Half smoked cigarettes
and you're the trash that infests my sheets.
Can't make a wife out of a whore,
don't want your skin on me.
Kiba.
When I woke up a second time, my body was burning but I was breathing fine.
'weird' I thought. Then I remembered what Hiashi had said. 'He's right. I let my team down. Cost them their life. Maybe even Akamaru's. ' I thought with anger at myself. I could smell the scent of Tsunade standing at the foot of the bed.
"Kiba Inuzuka I need to explain a few things." Came her voice. I opened my eyes and struggled to sit up in the bed. Once I was comfortable she continued. Her face was emotionless as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"What day is it?" I asked after a second of hesitation.
"It's been a 6 days since Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto found you." She said even voiced. My eyes widened.
"What?! But Madara he-" I was cut off by Tsunade's hand.
"Akamaru told one of Kakashi's nin-dogs what had happened but I would rather hear it from you, no offence." She said sternly.
I nodded and cleared my throat. Looking at my hands that were in my lap, I explain to her that whole story. When I told her the bit about what Madara had said before he vanished, her face fell in anger.
"Is that all?" She exclaimed after composing herself. I nodded again. "Shit." She muttered.
"Okay, before I go to get a team together, I need to tell you the extent of your injuries." I nodded for her to continue then froze.
"What about Akamaru? Is he okay?!" I asked panicky.
"He's fine, at the vet. Look, listen okay? This is important. Madara used some sort of poison when he stabbed your lungs. Both Sakura and I tried to heal them as best we could but you will experience panic attacks, from which your brain thinks your lungs are deflating, making you believe you can't breathe. It will happen often. They may be triggered by stress. Also your right shoulder was cut up pretty bad so we had to put a steal rod in there to replace some bone so you most likely won't get the full use out of it like before. I'm sorry but because of your injuries I suggest you resign as a ninja." She had a pitied look upon her face as she said all of this.
I looked up at her with a look of disbelief.
"What! Being a ninja is my life! You can take this away from me!" I yelled desperately.
"Kiba you have to understand, if you had an attack while fighting, you'd put your teammates in danger because they would be more worried about you then the enemy. I'm sorry." She said pausing but then continued, "I noticed you didn't put your headband back on, why is this?"
"It's nothing." I muttered as I looked out the window. The hokage let out a sigh and walked out the room, closing the door gently.
'I've got to be on that team. I have to help somehow.' I thought with a sigh.
I gave you these roses now,
but I left in the thorns.
I'd rather hurt someone than hurt myself.
Tsunade.
As I walked from the kids' room I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
'But I have bigger problems right now' I thought while I made my way back to the Hokage Tower. 'I need a team and fast. The obvious ones are Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi. I should get Gai and Rock Lee, as well as Neji for the Byakugan. Tenten should be added for her weapons aim and someone else. I couldn't have Naruto go. If they aren't strong enough Madara would get what he wants. But Naruto is the strongest ninja at the moment that's not on a mission already.' I sighed. 'I could really use some sake right now.'
When I got to the tower I found some sake in my secret compartment and sat at my desk. I ordered ANBU to find Kakashi, Neji, Tenten, Gai, Rock Lee, Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto. Against the better judgement I felt like without Naruto, 'team 7' wouldn't function well.
I drank some of my sake as I waited for the team to arrive. When everyone was finally here, Kakashi being only 6 minutes later then everyone else (surprisingly), I explained what was to happen.
"I've called you all here to discuss a mission that I hope you all agree to take place in-" I was cut off by Naruto, as usual.
"To rescue Hinata and Shino, right?!"
"Shut up and yes. This mission is an S-Rank mission, so if you don't want to participate, then tell me now." I got no answer. Everyone wanted to take part.
"Ok, good. Neji, I trust you will not let your emotions get the best of you and try to follow orders. Clear? ...And Naruto you as well." I added after second thought. I got one 'Of cause' and one 'Huh? Why me?!'.
After I explained the mission details I took a gulp of sake. Putting the bottle down I took a moment to look at each and every member of the team.
"Ok so you guys know what to-" I was cut off by the door opening forcefully. Kiba was standing there with a weird expression on his face. It was a mix between angry, fear, excitement and pain. Guess he hurt his shoulder opening the door, was excited that he slammed open a door, scared at how pissed I would be for not knocking and angry that he wasn't allowed on the mission.
"Go back to the hospital Kiba." I said angrily.
"Only if you let me go on this mission." He said to me with a forceful tone. I stood up and glared at him.
"I've already explained that you will not be going on this mission, Inuzuka." He shook his head and walked forward so he was directly in front of me, with the team behind him looking confused. Well Naruto was looking confused.
"What are you talking about Ba-chan? Why can't Kiba go on this mission?" Naruto asked.
"He isn't fit for it at this moment." I said still glaring at Kiba. His eyes went cold when he heard me say that.
"It's my fault they're in this mess! You gotta let me fight." He said, his tone going from angry to almost desperate.
I looked down at my desk then looked back up to Kiba's face.
His hands were in fists of white fury.
Can you grant me one last wish?
Play russian roulette as we kiss,
I'll be your cheap novelty.
Blow your brains out on me.
Kiba.
I was close to losing my temper and also close to losing my cold composure. That last sentence had most likely cost me my chance. By saying what I did, she knows I'm letting my emotions control my judgement.
My fists were almost shaking with fear of not coming on this mission. The tension in my arm was making my shoulder hurt so much and slamming it on the door when I walked in didn't make it better. I've got to learn to think before I do. Tsunade looked down for a few seconds and then looked up at my face.
She voiced my fears.
"I can't let you on this mission Kiba. You're too weak."
I swallowed the saliva that was building in my throat. I shook my head again, to clear my head from the almost numbing pain and turned to leave. As I did I caught site of the sake bottle on her desk.
'I could use one of them right now.' I thought and turned.
I stalked out of the room, not meeting anyone's eyes and slammed the door as I left.
I headed toward the closest bar. I was sixteen but being a ninja gives you privileges. If a ninja is at a bar then it most likely means a rough mission and the bartenders let you off for it.
It was almost dusk when I reached the bar. The team would be leaving soon and head off to kill Madara. I knew that Naruto would understand that I need this. I needed to be the one to get my friends back. The others would need more convincing, however.
With that thought, I paid for a bottleand then sprinted toSakura's apartment. She was closer than the rest anyway. When I got there I knock three times then waited. There was no reply.
'Shit. They already left!' I started to panic.
I leapt onto the roof of the apartment, earning a sharp pain in my wounded areas, than sprinted toward my house. Once I got there, I jumped through my bedroom window and got every ninja supply and weapon that I could carry.
I added the standard weapons pouch to my leg and side of my hip. I didn't put my ninja headband on though. For disobeying the hokage and for what she said before, I most likely wouldn't be a ninja when I get back. If I get back.
I jumped out of my window when I was done. I kept the sake in a spare pocket I had in my hoodie. You never know when you'll need it.
'What's my plan?' I wondered.
I'd rather hurt someone than hurt myself,
I'll dispose of you like a lighter out of fuel.
Madara.
I was sitting on a rock just outside the Akatsuki base. The sky was just getting dark. A few minutes and one wouldn't be able to see. The forest that was surrounding the base started making noises you'd only hear when camping.
"Not long now." I said to myself. 'Time to see how my hostages are.' I thought. I closed my eyes; then reopened them to find pitch black. I turn on the light of the caged room enough so that the Hyuuga and Aburame could see me.
I turned my head back to the two. The pupil-less girl looked at me fearful and the bug boy glared.
"What do you want with us?" He asked coldly. I smirked under my mask and took a slow step forward.
"What do I want?" I asked myself slowly. "I want the fox." I told them coldly. I turned the room pitch black again as I zipped back to the rock I was on before and sighed.
"People are lame." I said in my Tobi voice.
So this love's been worn down,
like songs on a tape.
The sex has lost all of its fun,
like gum loses taste.
Kakashi.
It had just started to get dark and we were following the scent trail to what we're hoping was Madara. There was a 50% chance that this was a trap. Madara could have just puffed to wherever but instead he left a distinct track.
'I've got a bad feeling about this' I thought.
I could hear the rest of my team follow me. Team Kakashi&Gai to be correct. Gai named it. We were almost out of fire country. Naruto jumped ahead so he and I were in sync.
"Kakashi-sensei?" He asked me.
"Naruto I've told you before. You don't need to call me that anymore. We are equals now." I told him for the hundredth time. Okay, I exaggerated that a tad.
"I think Kiba is going to try and follow us." He said seriously. I glanced at him then back at the path ahead.
"I'm aware of that." I replied just as seriously. "But what makes you think so?"
"I heard Tsunade talk with him. She said he would never be a ninja again because of what Madara did. I think once he knows Hinata and Shino are safe, he will try to kill him." He said quietly. "And he's not going to care if he dies trying"
I glanced back at Naruto and saw a sad look in his eyes.
"Being a ninja is important to Kiba and the Inuzuka clan is known to be a very protective clan. If someone or something threatens the people important to him, the only way Kiba knows to protect is through being a ninja. Because of what happened, he believes he needs to punish himself. It doesn't help that Hiashi agrees with that either." I concluded.
I looked up at the sky and saw stars.
"We should make camp up ahead before it's too dark." I added louder to the team behind me.
We set up camp and it was around nine when we finished. Sasuke jutsu-ed a fire for us and we pick shifts. I was taking the two hour shift at 4am. If Kiba was following, then he would pass this area at around that time too pick up Madara's scent.
It was my shift and Tenten had just woke me up. I jumped up to a branch and sat, watching the fire embers. I remembered the first time Kiba told me of his nose. He said his sense of smell was one hundred times stronger than that of my nin-dogs. I recall how I said that the Inuzuka clan must be very proud, and he shrugged it off. It was then that I discovered the proud, ego-centric face he puts on for the village was a mask.
Unfortunately, I never asked how his nose works. I don't know whether or not he had to find the original scent or if, as long as he has that persons smell in his memory, he could find them anytime, anywhere. I assumed that he has to find the original scent, like nin-dogs do.
If it was the other idea then that's a pain in the ass for team 7. We could have used him to find Sasuke when we were looking.
I glanced at my watch and noticed I had stayed an extra ten minutes. I jumped down from the tree and woke up Lee, as it was now his turn. He got up and jumped onto the same branch I was on only minutes before. I laid myself down onto my sleeping bag and tucked myself in.
We had decided to sleep under the stars tonight, since it was such a beautiful night. My eyes felt heavy so I closed them, blocking the sight of all the clusters of bright stars and the big half-crescent moon.
'My shift went by painfully slow but there was still no sight, nor smell, of Kiba. Maybe he didn't follow?' I thought as I drifted off for much needed sleep.
Two days had passed and we were come to the end of the Madara trail. I was in front as usual.
Coming up the rear was Gai. The left side had Lee, Sakura and Sasuke. To the right there was Tenten and Neji and in the middle of our mongulated diamond, a grumpy Naruto ran. 'Protect the price' as Gai had put it to me when we were alone, discussing strategy. Naruto didn't like being protected to say the least.
We were currently running along the ground, as the trail was only a few meters up ahead. Dark bush and shrubs covered what we couldn't see and where we needed to be.
As we walked into the bush, pushing and shoving along, we came to a grassy area. A cliff was opposite where we stood. Its rocky surface looking dangerous too touch. Upon one of the rocky surfaces was Madara himself. He sat comfortably looking at the bright blue sky above us.
We all, needing no communication, got out our weapons. 'Why couldn't I smell him?!' I asked myself in shock. Madara's head lowered slowly. He stared at Naruto, never blinking.
"Took you long enough." His emotionless voice sounded.
And you're, you're addicted to the drug of lust,
Detoxing the cold sweat of shame
and I love your pain
Song: Choke On This; Senses Fail.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any of it's characters.