Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or anybody else for that matter.

3 yrs, 3 mo. ASS. Age 16.

Hyuuga Hinata was never one to make a scene of her emotions; she had been taught not to at a very young age. And, for the most part, she was quite good at it, there was only one thing that really got her every time: fear.

There was only that ever-present acid in her stomach that ruined her ability to truly join her own family. She was afraid of pain, what was supposedly weakness leaving the body, which was why she remained fragile. She was afraid of embarrassment, which kept her stammering in front of anyone who mattered. And, worse than any of that, she was absolutely terrified of them.

It was almost to the point where she couldn't walk through her house without peaking around corners. She couldn't walk through the main house without running into her father or Hanabi, and even when she could think of an excuse to go through the branch house, Neji was always there. She loved to leave, even for a little while, but every time she was unable to sneak back in quietly, her father would question her about where she'd been, and unless it was training, she would be lectured about not giving the proper amount of time to hone her skills.

And then she'd once made the mistake of saying she was training, with her friends. Her father had been silent, having no distracting lecture and simply sitting there, noting that she didn't seem to be improving and accusing her of lying. And then stating that perhaps her 'friends' were a distraction or an influence on such and such and she'd stopped listening, horrified. With the possibility that he'd act on some of those ideas and quite probably taking her out of school regularly to continue her private training in the forefront of her thoughts, Hinata was a girl who kept mainly to herself and rarely ventured outside.

To a young man named Inuzuka Kiba, this was a world-shattering tragedy.

It had been years since he and Hinata had been put on the same team, and for a while, he'd thought... maybe he was helping her. She'd seemed brave to him then, as brave as when they'd met, when Hinata came running up to him confidently on the playground and kissed his bleeding knee and told him that everything was better. It was a gentle sort of brave, but it was there.

And now it was simply gone. It had vanished the longer she'd stayed in that damned house.

So, feeling a latent anger once again bubbling to the surface, Kiba strode up to said house, biting back a growl. Akamaru plod next to him placidly, knowing well enough not to call out his master on keeping his emotions in check. It was all part of a routine. He knocked, and Akamaru sat.

"Yes, may I help you?" A Hyuuga asked as the door swung inward. Kiba had never really asked Hinata to describe her extended family, so he had no idea who the old woman was or how they were related, but he remained polite while wondering.

"Yes Ma'am. I came to get Hinata for a mission." He stated, trying to be friendly. He succeeded, still keeping his anger smoldering under his jacket.

"Ah, Hinata-sama is currently training with her father, perhaps it would be best if I have her meet you somewhere?" The woman offered.

Kiba mentally swore. Waiting for Hinata always rushed her through whatever she was doing, so it was for the best... "Yes Ma'am, could you just tell her the usual spot?" ...but he loathed to leave her behind again.

The old Hyuuga agreed and politely waited for Kiba to turn away before closing the door. Frustrated, Kiba leapt onto his friend's back and asked him to go. Akamaru didn't need to be asked, but he quietly pretended not to notice Kiba. His master wasn't interested in comfort in these situations.

"So you've finally recognized me."

"Hey, if you're covering that much of your face, nobody's gonna recognize you idiot!" Defensive, but that voice was, absolutely, without a doubt...

"Shino, you're early!" Kiba grinned as Akamaru ran the last few feet to their meeting place.

"Kiba!?" He seemed shocked, as though Kiba was the one who shouldn't be there.

"Naruto! It was you!" Sure enough, the blonde nin was there, loud as ever. He grinned down and got off Akamaru. "That smell, I mean!" He teased, happily slipping back into what their relationship used to be: a barrage of friendly insults and unspoken respect that would never be completely acknowledged.

"Wait, that's how you knew it was me!?" He pretended to be insulted right back, and for a moment seemed to have one of his own before staring in shock behind Kiba. "That... dog... Is that-?"

"Of course it's Akamaru, duh." Kiba looked back, wondering what his companion was doing to earn such a stare. He seemed innocent. "You've gotten taller!" Kiba tried again, giving Naruto the perfect shot to take at his ego.

"No... I mean, the one who got bigger was Akamaru! Do dogs really get that big in that short a time?" Still shocked.

"...Really? I'm always with him, so I never really noticed..." Kiba's grin fell a little, caught by a fake one. 'Not Naruto, please tell me he didn't turn normal while he was away?' He didn't want to exchange pleasantries like he had to with everyone else. There were only a few people Kiba really liked to talk to, and if Naruto lost his originality, that list would shorten quickly.

Naruto kept marveling over size (which, again, would have been too easy to comment on, so Kiba stored his remarks for later), and Shino quietly mulled over the fact that Naruto recognized Kiba, but not himself. Kiba scowled just a little, wishing Shino wasn't in a funk. The man was his teammate, but the list was shrinking again. Not bothering to hide his irritation, he kept trying to talk to Naruto like they'd used to.

No insults came, but maybe it was just a matter of getting back into the swing of things. At least, he hoped so. Barely in keeping with the conversation, Kiba quietly wondered where Hinata was and if she was coming, trying to keep the thought back. Kiba remembered Hinata's crush on Naruto all too well, but he wondered if maybe time had changed that. Maybe seeing him would trigger less of a reaction this time... maybe he'd really have a chance this time around, without her waiting for him.

All three nin looked up in unison at a strangled sound by a nearby gate. "Did you guys hear that?" Naruto asked, curiously. Almost back to normal for a second.

Kiba nodded. He knew what the sound was, and Shino probably did too, but they waited and followed when Naruto rushed over to investigate. "Huh? Oh, it's just you Hinata." He greeted, dumbly grinning when he saw another familiar face. "What're you doing hiding over here?"

Hinata looked like she was going to fall over for a second, and took a slight step back, practically shaking. She blushed furiously. "K-kon-konichiwa, N-Naruto-kun." She stammered out.

"Eh? Hinata, are you sick? You look red." He put a hand to her forehead.

Kiba quietly swallowed back whatever emotion started to break through the surface. No, nothing had changed. Not a damned thing.

But... watching her try to smile through that blush, and seeing her stammering slowly lessen as Naruto asked how she'd been... Kiba felt some sort of freedom from pressure, like a dam breaking in his chest. He knew, without a doubt, that Hinata would always love Naruto, it was as obvious as anything could be. But something less obvious, something that he'd never seen, or just couldn't admit before, was that Naruto was plainly and innately good for her. Her gentle courage was alive and thriving again, in only minutes this time.

Naruto could do for Hinata what he couldn't. And, with a deflating, hollow feeling in his chest, Kiba grinned at the two of them as though nothing had happened, and wished them the best.

Akamaru nudged his shoulder lightly in a comforting way, and for once, Kiba accepted it without rolling his eyes.