A/N: It's a new story that's been on my mind.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned here.

It was a sunny, cold day outside. There were no voices to be heard, or any sound of civilization. Just empty buildings, vacant streets, and a few faces looking out of windows. It seemed as if a thick layer of gloom was covering the city.

With a sunbeam hitting her face, Hinata Hyuuga opened her lavender eyes, and stared at her ceiling. She didn't feel like getting up. In fact, she just felt like lying there all day, and never moving again. But she had to get up today. Today was his funeral. She threw the covers off of her body, and walked over to her dresser. She opened up the closest drawer to the floor, and took out a folded, black outfit. She grimaced as she put it on, and almost started to cry.

'Stay strong, Hinata. He wouldn't want you to be this way. You've got to stay strong, for Kiba,' she thought to herself. She wiped away the tears, and headed out the door. Shino was outside, in his black outfit. She was reminded of the time that the Third had died, and they attended his funeral together. "H-h-hello, Shino-kun."

"Let's go, Hinata," Shino's voice remained emotionless.

'How can he be so calm when our friend is DEAD?!' Hinata screamed inside of her head. They both walked silently down the road, making their way to where Kiba's funeral was supposed to be held. A few minutes later, they came upon a crowd around the black Memorial Monument, where Kiba's name was supposed to be carved soon. He had died in combat, trying to save Hinata. That's what really hurt... it should have been her that died, not him.

Shino pulled Hinata forward to the front row, where they took their places next to the Inuzuka family. Hinata sat next to Kiba's mother. She was looking forward, staring at her son's coffin. Tsunade stood up, and walked toward the coffin.

"Today, we recognize one of our own who died in combat. Kiba Inuzuka was a great ninja, one who has saddened our whole village by his death. He died to save our village, and for that, we are proud. Now, I will open the floor to whomever wants to come and say a few words." Tsunade stepped down, and ushered Kiba's family, Shino, and Hinata into their positions. They were to stand there, so people could express their sorrow for losing a son or a close friend.

"I-I don't feel right about b-being up here. I-I'll go sit d-d-own," Hinata stuttered to Tsume. She turned to Hinata, and smiled. Well, it was as close to a smile as someone who just lost a son could get.

"Nonsense. You and Shino were his closest friends, besides Akamaru. You two are a part of our family. It is a shame Kurenai is out on a mission. I would have liked her to be here, too." The two stood there for a moment, staring at each other. Soon, they turned back to the crowd. It started out as one person, slowly standing up, and walking up to his coffin with a flower in hand.

Soon, more people were coming up and expressing their deepest sympathies. There were a few very familiar faces in the crowd.

"This is troublesome for me to say... Kiba was a great friend of mine. I'm sorry to see him go." Shikamaru put a small white carnation on Kiba's coffin, and moved off the stage. Ino was next in line, and she too expressed her sympathies. A few more people from the village stepped up, spoke, and placing the flowers. Hinata was the only one openly crying; Tsume's eyes were watering, and a few tears fell from her eyes. She wiped them away quickly.

Hinata stood up on the platform, scanning the crowd. There were people she knew, and people who she didn't. All of them were wearing black clothing, save a few grey suits. She scanned the crowd a little more, almost as if she were looking for someone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. It looked like...

Kiba. She jerked her head to the spot where she thought she saw him, but there was nothing there. 'Great, Hinata... You're going crazy...' At the sound of a voice, Hinata was brought back into the world from her thoughts. Sakura stood in front of her, her seemingly always present look on her face.

"Hinata... I know how you feel. I know how it is to lose a friend..." Her smile disappeared as thoughts of Sasuke filled her mind. Hinata knew that Sakura still missed him greatly, and without Naruto here, she was more alone than ever. The sad smile returned as she spoke again. "If you ever need to talk... I'm always here for you." Hinata nodded, and hugged Sakura. She knew that the two could become very close over time, especially since they had so much in common.

"Thank you, Sakura. Your words mean much to me, and if I ever need to talk, I'll find you." Hinata gave the pink headed girl a fake smile, and Sakura stepped down. After Sakura had moved, Hinata glanced back out at the crowd. Standing at the back was someone who looked very familiar... Hinata choked up at the thought of her deceased friend, and the fact that she was going crazy. But something made her think otherwise. Akamaru must have spotted the figure, too, as he gave a happy bark. He was under the impression that Kiba was coming back. Did that mean...?

But he couldn't be back. There he was in the coffin, dead. His eyes were closed, and his was dressed in nicer clothes than Hinata ever remembered him wearing. He looked so peaceful, just like he did when he was dying. Th memory came flying back through her mind. She pushed it further away, but it broke through.

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A kunai came flying at Hinata from somewhere behind, heading straight for her blind spot. Because of a lack of chakra, she didn't fill the small space like her father had told her to. She was concentrating on the enemy, making sure that Shino knew where to send his next attack. 'HINATA!" Kiba's voice echoed all around her, and she turned toward it in time to see him diving for her, pushing her out of the way of a kunai that she had just seen. The scene was horrifing for her... the kunai had a chakra seal on it that, as she would later find out, exploded whatever it hit.

It hit near Kiba's right lung, exploding the skin and part of the actual lung. Hinata's eyes were huge, and her skin was much more pale than normal. Shino had turned, also, to watch his best friend's demise. "KIBA!" Hinata screamed, as he fell to the ground. He was hardly breathing, but he had a peaceful look in his eye. He was giving her his usual, Kiba smile. Akamaru was barking nosily, try to make him get up. All he did was cough, and smile

"Sor...sorry, Akamaru." KIba coughed again, this time with blood mixed in. "Hin-Hinata... Shi-Shino..." More blood. "You t-two are my b-best hum-human frien-friends." Blood spilled out of his mouth, and a dazed look came upon his face. Hinata's tears were streaming down her face, landing on his jacket and face. "Don-don't cry, Hin-Hinata... Be st-strong..." He looked very peaceful as life passed from his being. Hinata's eyes grew even wider, and she stopped crying.

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Those were his last words. "Be strong, Hinata." She had been in too much shock to really register he had died until they had gotten back to Konoha. And to see his body, lying in the coffin had finally awoken what was inside of her all this time. She burst out into tears that she had been holding back, and ran over the his body.

"NO! He can't be dead! It's all my fault!" She laid her head on the coffin, and sobbed loudly. Most of the crowd had gone now. Only Shino, Kiba's family, and a few others remained. Shino stepped forward, and touched her shoulder.

"It will be okay, Hinata. It was not your fault." As soon as he said this, Hinata shook his hand off her shoulder and ran. She ran to the place where Kurenai-sensi had brought them after the teams were announced. She stopped, and looked at it. All the memories came flooding back. When they had first met, when he had introduced her to Akamaru and she screamed, when he found out she liked Naruto and wouldn't leave her alone about it...

"WHY?" She fell to the ground, and started crying again. "Why him? Why not me...?"

And then she felt it. A cold hand on her shoulder. As she was about to yell, thinking it to be Shino, she glanced up. And saw something that startled her more than anything else all day.

"Kiba...?"