Just a short little spur of the moment addition. And no, this doesn't count as one of the two upcoming chapters! Come on guys and gals and others, I'm not a con artist! Just a little peak and then back to the main event soon enough! Enjoy readers.
While Shikamaru was still on his return trip, the rest of his team were to keep quiet and observe, to stay out of the way of enemy shinobi in order to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Sitting around doing nothing was what Naruto had immediately begun to call it.
Each member of the squad went about wasting time in different ways, which seemed amusing to Kiba.
Neji, perhaps out of boredom or out of nervousness, kept a constant pot boiling for tea, always taking it off of the stove top at the proper time for a perfect cup of tea before either pouring himself another cup or emptying it into the sink and starting anew. It was Kiba's favorite to watch for no other reason to see the mighty Hyuga reduced to such a common task.
Choji seemed to open a new bag of lightly salted chips every 15 minutes or so. The only odd thing about this act, as it was nothing new for Choji to constantly snack, was Kiba could not figure out where the constant flow of chips came from. He has already decided there was no way he had brought this insane amount, and Choji never seemed to leave the room. It was like watching real sorcery in action.
Lee refused to miss any training, despite being cooped up inside a relatively cramped apartment space. He completed thousands of push-ups and crunches and other little exercises, taking a break here and there to have tea with Neji or debate training tactics with Naruto.
Ino spent time doing one of two things: complaining to Choji about the situation, his snacking, the humidity, etc. and debating tactics and scenarios with Neji in-between everyone else talking to Neji.
What is it about that guy…no one seems to want my opinion on anything, but they all want Neji's opinion on everything. Well, that's his problem. Kiba thought to himself, both with a little jealousy and amusement.
It was Naruto that surprised Kiba the most during Shikamaru's hiatus from the team. He was not running amok, being obnoxiously loud, complaining, or any form of annoyance that typically accompanied him. He sat quietly, in what appeared to be meditation, or talked with Neji and Lee about relative topics. Kiba knew the Shinobi War changed Naruto, for the better, but to really see the difference, to see how much Naruto had grown, was an experience. Kiba admired Naruto, though he would prefer not to admit it, and it was this admiration that stirred a fire in him. Kiba was determined to match Naruto, stride for stride. He would not allow the savior of the Shinobi world to so easily become the next Hokage.
"Naruto is something altogether different, isn't he," asked Neji, as he sat next to Kiba, offering a second cup of tea to Kiba who happily accepted. Kiba nodded in agreement before sipping his drink.
"If we're lucky, he'll be the hokage someday. I can support that. But, I'll be damned if he is given the title. I'm gonna make him earn it." The sternness in his voice made Neji chuckle a little.
"You know, he admires you as much as you admire him."
Kiba looked at Neji, rather inquisitively, suggesting Neji continue.
"He has seen the way you support and protect your friends. That is an honorable trait, one that we should all bear. Naruto admires it far more than others because of his upbringing. And now he's found his pack, and you're a part of it. We all are. It's a wondrous thing, and he has you to thank. He learned to put his pack before anyone else from you."
Kiba smiled before looking over at the meditating Naruto once more. This was Naruto's pack, and Kiba was proud to be a part of it.
The crow was back, cawing again.