"HEY! TUFFY!" A voice called behind me as I walked down the road to meet Kakashi for lunch. "HEY, TUFFY! Wait Up!" I continued to walk on my way, ignoring the person behind me.

"Tuffy!" I felt a hand on my shoulder making me freeze. "Didn't you hear me yelling for you?" he asked.

I turned and glared at the person behind me through my shades. Inuzuka Kiba was not my most favorite person in the world. He was always overly cocky and never listened to what someone said if it went against what he wanted. For instance, "Its Aeon to you, mutt-face." My frown at his presence went unnoticed by him due to the mask that wrapped around mouth.

"Sure," he brushed off and went on to say, "So, Tuffy, I'm throwing a party tomorrow night. You're coming, right?"

I glared at him again. He never listened to me. "It's Aeon. And I already have plans with Hinata-chan." I turned back around and continued on my way. Unfortunately that didn't deter him.

He continued to follow me at a much too close proximity, "She's coming. So great, you're coming too! Awesome."

As he turned to leave I caught him by the collar and turned him back to me, my dark gaze made more threatening only by my dark complexion. "No, we have plans. I'm helping her train. She wouldn't skip out on training for a party. So no, I'm not coming." I released the boy and turned back to the trail ahead of me. Even with all of these interruptions I would still get to the restaurant before my companion.

"You have to come though, Tuffy!" Kiba whined, still following me.

"Why?" I growled. He was wearing on my nerves.

He stopped walking and, out of pure curiosity, I paused and waited for his answer. "Well…" he started, "It's kind of a couple thing and Naruto already asked Hinata to go."

"So…you weren't lying about Hinata already going?" I mumbled.

"I saw the Knucklehead asking her to go and she said something about training. I told her I'd talk to you about it since I was on my way to you anyway." I tilted my sunglasses down and gave him a demanding expression and he got awkward again. "Well…like I said, it's a couple party thing…and…I was kind of wondering if you…you know, wanted to go with me…"

"You don't have a date to your own party yet?" I laughed. I quickly stifled my laughter at the boy's flustered expression though. "Really? Me? Why?"

"I don't know," he scratched his head nervously; "I guess I've always sort of had a thing for you. Mostly it's because you're not like most girl. You're not a push over." I groaned in response. "What?" he spouted, rejection obvious in his voice.

"Now I have to go with you," I sighed, "I'd feel like a jerk if I didn't after hearing that."

Excitement spread across Kiba's face like a wild fire, "So you'll come?"

"Yes, I'll come," I huffed as I turned away from the boy and disappeared in a cloud of smoke before he could irritate me further.

"I think it'll be good for you," My masked friend laughed from across the table. "You don't do much with everyone anymore. Usually you just hang out with me or train with Hinata-san. This will be a good way for you to get back in touch with everyone."

I caught a peculiar sparkle in the copycat ninja's eye as he spoke. "What else are you thinking Hatake?"

"Nothing," I could tell he was smiling under that mask. "It's interesting that you agreed to go with Kiba though. If it was anyone else pestering you like that you would have rejected them."

"You sound so sure," I rolled my eyes at his ridiculous notion.

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. "I know you well enough to be sure. You enjoy arguing with him, Tuffy. It's obvious."

"Like hell it is!" I spouted and crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. "He's annoying!"

"You know I can tell when you've talked to him?" He pointed out, "You always have this look in your eye after you've been around him."

"I do not!" I glared at my friend, heat rising to my cheeks. "He never listens to me, he always speaks for me when he's around me, he does things he knows pisses me off, he-"

"He's always on your mind though, isn't he?" The Jounin asked knowingly. "Why are you afraid to admit you like him, Tuffy?"

"Because I don't like him, Kakashi!" I cried before standing up to leave. "I'm going to go beat the hell out of something."

Annoyingly enough, when I got back home, there was a note stuck to my door that arrogantly said, 'Show up at 6. ~Kiba'. I decided to gracefully rip the paper to shreds and leave the remains in front of my door. Regardless of how irritated I was by the guy though, I had been standing outside his house for the past twenty minutes trying to make myself knock on the door instead of giving in to my desire to turn around and walk back home.

Just when I had decided to do just that, the door opened, ruining my retreat. "Tuffy, come on in. I need some help to finish setting up." He grinned and waved me in. With a grimace, I walked into the house and was pleasantly surprised at his choice of decorating. The furniture had been pushed against the walls and a record player with large speakers was set up in the corner. The lights had been turned down and paper lanterns hung from half of the ceiling while the other half lay scattered on the floor, waiting to be hung up.

"Akamaru was helping me til he decided to be lazy and go outside," Kiba rolled his eyes and started grabbing lanterns. "Can you help me finish with the lights?"

I was shocked, "You're asking me? Usually you just assume I'll do what you want."

"Well, I'd do that now except you're going to have to sit on my shoulders to get to the ceiling," he sweat dropped.

"Why don't you walk up the walls?" I rolled my eyes at him, "You are a ninja after all."

"Yeah, you do that and let my mom yell at you for leaving foot prints on the walls," he shot back. "I can't get away with anything with that woman around." He knelt on the floor for me and I climbed onto his shoulders. "You be surprised what she could catch on to."

"So you're afraid to walk up the walls, but you're going to have a party while she's gone?" I laughed while I took the lanterns he handed to me and attached them to the ceiling. "How is that logic supposed to work?"

"I asked first," he replied, "I'm not that irresponsible."

I laughed again, "Could have fooled me."

"Don't make me drop you," he threatened good-naturedly, and I noticed I was enjoying myself. In that moment I had come to the realization that the things Kiba did were more to get my attention rather than anger me. Everything he did was always done with pure intentions. And scowled at this because I knew I'd have to tell Kakashi he was right later.

I grinned at Hinata as she was flusteredly pulled away from me and onto the dance floor by Naruto. In her absence, Kiba slid up beside me as I watched the two sway awkwardly to the music. He tapped my elbow and handed me a cup filled with some fruity smelling drink.

"Hinata and I rescheduled our training session," I offhandedly said to him. "You're lucky. If we didn't I'd be making you my training partner for tomorrow."

"You'd kill me!" He cried in mock fear.

I laughed and gave him a playful shove. I sighed and hung my head, "I guess I have to thank you for being a persistent ass. I'm really enjoying myself."

"Don't thank me," he grinned, "It was Kakashi that suggested it. He told me you liked dancing."

"Kakashi?" I muttered in confusion, and then spat angrily, "That underhanded pervert!"

Kiba laughed, "But you're having fun," he reminded me, causing me to lose my fire.

"Yeah," I sighed. I pressed my lips to his cheek briefly before saying, "Thanks for inviting me," as I sprinted to the dance floor as a fast song played through the speakers. I could learn to love him.