Disclaimer: Naruto characters (c) Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's Note: KibaHanabi is my most recent addiction. Oneshot inspired by the song "Games You Play" by 12 Stones.
Brighter by Mika Casey
Hanabi sat on the grass of her training grounds, breathing heavily and clutching two kunai in her fists. The moon glowed full in the night sky, casting an eerie light down on her night-colored hair and round lavender eyes. She was the ripe age of seventeen, and had been a Chuunin for a few years. But of course, her father expected more of her.
"There's always more!" She growled at nobody in particular, rifling the two kunai into the trunk of a nearby tree. "I will never be good enough for you!" Engaging herself in a conversation with the tree, which she envisioned as her father, she paced towards it and howled. "You always told me I was stronger than Hinata-chan. But I am not. And I never will be." Hanabi paused to suck in her breath. "Hinata is an amazing mother, and I can never hope to be as strong as her!"
About a month ago, Hinata had bore Aburame Shino a daughter. The little girl carried the Aburame trait that allowed her to carry destruction bugs in her body, and would be indesposible for the village because she had two skilled ninjas as parents. And Hanabi knew that Hinata planned for more kids.
Hanabi had held the baby girl, named Mika, lovingly; she had seen her Aburame black eyes and Hyuuga raven-colored hair, a combination of two of Konoha's most powerful Clans. Hinata no longer had to worry about upkeeping the Hyuuga house; now it was passed on as Hanabi's job. Hissing under her breath, she realized that the Hyuuga line would die with her. Hiashi would never accept Neji and Tenten's children as true heirs to the Hyuuga house.
"I hate you!" She screamed at the tree, talking to herself as well as her father.
A voice from behind her startled her. "Hush now, little Hyuuga girl. You've already killed that poor tree." The voice was a teasing yap, that could only belong to one nin in Konoha.
Turning to look over her shoulder, Hanabi narrowed her lavender eyes into slits. "Do you want something, dog-breath?"
Inuzuka Kiba stood, leaning against a tree and grinning mischeviously. He was wearing his ANBU uniform, and had his cat-like mask half covering his face. She could see his grin, and the pointy teeth that resembled dog fangs. Akamaru, his white nin-dog that was about the size of a wolf, was sitting next to him with his tail wrapped around his paws.
"Actually, no. I just got back from a mission, and I wasn't tired yet. What are you doing out so late? Isn't it past your bedtime?" He sneered.
To Hanabi, Kiba and Shino were like brothers. They were two of Hinata's best friends as she blossomed into a young woman, and when Hanabi was at the academy all three of them would help her study for tests. Though Shino was shy and stoic, and now her brother-in-law, Hanabi had managed to become closer to him than the fidgety dog-nin. As far as Hanabi knew, Kiba was a twenty-two-year-old ANBU, lived on his own, and rarely got to see his family.
Hanabi fumed. "I don't have a bedtime, thank you very much. I'm seventeen." Turning away from him, she crossed her arms over her chest. She could feel Kiba's eyesight penetrating her back, tracing her curves down her body.
"Yeah, yeah you are." He muttered, mostly to himself. Then, he spoke louder. "Do you want some help? I can spar with you, if you want. Like I said, I'm not tired." His grin was still etched into his face. "And it seems that you could use the outlet for your anger."
Turning, Hanabi watched his dark brown eyes for a trace of sarcasm. But she found none. So, nodding reluctantly, she whispered the jutsu to activate her byakugan under her breath.
Kiba shook his head. "Turn the freaky-vein-jutsu off. I'm not using any, nor is Akamaru going to aide me. Hand-to-hand combat. Unless you can't take me?"
Grinding her teeth in frustration, Hanabi deactivated her byakugan. She crouched slightly, watching Kiba for any movement. She blinked, and suddenly Kiba wasn't in her field of vision. She suddenly felt a body pressed up behind her, and there was a kunai at her throat. "You have to be more careful, Hyuuga." He growled like an animal as he took the metal away from her throat and leapt up into the trees.
Hanabi looked around wildly, and suddenly she was frightened. None of her teammates moved that fast! And she was suddenly defenseless because she couldn't use her byakugan to see Kiba through the leaves. She froze, listening for him. "Kiba, I don't like this game." She whined, knowing that Kiba would never harm her, but the fact that she was doing hand-to-hand combat with an ANBU in the middle of the night gave her a creepy sensation.
A figure came down from the tree above her. He had meant to land right in front of her, but succeeded in knocking her flat onto her back. He stumbled over her, lurching over her and falling on top of her. He laughed nervously, and Hanabi suddenly wasn't scared anymore. But Kiba didn't get up; because he was looking right into her eyes. He whispered, almost awe-struck. "In starlight, your eyes look like moons."
Hanabi blushed. This shade of pink was unusual for her, because she rarely got embarassed. But she felt Kiba's tall body pressed against her and she felt a sudden rush of emotions overwhelm her brain. "Get...off." She said after a few moments.
"M-my apologies!" Kiba stuttered, rolling off of her and looking up at the stars. "Your eyes entranced me."
Hanabi snorted, glad he couldn't see her deepening blush. "Haven't you seen Hinata's eyes?"
"Of course. But Hanabi-chan, yours are so much brighter."
Hanabi was startled. She sat up and looked down at Kiba, who had manuvered his hands to rest behind his head. She smiled. "Really?"
Kiba grinned, and his fangs gleamed in the moonlight. "Yes. You're beautiful, Hanabi. Don't ever forget that."
She rolled onto her stomach, and propped her arms up on either side of Kiba's torso so she was looking down at him. Her hair fell over her shoulders, strands twirling in the wind. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he realized that she thought he was joking. But he wasn't.
Without thinking, Kiba grabbed her face with his calloused hands and brought her face crashing down onto his. He kissed her for a moment, letting her bottom lip nestle between his own. He could smell jasmine on her; a hint of it somewhere, perhaps in her hair or on her neck. But he didn't bother searching for the scent, only focusing on not biting her with his sharp canine teeth.
He let her go, and she brought her face up a few inches. Kiba muttered softly. "I believe you are beautiful and strong. And as long as you believe that, nobody else's opinion matters. I swear I'll make everything okay, Hanabi."
Hanabi smiled weakly, and collapsed into his arms and began to sob bitterly; able to let her tears go for the first time in a long time.