Phantasmagoria
Chapter Two

I can't believe you called the Wishmaker, Kiba wrote, after I told you not to!

This was actually the third time he had said that – on one page. It was all I could do not to flip a page and demand an actual answer to Sasuke's question – how had Kiba ended up in that book?

We had about twelve pages, and I was too scared to waste them arguing. Best to just let Kiba get out what he needed to get out.

Sakura. Answer me.

He hadn't called me 'Sweetheart', and I knew he was mad. Really mad. I had to remind myself he couldn't actually do anything to me before I summoned up the courage to turn the page.

I know you're mad, I said. And I know I went behind your back. But what could I do? I can't just let you spend your last days in a book.

I took a breath, thinking of Sasuke. Kiba's freedom was only a phone call away.

Please, tell me who trapped you in the book. And why. I can get you out. Then, with only a moment's hesitation, I added, I want to see you.

I flipped the page. He didn't answer for a long while, and I worried that I had scared him off. Maybe I had come on too strong. After all, we barely knew each other, and he was only a book, besides, and—

His name was Uchiha Itachi, Kiba wrote.

I waited. He didn't say anything else, and I turned the page.

Uchiha Itachi? A relation of Sasuke? His brother, actually, I think – I heard some guys mention him at the mall. You think that might be a problem?

Maybe, he said. Wishmakers are born, not made, you know. And I don't know – I don't know anything about Sasuke. You do. My life's in your hands.

I ran my fingers over the weathered page, stomach tying itself into knots. We only had seven pages left. I had to know why he was in the book.

I don't know why he trapped me. I don't know what I did to him, Kiba said, as if he read my mind. It was funny, how he read me like an open book.

But I wasn't thinking it was funny then. I was reading over Kiba's last few words, and feeling my temper rise.

Kiba didn't know why Itachi had trapped him. He didn't know what he had done wrong. What kind of asshole traps a boy in a book for no good reason? I thought of Sasuke. When I had asked him if his brother was a weasel, he had said, 'In all but shape.' I thought he was just being resentful in that way younger siblings sometimes are (not that I'd know – I'm an only child), but maybe he knew exactly what kind of jerk his brother was.

Only one way to find out.

I'm calling Sasuke, I wrote, and then I picked up my phone.

-x-

You know how sometimes you leave a party at like two in the morning, and you're so exhausted you're practically sleepwalking, and the next morning you wake up at noon in your bed, completely relaxed, but you just can't remember how you got home, changed, and into bed?

That's how I felt when Naruto, Sasuke, and I met up at the pet store (well, where else was I supposed to go? Too many people at our dorms, and I didn't think Sasuke would invite us into his house – not with Itachi so close by). I couldn't remember calling Naruto, or getting into his car with the journal safely tucked inside my purse, or even unlocking the door to the back room, where Sasuke could do his magic, uninterrupted. I didn't remember hanging up the 'Sorry, we're CLOSED' sign in the window, though I remember hoping I didn't get caught.

I just remember calling Sasuke.

"It was your brother," I told him. "Your brother's name is Itachi, right?"

"Right," he said. And then he was quiet. I could hear him shuffling some papers on his end of the line and wondered where he was, what he was doing. Finally, he continued: "I thought it might be him, actually."

"So was that the right answer?" I asked. I was holding the phone so tightly it actually seemed to crack, but I couldn't help it. How was I going to face Kiba if Sasuke said no? I couldn't. I would probably go after Sasuke, threaten him until he agreed, and then—

"It was," Sasuke said.

Those two words were the greatest two words I've ever heard in my life, to this very day. Even better than the three that came later.

"Oh, God," I breathed. "Thank you. You don't know how much I—"

"Okay," he said hastily. "I get it. When do you want to do this?"

When we met up at the pet store, Naruto said, "Sorry, I was wrong. You're not such an asshole after all! Thanks for helping us." And he reached out to clap Sasuke on the back.

Sasuke gave him a look that, I swear, made me shiver all over, and I wasn't even the one on the receiving end.

"Don't insult me," he said. "I'm doing this because I want to make my brother as miserable as possible. Not for you." He turned his gaze to me. "Or you," he said, as if to make sure I didn't get the wrong idea.

"Of course not," I said.

"Wow," Naruto said flatly. "Never mind. You are an asshole."

Sasuke only nodded – he didn't even look a bit offended – and I led them to the back room, where we stored supplies.

"Is this okay?"

Sasuke wrinkled his nose – probably at the smell – but nodded. "It'll do. Where's the journal?"

I took it out of my purse and handed it to him, trying to ignore the butterflies that had suddenly taken up residence in my stomach.

If you've never seen a Wishmaker Make a wish, let me tell you, it's not that exciting. I mean, you think Wishmaker, you think genie, you think Aladdin, right? Well, Sasuke doesn't sing. There are no sparkles, no confetti, no explosions. Basically, Sasuke asked for my Wish – "To get Kiba out of the book he's trapped in. Oh, with clothes on." (I watch a lot of movies; I knew to cover the bases) – touched the book with the tips of his fingers, set it down on the floor in the center of the room, and then made a bunch of hand gestures. Seals, he called them.

Sasuke's hands are very pale and big, with long fingers. Those long fingers flashed through his 'Seals' – they laced together in a final movement, and then – well, in a total cliché move, there was a poof of smoke, and I couldn't see.

"Whoa," I heard Naruto breathe.

And then the smoke cleared. And I saw him for the first time.

"Kiba?" I said tentatively, stepping forward.

My first thought was that Kiba was… big. Well, anyone looks big if he suddenly changes from a book to a person, I suppose. Not that the journal disappeared – it was lying just a few inches from where Kiba was crouched, looking shell-shocked.

When you meet someone through words – letters, emails, whatever – you're never quite prepared for how they really look. Kiba was… wild-looking. His hair was dark, spiky, untamed. His eyes were narrowed, flicking around the room, taking everything in. and he had these weird red tattoos on his cheeks.

But that isn't to say he wasn't good-looking.

I took him in in an instant, and – judging by the way his gaze traveled over me – he was doing the same. When his gaze locked on mine, he smiled. And let me tell you, that smile made my stomach do somersaults.

"Sakura," he said, and rose to his feet.

I forgot that Sasuke and Naruto were in the room – even though it was a small room, and crowded with shelves and cardboard boxes and big bags of food – and I guess Kiba did, too. That, or he really didn't care, because he reached out as I approached, took my hands, pulled me to him, and – before I could react – planted on me a kiss that, seriously, made my toes curl.

When we broke apart, I stared at him. He just looked down at me, grinning his crooked little Kiba-grin.

"You mind if I take a shower?" he said. "It's been a few years since my last."

Which killed the mood, but he really didn't smell bad. He smelled kind of like an old book. A bit musty and dry, but… fresh. Somehow. Still, I nodded wordlessly – I was still in shock. For his part, Kiba only smiled at me, then nodded to the other boys.

"My car's outside," Naruto said faintly.

"Cool," Kiba said, and walked out – sauntered, really. He didn't seem at all affected by what had just happened.

I turned, slowly, to face Naruto – who was very pale and disturbed – and Sasuke, who looked smug.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto's voice was choked. "He just kissed you."

My lips were still tingling. I felt myself redden. "Yeah, um. I wasn't expecting that."

Naruto shook his head. "Who does this guy think he is? I'm gonna kick his ass…"

Sasuke scoffed as Naruto left the room, grumbling to himself. He was looking at me. "You should tell him you liked it. See what he says," he added with a little smirk. Sadist.

I wisely chose not to reply to this. "Thank you for this. Really."

Sasuke shrugged. "Don't thank me yet. You're going to have to deal with him now. What to do with him, where to keep him…"

"You make him sound like one of the dogs," I started to say, then broke off, realizing that Akamaru was barking. Loudly.

I cursed and left the back room, hurrying over to the dogs. Akamaru was throwing a hissy fit, trying to crawl over the sleeping puppies and out of their pen. As I neared, I saw why – Kiba was standing only a foot away, beaming like he had found an old friend.

"You have my dog!" he said as I approached.

"Your dog?" I asked, glancing at Akamaru. He had to be at least seven to be Kiba's dog. He still looked like a puppy.

"Yeah," Kiba said. "Akamaru, right? What's he doing here?" As he spoke, he bent to scoop Akamaru up and into his arms. The dog yipped, his tail wagging so hard it was beating Kiba in the arms. He only laughed. "Hey, buddy," he said.

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking from Akamaru to Kiba. "I mean, he—" I broke off and shook my head. Akamaru had been there a long time. It wasn't totally outrageous to think he had been in the pet shop for seven years. Though I did wonder why he wasn't in an animal shelter…

"Can I take him?" Kiba asked suddenly.

"Can you pay for him?" I asked, then regretted it. Kiba's face fell and he shook his head, slowly. He bent to set Akamaru back in the pen. The dog stared up at him, looking betrayed.

"I'll come back for you," Kiba promised. To me, he added, "Don't let anyone take him, okay?"

I didn't tell him that no one would take Akamaru, anyway. Instead I scanned the store and said, "Where's Naruto?"

"His car got towed," Kiba said casually, turning to me.

"What?"

"He did a shitty parking job or something," Kiba said. "Point is, car's gone. He's outside now, on the phone."

I shook my head. Only Naruto could manage to get his car towed for parking. Leaving Kiba and Sasuke behind, I left the store to find Naruto sitting on the curb, staring at his phone. I sat beside him.

"I called my dad," Naruto explained. "He laughed at me."

"At least he isn't mad," I said.

"Of course not," Naruto said. "That would be what a normal dad would do." He got to his feet, stretched his arms above his head. He stared down at me. "Well, at least it distracted me from yelling at your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," I said.

"That doesn't really make me feel better about him sucking your face off," he said, holding a hand out to me. I made a face, then let him pull me up.

"So now what?" I asked, brushing off my pants. "How do we get home?"

Naruto looked out across the parking lot. There were a few cars. One was a shiny black Mercedes.

"Maybe Sasuke will drop us off," Naruto mused.

"I will not," came Sasuke's voice from behind us. He and Kiba had followed us out. Sasuke stood directly behind us, but Kiba stood at the door to the pet shop, staring through the glass at his dog.

"Not even if I wish for it?"

"Not even then."

"You're a jerk," Naruto said, and I rolled my eyes, brushing past them to go lock up the store. Kiba stepped aside to let me do so, smiling at me.

"Thanks," he whispered to me as I tugged on the door handle, ensuring it was locked tight. "For getting me out."

"No problem."

He reached up, squeezed my shoulder. "I guess that should have come first," he said.

And I said, without really thinking, "It's okay. I didn't really mind the kiss."

His grin widened and he leaned down to murmur, "Good, because neither did I." He leaned back again and added, in a voice loud enough to get Naruto's attention, "There are more kisses where that came from, Sweetheart. Better ones, too."

He winked at me, and I laughed, because Naruto looked furious, and even Sasuke looked disgusted. Kiba said it for the reaction, clearly, but I couldn't help but think that that kiss had been good enough.

Eventually, Sasuke agreed to drive us, but only back to Konoha U. Naruto tried to get him to stop for coffee. Sasuke threatened to throw him out of the car – without stopping.

I sat in the front, beside Sasuke, because he refused to let Naruto into the passenger seat.

"What, you're scared of him?" I asked.

"Scared of what he'll do to my IQ level," Sasuke corrected, flicking a glance at Naruto in the rearview mirror. He was badgering Kiba with questions.

"So, what's it like being stuck in a book?"

"Excellent. You should try it."

"Did you know that I was the one who picked up your diary? You could've been my friend."

"Thank God Sakura intervened. She's much cuter." This, yes, made me turn beet red.

"Hey, quit hitting on her!"

"Make me."

I turned to see Naruto scowling at Kiba, trying to figure him out. Kiba, for his part, remained unruffled, leaning back in his seat, eyes closed. This struck me as a bit odd; you'd think he'd want to see the world he had missed out on for seven years.

"Well," Naruto said finally, "What kind of man keeps a diary?"

"The kind that's literate," Kiba said. "So, not you."

Naruto looked outraged and I cut in, "Break it up, you guys. Don't get blood on Sasuke's seats."

Sasuke glared at the road in front of him. I winced.

"Ah, thanks for the ride," I said. "And for the Wish. And—" I broke off, remembering his earlier words. 'Don't thank me yet.' He was right. What was I going to do with Kiba? He wasn't supposed to exist, not at this age in this time. Where would he stay? What would he do?

I stared out the window, thinking hard, but I couldn't come up with anything. I didn't have the resources to handle him, to settle him in, to avoid questions I couldn't answer.

Eventually, we reached school, and got out of Sasuke's car. I had to remind Naruto to thank him for the ride – he did so sullenly.

"You're like his mom," Kiba said to me as we turned to leave.

"You're not the first to say that," I told him wryly. Most people changed their minds as soon as they saw me slap him around a bit. Kiba would, too.

Kiba laughed and put a hand on the small of my back, urging me away from the others. I looked up at his face. His jaw was tense, though his expression was relaxed. Maybe he was still edgy, being around a Wishmaker so close to the one who trapped him. I touched his arm, and he glanced down at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Better than I've been in a long time." He sighed, looked around the campus, taking it all in. "I owe you a lot for this. You pretty much saved my life."

"You'll find a way to pay me back," I assured him. "I like diamonds."

He laughed, a low chuckle, and brought up his free hand to finger the ends of my hair thoughtfully. "Is this natural?"

"It is. Don't pull that line on me. I get it a lot."

He laughed again. "I won't, I won't. So… where's your room?" he asked, raising his eyebrows impishly. At my expression, he pointed out, "It's a different line."

"Very funny."

"I can pay you with my body," he said. "No cash for diamonds right now."

"About that," I said, pulling him to Naruto's dorm instead. I could hear him behind us now, running to catch up. "What are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked, as Naruto finally reached us. "I'm going to do what I was doing before I was trapped in the book."

I exchanged a look with Naruto. "Don't you think that might be hard?" I asked carefully. "I mean, you're kind of… out of touch."

He just raised his eyebrows again, entirely serious now. "Don't underestimate me, Sweetheart."

He was so firm, so un-Kiba-like, I was kind of taken aback. But I didn't argue.

After he showered and changed at Naruto's (he lent Kiba an outfit. It was orange and brown, much to Kiba's disgust. I knew Naruto did it on purpose.), Kiba left. He didn't tell me where he was going, only promised he'd be back. Then he kissed me on the cheek, and left before I could stop him.

The next morning, I found Kiba sitting on a bench outside my dorm building, two cups of coffee in his hand.

"Hey," he said when I approached, "I'm Inuzuka Kiba. New student, second year, Economics major, and totally ready to start paying you back."

"Whoa," I said, taking the coffee he offered me. "How did you manage that?"

"With my charm, cunning, and stunning good looks," Kiba said. "How else?"

I was impressed. I never underestimated Kiba again.

But like that helped me.

Quite a bit shorter than last chapter, and it's been a while since I updated. My apologies on both counts. However, next chapter the story can really start. Look forward to it; I know I am. Also, a lot of people have been asking me about the MinaSaku thing. Obviously, I'm not really going to make this a MinaSaku, but to everyone who's asked, yes, I really like that pairing. :D