The Universal Question, a naruto fanfic

A/N: This is a sidestory to a fanfic that I hope you have come across on already: The Frog and the Princess by a new Naruto author (but now popular! XD), syaoran no hime, who I am hoping would return soon already from her trip and update. I had told her in one of our mails that she doesn't write much about Kiba, so I made this. One-sided, and will not ruin the NaruHina angle of her great fic.

I am no syao-chan, but enjoy!

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The UNIVERSAL Question: What is love?

Love is answerable in the following situations:

One, court lady Haruno Sakura chasing after the prince everywhere when it is GLARINGLYEVIDENT that the guy doesn't want her around him.

Two, that butler guy for the Yamanaka family allowing himself to be used, abused, and reused to the heart's wishes of its clan brat, Lady Yamanaka Ino.

And three, when Akamaru chases after the rolling dog biscuits I threw out of the stable even if the food had already made its way down to the puddles, dirt and mud and all.

Ergo, love is looking like an idiot, acting like an idiot, and yes, being fully aware of it. Blissfully.

Funny, especially when they say that love makes the world go round. It makes you doubt on the fate of the future in the hands of the blissfully ignorant ones.

My philosophical musings were interrupted by a familiar timid voice that could have been sent down from heaven, and I would have believed it so beyond doubt.

"Ohayou, Akamaru-kun! Hungry, aren't you? Here, have some cookies!" Delighted laughter followed, making me smile on impulse. I put down my rake and sauntered towards the entrance of the ranch, a ready grin on my face.

I had been seeing her here for months already, yet strangely, I still had to catch my breath every time when my eyes fall on her. Dressed in her usual white and pale lavender maid uniform, yet still looking a very fine princess herself, Hyuuga Hinata's face looked up. Her eyes met mine, and they softened adorably. "Ohayou, Kiba-kun."

I opened my mouth to speak, instructed my mind to send any sentence, fragment, phrase, WORD, or anything that would make some considerable coherence to human comprehension, but failed miserably. I could only offer a smile (which was as strong as my buckling knees) as she stood up gracefully and dusted her skirt. Good lord, even with such a simple act, she radiates with so much grace and finesse.

"I brought you breakfast." She gestured shyly towards the food tray by the lone table in the stable. And for a moment, I was lost in a fantasy wherein I was in the family dining room, being directed by my wife to eat breakfast already with our kids. Hinata in a flower-embroidered apron, hands covered by kitchen mittens, holding a tray of cookies, smiling warmly as the kids barked and clucked and neighed—

Neighed?

Oh, I was in the stable. Right, right. Stupid. I tore my eyes away from the horses and went to get my food, still unable to summon functional communication skills to even thank her for her thoughtfulness. I took the cup of coffee, tasted its perpetually perfect mixture, and proceeded to think of something to say to her.

Wow, the coffee is blacker than usual.

No, no, that would sound too forced. Hmm…but it IS blacker…the color of her soft-looking hair…

"Is something wrong with the coffee?" came her voice, making me jump. The dark liquid spilled on my knees, making me jump once more, hissing curses that would make the devil blush.

"K-Kiba-kun! A-Aaah, gomen nasai!" Hinata rushed to my side, holding a towel. She immersed it in the bucket of water by Akamaru's sleeping hay, and then knelt down before me to rub my scorched body parts.

Maybe it was the water, or the touch of her hand on my knees, but either way, I felt all my earlier pain melt away and give in to pleasure. But then I remembered it was Hinata – THE Hyuuga Hinata—who was kneeling down the dirty ground for me. This snapped me out of my daze and made me fall down on my knees, pushing her towel-holding hand away. "Yamero!"

She blinked, startled.

I blinked too, realizing that it was just about the dumbest thing to do, not to mention that it wasn't very smooth. I stretched my vocal muscles to speak, but when I opened my mouth, my larynx lost power. Oh god, at that very moment, I thought I had failed as a man. Even a nine-month-old baby could already gurgle audibly! And be understood, at that!

"S-Sor…" The first syllable came out at last, but she had already gotten up and fetched the towel that got thrown some feet away from us. "…ry," I finished lamely, hitting myself silently for my roughness.

"A-Anou…I-It's my fault," she stammered, turning to me with her usual warm smile on her face. "I thought you didn't like today's coffee…you were frowning silently…so I asked…" She shrugged delicately, the strands on the side of her face bending on her shoulders. I had to suck some air into my lungs again…she had a way with looking breathlessly precious at the most unexpected of times.

"D-Dirty…" I said slowly.

"Hmm?" She self-consciously touched her cheek.

I kicked myself inwardly. "D-Dirty uniform….I-I mean Idon'twantyourmaiduniformtogetdirtybecause of…." I halted. I myself couldn't understand what I just said.

But somehow, she understood. It was her gift, the innate ability to sense and understand other people's feelings without even so much an effort. Her eyes crinkled into a friendly smile. "Ah, do not worry. This can be remedied with a little water and soap."

I grinned weakly. I wonder if a little water and soap could help my own hopeless situation, turning into a moron whenever she so much as SMILES at me.

"D-Demo…your skin…" She now looked worried. And damn, I felt awful.

I shook my head quickly. "No damage whatsoever!" I beamed proudly. A whole coherent sentence at last! My mother would have cried a river if she were here.

My smile had appeased her obviously. She smiled back. "I'm glad." She was about to scoop down to get the mug that I dropped stupidly—yes, the word had started to become a legend today – when I went down on my knees and took it. Somehow, it was blasphemous to have her kneel down in front of me. No, never. Not Hyuuga Hinata. She was a princess in my eyes, and the dirtiest of rags she wear could never ever change that.

Quietly, I headed for the nearby well and immersed the cup in a bucket of water standing near it. I felt her stop behind me.

"Anou…Kiba-kun, I can wash this for you in the kitchen and get you another cup…"

I searched my mind for something to reply, but my cerebral factory had betrayed me, so I decided to remain quiet. Silence wouldn't clue her into my inanity.

But the same silence was adding tension to the air. I scrubbed the mug with some more force, ignoring the thumping of my heartbeat pounding in my ears. It was still beyond me why her mere proximity could send me into this harassed state, and until now, I hadn't come upon the proper defense mechanism against it except for my rough ways. It was embarrassing, especially since I know that I am the only friend she has in the kingdom. Having moved in just some months ago, she still had yet to fit in.

Fortunately, my loyal buddy came to my rescue. Barking, he rushed towards us, and that took her attention away from me.

"Woah, good boy, Akamaru! You've finished the cookies already, hmm? Here, I still have--"

I turned to her all of a sudden. "Hinata, don't spoil him too much—"

I froze.

She was sitting beside me, so very close, looking at me wide-eyed and askingly. She nary had an idea how her face up-close was doing havoc on me, my blood, my lungs, and my cardiovascular organ. I knew she was pretty, but looking at her, I came to realize how inadequate that word was.

The same inadequacy rendered me speechless, even when she finally broke into a shy smile and turned her attention back to the puppy.

But I was never the same again after that. All it took was one realization, one small moment, and I was doomed.

Somehow, I knew I had ended up as another answer to the strings of definitions regarding the Universal Question.

the end