A/N: Longer chapter than I'm used to… whew! I really need to slow down on this fic before I run out of steam like on my SakuXLee…

I had WAY too much fun writing Shika and Ino in this chapter... Huzzah for sexual tension between exes, amirite? *eyebrow wiggle*

Anyway, it's a new chapter. I hope you all like it!

Yuubi: Grace – I know; I'm a Dave nut.

Section of italics = Flashback

Still don't own any part of the Naruto universe except what I make up about it.

Chapter 4: Obedience

Hinata stood rooted to the spot, her shirt wet with tears that she had not bothered trying to stop from rolling down her face. "K-Kiba… kun…"

She'd followed a series of handwritten notes across, around, over and under the Hyuuga compound, only to find Kiba, poised to serenade her.

"So'd the 'sensitive artist' routine work?" Kiba looked up at her impishly from where he sat, cross-legged, with his faithful instrument. "Will you forgive me?"

"I… can't even remember what we argued about."

"Thank you, my trusty Yuubi-chan," he said to his guitar as he set it down, standing up. She walked into his arms and snuggled against his chest.

"Wipin' yer nose on me, eh?"

He grinned down at her with a warmth that could liquefy ice in a matter of seconds. She giggled into his shirt and his smile expanded to show his fangs.

He tilted her chin up with a gentle index finger and kissed her, oh so lightly. "I really am sorry for bein' such an ass."

"I forgive you," was her reply. She really didn't remember anymore why she had been upset. It was unimportant now that he was holding her.

"You're so frickin' cute, you could have any guy you want. Why haven't you kicked me to the curb yet, hmm?" He rested his head atop hers, taking in the smell of her hair. Hers was a scent he would never forget, no matter how far his nose took him.

"Because…" she blushed a bit before finishing her answer. "I am about 86 percent certain that I love you."

"Awesome! That's the highest grade I've ever gotten." He tickled her side and she tried in vain to wriggle away.

"K-Kiba… kun!" Hinata squealed between gasps, "P-please s-stop!"

"What if I don't wanna?"

"Then I… I will lower your grade!"

"Well, in that case…" His voice softened and he gathered her to him. "I'll stop."

"…good... puppy." Her face went pure scarlet as she said the words.

"I'll always obey you in the end, babydoll."

After almost a week of moping, Shikamaru had practically drop-kicked Kiba out of the apartment. "A little fresh air won't kill you," he'd said.

Kiba sprawled in the grass on his belly, Akamaru close by his side. He rested his chin on folded arms and let his mind wander. Why did Hinata have to choose Uzumaki over him? What had he done wrong? Why was he not enough for her?

In the back of his mind, he'd always felt like he was second best. The loud, yellow-haired ninja had defeated him in the Chuunin exams in one of the most humiliating fashions imaginable. Besides that, everyone loved Naruto. Even his enemies came to like him sooner or later. Now he was the village hero.

The guy had everything! What gave him the right to take the one good thing Kiba had - the only girl he'd ever loved, Hinata, his babydoll - away from him?

Kiba couldn't stand being in that damn neon-clad attention whore's shadow anymore, not now that it had cost him everything.

'I think I need to have a little chat with that sonuvabitch,' he thought resolutely.

"Oh, hi, Hinata!"

Her blood ran cold when she heard the voice of the person she'd just carelessly thrown away her relationship for. "H-hello… Naruto… kun."

He sat slowly on the bench beside her. "Uh…" he rubbed the back of his neck. "I kind of wanted to ask you something."

Hinata's eyes went wide. She held her breath, knowing what was coming next.

"What you said… when we were fighting Pein… Did you… mean that? I mean, I thought you and Kiba were..."

"Yes..." she cut him off. "We were. But... not anymore." She hated saying it out loud. It broke her heart all over again.

"Well, then… did you mean it?"

She sat there in stunned silence. She honestly did not know how to answer. She never thought she could be in love with two people at once.

"'Cause…" Naruto hesitated. "…I'm kind of in love with someone else."

"I know." Hinata finally found her voice to confirm that she knew Sakura was who Naruto wanted, not her. She played with her hands in her lap while she waited for him to speak. He didn't.

"You know I have always loved you, Naruto-kun," she started slowly. "You would have to be blind to not notice. Everyone knew." She shocked herself by not blushing and stuttering as she usually did in the presence of the demon fox's host. Instead, Naruto found his face growing hot.

"But I love Kiba, too, and…" She sounded as if she were riddling it out as she spoke. "Well… he's who I want to be with now." She had suddenly grown this new confidence and resolve, all for the sake of winning Kiba back. She had to get through this or she couldn't face him again, much less marry him.

He just stared at her, waiting for explication for her outburst on the battlefield.

"I think I loved you for so long, that I had to get that confession off my chest in order to... let it go. There's no way I can be a fit wife to anyone else if I don't let go of you."

"I… " Naruto scratched his head. "...guess that makes sense."

"I hope it does. I am very sorry if I caused you any confusion." Hinata stood to leave.

"Hinata, wait!"

She turned around, wondering what to expect.

"Thank you…" He looked at the ground. "...for helping me out there with Pein. You really did save me."

"Y-You're welcome… Naruto-kun."

"Good luck with Kiba. You two deserve to be happy together." He stood, hugged her, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before walking away.

She stood there for several minutes, dumbfounded but relieved by what had just happened, before taking off in a dead run back to Ino's.

"This'd better be strictly professional, blondie," Shikamaru drawled with a bit of amusement in his voice. "I'm a taken man these days."

"Oh, please… get over yourself," Ino snorted. "I can practically see Miss Thing's brand across your forehead. I'm far too hot to be the woman on the side." She straightened her posture, sticking out her chest confidently. "Besides, there are tons of fish in the sea. Why would I waste my time pining for someone like you?"

"Whatever."

The teammates and exes looked at each other from across the bar counter. She'd asked him if she could talk to him about something important. He'd rolled his eyes, but complied. He had nothing better to do. He was at his civilian job. It was noon. She was his only customer.

"Anyway…" she continued, "I think we should try to get Kiba and Hinata back together." Being the town gossip had its advantages. She could find out anything, including Kiba's location, and she was taking full advantage of that intel.

"Why?"

"The poor girl's so unhappy… they were meant to be." She imbued her words with as much syrupy sweetness as she could muster without making herself gag.

"If that were the case, they would still be together." Laziness incarnate laced his fingers together behind his head. "Usually, if a couple breaks up, it's for good reason and they need to stay that way."

'Awwwkwaaard,' the two thought in unison.

To an observer, it would appear to be a normal conversation between old friends. If it weren't for her bravado and his laid-back nature, it would have been embarrassing. He cleared his throat and she pretended to pick a piece of lint from her sleeve.

"Seriously, though…" Ino whined, "Hinata won't stop following me around and all she talks about is 'Kiba-kun'…" she said the last three syllables with a high-pitched, mocking voice. "It's driving me batty!"

Shikamaru tried and failed to stifle a laugh as her altruistic veneer came crashing down. He knew her too well.

"I'll think about it." He wanted to torture her for a minute or two before he answered.

"Pleeeeease?" she cajoled, giving him her best pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top pout, but then disgustedly remembered it didn't work on him anymore. It never had, really.

He laughed again as he watched her realization. 'Shit!' she thought. 'Why does he have to be so damn observant?'

"Oh, all right..." he finally answered with a sigh after he'd let the conversation hang in the air long enough to sufficiently frustrate her. "Fine."

She bounced in her seat. "Yay!"

Inwardly, she cockily remarked, 'Hell, yeah... I've still got it.'

"But I'm not doing this for you. It's for Kiba… and... me," he admitted his own selfish intentions. "He's been more of a pain in the ass than you with his pissing and moaning. Plus he talks in his sleep… it's creepy."

Ino raised an eyebrow at the last part of that statement, but resisted the urge to probe further. "I'd better go for now. When are you off?"

"5:00."

She plunked down the money for the club soda she'd been drinking. "I'll be back. We'll talk then."

"What? No tip?"

"Getting to watch me walk away is your tip." She smirked as she tossed her ponytail over her shoulder, exiting the building with an exaggerated sway of her hips.

'He is so not tappin' this anymore... sucks to be him,' was her self-satisfied thought as she left.

"Troublesome woman," he muttered, returning his attention to wiping down the counter.