Chapter 2 The Storm Takes It's Toll

It was about 8:30 before Kiba woke up. What the hell? Since when do I sleep late? He looked out the window. Still raining. Wind Still howling. Still freezing. Damn.

He went into the kitchen. He could see Naruto Snoring on the couch. Kiba smiled.

Ahhhchooo! Naruto sneezed so hard that he fell off the couch. "Damn it.." he mutter as he wiped his nose.

Kiba tossed him a box of tissue.

"Thanks."

Kiba nodded. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really. I'm never all the hungry right after I wake up."

"Yeah, same here." Kiba walked over and sat down. "Let's see what the weather's going to be like."

"...going to be a nasty few days. Looks like this rain's going to continue well into tomorrow, maybe

even into Wednesday. It's more than likely going to taper off, ending in a really nasty drizzly mist sometime tomorrow.

The wind should die sometime around noon tomorrow and temperatures should remain pretty low..."

"Great..." grumbled Naruto. "Looks like my house is going to be soaked."

"Yeah, looks that way."

Naruto yawned.

"Hey Naruto?"

"What?"

"If you knew that your roof leaks, why didn't you get it fixed?"

Naruto sighed, "Too much work, too expensive, and I'm a procrastinator."

Kiba laughed and shook his head. "Well, since this weather isn't going to be letting up for a few days, you might as well get settled."

"Yeah."

Flash of Light.

KABOOM

Naruto jumped. "What the hell?!?"

"Calm down Naruto. It was just some lightning."

"I know that..." said Naruto, shaky. "If anything, that storm's getting wilder, not dieing."

Kiba glanced out the window. "It looks like one of those old oaks got split."

Naruto look. "Wait a second..."

"Hey, isn't that..."

"Oh no..." he jumped up and pressed his face against the cold glass.

"Isn't that the one behind your house?"

"Yeah," muttered Naruto, "It is."

CRACK

Time slowed down.

"That can't be good..."

Half of the tree was falling.

Naruto groaned. It was falling toward his house. "Oh please don't hit my house..."

Thundering crash.

Naruto Groaned again. Kiba cringed. You could see the sparks from the snapped power lines.

BOOM

A transformer exploded.

Time slowed even further.

The other half of the tree started falling.

BOOM

Then...

Nothing.

Silence.

Not a sound.

Naruto had gone white as a ghost. He was shaking his head slowly back and forth. His mouth was moving, but there was no sound. Naruto looked like he was ready to faint. Kiba got up quickly and stood next to him, ready to catch him if he fainted.

"Kiba..." whispered Naruto.

"What is it Naruto?" asked Kiba, concerned for his friend.

"It's gone..."

"You don't know that..."

"It's gone..."

"Naruto?"

"Everything's gone..." He was in shock.

Kiba helped him sit down. "Naruto, it'll be okay..."

"Gone...all gone..."

"Oh man, he's lost it."

"Kiba?" Naruto grabbed Kiba's arm.

"What?"

"Call Sakura. She can see me house better from her apartment."

Kiba nodded. He grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" said a shaky Sakura.

"Sakura, did you see the tree fall?"

"Of course I did. It's hard to miss a giant oak falling over."

"Did you see where it fell?"

"Yeah..." she paused."I saw where it fell."

"I need to know where it fell."

"It fell...it fell..." she was almost crying,"...it fell on Naruto's house."

Naruto squeaked. He went even whiter than seemed humanly possible and his head fell onto his hands.

"Kiba, I have to get over there. Naruto could be hurt..." shuddered a very scared Sakura.

"Wait Sakura, you don't have to go. Naruto's okay. He here with me."

"With...with you..." stuttered Sakura.

"Yes. He's here with me, safe and sound."

"Oh thank god!" yelled a very relieved Sakura.

"Okay Sakura, I need to go. Thank's."

"Huh, yeah. I uh...Kiba...tell Naruto I'm sorry."

"Yeah, okay. Bye"

"Bye."

He turned to Naruto. "Naruto I..." he stopped at the look on Naruto's face.

"No..." he was muttering softly, "oh god no..."

Kiba sat next to Naruto. "Naruto?"

A tear slid silently down Naruto's cheek. "My house..."

"Naruto?"

Naruto looked up. He was sobbing now. "It's gone...all gone..."

"You don't know that..." muttered Kiba, trying to sound sure of himself. "Maybe the tree didn't hit your house. Maybe it fell short and it just littering your backyard or something."

Another flash of light.

A new rumbling blast of thunder.

Naruto broke down. His tears streamed down his face.

"Oh Naruto..." muttered Kiba as he pulled his friend into a hug. He let the blonde cry out his pain on his shoulder. Poor thing...I wish there was more I could do for you...