Momento : Relax

Rating: PG-13

Author's Notes: Kiba-centric…; I don't know what came over me to write a chapter like this. It's….a bit of a filler sort of chapter, focusing more on Kiba's dilemma Maybe I should go and watch the Inuzuka vs. Uzumaki fight for inspiration. Lol. I know I promised a whole bunch of other plotholes will be explained…gomen. I still hope you like this "crazy" chapter…XD  Be warned for OOC! Shino!!! o;;

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"Kiba, let go…I can't breathe…"

Naruto moaned, losing balance and falling back down to bed (with Kiba conveniently on top of him I might add). Akamaru, sensing that he may be crushed under both him and Kiba's weight, jumped away from Naruto's lap and sat down the free space found on the bed, naively wagging his tail.

"You idiot, I want to hold you like this."

Naruto blushed at Kiba's direct and daring response, trembling due to the closeness of their bodies and Kiba's emotional outburst. They lay down, silent for a time.

"Kiba…why are you doing this?"

The blonde's lips quivered just by simply asking the other, but Kiba did not answer. He kept a tight hold of Naruto, but his intention was pure.

"I just want to hold you, is that so bad?"

"No, but it's wierd."

Inuzuka shrugged off Naruto's reply, quietly moving away from Naruto. "You should be thankful a guy like me would actually want to hold you." Kiba bragged, sitting farther away, trying hard not to show his humiliation. "You're doing weird things." The blonde added.

"I never knew that hugging was a part of the things you viewed as weird."

"Not really, but hugging another guy is."

"You hug Iruka-sensei all the time."

"Well, yeah…but that really doesn't really mean anything."

"That's just because you're naïve…dense….hopelessly dense." Kiba mumbled incoherently, only vaguely to pass through Naruto's ears. "What did you say..?"  Naruto asked.

"Nothing."

His minded off to some far place, wanting to forget how stupid he is, wanting to forget that he almost ruined his peaceful, yet empty relationship with Naruto, who has forgotten every morsel of memory about him.

"Kiba, where's Sasuke?"

Kiba's eyes flew open once more, looking straight into Naruto's clueless face, annoyed.

"Oh well, he's out there, doing fine. Now if only he'd stay that way. Out."

Naruto looked at Kiba puzzled, wondering why on earth Kiba was always pissed with Sasuke, and always passing it off as loosely as he could, but the hate was still there. How very queer.

"You know, Sasuke helped me, it's actually kinda embarrassing…because now I'll have to thank him again."

"Being bitten by a snake is stupid, walking with one sandal is stupid. YOU.ARE.STUPID."

Naruto glared, throwing an apple at him (which was peacefully beside his bed), wonderfully hitting Kiba on the forehead.

SMACK!

Kiba screamed loudly, after being hit by the fruit he had fallen back, far back…Falling head first into the marble floor.

"Does your stupid, little goddamn brain think that I actually enjoy being saved by Sasuke?!"

Kiba frowned and looked away, rubbing his nose a bit, ignoring Naruto.

"A part of you does, I'm sure." Naruto was dumbfounded, once more, he was confused with Kibas's spontaneous, daring statements.  "You need professional help." Naruto blurted, picking up Akamaru protectively as if saying : "STAY BACK!"  Kiba could only grind his teeth together in anger, even his loyal Akamaru seemed to enjoy teasing him. He went up with his knees, folding his arms across his, huffing out.

"Bah! Why don't you just admit it?! Inuzuka roared, not in a mocking way, but rather, it is something that can be likened to a jealous eruption. He quickly got on his feet, walking closer to Naruto with a vicious look.

"For the last time Kiba, shut up! And stay away, you're scaring Akamaru!"  Naruto (bravely) responded, holding a shaking Akamaru, annoying his master even more.

"Give him back! Give my Akamaru back! I am his lawful owner and I am privileged to command you to GIVE HIM BACK!" He roared once more, but this time, it was louder than ever.

If there was once thing Kiba would be known for, it would be his short temper rivaling Naruto's…and his subtle sadistic nature.

"Aa. You are in serious need of help, Kiba."

A familiar voice pierced through Kiba's sensitive hearing, immediately knowing who it was, he turned his head to the person's direction slowly, it gave the impression that Kiba was some sort of monster out to bite anyone's head off , silently watching his prey.

"Shino! What are you doing here!?!" There was Aburame Shino, standing in the half open door holding a basket of fruits and flowers, his face still emotionless and cold, an odd (or possibly horrible) sight to behold…he laid the basket and the flowers on the table next to Naruto, paying no attention to Kiba.

His bug-infested teammate seemed to have taken well to Kiba's rudeness, he was never greeted properly by the dog-boy, Shino had an odd conclusion that this was because dogs hate fleas (which can easily be called as one of the many species of bugs)…that make them itch all over, and Kiba is worried that his bugs might do something "sinister" to Akamaru, or even Kiba himself.

 The theory was replayed all over in his head so many times that it took Shino ten whole minutes to answer back, by then Naruto was freaked out by the two.

"I came hear because Hinata was worried about Naruto-ku—I mean Naruto." Shino was quite worried that Hinata's mannerisms were infecting him, in fact, he would fidget and look down on the ground when Kurenai-sensei (and any other older female) would talk to him. Aburame shuddered a bit.

Kiba sighed again, shaking his head, feeling sorry for their one and only female member.

"That girl needs to build her confidence, for crying out loud, anyone can visit Naruto and call him a dope for being bitten by a snake."

"But it's a whole other thing to tell him you care for him, Kiba."

Kiba face faulted.

"…Just like you."

Kiba could've sworn his ego shattered into a million pieces, panic-stricken, he looked at Naruto standing before him, eyes wide open whether it was in shock or naivety, he was soon to know.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"

Kiba screamed long and hard, dragging Shino out of the room hastily and forcefully. Shino could feel the pain as his teammate dragged him by the collar, turning blue for he was slowly being deprived of air. Kiba threw him off at the wall, causing Shino to (painfully) hit it.

"W-What…W-Why…H-HOW?!!"

Shino stared at Kiba blankly, a bit uninterested in Kiba's reaction. 

"I just know things, it's an intuition sort of thing. You have an easy to read personality, it's just that Naruto's…stu…er…naïve."

Kiba shook his head, frightened by Shino's all knowing, god-like presence. He could not believe that Shino himself was…more than the weirdo he knew. Dog-boy dramatically sighed, shaking Shino's hand. "I never knew you at all, Shino, my teammate!" Kiba's eyes sparkled with a fake accent of admiration.

"Look Kiba, if you really want me to shut up about how you feel for Naruto…buy me lunch."

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"Wow Kiba, it's so awesome to have you treat us to lunch!"  Naruto and Shino happily dug their way in the hot beef pot. Kiba gave a glare at Shino while digging in as well, occasionally sharing the scraps with Akamaru. Eating on the marble floor actually made Kiba feel better.

Now if only things can stay as simple as this.

But then, Sasuke entered the room while they were eating,  the Uchiha  quite surprised with what he saw.

"Got room for one more?"

Kiba screamed.

Of course there was room for one more, thus there was no other way but for Kiba to let Sasuke share the hot beef pot with them. Kiba's only way to express his anger was to violently chew on his food, making a rather disgusting mess. Everyone else besides him let out a horror-struck expression as some bits of beef meat from Kiba's mouth almost went flying right at them, especially Shino and Sasuke.

"People who share their lunch share a very deep connection." Shino blurted out, Naruto in awe of Shino.

"R-really?!"

Kiba and Sasuke shrieked in horror.

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A few days later  Naruto was released from the hospital, everyday enjoying the company of his fellow genins during his stay, it felt like he owed the snake big time.

Sasuke on the other hand, denied that he was even worried about Naruto, reminding himself to keep his distance. But Kiba had other plans…something entirely different from Sasuke's .

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