Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Lesson Twenty-Five
Fangs, Blood, and Loyalty
x
If Sakura Haruno was going to get a free meal out of this, she chose the most expensive restaurant in town.
She abandoned the drab white of her medical uniform for the vibrant green dress that flattered her figure. She was more than willing to leave the boring, flat, but oh-so-comfortable work shoes at home. After all, her high-heels needed some practice.
It all went wrong the moment she entered the restaurant.
"What do you mean I need a reservation?!"
"Sir- you need to notify us a month ahead and-"
Kiba threw the hostess bodily against the wall. "If you don't want me rip your throat out, get me a table now."
The manager of the restaurant, an Akimichi, brilliant chef, and a former ninja stepped in to intervene. "Inuzuka," the Akimichi said amiably with a smile as sweet as his desserts. "I have a table prepared for you."
"Finally," Kiba growled and dropped the hostess to the ground.
Sakura didn't think dinner was worth it anymore. She attempted to step back and cringed when Kiba turned and spotted her. His eyes lit up and quickly attempted to hide his excitement under a cocky swagger. He smirked and his eyes leered at her figure.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Sakura grumbled as she shoved past Kiba and demanded the Akimichi to take them to their table. They followed the chef all the way to the back of the restaurant.
Sakura felt embarrassed when she sat down, separated from the rest of the customers.
Akimichi handed both of them the meals. "I will be honored to make anything you desire."
"Why is this shit so expensive?" Kiba demanded loudly, and Sakura further sunk in her chair. She knew the Inuzuka clan had the money. "I could hunt this stuff with my bare hands."
The Akimichi amiably rubbed his hands together. "And the Inuzuka Clan are my best meat suppliers. Can I suggest the tenderloin?"
"Yeah, whatever," Kiba grumbled as he handed back the menu. "And make it rare."
"Of course," The Akimichi turned toward Sakura. "It is not proper for a young woman like yourself to slouch so."
Sakura gave a weak smile and straightened in her chair. "I'll have the most expensive item on the menu," Sakura said without looking and handed over the menu, "and alcohol, please."
The Akimichi smiled. "I'll bring you strongest we've got." He walked away and left Sakura to her so-called date.
Kiba's noise cringed. "You smell disgusting."
"Excuse me?" Sakura asked as she tightened her fist. She promised herself she wouldn't tear this dress. Why couldn't he have complimented her appearance like normal people?
"It's perfume dumbass," Sakura replied. "It's what's you wear to fancy places like this," she said, "You're not even dressed right."
Kiba looked down at his long-sleeve shirt and training pants. He looked around and observed the other people in tuxedo with a twitch in his eye. "I don't even have one of those. Why did you pick this stupid place anyways?"
"Because it's supposed to be a date," Sakura snapped impatiently. "My one shift of the day off and I'm stuck here spending it with you."
"It's not my fault you're scared of my mom."
"Everyone is scared of your mom." Sakura sat back with her arms crossed. She sighed in relief and thanked the waiter when he brought the drinks.
Kiba sniffed the fruity drink, swallowed the lemon and followed it with the entire glass as if it was a shot. Sakura was almost tempted to do the same.
Then there was silence.
Sakura tapped her fingers along the dinner table, and gave an exasperated sigh to fill the silence, a hint really, but the man across the table wasn't catching on. Kiba's cockiness suddenly wilted under the pressure of nerves. Kiba looked out of place, as if the richness of the environment was choking around his neck like a collar.
Sakura cleared her throat but couldn't find anything to begin the conversation. She decided something safe. The one thing they had in common was that they were ninja. "Anything interesting other than the mission grind?"
"Training,"Kiba answered as if that should be obvious.
Desperate to grasp onto anything, Sakura took hold of her medic side. "You know, Kiba you've never once been to the hospital for a check-up. There is hardly anything on your files." Yes, Sakura admitted, she checked the medical files of everyone she went on a date with. It was a bad habit.
"The hospital is for wimps," Kiba sneered, "and I don't understand why you work there anyways. You can pummel my face in but you choose to work in a hospital."
Sakura pursed her lips. It was a conversation often brought up by other ninja and sometimes you get tired of putting on that smile while hearing about everything what you could do, what you should do, or what she ought to do. Sakura Haruno didn't give a shit about the opinions of other people and refused to follow anyone like the sad little puppy dog girl she used to be.
"You're right," Sakura replied. "I choose to work there. Let me tell you something Kiba Inuzuka, Death is a more frightening enemy that you could ever face because no amount of strategies, no amount of jutsu in your arsenal, no amount of strength or wisdom will be enough. I fight Death and sometimes I win. What have you ever accomplished?"
Kiba smirked at the fire in her voice.
The waiter passed by the table and Sakura desperately requested a refill on her drink. She couldn't believe she was talking about death on her date. She couldn't get away from it and the stench of it followed her from work to every aspect of her life.
"Because shitting on yourself and farting as your body decomposes is a wonderful process," Sakura said sarcastically. The alcohol was beginning to get to her. The food needed to come out soon before the entire evening was filled with dead jokes.
"That doesn't seem any different that when you're alive," Kiba scoffed. "People everywhere always has this fear of it but," Kiba shrugged his shoulders, "it's as natural as walking butt-naked in the skin you were born in. Death should be a celebration. We don't have to deal with this shit anymore."
Sakura reached for the glass of alcohol the waiter brought and toasted it in the air. "To the shit we deal with."
Kiba gave a feral grin, glad they had finally found common ground. But when Kiba attempted to toast the glass shattered, the alcohol sloshed, and spilled all over Sakura's dress. Kiba found himself vaulted across the restaurants and crashed into the closest table.
"This was my favorite dress!" Sakura screeched as she stormed from the restaurant.
Kiba looked up as the Akimichi arched over him. "I know, I know," Kiba grunted and kicked himself out of the restaurant. "It wasn't even my fault that time."
Kiba raced to catch up to Sakura.
"Do not talk to me, Kiba," Sakura snapped.
"It was an accident," Kiba said as he followed on her heels like a puppy kicked but determined to follow her to a home. Sakura stomped so hard on the ground the heel on her high-heels broke off.
She turned to Kiba breathing fire as she hopped to take of her shoe. "A chūnin on average accepts two missions a month. I work 24/7. Was asking for a nice dinner too much to ask?!" Sakura finally got off her broken heels and threw them at Kiba's head, "And I hate those fucking heels!"
Rather used to women yelling at him, Kiba easily stood his ground. "Want to have sex and just call it a date?"
Sakura hadn't had sex in a long time and she certainly wasn't going to turn him down.
In minutes they were back at her apartment taking off clothes.
Kiba pulled off his shirt and the urgency of the moment suddenly disappeared. Sakura stared at the scars that surrounded Kiba's body. The medic in her was imagining how each scar was formed.
"Training," Kiba replied.
"Training?!" Sakura replied in concerned and pulled away when Kiba dived in to kiss her. Sakura has treated a lot of people and have never seen so many scars. His chest was riddled with them as if they had attacked his body. Suddenly she wondered if the coat and long sleeve shirts Kiba always wore meant more.
It was Kiba's turn to be annoyed by the disaster that was this date. "Are you going to diagnose me or are we going to fuck?" He demanded.
Where was the thin line between training and abuse?
"Kiba, this is serious. Does your mother always "train" you this hard?" Sakura asked dead serious.
Kiba pounced away from her with a repulsive glare. "It's training," Kiba angrily grabbed his clothes and slammed the door of her apartment as he left.
Sakura should have just kept her big mouth shut. Sakura sat in the loneliness of her apartment, sometimes you'll take anyone, no matter who. Sakura raced out into the hallway. "Kiba, wait."
"What?!" Kiba snapped.
"I have thirty minutes before my next shift at the hospital. This date isn't over yet."
In hindsight, Sakura should have never asked Kiba to come back into her apartment. Sometimes you don't give a shit.
Sakura had finally found some time to take a small break. She rested against the entrance of the patient's door. The lights in the room had all been broken and in the darkness she could see the outline of a figure in the bed.
"Kiba?" Sakura voice carried her exhaustion, with this place, with this room, and with this man.
A low growl rumbled through the vibrations in the air, audible even though Kiba faced towards the wall with the covers drawn over his head. "What the fuck do you want? Came to take another leg?"
It was past visiting hours and Kiba was long past his stay. His wounds had been minor and he was taking up space someone else could use, but no one was willing to tell him that.
Sakura closed the door before walking into the room and launched herself over Kiba and sat in the bed. Her back rested against the back of the wall, her legs spread out over his hips, and her feet hung over the edge of the bed.
"I am going to nap here for five minutes," Sakura whispered and closed her eyes.
She could feel when Kiba shifted and finally emerged from the covers. Sakura smirked knowingly when Kiba snatched her arm and pulled her down into the bed. He wrapped the covers around her but turned over.
"Make sure you wake me up, I can't miss Naruto's appointment."
"This late at night?"
"Jinchūruki."
Sakura yawned and fell asleep.
Kiba did not wake her up but she had an alarm on her watch. Sakura's eyes snapped open and felt even more tired than before. She stretched and then her hands crept through the opening in the back of the patient's uniform. Kiba's skin was riddled with scars.
Kiba growled when Sakura reached around toward his groin. When there was no reaction Sakura sat up incredulously. "I didn't think that could happen to an Inuzuka."
"Shut up," Kiba grumbled.
Sakura sighed. Her usual plan of action whenever Kiba was in a bad mood had backfired. They actually didn't talk very much, they just had sex. "Kiba, you've got to get out of this bed."
"I've got no fucking leg."
"That's why I brought you the cane yesterday but you threw it out of the window."
"Fuck the cane."
Sakura hit her head against the wall and could easily move Kiba out the bed by sheer force alone, but she didn't.
"I'm sorry," Sakura said finally. The weight of guilt was killing her. "It's my fault. I should have forfeited the moment the situation stepped outside the boundaries of the exams. If I had just forfeited, you wouldn't have helped me. I did this to you."
"Let me be, woman," Kiba's voice was practically begging. She could hear the tears he was trying to hold. As far as Kiba was concerned, men did not cry.
Sakura rolled her eyes and left the bed in defeat. She felt helpless to prevent him from becoming another statistic. She wanted to help but couldn't get past his stupid tough exterior. She swore the only function his tough exterior served is to hide the fact he's a momma's boy.
Sakura stopped in her tracks and tried to remember the list of visitors. Several Inuzuka had come by, Hana had taken Akamaru to give him a bath, but… "Tsume hasn't come to visit has she?" Sakura finally understood. "You're afraid to go back home."
Sakura didn't expect an answer and didn't receive one.
Sakura brushed her hair behind her ear, bit her lip, and finally suggested, "Ino is moving back to the compound. Move in with me, it's not big enough to fit Akamaru but… it's somewhere to go."
"I'm not going to freeload off of you," he said stubbornly.
"Kiba, consider my offer. I'm going to be forced to call your sister to get you out of here soon. The hospital doesn't have room for you."
"Sakura," Kiba said from the bed, hidden in the depths of his darkness. "You can keep the ring."
The IV monitor crashed against his head as Sakura stormed out of the room.
Tsume Inuzuka nursed a bottle of alcohol.
She snarled at the sudden scent that had come onto her property. The alcohol in her hand was crushed. The door fell off the hinges. She stalked through the vast green fields.
The hairs on Tsume body bristled in anger.
"Get off my land."
The ANBU Captain Wolf crossed his arms and did not flinch under the matron of the Inuzuka's stare. "I heard what happened at the Jounin exams. You lied to me. I want my summoning scroll back, the one you supposedly burned."
"Fuck you."
"I'm not leaving until I get it back."
"Then I'll make you leave," Tsume said as her nails extended.
Wolf scoffed as he leaned over the woman, "You couldn't hit me even this close, you drunk bitch."
The porcelain mask fell to the ground.
To the visible eye, the two disappeared. Tsume shot through the air with the flexibility and speed signature of the Inuzuka and the ground caved as she landed all on fours on top of him. "I should have killed you when I had the chance, Ookami."
Tsume twisted to avoid his katana, caught his shoulder in her rib as she plummeted to form a crater as large as the one she had created. Tsume clawed out of the ground. "I'm going to fucking kill you."
Hana wore glasses as she attempted to thread the needle through the wound. The small puppy on her table yipped and playfully clawed through her white coat. She was supposed to be attending to clan head duties, but she never really wanted them. Working with animals is what she knew she wanted to do in life.
When she finished and cut the string of the stitching, the ground beneath her feet began to shake. She didn't think anything more of it than a few of the kids playing tag, until someone bodily flew through the wall of the veterinary and out the other side.
Hana scooped the puppy in her arms, and as she turned the entire building began to crumble. Dust permeated the air from the wreckage. Hana rushed to unlock all of the kennels and cages and shoo the animals out of the building. She ran back for some rare herbs but before she could take a step further the support beam collapsed.
Hana coughed in the dust, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in the arms of the one person she least expected. She was placed on her feet and pushed to the side by his forearm as if she was a rock that needed to be cleared away from an arena.
He had untamed silver hair that almost blended with the white coat he wore on his shoulders. The Inuzuka tattoos were still inked into his skin, a permanent reminder of his past.
Hana stared at him in disbelief. She hadn't seen him in years due to the restraining order issued by the Fourth Hokage that prohibited her mother and father to ever be in each other's proximity.
"Dad?"
Akita Inuzuka raced through Konoha hospital at a frightening pace without any regard to the people she knocked down. She sniffed her way to her target and slammed open the door. Akamaru jumped to his feet when Akita charged into the room, she brushed past with a scratch behind the large canine's ears, and continued straight to lift Kiba out of the bed with one arm.
"Get up," Akita demanded.
Kiba groaned, "What do you want?"
"He stinks. Akamaru, do you think he needs a bath?'
Akamaru tongue lolled out of his mouth in a mischievous form of a grin. He barked in agreement.
And then Akita threw Kiba straight through the stone wall of Konoha's hospital. Kiba flipped to land on his feet, remembered too late, slipped unbalance and fell face first on the grass. Kiba was thrown backwards by his hair, dragged through the hospital courtyard, and literally shoved into the pond.
"Hey Akamaru?" Akita questioned, her foot on Kiba's face. "How long do you think he can breathe under there?"
"For a while," Akamaru grinned as he padded towards the pond. When Akita finally let Kiba go, Akamaru dipped his snout into the pond and shoved his muzzle into Kiba's back, raising him from the water.
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Kiba snapped and coughed up water.
Akita snorted. "You couldn't kill me even if you still had two legs."
Kiba growled and angrily slapped Akamaru away when his best friend attempted to comfort him.
"Get up, we've got a problem."
"Get up?" Kiba snarled. "If you're here to just mock me then-"
"WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO PAY FOR THE HOLE IN MY HOSPITAL!"
Even Akita flinched when Sakura marched outside. Even though Sakura knew Hana was busy with her new duties over the clan, Sakura highly preferred the milder sibling than the rougher cousins to handle Kiba. Not that Sakura didn't think Kiba needed a good punch to the face, but she had the safety of her patients to be concerned about.
Akita placed her hands on her hips. "Pinkie, I'm taking him home."
"About time," Sakura said exasperated. "Take him."
Kiba crossed his arms as he sat in the grass of the courtyard and pouted like a child, "I'm not going anywhere."
"Seriously Kiba, you are the only one who can talk some sense into your mother. She even summoned the Wolf Pack."
Kiba's brows furrowed. "What's going on?"
Suddenly the ground beneath their feet began to shake.
"That's her," Akita said knowingly.
"And what am I supposed to do about it? Mom can fight her own battles. She obviously had plenty of things better to do."
"It's him."
"You mean him?" For a few moment's all Kiba saw was red. Kiba clawed at Akamaru's fur and pulled himself up with his arms. "What the fuck does he want?"
"A fight, it seems," Akita answered and threw a pair of clothes at Kiba. Kiba threw off the medical robe.
"Kiba, we are on hospital grounds," Sakura reminded him, but quickly rushed to help him with his pants once she saw he was having trouble.
Kiba angrily pushed her away. "Stop treating me like a fucking child, I am a grown- FUCK," Kiba yelled as he tipped unbalanced and fell. In frustration his claws shredded through the pants.
Kiba looked at the stump that his leg had become. Sometimes he could feel the pain of the acid ripping through his skin, sometimes he could feel Akamaru's fur brushing against it, sometime he swore it was still there.
But it wasn't.
"What's going on?" The Hokage demanded. She had been trying to ignore it, hoping the problem will solve itself eventually… but well, any reason to get out of the office. Of course, the backdrop of trembling houses and a summon-sized pack of canines brutally attacking one another outside her window was an important reason too.
The vast land holdings of the Inuzuka were completely decimated and had become a battleground. Most of the Inuzuka clan had been evacuated onto Nara clan territory.
Hana Inuzuka winced and gave the Hokage a reluctant welcome. So far she had been trying to mitigate the damage and keep the fight restrained only to their lands but it was difficult because hardly anyone in Konoha could match their speed. "It's a slight marital dispute."
"Just five more minutes," Hana begged, hoping they would just tire themselves before they had a chance to kill each other.
At a time like this, the Hokage wished Naruto was in the village and not in Sunagakure. She wondered how fast it would take him to get here and diffuse the situation. The Hokage decided, "We don't have five minutes, either you have a way to make them stop or I'm sending in the ANBU to put them down."
Tsunade whipped his head back and forth at the sound of the collisions but she could barely follow them with her eyes. She hated dealing with marital issues, especially between two ninja.
"SIT! NOW!"
The Hokage didn't get a chance to follow through on her plan when a voice bellowed across the landscape. Immediately three of the four summons, the large grey Wolf Pack sat on their haunches and whimpered at the command.
But the large Snow Wolf did not back down and was frothing at the mouth as he went for the summons throat.
Kiba, astride Akamaru, jump into the air and suddenly transform into a large three headed dog, tore into the white wolf's neck and forced the beast to the ground.
The transformation ended and Kiba commanded with one word, "SIT." The Snow Wolf pulled his ears back and laid on the ground in submission. "STAY."
Finally Ookami stopped in wild bewilderment. "Are you going to listen to him?"
Tsume paused in her attack when Kiba rode in between.
"I don't know that the fuck is going on, but that's enough." Kiba demanded.
"Give me back my summoning scroll you bitch."
"It's mine now," Tsume taunted.
Both looked worse for wear, covered in blood and shredded cloth.
"You stole it."
"You left it."
"I left you."
"And I didn't fucking need you," Tsume spat. "My Kiba is stronger than you ever could be."
"Wake up woman, that thing you call a son is a fucking cripple. He's your fucking failure, not mine."
"Wait mom," Kiba attempted to grab her but Tsume bounded over Akamaru and landed on Ookami with an enraged roar, "I HATE YOU!"
"BITCH."
"BASTARD."
Kiba nudged Akamaru forward and quickly bit down on what was left of Tsume's shirt and dragged her away.
"Mom," Kiba said solidly. "Dad left us. We don't need him. We never needed him."
Ookami suddenly erupted in a fit of mad laughter. "Oh come on Tsume, don't tell me you've been lying to the boy this entire time."
Tsume spat as she came to her feet and quickly pushed Akamaru away. "Mom, what is he talking about?"
"Nothing," Tsume snapped. "He's a liar. Don't listen to him."
"I bet she never told you why I left."
"Shut up," Tsume warned and Kiba wrapped an arm around her waist. He knew she was barely on her feet.
"Ask her who your father is."
Kiba fell into an expression of confusion. "Mom, what is he talking about? Isn't it that jerk over there my father?"
"You're no son of mine," Ookami sneered. "All of Konoha could be your father."
"He's your son, you fool!" Tsume screamed.
Kiba's expression hardened. "Are you done tearing this family apart? Are you satisfied?"
"I came for my summoning scroll."
Kiba didn't hesitate to throw Blood Hound's summoning contract at the man's feet.
Ookami straightened as he picked up the scroll. "Your mother might wish for it all she wants, but you will never be my equal."
The Snow Wolf summon disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and the ANBU Captain disappeared in a flurry of leaves.
"Come on," Kiba whispered as he tugged his mom onto Akamaru's back. "Let's get you to the hospital."
"Don't believe him," Tsume said softly, delirious from her blood loss as she pressed her hand to Kiba's face. "You look just like him."
Sakura watched from the doorway as Kiba placed a cup of water to Tsume's lips.
"Stop that," the matron ordered. "I'm not a fucking baby."
Sakura smirked. Those two were just alike.
"You acted like one," Kiba replied. "Seriously mom, you destroyed the entire compound."
Tsume scoffed. "Houses can be rebuilt. I trust Hana got everyone out?"
"Everyone is fine." Kiba said as he sat back in the chair.
"Kiba, come back home," Tsume whispered and turned to look at her son.
Kiba didn't answer.
"You were supposed to become clan head and protect the clan."
"I only have one leg. I can't protect anyone. I couldn't protect you."
"But- but- you can take your sister's position. You're smart. Your sister taught you everything about the business. You have to stay." Tsume's nails dug into Kiba's wrist when she snatched it, "You were always better than him."
Kiba hung his head. He licked his incisors and asked, "Mom, who is my father?"
After a few heavy moments Tsume finally replied. "I don't know," she whispered and tightened her hands around him. "But you're mine. You'll always be my little boy – my strong and tough and fierce little boy."
All he ever wanted to do was make her proud of him. Kiba felt the numb that was his leg and as his mother drifted to sleep he whispered, "Mom, I'm sorry I failed you. I couldn't be who you wanted me to be."
Kiba reached for the wooden cane that leaned against the chair and pressed his weight against it with bitterness. He winced, not because of the strain or pain, but because of the shame.
"She'll be fine, Kiba. She's tough."
Kiba sat back against the doorway and looked at Sakura. "Akamaru doesn't fit in your apartment."
"We can figure something out." Sakura said softly. "I don't know about the future and the only thing I can honestly promise you is one day at a time."
Kiba gave small shake of his head. "I honestly thought I was better him, that I was what you deserve but-" Kiba leaned away, "you deserve so much better than what I could give you.
"What is this?" Sakura asked angrily. "So you're officially breaking up with me?"
"Sakura, you broke up with me first."
"You idiot," and Sakura's hand turned into a fist, but her attack turned into a limp hug as she pressed her head against his chest. "You stupid fucking idiot."
"This is a stupid idea," Sakura replied. She's felt like she's been here before, under these very stars, under this very gate.
"It's something I have to do. I can't- I don't-" Kiba was secretly hoping that if he could finally catch him, everything would make sense again. Perhaps it would finally make him whole, even if his body no longer will.
"I didn't come here to stop you. Go," Sakura shooed Kiba off as if shooing a dog that had unintentionally gotten too attached.
Kiba paused, unconsciously reached down to massage the emptiness of his right leg. Kiba grinned wolfishly before he leaned forward and kissed Sakura on the belly. "I'll be back."
"You're an idiot," Sakura replied again. "If you truly loved me, you wouldn't leave."
"I do love you but… it's something I have to do," Kiba attempted to explain. That was all the words he could muster to explain the pull of loyalties in his heart. He knew there was always the chance that he wouldn't come back, but well, death was as natural as walking butt-naked in the skin you were born in.
Kiba looked down the road out of Konoha that led to the title of missing nin. No Inuzuka in Konoha's history has ever abandoned the village.
The fact that he left, was the moment Sakura knew he had always been the wrong one. It was at that moment she knew what she wanted and promised herself that she wouldn't be left standing at a gate ever again.
"You want me to do what?" The ANBU Captain Wolf asked with a taste of disgust in his mouth. "I have missing international criminals to find and you want me to chase after a cripple?"
Tsunade sighed with her frown. Tsunade had tried to wait patiently, but in the end, she had no choice but to declare Kiba a missing-nin.
"Look, Kiba was one of the best trackers Konoha has had. Even you know it requires a great tracker to find a good tracker. Find him, bring him back, and place him in custody."
"It would save us all the trouble if I kill him," Wolf grumbled.
"You are to bring him back alive," Tsunade stressed. What made the Blood Hound summon so dangerous is that he appears whenever his contractor dies to take his soul. And then afterwards there was no master to control him. She did not want that thing loose in her borders.
The door slammed close as Wolf exited the office. He didn't immediately head towards the gates of Konoha. Instead he turned toward the Inuzuka compound and crossed the border without hesitation.
"You shouldn't be training so soon," Wolf replied as he crossed his arms.
Tsume rolled her eyes as she landed on her feet. Her nest of brown hair stuck to her sweaty face. She was lean, and mostly made of muscle. A few of her stitches had reopened. Tsume's personal nin-ken, Kuromaru growled.
The large white nin-ken that trailed Wolf growled in return
"Your boy is missing."
Tsume scoffed. "I know that. Does he need his mommy to look over his shoulder all the time?"
"Obviously, since he runs away like a lost child."
"His choices are his own," Tsume shrugged her shoulders and walked over to pull the kunai out of the targets. Wolf watched her, always defensive in her presence.
Tsume looked over her shoulder and said, "He is your son… I'm about eighty percent sure."
"I've stop believing anything that comes out of your mouth."
"Look, I've reasoned it out. Both of your natural affinity is wind. I mean, Hakumo was lightning, Sarutobi was fire, Uchiha was obviously fire, why am I even going through the list? Look even if I might have fucked half of Konoha, wind is rare."
"Minato had wind."
"Oh I fucked him when he was a chuunin. I wasn't messing with him at the time."
"I don't believe you."
"And what was I supposed to do? Wait?" Tsume asked angrily. "You were gone on an extended undercover mission for years."
"But when I came back you didn't stop fooling around."
"And you didn't stop drinking either. Who the fuck cares? No one is perfect."
"I care whether or not my son is my own."
"You care whether or not he is your son," Tsume corrected him, "Because you want him to be."
They stared at one another with a hatred the years have not tempered.
"I love you."
"So much I could kill you."
The ANBU Captain Wolf placed his hands in his pocket as he walked along the road. His trusted companion padded alongside him and Wolf placed his hand through her fur. This mission was a joke. The boy had left a trail even a genin could follow.
The ANBU Captain walked up the grassy hill. Kiba sat at its top, leaning against the white fur of Akamaru, as lazy as someone who had just woken from a nap. The stars sparkled down as witness.
"What took you so long?" Kiba asked.
"I don't have time to play your games boy."
"I'm not playing games," Kiba answered and his incisors gleamed in the night as he swiped his tongue along them. "I've been waiting to kill you."
Wolf scoffed. "You're just a cripple."
"But I'm still an Inuzuka," Kiba replied, "and fuck it, I will die an Inuzuka. You trespassed on our territory, embarrassed the clan, and attacked my mom. You're not leaving here alive."
Whether Kiba lived or died, whether he wanted to or not, if he didn't try, he didn't deserve the name Inuzuka, and that was the only name he has ever had. The Hyūga and Inuzuka might hate each other, but they certainly understood one another. A Hyuuga's pride and Inuzuka's loyalty ran deep as the blood in their veins.
Kiba placed his hands together to activate his jutsu. Pillars of earth rose from the ground and surrounded the area with tripwire and explosive tags.
The east wind swept through and the talking was finally over and Kiba activated the explosive tag at Wolf's feet.
Wolf jumped away and then paused as the explosion swept a cloud of stench into the air. Wolf coughed, his eyes were tears, the pepper stung his nose, and landed awkwardly on another tag akin to a flashbang.
Wolf whimpered as the sound alone drilled into his ears. Without his ears, nose, and his eyes, Wolf was literally blind. He called his nin-ken to his side but when he attempted to move from his position he activated an explosive tag.
Kiba sat back and watched the fireworks. It had taken him three days to set up this elaborate trap.
"Ready Akamaru?" Kiba asked.
Akamaru barked.
Wolf looked up in frustrated anger, feeling stupid, and fuck it, when he was getting out of this mess he was going to snap Tsume's neck. A shadow loomed over his feet and he looked up at a large three headed dog that navigated the minefield with ease.
And Wolf placed his hands in his coat with resolved calm. He was tired. Ever since Shiyo's death it's as if he's been living with a missing leg, living life at the pace of a limp, and a broken heart. Even Captains burn out eventually.
And the large White three-headed beast leaned down and swallowed the ANBU Captain whole.
Kiba pulled a bone from his teeth and chunked it over in the pile of his Father's remains. The Captain cloak was coated with saliva and decorated by a mosaic of bones.
It was hard for Kiba to consider this man not his father, no matter how much he personally hated him. This was the man who had shaped Kiba by his absence, the man's whose shadow Kiba has been chasing all his life, and the man his mother still loved.
"How much do you think we have to grovel and beg the Hokage to let us back in?" Kiba asked Akamaru. "It's not like she's going to give me any missions. I'm not a ninja anymore," Kiba said bitterly as he rode atop Akamaru.
"Community service?"
Then Kiba blanched when the sky began to darken. Kiba stared at the telltale signs and whipped around as the clouds coalesced.
"Oh fuck," Kiba cursed. "He signed the contract."
Blood Hound's sleek legs appeared, his tail cracked in the sky, and his red eyes craned forward. His teeth caught the apparition of a spirit and swallowed it. Then Blood Hound licked his lips and looked at Kiba.
What do we have here? A bird with a broken wing.
"Dismiss yourself. You've gorged on your soul."
Why? When I feel a whole village of souls close by? You're not strong enough to control me anymore.
Blood Hound grinned and stepped toward Konoha.
Akamaru raced to get between Blood Hound and the village. Kiba didn't hesitate to use a wind jutsu, but it swatted past like nothing more than a gust of wind.
Blood Hound's tail cracked and Akamaru wasn't fast enough to avoid it. Akamaru whimpered as he was flung forward and Kiba was tossed from his back. A streak of red matted Akamaru's white fur.
Kiba rolled and slid in the dirt. When Kiba came to a stop he activated all of the seals hidden underneath the ground and his surroundings exploded. The heat touched Kiba's face and when he opened his eyes, Blood Hound stepped from the fire with a smile and moved in the direction of his next prey.
"Wait no!" Kiba cried as he crawled forward to where Akamaru lay. Blood Hound slipped his claws into Akamaru's fur, like plunging into water, and the nin-ken whimpered in pain.
"No, fuck let him go." Kiba attempted to crawl, attempted to pick himself up, but only fell onto one knee. His stump slid along the ground. "Please."
Blood Hound sucked in a breath.
As bright as a comet falling out of the sky, a rasengan plunged downwards and crashed Blood Hound into the ground.
Kiba slapped his hands to the dirt and in desperation activated a jutsu without seals. Akamaru lifted on a raised pillar of earth and slid towards Kiba. Kiba dug his head in Akamaru's white fur in panicked relief.
Naruto landed in the clearing.
"Seriously? Kiba what were you thinking?"
"I didn't summon him," Kiba said in a rush as he felt for Akamaru's heartbeat. Kiba cursed, his hands trembled. He grabbed the scroll from his belt and summoned medical supplies. Since the mission against the Sound ninja when Akamaru had first been critically injured, Kiba had taken to the medical field much more seriously.
"Naruto I need your help." Kiba said as he began to clean Akamaru's wound.
"Yeah, that's why I'm here, on off-duty, because I'm such a great friend," Naruto said with more sarcasm than he intended. "You take care of Akamaru, I guess I'll handle this thing." Naruto replied as Blood Hound lifted onto his haunches. "That thing is much bigger than I remembered at the exams."
"Give me time to tend to Akamaru," Kiba responded, "and after I know an Inuzuka secret technique we can use if you provide a distraction."
Oh, I want to fight this one. The Kyuubi interrupted.
Now you want to help? You can't just help when you want to. Naruto argued. Naruto suddenly activated sage mode to avoid the flick of Blood Hound's tail, which created a crevice when it impacted with the ground.
You can't take this thing on by yourself.
Watch me.
Blood Hound sucked in a breath and Naruto did the same. Black flame and waves of water collided with one another, until steam covered the surrounding area and the flames slowly began to win. Naruto flipped out of the way and the entire forest shriveled into dead husks.
Naruto created a rasenshuriken and threw it as he jumped into the air. The tail swatted it away like a rubber ball.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Naruto groaned.
Of course you need my help. We can combine like when we were fighting Tobi.
I needed your help when we were saving those prisoners. I needed your help to stop sucking on my chakra. Fuck. You.
Naruto deactivated sage mode and created a thousand shadows clones. He hoped he could trust Kiba to know what he was doing. He didn't want to take the risk of transforming into Kyuubi mode and the Kyuubi double-crossing him afterwards.
I wouldn't do that. And there was a rumbling deep laughter.
Naruto observed from the trees as his clones were being swatted away like flies, but he was attempting to process the information, looking for any blind spots to his opponent. When he found none, Naruto reached for his summoning scroll.
Kiba trembled in relief after he closed and stitched the wound. "You're going to be alright, buddy," Kiba whispered and combed his hand through Akamaru's fur.
"Naruto, I need that distraction."
"Coming up," Naruto replied as he swiped his blood and slammed his hand on the ground to summon Gamabunta.
"Why can't you ever summon me just to say hi?" Gamabunta grumbled.
Blood Hound stalked around the Gamabunta with red eyes. "What's wrong Kyuubi, don't want to face me?"
He used to have three of those tails. Come on kid, let's transform.
"Gamabunta, let's go." Naruto commanded.
Blood Hound was much faster than Gamabunta could move. The katana clashed against a swipe from the claws. Naruto jumped into the air with two large Oodama rasengan.
Gamabunta and Naruto effectively coordinated their attacks to put Blood Hound on the defensive.
Kiba watched and shook his head. Naruto would always be on another level Kiba could never reach.
Kiba pressed his hands to the ground and hoped he timed this right. With a wind jutsu, he blasted himself into the air, steadied his claws and clung himself onto Blood Hound's back. Blood Hound was too distracted by the double team of Naruto and Gamabunta to notice.
Kiba crawled forward as he pinned his claws into the slick black flesh and dragged himself upwards, like climbing a tall steep hill with one leg. Finally Kiba reached the top in a drench of sweat, applied chakra to his hand, and with a technique secret to the Inuzuka, scratched his claws behind the ear.
Blood Hound squirmed, his tail twitched, and then rolled to the ground with an excited yelp.
If Naruto hadn't seen it, he wouldn't have believed it. Naruto dived down with two large rasenshurikens spinning in each hand, two direct hits, and right into Blood Hound's flesh.
The surrounding area burst into a flash of light and screeching birds. When the jutsu cleared, Blood Hound was collapsed on the ground. The mighty beast trembled with every breath and attempted to get up until it no longer had enough chakra to retain its presence in this plane of existence.
It disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared and left a body behind.
"Kiba!" Naruto rushed forward. Kiba had fallen underneath Blood Hound's weight and could not save himself. His troubled breathing scraped against Naruto's ears. Naruto begged forgiveness for what he had done, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
"Why can't I ever catch up to you?" Kiba grinned as blood fell from his lips. "Where is Akamaru?"
"He'll be fine," Naruto assured him and directed Gamabunta to pick up the unconscious nin-ken and deliver him to the Inuzuka compound at once. "Just hold on Kiba, I'll get you some help," Naruto replied as he scrambled for his hiraishin kunai and teleported to Konoha.
Sakura had been in her apartment, overlooking Ino's official report on the investigation of her medical staff when her window shattered.
"Sakura!" Naruto called her immediately, swiped everything off the kitchen table and placed Kiba onto the flat surface.
Sakura could only stare. This wasn't supposed to happen. She had nightmares that looked like this.
"Sakura!" Naruto yelled at her and knew enough to try and staunch the bleeding.
Sakura snapped from her numbness and rushed for her storage scrolls full of medical supplies. Sakura tore open Kiba's shirt and pressed green chakra against his rib fractures and collapsed chest.
"Come on Kiba," Sakura begged when Kiba's breath stalled in intervals.
Kiba patted his hand along the table until he reached Sakura's hand and pressed it to his nose. "I've always liked how you smelled of cherry blossoms."
"Shut up," Sakura yelled at him and pumped more of her chakra into his body. "Shut up you fucking idiot."
Naruto squeezed his hands over his ears and attempted to dull Sakura's wrenching cries that ripped from her throat. Naruto closed his eyes as he sat on the couch and refused to see the limp arm hanging off the table, and the guilt.
When he had woken up today, this was the last thing he had expected. He was supposed to be on off-duty, but death followed him like a stench, like a shadow.
You never stop burying your friends until it's time for them to bury you.
The two strongest kunoichi in Konoha sat across the room from one another. Tsunade leaned forward, her hands folded under her chin, and her wide rimmed hat shadowed her serious expression. On the other side, Tsume sat lazily, with a bored expression and a bored posture as she slumped in the opposing chair.
"Did you aid a missing-nin in time of war?"
"Guilty," Tsume's head rolled with a mad grin. "I gave him an encouraging kiss on his forehead before he went off to kill his father."
Tsunade rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands. Sometimes keeping Konoha intact internally was just as hard as protecting it externally. And unlike her grandfather, she didn't even have the Uchiha to deal with.
Tsunade couldn't believe that woman used to be such a sweet little girl. This life changes everyone. Tsunade slowly watched the cup fill with sake and it flowed bitter down her throat.
"Frankly Tsume, someone needs to punished."
Tsume shrugged her shoulders. "Lock me up, whatever."
"I am officially assigning you to the warfront until this war is over, specifically to Chouza's unit on the Sand border. After that, the council will decide what to do with you depending on your performance."
"Are we done?" Tsume scoffed.
"Ookami was in ANBU. He cut ties to you and your family when he entered the organization. The Inuzuka had no right to take this matter into their hands."
And Tsume's brunette hair framed her feral expression. "The Inuzuka had every right. It was unfinished business."
"Unfinished business?! We are in a time of war. I expect you to keep your petty rivalries and grudges to a minimum while our country is in danger."
"I don't think you know who I am. I don't massacre my entire family, or backstab, or lie. Inuzuka don't do that shit." Tsume craned her neck and the tattoos were the color of drying blood. "It was Ookami's time."
"At the sacrifice of your son?"
Tsume's head whipped around, her body tensed, and looked serious for the first time since she came into the office. Her lip curled into a sneer. "Don't you dare lecture me on my choices, until you've lost a child then I don't expect you to fucking understand."
Tsunade knew she had touched something tender in the otherwise tough woman. "Tsume," Tsunade said as gentle as a comforting hand.
The chair fell backwards by the force she used to stand and walked from the office, with the predatory swagger only a Inuzuka could carry.
"I'm sorry. His name cannot go on the memorial stone since he died a missing-nin."
"He died an Inuzuka," Tsume corrected, because it made a difference.
x
She swore the only function his tough exterior served is to hide the fact he's a momma's boy
AN: Updated 06/23/14