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. Strong language (because it's one of my stories, come on, I'm like Hidan sometimes). Nosy people. Inescapable Clan duties. Teenage angst. Oblivious friends that make everything a thousand times more difficult. And some more angst. Friends are kind of extreme jerks, really, and they don't even notice it. Did I, by any chance, say angst already? Mentions of alcohol and technically underage alcohol consumption. Assassinations- which means blood and violence. Lots of miscommunication. Clan and Village politics. (Huge warning now) I haven't checked up on cannon to make sure that chakra theory is even remotely compliant.
Quick A/N: Have y'all ever thought about how truly dangerous a Clan like the Inuzuka could truly be? These are people that can smell others. Their sense of smell is superior to that of a regular dog's- and their nin dog's are even more terrifying. From this, another question, have y'all ever thought about how little would have happened in cannon if the Inuzuka Clan had been portrayed to be as strong as they could be? Tracking Orochimaru wouldn't have been as fruitless, I'll tell you that much. And shady dealings like ROOT snatching up children? With the Inuzuka around? Pssh!
Boy oh boy... the Inuzuka are amazing when you really get to thinking about what they could do!
Also, for my own personal amusement, I've nerfed them here. So, rather than the Clan being based on my own personal headcannon on how strong they can be, they're much more like the cannon version we see. I have given a reason, though, for them not being as strong as they could be; unlike what cannon ever gave us.
..~..~..
The Hyuga had called on Kiba to help catch Hizashi's attackers.
While it was only logical they had run to a chunin with his specific set of skills, especially one that was as trustworthy and well known to the clan as this teenager, it was still worrying. Kiba Inuzuka was a potent tracker, just like the rest of the Inuzuka clan. But he wasn't any more competent in his job than the rest of his family. Any other Inuzuka would have completed the job the Hyuga required of him. Some, more experienced members, might have even been able to complete the job much more effectively.
Shikaku didn't agree with the Hyuga's decision to call on Kiba. The boy... he'd already been through so much. And now he was going through the memories of hundreds of murdered people just to attempt to hunt down a shinobi he had deemed a monster. He knew of Inuzuka that were much better suited for the job.
But it only made sense for Hiashi to have called on Kiba's help. The matter of his brother having been attacked in the middle of his clan's grounds was one that the Hyuga needed to keep under wraps. And the only trackers they could call on had to be the kind that were trusted by the family; the kind that would not draw attention to themselves if they went ahead and visited the Hyuga compound regularly.
With a small sigh, Shikaku carded his fingers through Kiba's soft hair. Compared to its length when they had first been told that they would be married, it had gotten quite long. Probably, he'd have to cut it now because it was getting noticeable just how long it had gotten. But it did offer more space to run his fingers through, so Shikaku didn't properly mind.
The teenager's snores were still somewhat loud, but noticeably softer than the one's he had let out the past two afternoons they had done this. This was comforting to hear, seeing how the softer Kiba snored, the more well rested he was before he fell asleep.
For three days in a row now, Kiba had not been able to get any proper sleep within his home because of the nightmares that kept him awake. So for three days now, Shikaku had moved his working area from his desk over to his couch to offer his lap as a pillow to make sure the kid was able to sleep well.
They had tried to have Kiba sleep on the couch all the while Shikaku worked at his desk, but that had proven to be only marginally more effective than Kiba sleeping away from him; he had awoken suddenly from two different nightmares before Shikaku had decided that there was only one surefire way to make sure the boy reached the sleep he so desperately needed now. So he had borrowed a small table from Kushina's barely ever used office area, placed it on the side of the couch, planted the most important cases on it, and sat himself on the left corner of the couch, where he knew Kiba's face wouldn't be too bothered by the light he needed to read.
It had taken some convincing, but eventually the teenager's desperation for sleep won out and he had allowed Shikaku to goad him into his plan. Within seconds, he had completely fallen asleep. And for the next six hours, he had not stirred.
Shikaku was aware that his work during the day was currently suffering because of the sleeping arrangements. But he was making up for that fact by taking cases with him back to his house so he could continue working on them throughout the night. In the last two nights since this had begun, he had barely gotten more than eight hours of sleep. But he could soldier on like this for at least another week before he crashed. Kiba couldn't. It would be needlessly dangerous to have him miss out on sleep.
With a small sigh, the Nara pulled his hand away from Kiba's hair to grab the pen that was precariously perched between his teeth. There was a moment in which the Inuzuka shifted slightly in his sleep; it was amazing how aware he was of Shikaku's movements even when he was so deep in his sleep; but soon he settled back down and melted further into the couch.
Writing on a clipboard wasn't very comfortable. But Shikaku had vehemently worked on the art in the last two days and now signed his name and wrote pertinent information on the forms he filled out in a mostly legible print.
He finished this stack of files by signing off on a mission that was perfect for Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane to go on, lead by the shinobi that had been specifically requested for the capture mission, Hana Inuzuka. She was an excellent tracker that could find the target that the two chunin would then be able to ensnare with their trapping techniques.
Once he placed the mission petition on top of the stack he had been working on for the past hour, Shikaku took a moment to close his eyes and relax. As he breathed in and focused on expanding his lungs with air, his hand made its way on top of Kiba's head. And he breathed out just as a smile wormed onto his face because he heard Kiba sigh in contentment.
The small moment of peace left him when he was reminded of all the work Kiba had recently been doing; hunting down an adversary that was leagues beyond him.
Kiba had kept him up to date with everything that had been happening with the Hyuga and Hizashi's attacker. And he had also managed to find out from Shizune when she came in yesterday that Hizashi was currently stable, but still not out of the woods. The young woman had come in to find out if there was need for a medic of her reputation on a mission; Shikaku had taken advantage of the fact that she had looked so harrowed to question what had been happening in her life. Without giving away he already knew about Hizashi's situation, he had been able to find out from Shizune that Konoha hospital's newest most violently injured patient was slowly inching their way back to health.
She had come in looking for a mission for a break from Lady Tsunade. Shikaku had promised to find her something; even though the women were great friends and got along splendidly, Tsunade was known for becoming volatile when faced with a situation she couldn't completely control. Even Shizune sometimes needed a break from her.
Now that he had been allowed this small respite, the weight of the watch he now wore made itself felt. So the Nara took a moment to glance down at it, only to frown when he noticed the time already. In a few minutes, Hiashi Hyuga would knock on his door to pick Kiba up an take him to continue the search for his brother's attacker.
He had started wearing this watch yesterday. Normally, he wasn't a fan of being able to tell time at his convenience. He had a clock somewhere in his office that Kiba had tried to find but had been unable to retrieve; a true testament to his aversion of telling time. But with Kiba being in a rather harrowing situation at the moment, he had decided that it would be the smart thing to do to gauge time as precisely as possible; just to make sure the kid was able to sleep as much as he could.
Today, Kiba had only managed to sleep five hours this morning. If everything worked out today, he wouldn't have to work for more than two hours. And then he could come back to Shikaku's office and sleep a few more hours before he was supposed to go back to his house.
Shikaku looked exhausted. Like, bone tired.
"I could always try sleeping somewhere else." For the umpteenth time in the last three days, Kiba began an attempt to convince Shikaku that he could go back to his house and try to sleep so that Shikaku could get the rest he so clearly needed.
But just like all the other attempts, Shikaku immediately cut him off. "Don't be ridiculous." although his words were supposed to be stern, the strength behind them was somewhat lost because of the yawn that came over the man after he had spoken. Then he rubbed blearily at his eyes, before murmuring, "C'mon. I'm gonna nap with you."
Kiba pursed his lips at this, even as he began to walk towards the Nara. Akamaru made his way towards the empty desk on the other side of the office, having decided that he enjoyed sleeping beneath it yesterday.
Today hadn't been as bad as the last two days of searching. But that had been because he had not been able to find any further trace of the attacker's scent; neither had Akamaru. At the far edges of the Forest of Death, the scent they had been tracking these last few days seemed to have disappeared. Hiashi had let them leave early to get some more sleep in the hopes that after more than just five hours of sleep, their noses would work better at finding the faint traces he swore should still be in the Forest.
"You're back early." Shikaku patted the pillow by his thigh in invitation, "Any new occurrence?"
With a heavy sigh, Kiba threw himself on the couch beside the man and settled his head on the comfortable pillow. It wasn't overly soft, nor too tough; just the way he liked it. And within seconds of having laid down, his eyes began to feel heavy.
"Lost the scent." Kiba turned so he was laying on his side, curling his hands against his chest. "Hiashi thinks it's because we're exhausted and need more rest. So here we are."
There was an incoherent grumble from the man just as Kiba felt his heavy hand land on top of his head. Immediately the warmth of that hand seeped into his head and Kiba felt himself capable to relax even further.
Shikaku made him feel safe. There was no denying it. When he was far, Kiba felt an uneasy form of anxiety of 'what's going to go wrong now?'. But when Shikaku was around, that feeling dissipated into an unimportant memory of a forgettable thought. When he was around the man, he felt like no matter what came around, he would be protected.
"I hope it's because we lost him for good." he whispered the confession he knew he could never tell any of the Hyuga family. "Shikaku..."
The hand on his head applied a bit more pressure onto him, as if silently communicating with him. And then he heard Shikaku breathe out, "That monster won't get to you as long as I'm around; you can rest easy now."
Even though he knew that the Hyuga clan had not wanted anyone that was not involved in the active investigation into Hizashi's attack to know about it, Kiba hadn't been able to stop himself from confiding in Shikaku. He knew everything that Kiba knew; and undoubtedly, he had already come up with some possible theories to explain the attack.
After everything that had happened to him in less than a week, Kiba had no idea where he would be if not for Shikaku looking out for him.
Softly, for he wasn't sure if truly deserved to have someone as good as Shikaku in his life, Kiba murmured, "Thank you."
Shikaku let out a sigh that was tired yet soft. Then he patted Kiba's head two times before resting his hand on top of his head for good. "Now let's get some of that much needed sleep."
Unlike all the other days, when Hiashi came to fetch Kiba on the fourth day of Kiba's investigation, he signaled to Shikaku to not wake Kiba up. While that was odd, Shikaku followed through and allowed the boy to continue slumbering. Even though yesterday's investigation had been the least successful to date, it had proven to be the one to do the most for Kiba's mental health. Knowing that there was a chance they had lost the attacker's scent meant that Kiba wouldn't be in immediate danger anymore... probably.
There was still a danger to having dragged Kiba into the search party; a danger Shikaku refused to ignore, no matter how much Hiashi tried to seem sure of himself.
Today his breathing was the softest it had gotten and his snores could barely be described as such. And he was less aware of what happened in his surroundings; normally, he would stir when Hiashi stepped into his office, but today, nothing of the like. When Shikaku removed his hand from on top of his head, he barely even stirred.
He would have to be a fool to ignore the fact that yesterday's failure had truly helped him get the rest he sorely needed.
"Are you not worried of anyone barging in and catching you like this?" Hiashi's question was both prudent and understandable, while his whisper was appreciated.
As Hiashi spoke, Shikaku used the hand he had previously rested on top of Kiba's head to grab the pen he had left hanging from the collar of his shirt. He took a moment to contemplate the words; truly analyze why Hiashi had taken the chance to speak to him rather than wake Kiba up; and soon sighed.
It wasn't surprising to find out that one of his contemporaries; especially one of the Heads of the main clans; was questioning him and his relationship with Kiba. Although it was troublesome for Hiashi to have spoken up now; days after they had begun an uneasy new stage in their relationship because of their individual ties to Kiba Inuzuka.
Closing his eyes, Shikaku sighed, "I've asked all of the departments to submit a formal meeting with me before barging into my office. I cited privacy concerns over some of the clan disputes I've been reading over; the Hokage sent this information to all messengers while the notice was displayed in the Jounin Central Office."
Even though it wouldn't be horrible for a recent couple like theirs to be found napping with each other, especially when they had access to a stable facility and schedule that allowed it, it would still be problematic. Especially considering that Shikaku's work had suffered during the last few days and he wasn't feeling particularly open to explaining the Hyuga's current situation to the Hokage.
"Those are not the only precautions needed for you to ensure no one catching you both like this." The man crossed his arms over his chest and there was something about the way he was talking that struck Shikaku as odd.
Normally, a Hyuga wouldn't waste any time talking about someone's failings unless they were working together on a team. In those cases, there was usually an immediate danger towards the member of the Hyuga Clan that they could not ignore, even if it was brought upon them by someone outside of their Clan. In this case, there was no reason for Hiashi Hyuga to be interfering with the actions taken by him and Kiba.
If anyone walked in on them and found Kiba sleeping and Shikaku on his couch, the only people that would be in trouble would be them. Neither of them was about to admit to the issues going on with the Hyuga Clan; so there truly was no reason for Hiashi to be questioning his actions.
Although...
"No need to worry, Lord Hiashi. I have everything under control."
Hiashi's eyes hardened and his shoulders stiffened.
The Hyuga's actions weren't absolutely odd, but they were uncharacteristic. Shikaku uncurled his fingers from the pen he was about to grab and returned his hand to rest on top of Kiba's hair.
Shikaku decided it would be in the best interest for both of them that he changed the topic of their current conversation. He was much too tired to be dealing with anyone accusing him of anything right now; especially if they wanted to accuse him of not taking a current situation seriously enough by their standards.
"Kiba informed me of yesterday's fruitless searching attempt. I didn't bring this up to him because I do not wish for him to believe I want him participating in the search of what is most probably an S-Ranked missing nin," oh, the surely soured Hiashi's mood even further if the frown now pulling at the corner of his lips was any indication. "but, I believe you would be the right person to bring this matter up."
He took a moment to wait for Hiashi to react any further than just his frown. But after a few seconds passed and there was no change in the man's steely gaze, Shikaku continued with some apprehension.
"You should mention the theory of utilizing chakra in his nose to amplify his range."
He had read about some of the theoretical implications of the Inuzuka's unique reliance on their nose when he had been looking for information on the Inuzuka Clan. It hadn't been explored very deeply in any of the texts he had consulted but, then again, he had not been looking for that precise information all that while ago. He had been trying to find out about how the Clan worked... and, now that he thought about it, he had actually forgotten about that mission of his.
Odd. He didn't tend to forget his self-appointed missions so easily... Well, maybe he would be able to contact Kakashi later in the day and agree on a time to meet and finally learn that information he had been looking for.
Although... was that information even necessary at this point? He had been looking for it because Kiba had acted strangely around him. But the kid didn't really do that anymore... Or had he just chalked up any odd behavior of the teen's as just natural within him? Had he started blurring the lines between odd shows of un-Inuzuka like behavior with Kiba's own unique mannerisms because of the time they had spent together?
He wasn't sure. The only thing he was sure about was the fact that Kiba now looked him in the eyes and barely seemed to need to look away from him; which had been the reason as to why Shikaku had first wanted to investigate the Clan.
Decisions, decisions.
"You do not know much about such a technique."
It wasn't a question. So there was no need for Shikaku to answer the Hyuga Clan Head.
Uncharacteristically, Hiashi showed a physical sign of discomfort: by stretching his right hand's fingers, he managed to crack a few knuckles. And then he repeated the motion on his left hand before settling them back onto his upper arms.
"Concentrating the amount of chakra necessary to enhance a sense of smell like the Inuzuka's would require has proven to produce... mixed results." Hiashi sighed before he took a moment to think up of his next words.
Shikaku, in the meantime, waited patiently to hear what he had to say; even though he was taken aback by this man's knowledge in such a topic.
Neither Hiashi nor his brother had been teammates with members of the Inuzuka Clan during their genin years. The Hyuga and Inuzuka were just about polar opposites in many respects and past Heads of both Clans had sworn to keep their Clans as was physically possible within the limits of Konohagakure. Because of this, it was only natural to assume that the current Clan Heads, while much friendlier than their predecessors, still kept their distance between the Clans.
Although, the fact that someone like Hiashi had allowed his heir to be on the same genin team as the Inuzuka's heir was a testament to what was supposed to be the beginnings of a better relationship between their Clans. At least, that's what Team 8's inception had been touted as those four years ago; a team to help harmonize the Clans of Konohagakure.
Hiashi remained silent for a few seconds, seeming as if he was thinking rather hard on what he wanted to say next. He rolled his shoulders just as his eyes hardened, "Do you remember Isamu Inuzuka, Musashi's father and the past Head of the Hunting and Tracking Corps?" Shikaku nodded, but Hiashi continued without truly waiting for his answer. "Do you still remember how relatively early he retired and how young Musashi was when he took his father's place?"
This had happened more than a decade ago; well before Shikaku had taken on the job of Jounin Commander. But he could, in fact, remember the relative stir it had caused within the Village for someone as competent as Isamu retiring so early in his career. The reason for the retirement had been understandable, of course, but regrettable. Officially, he had been maimed horribly on an S-Ranked mission and his son had been forced to step in to complete what his father had been unable to see through.
"My father always said that Isamu's nose was greater than that of a regular Inuzuka's. It was a blow to the Hunting and Tracking Corps when he had to step down. But Musashi has done a great job."
Hiashi nodded softly, then asked, voice taking on a softer tone, "Do you know the reason behind the mask Isamu wore until the end of his days?"
"Officially," Shikaku began to answer, even though now he was beginning to think that this answer was not the real reason Hiashi seemed to know. "His face was unrecognizable after the reconstruction surgery he had to undergo for the damage he suffered. And he would rather wear a mask that simulated his Inuzuka Clan markings than go around without the real ones on his face."
There was a beat of silence between them as Hiashi's eyes seemed to harden. Then he confessed, "While he truly had to undergo facial reconstruction surgery, it was not because of a savage attack on his face. It was because he attempted to concentrate chakra into his nose without the proper training. His face imploded; he lost his nose, upper lip, left eye, and all sensation of touch from his neck above."
Shikaku was left in a stunned silence unlike any he had experienced in a long time.
This small piece of information was dangerous for Hiashi to be admitting to, in more ways than just one.
Simply knowing so much about Isamu's true fate made him a risk for the Inuzuka Clan. Clearly having some kind of close relationship with their Clan- the kind of relationship that allowed him to be close enough to know all this- meant that he was a danger for the Hyuga as well; after all these years of insisting that the Inuzuka were beneath them, having a Clan Head that was so close to the 'dogs' was something akin to a blasphemous insult.
It was also dangerous because the true extent of Isamu's injuries and their cause was something that the Inuzuka Clan could not allow people to know. If anyone found out about something like this, the validity of the Inuzuka's prowess with their tracking techniques could be questioned. Their very reliability in Konoha might be jeopardized.
And, finally, knowing about something like this could turn the knowledge of chakra onto its very head. Even Shikaku hadn't ever thought about any possible repercussions of utilizing chakra in someone's nose. And just knowing this... it made him question just why in the world no one had bothered to explain such a possibility to him before.
"It's not often that we have to question the dangers involved in the use of the very essence of life that runs through our bodies." Hiashi continued after allowing Shikaku a few seconds to process the devastating information he had just been told. "But the fact of the matter is that the chakra within our veins can be just as dangerous as the shinobi that has trained all their life to wield it."
If not more dangerous.
Hiashi didn't have to say it. Shikaku understood it by the silence that was left between them.
Kiba stirred beside him, turning somewhat onto his side. Lower on the sofa, he heard Kiba's lower body shift.
Hearing the teenager move around reminded Shikaku of his existence. And he felt his chest tighten.
What danger would he have thrust Kiba into if he had decided to tell Kiba about this technique, rather than ask Hiashi to talk to the boy? Worse yet, what would have been of Kiba if Hiashi hadn't know what he knew?
There was relief to feel over the situation, considering just how knowledgeable Hiashi was of the dangers of the use of chakra enhancement in the nose... but that relief did little to make Shikaku feel any less guilty over an outcome that would never come to exist.
Kiba was fine. The consequences Isamu had met because of his supposed impulsivity would not be the same that Kiba would face. Hell, it seemed that the Inuzuka deemed it unnecessary to teach its Clan members of the risks and rewards of using chakra to enhance their already inhuman sense of smell... but... this begged a new series of questions; all of which began with 'Is there truly more to be lost than gained by using the chakra that they already utilized on a daily basis?'.
Why were the Inuzuka willingly keeping the members of their clans ignorant. Wait. No. Hiashi hadn't explicitly told him such a thing. Shikaku had just deduced it from the active manner in which Isamu's situation had been concealed. For all he knew, some members of the Clan did know all about this chakra theory; most probably the Elders; while others were kept in the dark, just like the rest of Konoha. Hiashi had found out somehow, after all. That meant that someone had explained all of this to him.
Unless he had been around during Isamu's incident... no, that would have made little sense. Hiashi was his age. By the time Isamu had undergone the very dangerous facial reconstruction surgery, they both would have been around twenty years old. During the final war either of them had lived through, they were both tasked with missions allowed by their Elders.
Although... the Hyuga clan were known to be excellent trackers because of their unique kekkai genkkai… it wouldn't have been hard to believe that Hiashi had been assigned on a tracking mission with Isamu... Could he have been his partner on the fateful day?
Hiashi cleared his throat and Shikaku blinked, suddenly remembering that he was in his office. He had been talking to Hiashi before he lost himself on a mental tangent.
Wow. It had been a while since he had last allowed his mind to completely take over his body like this.
"Sorry." he excused himself, feeling Kiba's soft hair with the calloused pads of his fingers. "Did you say anything else?"
A good mystery... just a few days ago, he had been lacking anything more serious other than the confusion surrounding the Inuzuka Clan's particular ways of being. But now... now it seemed that all he was coming across was situations that left him with more questions than answers.
Hiashi's eyes were focused directly on the top of Kiba's head... on Shikaku's hand.
"It's odd," the man began, shifting his head ever so slightly to the right. "Inuzuka aren't known for their random naps."
And at that very moment, Shikaku began to see the connection between Hiashi and the Inuzuka Clan; a connection he had would have never been able to make unless the man had been so blatant about wanting him to make it.
Hiashi's eyes were still very much the kind that the Hyuga were renown for. But there was a ferocity there that could have easily been mistaken for his pupils becoming fang like. It was as if for a moment in time, his pale pupils lost their circular softness and acquired angular harshness.
Whoever would have thought Hiashi Hyuga could ever manage to be friends with Tsume Inuzuka?
He had managed to find the faintest trace of Hizashi's attacker in the Forest of Death today. He and Akamaru had managed to follow it for a few good meters before Hiashi had called for him to immediately stop following the scent.
Kiba had barely heard the man shouting for him when he smelled the faintest trace of mercury, iron, and, oddly enough, what could be described as a hint of a shrub. He wasn't able to immediately identify the kind of shrub, though, because he was forced to immediately jump out of the way of poison needles flying directly at his face.
"There are pressure plates on the ground! Stop moving immediately!"
Kiba wasn't an idiot. When someone like Hiashi issues an order, he had to listen to it. But when someone like Hiashi issued an order sounding like he was prepared to hand down swift retribution if he wasn't listened to immediately... well, Kiba knew better than to defy someone like Hiashi when they sounded like that.
He had landed on all fours and he remained like that, forcing to breathe as smoothly as possible in the case of any sudden movements setting off any other traps.
From the way Hiashi had yelled out, odds were that he had found more traps.
But... if he knew there were traps all around, why had he not noticed them before? Had he not been using the Byakugan while he and Akamaru had been trying to find the trail?
"Spreading yew!" Akamaru barked out.
So he too had caught the odd trace of shrub in the poison on the needles. Luckily, Akamaru had been searching for the scent meters away from him, so he seemed to be safe from the traps that had been set up.
Hiashi moved swiftly to carefully set off all of the traps that had been left in the Forest of Death... and Kiba felt his heart freeze at the sight of all the poisoned needles that eventually embedded into the trunks of trees... not only had there been at least a dozen of these needle traps set up, but from the height and pattern left on some of the tree trunks... If he had gotten caught in any of those, all of the needles would have stabbed into him all the way from just above his knee all the way up to his shoulder.
On some of the other trunks, the height was significantly lower... low enough to hit Akamaru directly in his side, at least five different times. Those needles didn't run lengthwise... they were crosswise...
The spreading yew had a toxin within it that could kill regular livestock. It wasn't known for killing humans, just making them incredibly sick... but anything in a high enough dose could kill anyone.
"Kiba, Akamaru, we are ceasing this immediately."
He had never heard Hiashi sound like this before. He sounded... panicked.
When Hiashi turned around to look at him, Kiba was immediately able to see the harshness of his face and the fire in his eyes. If Kiba had managed to figure out the fact that those traps had been set up for him and Akamaru, then there was no doubt that Hiashi knew exactly the same thing.
He didn't normally like to use his nose to tell what Hiashi was thinking. Normally, he could ignore the scents coming from other people if he allowed the smells to fade into the background. But right now... right now, the smell of guilt was overwhelming. Regret was a strong contender in the man's scent.
Hiashi knew exactly what he had done and what had happened because of his choice to enlist his help in tracking down his brother's attacker.
Akamaru and he were now targets.
Getting Kakashi into his office didn't really take much prompting. Possibly, it had more to do with the fact that the younger male was worried over Kiba's mental state than it had to do with the fact that Shikaku had a legitimate mission to assign to him.
"How's the pup?"
Ah, pup. Kakashi must have been really worried about Kiba if he was calling him like that in front of him... or, possibly, he was starting to warm up to him now that their relationship was official and had already been announced to most; if not all; of Konoha.
"As well as he can be with all of the nightmares and worries."
A sudden chill entered his office and Shikaku stopped himself just short from sighing out in disbelief at Kakashi's skills in jumping to conclusions with scraps of information.
One thing he could give to Kakashi, it was that he managed to stay seated in front of his desk, rather than attempting to jump over the desk to get at his neck. Although his glare turned lethal, even though there was no reason for the hostility.
"What did you do, scumbag?"
Keeping a wholly disinterested and unaffected look on his face, Shikaku remarked, "Lost quite a few hours of sleep trying to help the kid catch up on much needed rest during the workday so he didn't have to suffer through nightmares alone at his house."
His voice was devoid of much emotion aside from the slightest hint of exasperation he wanted Kakashi to catch up on. Even though he didn't really care if Kakashi accepted him or not, it would truly become troublesome if the man continued to scrutinize every tiny thing he did. It was already tiring
Kakashi's eye narrowed, but soon he closed it and sighed, leaning back onto the chair.
"He's been acting off recently. Worse than before. The fact that he's only able to sleep when you're around means that it's something bad. And the fact that he's being even more elusive than before-"
"Kakashi."
The man sounded as if he were near tears and Shikaku didn't like to hear that. He knew that he couldn't explain the entirety of the situation to the man; the Hyuga Clan couldn't have the Clan Head's brother's attack known by anyone in Konoha. But he knew that Kakashi was a Clan kid; even if he wasn't an official part of a Clan any longer. So he knew that what he was about to say might get him into hot water with the Hyuga, but he knew it would help calm the Hatake down, if only marginally.
"Clan confidentiality."
For a moment, the Jounin's shoulders tensed up and his face hardened. But he soon sighed and allowed his head to hang, "Understood."
Silence hung over them.
Shikaku frowned softly. Even though he knew that he may have just done something Hiashi would disapprove of, he also knew that it might aid Kakashi's mental state. He was driving himself mad trying to figure out the new thing that had happened to Kiba. Maybe knowing that it was directly linked to one of Konoha's Clans would aid him in some manner.
He waited a few more seconds before he spoke. Then, he asked, "Remember our bet?" once Kakashi nodded, he smiled softly, hoping to lighten the mood in the office. "I'm cashing in on my reward. Oh, and there's a new tracking mission for you. I hear Suna is delightful this time of year."
Well, at least the glare he was leveled with this time had less bite and more childlike annoyance than before.
When he returned to Shikaku's office, it was with two Hyuga escorts. Kiba had felt that it was somewhat unnecessary, considering how he was the most safe within the Village... but then he had remembered how Hizashi had been attacked in the middle of the day within his own Clan's compound... and then he hadn't minded that escort as much.
He didn't know Isanami and Saizo Hyuga all that well, but he at least knew their names and their scents. They were a rather young married couple from the Branch House; Saizo was renown for his ruthlessness in battle and effectiveness in tracking, all the while Isanami was one of the most dangerous medics the Hyuga had to offer. They were the kind of Hyuga Hana enjoyed working with when she was sent on a mission.
As soon as Hiashi had decided that they would no longer be tracking Hizashi's attackers, the Clan Head had forced him to return directly to the Hyuga Compound before heading anywhere else. There he and Akamaru had been subjected to the prodding and poking of a dozen different Hyuga healers to make sure that no poison had managed to enter their bodies; and Kiba had needed to explain the exact poison that he had smelled on the needles so that they could have the concoction recorded.
He wasn't very sure if he was grateful for the silence he was subjected to as they walked to Shikaku's office... or if he was bothered by it. It allowed him to think, after all; contemplate what had recently happened in life. And these thoughts, while much less frenzied than other thoughts he had been subjected to, were still rather dark.
He was being targeted by an unknown shinobi; the very same monster that had almost killed Hizashi Hyuga.
That meant that the attacker had stuck around Konoha for long enough to keep a watch over the group that was hunting and tracking him down. From within the Village, he had managed to remain undetected, even as he kept an eye on the investigation. He was also able to get the exact measurements of him and Akamaru, even from far away.
All of that pointed towards a high level of sophistication from the monster.
A dangerous level of sophistication.
When they finally reached Shikaku's office, Kiba opened the door to find Shikaku chuckling over at a seated Kakashi... Kakashi was glaring over at the older man, but there was no real fire behind the look. They were both incredibly relaxed; their body language read of complete leisure. And the air within the office was filled with only pleasant emotions; there wasn't any real negativity within the office.
Wow... he had no idea what Shikaku had managed to do, but he had somehow managed to get Kakashi completely off his game and actually let loose.
"Ah, Kiba." Shikaku's eyes shifted towards him as soon as he opened the door and Kiba's heart lifted when he saw the pure glint of enjoyment within his dark eyes. But as soon as he caught sight of his two escorts, the glint dimmed. "Did something happen to Lord Hiashi?"
Hiashi hadn't told him to keep quiet. But he hadn't given him permission to talk about the latest revelations of the investigation... at least, not yet.
Kiba had kept Shikaku up to date during these last few days and he was grateful for the man's presence. But he wasn't ignorant to the fact that these days were draining him; he didn't miss the sudden appearance of a watch on Shikaku's left arm, either. And this was the first time in the last few days that Shikaku didn't look tired because of the burden on his shoulders.
Saizo and Isanami stayed quiet.
Kiba shifted on his feet as he weighed his options.
He was a damned fool that cared too much, wasn't he? He knew he couldn't let Shikaku find out about the fact that they were now being targeted. Shikaku would work himself sick trying to catch the guy... No. He couldn't allow that to happen. Shikaku deserved something good this week.
He would let the man know about this later. Maybe tomorrow, or the next day. But not right now; not when he was actually joking around with the normally cold Kakashi Hatake.
"Nah, he just got called back to deal with his Elders or something." Kiba shrugged his shoulders as he stepped into the room, patting Akamaru's head twice to let him know he needed him to follow him without any question. If the dog objected to his decision or agreed with it, Kiba didn't stop to find out. "But I got myself a pretty nifty escort group, didn't I?"
Kakashi's eye narrowed and Kiba could smell the suspicion that began to form within him. But soon Shikaku nodded and cleared his throat, "Saved me needing to get a messenger. Isanami, a small town in the outskirts of the Land of Fire have asked for your expertise. You have the freedom to pick your last teammate."
"I don't want to go."
"Yay! A mission with Saizo!"
Kiba chuckled at the immediate reactions from the married couple as he made his way towards the couch. Then he allowed himself to blend into the background as the older shinobi around him went about polishing out the details for the mission.
Akamaru bumped his snout against his calf, "We have to tell him."
Kiba sighed and patted his head. They would tell him. Soon. But not yet.
Shikaku deserved at least one day without stress taking over him.
~..~..~
Please review! And stay safe out there. I know the times right now are tough and dangerous, but please, stay safe.