Pack Nature Chapter 14, a naruto fanfic

Hello again, people. Some wonderful new names in the review list. Thank you for your patronage, your support is my honor and other such phrases that make gullible sponsors believe they are investing in something worthwhile.

Scribblezzz, I told you to go to the bathroom! Here, could you smack your own buttocks on my behalf, please? Half a dozen strokes, thanks.

It was a bloody long chapter, I know, but it had to be done. The "Tiger-Nin Arc" has gone on for long enough as is and I wanted closure. I probably would have done it faster if it weren't for all those damn Kurenai scenes, but they kept plaguing my thoughts and I had to put them in.

I don't have a whole load of things to ramble on about this time, so we'll have the chapter sooner than usual.

STOP. If you are of tender age or is still pure, you might want to get someone who isn't to read it for you and tell you the highlights. There is a slightly naughty scene ahead. Slightly. No clothes are stripped and no naughty words are used, many things are implied. It's really not so bad, and some might simply call it 'heavy fluff'. But JUST TO BE SURE, I am making this statement ahead of time. That's all I will say. You have been WARNED. So if you read it anyway and barf all over your keyboard, it is no longer my problem.

Outside of that, here is Pack Nature Chapter 14. Enjoy.

Disclaimer – Last time I checked, the globally recognized definition of ownership has not changed since Chapter 13, so I am still the loathsome scoundrel stealing someone else's hard work and making it my own. But if you're not ready to sue the other 100,000 guys that wrote Naruto fanfics on this website, please don't pick on me.

Water ... and darkness ... There is water all around me ... and it was very dark. I was lying face-first in a shallow pool of water, in unending darkness. Where the hell am I? Putting both hands on the ground, I pushed myself up. I strained my eyes and tried to see what there is to be seen. But I saw nothing.

This is unnatural for me. Since I was a young boy, I could actually see rather well at night. Of course not as clearly as during the day, but much more so than the other kids at the Academy. Then as I got older, I learnt that coating my eyes with a lens of chakra allows me to see heat signatures at night. Infra-red vision is the technical term. No hot-blooded being or heat source, like a campfire or a lit cigarette, could escape my eyes at night. Just like no chakra network escapes the Byakugan's penetrating gaze.

But right now, I saw nothing. Nothing but darkness ... When has darkness ever been this dark?

I was afraid, but quickly and willfully dispersed it. What did Momma always say? Stay sharp and keep your damn head in the game. Trust your instincts but be the one in control. Don't let your emotions run away with your sanity. Especially fear. Fear is the worst of all human emotion. At least anger gives you some kind of strength. It drives you to act without thinking, but at least you're doing something. At least you are responding to your situation.

But fear ... it simply weakens you. It paralyzes you and immobilizes you, and you are completely defeated because you can't do anything. A little sparrow staring into the eyes of a boa constrictor will become so afraid that it cannot even move. It has the wings to take to the skies, to a place out of reach of its predator. But when it is so afraid to move, what is the point of having wings?

I reach around aimlessly, trying to grab ... I don't know ... something, anything. My hand falls onto a hard, unbending object, easily a foot long. Its shape is strange and I could not immediately tell what it is, but it felt like it should make a decent weapon. Slowly, I rise to my feet, feeling some kind of comfort with the newfound weapon in my hand. When you can't even see, you would rather not get into a fight barehanded.

But what kind of fight am I getting into? Who might I fighting? My ears tell me that I am all alone, but my pounding heart told me I am not. Sometimes I am not sure which of my instincts I'm supposed to listen to.

My nose then caught a whiff of some horrible, repugnant stench. It is thick and putrid, the very smell of decaying meat and blood, like a water buffalo that has been slaughtered and left out for three days. But this is not the smell of buffalo. My nose doesn't lie. This smelt human. But, who? Whose blood? Why is the atmosphere so thick and stuffy with it? And where the hell am I?

Last I remembered I was fighting the damn tiger-bastard, which turned out to be some fruit cake claiming to be a great ninja. Did he conk me on the head or something ... I really could not remember. Maybe I am under concussion. I mean, I did not feel so hot right now, so perhaps I did take a hard beating from the guy.

I begun walking. I listened to the water shuffling as I waded through it, about ankle-high. Twice, I almost stumbled over unseen objects floating in the pool. I grit my teeth and gripped my weapon tightly. Grimly, I moved on.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a slow and ominous creaking behind me. Like that of a rusty old door that badly needs oiling. My world is bathed in a dim red hue. I could see clearly now the first thing I realized is that I am surrounded by skulls. Human skulls. Piles and piles of them; some piles taller than me. Skulls bobbing about in the shallow water. And a few full skeletons. I turned and looked at my hand to see I am holding up a femur, the long bone of the lower leg. With a shout, I threw it away.

I turned around to face the 'door' that just opened. In front of my eyes is an awesome sight. It is not so much a doorway as it is a hole in space. It stood hundreds of feet tall in the middle of the pool. A portal to another dimension. Leading into what seems to be a room filled with red.

I have the strangest feeling like I've seen something like that only recently ...

I could see nothing of what is in that room, but I could feel heat emanating from it. Smoldering heat, red and hot. I felt like a tiny ant standing in someone's barbecue grill. Sweat ran in long rivulets down both sides of my face. Strangely, I was sweating more from the heat than from fear. I suddenly realized that I was no longer afraid, but curious.

What is beyond that great doorway?

Why don't you come in and find out? Ha ha ha ha ...

I shook my head as though trying to dispel a genjutsu. Was that a voice I heard? I could not be sure. Perhaps it was something in the wind, except that there is no wind. Maybe I am going crazy. Something seemed to be drawing me towards that doorway. I moved. I begun walking.

Yes ... yes! Come ... come! Ha ha ha ha ... come!

I don't know why, but there is a gnawing sensation within me that I am about to come face to face with a great destiny.

My world is about to change.

Akamaru shifted and whined in confusion. Where the hell is he now? This certainly doesn't feel like the forest floor. It's too soft. Perhaps it had all been one big, crazy dream and he is still in Konoha. For one thing, he is extremely comfortable right now, wherever he is. He is surrounded by softness and warmness, just the way he likes it. Not bothering to even open his eyes he snuggles deeper into the warm softness, convinced that he is in his bed back home.

"Akamaru-kun? You're awake? Are you hungry?"

The little white dog opened one eye, feeling puzzled. Since when do beds talk? He is so sleepy right now that he didn't even bother to think straight. Maybe he is still dreaming. Then his bed begun to move. It was then he realized he was not in his bed but on someone's lap. Ah, it must be Sister Hana's lap then. She's great with animals. All the nin-pups in the litter loved to sleep on her lap or shoulder. First off, she had this great smell. And she had just the right balance of soft and warm that resembled Mother's.

But, hold on ... Akamaru now opens both eyes as his mind suddenly processed all the information. That was not Sister Hana's voice. It sounded way too pretty! And that is not her smell either. Sister Hana wreaks of doggy shampoo and medicine because she works at the Howling Hell.

That's what the nin-pups called the place Sister Hana works at. Many a time have they passed by to hear the fearful wail of one of their seniors receiving treatment. The older dogs mournfully tell of tales of Sister Hana and the demonic three-inch needle she stabs into their backsides to administer drugs.

Nope, this definitely did not smell like that damn place. It is a strangely sweet and soothing smell that intoxicated Akamaru, filling his senses with the aroma of rainbows cast over green meadows filled with dainty blossoms. It must be what Heaven smell like! So sweet! So beautiful! So ...

... lavender.

"How are you feeling, Akamaru-kun? Is the pain gone?"

The girl bounces the little puppy on her lap before Akamaru rolled over onto his back and wagged his tongue and tail at her making her laugh. He liked that laugh. It sounded cute and genuine, very unlike that monstrous sound Big Thunder makes.

Big Thunder is what all the nin-pups called Master Kiba's mother. She is a very kind person, Akamaru knew, but they didn't call her Big Thunder for nothing. Her booming voice when she is angry thundered through the house, threatening to shake it off its foundations. Her footsteps shook the earth wherever she walked, scattering all the older dogs into good behavior.

But this girl ... this Hyuuga girl ... Akamaru wagged his tail hard. He repositioned his feet and tried to leap up so he can lick her face. Damn, he liked her so much! So cute! So soft! So warm! Such an angel! And that smell ... Akamaru let the sweet scent envelop his senses again. Lavender. Glorious lavender. It's intoxicating! Who cares about Sister Hana? Akamaru couldn't bother to remember her face right now.

"No, Akamaru-kun! Down! Please ... Please get down. There's a good boy."

Akamaru obeyed willingly, jumping off her onto the floor. Because she had said 'please'. He appreciated that. It was so different from Big Thunder's "Get the fuck off my couch, ya pint-sized pack of filth, before I rip ya half in half and eat ya!"

Still wagging his tail, he sat down waited. The Hyuuga girl got up, smiling sweetly at him as she went over to a table. He heard her moving some plates around and felt his mouth water. Plates mean only one thing ... there is food to be had! Suddenly, he felt very hungry.

Kneeling down, the girl placed two paper towels on the ground, then dropped a piece of uncooked meat onto it. Akamaru attacked it at once, going into a frenzy in his excitement.

"Akamaru-kun! Please chew your food before swallowing! You're going to get hiccups!"

And so he did. A large hiccup jolted through him, causing him to jump. He looked up frantically at the kindly girl.

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Hmm! What did I tell you? Now, let's get you some water."

The young pup whined pitifully as he took a deep breath and held it whilst waiting for the girl. Yukimaru said that holding your breath did help keep the hiccups down.

"You know ... Otou-sama would never let me keep my own pet," the Hyuuga girl said as she placed the dish of water on the floor. "Or at least not something I can play with. No dogs, or cats. He said I could keep a fish or a bird, if I want. But I don't like fish! You can't play with fish."

Akamaru's bobbed up and down in acknowledgement. He didn't fancy fish very much either. Or birds. They are cat-related, and anything cat-related goes right against the Inuzuka ninja puppy's code of honor. If any nin-pup so much as dares to confess a liking for eating fish or chasing yarnballs or scratching furniture, everyone gets to ridicule him and call him a "neko-fanboy" for an entire month.

"I wish ..." the girl's voice trailed off as she stared out the window. "I wish you were my dog, Akamaru-kun," she suddenly said. "I sometimes feel lonely, even in my own home. I am an heiress so the branch families treat me very well, but I don't want more serving ladies. I want a friend. Someone I can come home to at the end of a hard day and tell all my worries to."

Akamaru stopped lapping up his drink for a moment and looked up at the girl. What is wrong? Wavering voice, dull tone ... she sounded sad, he thought. Yukimaru had taught him how to identify human emotion, but he was not very good at it yet. For instance, he could never accurately tell when Big Thunder is happy or pissed off because her tone is explosive and echoes through the halls either way. But this time he is sure the Hyuuga girl is feeling down. Akamaru briefly wondered if Master Kiba had been bullying her, although he is quite sure he is not.

The nin-pup decisively moves over to where he can rub the side of his head against her leg. He hoped that she understood it as a term of endearment. Her smile told him she did. She knelt down then and lifted him off the floor, looking deep into his eyes.

"Akamaru-kun ... Do you know what I am saying? Can you really understand my words? I don't know if you can and I know you cannot use telepathic speech like Kuromaru-sama to talk to me, but I'd like to think you do understand. All I want is someone who will listen. I'm sorry if I am such a burden."

The puppy responded by wagging his tail and lolling his tongue.

The girl smiled. "Anyway, Kiba-kun should be waking up soon. We will go and greet him together."

The room is red. Blood red.

I have no knowledge of where I am. Right in front of me, I saw several tall pillars extending to the looming darkness far above me ... hell, I can't even see a ceiling. I imagined I might be in some sort of temple or maybe even a mausoleum where prisoners of war are abandoned and left to die with no food and water. But what the blazes am I doing in one of those in the first place!? No such structures exist in Fire Country, or at least none to my knowledge.

Then I heard a steady rumbling, like that of distant thunder signaling that a storm is not far away. I shortly realized it to be the sound of something breathing. Something big.

I stopped walking and looked around me. This room had skulls all over the place too. The heat is more intense and I half-thought of removing my jacket before proceeding. I was over being scared now, but I am still confused.

I do not know where I am, yet the place had a certain familiar appeal to me. I have never been here, yet I felt connected to it somehow. A deep soulful sense of belonging.

Welcome, Master. Ha ha ha ha ...

That voice ... that strange voice again. I felt like I have heard it before, many times in random situations through the course of my life. I always thought I was hearing things because my senses are so acute. This time I am dead sure it is a voice because it is much louder than I have ever heard it before, and what's more it sounds like it is coming from right in front of me. From the darkness beyond the pillars extending to a ceiling unseen.

"Who is there? What do you want? Show yourself!"

Ha ha ha ha ... if you so wish, Master.

Then, a frightening sight. From the darkness I saw two eyes. Two eyes suspended in the darkness. Beast-like, red like fire, and huge. Below the eyes, the being smiled at me and I saw a huge set of carnivorous, dog-like teeth. Squinting, I thought I could almost make out the shape of a huge animal. It looked like a dog. It was then I realized that those pillars are actually prison bars. A towering prison encaging a gargantuan beast.

I took two steps back as the creature snickered at me. Yet, I am not afraid. I mean, sure I am very confused, but I wasn't shaking in my boots. I felt strangely calm. Somehow I knew the beast would not attempt to attack me and even if it wanted to, it can't. At the same time I felt as though the beast is a part of me, like is in a way my own brother. I think I am going crazy. Maybe I should stop eating grass and tree bark for fun.

I took a moment to gaze and study the creature, feeling like I was at a really weird zoo. It had not stopped grinning and seemed to be patiently waiting for me to get my head together. Once again, I am surprised by my absence of panic. Shouldn't I be screaming and running the other way with my arms waggling all over the place by now? Instead, I noticed that the rhythm of my heartbeats had not fluctuated in the slightest

"So ... who are you really?"

Hmm hmm hmm hmm ha ha ha ... Connect the dots. You already know the answer.

"Are you maybe ... my conscience? Is this the realm within my own mind? It is, isn't it? I fainted in battle and I am now hallucinating. Momma always said I have too vivid an imagination."

Wrong! I am no figment of dreams and wild fantasy! I exist as you exist! I am flesh and blood and bone and hide as you are! Or at least I was until they vaporized my physical form. And now, I live in you. I depend on you. As you feel, I feel.

"What are you talking about!? Am I ... Am I possessed by the restless spirit of some dead guy!? Please get out of me! Go find someone else to haunt!"

Hmmmmm ... Not quite the sharpest pin in the cushion are you, boy? But we are done speaking for now. There has been an unexpected interruption.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of coolness wash over my face. Suddenly, I felt dizzy. I am losing consciousness again.

"Oopsie! Did I wake you up?"

Kiba slowly opened his eyes. His head hurt and his body felt like it had been run over by a stampede of wild horses. He felt giddy from the sensation of his thoughts jogging from one hemisphere of the brain to the other.

What had he experienced earlier? Something about dead people in a giant prison? Or a big talking door insulting him? Or a dog swimming in red water? It is all so damn confusing. A hundred thoughts trying to push their way to the centre of his consciousness all at once. Was he even dreaming before?

But it felt so real ...

Something coarse and cold dragged across his face at that instance, breaking his train of thought. What's that ... a cloth? Someone is wiping his face with a cloth?

"Wakey-wakey, handsome! Don't be shy!"

Kiba finally wakes up for real this time. To his surprise, he saw a pair of hazel eyes staring right down at him. Beautiful eyes framed by a face with a strong jaw. Kiba's breath stuck in his throat as he realized that he is looking at a girl. She is standing beside him and leaning over far enough for him to get an up-close-and-personal view of delicious cleavage past her collar.

Holy Hubba.

"Who ... who are you?" his voice barely above a squeak, wondering if this is part of the dream and he is actually still asleep.

The girl giggled, a truly sexy giggle in his opinion, but she did not answer. She flicked her head back to throw the fringe off her face and Kiba saw wavy hair the color of ripening corn, done up in four puffed tails.

He liked her face as well. It had a look of fierce confidence. This is a girl who knows what she wants and sees that she gets it. That coy smile and the way she cocked her eyebrow up at him ... Kiba could not understand why he found these details so fascinating.

But forget the lovely little eyebrow wiggling ever so slightly like it was beckoning to him ... Kiba grew hot when he suddenly realized that he did not have a shirt on. He is on a bed half-naked with a girl practically all over him. The cool, tingling sensation on his chest and stomach can only mean she wiped his body with cold cloth as well ...

Yes! I'm dreaming! I must be! I've not woken up yet!

She leaned further in to stare into his eyes, not enough for their bodies to touch, but still close enough to raise eyebrows. Kiba's eyebrows are definitely raised. Swallowing the gathering lump in his throat, Kiba clung desperately to the last shreds of his sanity.

Human will and animal instinct battled. He forced himself to stay calm and think of un-sexy things, like his mother smacking him upside the head or Kuromaru telling him boring stories about his nin-puppy days, so as to keep certain parts of his body from waking up.

The girl started running the cloth over his neck, making his skin tingle in strange and exciting ways he had never experienced before. Kiba wanted to scream.

Think of Shikamaru and Shino playing Shogi butt-naked!

Think of the Sandaime sitting on a potty and reading a comic book!

Thing of Choji burping through his nose!

Think of Kuromaru laughing!

Think of Kuromaru sleeping!

Think of Kuromaru rolling over!

Think of Kuromaru humping somebody's leg!

Think of Ino ... uhh, no wait, don't think of Ino!

Think of Kurenai-sensei bald and fat!

Think of a plank of wood!

Think of ...

On the other hand, this is probably the most arousing experience he has ever had in all his young teenage life. Certainly, it is the closest he had ever been with a girl. Somehow Hinata did not quite fall in the same category because Kiba had never had a romantic thought about her. She is his teammate and Kiba believed in drawing the line between comrade and companion.

He encountered several other noteworthy girls back in his Academy days of course. He just never gave time to getting to know any one of them on a personal level. They are his classmates, nothing more. His friends, but not his buddies. He had never asked anyone out and shied away from all social invitations. Living with a couple of boisterous, short-tempered dog-women did not do anything to prepare him for communion with members of the opposing gender.

He had no freakin' idea what to do right now. Just lying there like the doorknob he is.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" called a voice. An uninvited person had entered the room.

Kiba turned his head to one side and beheld a horrible vision of what seemed to be a man with cat ears, wearing a thick black catsuit coming into the room. And that's not even the worst of it. The dude had red and purple patterns splotched all over his face in some weird geometric design, making him look like the ugliest damn clown in all of creation.

The girl hissed irritably and drew back a few steps. "Damn it, Kankuro! Don't you know that the invasion of personal privacy is a crime?"

"What were you doing?" the painted fellow asked calmly.

The girl's four fluffy tails shook as her head bobbed forward in frustration. "That is none of your business! He is an Inuzuka! I have never seen one before, so I was merely getting a closer look!"

"That was close alright. So close he could have counted your eyelashes!"

She folded her arms and growled menacingly. Then she calmed down instantly and turned back to look at Kiba. He saw that she had that sly-looking smile again. "Hmmmmph ... there are no good men left in Sunakagure. Certainly not one like that!" She finished by winking at him.

But Kiba's mind had moved onto other things. Like Kuromaru. And Hinata. Oh god, Hinata. He immediately sat up and turned to the two strangers in the room. "Hey! What's going on? Where am I and what have you done to my comrades? And whilst I'm at it, where the hell is my shirt!?"

"Don't get your whiskers in a knot, buddy boy," said the painted one. "Everything is cool. Your friends are good. You're in the Sand Village."

"I saved you!" the girl declared proudly.

The clown shook his head. "Nah, you didn't. Gaara did."

"He was busy filling the fat jounin's lungs with gravel! I tended to them first!"

Kiba watched the two argue back and forth for a few seconds. "Damn it! Enough of this! Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on here!?"

The door on the left side opened right then as is on cue and a huge furry beast walked in.

"We had a turn of good fortune," it said. "I see you are awake, Kiba. Feeling better?"

The dog-nin grinned. "Kuro!"

"Ah, I see ... So, that's what happened," Kiba nodded after Kuromaru finished relating to him the events that occurred since their encounter with the Great Tiger Hero.

The mission to take down Subaba Toradegaro is misguided, but not a mistake. For reasons unknown, Subaba's bunshin have indeed been sighted in locations unnatural for tigers to be. There are wild tigers living in the section of the woods close to where greenery ended and Suna's barren desert sands began, so the people of the Sand would be wary if one showed up where it shouldn't.

But nobody knew that they are not dealing with actual tigers. Thinking that some unnatural clog in the ecosystem is causing the beasts to turn stir-crazy, a security development group sent a letter to their regional allies at Konoha. The request asked for the opinion of the Hidden Leaf's field-topping animal experts. Namely, the Inuzuka.

"Lady Luck is smiling upon our dear Hinata today," Kuro says with a doggy smile. "The tiger-bastard did not harm one hair on her head!"

As it turned out, a year-old genin squad from the Sand Village happened to be returning from a distant mission. Coincidence had them casually stroll through that part of the forest that morning. Identifying the Leaf hitai-ite and recognizing their allies, they jumped into the battle right away.

Subaba had no idea what hit him. Being a true jounin, however, he actually managed to escape. The Sand-nin did not bother giving chase, deciding instead to look after their visiting allies.

"The lucky bastard ..." said Kiba with narrowed eyes and balled fists. The son of a feline had hurt his pride, invaded his personal space and wounded his pack. Squad 8's first mission beyond the gates of Konoha and they ended in failure. Well, Subaba probably won't be coming back and they solved the mystery of tigers appearing all over the place, but they did not nab the culprit.

When Kiba looked up again, he saw the spunky girl staring at him like she did before. That intense gaze that seemed to burn into him. He still didn't know her name.

"So, uhhhh ... you're the one who saved me, huh?" he rubbed the back of his head. He did not understand why he felt nervous all of a sudden. "Uhhh ... thanks, I guess. My name is Sheeba ... N-No! I mean ... Kiba ..."

There's that coy, sexy smile again. "I'm Temari," she said.

The most straightforward and simplest introduction in the world. But it was not just the simplicity that amazed Kiba. It was the way she said her name. She said it like she really wanted you to know that she is Temari, that Temari is not just a name but a significant personification. Temari is what describes her entire self, it is who she is on the inside and out.

"Temari, huh? Yeah ... uhhhh ... thanks ... thanks a lot."

She dropped her head a little to the side. "No problem!"

The painted guy stepped forward as well. "And I'm Kankuro, the Bringer of Order! I'm a pretty important guy, so you would do well to remember me!"

Temari snorted at that.

"Uhhhh ... yeah ..." Kiba really did not know what else to say. "What's with the girly makeup?"

"It's not makeup!" Kankuro roared. "Why, why does everyone ask if it's makeup!?"

Temari socked him in the shoulder. "Maybe because it is makeup! Better yet, it's my makeup! I thought I told you to stop plundering my dress drawers, you swine! That lipstick was imported! I had to bribe Midoho-san with two B-ranked missions worth of pay and promise to go out with him for one night before he was willing to place an order for me."

Kankuro is persistant. "It is not lipstick! At least, not in its original form anyway! Hundreds of years ago, the tribal aborigines of this land used the same stuff to draw colorful symbols on their faces before they go to war. Different symbols have different meanings, and different colors suggest the personality of the warrior! Purple is the color of deep and undying passion! These integrating circles on my right cheek represent courage and valor. The design on the left means I shall be a ray of hope for my people. And the pattern on my forehead is the symbol for my supreme and everlasting handsomeness!"

Temari bent over and made a barfing sound. The door opened again at that instant and Hinata entered the room then with Akamaru at her heels.

"Kiba-kun! You're ... you're okay!"

He turned and grinned at her. There was a brief moment of awkwardness when she made as though she was going to fling her arms around him, then seemed to suddenly 'come to her senses' and pull back with a gasp. Her face flushed the color of tomatoes in spring as she took great interest in observing a particular part of the floor. And playing with her fingers, of course.

He put an arm around her anyway, making her squeal in surprise. He secretly enjoying teasing her this way because she was always so honestly embarrassed.

Hinata looked up into her teammate's eyes and forced a big, happy grin. "Kiba-kun!" she said breathlessly. "It's ... It's g-g-good to s-s-see you!"

He smiled and ruffled her hair, much to her chagrin. Nothing is cuter in this world than watching Hinata Hyuuga force herself to act brave.

The group chatted on for awhile, getting to know one another. They learned that Temari and Kankuro are actually brother and sister, although Kiba had a hard time believing it. Temari is the oldest, almost two years older than Kiba and Hinata in fact, and they had a younger brother by the name of Gaara, who is not available at this time. Better yet, the three siblings are the children of Lord Kazekage himself.

Gaara had been the one to intercept the tiger-shinobi before Subaba did any harm to Hinata. Unfortunately, Hinata could not properly relate that part of the story to Kiba and Kuromaru because she had fainted almost as soon as the Sand trio showed up.

The conversation moved from the bedroom, which they found out was a resting ward in a small clinic, to the community building. The Sand's village planning appeared strange to the Leaf nin. Every structure in sight is made entirely of sand. The villagers lived without electrical and plumbing networks.

Temari declared that sandstorms rang through the area at night, whipping through the houses so violently that nobody really needed an electric fan. They drew water for cooking and washing from a natural oasis a mile to the North. And they got around at night by fire's light.

Both Kiba and Hinata have been in Suna before but they had never seen any buildings like these. To them, Suna was always just a miniscule version of the Leaf Village set in a backdrop of shifting desert sand instead of lush green forest.

As Temari told them, there are actually two Sand Villages. One for the regular tradesfolk and one for the Sand shinobi. Unlike in Konoha, the two societies did not quite see eye to eye here and prefer to live separately.

The shinobi's domain, Temari declared, is the real Hidden Village because no one knew it existed. It lay hidden in the swirling sands where desert storms hit the hardest, invisible to the outside world. To keep up with appearances, Lord Kazekage's office is in the center of the commercialized area amongst the traders. Sand ANBU patrolled the flea market every day. Thus, visitors are led to assume that Sand shinobi lived amongst the townspeople just like they do in Konoha.

"Would you like to eat something?" Temari was saying as they entered a larger building. This seemed to be a central hangout spot as there are other shinobi seated here and about, talking and drinking and playing cards. There is even a wooden pool table in the middle of the hall that looked completely out of place because everything else is made out of sand. Even the chairs and tables are sand sculptures rooted into the floor.

"Don't worry," Temari said with a chuckle as she looked at Kiba's and Hinata's perplexed faces. "Our food does not come from sand!" She led them down a small hallway, explaining that they could have their meal in a private room.

"The Sand is full of stuffy, tight-necked untrusting bastards. It's sad, but there you go," Temari continued with a sigh. "We may be allies, but it is almost a tradition here that they give any outsider a hard time, just for the heck of it."

The Sand genin looked over her shoulder at the group and winked. "I'll look after you guys though, so don't worry! They won't mess with you if you're with one of us. But especially me, because I'm the most darling!"

Kankuro cleared his throat. "Ahem! That would be me!"

Kiba, who was bringing up the rear, slowly tuned out of the Sand siblings' bickering. He smiled to himself as he fondly recalled similar spats he had had with his own sister. Suddenly, he missed Konoha and his home very much. But they had only been away like, what ... a day?

It felt like it had been ages. It felt like they had been through a great life-altering adventure. But what had they done, really? They botched up a simple tiger-catching mission. In the end, Suna's genin took care of it themselves.

Suddenly, Kiba stopped walking. He sensed something in the air. A deadly killer instinct. People don't realize that when they have murder and vengeance on the brain, their bodies give off a faintly sinister aura. The Inuzuka are capable of sensing this aura.

Kiba's nose twitched violently. He felt his hands curling into hard fists all by themselves. Someone, or something, smelled strongly of death. A trickle of cold sweat ran down the dog-nin's cheek. Kiba realized that he was afraid. He is very afraid. But what is it? What is causing him to feel this way all of a sudden.

On impulse, he spun around and found himself face to face with the glinting eyes of a young boy with placid skin and a shock of red hair. They are standing only a foot apart and Kiba had no idea how he got so close without him realizing. The two of them looked deep into each others' eyes. To the dog-nin, he had the inexplicable sensation that he was looking at a walking corpse.

Kiba felt his heartbeat ebb like crazy as the fear in him increased tenfold.

The strange boy opened his mouth to speak. His voice sounded strangled, like his trachoids are full of sand.

"You ... You have ... one inside you too ... don't you?"

End of chapter. Thanks for reading.

The first question that comes to mind is ... aren't the Sand and Sound supposed to be plotting a joint attack on the Leaf? Why are they letting Squad 8 roam freely on their grounds? Well, simply, I think it is not the time for that yet. I believe Orochimaru executed his plan pretty damn close to the chuunin exams, which I won't be going into for quite a few more chapters. In other words, Sand and Leaf are still chummy at this point. Temari is a genin after all and probably innocently figured it was okay to let their allies in on such things.

Some of you staunch Temari fans might be sticking your lower lip out at the screen right now. I'm sorry if she seemed a little easy in her scene with Kiba, but I daresay it is well justified. She is of strong, spunky character. I believe she would do something like that. Don't forget that my Kiba is supposed to be a lot more gorgeous than the original because he matures faster than the average fellow.

Hell, I believe even Hinata would bravely try something on Naruto if they were in the same situation. Girls, be honest. Hunky guy, half naked and unconscious, and you're alone with him. None of you would pass up the opportunity. I know I wouldn't. Especially if it's Zabuza ... nah, I'm kidding, come on.

Maybe I painted a slightly OOC Temari; but it is not an unnatural thing to go "out of character" sometimes. There are situations in life that cause us to behave or act in ways that we later say "I don't know what came over me". Ever seen a really sweet, shy person explode in a fury of intense rage and hatred?

Finally, there is always my last resort excuse for situations like this. It is all in the name of fanfiction fun and I'm experimenting with new character developments, so try and work with me, okay?

Notice I've been using the phrase 'son of a feline' a few times now. In trying to keep up a dog-worthy atmosphere, 'bitch' would hardly have been an insult.

WAIT, DON'T GO YET!!

Did I post Chapter 15 as well? Yes, I did! But before you jump into it, please do me a favor? If you could so kindly review this chapter first. The reason is that I am interested in your honest responses to this chapter. Reading 15 might affect how you review 14 is all I'm saying. Pretty please? With mango icing, chocolate sprinkles in whipped cream and a cherry on top?