Author's Notes:
Okay – a small item of business.
The Naruto Fan Fiction Awards is now accepting nominations of stories you feel deserve some recognition. This is a great opportunity to show your favorite authors some love.
The link is on my author's profile for those interested in checking out the website for or you can do a google search on The Naruto Fan Fiction Awards.
They have different categories you can nominate a story for and yes, you can nominate stories that are not listed on TONFA.
Side story to Chance Encounters.
This three shot is about the night Shino met Hana Inuzuka.
This story contains depictions of the seedier aspects of dog racing, violence and graphic language.
It has been rated for a more mature audience.
Special thanks to Inumatchmaker for doing beta for this story. Your suggestions definitely made a difference.
A sentence in Italics denotes the private thoughts of a character.
The story is inspired by the song "Forbidden Colors" by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian.
Japanese words used:
Rakki - lucky
Shou – prize
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. I don't make a red cent off my fan fiction.
Lucky Prize – Part One
Shino watched the little red light flash on his console and bit back a sigh.
Now was not a good time to go and fix a malfunctioning camera.
Despite the heavy rain earlier, it seemed that the Yakuza families had chosen tonight to come down to the underground dog tracks.
It only confirmed the information he received this afternoon from his snitch that a big deal was going down and his mark would be making a rare public appearance.
Shino glanced at his flickering bank of monitors and immediately saw which camera was on the fritz.
It would have to be the camera that was vital to his investigation that went offline.
He bit back the curse as he carefully put the console onto the passenger seat before reaching an arm into the back seat and grabbing a battered backpack containing his tools.
It couldn't be helped…he needed to fix the camera before his target showed up.
Shino stepped out of the car and pulled the cap low over his eyes, slinging the grubby bag onto one lean shoulder.
He reached into his pocket and fished out his sunglasses, sliding them onto his nose before turning to lock his car door.
Shino took one cursory perusal of his surroundings before he strolled off down the damp and muddy street.
He didn't care how many nights of this he had to endure…just as long as he got his target…that's all that mattered.
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"Why aren't you letting my dog run tonight?!" roared an irate male voice.
Hana looked up from the dog she was bandaging and glanced over her shoulder.
"And you are?" prompted the vet with a raised eyebrow and a haughty expression.
The scarred man glared at the young woman before him and snarled, "Why the hell should I tell a smart ass bitch like you my name?"
Hana tossed the bandage to her assistant, stood up and stalked over to the smug bastard stinking up her office.
"Why? Because I'm not a damn mind reader…so give me your name so I can figure out which dog is under discussion or leave…" said Hana curtly.
The man's eyes widened in recognition as he took in the triangular clan tattoos on the woman's face before he grudgingly replied, "Tetsuo Kimura and the dog's name is Rakki-Shou."
Hana turned and walked over to her desk, sliding a list around so she could read it.
Hana stood up and addressed the man, "Your bitch is pregnant…so I can't allow her to run."
"What?! You're scratching her because she's got a litter of pups on board?! Other tracks allow pregnant bitches to run…" growled the man.
"Other tracks don't give a shit about the health of their dogs…" bit back Hana.
"Fine…I will take my dog to another track to race this evening." countered Tetsuo triumphantly.
"I would advise against it… your dog is close to term and is in no condition to race." hissed out the vet, outraged at the owner's disregard to his dog's health.
"Just get me my damn dog, bitch." responded Tetsuo with a knowing smirk.
Hana's eyes narrowed at the man's blatant insult before stalking over to another door and disappearing with a loud slam.
"She may be an Inuzuka but she's just like any other woman that I've known… just needs a firm hand." murmured the Kimura smugly to his cronies.
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Bastard! Nobody tells an Inuzuka what to do…
Hana pulled out the heavy dog carrier emblazoned with "Six time champion – Rakki-Shou, Property of Tetsuo Kimura" on the side in bright red paint.
Scum bag! She'll teach him a lesson!
Hana glanced at the trembling greyhound in the holding cage and knew that the dog would die if she was forced to race.
She had seen a lot of owners like Kimura treat their dogs like this one but Hana vowed that Rakki-Shou wouldn't end up like the rest if she could help it.
"Shhh, Rakki… it's okay." crooned Hana as she kneeled in front of the cage and opened the door to reach inside and stroke the dog softly.
"I don't have all night, Inuzuka bitch!" called out the hated man cheerfully, now fully convinced that he had won a victory over her.
Hana felt the purebred greyhound flinch under her hand at the sound of her master and quietly murmured, "Don't worry, Rakki… after tonight…you won't need to worry about that low life. I promise you will never need to run another race."
"Keep your shirt on, bastard… unlike you – I don't use a damn cattle prod to crate up a dog." shouted back Hana as she gently unhooked the dog's collar and removed the designer dog coat.
She smiled wickedly as she heard ribald laughter and some colorful cursing coming from the other room as a result of her comment.
Good…let him get upset.
"Good dog…" cooed Hana as she softly closed the cage and furiously tried to figure out what she should do next.
The vet looked up in alarm when she heard a soft knocking on the door but breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a voice ask, "Dr. Inuzuka… I am done with Ginger Snap…do you want me to take care of the other patient now?"
The other patient…yes…perfect.
"Why don't you come in and put Ginger Snap in his holding cage …I need you to help me with Rakki-Shou… She's a little skittish…" called out Hana as a crafty smile came on her face.
A petite woman with short blonde hair came through the door, leading a large dog slowly into the room.
Hana waited until her assistant cleared the door before closing it with a soft click.
"Hana…I know that look… what do you have in mind?" whispered Komiko as she put the dog into a holding pen.
"I need you to go and get Winter Frost. We're going to dress him up in Rakki-Shou's collar and coat."
Komiko's eyes widened in understanding before she murmured, "What do you plan on doing about Rakki-Shou?"
"I will try to smuggle her out of here before that baka out there figures that he has the wrong dog and comes back looking for her." replied Hana with a smirk.
Komiko disappeared into a small room and returned with the recently deceased body of Winter Frost.
Hana opened Rakki-Shou's dog carrier and straightened out the dog blanket piled haphazardly on the bottom of the cage before walking over to her assistant tenderly holding the corpse of three time champion Winter Frost.
He was scheduled for disposal but now his body would serve a higher purpose.
"I'm sorry your owner was a creep too, Frosty…" murmured Hana sadly to the dog as she quickly snapped on the collar and draped the coat over the dead dog's flanks.
"Good bye, Frosty." whispered Komiko as she crouched down and put the dog inside the carrier.
Hana closed the door and snapped down the heavy plastic over the carrier.
She resolutely wheeled the carrier to the door as Komiko sadly watched it roll past her.
"It's about fucking time, useless cow!" crowed Kimura in delight as Hana entered the room with the large carrier.
"Sign the damn discharge papers and get the hell out of my sight!" snarled Hana in disgust, shoving a clipboard at the man.
"With pleasure, hag." replied Kimura with a curl of his lip as he signed the paperwork and carelessly tossed it back to the vet.
"Don't jostle her cage…the stress could kill her." warned Hana as one of Kimura's hired thugs rushed forward to push the carrier out the door.
Tetsuo waited until the man had left with the dog before spitting on the floor and murmuring, "You ever try to tell me what to do again, little bitch… you are going to wish that you were never born."
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Shino shuffled down the corridor, satisfied that he had been able to fix the camera without incident.
It always amused him how the powerful Yakuza families would do their utmost to avoid him in this particular disguise.
No one bothered a homeless bum digging through the trash. They always sent their security over to ask him to move on.
"Hey, Kimura…you racing Rakki - Shou tonight?" called out a male voice behind him.
Shino hunched his shoulders and continued to walk down the hallway but listened intently to the conversation with great interest.
"No…that bitch of a vet has scratched my dog because she's pregnant….so, I'm heading over to Miyagi's track." growled the bear of a man marked up with scars.
"Hey, did you hear about Koga's dog – Winter Frost?" asked the same male voice as he brushed past Shino and pushed him roughly into the wall.
"Watch it, you bum!" laughed the man rudely as he glanced over his shoulder at the pathetic looking figure leaning against the wall.
"No – what happened?" asked Tetsuo with a scowl, glancing over at the pitiful derelict leaning against the wall before spitting on the ground.
"The dog broke his leg in three places after hitting a rut in the track on the turn. Koga wanted to have the dog put down once the vet told him that Winter Frost would never race again. The vet refused to do it until the test results came back that the dog had a degenerative bone condition in the advanced stages." replied the man.
"That interfering bitch!" hissed Tetsuo incensed.
"Hey, didn't you and Koga board your dogs at the same place? You don't suppose that Rakki-Shou is carrying Winter Frost's pups, do you?" asked the man hopefully.
"Nah… I doubt it. I tried to breed them once but Rakki wasn't interested." responded Tetsuo in disgust.
"Oh man…pity…. Those pups would be worth a small fortune." murmured the other man in disappointment.
Shino watched the two men walk off towards the parking lot with interest.
Who ever this vet was just gained herself some powerful enemies.
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Hana shifted the bundle in her arms and felt the lick of a wet tongue on her arm.
She looked down and smiled softly at the dog returning her gaze with trusting eyes.
"Don't worry, girl…you're safe now." crooned Hana as she glanced up to scan the parking lot before quickly crossing the road, careful not to bump the precious bundle in her arms.
She kept herself hidden in the shadows, sticking close the wall of the parking garage as she shuffled closer to the stairs.
"That interfering bitch!" screeched a furious voice not far from her location.
Hana silently cursed as she felt the dog flinch as they both recognized the voice.
"Shh, sweetie… it's okay." murmured Hana as she slowly inched along the wall, painstakingly getting closer to the stairwell, glancing over in the direction of the yelling to see two men loudly discussing dogs and racing.
Hana felt her heart leap into her throat as she watched the man walking towards her but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them turn down a row of parked cars.
"Give me the dog…I will ensure that he doesn't find her." said a calm voice quietly behind her.
Hana's eyes widened in alarm and swiveled around to find a tall man in dark shades and dressed like a derelict, his arms extended - ready to take the dog from her.
"Its okay, Inuzuka… I'm a friend of the family…" added Shino softly as he saw the fear in her expressive brown eyes and recognized the clan markings on her face.
Hana swallowed audibly before she gave a curt nod at his words. There was something about this man, despite his strange garb that made her feel more at ease than any man she had dealt with.
"Hi, Rakki – Shou… I'm a friend… it's going to be okay, girl." murmured the man, holding out a hand for the greyhound to sniff.
The dog gave the man a look and sniffed at the hand before giving it a lick of approval.
Okay…that convinced her that this man could be trusted.
Hana gently eased the dog into the man's arms and felt the smile tugging at her lips as the dog continued to lick at the man's hand.
"She's close to term…so she could deliver within the next couple of weeks…" said Hana with an apologetic shrug.
"Got it…don't worry, Inuzuka… she will be safe with me. I suggest you get back to the clinic in case he comes back… he can't suspect anything if you are only away for a short amount of time." replied the man in a soothing tone.
"Are you sure?" asked Hana, still reluctant to leave the greyhound just yet.
"Yes… anything I need to know about her care before you head back?" responded the man with a half smile.
Hana caught her breath at that teasing little half smile of his and wondered idly what it would be like to have this man smile just for her.
"You will need to keep her in a quiet environment until she's ready to give birth. She's relatively healthy despite her exhaustion, so I am not expecting any complications with the delivery or with the pups." said Hana with a smile of her own as she reached over and stroked the greyhound's head.
"How many puppies is she going to have?" asked Shino as the dog calmly drifted off to sleep.
"I counted six puppies during my exam." replied Hana with a small frown.
"Inuzuka…relax. I will take care of her…Now go." murmured Shino, correctly guessing what had the young vet so concerned.
Shino watched the young woman nod in agreement before finally turning and crossing the street.
"You're fortunate to find someone who cares that deeply for you, Rakki. I can see why you like her so much." said Shino as he watched the woman disappear down a corridor.
Yes…he too could easily fall for a woman like that.
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Tonight's stakeout had been a resounding success.
He finally managed to get the necessary evidence needed to put his mark away for a very long time…not even his high priced lawyer was going to get him out of this mess.
Shino walked down the hallway and into his living room, placing the new dog bed against the wall before heading back through the house and into the garage to retrieve the rest of his purchases.
"Welcome home, Rakki." Murmured Shino softly to the sleeping dog as he leaned in to stroke her head before grabbing another load of supplies.
He walked back into the house, thinking about that encounter with the mysterious Inuzuka.
He had found his interest captured and held the moment she raised those brown eyes of hers up at him.
His friend Kiba was going to laugh at him when he told him that he had found a woman that had captured his attention and one who just happened to be from his clan.
Kiba was going to have a field day over this one.
Shino felt the smile tug at his lips as he thought about the woman. Her wild beauty drew him…as it was – he still hadn't stopped thinking about her.
Yes…he had it bad.
He placed the bag containing the new dog bowls, treats and toys onto the kitchen counter and walked over to the pantry to drop the bag of dog food inside.
Shino walked back out to his car and opened up the back door and looked at his new pet.
She was a beautiful dog with a sweet disposition but it was obvious that her last owner didn't appreciate her beyond her racing abilities.
Shino leaned in and carefully scooped up the dog, watching with mild amusement as the greyhound shifted to give his arm a lick before settling back to sleep once more.
He felt the smile come to his lips at the dog's trusting nature and walked slowly through the house, before crouching down to slide the greyhound onto her new bed.
"I can't keep calling you Rakki-Shou… I will need to think of another name for you." murmured Shino quietly to the dog, a thoughtful frown on his features as he ran a large elegant hand down the greyhound's back.
"How about lucky?" asked Shino as the dog raised its head and gave the hand resting on his knee a lick.
"Lucky, it is then…" replied Shino with a wry smile before getting to his feet.
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"Hey, Kimura! I'm surprised to see you here! I thought you were planning to run Rakki-Shou over at the Inuzuka run dog track tonight?" called out a blonde man impeccably dressed in a dark Italian suit.
"Deidara – It's been a while. Yes – I did have plans to race my dog at Inuzuka's track but their bitch of a vet won't allow my dog to race." spat Tetsuo.
"Oh? Is there a problem with your dog?" asked Deidara in concern.
"My dog is pregnant…stupid Inuzuka female is worried that racing it this evening would kill it." replied Tetsuo with a sneer.
"Do you think it's wise to race her then if the vet is advising against it?" asked the blonde man with a frown.
"What?! You know any other track will allow me to race Rakki-Shou!" snarled Tetsuo.
"Well…yes….but the vet working over at the Inuzuka track has a reputation for making good calls when it comes to the health of the dogs." murmured Deidara with a thoughtful frown.
Tetsuo suddenly heard some one call out his name and scowled as he turned to watch one of his men running over to him.
"Uh, Boss…you're needed over at the vet's office….it's urgent." puffed the man as he stopped in front of his employer.
"Excuse me, Deidara…it seems that I am cursed with dealing with inept vets this evening." said Tetsuo shoving his henchman roughly to one side before he stalked off to the on-site vet's office.
"I don't know about that, Kimura-san… I have a feeling that the Inuzuka may have made the correct decision after all." muttered the blonde out loud as he watched the scarred man disappear behind a set of stands.
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"What the hell's wrong?" yelled Tetsuo slamming the door of the vet's office against the wall.
"Uh, Mister Kimura…I'm afraid that your dog is dead." said the vet nervously.
"Did the puppies survive?" asked Tetsuo with a frown.
"Uh puppies?" queried the man puzzled.
"Yes – puppies, you idiot… the bitch vet over at the last track scratched my dog because of it." snarled Tetsuo, his scars shining white against his red flesh.
The vet gulped and replied, "This dog is male."
The man's bushy black brows slashed ominously down over his small beady eyes as he rasped, "Show me."
Tetsuo followed the small man into another room where rows and rows of cages sat.
His attention however, was drawn to the dog lying on the stainless steel table.
Tetsuo felt the anger course through his veins as he recognized the animal dressed in his dog's collar and coat, recalling a conversation he had with an acquaintance that very evening.
"That fucking Inuzuka hag! She switched the dogs!" screamed Tetsuo, flecks of spittle flying from his mouth.
He grabbed hold of a nearby chair and hurled it at the far wall, causing the dogs in the holding cages to whimper and whine at the loud noise.
"Let's go! We need to go and pay a smart ass little bitch a visit." murmured Tetsuo in a dark tone.
"Uh, Mr. Kimora…what should I do about this other dog?" asked the vet with a nervous swallow.
"I don't give a shit if you throw the thing in the skip out the back!" snapped Tetsuo before he turned and stalked out of the office.
The small man waited until he couldn't hear the other man's vile curses peppering the air anymore before he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hana, it's Eiji over at Miyagi's race track… A Tetsuo Kimora just left here and is on his way to see you…uh, yes… he was very angry…Yes, he left the other dog here….It's Frosty?...oh dear…of course, I will ensure his body is properly cremated…yes…. Absolutely…what about Rakki-Shou?….she is?...oh, thank kami, that's great news….good luck, Hana…… talk to you soon." murmured the man before he finally hung up the phone and walked over to the table where the dog lay.
"Well, Frosty… it looks like you've had quite the evening, poor thing. I've got good news though… Thanks to you – Rakki is safe and so are her pups." murmured the vet as he stroked the dog's stiffening corpse.
"Doctor, what do you wish to do about the dog?" asked a voice behind him.
"We need to cremate Winter Frost's body and collect the ashes for Dr. Hana Inuzuka…" replied Eiji sadly.
The assistant stepped up beside the vet and stared at the corpse in shock.
"Oh, kami…that's Frosty?! Poor dog… I will take him over to get cremated… did she request a specific urn?" murmured the blonde in sympathy.
"No…but knowing Hana… pick something in a color that is similar to Frosty's coat." said Eiji as he gave the dog one last pat before his assistant wheeled the table off to the cremation room.
"Hana…please be careful...this Tetsuo Kimora is not a man you wish to get involved with…" muttered Eiji aloud as he surveyed the damage done to his wall from the chair.
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Hana hung up the phone and yelled over her shoulder, "Komiko! We need to close the clinic and get the hell out of here!"
The blonde appeared at the door with a small frown on her face.
"Why? What's wrong, Hana?" asked the assistant.
"Tetsuo Kimura is on his way back here from Miyagi's track. It looks like he now knows that we swapped the dogs. He just left so it looks like we don't have a lot of time." replied Hana as she rushed past Komiko and snatched up her hand bag as well as her vet bag.
"Got it, Hana. We should go out the back way then…I will activate the alarm once we lock the back door." said Komiko with a nod as she walked over to the office door and locked it.
Hana walked into the treatment room and opened a small locker, pulling out her assistant's handbag and her car keys.
The dark haired woman ran over to her assistant standing at the back door and handed her bag over to her.
Hana watched the entrance to the nearby parking garage as Komiko quickly locked the door and punched in the security code.
"Hana…where should we go now?" murmured Komiko in concern as they walked down the backstairs and started heading towards the parking lot.
The two women stiffened in alarm as they saw the flash of headlights as a car turned into the parking garage.
"Let's go, Komiko… we'll take your car… its closer." hissed out Hana as she grabbed her assistant's hand and started running.
They quickly dashed between the parked cars, holding their collective breaths as the car drove down the road.
"Okay… false alarm… we need to get the hell out of here…" husked Hana as she felt her heart skip a beat as they watched the car turn off further down the parking lot.
The dark haired woman pulled her companion to her feet and they ran down the parking lot towards a late model Camry station wagon with peeling red paint.
"She doesn't look pretty…but she runs like a dream." murmured Komiko as she got to the car and unlocked the doors.
A squeal of brakes and tires in the distance alerted the women that danger was nearby.
"Kami, Hana… that sounds like them! Do you know where you wish to go?" murmured Komiko nervously, her hand visibly trembling as she started the car up.
"Let's head over to the freeway… we'll figure out what to do as we drive." replied Hana, holding her breath as her assistant pulled the car out and coasted it through the parking lot and towards the exit.
"So far…so good, Hana…" murmured Komiko in relief as she turned onwards the main street and headed towards the freeway.
"Kami, miko…I'm so sorry for putting you in this position." replied Hana contritely as she looked back over her shoulder to check the road before turning to face forward once more.
The sounds of cars heading rapidly towards the race track from a block away echoed loudly in the still night, causing the two women to flinch.
"Hana…I don't blame you for this. I wasn't about to hand that beautiful dog over to an asshole like that. Which way do you wish to go - East or West, Hana?" asked the blonde as she glanced up into the rear vision mirror and her blue eyes widened in fear.
"What's up, Komiko?" murmured Hana in concern and she turned her head to see three vehicles squeal into the parking lot.
"Oh kami, Hana…what should we do?" asked Komiko, the panic lacing her voice.
"We go west on the freeway, miko… Just keep driving the speed limit…" replied Hana placing a hand on her friend's shoulder before opening up her hand bag and pulling out her cell phone.
"Kiba – its Hana…I'm in big trouble…someone is after us……We're on the road right now…um, west on the freeway…okay…yes…I know that hotel…okay….thanks." murmured Hana before finally hanging up.
"What did he say?" asked Komiko, shooting her friend a side glance as she entered the freeway.
"We need to get off at exit 84 and check in at The Blake Hotel under the name Mills. Kiba is going to send a friend who will help us disappear." said Hana with a sigh.
"Can we trust this man?" asked Komiko in concern.
"I don't know, miko…but Kiba trusts him and that's enough for me…" replied Hana softly.
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"The alarm has gone off over at Miss Hana's clinic, Mister Inuzuka. A team has gone to check it out." murmured Akamaru softly.
Kiba scowled darkly as he pocketed his phone and turned to face his bodyguard.
"It must be the person after Hana. Tell the rest of the teams to watch the exits…" replied Kiba curtly as he scanned the crowded dog track.
"Akamaru." growled out Kiba softly with a small tilt of his head as he caught sight of a heavily scarred man near the track area with an armed entourage trailing behind him.
Akamaru moved in front of his employer and moved a hand to activate the headset.
"Teams 5, 7 and 9 – converge onto east sector of the track…quadrant b." relayed the bodyguard into his headset.
Within minutes, three heavily armed teams – all decorated with the triangular clan tattoos swarmed into the location.
Akamaru and Kiba watched impassively as the man and his group was swiftly disarmed.
"Mr. Inuzuka…what would you like the teams to do with our guests?" asked Akamaru quietly, his eyes trained on the activity at the far end of the track.
"Tell them to bring our guests over… I want to have a little chat with them." replied Kiba in a steely tone.
Akamaru pressed down the button once more for the head set and directed, "Bring them up."
"Kimura – you know the rules… no weapons on the premises." said Kiba in a cold voice as the group were hauled unceremoniously in front of him.
"Fuck you, Inuzuka…I know you are protecting that little bitch who works in the clinic…" snarled the heavy set man in rage.
"What business do you have with one of my clan members?" countered Kiba in a chilling tone.
"She stole my property and I want it back!" replied the man with an outraged howl.
"I don't recall you having anything of much worth to steal, Kimura." returned Kiba with a sneer as he stepped out from behind Akamaru and stood beside the large man.
"She's got my fucking dog, Rakki-Shou! You fucking Inuzuka are all the same…" started the scarred man, only to have his tirade cut off when Kiba drove his fist hard into his stomach, effectively winding him.
"You will show respect when you are addressing my employer, Mr. Kimura." countered Akamaru with a warning in his tone.
"This is fucking bullshit! You're protecting that little bitch… but you can't protect her forever…'cause when I do find her, I'm going to make her regret she ever crossed me." gasped Tetsuo, outraged.
Akamaru glanced at his friend and employer briefly, feeling the waves of fury roll off him.
What do you wish to do, Kiba?
Kiba looked down at his jacket and swiped his pinky finger across his arm before looking back up at his bodyguard.
Give the bastard the usual treatment, Akamaru.
Akamaru gave his friend a brief nod before turning his attention back to the irate clan leader and his henchmen.
"Gentlemen – take Mister Kimura and his associates to the holding area. Show him what we do to guests who disobey the rules." murmured the bodyguard with a sweep of his little finger across his sleeve as the Inuzuka team nodded before hauling the kicking and screaming Kimura out of the owner's box and down to the special holding area.
Kiba and Akamaru watched in silence as the large group finally disappeared from view before reaching for his phone and punching a number on speed dial.
He waited for the smooth voice on the other end to answer before he murmured, "It's me…I have a special job that needs to be done tonight…heheh…yes, it does have something to do with the clinic…I won't ask how you know…my sister is in trouble."
Kiba listened to Shino's questions and answered, "Yes…she's been in contact…no, she's traveling with her assistant….The Blake…under Mills….yes, she knows that I'm sending someone…"
Kiba frowned and shook his head before replying, "I want you to make her disappear for a while… this man wants her blood and I'm not about to give the bastard the chance to touch her…."
Kiba looked over at Akamaru and nodded, "Yes, do what you need to do…good luck, Shino."
Akamaru watched his boss end the call and flip the phone shut with a flick of his wrist.
"Don't worry, Akamaru… if there is anyone who could ensure that she can't be found, its him." murmured Kiba as he stared out onto the dog track.
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Shino hung up the phone and walked back over to the dog asleep on the bed.
"Well, Lucky…you certainly have friends in high places…" murmured Shino as he crouched down and pat the dog.
Yes…no mere Inuzuka Clan member but rather the sister of the leader himself.
"It looks like your savior is in trouble, so I need to go out for a couple of hours but I will be back later – promise." murmured Shino to the dog who merely shifted and went back to sleep.
He had been momentarily stunned when Kiba had mentioned that his sister was in trouble but fortunately for him, his professionalism had come to the fore.
Hell, he knew Kiba had an older sister…He just never realized that she was that beautiful.
He pushed himself up and walked over to the kitchen where his bag still sat on the counter where he left it an hour ago.
Shino opened up the bag and gave the contents a cursory glance before walking over to the fridge and pulling out food to make some sandwiches.
He finished making the sandwiches and walked back to the fridge, putting back the sandwich fixings and taking out three pieces of fruit.
Shino closed the fridge and strolled over to his pantry, collecting sandwich bags, snack bars and bottled water before walking back over to the counter to finish up his preparations.
He packed up the food, placing it carefully into his bag before buckling it up and grabbing his keys.
"Okay, Lucky…I'm going out. The screen door is open so you can go outside to use the bathroom."
Shino smiled softly as the dog snorted once before ducking its head under a paw.
The smile stayed on his face all the way to the hotel.
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The two women sat upright on the double beds and tried to watch some late night television.
"Hana, I'm starving…" groaned Komiko as they watched the Food Network.
"I know, miko…I'm hungry too…but we need to stay put." murmured Hana apologetically.
"Hana…what's going to happen to us?" asked Komiko worried.
"Nothing, I hope… we just need to stay one step ahead of Kimura." replied Hana with a shrug.
The brunette looked down at her cell phone in surprise as a colorful tune rang out.
"Hello? Oh Kiba!...Yes… we're fine… He did?...oh dear….yes, I did swap the dogs… are you mad at me? ….yes, the dog was in danger…he would have killed her if he raced her tonight….he is…okay…. Yes…I will call you when I am settled…okay…bye." murmured Hana to the voice on the phone before hanging up.
"What did he say?" asked Komiko, wide eyed.
"Tetsuo Kimura paid him a visit and made the mistake of bringing firearms on site as well as insulting me in his presence. They punished him and then released him half an hour ago…missing the top of his little finger." replied Hana grimly.
Komiko turned pale at that news before pushing herself off the bed and rushing over to the bathroom.
A knock sounded on the door amidst the noise of Komiko losing the meager contents of her stomach into the toilet.
Hana slid off the bed and cautiously looked through the peephole.
A tall and very lean man wearing a pair of black aviator glasses and dressed in a dark hooded sweatshirt with matching jeans and sneakers stood there patiently.
"Who is it?" asked Hana, licking her dry lips.
The man gave a tiny smile before murmuring, "A friend…Kibble Breath sent me."
Hana's eyes widened in shock as she heard that childish pet name. There was only one person who called her brother that.
"Spooky? Is that you?" asked Hana in disbelief.
Hana braced her body against the door as she saw that smile of his get wider.
"It's been a long time, Ice Goddess…"
Ice Goddess…there was no doubt about the man's identity now…
"Yes, Shino…it has been a long time." said Hana in a hoarse whisper before finally unhooking the slide bolt and opening the door.
He was wearing different clothes and she could smell the faint odor of sandal wood from a recent shower but there was no doubt that it was the same man she had met earlier at the dog track.
"Well, Goddess… Aren't you going to invite me in?"