Pairings: (Past) Yoshino/Shikaku, Shikaku/Kiba, Inoichi/Yasuko. (Mentioned) Asuma/Kurenai.
Warnings: Arranged (hence forced) marriage between a sixteen year old and a thirty six year old. Language. Angst. Feelings of betrayal. Huge rare pairing. Power dynamics (mostly Inuzuka related). Power imbalance. Strong language (because it's one of my stories, come on, I'm like Hidan sometimes). Nosy people. Inescapable Clan duties. Teenage angst. Just saying, you'll hate the Elders some more. They're mean.
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They ate in silence for the first couple of minutes.
Shikaku's curiosity bit at him throughout that time, begging him to try and find out just why it was that Kiba was so uneasy around Kakashi Hatake.
From what he had heard, the Hatake and Inuzuka Clans had actually been rather friendly before the Hatake's numbers had dwindled and died out. Kakashi, although not the most friendly of people, had managed to make friends with Tsume Inuzuka- in a feat that still left many stunned and stupefied. So it was only safe to assume that Kiba had grown up around Kakashi.
If the kid knew the Hatake, though… Why did he look as if he was terrified of Kakashi tearing his head off?
"Kiba," Shikaku called his name so he could grab his attention and ask what he wished to find out.
The kid beat him to the punch by speaking up just as Shikaku said his name.
"Kakashi-Sensei might be able to figure out about this marriage by himself." He whispered, although he leaned forward so Shikaku could hear him.
As soon as he heard this, Shikaku wanted to tell the kid that there was no way Kakashi would spend enough time investigating them. Just like the Hatake wouldn't waste his time digging into issues that weren't his own- it just didn't sound like something someone like Kakashi Hatake would do; if anything, it sounded like something Anko Mitarashi or even Tsume herself would waste their time on.
He kept himself quiet, though, and merely looked down at Kiba with a quirked eyebrow.
Kiba maintained eye contact for a solid second, then looked down at the table and frustrated Shikaku yet again.
Just what was it about him that made the kid look away?
… Could it be the scars? Did they scare him?
Well, that answer made some sense… if not for the fact that Kiba had grown up around clansmen littered with scars that were a thousand times more vicious than his own.
"He's asking questions already, Lord Nara. And he's seen us while we've been out twice; it won't take him long to start asking just why we're both spending so much time together."
Shikaku crossed his arms over his chest as he closed his eyes, thinking carefully over what the kid was saying.
Yes, Hatake had been able to see them twice. The first time had been at Kiba's favorite restaurant. Now he had seen them together in here. But both times, the interactions he and Kiba had embarked on had been pleasant and rather normal; there had not been anything odd or even slightly worrying about their body language. So there would have been no reason for Kakashi to worry, right?
"Kakashi-Sensei has known me from before I was even born. He's seen me grow up and has had his fair share in helping me learn how to be a ninja. And he's considered to be an honorary Inuzuka; he may never show it, but he actually cares deeply for all of us Inuzuka." Kiba continued with a sigh, learning back into his own chair in a silent promise to Shikaku to not mention the arranged marriage again. "He's already asking questions."
"What kind of questions?"
Kiba huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
From the frown- which almost looked like a pout, but Shikaku was sure the Inuzuka would not appreciate that being pointed out- the kid wore, the way he carried himself, and the fact that he had not made a single move to reach back for his food after sitting back, Shikaku could tell that he didn't really want to answer his question.
It took a couple of seconds. Shikaku busied himself during those silent seconds by finishing his food, even though he knew he would not be leaving until Kiba had finished himself. Because there was no way he was going to allow the kid to waste himself away by neglecting to eat.
With a heavy huff, Kiba kicked at the floor once and said, "He wants to know what's been up with me recently." Keeping his gaze down on the table, he avoided all eye contact with the Nara… Again. "Why I've been around the library recently… why I'm not around the Village as much as before."
Library?
Shikaku was caught off guard by this single word.
The only sentence he had ever heard an Inuzuka say in which they were the main protagonist and 'library' was an important word had been just one: "I hate that fucking library and I'm never going back there ever again!"
For a moment, he wondered what the best course of action might have been. Shikaku was more than aware that Kiba didn't want to admit to something. He was keeping something secret, although he couldn't say he understood why. Especially seeing how it had to do with a place as mundane as the library. But he also wanted to be able to understand just why it was that the kid was so wary of Kakashi; why he was so worried that the man would be able to figure out what had been going on.
"Why the library?"
Kiba breathed in, closed his eyes, and breathed out. Then, "I've been reading up on different kinds of earth style jutsu."
It didn't take a genius to figure out just why it was the kid was learning. There was no point in reading up on any kind of jutsu if it wasn't for the eventual use of it in battle. What Shikaku couldn't understand, though, was why it seemed that Kiba acted as if he had to hide; why he looked ashamed in admitting to it.
"Alright…" The man murmured, "Have you begun to practice what you've learned?"
Kiba swallowed deeply and there was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead that bothered Shikaku.
"Kid, I'm not interrogating you." He was surprised when Kiba finally looked at him with disbelief and distrust clear in his eyes, "Whatever you tell me doesn't matter." He frowned, though, when Kiba's own frown deepened. "What are you worried about?"
His mouth opened for a second, but then his jaw seemed to lock and he forced his mouth to close once more.
Kiba looked a lot like Shikamaru had when he'd accidentally broken one of Yoshino's favorite vases while she had been out grocery shopping. It had happened years ago, but Shikaku could still remember the scene as if it had occurred before his eyes just yesterday. His young son had avoided all eye contact with him because he had feared- for a reason beyond Shikaku; he'd never been prone to anger so he knew his son had never seen him angry before that moment and not even afterwards, actually- that his father would punish him severely.
Maybe this was the reason why Kiba was so insistent on keeping his eyes away from Shikaku's own? It would make sense, actually… If he was worried that anything he did might piss the man off, then Shikaku had managed to finally figure out that mystery.
Breathing in, Shikaku closed his eyes to think about his course of action.
Shikamaru had been eight years old when this had happened. But he had always been a smart kid. So talking to him had not been difficult at all and Shikaku had been able to make him understand that he wouldn't shout or get angry with him just because he had made a mistake.
Kiba was sixteen years old and more than intelligent enough to be able to rationalize and understand. Talking to him should be easy.
"If you're worried about getting in trouble, you're worrying over something that won't happen." Shikaku opened his eyes to gage Kiba's reaction, only to find him glaring down at the table once more.
He had never thought he'd ever wish to make eye contact with someone as much as he wanted to do with Kiba. Why couldn't the kid just look him in the eyes?
"Whatever you do on your own time doesn't bother me. Heck, whatever you do around me won't bother me as long as you don't annoy me too much. And, quite frankly, you've done a good job of that."
Even though Kiba didn't look up, Shikaku was able to tell that his words struck a chord within him. His body language softened just minutely: his shoulders drooped a fraction, his neck allowed his head to hang loose rather than tensely, and his arms seemed to lose some of the tension that had been holding them against the table.
"It's… It's just extra training… There's nothing bad about it, really…" The kid whispered, forcing Shikaku to strain his hearing, "Only problem is that I do it at night."
"Night?" Shikaku repeated, then prodded in curiosity. "How late?"
This might explain why it was that Kiba thought he'd get in trouble.
Extra practice wasn't anything to worry over. If anything, Kiba should have been proud of taking his own measures to be able to get stronger and learn more. But if he was doing it at an hour of night that his family didn't approve of, then that would be somewhat troubling.
Although this still didn't explain why he wanted to avoid telling Shikaku any of this.
"… Later than midnight…"
Leaning back in his chair, Shikaku nodded to himself.
Okay. He now understood. Kiba was terrified that Shikaku would be the one to get him in trouble.
"Learned anything?"
The teen's answer was slower this time around. But Shikaku chalked that up to being caught off guard by his curiosity.
"Well… Uh… Yeah. I can handle some of the basics. But I haven't been at this for too long- a week isn't really that much time."
Nodding softly, the Nara opened his eyes to smile at the Inuzuka, "You don't have to worry about me telling on you, you know. As long as you're happy and don't hurt yourself, I've got no reason to sell you out to anybody." The kid blinked at him with completely stupefied disbelief. But soon Shikaku sighed and began to pick up his trash, "Although I've enjoyed my time with you, I think it's about time you returned home."
As he moved, Shikaku could hear nothing other than the sounds surrounding him. But he wasn't able to pick up any movements on Kiba's part. Which did not surprise him at all.
"Would…" The kid cleared his throat and Shikaku looked at him to find Kiba looking away from him. But there was a rather red tint to his face that Shikaku wasn't sure he could fully attribute to his tattoos. "Would you mind going with me?"
He had nothing better to do.
… Well… He did.
But returning to his office or having to make the long trek back to the Nara Compound just to face eager and annoying Elders didn't really sound all that pleasant at the moment. And Kiba had asked if he could take him, which meant the Inuzuka wanted him to go.
"Not at all." He smiled softly but made a show of point at the kid's half-eaten food, "Although you should deal with that first."
The kid frowned down it but made an effort to actually finish it.
When they arrived at the Inuzuka Compound, it was to find his mother talking with one of the Elders. Both women looked as if they were arguing- their eyes were narrowed and the frowns on their lips were heavy. But when he and Shikaku reached the entrance; right at the threshold between Konoha and Inuzuka territory; they turned to them.
"Oh, Kiba… How pleasant it is to see you again." The Elder smiled with a forced politeness that made the Inuzuka want to sneer at her.
She was only acting as if she were happy to see him because Shikaku was here. If not for him, Kiba was sure she would have ripped into him as soon as she had seen him. Which was actually the reason why he had asked him to accompany him back to his Compound: he knew his mother and Elders wouldn't kick his ass in front of someone that wasn't from the Clan.
"And Lord Nara." She turned all of her attention on the Nara, effectively making a point of wanting to ignore Kiba, "How went your date?"
"Ah come off it, Chifuyu." His mother rolled her eyes before she turned to the Jonin Leader with a dangerous, almost threatening, glint in her eyes, "I'm guessing the pup spent all yesterday with you?"
"Yes." The Nara answered, turning to motion to him. Kiba kept his eyes locked on the ground between Tsume and him, though, more than aware that he should not look any of the people around him in the eyes at the moment. "He helped me begin to straighten up my office."
Looking someone in the eye was reserved for equals, questioning of dominance, or specific displays of submission. If Kiba were to look at any of the three around him directly in the eyes, he'd get his ass handed to him by his mother. He needed to show to all of them that he did understand his place in the Inuzuka hierarchy. Just like he understood his place in the marriage he was being forced into. Maybe if he let them know he understood, they wouldn't be too pissed off with him…
As he dug his hands into his pockets, he heard his mother's answer. And her tone made him wince, for it was tensed and feigned ease, which let him know she had yet to forget about the past morning's outburst. "Spending time together? That's good."
"Indeed it is." The Elder cut in quickly before either of the others could say anything else, "We received word of your rather short date, but hearing that you two were together for so long makes up for that… Tell me, did anyone see you?"
Shikaku waited patiently for Kiba to answer. The teenager knew this because a Nara always had an answer. But he had been raised to know when he should speak up and when he should stay quiet. And unless a question was directed specifically for him, he should not say a single thing; especially when he was on thin ice with those older than him.
He heard the man sigh softly and his clothes ruffle as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Lord Yamanaka and a couple of couriers. Along with those that saw us walking around together."
"How 'bout this morning?" His mother questioned and Kiba could just feel her gaze on him.
He wasn't going to say anything, though. Shikaku clearly had a handle on the answers. And all of the thoughts currently occupying his mind screamed at him to question just why they thought this marriage was a good idea- which clearly wasn't the sort of thing his mother or the Elder wanted to hear. So he kept quiet.
"By a couple of ninja; yes. And some civilians and shopkeepers."
"Good, good… It seems that at least one of you understands his duties." The Elders words were harsh and critical, clearly aimed at him.
He would never say it out loud, but that had hurt.
Why was he always the bad guy in these things? Why did life make it its mission to fuck with his feelings all the time? Didn't it have anything better to do other than just make his life a living hell?
For a moment, all was silent. Kiba could smell the indecision that suddenly washed over Shikaku, which meant that his mother and Elder were able to as well.
Just what the indecision might have been about, Kiba would not find out. His Elder announced her departure just when Shikaku finally smelled of surety.
"It was a pleasure to see you again, Lord Nara. And, pup," Because he had been addressed, Kiba knew he had to make eye contact. So he glared directly into the old hag's eyes, silently screaming out everything he should never voice. "Do not embarrass your Clan."
He wasn't able to stop his lips from curling into a sneer at the woman's scathing tone. Even though he desperately wanted to seem docile- just to try and save himself from too harsh a punishment-, he wasn't able to accept so much distrust lying down.
The pompous shrugging off he received in return let him know that the hag didn't give a rat's ass about what he felt.
So he turned his eyes down to the ground once more. Even though his fists tightened within his pockets- so much so that he swore he cut through skin… Again.
Damn.
It had not felt right, being beside Kiba as the Inuzuka Elder tore into him. Because there was no other way to describe it- the female Elder wanted her words to scathe the teenager. Which felt unbelievably petty to him, but Shikaku knew it wasn't his place to speak out against her own words. Clan relations were difficult to understand and dangerous to try and mess with. Sometimes, it truly was better to just remain quiet. Although, if he continued witnessing such attacks, Shikaku wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep completely quiet. The treatment bordered on abusive, really.
Once the old woman was gone, Tsume turned her eyes onto her youngest son with a single-minded determination that promised confrontation.
Shikaku knew it wasn't his place to intervene. But he also knew that staying around ensured that Tsume would at least not do anything too hasty to get back at the son she undoubtedly thought to be unruly and out of his place.
"Listen kid, I'm not happy with the shitty stunt you pulled on me yesterday morning." The woman crossed her arms over her chest, jutting her hip slightly to the side in a stance Shikaku knew well. It was a somewhat mirror image to Yoshino's own whenever she wanted to grab him by the ear and force him to work. "But I can see you're at least trying. So as long as you eat that shitty attitude, bury it- fucking blow it up for all I care- and never bring it back, I see no problem in forgiving."
Shikaku had never heard about Tsume actually forgiving anyone. He'd heard about righteous revenge and petty episodes of disrespect. But she had never been the kind of woman to forgive any perceived wrongdoing.
From the look of utter astonishment that now decorated Kiba's face, Shikaku could see that even the teenager was also left stunned by what she had said.
"Now go and do something productive with your day. I don't give a single shit what it is. But know that tonight you're going to sit down and listen to everything your sister will teach you."
Kiba took a step forward, a flash of defiance crossing his face.
From the single glare his mother sent him, Shikaku reluctantly admitted that it made sense for the kid to be accustomed to squashing down his own feelings.
It seemed that Kiba didn't just restrain himself around him. This seemed to be a practice that was rather enforced by the Inuzuka Clan, if the way both women carried themselves and glared at Kiba was any indicator.
Tsume gave Shikaku a once over. Her sharp eyes looked over him, as if trying to find something even the Nara was not aware of.
If she found it or not, he was not told.
"Skipping out on work again? Not a good look, Nara."
There was a forced relaxation within her words that didn't sound quite right. It was too on edge; too harsh. But Shikaku decided to just play along and shrug, "I'll get to it eventually."
She nodded and tried a smile. But it looked so much like a sneer that the Nara was reminded of the many Inuzuka he had seen go into battle.
In all honesty, it was not the kind of look one wanted to see from an ally.
With a stern nod at them, Tsume turned around and stalked back into the Inuzuka Compound, leaving him and Kiba to stand by the gates in silence.
A couple of seconds passed before either of them said a single thing.
"… I'm worried."
Shikaku turned to look at the teenager, only to find him staring after his mother's retreating silhouette.
"Why?"
"She didn't have Kuromaru with her… And she didn't punish me… And Hana's going to make me listen to her again… They're planning something…"
Shikaku closed his eyes and nodded solemnly, all the while he heard Akamaru huff between them.
They all agreed then: There was undoubtedly more to the situation than either the Inuzuka Elder or Tsume were letting on.
Even though he knew that this situation wasn't the kind that he would ever wish on anyone, Shikaku could at least comfort himself with one fact: Kiba wasn't as stupid as another teenager might have been.
He was a teenager with a predisposition of expecting the worst, sure. But the kid was at least smart enough to see that there was something truly odd about the way the females had interacted with them. And he could connect all of the dots of the odd picture, even though he was not able to make a concrete conclusion. This was okay, though, seeing how not even Shikaku himself was able to figure out just what in the world was happening behind the curtains of the Inuzuka Clan.
With a heavy sigh, Kiba pivoted on his heels and motioned for Shikaku and Akamaru to follow him with his head.
Shikaku did so without a second thought, more than aware that he had to return to his Clan and staying in one place really wouldn't help him reach his destination.
Even though he was aware of where he had to go, he wound up follow Kiba a good bit of his trip. He wasn't sure just where it was that the kid was heading towards, but it had at least been in his general direction. So they had walked in an uneasy silence that wasn't nearly as bad as it had been during their first few meetings.
When they reached the market place, though, Shikaku knew that he would have to leave the kid. He was to head to the east now, towards his Clan's Compound so he could finally give his long overdue report on the past day's date. Kiba was going in the opposite direction, towards the Hokage Mountains and Academy.
"I'll see you later, kid." He cleared his throat and offered a small wave, which received a lazy wave of its own. "Don't train too hard."
"No promises on that, Lord Nara." The kid bit back with what Shikaku assumed to be an attempt at humor, although it fell rather flat. "Don't sleep too much."
The small smile that made its way onto his lips wasn't undeserved, "No promises."
Pushing his hands into his own pockets, Shikaku hunched his shoulders just slightly and sighed.
He was tired. He'd walked a lot more than he ever would have liked; thought a lot more too; before he had even returned to his home. He'd slept at his desk and been forced to deal with Clan related bureaucratic bullshit. For some reason he found himself actually kind of worried for what happened to Kiba- and, even though he would not admit it to himself, was kind of worried about what the kid might to do now that he had been given free reign of himself for the day. And he now had to return to his home to deal with even more bullshit he did not want to put up with.
On a normal day, he would have been glaring at the ground and exuding killer intent without a single bit of remorse.
All he felt right now, though, was confusion.
The Inuzuka Clan… Did not behave as he believed they would have. He knew they behaved like savages most of the time; he'd expected them to act in a similar manner during the proceedings. Not completely like the animals he knew they could be in battle. But near enough for him to feel comfortable.
He was proven horribly wrong. And he did not like it.
Feeling underprepared had never been something he had enjoyed.
It seemed he would have to conduct some sort of research into Inuzuka manners before he continued to be surprised by everything he witnessed from them.
He couldn't go to anybody about the situation. Shikaku was the only person that could even marginally begin to understand his situation- his feelings. And even though he had let a lot slip during the morning, he was not prepared to bear so much of his soul to a guy that he barely knew. Nice and seemingly trustworthy or not, the Nara Clan Head was still someone completely new to him. He may have said that he would not sell him out, but those words meant nothing to Kiba at the moment.
… Maybe… In the future, those words might mean a lot… They sounded pretty honest and strong, if he was being honest. But for the moment, Kiba could not bet all his cards on just words.
So he couldn't tell anybody what was happening. Telling someone would get him into a load of trouble he just did not even want to think about.
If talking to someone to just unleash some of his pent up emotions, then there was only one thing left to do: visit the library and continue training.
Kurenai Sensei barely ever called team training on weekends. She believed that there was a time for training and a time for rest. Right now, he should have been resting. But Kiba was restless. It was only obvious that he would do something to try and get rid of all of the energy he held inside.
This meant that his Saturday afternoon was spent in the library.
He still wore the same clothes he had been wearing the past day, but, luckily enough, they didn't smell bad. They didn't smell as if they'd been freshly washed, but this was better than nothing when he really didn't feel like going back home just to change clothes… He should have changed them while he had still been near, yes, but he couldn't go back… His mother's trap had been left unsprung. It was too risky.
As soon as he entered his little safe haven, he found Kotetsu corralling him towards his desk, a warm hand digging itself onto Kiba's head.
Quite frankly, if this had been anyone other than Kotetsu, Kiba was sure he would have slashed his hand off. But because this was a man he knew he could trust- a man he had managed to create some kind of friendship with in virtually no time-, Kiba didn't feel as if he were unsafe. Especially because the library was the closest he came to having a home now.
"Got any news for me, kid?" Kotetsu asked as he pulled up a chair for Kiba to sit on, right beside the one he used. "I'm guessing something must have happened- you didn't show up yesterday at Godforsaken hours." Then he pursed his lips, undulated his head slightly, and sucked at his teeth, "And you're here now… Not at the usual time."
The impulse to tell Kotetsu the truth rose up within him so fast that it kind of scared the Inuzuka. But he was able to stamp it down, more than aware that it wouldn't be a good idea to do such a thing.
He had a duty to fulfill. There was no way to get away from it. Asuma Sensei, his mother, his Elders... Everyone had made that unbearably clear.
"Nothing much… Pissed my mom off, though… So I'm kind of hiding from her."
Not a stretch, but not completely honest either. A perfect medium, if Kiba could say. He was kind of proud. Although there was an underlying feeling of wrong in this thought that made him quickly ignore the fact that he had lied. Again.
"What could you possibly do to piss Tsume off?" Kotetsu asked lightheartedly, then stood still for a moment, shrugged to himself, and turned to Kiba with a small smile. "Scratch that. There's a lot that could piss your mom off."
Kiba smiled softly, slowly beginning to feel much more relaxed than he had felt in a while.
Kotetsu had that kind of effect on people- he was just so happy. It wasn't an energetic, annoying happy, like Naruto's tended to be. It wasn't completely chill and relaxed either, though. It was a sort of happiness that fell in between those both extremes that was so purely Kotetsu Hagane that Kiba just couldn't deny how comfortable he felt around the guy.
Akamaru made his way beneath Kotetsu's large desk and curled up comfortably beneath it. Then the chunin threw himself onto his own chair, spinning a full circle before he stopped and looked at Kiba.
"Guess what I found."
His dark eyes sparkled and the smile on his lips was contagious. Kiba couldn't help but smile back. But then he pursed his lips in an act of dramatic flair that he always adopted whenever around Kotetsu.
As cliché as it may have sounded, he felt like there was no way he could do any wrong around the guy.
"Your sanity."
A jerky shake of his head and mock frown where Kiba's response. It didn't take a genius to know that this was not what Kotetsu had found.
Humming, Kiba looked over the large rows of books that made up the library's collection.
"Your pride?"
The older male made a choked sound: also a no.
"Your-"
"Before you insult me again, could you at least try and think?" Kotetsu huffed and Kiba looked at him from the corner of his eyes to see him with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "Geez, I thought you liked me."
"I appreciate your company- correct."
"You're meaner than Izumo." He unwound his arms, scratched his chin, tilted his head to the right just slightly, and huffed. "I've got a bad habit of making friends with really mean people… Is there even such a thing as a not mean person?"
Kiba felt warm at suddenly being called a friend.
He didn't know why.
It was stupid.
He knew it was stupid.
Yet... As stupid as it may have been, he could not stop himself from feeling good at just being called a friend.
His friends weren't bad. But… Well, he didn't know how to explain it. Not even to himself.
He loved all of his friends. They were all awesome people he'd give everything to protect. But… They were his age. They were all preoccupied with their own dilemmas and troubles. They were focused on… Well… Themselves.
He was too, so he couldn't really hold that against them.
Kotetsu wasn't focused on just himself, though. He sometimes told Kiba what was going on with him- even though he had yet to find out why it was that he was on library duty. But, oftentimes, he kept conversations light and tried to help Kiba out with his training. He didn't ask too many questions. And he did his best to just keep the library cozy for him.
Geez… He sounded selfish and self-absorbed…
Sighing softly, Kiba relented, "Some great new book on jutsu?"
"That is extremely generalized and I resent the fact that you took the easy way out rather than trying to guess specifics." The older male deadpanned immediately, but broke out into a large grin, "But I'm too excited to show you this to hold a grudge. Look at this beauty!"
The man materialized a book out of seemingly thin air.
It was large, incredibly thick, seemed to be in leather, and had no title on it.
Kiba blinked at it for a couple of seconds before he looked at Kotetsu.
"Uh… Yay?"
Kotetsu tsk'ed in contempt and pulled the book into his chest to hug it tightly.
"It's been a difficult search, but I managed to finally find it! It's a book on joint jutsu! You can start working on Akamaru's own chakra control so you can team up for more than just your Clan techniques!"
As soon as he heard the explanation, Kiba understood why it was that Kotetsu had been so excited. And he surged forward, moving to grab it and take it away from the chunin that most certainly did not need a book on shared chakra natured jutsu. But the little weasel moved it away and out of his reach.
"Now admit that I'm the awesomest person in the world."
Kiba reared back onto his chair and leveled him with an unamused glare.
"You are the most insufferable person in the world." Then he thrust his hand forward, "Now gimme."
Kotetsu shook his head and leaned back even further so that the book was even farther away from the Inuzuka's clutches.
"We've got a tough one, I see. Don't worry, Inuzuka. I'm training to get into T&I. I'll manage to break you. Just you wait!"
"You? T&I? I feel sorry for the pitiful sacks you'd have to interrogate… They'd kill themselves just to save themselves from having to listen to you."
Kotetsu gasped in genuine pain.
Kiba took this as his chance.
He sprung forward and tried to grab the book with his right hand, all the while the left moved to stabilize him against the back of Kotetsu's chair. But the spineless weasel was faster than he looked. With a squeak of surprise, he threw himself back even further and Kiba's fingers ghosted over the edge of the book before it was pulled away.
Somehow, Kiba wound up just about sitting on Kotetsu's lap. But that barely registered in his mind, much too busy trying to grab the book to actually notice it. And Kotetsu, just as invested in keeping the book away from him, didn't even seem all that bothered. He merely laughed as he used his superior height against the Inuzuka and kept the book far from the teenager.
"Hagane! Stop being so boring! Give me the book!"
"Not until you tell me how awesome I am!"
Kiba willed his body to stretch, although he was rather aware that he would not suddenly hit a growth spurt just because he wanted to grab the book. "I'm not going to lie! I'm your friend, right? Friends don't lie!"
"Friends lie all the time if it's to protect each other!"
Kiba stopped in his struggling to glare at the man directly in the eyes. Kotetsu relaxed just minutely, even though his body remained coiled up and prepared for another try.
"If you don't give me that book, I won't be your friend."
"I'm wounded."
Kotetsu smirked.
Kiba frowned.
Someone cleared their throat and pulled them away from their struggle.
Kotetsu turned his head to the side for just a second to see who it was that needed his help. But it was enough time. Kiba surged forward once more and found his attempt to be successful.
Jumping back with a hoot, the book clutched tightly and proudly in his hands, Kiba returned to his chair and enthusiastically opened it up to see what treasures awaited him.
"Hagane, Inuzuka, this is a library, not a playground."
While the words might have been stern, the tone was almost tickled. So Kiba was able to tell that this person wasn't about to scold him and Kotetsu for horsing around in the library… Or, well, at least it wouldn't scold them too harshly.
"Izumo, my friend, my dear, beautiful friend… How could you double cross me in this manner?" Kotetsu stood up and Kiba looked up to find a brown haired male being grabbed by his flak jacket's collar. "I thought we were supposed to be partners 'til the end."
The man had one eye covered by his hair, but the visible eye was more than enough to be able to see him rolling it. "That ended when you wound up here and I got shipped to gate duty. Ko, you are aware that the more you horse around, the less likely you'll be promoted?"
Kotetsu stopped shaking this Izumo and huffed. Then he threw himself back into his chair and threw his arms over his eyes dramatically.
"Oh, woe is me, dear Izumo! I do not think I could continue living if my future is stuck behind this desk!"
"I don't know…" Izumo muttered as he gave Kiba a once over, all the while the teenager quirked an eyebrow at him. "You seem entertained."
The tone wasn't amused anymore… There was something off with this guy's voice… And Kiba didn't like it.
"Yeah, kid's got a good head on his shoulders."
Kotetsu patted Kiba's head. With each pat, the Inuzuka lowered his head, shoulders rising up to his ears.
By the fourth pat, he bared his teeth at the annoying man.
His prize for showing a spine was to get his hair ruffled.
"Do that again and I'll bite your hand."
Kotetsu looked at him with that insufferable smile on his lips. Kiba glared at him in the eyes, even though he was conscious of the hand that was slowly descending on his hair.
As soon as it touched, he sunk his teeth into warm flesh.
The rest of the day, Kotetsu sulked about his newest bandage, claiming it was so uncool he couldn't even come up with a cool lie to explain what had happened to him. And Kiba enjoyed his newest book, a dozen different ideas making their way into his mind as he found out more and more information on how he would be able to join different sorts of jutsu to make an amazing combination attack.
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