A/N: New story! So, I completely adore Kiba from Naruto. Like..a lot. x'D *clings to Kiba* I had started writing this last year, and only got two chapter two before I stopped. Anyway, I dug it up a few days ago and thought that it had some potential. Though there was a big ugly, lump in the middle of it. (Which I got rid of, x'D) So anyway, I decided to re-write it. Or at least the two chapters I had done, anyway. So here it is! ^_^
Also, I originally wrote the story without Sakura... But during the re-write I wrote her in. But then I didn't like where the story went once I added her, so I took her back out. And I really hope you guys don't mind! And if you do, I'm really sorry. But it worked for the story, so I hope you can look past it and still enjoy the story if it bothers you. ^_^
I know I have a few stories going, but I think that I can balance it all out. Though I think this, (BHB) and OLS are going to be my main priorities.
Anyway, enough chatter! Enjoy!
"Kakashi Sensei...?"
The way the older man was silent, his eyes shifting back and forth occasionally, the way his fingers tried to reach for a weapon, showed that he wasn't calm. Kakashi was usually a rather calm and laid back man. But now...
"Sensei, what do we do?" Jade repeated, swallowing with fear. Kakashi reached an arm back and covered her mouth with his hand, "Stay calm."
She sunk back, knowing that her Sensei wasn't even calm, didn't make her want to be calm. Her eyes trailed down to Kakashi's shuriken hold, where his fingers were digging around for a weapon.
"They can smell the fear on you," Sasuke, in a slight battle stance said from beside Jade, whose eyes were quivering frightfully. She swallowed with more nervousness then fear, "What do you mean?"
"They have sharp noses. They can smell your fear. Try and stay calm."
"But Kakashi Sensei-."
Sasuke sent her a powerful glare, telling her to be quiet. She was quickly losing her cool, though and fear was enveloping her. Sure, she and her team had faced a lot of different enemies before, but...
"They're just wolves," Naruto scoffed, eyebrows furrowed. "I can take 'em."
"Let me handle this, Naruto," Kakashi stated calmly, taking a slow step forward. "Kitai."
A woman with ivory skin stood in the middle of a pack of wolves. She wore a wolf headpiece on her black, blue hued hair. She had tall, black boots on, and shorts to match the color with a silver utility belt hanging from them. She wore silver armour on her chest, with a black turtleneck underneath. She was holding a katana in her left hand, "What's with the brats, Kakashi?"
'Why does everyone seem to know Sensei?' Jade, Naruto and Sasuke all thought flatly.
"They're my students," Kakashi replied, raising his hand in front of his face.
"I guess they mean something to you then," she mused, resting her katana on the ground. "Am I right?"
Kakashi pushed his Leaf headband up to reveal his left Sharingan eye, "I'd die for all of them."
"It's like me and my wolves..." Kitai, the woman, began. "I care for my wolves." Her eyes narrowed as her face darkened, "Problem is...we've been having trouble finding food these days."
Jade swallowed her fear again, only to see a wolf sniff the air, and send a cold look her way.
"That's too bad," Kakashi replied, holding his kunai tightly.
"We haven't eaten for at least three days. We're mighty hungry," Kitai continued. "But how lucky we are...To stumble across dinner so easily."
"She's crazy..." Jade whispered to herself, but loud enough for her teammates to hear. Naruto nodded his head in agreement.
"Babies..." Kitai spoke softly, in a soothing tone, "We've found dinner." The wolves seemed to growl and snarl, each eyeing one of the ninja from Leaf.
Kakashi held his kunai out in front of him, eyes narrowed into a deadly glare. Kitai raised her katana again, pursing her lips, "What're you gonna do, Kakashi? Summon your dogs?" She smirked, "They're simply no match for my wolves."
"My dogs couldn't handle this," Kakashi told her. "But my students can."
"Sensei...!" Jade was in shock. She closed her eyes to try and relax. She couldn't handle this. She felt as if she were about to break down.
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked her, steadying her, seeing that she was swaying slightly.
"I... I feel dizzy..." she replied in a breathless tone.
"Are you going to pass out?" a worry line creased Naruto's brow.
She just closed her eyes again as Naruto kept a secure arm around her.
Kitai pointed her katana at Kakashi, and the three genin. The wolves snarled one last time, before leaping forward at the team.
"Look out!" Kakashi warned, turning around quickly, the wolves having leapt right past him. Then a sharp pain hit his shoulder, and he turned to see Kitai's katana resting on it.
Naruto scooped Jade up under his arm and leapt out of the way of the wolves. The wolves skidded to a stop and glared at them.
"Sensei!" Naruto shouted. "Jade! She won't move!"
Kakashi threw Kitai off of him, and glanced over at a worried Naruto by a paralysed Jade. She was sitting on the ground, inches behind Naruto, her eyes wide in fear. She was terrified.
'What's...wrong with her?' Kakashi thought, before dodging a wolf's bite.
"Fire Style : Fireball jutsu!" Sasuke yelled, before blowing a huge ball of fire out of his mouth. It headed straight for the wolves, but they fled - dodging the attack. Sasuke silently cursed to himself, before raising his arms up in defence. A wolf held its paws against his crossed arms, snarling and drooling. He swung his foot, tripping the wolf.
"Jade, please get up!" Naruto begged, shaking her by the shoulders. She stared at Sasuke holding off the pack of wolves by himself, and Kakashi battling Kitai. And here she was, off on the sidelines, watching and holding Naruto back with her.
"What's wrong with you!?" Naruto asked, his tone demanding, a hint of anger in it. "Move!"
She shook her head, "Naruto..."
"Come on!" he yelled at her.
"I...I don't know why...I'm so scared..." she whispered, her lips feeling unbearably dry.
"That's what they want!" Naruto snapped, "You're better than that! Come on!"
"Get up, loser!" Sasuke yelled, pushing a wolf off of him, and holding a kunai in his other hand.
She just hung her head.
Suddenly her left cheek recieved impact. Naruto had punched her. Jade touched a hand to her cheek and Naruto gritted his teeth.
"You're not acting like yourself!" he snapped.
She glared up at him, "That wasn't like you, Naruto."
"This isn't like you!"
"..." She was silent for a second, before her lips curved upwards into a smirk, "You're right." Naruto stood back as Jade picked herself up, "I'll never get anywhere in this world if I'm afraid, ne?" Naruto have a nod of the head.
"Naruto! Jade!" Sasuke yelled. "Get in here and help me!"
The two ninja ran into the pack of wolves Sasuke was fighting off, and began to assist in battle.
"That one's weak," Kitai told Kakashi, smirking, referring to Jade.
Kakashi blocked her katana with the metal plates on his gloves, "Is that what you think of her?"
"Scratch that..." Kitai said, "She's very weak."
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, before slipping out of the way of one of Kitai's attacks, "She may seem weak, but she's strong."
"Says you," Kitai swung a fist at him.
"Her nature is different..." Kakashi said, standing in front of Kitai, who was panting.
"How so?" she asked, swallowing to regain her steady breathing.
"From what I can tell... Half of her nature is being a ninja...but the other half isn't."
"Poor kid," Kitai said in a sarcastic, yet sympathetic tone.
"She's gentle. Fragile. But she is strong."
"She's a good fighter, eh?"
Kakashi nodded, "She's gotten stronger over time. But she still manages to keep her gentleness."
"Great," Kitai's tone was irritated.
"We'll be here all day if I try to explain her. But to wrap things up...she's different."
"Different?" she cackled, before slashing her katana at Kakashi, regaining her strength. He dodged it by ducking, but it cut some of the hair on top of his head.
"I'm different!" Kitai boasted, looking down at her wolf-like appearance. Her yellow, gray eyes glistened in what was left of the sun. "The kids back in my village all thought I was weird!"
Kakashi leapt up, dodging Kitai's katana again, throwing some shuriken in the process. He landed and dusted himself off, "No one thinks he's weird in our village."
"Who?" Kitai asked, nose wrinkled slightly, the stench of blood reaching her nose. She peeked behind Kakashi, only to see that some of her wolves had fallen.
"Her best friend is...a dog."
Kitai looked back, "What?" She was knocked to the ground, as Kakashi punched her back.
"But like you, he is cocky."
"What are you talking about!?" Kitai questioned in an angry tone, wiping blood from her mouth.
Kakashi smiled from under his mask, "He's a little different, too."
"What are you talking about!?" she yelled.
"Not as crazy as you..."
"Shut up!" Kitai threw some shuriken at Kakashi, which glided right past his head.
"I suppose I'll stop now," he smiled again, taking out a kunai, "Bye, bye Kitai."
Her eyes widened, and she hopped back as Kakashi sliced the air with the kunai. She howled once, having what was left of her wolves return to her.
"This isn't settled, Kakashi!' she hollered, running off with her wolves by her side. As she ran, she couldn't help but wonder about this dog boy Kakashi had mentioned. Was he different like her? She had a wolf-like appearance, and moved like a wolf at times. Was this boy like her...or different?
*
"You alright?" Kakashi asked Jade, later. Team Seven walked down the path leading back to Konoha.
"I'm sorry for freezing up like that," she apologized sheepishly.
Naruto made a face, "And I'm real sorry for punching you like that, Jade-chan... but I couldn't think of anything else.."
"It's alright."
"But at least you came around!" he grinned. "Sasuke would've been a goner if it wasn't for us!"
"Don't push it, Naruto," Sasuke muttered.
Jade watched them for a second, before looking up at Kakashi, "Sensei, who was that woman?"
"Kitai," he replied, still walking, his hands in his pockets.
"What was with all of the wolves?" Naruto asked. Sasuke showed equal curiosity about them, but wouldn't show it.
"She's friends with the wolves... I guess you could say she can control some of them," Kakashi explained.
"Uh, Sensei, is she a wolf?" Jade asked him.
"While her appearance comes off slightly wolf-like, she's still human."
"Her eyes were just like a wolf's," Sasuke said, recalling Kitai's unique wolf eyes.
"They may look just like a wolf's, but they don't work like one," Kakashi responded. "She may give off a wolf-like appearance, and at times she may be able to move like a wolf... But it's just something she picked up."
"So...She's not like Kiba, is she?" Jade questioned, curiosity in her chocolate brown eyes.
"In a way yes..." Kakashi trailed off. "But Kiba has a sharp nose... Just like a dog's. Kitai has no wolf-like traits, besides her appearance and movement at times."
"Wait... I don't get it..." Naruto said, squinting. "How are Kiba and this Kitai person different again?"
Kakashi ruffled Naruto's hair, "You never were the brightest."
"Um, Sensei..." Jade picked up her pace to catch up with him.
"Yes, what is it, Jade?" he looked down at her.
She raised a finger, "That wolf headpiece Kitai was wearing... What-?"
"It's more an accessory than anything," Kakashi told her. "It doesn't store chakra, or any weapons, and it's not needed for any jutsus. She only really wears it to show her love of wolves, and to add to her...wolf like nature." His eyes softened, "Just don't ask me if it's real."
Naruto, Jade and Sasuke all exchanged wary glances.
"Does she have any jutsus?" Sasuke asked. "I only saw her using that katana to attack."
"She has one or two jutsus... I don't really recall them, though..." then he smiled. "Almost home."
Team Seven had started out with a mission out of Konoha, and on their way back they had run into Kitai and her wolves. They were just happy to be getting home. And Jade absolutely couldn't wait to see a certain dog-like boy.
"So, enough about Kitai!" Naruto exclaimed. "Let's talk about how I kicked butt back there!"
"Loser, you hardly did anything!" Sasuke snapped.
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
Jade impatiently closed her eyes, trying to block their latest argument out of her head. When she opened them they had ran ahead of her and Kakashi, trying to walk faster than the other. She sweatdropped, then looked off to the side to see the orange hued sky.
"Looks like it's you and me then, Jade," Kakashi said, sighing and taking his eyes off of Naruto and Sasuke. When he didn't get an answer, he raised an eyebrow, "Jade?"
She was walking with a small smile on her lips, still looking to the side - lost in her own thoughts.
But her thoughts were interrupted when she accidentally walked into a tree.
"Oi, Jade-chan!" Naruto swivelled around to see if she was alright. Sasuke stopped a few inches ahead of him.
She sat up on her elbows, rubbing her head and groaning, "Ow..."
Sasuke sighed, "She's doing it again."
She just ignored him; still groaning, still rubbing her head and still on the ground. She looked up to meet Kakashi's gaze, who was looking down at her, "What's he talking about, Sensei?"
Kakashi only smiled, "He's right. You are doing it again."
"Doing what?" she raised an eyebrow in curiosity, having no clue what she could possibly be doing. Again.
"Let me guess," Kakashi mused. "You're thinking of him. Right?"
"Ano..." she fumbled, and looked ahead to see Naruto and Sasuke in the distance. "Who?"
Kakashi chuckled, offering her his hand, "Let's get going."
"But...But who?" she asked again, as she and Kakashi walked behind Naruto and Sasuke.
"You know who I'm talking about."
"...How much longer, Sensei?" she asked, steering away from the subject completely.
"We're almost there," he chuckled. "I can see you're anxious to see him."
Leave it to Kakashi to tease her. He and Naruto were the only ones who knew.
"Well..." she looked away. "I can't wait to see everyone...Shikamaru, Lee, K-..." She cut herself off, and heard Kakashi chuckle once again.
"Oh, of course."
"Sensei!"
"Alright," he waved his hands out in front of him. "I won't tease you anymore."
"I doubt that..." she muttered darkly.
"I do, too."
Jade sighed. Naruto and Sasuke were already being competitive in getting back to Konoha first, and now Kakashi was teasing her. This was going to be a longer trip than she thought.
"So, when did it all start?" Kakashi asked her, his calm expression back on his face.
"You said you wouldn't tease me anymore..." Jade mumbled, attempting to change the subject again.
"Don't answer if you don't want to."
The tone he was using was warm, letting her know that she could trust him with her answer. She sighed. If there was anyone Jade could tell anything to it was Kakashi Hatake. She she decided to answer.
"I think..." she put a finger to her cheek. "...I think I started having feelings for him the day I first met him."
"Love at first sight?"
"Not exactly..." she replied, smoothly. "But when I first met him I had a strong liking to him. More as a close friend then anything. But I always wanted to be around him... Over time the feelings just got stronger..."
"And tada."
Jade nodded, "Tada. I've got a crush on dog boy."
"Nowadays it seems like more than a crush," Kakashi stated.
"What'd you mean?" she asked nervously.
"Forget I said anything," she saw the fabric of his mask shift, showing that he was smiling.
"I mean, he's my best friend," she said quietly, looking off into twilit sky. "But, I think..." She stopped, trailing off. Kakashi didn't seem to mind; it seemed like he knew what she was going to say, anyway.
You could find her talking to Kakashi a lot, if she wasn't with her best friend, Kiba. Or off somewhere by herself, just thinking. Or sometimes, she could be found cloud watching or napping with Shikamaru. Or at Ichiraku with Naruto.
She looked back up at Kakashi, who now had his little orange book, Make-out Paradise, under his nose.
"Almost home," he said brightly, not taking his eyes off of the page. "It'll be nice to turn in."
Jade nodded her head in agreement, trying to sneak a peek at the contents of his book. He sensed this and quickly shut it, giggling nervously, "It's nothing. Really."
"If you say so..." she said, the tone in her voice showing that she obviously wasn't buying it.
"Anyway, once we get back I'll have to go report the mission and file it. Care to tag along?" he asked, his lazy eye landing on Jade.
"Hm," she continued walking for a second. "Maybe."
"I'll take that as a yes."
"It's a maybe!" she argued, before releasing a breath. "Fine, I'll come."
"It's not as boring as you think, you know."
"When the four of us went together, Naruto fell asleep, Sasuke wanted to leave, and I was staring out a window for an hour," Jade said, shuddering from the memory.
"You kids have no patience," Kakashi said, hitting her shoulder lightly.
Soon the Konoha gates came into view, and Jade's face instantly lit up. Kakashi seemed relieved, too, as he came to a stop in front of the gates. The guards on duty nodded to him, and opened the gates up to reveal Konoha.
Jade smiled, glad to be home after such a long day. Travelling out of the village, and completing the mission were enough. But then having to bump into Kitai and her wolves. And then they had to travel all the way back to Konoha. As Shikamaru would put it: How troublesome.
The moon had taken the sun's place in the sky, for the night. The glow of the moon shone down on the buildings, creating a somewhat eerie scene. Though lots of residents of Konoha had gone home, or turned in, the village was still bustling with activity. Mostly night owls, party animals, or ninja just coming back from a mission. Like Team Seven.
The Ichiraku Ramen bar was filled with customers, one of them being Naruto. He had gotten his butt over there already.
Jade looked around for Sasuke, but he had disappeared so she assumed that he had headed home. She looked up to see Kakashi still by her side. He looked down at her, "We better get over to the Hokage Place, then."
Jade responded by nodding, and Kakashi headed towards said building. Jade trailed along after him. She could tell that this was going to be fun. She wondered if Kakashi would be mad if she made up an excuse to leave. She released a sigh, 'Nah, I'll just stick around...'
"Ano... Kakashi Sensei...?"
"What is it?" he asked, dodging a man running after a small boy, fist raised.
"How long will this take?" she asked, looking up at the moon. It was pretty late. She had wanted to get home earlier, so she could go see...
"Not long," Kakashi replied, putting one hand in his pocket, and using the other to hold Make-out Paradise in front of his face. "Thanks for coming along, though."
"You're welcome..."
Then Kakashi laughed, "Sorry for dragging you along, Jade-chan. I know you wanted to see him."
"Ano... I don't mind..." Jade fumbled, twiddling her thumbs together. "I'll just find him tomorrow. That's all."
"That's what I like about you," Kakashi said, lowering his book for a moment. "You're usually positive. Trying to make the best of the situation."
The comment made her smile, as she continued on her way to the Hokage Place with him.
"Besides, it's a bit too late for you to go find him now, anyway," Kakashi pointed out. "He's probably in bed. And you wouldn't want to wake him, would you?"
Jade shook her head, "He trains hard. He needs rest." She heard him chuckle, and craned her neck to look up at him, curiosity shining in her deep brown ores, "What's so funny?"
He shook his head, "Nothing."
She just sighed.
"Here we are," Kakashi said, tucking his book away, standing in front of the Hokage Place. "Won't take long. Promise."
Jade placed her hands on her hips, "Pinky promise?"
"I told you, it's too late for you to go and see him," he told her. She just sighed an irritated sigh, "I'm tired. I want to go home. Pinky promise...now." He stuck his pinky out, and she hooked hers around it. "Thank you for your cooperation," she thanked him, running to the doors of the Hokage Place. "So, come on, let's speed things up!"
Kakashi climbed up the stairs to the door, "Thanks for keeping me company."
"Yeah, yeah..." she motioned for him to go inside. "Let's go old man!"
He laughed, "I'm not that old."
"You know what I mean!" she said, as he walked into the building. She followed, closing the door behind her.
She would go find Kiba tomorrow.
And if you haven't figured it out, yet... She was in love with her best friend. Kiba Inuzuka.
Translations:
Ano: Um
As a last note, every Naruto story I've written (excluding this) has come out pretty bad. I mean, it's pretty hard to follow a 100+-? episode storyline. And I don't exactly plan on following the storyline.. (teams, zabuza arc, chuunin exams, sasuke retrieval arc.) I may write a story following the storyline completely, sometime...but not right now. So I hope I don't destroy anything for you, as me and my friend put it. x'D
I really am scared writing a Naruto story. I'm just afraid I'll ruin it for myself, or others. D: So review, and tell me what you think of the story in general, about no Sakura (i really am sorry to anyone that bothers), and, well, what I just said above. About..not following, exactly. Let's just make a block of time in our hands. I hope you can also look past that, and enjoy it. ^_^
I just want everyone to be happy!
Reviews, please! ^_^