It's me again, finally. Sorry I've been so busy lately. Anyways, I just had to throw in some one-sided KibaHina into this story because it adds drama, and because I think that Kiba is all kinds of smextacular-faints-

Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters © Masashi Kishimoto

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Everybody moves on with their lives eventually. Nobody is ever missed forever, Kiba thought as he stood in back of the ninja Academy and watched as the future protectors of Konoha occupied themselves with the silly and rowdy games of childhood, happily unaware of the raw pain that they'd probably be made to endure as they grew into adulthood. It wasn't like Kiba to have such a morbid train of thought, but he almost felt as if the whole world should completely stop smiling and functioning normally until he had his Hinata back. He childishly kicked at rocks while continuing to think about the previous events of the week.

Only a few days before, a rouge cloud ninja had been discovered spying in Konoha, hanging around near some seedy bar. After his arrest, a number of witnesses claimed to have seen him speaking with Hinata on the night before she went missing. Therefore, almost everyone had come to the conclusion that she had probably been kidnapped by Kumogakure once again, and was, in all likelihood, probably dead.

Kiba had refused to believe it. Completely. It seemed absurd to him. Even after harsh torture and interrogation, courtesy of Ibiki, the cloud nin still never confessed to having had anything to do with Hinata, and deep in his heart, Kiba knew that Hinata wasn't helpless. She had what it took to defend herself. Still, he had the feeling that most of the ANBU didn't want to waste their time looking for a girl who was likely already dead and that Tsunade would soon likely close the whole matter for a while. He and Akamaru had searched everywhere once they tracked her scent, but they just seemed to be walking in circles around it. It was suspicious and eerie, but he didn't have the time to fully investigate it. There were other missions that needed urgent attention. He couldn't look for her forever.

It killed him though, the feeling of not knowing. Of constantly having to wonder what had possibly happened. How in the world does Shino do it? He wondered. He knew that Shino likely felt the same way that he did. Only Shino knew how to successfully hide his emotions, while Kiba's feelings were visible to the entire world.

People generally avoided him now, which he didn't care. As long as I have Akamaru, I really didn't need anyone, he thought. He almost smiled at the irony of that thought. It was the kind of way he used to think before Hinata had entered his life, with her puzzling blushes and soft scents. Without her he had definitely regressed for the worst.

He was so lost in his musings; he didn't realize that the crowd of children was currently riding around on Akamaru's back. Their unashamed and rowdy laughter made him think of Naruto.

"Don't worry Kiba. When I'm Hokage, I'll bring her back. I promise! I brought Sasuke back after all!" He had said with an awkward grin. Sasuke.

How Kiba wished, desperately and passionately wished, that Sasuke had been killed by Orochimaru or one of those cursed Akatsuki, and had never stepped foot back in Konoha. God, how he hated having to hear his very name. And God, how good it felt to be able to hate him. It filled the empty void left by Hinata's absence and gave him something else to fill his thoughts with besides worry.

He felt no guilt in cherishing the feeling. In fact he felt completely justified in it. As her "husband," Sasuke was supposed to have watched her and protected her, but he had failed miserably. She would've been much better off had she married Neji or even himself.

The truth was, Kiba had always been crazy about Hinata, but he had never taken his own feelings for her seriously because he knew how much she idolized and respected Naruto. He had never taken it personally, as he optimistically figured that her childish crush would have to end eventually, and when it did, maybe he could take things with her to another level. But then Sasuke had to come back into the picture.

At first, Kiba had been enraged that Hinata's father and Tsunade would force her into a marriage for somebody whom she cared nothing for. How old fashioned and behind the times could they get? Who the hell arranges marriages anymore, he had thought. But all he could do was hold Hinata in his arms while she cried and mourned for the coming loss of her freedom; rocking her back and forth to comfort her. "Things will get better soon, I promise you," he had told her, trying to be optimistic about the whole thing. Trying to play the role of the ever hopeful "Naruto" for her. Only, the last thing that he had ever expected was for her to actually grow to love the man. And that was why he hated Sasuke with a flaming fervor, and would continue to do so, for as long as he was alive, and without Hinata.8888

Karin was fully aware of the fact that she didn't appear very intelligent to most people, even with her glasses on, but Orochimaru hadn't put her in charge of the North Base for nothing after all. She was far cleverer than she appeared to be, and she could sense when something just didn't seem to add up correctly. She had been able to see past the genjutsu that had been placed in order to hide the abandoned apartment and sense that the Hyuuga girl had left it recently. With others. So as she held the crumpled note in her hand and read it and reread it again, she felt little emotion besides a slight curiosity. She lay back on the empty couch in the abandoned wreck of an apartment and giggled to herself.

Could that quiet little Hinata possibly have been so obsessive about Sasuke that she threw someone out of their home, made a big mess of it, and then killed herself? Poor thing, Karin thought sarcastically. Such a pathetic act seemed more like something that she could imagine herself doing, but then again, Sasuke did have a habit of driving people half-crazy. Karin shook her head suddenly. Just because the girl's chakra was strong here didn't necessarily mean that she had carried through with it. Still she would tell Sasuke that his wife had indeed died.

Most people already thought that she was dead anyways so it wasn't like she'd be telling him anything new. Only she wouldn't tell Sasuke that it was his actions that might've driven Hinata to suicide. Being as mentally unbalanced as he was (much like herself), he might just kill himself then, and that was the last thing that Karin wanted him to do. She still cherished hope that he would one day choose her, once the pain of losing Hinata wore off, as it was bound to. She would tell him that Hinata had indeed been kidnapped, and had killed herself as a crazed and desperate means of escape from her cruel and heartless captors.

If he asked for proof, as he was most certainly going to do, she would tell him that any ninja hound could catch her scent almost everywhere in the place. And of course she would give him the note, well, part of it anyways, she thought with a wicked smirk.

She very carefully tore the note, so that only the words "Don't try to find me. I'll be gone from this earth," remained. . .

End of chapter 9

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Okay, okay people. Before I get a whole load of tomatoes thrown in my direction, I have to admit that I put very little time, thought, and effort into this chapter in comparison to all of the previous chapters, so it's not as good.-blush- I even took a few bizare artistic liberties-blush again-

I have a perfectly good excuse though. I've spent most of my free computer time this week debating with Hinata haters (yes, our dear Hinata-chan has haters). It went pretty well actually,lol. It didn't get to violent or nasty, but I will always defend Hinata against those who say bad things about her.

Anyways, I promise that the next chapter will be better…

REVIEW and don't be too harsh or I will cry,lol