Hyuuga Hinata; 4 Years Later

Age 16

-Apologies-

I didn't expect to become a chuunin. But it still made me feel sad when I saw Tenten walk past my window on her way to the Hokage's office. I knew she was going to be promoted.

I gave a heavy sigh and turned away from the window. Looking out it made me feel depressed.

Then again, there weren't many things that DIDN'T make me feel depressed these days. Things had gotten really complicated and I was really falling behind on my ninja training. There one was only a year until Consolidation and that was the last thing I wanted to have to go through. Not only would I not be able to stand the pressure but I didn't want to inevitably hold back all the other ninjas who got consolidated as well.

"Hinata!" came Hanabi's voice from the hallway.

She opened up the door.

"Yes?" I said.

"There's some boy at the door for you." She said.

"Is it Kiba?" I asked.

I don't know why I asked that. Why had Kiba been the first one to pop in my head at that instant?

"You mean your boyfriend?" Hanabi said with a raised eyebrow.

"He's not my boyfriend." I said quietly.

"No, it's not him." Hanabi said. "That other kid from your team."

"Shino's here?" I said, rather confused. Shino hardly ever came over to my house, especially unannounced. But especially ESPECIALLY alone. Hanabi shrugged and left my room.

I got up and went to the front door and, sure enough, Shino was standing there.

"Hi Shino!" I said. "How are you today?"

"Hinata, I just got a call from Kiba's mother." he said without answering my question. "Kiba's in the hospital."

I gasped. "He's…" I began, but I couldn't go any further.

"I figured you'd want to know." He said.

"I'll get my coat!" I said, running back to my room to get my coat.

Why was Kiba in the hospital? What had happened to him? Was he all right? I was so nervous for him. What if something serious had happened and I was here complaining over not being a good ninja while he was suffering or worse, DYING in the hospital?

But I wasn't going to think about that.

I couldn't find my coat anywhere, but I wasn't going to run around madly to search for it when I had to go and make sure that Kiba was all right.

"I'm ready." I said, going back to where Shino was patiently waiting.

We didn't exchange many words as we made our way towards the hospital. I could hardly catch my breath.

I skipped steps as I headed up to where Kiba would be. I kind of lost sight of Shino, but I was anxious to get there.

"Is Inuzuka Kiba here?" I asked the nurse behind the counter as Shino rounded the corner.

The nurse took her time to look through her files and blow a bubble with her gum. She hummed slightly as I drummed my fingers apprehensively in anticipation.

"Inuzuka Kiba you said?" she said finally.

"Yes!" I said. "Is he here?"

"We have an Inuzuka Akamaru here, but no Inuzuka Kiba." She replied.

"Akamaru?" Shino said.

I was thinking the same thing.

"Hey!" came Kiba's voice from down the hall. We both turned around to see Kiba coming over to us.

"Kiba!" I said. "You're all right!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kiba replied. "Akamaru's not doing to well though."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"We were training in the backyard and I think I must have hit him too hard or something cause his leg broke." Kiba said in that tone of voice that clearly admitted that it was an accident.

"That's awful!" I said.

"Yeah well…Akamaru's getting pretty old…" Kiba said, looking down and trailing off.

"I have things to do." Shino said. "Tell Akamaru I said to heal fast."

"Okay Shino!" Kiba said.

Shino then left.

"Can I go and see Akamaru?" I asked.

"Sure!" Kiba replied.

We started walking down the hallway.

I began to think about the way I had felt when I had heard that Kiba was the one in the hospital. I mean, sure. I guess he technically was in the hospital since Akamaru was here but Shino had certainly implied that Kiba was the one who was sick or injured.

I had felt so terrible and so nervous.

Had I ever felt like that before?

"Kiba…" I said.

"Yeah?" Kiba replied.

"I have to admit…" I said.

"Yeah?" he repeated.

I was going to tell him that I had been really worried, but just the thought of it made me blush. The words wouldn't come out right so I just had to say anything that came to mind.

"I thought YOU were the one who was injured." I said dumbly.

"Oh that's all right, Hinata!" laughed Kiba. "But you know me."

I wanted to tell him that that's why I had initially been worried.

But I only nodded in agreement.

Kiba took me inside Akamaru's room. Akamaru was sitting on a little bed and was licking his leg that had wrappings around it. Kiba began to talk to Akamaru and lean on the bed.

It's funny, but something suddenly clicked in my head.

Kiba was no longer the twelve-year-old I had become friends with. Back then he was gauche and awkward… a loud addition to our team that I had difficulty coping with. I had never disliked him, because I try not to dislike anyone, but I had certainly wished that I had been put on a team with another… like Naruto.

Now, as I leaned over the bed and began to pet Akamaru's head, I saw him differently for the first time.

It was about time my girlish instincts to recognize another boy as attractive kicked in.

I found myself turning red.

Kiba looked up, which only made me blush more.

"Hinata, are you all right?" he asked.

"I-I-I…I'm okay." I said. I had never stuttered before when I was talking to Kiba like that. I cleared my throat. "Is Akamaru okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Kiba answered. "Just needs a few day's rest, right Akamaru?"

Akamaru barked in response, and I could tell it was the answer that Kiba wanted because he grinned.

I felt myself get goose bumps on my arms and my hair stuck up.

"Kiba…um…" I started, rubbing my arms so they would calm down. "Um… uh… I…"

"Hinata, are you cold?" Kiba asked. He must have noticed that I was rubbing my arms, and also that I didn't have a jacket.

"A little bit…" I admitted.

He looked around the room and then grabbed a black sweatshirt that was hanging over the back of a chair. "Here, you can wear this if you want!" he said, tossing it over to me.

I caught it and breathed out audibly. "…Th…Thank you…" I said, pulling it over my head.

Just then, Kiba's mother came in.

"Oh, what is it NOW?" she said. "If it isn't you, Kiba, it's Akamaru! When will it ever end?"

"Mom!" said Kiba. "Don't say that in front of Akamaru!"

"Say what?" Kiba's mother looked confused. I didn't really know either so I only stood back and listened. Kiba's mother looked like she was going to go on, but the trailed off slowly and looked at me.

With…sort of an accusing glare…

"Uh…hi…" I said nervously.

She came up very close to me and sniffed me.

I felt very uncomfortable.

"Mom, you're making Hinata feel uncomfortable."

How is it that Kiba always seemed to know how I felt?

"Kiba, she smells like YOU all over!" Kiba's mother announced. "Where you two hugging and kissing?"

My face got so hot right there on the spot as Kiba yelled at his mother. It got so hot that I didn't think I needed Kiba's sweatshirt anymore. …Oh right, the sweatshirt. That's probably why I smelled like Kiba.

What was going on with me?

This must have been just another one of my stupid crushes like I had had on Naruto.

Wait…did I just say…?

…That I had a crush on…?

"Kiba…I actually have to go now!" I said quickly. I had a tendency to blush a lot and right now it was impossible to stop it. Kiba called after for me not to go but I couldn't hang around any longer.

Kiba was my friend, so I couldn't have…

'A crush' on him…

As soon as I reached outside, I ran all the way home.

I didn't know why, but I went into my room and suddenly started to cry.

I wasn't sad or upset. The tears just kept coming and I couldn't explain it to anyone. But it's not like anyone needed to know.

I wished I hadn't left. I wished that Kiba was still there. How could all of that have happened in only a single meeting? I saw Kiba all the time so why was that time any different?

I didn't move from that spot for a very long time. I still had Kiba's sweatshirt and although I couldn't smell it like he or his family could, I could still feel it. It did have a distinct feeling to it that made me think of Kiba over and over whenever I tried to clear my head. I wanted to apologize to him…actually, I really just wanted to apologize to anyone. Anyone who came in I felt like I was just going to apologize.

The sound of someone knocking at my bedroom door tested my courage.

"Come in…" I said, trying to wipe away my tears, but any fool would have been able to see that I had been crying.

"Hinata, are you okay?"

It was Kiba.

As soon as I heard his voice, I cried harder.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry!" said Kiba, coming over to where I was sitting. "Did I do something to hurt you?"

I shook my head. I couldn't say anything, I kept choking on my words.

"Hinata…" Kiba said quietly as he wrapped his arms around me and brought me close to him.

Suddenly, I stopped crying.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn't want to move from that spot.

But then he let go and pulled away.

"All better?" he asked.

I nodded.

"What's wrong, anyway?"

Could I tell him? WOULD I tell him? It was impossible. I had never told Naruto how I felt about him.

But this was different. I kept comparing Kiba to Naruto but they were two completely different people and two completely different feelings. I had to tell him. I was going to tell him.

"It's just my father." I said.

"Oh, I see." Kiba said with a nod.

I'd tell him. Just not today.