A/N;; I absolutely love this couple! I'm aware they aren't that popular, but this idea's been with me for a while now. xD Cursing ahead.
"Kind, collected, cute, intelligent, and fun?"
"More like the last two," Ino leaned back in the uncomfortable chair and examined her filed nails. "and that's pushing it, Haruno."
"Yeah?! Let's hear some charming qualities about you, Yamanaka," The skilled medic with vibrant pink hair demanded, "I'll bet they aren't hardly as impressive."
"Let's see.." She readjusted her white hat that went along with her totally unfashionable hospital uniform. "Great-looking, smart, fun-loving, slim, hard-working, and entirely unique. See? And that was just off the top of my head."
Sakura rolled her eyes exaggeratedly at the wink she received. "You left out shallow!"
"You forgot jealous in yours, but it's fine," Blonde hair swung over her left shoulder. "At least I can pull off this uglyass uniform. Anyway, you know as well as I do we won't be seventeen forever, right? I'm sure as hell not going to waste my time being boring!"
It was funny that what Sakura noted as shallow Ino deemed as boring.
"Look, I know you won't take this seriously, but we don't all have that incredible Prince Charming waiting to sweep us off our feet."
Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but was cut short immediately.
"No," Ino smirked. "All you would have to do is snap your fingers and Naruto would fall to one knee and propose. You know it's true, and I'm just pointing out the obvious here."
Crossing her legs, she leaned forward. "Not that I think love is a guaranteed thing in life. Maybe just with you and fairy tales." Shrug.
"Ino, you just have to be patient. The right guy isn't just going to appear out of nowhere." Sakura had been through this with her best friend more than once. Not that she believed Ino was ready for a commitment, but that she should definitely know what she wanted by now.
Standing up and dusting herself off, the blonde winked again. "Well, if you see anyone who can fit these standards, let me know." She headed for the door. "If you'll excuse me, I must be getting back to work now. Talk to me later."
Sakura felt like pulling her hair out. The few words she managed to force into the conversation seemed to get caught in the door her friend slammed. Ino acted as if she knew everything. Half the guys she had tried to set her up with never got the chance they deserved because Ino always ditched them after the first date. Just no sparks, or too boring, or just so blatantly awful that she doesn't know why she even tries. There's always some excuse, and she's just too choosy.
The long-haired kunoichi paused in front of a mirror in the boring, empty hallway. Between being a full-time medic, a florist, keeping up with the interrogation unit, minding her clan, and maintaining the top spot for successful seduction missions, Ino had little time for actual romance. Did she think she deserved a man? Absolutely. Did she want to chase some guy who she didn't know she had substantial feelings for? Probably not. Did she want to feel something and have an endless adrenaline rush? Hell yeah.
Her dreamlike state was interrupted by an ear-shattering sound.
"HEY!" An obnoxious voice hollered. "Where's the damn service around here?!"
Ino rushed to the room where the complaints were heard, expecting some type of emergency.
"Christ, it's about time."
Ino wanted to pinch the bridge of her nose and shake her head at the sight before her.
A certain Inuzuka was sprawled out in a pretty unusual position, his right leg wrapped and propped on many pillows. His dark hair was pointing in every direction and he looked as if he had just rolled in dirt for a convenient bath. A large white canine lay at the foot of the bed, drooling and licking himself.
"You realize there's a button right next to you for a reason?" With her arms crossed and eyes narrowed, she sighed.
At the sight of her, Akamaru unceremoniously jumped from the bed and began sniffing her eagerly, tail wagging with enthusiasm.
Ino grimaced. "Are dogs even allowed in here?"
He pushed his brown hair back, tossing a treat to Akamaru before shrugging. "I dunno, don't really care. He goes where I go."
"What happened to you, anyways?" Ino wondered aloud, her eyes doing an involuntary double take at his bare torso and minor cuts, along with his bandaged leg.
It wasn't long before Kiba plunged into storytelling mode, emphasizing random points with his hands. She frankly didn't care for all his details, but she was enjoying the view of his shirtless form. He was definitely fit, complete with broad shoulders and nice arms.
If Kiba noticed her checking him out, he was too indulged in his own story to say so. "So I finally say, get the hell outta my way, or I'll tear your ass up!" He cracked his knuckles. "So then the guy's buddy managed to get a hold on my leg somehow, but then Akamaru got him good!"
Ino refrained from yawning.
"But then Shino half-smothered them to death with bugs," He said it like it was an everyday thing, "but I got him with my good leg so he could kiss the ground!" A sadistic laugh. Akamaru barked.
"Interesting," She lied, knowing his story was most likely stretched.
"But those damn medics wouldn't let me go home! I told them I was fine, but nope. I have to spend the fucking night here," Kiba whined. "Whatever, man. I hate this place. There's nothing to do."
Ino's expression quickly turned disapproving. "There must have been some legitimate concern if they wanted you to stay the night."
"I look okay, don't I? They just don't know what they're talking about."
The blonde huffed and escorted herself to the door, remembering why she didn't associate with Kiba often. His arrogance always exposed itself and clouded his physique.
"Wait!"
"What!?" The Yamanaka looked back at him irritably.
Kiba's eyes widened. "You are not the best nurse! Why do you think I called for you, blondie?"
Deep breaths. You deal with disrespectful patients every week. "What then?"
"I need some water, as does my loyal companion," He pulled his leather jacket over his chest. "and I want extra blankets if I'm gonna be staying here. You guys should really think of turning the heat up."
"Okay," Ino said before he could complain any more. "Be right back."
When she returned with three blankets, Kiba was flipping through channels on TV and groaning.
Akamaru yipped and tugged at the blankets Ino held. "Back off, dog!" She set the blankets on the bed so she could refill his glass.
After pouring water in a bowl for Akamaru, she rested her eyes on the dog-lover. "Anything else, Kiba?"
"Aren't you gonna cover me up?" The Inuzuka gestured at the blankets and gave her a pitiful look.
"You cannot be serious." Ino's face fell as she watched his dog get comfortable at his master's feet.
He merely shrugged, placing his hands behind his head. "Go ahead."
Ino inhaled sharply as she unfolded the rough blankets and spread them over Kiba carefully.
"That's more like it," He grinned playfully. "I guess I could get used to a pretty nurse looking after me all day."
Even though she wouldn't take it as a genuine compliment, blood rushed to her face immediately. "Just be quiet. Are you sure the injury isn't to your head?"
Kiba leaned closer to her, watching her work. "You can always double-check."
"No thanks, mutt," The mind specialist tucked a blanket around Akamaru, stroking his ear gently. "think I'll take your word for it."
"Wanna stay and keep us company? We can watch bad TV together," He gave her a flirtatious smile, along with a look in his eyes that said he didn't really want to watch TV.
Ino glowered. "I have work, and even if I didn't, there's no way I'd keep someone as dirty as you company right now."
Kiba's smile dipped a bit as he examined his dirty fingernails and filthy hands. "Maybe next time you'll have the pleasure of treating me, then."
"I'll be counting the days and nights," Her voice oozed sarcasm as she turned her back on him.
"Oh, and I won't hesitate to call you if I need anything," He reminded her retreating form with a sweet grin.
Pretending she hadn't heard the last part, she felt annoyed that she didn't get the last word in. Dealing with two hardheaded people in the last half hour was especially draining. 2 hours and her shift would end finally. Damn.
Ino's thoughts idly returned to that obnoxious, cocky, but fairly easy on the eyes Inuzuka.
As far back as she could recall, she was never crazy about him. As children, she would tease him happily about his dog-like habits. Even as they aged, she spoke to him minimally and he never intrigued her.
But when they came into contact, it inevitably resulted in disagreement, exasperation, and clashing beliefs.
The blonde's tolerance of Kiba gradually expanded during the time they involuntarily worked together in war. Their respective teams interacted increasingly after Asuma's passing. They spent hours assuring Kurenai and aiding her with her newborn.
Even so, Ino always picked Hinata to converse with. Kiba and Shino were the ones Chouji and Shikamaru always made conversation with. It was nothing more than a familiarity and gender thing, she simply assumed.
But it would be a flat out lie if she said she didn't learn anything about their team. Hinata wasn't just some desperately shy, weak girl who had a crush on Naruto. She was a strong individual with a warm heart for everybody. Shino wasn't just some creepy bug guy who spoke in a monotone ninety percent of the time; he was powerful with his abilities and very kind.
Kiba, she had observed, was quick on the draw and extremely loyal to his comrades. He was careful of Kurenai's feelings in her fragile state. Obviously respecting her and being grateful for all the years of training. However, Ino wasn't oblivious to the look Kiba got in his eyes when anyone would mention war, or loss. She could sense the pain and sadness by being in the same room.
She wished she didn't catch the sympathetic looks he would cast in their direction whenever Kurenai would speak of Asuma. She wished he didn't feel so sorry for them. It stung worse, and she couldn't help but wonder if Shikamaru or Chouji noticed.
Ino concluded that Kiba was a very raw individual, who felt things passionately, often expressing himself. Maybe it was just coincidence she was bothered by his traits. Maybe they didn't appeal to her because they were strikingly similar to her own.
Perhaps if his witty sense of humor didn't make her laugh at least once in a while. Then maybe she wouldn't be able to entertain the thought of him.
Perhaps if Akamaru didn't stop by Yamanaka Flowers every once in a while to snack and drool on her flowers.
Whenever Ino would call him out on anything, he would respond rather boldly, stating he never did wrong in the first place. Maybe she was somewhat fond of his argumentative personality. If only he knew where to draw the line to fit her standards.
Absentmindedly carrying some papers that lacked signatures, she brushed past Hana Inuzuka in the now-buzzing hallway.
"How's it going, Ino?" Hana was always considerate to her. They got along spectacularly. She wondered how the two could possibly be related.
"Hi, Hana," She smiled politely, "I just tended to your brother. He's in decent condition, showing signs of being obnoxious and slightly bossy."
"Really now?" Kiba's sister didn't feign surprise. "He sounds alright to me!"
The older woman's eyes suddenly sparkled with curiosity. "Wait a minute, he didn't flirt with you, did he?"
Ino squirmed under her suspecting gaze, unsure of how she felt about their straightforward questioning. "Kind of." She attempted to shrug it off.
"Just don't take it too seriously," Hana said with a flick of the wrist.
The blonde felt a twinge of frustration pull at her insides. "What do you mean by that?"
As if she had just realized she had made her brother sound like some asshole player, the brunette tried to play it off. "Oh, Ino, just.." She searched for the right words. "Nothing against you or anything, I just don't think you and Kiba would ever work out."
"Why do you say that?" Ino couldn't help herself. She felt undesirable and ridiculous in that moment.
"Well, you and Kiba both have very strong personalities," Hana admitted uneasily, "You both seem to have very opinionated views on everything, and I'd hate to be around for the screaming matches." She laughed dryly.
What was this girl spewing? What business did she have acting like she knew Ino's entire back story?
Despite the defensiveness gnawing at her, Ino simply tossed her head and slipped on an artificial mask. "You have a very valid point of view, Hana," She clutched the papers tighter. "You're probably right."
Forcing a friendly smile onto her lips, she hesitated. "Enjoy your visit and let me know if you need anything."
"Will do."
She seemed to fall for the act. How could she make such judgmental assumptions about something she knew nothing about? Ino could have Kiba if she wanted him. It wouldn't take much. She knew how to play the game. She knew the all about the rules and their flexibility.
Ino felt her blood run cold as she tried to sift through her irrationality and blurred instincts. She gripped the edge of the receptionist desk to steady herself. Everyone always thought they knew what was best for her. Sakura was always right over her, weighing her bad and good choices.
I'm almost a godddamn adult, Ino thought bitterly. Some people treated her as if she didn't know right from wrong. As if she needed a life coach or something.
Of course, warning her against something or telling her no was the best way to get her to experiment.
Ino gifted the clock with a death look as she willed time to speed up and end her maddening day.
A/N: I'm definitely going to keep going with this idea. Post-war; you'll see I'm not aiming to make Ino or Kiba unrealistically angelic. The reason I chose them is because they can be unpredictable and a little crazy. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter (=