to charge into battle and fight against an opponent that was stronger than her, even if her opponent was Sasuke. She really changed over the years, now she was sixteen and currently dating Kiba Inuzuka and the upcoming Sunday would be their one year anniversary and Sakura was beginning to lose her patience's with the guy.
After getting over Sasuke and the whole "I'll only date pretty boys that scream gorgeous every time they talk" she let herself open up and see the boys that were around her and what they had to offer her. Kiba of course was handsome in a way different from Sasuke. While the Uchiha screamed cool and refined, Kiba screamed hot with a wild edge that made her blush every time she trained with him and she got a closer look at his whole form. She had grown into a very mature woman who loved her boyfriend very much and accepted that he sometimes ate dog food, would follow her around, and become insanely jealous every time the boy at the check-out would touch her hand longer than he liked. Seriously, she could not get her change back in two seconds without dropping everything. She accepted all of that and was proud to call Kiba her boyfriend but there was one thing she couldn't stand and she was ready to go insane.
Kiba over the past few months had grown out a beard and it was driving her crazy!
"I don't get it," Currently Sakura was at the Yamanaka flower shop where her best friend was working the counter. It was the only place Kiba wouldn't follow her because he couldn't stand all the smells in the tiny room so she was free to talk with Ino. "What's so wrong with him having a beard?" the blonde has seen the Inuzuka and his new beard and she thought it could look worst. She's seen men with beards that seem to take up their whole face but Kiba's was pretty decent to her.
"I can't stand it," Sakura sighed putting her hand on her cheek and leaned against the counter's edge. "It's just something I don't like on a guy. I want to feel smooth skin when I kiss him, not a prickly feeling that makes me itch." She groaned when she thought of the last time she kissed him and got the same itchy feeling. "Every time I kiss him now I have to fight the urge not to break apart just to scratch my cheek." She sighed again.
"What's so wrong with itching? It may give him the hint that you don't like his facial hair." Ino suggested but Sakura shook her head at the idea.
"I tried that already and he took it the wrong way," she blew a fallen piece of hair out of her eyes. "He thought it meant that he gave me fleas and he wouldn't leave my shower for over three hours. He's sensitive about stuff like that." It was true. Although he was proud of his clan and loved how close he and Akamaru were, Kiba was some what self-conscious about some of the dog traits that he had. He had confided in her that he had fleas once when he was still a Genin and he didn't show up for training for over a week because he was to embarrassed and he didn't want to give his teammates them.
So when she started to suddenly itch he had assumed he had fleas and jumped into her shower for three very long hours. He had used up all her shampoo and tried to get her to sleep over Ino's so he could replace all the furniture and sheets in her house but somehow she had managed to convince him that she was just having an allergic reaction to something she touched in the hospital.
"Really?" Ino seemed shocked by this and it wasn't surprising, Sakura was shocked too when it first happened. The first hour he was in her shower she had just sat on her couch wondering if what was happening was real. "So what are you going to do then? Your one year anniversary is tomorrow and I'm pretty sure he's going to kiss you."
Sakura knew this, when dating an Inuzuka you had to expect a lot of attention and affection that they would give you. It was all part of their clan, like a dog they craved the attention and wanted to do all that they could to get the one they care for to love them back. "I know that but I don't know how to phrase it. He could take it the wrong way and I really don't feel like dealing with an angry Kiba," No did really. His temper was almost as bad as Naruto's and no one wanted to deal with that. "I know I shouldn't be so upset over something so little but when I think about kissing that beard my body won't stop shivering and I get so itchy!" Even now her hands came up to her cheeks to scratch away the sudden itch she had from just thinking about the beard.
"Sakura," both girls jumped when they heard the sudden voice of Kiba Inuzuka. Sakura's hands fell into her lap, trying to act like she wasn't just scratching herself. "What are you doing?" He walked into the store, nose scrunching up when all the scents of the flowers came rushing into his nose.
"Not much. Just having a little girl time." She tried her best to look at him and not the facial hair that was growing around him. It wasn't that bad of a beard, right now it was still growing out so it was mostly on his chin. It was really more of a goatee than a beard but it still bothered Sakura to the point she didn't want to be near it.
He seemed to accept her answer and grasped her hand in his. Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, pulling her to her feet and making her stand beside him. "That's fine but we gotta get going if we're going to make dinner with mother and Hana." That's right. She had almost forgotten that they had dinner plans with his family. Maybe if she was lucky they could give her some advice on how to get Kiba to shave his beard, unless they liked it on him than she was just screwed.
"Okay," she said goodbye to Ino and the couple was off. Hand in hand they made their way down to the Inuzuka compound, with each step Kiba tried pulling her closer but she kept her distance. He was about the same height as her so if he pulled her close then his beard would rub up against her cheek and she wouldn't be able to suppress the shiver that was sure to come when she felt it rub against her skin.
"Sakura?" he suddenly stopped walking and made her look at him. Once again she had to try hard not to stare at the beard that seemed to love making her feel so weird. "Is something wrong? You've been acting weird lately." If she could have she would have cursed and slumped in defeat. Of course he would notice she had been acting strange, he was trained to see through lies like that and with how she had been acting it didn't shock her that he noticed. She's been trying to avoid him, but when she does see him she would only hold his hand or she would kiss his forehead. Anything she could do so she wouldn't have to make-out and get facial hair stuck on her tongue. Again. "Are you hiding something from me?"
This time she did gasp and took her eyes off him. Her cheeks burned red with shame, she was acting like such a selfish girl and she hated it. Kiba really cared for her and she couldn't even be honest with him. "It's okay, I understand." His words surprised her.
"You do?" That was great. He understood how she felt and by the smile he had meant he would do something about it. She was sure of it.
"Yes," the grin was still shining on his face. His arms opened wide and pulled her into a giant bear hug, face buried into her neck. "You're planning a special surprise for me this weekend!" he cheered and Sakura groaned. She had forgotten that her boyfriend was also an idiot. "I can't wait to see what you've been planning this whole time and I swear I won't try and peek." His innocent grin made her feel ten times worse. Now she had to plan something even better than what she had originally thought of. She was going to take him out to this new spa that was for both ninjas and nin-dogs but now she might have to add in a bit more.
"Right…" she didn't know what she was supposed to do at this point. Does she tell him now or work her way up to it? Maybe she should tell him after the weekend? She didn't want to ruin a happy occasion and she knew she would regret it if she ruined their first anniversary together as a couple over a stupid reason.
"Great," he let her out of his bear hug but kept his arm around her waist, keeping her body close to his. "Then let's get going. I can already smell ma's cooking and I'm starving." He grinned, pulling her along with him and Sakura let him. She was to busy on trying hard not to scream every time his facial hard rubbed against her ear. It felt so weird!
When they finally arrived at the Inuzuka compound Sakura had never been to pleased to see the giant house full of barking dogs and humans all screaming at each other. It meant she could move away from the awful beard and relax if only for a moment. Hana had greeted them when they walked in and led them into the dining room where the table was set and the food was waiting for them. Thanking them for the food Sakura happily ate every bite that was on her plate, she was a big fan of food that was served there and was always pleased whenever she ate over. Dinner had gone off without a hitch but when it ended that's when things got really fired up. Tsume had been the first to finish and as she stood to bring her plate to the sink in the kitchen she had a kunai out faster than Sakura could see and flung it at her son.
Kiba had caught it with ease, almost as if he was used to it by now and growled. "Ma! Knock it off already!" He slammed the kunai into the table and that's when Sakura finally noticed that there were indents of other weapons craved into the table and all looked almost new.
"I'll stop once you shave that damn rug off your face." Tsume's cries at her son made Sakura feel a lot better. It meant she wasn't the only one who didn't like the beard.
"I told you before I'm not shaving my beard!" Kiba yelled back, crossing his arms and standing proud. He was just as stubborn as Naruto and Sakura knew this fight was going to last a long time.
"Kiba, why not? You looked a lot better without it." Hana stepped in, trying to be the neutral one and calming things down but it didn't work.
"No way, sis." He grabbed Sakura by her hand and pulled her along with him. "I'm keeping my beard and there's nothing you two can do about it." He yelled before they walked out of the house together and down the darken streets of Konoha. Kiba fuming the whole back to her house, complaining about how his mother and sister were acting. Sakura only nodded her head, trying to tell him that she was listening to his complaints but on the inside she agreed with his family, Kiba looked better without the beard.
When they finally reach her house Sakura had been quick on her feet and kissed Kiba's forehead. She gave him a small smile and walked as fast as she could to get into her house without being to obvious. "Hold it," he grabbed her by her arm and made her look at him. He had her trapped in his embrace, a big grin on his face. "Didn't think I let you get away with just that, did you? I don't know what game you're playing but I'm gonna win it." Great, he thought she was playing a game with him. He leaned down to kiss her own forehead, his facial hair scratching her and making her shiver.
He took her shivering as a good sign and went to continue kissing, lips ready as he cupped her face and went to kiss her lips. She watched in slow motion as he leaned towards her, the beard taunting her with every inch that it got closer to her. She couldn't take it anymore! "Stop!" she put her hands in front of her face, blocking his kiss from happening.
"Sakura?" he pushed her hands away and looked concerned by her actions. "What's wrong?" she felt bad for worrying him so much but she couldn't do it anymore. She had put up with his beard long enough.
"I can't kiss you, not while you have your beard." She confessed and stepped away. Things were about to get loud and messy, she had denied Kiba Inuzuka, Alpha Male and man of pride, a kiss and that was something that most Inuzuka males took personally. It meant that their females were no longer fond of them or found them weak and useless and other things. Either way, she had upset him and now she was left to deal with his anger.
"You what?" Yep, the anger was already starting to form in his eyes. "What's wrong with my beard?"
"Remember when you thought you gave me fleas?" she crossed her own arms; she wouldn't back down from this argument. "I was itching because of your beard." She finally told him the truth and it felt good. Or it would have if Kiba wasn't glaring at her so much.
"You let me think I had fleas because of that?" He shouted out, punching one hand into the wall beside them. He was trying to scare her but she wouldn't let him.
"You locked yourself in my shower! I couldn't get you to listen until after you came out," They were getting off topic. They needed to focus on the beard and how it was the cause of the argument they were having. "I agree with your family, you look better without the beard so why not shave it off?" She didn't understand why he had a beard in the first place. She had spent the last few months trying to get used to it but never understood why he had grown it out in the first place.
"I'm not shaving." He mimicked her, crossing his own arms and getting that stubborn look on his face that she has seen so many times before on Naruto.
"Why not?" she didn't understand his fascination with the facial hair at all.
Kiba didn't reply right away. He merely looked at her, one eye twitching and body going very still. Not a good sign. "You mean you don't remember?" he growled out, fangs glowing in the moonlight.
"Remember what?" she raised an eyebrow, trying to understand what he was talking about. What was she supposed to remember and what did that have to do with his beard?
Kiba seemed to notice her confusion and growled again. "I grew this out for you!" he yelled at her, getting his face closer to hers that she felt his whiskers start to tickle her chin.
With a light squeak she jumped back and glared. "What are talking about?" she didn't remember telling him to grow a beard. She had always hated facial hair on men so there was no way she would tell her boyfriend to start growing his.
"Why you…" he growled at her again, both hands on her shoulders as he pulled her back to him. "How can you not remember? I was with you the day you said you liked beards on men!"
"I did not!" she slapped his hands off her. "I hate facial hair on guys. I can't stand kissing them and feeling their hair running over me. It's like I'm making out with thousands of caterpillars."
Kiba was silent for a moment again before exploding. "Who the hell have you been kissing!" Maybe she should have chosen a better choice of words. Now he was an angry/jealous Inuzuka and would be even harder to convince to shave his beard.
"I'm talking about you!" she was getting tried with this little game of their. "Look are you going to shave the beard or not?" she waited for an answer, hopefully he would agree without to big of a fight. She really didn't want to have to involve his family in holding him down while she used a kunai to shave off that annoying hair.
"Not happening." Kiba gave her the wrong answer and now she was pissed.
"Fine," she turned her back to him, arms still crossed as she held her head up high and spoke in a clear voice. "Then no more kissing."
"What?" She hit the mark. No kissing meant no extra attention and that was what Inuzuka lived off of from their other half. While they were fierce in battle, they were basic lovey-dovey-let's-cuddle when it came to who they were romantically involved with. So her saying she wouldn't kiss him was like she had taken away part of his manhood.
"You heard me. Until you shave that beard off I won't kiss you." She repeated again, making sure her voice was loud and clear and held no signs of hesitation. If he heard that then he could turn things against her.
"Fine!" she heard him spin around, his tone of voice just oozing with annoyance. "I won't kiss you either than until you say you love my beard." There was a small amount of hesitation in his voice. She could hear it and smiled.
"Fine," There may be in his voice but in hers there was none. She was sure of her decision and would stick with it until the outcome turned out the way she wanted it too be. "Well goodnight, Inuzuka." With that she opened the door to her house.
"Inuzuka?" she already shut the door on the confused face of her boyfriend and ran inside to her room. Face buried into her pillow as she tried to block out the fits of giggles that wanted to come. She was sure that the next morning Kiba would try his hardest to get her to kiss him but she wouldn't break. She would get him to shave that beard off and then enjoy a nice clean kiss with her boyfriend.
Sakura had fallen to sleep soon after she and Kiba had their little fight and was in a peaceful dreamless sleep. She rolled onto her side once her mind was awake, she felt very comfy and didn't want to get up but she knew she had too. She had to get ready for work.
"Sakura," her head popped up when she heard a sudden voice. Looking out her balcony window, she was surprised to see Kiba's sister standing out there. Her three nin-dogs somehow all fitting on her small balcony. She got up quickly to let in the female Inuzuka but Hana stopped her. "Don't, or else Kiba will smell me on you and it'll ruin everything."
"Ruin what?" Sakura was still somewhat half asleep and didn't feel like playing mind games.
Hana smiled and explained. "Kiba came home last night complaining about what you two fought about and told us that he would do anything possible to get you to kiss him before your anniversary. Mother and I thought we should warn you, he's planning some pretty cunning things and we want you to be ready for him. All of us want that beard off his face."
"Thank you, Hana." Sakura appreciated the helpful information and waved goodbye to the Inuzuka and went to get dressed. She dressed in casual clothing today, not headband to hold her hair back and let it flow free in the wind. Something Kiba loved and she knew it would drive him crazy. "Time to ignore my boyfriend!" Not something she said everyday but still laughed about it. This should be a fun day.
So she left her house and headed for Ino's place before she would go to the hospital and do her daily routine. She figured she would tell her best friend about what she and Kiba were doing and maybe get some helpful ideas on ways to make him listen to her. She had a few of her own but it was always nice to have backup plans. "Ino? You here?" she called once she entered the empty flower shop.
"Just a minute." Ino called out from the back room, coming out with two stacks of flower pots in her arms. She set them down beside the counter before sitting down and gave a sigh of relief. "What's up, billboard brow?" Sakura for once ignored the nickname and explained everything to Ino about the fight and agreement between her and her boyfriend. "Seriously? You're not going to kiss him?"
"Kiss who?" The two girls turned to greet Shikamaru and Chouji.
"Kiba," Sakura waved for them to come over and explained to them what had gone on between the couple. "I'm not kissing him until he shaves that damn beard off."
Shikamaru nodded and yawned. "You trying to kill him or something?" Shikamaru was one of the few that knew what Kiba was like with the extra attention. He lived off that and without he'd probably go crazy.
She shook her head and laughed. "No, not at all. I just want that stupid hair gone." She told them, wondering for a moment if she was taking things to far but when she thought about kissing that itching beard again she shivered. "It must be destroyed." Her eyes burned with determination. She would get Kiba to shave it off even if it killed her.
"You're really into this, Sakura." Chouji commented, eating from his bag of chips that never seem to run out.
"Into what?" The four turned their attention to the sudden voice was in the doorway to the Yamanaka flower shop. Kiba was leaning against the frame of it, eyes locking with Sakura's. "I'm the only thing she's into so you must be talking about me." He said with total confidence. His jacket was wide open, revealing to everyone that he wore no shirt underneath.
"This should be interesting." Sakura let her eyes travel over his body, taking in one last look before she set her plan into motion. "Time for Attack # 1 - Ignore as if you have no real relationship."
"Good morning, Inuzuka." She greeted him in a monotone voice, eyes avoiding his, and she kept her body language clear of any form of attraction she had for him.
"Inuzuka?" The three boys looked confused at Sakura while Ino tried hard not to burst out laughing. Before her team had arrived, Sakura had explained some parts of her plan and now watching it happen was very entertaining.
"Did I stutter?" Sakura directed her attention onto Shikamaru and Chouji, ignoring Kiba entirely. She turned around in her chair, her back facing Kiba and showing all signs that she wasn't interested in him.
Shikamaru only sighed and shook his head, a low "troublesome" escaping his mouth. "This is such a drag." Chouji nodded his head, eagerly eating his chips, agreeing with his best friend. They knew this was going to turn ugly, fast.
Kiba frowned at his girlfriend, not liking the way things were going. "So that's how you wanna play?" he gave her a taunting grin, one that said he would not back down easily. "Well two can play that way, Haruno," he crossed his arms, the grin growing wider on his face. "Or should I say Billboard Brow?"
Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji nearly fell over and paled when they saw Sakura's body begin to glow a bright red. She was pissed.
"He might have overdone it." Ino looked over at her best friend that was trying her best to keep her anger in check.
"Does he have a death wish?" Shikamaru couldn't for the life of him figure out why Kiba would say that. Didn't Kiba like Sakura? If he did then why would he say the one thing that everyone knows is a taboo?
"I hope Ino's parents have some good insurance." Chouji could already picture the fight that would happen, it would start with Kiba getting punched through a wall and end with the Yamanaka Flower Shop in ruins.
"Keep calm! Keep calm! Keep...CALM!" She chanted over and over in head, reminding herself of her goal and why responding to him, such as punches his lights out, was a bad idea. "I just need to keep myself calm and everything will be alright." that's right, she was Sakura Haruno, one the village's top ninja and she wasn't going to let a stupid nickname get to her.
"What's wrong forehead? You gonna cry?" Kiba made his way over to his girlfriend, a playful grin on his face. "Want me to hold you. I know how you like to be hold when you cry." Kiba had a feeling he would be winning their little game. No way Sakura would be able to ignore him when he was acting like this.
Sakura had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. She was going to ignore him, that was the only way he would shave the beard, but with him acting like a pompous ass it was hard not to yell. "On second thought..." she had been planning on hanging out all day and planning with Ino but things have changed and she needed to get out before she lost. "Shikamaru! I'm so scared!" she cried, running over to the shadow-nin and throwing her arms around his neck. "There's a big mean bully bothering me. Please, save me!" she buried her face in his face, faking cries of fear. "Attack # 2 - Run for help to another man."
Ino had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep from bursting out in laughter and Chouji stepped a few spots away, he was interested in how things were turning out but he didn't want to be in the middle of any crossfire.
"Uh...?" Shikamaru was at a loss for words. Not once has this ever happened to him before and he didn't know how he was supposed to act. It was obvious Sakura was faking her fears but she must have had a reason for doing it but he didn't know how to act without it upsetting her boyfriend, that was currently gasping in horror at the sight of his girl in the arms of another man. "Troublesome woman, are you trying to get me killed?" he looked back at Kiba to see his shocked expression turned to one of anger and jealously.
Sakura sniffled, bringing her head up and burying it in his shoulder. she moved her body closer to his, causing Kiba's jealously to rise, and whispered into his skin. "Just help me walk out of here before I punch his lights out. Besides you owe me. Who do you think helped convince Garra to let you date Temari?" Shikamaru sighed, knowing there was no way out of this without pissing one of them off. He figured it better to upset Kiba rather than Sakura, the girl who would most likely heal him the next time he went to the hospital.
"Troublesome," he mumbled to himself and with little effort he picked Sakura up, easily carrying her in both arms and her still snuggling in shoulder. "Come on, let's go. I'll even buy you your favorite snack to cheer you up." he might as well go along and have some fun while he's at it.
"Thank you so much, Shikamaru. You're such a sweet guy." Sakura cooed, kissing his cheek like he was her little brother but to Kiba that was a kiss that belonged only to him and it was just taken from him.
"Nara!" he growled, claws growing with every breath. "Keep your hands off my Sakura!"
"She started this." he was tempted to say but he kept his mouth shut and with one step out the door he and Sakura were gone with the help of the teleportation jutsu.
"Damn it!" Kiba cursed, running out of the shop and jumping through the streets, searching for his girlfriend and former friend. Once he got his hands on Nara he was so dead.
"Sorry about that Shikamaru," once they were far enough away Sakura jumped out of his arms and landed softly on the rooftop. "But I couldn't think of anything else." she gave him a sheepish smile. "Let me know if you need anything and I'll do everything in my power to help you. After all, I owe you a lot."
"You got that right," Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Kiba is gonna kill me once he finds me." he hated it but he was thinking of taking a three month long mission just to give the Inuzuka time to cool down.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I'll fix it once he shaves that beard off." she replied, already thinking of her next step. She had a good idea planned for her boyfriend, one she hadn't been so sure about before because it was a little mean, but now after seeing how he acted told her that it was time to bring out the big guns. "Don't worry, the next step of my plan will have Kiba forget all about you and focus on something different." she made some hand signs and sent a wink over his way. "Or should I say someone." with that she was gone.
Shikamaru stood in his spot, wondering over Sakura's words and what they could possibly mean. Only one thought came into his head and it sent chills down his spin. "Kiba is going to go crazy once he sees that." he muttered to himself as he made his way down the roof and started his search for his friends. He thought it would be best to warn them of the trouble that was coming.
With Shikamaru doing that, Sakura was doing some of her own planning. "Sasuke!" Sakura called out to her old teammate and jumped down next to him in the open training grounds. "I have a favor to ask." she smiled sweetly at him, hoping he wouldn't put up to much of a fight. Kiba was on his way, she could feel him coming, and she didn't have a lot of time left.
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, putting away his sword and looking at her in a bored fashion.
"Pretend to be my boyfriend in the next five minutes." she stated simply, wrapping her two arms around his.
He raised an eyebrow at this. "Why?" he knew she was dating Kiba, the whole village knew, so why would she want to pretend to date him?
"Because I want his damn beard gone and I'm willing to do anything to get it off," her eyes burned with passion at the thought of finally being rid of the annoying facial hair. "Now shut up and just go along." no sooner did she say that did Kiba show up, looking as pissed off as she left him.
"Sakura...what the hell was that back th-" his words died on his lips when he saw Sakura holding tight to Sasuke's arm.
"Attack # 3 - Go into the arms of old love."
"Oh, Sasuke! I just love how cool you look." she cooed, trying to remember how she used to act when she was still a genin and still helplessly in love with the Uchiha. "You face is so cool and serious and gorgeous that I just can't control myself. When I see the beads of sweat rolling down your smooth face I just want to run over and kiss you!" she felt some bile start to come up but she was forcing it down.
"Whatever." Sasuke just rolled his eyes, a little disturbed by her behavior, but went along with it. He let her arm remain around his and he tried not to look so annoyed but it was hard when you have a teammate that was acting like an annoying girl. He had been glad she outgrew her old self and matured but seeing this old form come back was creepy.
"I...I..." Kiba felt the color drain out of his body, he was as pale as paper and his legs gave out from under him. He was frozen on the ground and Akamaru whined at his master's fallen form. Kiba's body reduced to that of a depressed figure and was easily carried away by his best friend and companion. That last blow had been the finishing one.
"I think I might have overdone it." Sakura pulled herself away from Sasuke and stared at the retreating figure of her defeated boyfriend. Maybe she shouldn't have gone that far?
"Looks like it." Sasuke crossed his arms, not really caring either way. "You might want to talk to him." he suggested.
"Yeah, I should." Sakura jumped after the two Inuzukas and hoped she hadn't just completely destroyed her relationship.
She truly loved Kiba and didn't want to end things over a stupid things like facial hair. This was why she kept quiet for so long, because she was scared over things being blown out of proportion and they did. "I'm so stupid. Why didn't I just talk with him in the beginning?" she couldn't believe how stupid she was, acting the way she did today. She probably really hurt him and what was worse she knew what she was doing the whole time. She knew all about his family and what his weakness was.
Inuzukas needed attention from their other half and if that attention if diverted elsewhere they will be hurt deeply by it. She knew his family held a deep connection and bonds with their loved ones and she just did the worst thing possible by acting like a selfish brat. "I'm so stupid!" she cried, wiping away the few tears that ran down her pale cheeks. She had screwed this up and she was going to fix things.
Pouring chakra into her legs she ran at top speed to the Inuzuka Compound and started banging on the door until someone let her in. "I was waiting for you to show up," Hana had been the one to let her in and offered her a sad smile. "It would appear you did a number on my baby brother."
"I know and I'm so sorry. I never meant to -" she was cut off before she could finish.
"I understand," Hana shut the door and pointed up the stairs. "But I think you should talk to Kiba instead of me."
She didn't argue with her on that and with heavy footsteps she made her way up to her boyfriend's room. With a deep breath she opened the door and walked inside. "Hey," she peeked in to find Kiba on his bed, his back facing her and Akamaru sitting on the floor, giving her low whines to help his master. "We need to talk."
Kiba grunted, one arm going under to support his head. "What? You come here to tell me you'd rather be with Uchiha than me? Well I got your message loud and clear back in the fields and I won't be bothering you again if that's what you want so badly." his voice was filled with so much hurt and anger she couldn't help but allow two tears escape her green eyes.
"Kiba that's not what I want. I don't love Sasuke, I love you." she down on the edge of the bed, one hand running through his hair. "I'm so sorry. I hadn't meant to go that far or hurt you the way I did, especially not on our anniversary." she went over the day's events, today was the day they were supposed to spend every moment together, telling each other how much the love each other, but instead they spent it fighting and trying to hurt one another.
"Then why'd you do it?" he cast her a quick glance, his eyes still focused on the setting sun outside his window.
She sighed, lying down next to him on her side. Small arms circling his larger form and face burying into his back, trying her best to comfort him. "I don't know. I guess I just wanted your beard gone so badly I acted like an idiot." she stretched her head up and kissed the back of his neck. "I'm so sorry, Kiba."
It was still for a moment, neither one said a thing and that worried Sakura. She was truly afraid that she had just ruined the best thing to happen to her, but she couldn't describe the relief she felt when Kiba turned over and returned her embrace. "It's alright. I understand. I acted like an idiot too." he buried his face in her hair, both hands pulling her in closer and keeping her there. "I'm sorry for calling you that stupid name."
"And I'm sorry for acting the way I did with Shikamaru and Sasuke." she apologized and snuggled in more into his warm chest.
"It's fine, just don't do it again." he chuckled and so did she. It felt so nice to hear him laugh.
"I promise, I won't." She never would, not with anyone other than Kiba. She loved him and she would be loyal to him until the very end. "But there is one thing I need to ask," she peeked up at him through her lashes. "Why did you grow a beard. You never explained why." she was fighting all day to get the beard off and she still hadn't know his reason for growing one.
Kiba let out a low sigh. "It's stupid but I got one because I was jealous." he mumbled into her hair, speaking loud enough for only her to hear.
"Jealous? Of what?" None of their friends had breads and no one else that she knew who she was really close to had breads either.
Kiba sighed again. "Remember a few months ago when we were watching the championship fight at you house and you kept going on and on about how cool the winner looked?" she just vaguely remembered that. She and Kiba watched a lot of fights, it was something they did when they were both off on missions but couldn't sleep so they stayed up all night and watched fights on the television. "Well I got jealous of how you thought the winner was so cool and manly and stuff so I grew my bread so you would think that too."
Sakura had to fight the urge to smack him upside the head. "Kiba I thought he looked cool because of his fighting style, not because of his bread."
She felt his body freeze over. "Really?"
She nodded. "I hate facial hair."
Kiba jumped up, bringing her with him. "You mean I've been wearing this damn itching things for months for nothing!" he cried in disbelief.
"If you hated it than why didn't you just shave it off?" Sakura couldn't believe him.
"Because I was trying to impress you!" he cried back.
"Well you're an idiot then!" she said right back before pulling him forehead and kissing his forehead. "But I guess I am too." she gave him a loving smile, which he returned and leaned in closer for another kiss. "Hold it," she stopped him before he could get any closer. "Not until that rug comes off."
Kiba grinned. "Got it." he jumped into his bathroom, ready to shave his bread and get back to kissing his girlfriend. Turning on the water, grabbing his razor and shaving cream he removed all traces of hair from his face. With some light curses here and there when the blade cut his skin and began to bleed. He was hurrying and that was not doing his face any good. "Better?" he came running out, some tissues placed over the spots with blood.
Sakura smiled, cupping his face and sending healing chakra into the wounds and healing them all within seconds. "Much." with that they finally leaned in for a kiss that both had been desperately wanting for a very long time.
"Happy Anniversary, Sakura."
"Happy Anniversary, Kiba."
END