Slight revision to Hinata's reaction

"You two…"

Naruto and Akamaru sat on their haunches, staring innocently up at Kiba. Next to them, the pieces of a broken vase were spread across the floor.

"What happened?"

The two tried their very best to look cute. Kiba glared, Hinata smiled and Shino stared silently.

"Akamaru…"

Akamaru yipped out a reply that made Kiba sigh.

"Oh, great."

"W-what did he say?"

"Akamaru said he was bored after being cooped up inside the house for so long…so he decided to play with Naruto."

"Play?"

"Yeah…let's just clean this up before anyone comes home."

Akamaru yipped out something else under his breath.

"You mean there's more?"

Akamaru made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a nervous laugh.

The three genin managed to clean everything as quickly as they could, with Kiba hoping his mother wouldn't notice the shortage of pottery. They returned to the livingroom when they were finished. Akamaru and Naruto were sprawled out on the floor, staring at nothing. Having nothing to do became tiring very quickly, sped along by a low groaning by the two on the floor.

"Alright!"

Kiba jumped from his seat and headed for the door. Akamaru and Naruto were at the door before him, tails waving with excitement.

"B-But…he's not supposed to go outside!"

"She's right. The mission instructions-"

"I know, I know! We'll take him to where we train. It's private enough. That's where we're supposed to be right now, anyways."

"I…suppose."

"Honestly…not supposed to be seen by civilians? What's with that?" Kiba's voice grew distant a moment before he reappeared with his camcorder, stuffing it into a pocket. "And 'a constant watch' and 'not allowed out of the Inuzuka complex' c'mon! What does Tsunade-sama think is going to happen?"

"I wonder…"

"Shino-kun? What is it?"

"Do you remember…the look on the godaime's face when she pulled the sheet off of him in the hospital?"

"I…yes, but…what did it mean?"

"Hinata…Shino…haven't you two ever wondered…why everyone seems to hate Naruto? I asked my parents about it once, a long time ago. I remember the look they gave me…gave me the chills. Shino? Have you-"

"Yes. My parents, as well, refused to talk about it. Hinata?"

"I tried to ask once…my father…"

Hinata shivered, and she said nothing more. Shino's expression was unreadable, and Kiba turned to Naruto.

"Hey. Naruto."

His ears perked up, and Naruto turned to him. Kiba stepped forward and placed a collar around the foxboy's neck, checking to make sure it was secure.

"Why?"

Naruto didn't answer, only scratched at the heavy leather collar.

"Why does everyone hate you?"

Naruto froze, his eyes lowering, the look of happiness from a moment before replaced by sadness.

"Was it something you did?"

Naruto's head snapped back and forth in a 'no' motion, soundlessly clutching his stomach. His body began to shake, his expression changing, anger mixing with the sorrow. Kiba startled and reached out, grabbing the blonde's hand, pulling it away as blood trickled out from beneath his hand and trailing down his stomach. Naruto made a low, whimpering sound and grabbed his stomach with his other hand, tearing into the skin with his nails. Hinata stood frozen in shock as Shino rushed forward to grab Naruto's other arm, and the two genin tried to hold his arm out wide with Naruto struggling against the two of them.

"Naruto…"

Naruto was slammed face-first against the wall, Kiba and Shino putting all their body weight on him, trying to keep his arms pinned behind his back.

"Naruto!"

Kiba yelled in surprise when Naruto's fingernails found his skin and clamped down. Kiba tore the arm away and wrenched it upward, lifting Naruto's heels off the ground. Finally, completely restrained, Naruto opened his mouth and began to shriek in rage, frustration, and pain.

"NARUTO!"

The screaming stopped, and the foxboy turned his head to see Hinata standing behind him, eyes wide with tears running down her face.

"You don't…have to tell us…so please…just stop…hurting yourself…please…"

The two genin felt Naruto's body relax, his fingers no longer straining, flexing, clawing at the air. After a glance at each other, the two slowly released his arms and stepped away. Naruto slid to the floor, curling himself into a ball, and Hinata crouched down next to him, gently placing her arms around him while Kiba and Shino watching warily.

"He's finally asleep."

Hinata sat down and reached for a cup of tea with trembling hands, all three genin looking haggard.

After tending to his wounds, Naruto had bounced back within a few minutes, cheerful as ever, and the team had nervously disguised him, took him out to a secluded area, chased each other around for a few hours, brought him home, fed him, and set him to bed, luckily without incident. The three had looked in on him a few minutes later to find him tossing in bed, restless. He was the same a few minutes later. An hour later. Past midnight, and the eavesdropping shinobi finally saw the look in his eyes that betrayed the half-smile that he had worn the entire afternoon.

The teacup didn't even make it to Hinata's lips before her hands began to shake so badly that a cloud of Shino's bugs flew out to steady it and guide it back onto the table.

"Why?"

The two boys didn't have an answer for her, and sat in silence until they saw that Hinata had fallen asleep. Gently laying a blanket over her, the two snuck away, pausing before they separated for what was left of the night.

"Shino…tomorrow…I want to have an answer for Hinata."

"I…have to say this. Whatever the source of the hatred towards Naruto, it was kept a secret from us for a reason. What if…we do not like what we learn?"

"How can you say that? Do you really believe-"

"It is a possibility we should be prepared for."

"So, we find out, and decide whether or not to tell Hinata? Is that what you're saying?"

"I am saying that Naruto is our friend. I am saying that Hinata is in love with Naruto. I am saying…with whatever we discover, that may change."

"No. It won't."

"Why?"

"Because!"

Kiba grinned, for the first time in hours.

"We're his friends, aren't we?"

"Very well. Until tomorrow, then."

Kiba waved back at Shino as he turned and headed off. Shino didn't even spare a glance at Naruto's door as he headed for his own guest room, whispering to a bug on his fingertip.

"We are his friends, until tomorrow. And after that, who can say for sure?"