Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, really I'm, but I was busy traveling across Europe and working when I didn't so that left very little time for me to write. I was writing snippets here and there but my perfectionist side didn't let me publish anything as long as I didn't spend like 8 hours editing :P.

Anyways, I want to honor this chapter to the lovely Nairil. She is an awesome person, a lovely artist, a true fangirl for Japan (with the cutest little black poodle ever! Yukiko is my mascot!). A few months ago we managed to meet face-to-face after 2 years of texting through Tumblr. This meeting wouldn't have happened if I never wrote my NejiTen fics, which then, led me to write Inked Emotions (the apple of my eye). Sincerely, thank you for nagging me to write and listening to me whining about my life/problems. Any of you readers can be the next Nairil! Hit me up on Tumblr or PM in private if you want to talk or do a collab or just want to be a friend.


The young man shifts in his bed, trying to get comfortable. His thoughts are buzzing like bees inside a jar and he can't get a peaceful second to drift into sleep. Sai shifts, settles, and shifts again.

The sheets he is laying on are freshly washed and the blankets are soft and warm. He is comfortable, yet he tosses and turns for the better part of the night. The tattooist can hear the raging blizzard and can barely make out the angry flakes dash from his window.

He's been fidgeting for a good two hours when he gives up and accepts that it's going to be a sleepless night for him. Sleep is overrated anyway.

He used to function with 4 hours of sleep between missions but his new lifestyle made him softer and slower. Maybe he should head up to the gym and try to get a fraction of what he had, just to pass his time.

Once he can't stand his room anymore, Sai kicks his comforter and goes to his kitchen-salon. Throwing his tired body on the big leather couch, Sai watches the fascinating snowstorm, hoping that he will eventually drift away to sleep.

The house is so silent it's stifling.

He remembers. The last time he had slept on this couch, she had been there, just paces away through the wall. Fast asleep in his bed, wearing his shirt, clinging to his comforter…

It had been difficult to control his possessive urges, to not join her in bed and bury his nose in her wildflower scented hair. Somehow, he managed to survive the night with the knowledge that she was close enough to touch but far enough not to hurt.

And did that bring other memories to the surface.

There is a reason why his sketchbook is full of Ino, depicting their interactions and the time they spent together that seem more like dates the more he thinks about them.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka and I want a tattoo."

"Thanks, inkman, I'll try to ignore how this shirt clasheshorribly with my skirt until I go home."

"I've never asked you to do anything like that. I was perfectly content the way my life was before you messed it all up!" Ino bellows angrily. "So don't you dare assume I'm the one who is stubborn when you're so skilled at changing subjects when it comes to your life, Sai."

"I want steak with ridiculously overpriced red wine. You're paying and you better have a car."

"Oh, so now you want to grace me with your attention. Well, flash news inky, you're a few decades late."

"Touch me," the blonde rasps in the neediest voice she could manage. "Please, Sai. Touch me."

"I won't fall in love with you."

His eyes flew open. That particular sentence cuts deeper than it should and Sai runs his fingers through his hair. Miserable, he feels miserable and he is missing the blonde woman so much that it's a physical pain in his chest.

"The answer is so fucking easy it's laughing at your face. Talk to her, bro, and use your human words for once."

He can imagine his brother rolling his eyes at him but Sai knows his words hold truth.


Faint sunlight dances through her half-pulled violet curtains, their aim perfect as they settle on her tired eyelids. Ino knits her brows together and rolls to her other side under her old comforter to escape the offending daylight. Her efforts are not rewarding, now that she was awake she wasn't gonna sleep.

She is disoriented for a few seconds as she brushes away her tangled hair away from her face. Fuck, she should have braided the heavy mess. Now, only hot water and her favorite citrus hair balm would solve her blonde knots.

Yawning, sleep still clinging to her whole face, Ino pushes her heavy quilt off herself and gets up. The phone on the nightstand reads 07:36 and Ino is surprised to be on her feet this early. She rarely gets off the bed before 10 and she chose carefully her class hours to assure that her late morning routine was not disturbed.

For some reason, nightmares kept her wake for most of the night. She tossed and turned under her covers and listened to the storm outside. It eventually lulled her into some sort of sleep.

Ino half-remembered of being trapped in the dark her whole body cold as if she left the house without her coat during winter. There were voices in the shadows but she can't remember the words but the malicious intent was clear.

"Just a stupid nightmare. Nothing worth worrying over."

The blonde snatches her fluffy green robe and leaves her room while checking her messages on her way to the kitchen for some coffee.

There are 19 missed calls and 48 messages from Kiba.

Her lips twitch. It's rare to see the Inuzuka so worked up, usually, it's him annoying people out of their minds and Ino thinks it as payback for the time he got chocolate ice-cream on her newly-sewn summer dress, or for the time Akamaru peed all over her shoe rack, or when he threw a party on her flat and left before cleaning up or for that one time he forgot to pack food for their camping trip or when –

Thinking back, it's still a surprise how Ino didn't snap and kill the idiot at one point in their friendship. Not that she would ever do that. Kiba is too precious for her to just toss aside.

When they were little, Ino went to play dates with Akimichi and Nara families. They were friends and Shikamaru along with Chouji played with her but she knew that the boys were closer to each other than with her. Chouji preferred to eat snacks and nap with Shikamaru in the garden instead of playing more physically tiring games like tag or hide-and-seek. She was literally the third wheel sometimes.

Until Inuzuka Tsume was assigned to the police station and brought along with her Hana and Kiba.

Kiba and Ino hit it off immediately. The Inuzuka loved to play pranks (Chouji was too sweet and kind to be misbehaving) and run around (troublesome muttered Shika as he kept napping) in endless energy and have general fun. Ino now had a best friend among her best friends. She had her own Chouji.

Much to Tsume and Inoichi's delight, the amount of trouble they got into was just a sign on how they would grow up to be.

Kiba would sneak little Akamaru into her room during sleepovers, even though it was strictly forbidden by her own mother to have animals in the house. He'd bribe her with cherry chocolates whenever she was feeling down and she'd bake his favorite cinnamon cookies.

As they grew older, they hung out a lot in Kiba's small garage, she usually bitching about the latest drama in her life, drinking cans of beer they bribed Hana to buy for them as Kiba worked on his bike. After the gossip part, Kiba would take her riding around the city so she could forget about all her problems.

He let her design his and her prom outfits and wore it together as a couple because it was a special night and they didn't want to have any relationship drama. Kiba bruised her toes with the amount of time he kept stepping on them and at the end of the evening they spiked the punch with some vodka and sat on the bleachers watching their friends and teachers alike get drunk.

He gave her first driving lessons, they had their first hangover together, annoyed Shikamaru for math homework, stayed up late playing video games, got over bad break-ups, binge-watched Marvel/DC movies. Kiba was there when her mother left and Ino was there when Akamaru passed away from old age.

For his entire come-at-me-bro attitude, snarky and smirking, Kiba is an essential part of Ino's life. She now knows of his obvious crush on the shy Hyuuga and she wholeheartedly approves. Hinata seems to be a nice girl that will keep Kiba in line without chaining him down and he will manage to bring out Hinata's steely resolve behind her timid walls without pushing her out of her comfort zone.

They will be good for each other.

Ino sends a long text to her longtime friend. First she bitches at his constant meddling, then she tells him Hinata had slept at her place, they had some womanly bonding that was nowhere near his business and she ends it with a direct shut your yapping for a second and listen to her, then apologize for being you and pray she finds it sincere and lets you back in.

"This should do." She hits send and goes to check her impromptu quest.

From the half-open door of the guest bedroom, she can make out Hinata's shape under the blankets. She is deep in sleep and Ino lets her rest, completely closing the door to not disturb her.

Her phone lights up with a response from Kiba.

"My place, this afternoon," She reads. And of course, Kiba ignores every single thing she just wrote to him. "New litter in the kennel, and some movies."

Oh, so the pups are big enough to pet now. Ino's been excited for the new-born since the mother got pregnant. Hana had said that the pups wouldn't have survived the winter as the pregnancy was out of the season but Ino believed that Kiiromaru, the mother, would have made it just fine.

The fact that the Doberman was her favorite out of all the dogs in the Inuzuka kennel might have played a role in that.

"I'll bring the snacks." She promises.

Barefoot, snuggled into her favorite fluffy robe, Ino enters her cozy kitchen. She adds water and finely ground coffee in the machine and starts the coffee maker. The most important part done, she puts two slices of bread in her toaster and opens the fridge in the corner. She is debating between apple or orange marmalade when her phone pings with a notification.

Going for the apple, she closes the fridge with her foot, gets herself a plate for her toasted bread and prepares a mug of coffee – two spoons of cream and half-a-spoon of cinnamon. Apple marmalade spread on her warm bread dangles from between her lips as she reads the newly received notification with slightly wider eyes.

"Good morning," Hinata shuffles inside, her long hair pulled back in a side braid and eyes not fully clear. "I smell breakfast."

Ino forces herself to swallow her bite. "Hey, mornin. Slept well?"

Hinata nods, her gaze trained on her fingers. "Yes, thank you for the hospitality. I know I didn't give you any warning before dropping by - "

"Leave it, I'm glad you did," Ino assures the shy girl. "Coffee?"

A relieved smile curls her lips. "Yes, please."

The conversation picks up and Ino can even crack a few smiles. Today's date is burned behind her eyelids and Ino does her utmost to ignore it.

"The snow stopped sometime in the night," Hinata says, absently adding sugar into her second cup. "The main roads are being cleaned so I don't think I will have problems reaching home."

"Your flat is close to the campus, right?" Ino asks because she is curious and likes to learn more about her new friend.

Hinata nods. "Yes, I need to work on my renaissance style fresco assignment and in the afternoon I have my shift in Kaiten, the pastry shop I work part-time at."

The name rings a bell and Ino smiles. "I should have known from the brownies! That place makes the best sweets!"

She is quick to blush. "I've learned a few of their recipes. I can teach a few variations if you want. Not the official ones, of course." Hinata drinks her coffee before asking, "Do you have class today?"

Ino groans, a little pained and wholly resigned. "Yeah, I have class with the wind witch."

"Wind witch?" Hinata asks, confused.

And that's all Ino needs to rant.

"The wind witch," Ino says, deliberately slow and hissing through her gritted teeth. "Lucifer in human skin. Teaches Fabrics and Materials for freshmen, Embroidery and Knit Design for sophomores and finally for juniors Illustration which I'm suffering from. She has a strong presence in the fashion industry. Impressing her means you're full of potential."

Ino managed fine in the first two years. Fabrics and Materials was a very straightforward class with textbook answers while Embroidery and Knit design were more about repeating the existing styles and practice them until you could do them in your sleep.

Illustration, though, is where the wind witch knocks you down.

"She is old-fashioned and classic in a stuck up way," Ino argues. "It's something you don't notice until you take classes like Personal Styling, Contemporary Fashion, Aesthetics, Digital Styling, Trend Forecasting… these are the classes of our future. Ms. Elizabeth, however, has a very strict sense of style and anything not resembling it in her eyes is nothing but trash. She did design breath-taking pieces and she is still held in high regard for that but since entering Konoha University she kind of got out of the loop."

Four feet, six inches of raw undiluted evil, she walks with a scowl on her face and a chip on her shoulder. Ino abhors that woman with a passion. Ms. Elizabeth isn't there to teach, her only reason for existence is to give a verbal beat down to poor sophomores. And not even the positive criticism kind, she enjoys making people squirm. Ino still remembers how she threw away the less-than-perfect embroideries out of the window last year.

Hinata focuses her attention on her bread. She can sympathize with the blonde easily; there are always difficult educators in higher education. "I had a difficult teacher too; many students fail his abstract art course every year."

Ino flicks her hair away from her face and twists it into a messy tail on top of her head. "There is another reason why I declared war," Ino says. "We have a prestigious exchange agreement with a fashion school in France. Apparently, the wind witch studied there and the teachers listen to her opinions. Which means, should she say no, you are not accepted into the program."

Hinata steals a glance under her mussed bangs. "She holds back students."

"Yes," Ino says. "Held me back in the last two years. But I'm giving her quite the headache." She smiles, scheming and determined. "Next semester, I will be flying to France. I just need to create a 7 piece collection that's jaw-breakingly awesome. Which I will."

"Try as she might, she doesn't stand a chance. I'm going to win the scholarship and go to France. Ms Satan incarnate promised to resign. That's how much she believes in her students." Ino grits out, bitter and angry.

"I'll be a hero. Saving poor innocent sophomores from her reign of terror." There is a determined fire burning inside her baby blue eyes and Hinata is impressed by her strong will. She will cheer for her friend's victory.

"Oh, now that I think about it," Ino says, inspiration blooming in her mind. "I need a second judgment."

Ino sprints out of her seat and races down to her room. She snatches her big sketchbook and brings it to the kitchen. "I want to mainly use rayon as fabric and pastel colors like peach, tangerine, lavender, lime and teal." she babbles as she turns the pages to show Hinata her creations. They are mostly black, she is still on the phase of dishing out models and colors schemes will come later. "I'm going for a spring fairy queen look and my idea is to have different Mandela pattern present in each piece."

Hinata scoots her stool closer to the sketchbook and runs a critical eye over them. "I still have a few wild ideas," Ino tells her. "I'm not going to use all of them obviously. I just need to see what works with what. At the moment I have two dresses and a bottom. I want to have two tops one bottom and another dress."

Bringing her designs out swiftly proves to be a good idea. Comments bounce back and forth and Ino makes several more sketches, takes notes on color combinations – which Hinata seems to have endless suggestions! – and makes a few alterations.

"That's – wow, Hinata thanks a lot. You've been a huge help," and she means it. "I should be able to pick up from here and start sewing the first two dresses. I was going for fabric shopping but the weather has been a bitch." Along with her personal life.

"I'm glad to have been useful." Hinata stammers, cheeks slightly coloring.


When Ino leaves her Anatomy and Proportions class, her eyes catch the distinctive bubble-gum pink hair among several dark heads of other students.

"Forehead," Ino calls the girl, flicking away a strand of sunshine hair from her eyes. "I see you still look like a fourteen-year-old girl but, totally not hot."

"Boyfriend stealer." Sakura greets, equally biting and detached. She hoists her backpack full of medical books higher on her shoulder. "I see you got fat."

Ino rolls her eyes and hides how the insult bites her, momentarily boiling her blood because she did gain weight, thank you very much. Instead of unleashing her inner bitch, the blonde takes in another deeper, hopefully, calmer, breath. Camon Ino, you're not here to fight. "You can't even begin to imagine how impressed I get with your second rate insults but that's not why I'm here."

Sakura leans closer, narrowed eyes conveying her interest but still wary. "What is it, then?"

"The tattoo parlor," Ino says casually. Like she doesn't care like she is asking just because and there is nothing more to it. As casual as asking the time. "Where did you find it?"

It's a half-baked idea, Ino knows it. She wants to keep going forward and settle things instead of running in circles without making any progress. Ino will start small and build it up from there and the fastest way she could think of is to ask Sakura.

The blonde is curious how Sakura stumbled upon Sai's shop. It's not exactly in the center or even in a nice neighborhood, you'd walk through every day. Ino can hardly imagine the sweet innocent little Sakura in the shady parts of Konoha. Though, the same would have been valid for Ino too.

Sakura's brow rises in interest. "Ohoho, is someone having problems? Are you here to back off from the deal?" She stays in silence in a brief second, smirking in a way that grates every nerve Ino has and adds, "Your slutty ways didn't work, or are you chickening out?"

The insult is weak and pathetic and nothing Ino has never heard before. She straightens her spine and glares at the medical student, baby blue eyes hard as stone. "You'd wish. I certainly won't lose to the likes of you." That's competitive Ino shining through before the blonde can rein her instincts in. "Now answer, why that one?"

Sakura folds her arms and tilts her chin to the side. She thinks, silently and calculating, for a while. "Remember Naruto's 18th birthday?"

Ino nods. "Yeah, everyone was super drunk and the police crashed the party."

That wasn't the highlight of the party though. She distantly remembers Kiba and Naruto calling a taxi and leaving them to deal with the police minutes before the cops busted their little get together. The next day, Ino was going to rip them apart for leaving her to clean but both their cheeks were bandaged and they were nursing the king of hangovers.

"…Yes." Ino's mouth feels like it's full of ash.

"Well, somehow they got the idea that they wanted some cool coming-of-age tattoos," Sakura says. "They hopped on a taxi and searched for a tattoo parlor. The first place they hit kicked them out. Probably didn't want them back screaming and asking for their money back once they get sober."

Sakura shrugs, completely missing the way Ino's fingers tightened around her cream-colored jacket draped over her arm. "In the end, they found a place on the internet with good reviews. The owner apparently is very skilled in the tattooing community or so they say, but he is also known to be very selective of his clients too."

"Really, now." Ino hums, tight-lipped.

"Yeah, see how nice of a friend I am? Sending you away into the capable hands of the professionals."

The offhanded comment stings more than Ino is comfortable with. It brings back unwanted memories of them when they were friends for real. Of times when they exchanged secrets inside a pillow ford and ate the freshly baked cookies, Sakura's mother seemed to make in large quantities. Of times when they easily laughed together, linking their arms together as they strolled down the streets with shopping bags in their hands. Passing each other silly notes during class. Of Christmas decorations, they made every year. Of organizing the flower shop, giving codenames to the plants they liked. Of singing off-key in Shikamaru's old truck as they went camping for the weekend.

It's almost agonizing knowing that they will never be like that again.

Ino misses those days. When everything seemed as easy as breathing.

"Ino?"

Sakura's call snaps her back to reality. The blonde refuses to meet her eyes and stubbornly keeps her mouth shut. Her mask is too fragile and any word pass her lips will break her composure. However, Ino is a good actress just like her mother, so she pushes everything down, down and down, and locks her feelings tightly – away and unreachable.

"This was an enticing conversation but – I really don't have anything more to say to you, forehead. You suck."

Sakura's nose churns annoyed and faintly angered. Perhaps that's why she snaps back with, "Yeah, Sasuke's dick."

Ino moves her body away before she throttles the girl. Deep inside she wonders how their friendship had fallen to this level. It leaves an unpleasant taste on her tongue and a little twist in her gut; however, Ino doesn't fight for a bridge that has long been burned to ash.

Still, her pride stops her at the top of the stairs leading at the back of the courtyard; waves her delicate hand dismissively towards the smaller girl. "Abracadabra!" Ino lets her face fall in a mocking pout. "Nope, still a bitch."

Ino smiles, sharp, mocking and completely fake, and turns her back to the girl she used to call sister. Her long pigtails dance behind her as she hurries down the hallway, cold hands reaching for her cell phone inside her jacket.

It takes three rings for Kiba to pick up.

"Hey, Blondie." Kiba greets her. "How can I please your highness this fine evening? Even though we are supposed to see each other in what? 2 hours?"

Ah, yeah, movie night and petting puppies.

Careless, Ino. Reckless and careless.

"I know." She hastily covers up. "Just wanted to ask something really quick."

"You already know I don't eat hot chili flavor chips." Kiba retorts. "They numb my tongue and then –"

"Yeah, yeah, humor me for a minute, will you?" Ino says, exasperated. She clumsily tries to get her arm inside her jacket without dropping her phone or bag. "Can you tell me that story again? The one in Naruto's birthday and the tattoo shop –"

"That goth bastard." Kiba cuts her off, hotly and agitated. "You already know that one. Naruto didn't shut up about it for weeks."

Ino rolls her eyes and she manages to wear her jacket without casualties. "I remember you bitching about it too, dear Kiba. I just wanna know a few things."

"Why would you want to kn – oh Shit!" Kiba almost turns her deaf with the way he hollers into his speaker. Ino jerks the phone away from her ear but it's too late. "Sakura told you to go there, didn't she? She dared you to have a tattoo from that lifeless rude son of a bitch, I swear if he hurt you in any way or form I –"

"Kiba!" Ino stresses his name in a way that shuts him off instantly. "I'm fine. Scheiße." Well, at least she was trying to be fine.

It seems today is realize-Ino's-personal-problems-day because it takes exactly 3 seconds for Kiba's brain to function and connect the dots. "He's the guy you're crushing on? Sai is the asshole guy that kicked us out!?"

"I'm not crushing!" Ino automatically snaps. "And he did kick me out of his parlor the first time too. I think it's his way of saying hi."

"I don't care if he rolls out a red carpet for his costumers or blesses with holy water anyone who passes through that stupid door. Stay away from him, that guy is dangerous and I mean it, Ino." Kiba's voice is hard, like sharp-edged knives, and Ino can see him glaring, with his lips drawn back to show his slightly sharper canines. Like a dog protecting his pack.

Too late for that one, Ino thinks, amused in a way that she shouldn't be.

"I know you Kiba, you've been kicked out of places countless times." Usually, because his hot-headedness couldn't back up from the smallest challenges. "Why is this one any different?"

Kiba breathes out, long and deep. It's a conscious effort that he takes when he needs to calm down and control his emotions. "He called Naruto a mentally challenged dickless blond. When I told him to fuck off, he called the animal shelter right in front of our eyes and said – which I'm quoting – 'There seems to be a smelly snarling animal on the loose please send someone to put it out of its misery. It's sad to watch.'"

Oh, carelessly blunt and painfully straight-forward. Those words had Sai's fingerprints all over them and she had seen him interact with the handful of customers when she was in the parlor.

"Right after that," Kiba kept speaking through gritted teeth. "He grabbed us both and dragged us outside. I know we were both dead-ass drunk but it takes some fucking strength to haul two grown men like you're picking dandelions on the park."

Kiba huffs, displeased and Ino reaches the door that opens to the courtyard. She pushes the heavy door and steps outside to the chilly late noon.

"That's all it takes to make someone dangerous?"

"Of course not." Kiba counters. Ino thinks that he is either annoyed or butt-hurt by the treatment. "You've been to the neighborhood. You don't keep your business open and going in those parts without having some balls or connections. Damn it, Ino, I'm trying to look out for you."

"And you're doing a fantastic job, Kiba." She says, hoping to settle his ruffled feathers down. "I'm also a big girl and I can take care of myself. I appreciate what you're trying to do; really I do but try not to worry much. I mostly know what I'm doing."

"That's what scares me the most." Kiba jokes. His tone is lacking the usual teasing air.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ino glares at her phone screen as if her warning stare could be conveyed through a screen.

Kiba is fast to backtrack. "Nothing, nothing. Just come to my place okay? I have the movies ready." It's strange that Kiba lets the matter drop so easily but he also spent the last two weeks hearing about the guy and maybe that did change a few opinions of his. Hopefully.

"I'm coming," Ino promises. "But I don't wanna hear a single comment about it. Pretend that this call never ever happened." Kiba splutters a protest but it quickly dies away when Ino presses. "I just need some quality friend-time. And puppies. Lots of puppies."

Kiba's end of the line is suspiciously silent. Then he exhales, he's way too aware that he has lost this battle. "Lucky for you, I can provide both."


"Verdamnt," Ino swears. "If Kiba forces me to watch another Animal Planet series about canines I'm going to kick him to the nearest wolf habitat just to see if he enjoys it when they rip his face off."

Hinata very carefully contains her giggles by pressing her lips together. She left Ino's flat right after breakfast and she managed to make some serious progress in her fresco assignment. Hinata was getting a small break her in her shift when Ino had called her to complain about her torture in the Inuzuka household.

"I really, really, really shouldn't have agreed to a movie evening." She exhales, brushing her long bangs out of her eyes. With skill that came from years of practice, Ino plants the newly-budding azaleas to the bigger containers.

She had promised her father to lend a hand and she knew she would have to re-plant some and organize the flower shop. The shipment arrived 2 hours late today, and she should have been home getting some solid 8 hours sleep which she would not get tomorrow.

Because tomorrow is Saturday, and Saturday means the weekly meet-up in their favorite hangout spot; the ANBU. Their little group always stays until awfully late, catching up on their lives and just spending some time together.

Which reminds Ino that she's still on the phone. "Would you like to come, Hinata?"

"Where?"

"It's like tradition, every Saturday we meet up in the café-bar ANBU in the upper district of Konoha. They have good student discounts and some games like dart and billiard. You should come and watch me beat everyone on darts." Ino offers, hoping Hinata would accept.

"I don't know…" she murmurs into her speaker as she gets her feet into her furred boots. "It seems something special, I wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense," Ino argues. "We actually went drinking last Monday," And Ino remembers how that meeting, or the night, has gone "And you know with the whole blizzard thing, we were going to cancel it but it's Naruto's birthday and he hates throwing parties so we just hang out with some cake and drinks. Nothing big, you don't even have to bring gifts, Naruto will forget them in the bar anyway."

"Seems lovely." Hinata comments, which is neither a rejection nor an acceptation. "I'll think about it. No promises, though, I still have some assignments I could be working on," she says in the end.

Ino's not above guilt-tripping. "Sakura and Sasuke will be there too, so I need moral support from you girl." which is not for sure. Sasuke is rarely a social butterfly and Sakura most often not prefers to be by his side than out with her friends.

The line is way too silent for Ino's taste. "…Kiba will also be there, I presume."

"Probably." Ino answers. There is no need for her to lie. "It doesn't have to ruin the fun tho if I can stay in close proximity with the SasuSaku and survive, you can also handle Kiba. I can also throw my drink at him if he bothers you too much. Wouldn't be the first time."

"SasuSaku?" Hinata repeats, confused.

Ino backtracks, "Forget ever hearing that. It's a cursed word. Anyway, at 7 pm sharp, my house. So I can intervene should you fail to dress up accordingly."

That sentence alone should scare the usually timid girl but Hinata smiles, not that Ino could see.

Taking the chance, Ino stirs the conversation to a different topic. Especially, after a semi-tense-semi-awkward documentary afternoon. Kiba seemed to have closed off his own feelings, instead focusing on Ino's heart matters passive-aggressively. Ino swears she could his colorfully chosen word about Sai even thou he never voiced even one.

"How long are you going to make Kiba suffer? Not that I'm minding, you know, it's rare to see him actually try to apologize." Hinata can almost see Ino roll her eyes from the other end of the line. "I swear man and their irritating pride."

"I don't care for words, Ino, his attitude must change… if he – if I mean something to him as he claims than Kiba must also accept me. I cannot ignore it for temporary happiness."

"You know the saying, date a boy who opens the door for you and smacks your ass as you walk through,"

Unexpected, a giggle breaks out of Hinata. "I really can't understand whose side you are on."

"Stupid question," Ino huffs, planting another small azalea. "I'm rooting for you both. You know, a gentleman in the streets and pervert in the sheets. Perfect combination, if you ignore the horrible sense of humor."

"Hmm, is that the kind of relationship you want from your crush?" she can't stop herself to tease. Hinata hopes she didn't push Ino too far. She is still new in this BFF thing and she is testing their limits and boundaries.

"I don't have a crush!" Ino bristles and Hinata bites her lip, amused and not once sorry. She did not offend her. "It's the sexual tension, God! It's been freaking forever since I got laid and after his kisses, every other seem so – so – so mediocre!"

Suisen, the small calico cat Inoichi would feed from time to time, twines herself through her legs. Absently, she pats the purring cat as she switches the phone to her other shoulder.

"So, having, uhm - intercourse will solve everything?" Ino can hear her blushing through the phone. Hinata is so cute sometimes.

"It's easy to take off everything and have sex," she puts emphasis on the last word and Hinata squeaks, high and embarrassed. "People do it all the time. It's messy and needs a bit of coordination but if done right it can be good. Done with someone you're attracted to? Then it's gorgeous."

"Perhaps, he is being considerate?" Hinata offers shyly. It's a conversation they had before and it's like a broken record set in repeat.

"I wouldn't know Hinata," Ino interrupts. "We don't really speak much about that kind of stuff. I'm stupid and got carried away, gave too much of myself and expected the same treatment. I should stop wasting my feelings on someone who doesn't value them."

And isn't that a sad, sad, thing. Sasuke and Sakura are the biggest marks in her heart along with many but that's Ino. The one who always cares more. "That's my problem."

"It's not a problem, Ino. Do not think of it like that." Hinata's voice is carrying a steel edge that leaves Ino surprised. "Having compassion or having any emotion for the matter is not, ever, neither a weakness nor a problem. If - "

"Shit!"

The sudden pained yelp jolts Ino to her full height, the phone nestled between her shoulder and ear slips down to the floor with a clatter. Pruning shear in hand, held like a weapon, she twirls around, ready to stab the intruder in the eye.

The intruder turns out to be Kiba, carrying a small cardboard box in his left hand while his right is sluggishly bleeding.

"Yeah, yeah. Should've knocked before coming." He casually greets her, more blood dripping from his arm. "I know the rules, okay? Bitch at me after we finished bandaging my arm. It's starting to sting like hell."

"What happened!?" Ino shouts, her high pitched voice drowning her hummingbird heart. "Got in a fight with an alley cat?"

"That was one time!" Kiba glares at her, pushing the small box closer to his chest while keeping it away from the blood as if it's super important. "And no, your fucking cat just jumped at me for no reason!"

Ino rubs her forehead with the back of her thick garden glove and she crouches to pick her phone. She can hear Hinata's worried voice shouting her name.

"Hey-"

"What happened? Are you-"

"Kiba dropped by and scared the shit out of me," Ino explains which instantly calms the Hyuuga. She hears her take a deep breath to probably slow her racing heart. "I'll call you later okay? Don't forget, my place at 7." She repeats in case Hinata had any selective hearing.

She ends the call and slides her phone into the back pocket of her washed out jeans. Pulling off her thick garden gloves and her gardening-tool-turned-weapon drops them on the floor near to the azaleas. Ino stares at the box, Kiba is carrying which is either wiggling or the Inuzuka's hand is shaking. Badly.

Kiba looks at her, brows knitted together and amber eyes dark.

"Was that Hinata?" he asks, casual like he isn't dying the floor of her father's shop red.

Ino nods in agreement. She's wishing to return to the simpler times when heart matters didn't really matter to them. "Yeah, invited her to ANBU." She throws a look at his way. "Is that a problem?"

"No." Kiba shrugs his shoulder. "You can invite anyone but your passive-aggressive cat." The cat in question flicks her tail like the princess she is, hisses at Kiba and darts away deeper into the shop.

"Suisen is not my cat," Ino argues. "She comes and goes as she pleases. I'm sure she has a few people around the neighborhood she sucks up to for food."

"Sure," Ino says when Kiba throws her a look. "Whatever, you mutt. You deserve it for forcing me to marathon documentaries. Come, let's clean your wound in the greenhouse."

"No, not the greenhouse! You know I hate your evil plants!" the wine is pure Kiba, it makes Ino's lips twitch and her shoulders relax. Easy as breathing, they fall back to their usualness.

"Verdammt. My plants are not evil, Kiba. The only evil thing here is your stupid pickup lines." She sighs as she finally walks closer to Kiba. She grabs his arm to get a closer look at the scratches. "No stitches, thankfully, spared me the drive for the hospital. I can clean and bandage them."

Her eyes get drawn at the box he is still carrying. "What's in there?" this time, she is sure the box has moved.

Kiba stares at her for a moment, confused. Ino can't help but think that he looks like a puppy that lost his furry mom. Then his face breaks into a brilliant grin.

"You forgot something in my place." He says, cryptic and still smiling.

Glancing at the box, Ino steps back to retrieve the medical kit before the idiot gets any pollen inside his open injury. "I don't think I forgot anything. Did you bring one of Hana's bra again? thinking it's mine?"

At least Kiba has the decency to look away, the tips of his ears warm-red which makes Ino smile.

"Haha. You'll never gonna let me live that down, will you?"

"Nope," Ino says cheerfully. Met-kit in hand, she bounces back to the Inuzuka's side. It takes her less than 5 minutes to clean the thin scratches, put some disinfectant cream and bandage it securely. "All done, good as new. Now give me my gift."

Kiba actually pouts at her. "Who said it was a gift." He still hands her the box without much prodding.

Laughing at Kiba's pout earns her a cheeky wink.

The box is small and heavier than it looks, there are little holes in the sides and the moment Ino touches one, something wet presses at her finger. Yelping in surprise, she snatches her hand back.

"You didn't." She breathes out, baby blue eyes wide and incredulous.

Kiba ruffles her blonde hair in a way that brings her bangs to cover her eyes. "Just did. Happy early Christmas gift."

Without caring for her manicure Ino attacks the box. In her haste, she almost drops it but Kiba is there to steady her. The instant its open, a small black head pops up with beady black eyes, a wet nose and brown muzzle.

Ino' mouth drops open. She's stunned and completely bewildered for a moment, and then Ino tips her head back and laughs. It's bright, warm and cheerful, accompanied by the little pups cute yips as Ino hauls the little guy like he is Simba. A pink tongue lolls out and his short tail wiggles with such force that his whole lower half swings.

"So you like it?"

"Like? I love him!" Ino exclaims hugging the little Doberman closer to her chest.

The pup sniffs her neck, recognizes her from when she visited a few hours ago and brushes his wet tongue all over her sensitive throat and leaving Ino to giggle like a teenager. "How did you know?" she says through her giggles.

Kiba taps his nose. "Instinct. I knew the moment you entered the kennel. This little was your favorite and the way he stuck to you close showed that he liked you. Wasn't that hard to convince Hana to give you one, she's been planning to gift you once since forever but we were waiting for the right signs." He pets the little fur ball with soft eyes. "You really lucked out, he's an obedient one, will be easy to train. You need someone to look out for you and keep you company. Can be pretty lonely in your apartment sometimes."

"Oh, Kiba." Chest warm with emotions Ino rushes forward, almost toppling Kiba with the force she hugs him. The Doberman pup yips and tries to wiggle free from the sudden sandwich. Kiba doesn't have any problems with it and returns the gesture, winding his fingers through sunshine hair soothingly. "What would I do without you?" she asks voice thick and she buries her face into his leather-clad shoulder.

"Self-destruct probably." He jokes. Ino can feel his huff of amusement more than see it. "Now comes the fun part. The little guy needs a name."

Ino's gaze falls outside. The temperatures have risen and most of the white has melted but the shadows of the snow could be noticed "Yukiko." she says, incredibly fond and dropping a kiss between his triangle ears.

"Child of snow." Kiba repeats. "Or child of happiness depends on which kanji you're using. Nice name, a little too girly but nice nonetheless."

Ino is not above kicking him. "There is no girl name. My little Yukiko is perfect."


"You're depressed," is the first thing Shin says when he walks inside the apartment. "Get over it."

"Marvelous idea. Your motivational words completely cured my state of mind." Sai says dryly. "Also, fuck off."

Shin scratches his chin, the insult rolling off from him without doing any damage. He's still supporting some bandages on himself which it explains why he drops more often lately then doing any missions. "I know what you need."

Behind his closed lids, Sai feels a headache forming. He really doesn't want to know what his brother has cooked up and named as a good idea, but at the end, curiosity wins.

"And that would be?"

Shin is quick to offer, "You need to get laid, preferably with a blonde bombshell."

Sai's glare could have melt iron.

"Okay, okay!" Shin retreats, hands up innocently. "Forget I ever said that! Ah man, you have a serious case of being a little bitch. I'm prescribing you a heavy dose of grow some balls."

"You don't have the medical degree to prescribe anything." Sai counters. "Should I remember the last time you faked Rin's signature to get pills?"

"Oh, that was a wild night."

"You ended up in hospital, brother." Sai reminds him, completely blank-faced from years of dealing with his eccentric brother.

Shin huffs and rolls his eyes. There is something more and Sai prepares himself for the madness. "Well, if you can't have the girl you should go for the booze! Let's hit the bars Sai, it's been ages since we went out together -"

"-Shin."

"and never have any time for your handsome, charming, amazing –

"-Shin."

"- strong, noble and caring brother anymore."

"Are you done?" Sai asks. Shin's smirk stretches to almost splitting his face and hauls his little brother from the couch.

"It's going to be amazing!" Shin promises, stars in his eyes and bouncing on his feet like a child with a sugar rush. "I can just feel it!"

The only thing Sai's feeling is dread and probably regret that will manifest in later hours, nevertheless, he lets his older brother drag him out without a fuss.


Teaser for next chapter!

He won't risk it, normally, but he can imagine her right in front of him, stubborn and beautiful and so much alive and he can't help it. It's enough to make Sai want to be a tiny bit reckless.


Okay, I know. The story of Hinata and Kiba is pretty much non-existent and rushed. Bear with me guys :/ I really want to focus on InoSai in Inked Emotions and KibaHina will have their own light in a separate fic! (Which I will start after InkEmo has finished)