"No training today," Sighed the young, black haired girl as she wandered about the hidden leaf village.
"Mai, Mai, I've been looking everywhere for you!" the pink haired kunoichi yelled running up to the young girl named Maiko.
"Why were you looking for me," Mai asked her friend.
Sakura put her hands behind her back and tilted her head. "I was wondering, if you would like to go to my party tonight?"
"Why should I go?" Mai asked with a shudder.
If there was one thing that Mai hates more than Orochimaru it was parties.
"So that you get to know more people, silly," Sakura answered pushing Mai lightly.
"Sure, whatever, I don't care," came Mai's bored reply.
Sakura began to ran away to invite others when she called over her shoulder, "I hope you get a date than."
"I have the feeling this is going to be bad," Mai commented to herself as she walked down the street.
Mai quickly came upon the Yamanaka flower shop.
"Well, I'll go see what Ino's doing," Mai murmured to herself before entering the flower shop.
"Hey Ino," she greeted the blonde behind the counter.
"Kawechiwa Mai-Chan," Ino greeted back.
"What have you been up to lately?" Mai asked leaning against the counter.
"Nothing much, just being bored. Oh, are you going to Sakura's party?" Ino asked, perking up at the thought of the party.
"Yeah," Mai replied in a small voice.
"That's great! As soon as my mom gets back we're going shopping to get you something to wear," Ino said, jumping up and down with glee.
"Why do we have to go shopping to get me something to wear?" Mai whined.
"So you can impress you know who," Ino whispered into Mai's ear.
Mai blushed. "When does your mom get back?"
"Soon, why?'
"I have to go pick up Tacoma from the vet's."
"Why is he there?"
"He got hurt and Hana is taking a look at him. Yesterday I dropped him off and she told me to come by to pick him up at eight today. Which means I only have a few minutes before I need to pick him up," Mai explained about her grey and white wolf pup.
"alright, you go pick him up and if I don't meet you there than come back here, ok?" Ino ordered.
"ok, ja ni."
Mai exited the flower shop and started down the street again. The vet's office was only around the corner, it wouldn't take that long to get there. She entered the building quickly and walked up to the front counter.
"Maiko Fang, I'm here to pick up Tacoma," she said to the receptionist.
"Mai, I'm glad you came. I need to talk to you," came Hana's voice from behind.
"Hana." Mai whipped around right in time to be embraced by the female Inuzuka.
"Come, come, we have lots to talk about," Hana ushered Mai into one of the small rooms.
Lying on the bed was Tacoma looking very sad.
"This time you went a little overboard, don't you think? What were you doing with him?" Hana asked as she sat on her stool.
"I went on an A-Class mission with my father, we ran into a little trouble," Mai answered rubbing the back of her head with her fingerless, black, net gloved hand.
"A little? He has a torn ligament," Hana said throwing her hands in the air.
"That's highly impossible."
"Beg your pardon."
"it's highly impossible for him to have torn a ligament when he was able to move and run back to the village without limping. I know you're going to ask 'why did you bring him here if you already knew what was wrong with him?' well I didn't have time to treat him when we got back so my father told me to bring him here," Mai explained.
Hana chuckled and shook her head. "Your fathers right I can't fool you on this kind of stuff."
"Duh!"
"alright, all he needs is a little rest and he'll be fine so nothing to extreme," Hana instructed pointing her finger in Mai's direction.
"Hey, hey now, don't be pointing that finger at me! There's no training, or missions, today so duh he'll be taking it easy," Mai defended as her hand raised up in defense.
"okay, okay he can go. Oh if you see Kiba will you tell him I want to see him and Akamaru to see how their doing?"
"Yeah, I'll tell him when I see him, Come on Tacoma."
The grey and white wolf quickly jumped off the table to be by his master's side.
"Alright, see you later Mai."
Mai and Tacoma exited the room and Mai ran into someone.
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run into you…..Kiba?" Mai's eyes widened once she realize who it was.
"Hey Mai-Chan," Kiba greeted jumping up from where he was on the floor.
"Oh, your sister wanted me to tell you she wants to checkout Akamaru," Mai quickly said trying to hide the small blush that was creeping up on her cheeks.
"Really? I was coming in here to ask her if she could check him out!" Kiba exclaimed.
"Yeah, well I gotta go Kiba-kun, ja ni," Mai said before waving and exiting the office.
Mai started to walk back to the flower shop once she was sure Ino wasn't waiting for her at the Vet's office. As Mai walked closer to the flower shop she saw Ino waiting outside for her.
"Oh there you are. So how is little Tacoma doing?" Ino asked patting Tacoma on the head.
"Just fin, he needs to rest a little so no training today."
"oh well, we'll just be shopping, do you even know if Kiba is going?" Ino asked as she stood straight again.
"No, I didn't ask when I ran into him early. Oh well, let's just get this over with," Mai said, dread covered her words.
The two girls, followed closely by the ninja wolf, advanced down the street looking about for a store they felt would carry something appropriate for a party. Finally, they found one that Ino thought was suitable to carry something nice for Mai. Ino quickly scanned the lines of clothed before finally pulling out a short black dress that was in Mai's size. Ino pushed Mai and the dress in the nearest women's dressing room. Mai sighed before finally slipping out of her ninja outfit and into the dress.
The dress reached to her mid-thigh and was strapless. It was just plan black, but fit closely to her curves. Defining them greatly compared to her normal outfit which was black shorts that ended three inches above her knees with a picture of a green dragon on the left pant leg, a lime green tang top that had a black dragon on the front, over that she wore a jacket like kimono that ended just past her hips that was lime green and on the back had her clan symbol, dragon inside the moon, and fingerless, black, net gloves.
Mai sighed again before walking out of the dressing room to show Ino what it looked like.
"OMG, you look amazing Mai-Chan," Ino commented.
"Whoa, that's Mai-Chan? Wow, you look hot!" came from the boy behind Ino.
Kiba and Akamaru stood behind Ino gawking at Mai. Mai's face turned a deep rosy color at this comment.
"What are you dressing up for?" Kiba asked still staring and drooling over Mai.
"For Sakura's party tonight," Mai answered trying to avoid Kiba's gaze, but she felt him staring at her.
"Oh, that one that's at seven, I'm going too. Why do you have to dress up for it then?" Kiba asked a small blush forming at the sight of Mai.
"Ino," was all Mai answered, "Speaking of Ino where did she go?"
"I don't know she seems to disappear."
"Yeah, well see you tonight," Mai said before escaping back into the changing room.
Once inside she took a deep breath and calmed her beating heart before quickly changing back into her ninja outfit. She walked out, paid for the dress, and found Ino before heading back to the flower shop.
"We'll get ready now since it's six. It'll probably only take us an hour to get ready," Ino said before grabbing her stuff.
"Ok."
Mai got dress and Ino put her hair up in a fancy, but messy, up doe. Mai did her own make up, not too much just some mascara and eye shadow that's all. By the time the two were done it was almost seven.
"let's get going," Ino said heading towards the door.
"Ok, come on Tacoma let's go," Mai called to her wolf.
"I think that black bandana was a nice touch to Tacoma, so that you two match a little," Ino said noticing the lacy bandana that was around Tacoma's neck.
"Yeah, I think so too." Mai gave Tacoma's head a pat which she had to bend her knees a bit to do so considering that Ino forced her to wear high heel boots.
Mai tried to hide her nervousness, butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
"hey Mai-Chan, Ino," Sakura answered the door, smiling when addressing Julie but frowning at Ino.
"Can you two please try to get along? Sasuke's gone already so get over him ok?" said the annoyed Mai.
She was always the medium between the two Sasuke obsessed girls and she was sick of it.
"Ok," than answered in unison.
Sakura stepped aside allowing the others into the house. Soon as she entered she ran into someone, it was Kiba again. But this time it was Mai who fall to the floor.
"Gomen, Mai-Chan, I didn't mean to run into you like that," Kiba apologized while helping Mai to her feet.
"Arigoto for helping me up though Kiba-kun, it was a gentlemen act of you Kiba," Mai said blushing like mad.
"You're welcome Mai-Chan and I must say you are looking rather beautiful tonight," Kiba said with a smirk.
"Arigoto Kiba-kun, you are looking rather handsome too," Mai replied turning another shade of red.
Kiba leaned in and whispered in her ear, "you look cuter when you blush."
Then Mai turned even darker shade of red, if that was possible. Kiba's smirk just got bigger.
"Aww, aren't they cute together," someone in the crowed said.
"Yeah, you're right," another on said.
"Such youth." Guess who, yep that's right Gai and Lee said that.
"You know Maiko Fang; I have liked you for a long time now and I wanted to know what you felt for me," Kiba said in a calm matter.
"Well, Kiba, I would have to say that I also have liked you for a long time as well," Mai said, laughing knowing what his response would be.
"Yahoo!" he yelled jumping in the air.
Mai giggled at Kiba. Kiba wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her into his chest and lifted her chin pulling her into a rough, passionately, and lovingly. Mai kissed back instantly.
"Awwwww," came the chorus from the crowd.
"Bark, arf, bark, howl," came from Tacoma and Akamaru at their feet.
Kiba pulled away. "Will you be my girlfriend, Maiko Fang?"
"Of course, Kiba-Chan I would love to be your girlfriend," Mai answered before inclosing his lips with hers in another mind-blowing kiss.