Ch. 4

Kiba was alert as he rode Akamaru swiftly through the trees. The nin he was chasing was losing ground. He couldn't keep up with Akamaru's pace. Kiba whispered a few things to the bug on his shoulder and it flew off. The rest of his team would arrive soon. He stood on Akamaru's back and leapt forward at the nin's back. The nin never knew what hit him. Combined with his own jumping ability and the speed Akamaru was already going, Kiba was instantly on the nin and one kunai to the neck ended his life.

Kiba stood over the nin's body cleaning his blade, with Akamaru panting beside him. He then bent down and began rummaging through the nin's things. The nin had some weapons, a copy of Ichi Ichi Paradise, some scrolls - one with a seal (which was what they were looking for), and a correspondence between the Rock and the Rain. As he emptied the dead nin's pouch a picture fell out. It was of a young woman holding a baby, Kiba slowly picked it up and turned it over in his hands. The back read "Good luck on your mission darling. Your son and I await your return!" Kiba sighed. He hated when nin had personal effects on them when he killed them. It was easier to be detached when killing another human being if you didn't remember they had a life, a home, a family... Somewhere out there a woman was widowed and a boy was fatherless because of him. Kiba didn't even notice his team arrive, he just kept looking at the baby's face and thinking about how his father never came home from a mission. It wasn't an uncommon thing in a town of ninja. Luckily he had his mother and older sister.

"Good job, Kiba." Naruto said bringing Kiba out of his thoughts. "Did you get it?"

"Yeah." Kiba said as he absent-mindedly tossed the scroll to his captain.

Naruto made quick work of the seal and began to read the scroll. It still dumbfounded Kiba at how strong Naruto had become. He was probably the most accomplished Konoha-nin around. And he was on the fast track to being Hokage. Soon all the major houses would have an ally of Naruto at its head. The counsel would be made up of his comrades and he would be chosen to succeed Tsunade. Kiba was confident that Naruto would be great as Hokage, even though they had had only a few missions as an ANBU team he had seen Naruto do great things. He had also seen him be a complete jerk. Kiba unintentionally scrunched his face under his mask at Naruto. Naruto had beat down Sakura at every chance he got, and the usually fiery kunoichi had just stood there and taken it every time. He imagined her sad face beneath her new mask (a cat with black markings). He had half expected her to choose a pink mask but she had told him it was "too unprofessional".

"We're heading back in the morning. Shino dispose of the body, then set up a perimeter around the site with your insects. Kiba you and Akamaru take a rest. Sakura make the camp. Neji you're with me, we'll take a patrol of the area." and with that he and Neji were gone in a flash. Kiba laid down using Akamaru as a backrest and Shino's insects began eating the body. Kiba always thought it was a terrible way for a nin to go but the lack of a body as evidence was always good for the team. Kiba lifted his mask and turned his attention back to the picture.

"It's not good to dwell on stuff like that." Kiba turned his head to see Sakura standing next to him.

"Yeah well, it's hard not to." She lifted her mask and gave him an understanding smile.

"So," he began slowly watching her set up the camp, "Why do you take that shit from Naruto all the time?"

"He's the captain." She said plainly.

"Yeah, but the Sakura I know would punch him in the face for talking to her like that." He chuckled. "Even if he were the Hokage."

"Well, it seems like he will be soon enough." Sakura replied.

"Yup, he's going to have all the clans behind him soon, Hana-neechan will be in charge on the Inuzaka, Shikamaru the Nara, Ino the Yamanaka, and Hinata…" He trailed off and had a small smile. He was still in love with her, but she still only had eyes for Naruto.

"So when are you going to ask her out?" He was startled and looked up at Sakura standing before him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said indignantly and lowered his mask. She sat next to him against Akamaru and lifted his mask back up.

"I hate when you guys wear those things."

"You wear one too." He replied. She sighed and looked up at the darkening sky. The stars would come out soon.

"I know you don't like the ANBU, why did you agree to join?" He asked.

"Tsunade-sama asked me to."

"It's more than that."

"Drop it..."

"Geez," he said putting his hands behind his head. "Didn't have to bite my head off." She got up and began to walk back to finish setting up camp.

"What's up between you two? I mean we all have our own theories but none of us really know." Sakura stopped dead in her tracks and became rigid. Then she loosened up and began to walk again. Kiba sighed and closed his eyes, a few seconds later he felt Shino sit down where Sakura had just been.

"I've tried to have the same conversation with her numerous times. It never goes anywhere." Kiba opened up one eye and looked inquisitively at his lifelong teammate.

"You actually talk to people?" He joked and Shino crossed his arms in annoyance. "Man you're way too uptight." Kiba said as he slapped Shino on the back. As Kiba became serious again, he asked, "So what do you think really happened?" Shino paused, then turned back to Kiba.

"They haven't been the same since their last encounter with Sasuke." Shino stated. He then lifted up his mask and turned to Sakura who was busy making the meal. "Somebody turned on the other." Kiba followed Shino's gaze, then sighed. There was no way Naruto would turn on Sakura, but the other way around. He wasn't so sure.

Author's Note

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