Chapter 2

Kaori walked through the gates still carrying the slightly squirming dog. Her tears had dried on her cheeks and her eyes were a little red, but if she kept her head down, no one would notice. Her brother always told her not to make a scene in public. He was always telling her things like that, when he was around.

So she breathed in deep breaths to calm herself, before walking up to the city gates.

"Hey K, what have you found there?" Asked the guard at the gate. He and his partner were usually at the gate when she went out to collect flowers from the woods.

Oh no, they're going to notice! Inwardly panicking, she walked up to the guard and presented the dog.

"That awful boy ran into the dog!" She said quietly but fervently. Izumo knelt in front of her and reached out a hand towards the dog. Kaori watched in slow motion as his hand approached the top of the animal's head and then the dog snapped its jaws and time sped up.

"Whoa, I guess it doesn't like me that much!" Behind him, Kotetsu chuckled. Shooting his partner an annoyed look over his shoulder, Izumo turned back to the girl who was trying to calm the animal down. She looked up at him and he noticed her eyes.

"Kaori, who made you cry?" She mumbled something and hid her face in the dog's fur. "Was it that boy?" a nod, "The one who ran over the dog?" another nod.

"Was he wearing orange by any chance?" Asked Kotetsu, stepping closer after overhearing the first question. Kaori looked up at him in surprise.

"Did he run over you too? Is that what happened to your face?" She asked wide-eyed. Kotetsu blanched and straightened up while Izumo fell out of his crouch, laughing.

"Not quite." Kotetsu replied with a wry smile, before delivering a kick to Izumo's ribs to make him stop laughing. Kaori looked at them confusedly. Then the dog took their attention again by whining and began struggling in Kaori's arms. The movement proved too much for the slight girl to maintain her grasp, and the animal fell on top of Izumo, who was still sprawled on the ground. Kaori stuttered an apology as she swooped down to move the dog off his chest. Izumo stopped her by sitting up and checking the dog over.

"This animal is injured!" He proclaimed. Behind him Kotetsu muttered something like "Way to go Captain Obvious" before stopping and looking down at the two on the ground with renewed interest. Izumo looked up at Kotetsu with the same spark of interest.

"I'll take her!" They yelled at the same time. Kaori again looked at them confused. They were now eyeing each other with a mixture of distaste and annoyance, completely forgetting that they were supposed to be on duty at the city gates.

Ten minutes later, Kaori was walking through the streets of Konoha with Izumo. He was carrying the dog, who did not seem very happy with the situation. Izumo prattled along about inconsequential things until they came to a particular street. As soon as they turned the corner the dog became very agitated and started struggling. It was all he could do to keep the animal in his arms. Kaori tried to calm her but Izumo sent her up the street to the large house with the sign saying 'Inuzuka Veterinary Clinic' out the front.

She ran to the door and knocked as Izumo made his way up the street slowly. When there was no answer, he called to her to just go in. She opened the door timidly and looked around. The room was large with seats along two walls and a desk opposite the door. There was no one inside. She went up to the desk, looking for a bell to press to gain someone's attention but there wasn't one. She looked down the hallway and thought she heard voices. She was about to venture down there when Izumo made it to the door. The sound of the two struggling caught Kaori's attention and she rushed to the entrance to let them in. Once inside, the dog suddenly ceased struggling, tensing all her muscles as if waiting for an unfavourable event.

Feeling awkward with the dog now lying in his arms not moving a muscle, Izumo looked from the animal to the girl, then around the room. Kaori reached for the dog saying,

"Maybe you should look. I couldn't find anyone."

He handed the dog to her and stepped forward calling softly. "Hana? Hana, are you here? Hana?"

He was looking down the hallway, when Kaori shifted the dog and it yelped, causing Izumo to whip his head around. He was almost knocked over when two women came barreling down the hallway towards the sound of an injured animal.

"What's this? How did this happen?" The younger woman exclaimed. The older woman looked down coldly at the dog in the girl's arms. Her stare was unnerving the poor girl and she bit her lip, the tears already coming to her eyes. Luckily, the woman's gaze changed targets.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just helping out, Ma'am. I'm leaving now!" And with that Izumo raced out the door.

The younger lady looked up from the dog and chuckled as the ninja beat a hasty retreat.

"Really mother, you shouldn't be so gruff all the time!" She said playfully.

The scary lady turned back to the dog being examined. Then she leaned forward and plucked it from Kaori's arms by the scruff of the neck.

"And what are you doing out of your yard?" She growled. The dog whimpered, and then yelped. She glared at it balefully before looking at Kaori again. In fact, both women were looking at Kaori. She cowered under the power of their gaze. Then the scary lady strode out of the room, still carrying the dog. The face of the younger lady softened.

"Hi there, my name is Hana Inuzuka. What's your name?" She asked with a smile.

"My name is Kaori Tokudan." She replied softly. She smiled shyly. She liked this lady much more than the other one.

"Come with me, Kaori. Your dog is injured and we have to fix her up."

"B-but she's not my dog…" Hana looked over her shoulder at the girl. Then she smiled knowingly.

"Follow me." Kaori felt she couldn't refuse, so she followed Hana down the corridor to a room with a large stainless steel table in the centre. The scary lady had plopped the dog on the table then moved around the room gathering medical supplies.

Kaori was hovering in the doorway so she wasn't in the way, when Hana motioned for her to come over to the table. She watched as Hana and the scary lady cleaned and checked the dog's leg, then splinted and wrapped it. Hana was telling her about everything as she did it. Then they ran through a general check-up to make sure there were no hidden injuries.

Being a shy girl, Kaori didn't know how to react to the situation she had suddenly found herself in, but slowly she opened up and began asking questions. Hana and even the older lady, Hana's mother, answered them all, even the silly ones. She commented on that and Hana's mother said, "There's no such thing as silly questions. If you don't ask, you won't learn."

Then she left with the dog, and Hana took Kaori out into the yard where the other animals were.

"Wow, you have so many animals here! Do they all belong to you?"

Hana chuckled at the look on Kaori's face. "Most of the dogs are ours, like these ones here," And three large grey dogs bounded up to the two girls.

"These are my best friends, Gurei, Shimofuri and Kaihaku. My mother's friend, Kuromaru, is out at the moment. My younger brother is on a mission with his friend Akamaru. There are a few other dogs here that are special breeds, but not as special as these guys." She rubbed their heads affectionately. "We also have some pets from other families. They're either boarding here or they're ill or injured. That's my job, looking after animals."

"I wish I had an exciting job like that!" Kaori said wistfully.

"Why? You're what, 12? What do you do?"

"Oh, no! I'm fifteen!" She giggled at the shocked look Hana was wearing. "I look after my father's house, because he's not well and my brother is away on missions a lot. He's a jounin, you know." Kaori was very proud of her brother.

"Really? What's his name?"

"Minoru."

"Minoru Tokudan, hmm." Hana said thoughtfully, "I think I know him."

Just then Tsume walked past on one of her errands. She stopped.

"Minoru Tokudan, was it?" The two girls nodded, "I know him. He told me I was one scary bitch." She laughed harshly as the two girls looked a little shocked. "I thought that was rather brave of him."

"Kind of stupid though. And rude!"

"Yes, but honesty is like that. So what rank is he now?"

"Jounin."

Tsume nodded to herself and then continued on her way. Hana turned back to Kaori.

"What were we talking about?"

"My job?"

"Oh, yes. Now you have a new one."

Kaori looked confused while Hana grinned. She had just thought up a brilliant idea.

"You need to look after the dog now and there's the payment to consider."

"Payment?" Kaori squeaked, "But I don't know how to look after an injured animal and she's not my dog!"

"Well, you brought her here, so she's your responsibility."

"But, but, but..."

"Alright, I'll make a deal with you. We'll look after the dog for you, at least until she's healed. You can pay off your debt by working here."

"You want me to work here?" Kaori squeaked again, "What can I do?"

Before Hana could answer, Tsume called out to them.

"Girls, I'm going out to buy lunch. Do you want anything special?" Kaori turned to Hana.

"Is it a special occasion?"

"No, why?" Hana asked in confusion.

"We only buy ready-made food on special occasions."

"Really?" Another glint entered Hana's eyes. "That means you cook all your meals?"

"Oh yes. I cook every meal. Minoru says there's nothing like it. He really misses it when he's away on missions."

"Is that a fact?" Hana rubbed her hands together slowly, the broad grin on her face showing her elongated fangs. Then she called out, "Mother, I don't think a lunch run will be necessary."

"What? Why? Don't tell me you're going to try to cook again?" Tsume asked as she came out to the courtyard.

"Don't be silly!" Hana grumbled, "Kaori just volunteered to cook lunch for us."

"What? But I didn't…" Hana turned a face full of childlike excitement and hope to Kaori. She turned to Tsume to find gruff pleasure at the thought of a home-cooked meal. She gave in.

"So what food do you have?"

The two Inuzuka women looked at each other.

"Maybe we should make a trip to the grocers instead."

For those who were wondering, the names of the of the Haimaru brothers, that is Hana's three dogs, are ones I've made up. They are all variants on the word grey in Japanese. The dogs aren't actually named in the anime. Also the fact that Hana can't cook I took from someone else, but I can't remember who. I don't know if it's canon or not, but hey, it suits the story.