Inuzuka Kiba; 6 Years Later

Age 18

-Unpredictable-

"To a year in the mountains!"

Gai held up his glass.

"A year in the mountains!" Chouji, Naruto and I agreed as we all clinked our glasses and drank to it.

It had been an interesting year. I had grown a lot as a ninja and, in my opinion, become very strong. Akamaru was behind me one hundred percent of the time and Mamemaru's size and strength was turning out to be more beneficial than I had ever imagined.

She never once tried to wedge herself between Akamaru and I… but she certainly was smarter than he was.

Now we all sat around in a restaurant on our way down the mountains. The chuunin exam was in just a few weeks, but I kept getting the feeling that something funky was going to happen before we reached the bottom of the mountain. I usually can sense that kind of stuff.

"Kiba, get your dog off the table!" said Naruto as he tried to push Akamaru out of the way. Akamaru was eating some of Naruto's food.

I only laughed. "Akamaru, are you going to take that from Naruto?" I said.

"Kiba, I'm not dealing with that right now." Said Akamaru as he sat down on surface of the table but next to me.

"You're no fun anymore, Akamaru." I told him.

"I'm too old to get in any fights." Akamaru sighed.

"No you're not Akamaru, don't be silly." I said.

Gai cleared his throat. "Okay…" he said. "As soon as we finish eating, we're going to have one last training session before continuing on our way! How's that sound, youthful students of mine?"

"Yes sir!" I said, but it was more in a mocking tone than an actual tone of agreement.

But Gai seemed satisfied enough with that.

I definitely preferred to have a man teacher to Kurenai. Everything seemed more…I don't know the word. Ninja-y. Manly. Whatever. And, not only did I have a man teacher, but also, there were no girls on the team. I mean, nothing against Hinata or anything…

Oh speaking of Hinata…yeah…

I think I love her.

I had only recently decided while I had been away from her for so long that she was the last thing I thought of before I went to sleep an the first thing I thought of when I got up in the morning.

I wondered how she was doing. What had happened with the whole Main House business and controversy that was going on in her family CONSTANTLY? Knowing her family, though, I doubt anything had been solved in just a short year.

I had already decided, though. Once I got back from my training I was going to tell her how I felt about her and only hoped that she hadn't hooked up with anyone while I had been away! Though…I highly doubt that. Hinata doesn't seem like that type.

And Shino! What was he up to? Oh, I have no idea. I hardly know with Shino anymore. Even when I was next to him I felt like I was a hundred miles away and now that I actually WAS a hundred miles away (give or take), it was like I was…two hundred miles away.

There were a couple of waitresses over in the corner of the room giggling.

"Do you need your water refilled?" one waitress asked me as she twiddled with her hair around her finger. She had pretty hair. It looked a lot like Hinata's.

The only thing was… a different waitress came by about every two minutes to ask me if my water needed refilling.

"No." I said. "Thanks though!" Why couldn't they just look at my glass to see that it was filled?

She shrugged and hopped away, going over to where the other waitresses were waiting and giggling. I could have easily listened in to their conversation if I felt like it, but I didn't. Instead, I diverted my attention to Naruto who was waving his hand a bit, trying to make me listen to him.

"Hey Kiba." He whispered. I leaned in. "Which one do you like the best?"

Which one? Which one?

"One what?" I asked.

"Waitress, you dolt!" he said.

"Oh I don't know." I said. "They all seem really efficient. All three of them really just want to wait on my water!"

Naruto gave me a questioning look. Obviously I hadn't given him the answer he wanted but how was I supposed to know what he wanted?

"The waitress with blond hair smells the best." I tried.

"Just…stop." Said Chouji, looking like he was going to erupt into hysterical laughter.

"Students!" Gai announced, standing up. "When you have eaten your full, meet me behind the restaurant where we will commence our training session!"

I think we were all pretty much done at that point. Except Chouji the Black Hole of course. While Naruto and I stood up, Chouji attempted to shove the rest of the things on the table in his mouth. Naruto and I stared at him in hope that maybe he'd finally realize that we were waiting ever so patiently for him, but he didn't get up until there was nothing left on the table. Well, except the plates and napkins and stuff…but he probably would have eaten those things too if given the chance.

"This training exercise will focus on an extremely important aspect of becoming a ninja." Said Gai as he kicked some rope off the ground and into his hands. "Getting up when you're down, even when you're against all odds!"

He started pacing in front of the three of us. We were actually pretty well disciplined.

"I shall tie one of you to a tree somewhere in this vast forest." Gai said, pointing to the grove of trees that was behind him. "Then, on my word, the other two must leap into the trees, locate their partner and set him free."

"Piece of cake!" I said, but I think I spoke too soon.

Gai smirked.

Yeah, definitely spoke too soon.

"At that point, it'll be a race between you three and me to get back to the top of the mountain." Gai said.

"Back to the top?!" Naruto shouted. "We're half way down!!"

"I hope you were all paying attention on the way down." Said Gai. "Because, if you don't beat me to the top then we will spend another entire year up there training for the exam."

I spoke way way WAY too soon!!

"Another year?" Akamaru said to me.

"Another YEAR?" I repeated to Gai.

"Yes!" said Gai. "To add to it all, I will begin my trek up the mountain as soon as I signal the two teammates to enter the forest to free the third so I will have a head start."

"What, you need a head start?" said Naruto.

"NO!" yelled Gai as he ran up and punched Naruto. "What did I say before I began this explanation?! This training exercise is focused on coming back after you're down and fighting against all odds! If your enemy is ahead of you, you must be able to catch up with him and beat him to the target! Am I understood?"

"Yeah." I said. "We shouldn't lose too much time finding whichever one of you two are going to be tied up because me and Mamemaru will be able to find you in a second."

Kiba and Naruto agreed.

"Kiba, don't speak too soon." Akamaru said, pawing at my leg. I picked him up. He couldn't jump up on my shoulder anymore.

"Unfortunately," Gai went on. "In the ninja world, you cannot just go around deciding who is the captured one. Missions are unpredictable! It's impossible to plan for anything!! Therefore, I have elected Kiba to be the victim!"

"WHAT?!" I yelled. I think Naruto and Chouji yelled too, but I was by far the most outraged. Not only were they definitely going to mess it up without me but it was so embarrassing to be tied up!! "Don't I have a say in the matter?!"

"Would you have in a say in the matter if you were captured in a REAL ninja mission?!" Gai demanded, getting more passionate than he should have been.

I guess he was right though. None of us could really answer or protest.

"You two are not to move until I return!" said Gai, grabbing me by the arm and tugged me along.

I just KNEW we were going to be stuck training in the mountain for another year because Naruto and Chouji were so incompetent without me to lead them!

"Gai, you were just bluffing about that declaration of you keeping us up here for another year?" I asked him as he led me deeper and deeper into the forest.

Stop, stop, I begged. He had to stop soon.

"Not bluffing." He said. "If you and your team can't complete such a simple and basic training exercise then my job is incomplete and I cannot show my face back in the village unless I am SURE that you can pass the chuunin exam!"

So we were to suffer because of his pride.

"Mamemaru?" I said to Mamemaru who was eagerly hopping by my side.

"Yeah?" she said, perking up. She was always so enthusiastic to help out.

"Make sure you're paying attention to where we're going." I told her. "I'm counting on YOU to lead Naruto and Chouji to me because I know they'll fail if I leave the job up to them!"

"You're trusting Mamemaru with that kind of job?" Akamaru said skeptically. "You KNOW how bad her sense of direction is. And her nose isn't even fully developed."

"I can do it!" protested Mamemaru.

"What ELSE do you suggest, Akamaru?" I said. I was painfully aware of the fact that Akamaru was absolutely correct, but I really didn't have any other choice.

I caught sight of Gai looking back at me with a raised eyebrow. He had such huge eyebrows.

"THIS looks like a good a spot as any!" Gai said as he stopped his frolicking. "Hold out your hands."

I HATED training exercises where I had to be tied up. I don't know why, but something about them always made me so embarrassed and frustrated. Maybe it's cause my sister used to tie me up all the time and put make-up on me…

He tied my wrists together and then proceeded to run around a tree until he was sure that I wouldn't be able to get out and that he would get a sufficient head start before Chouji and Naruto got to me. I felt like whining and complaining but I didn't want to be unmanly.

"Well, at least I'll be able to lead Naruto and Chouji back up the mountain once they find me." I said to Akamaru. "I can just follow our scents from this morning."

"Yes, yes…" Gai said with a sigh. "Ninja missions can be so unpredictable. It's really impossible to plan for everything."

That was the last thing I remembered.

I suddenly found myself lying on the ground with a pain in my head. It was raining and I squinted to keep the rain from falling in my eyes. Mamemaru licked my face as I sat up.

That's when I saw Naruto and Chouji both crouched over from exhaustion.

I turned around to see Gai standing up on a rock looking disappointed.

What had happened?

"Students of mine…" he said, sounding as though nothing had ever made him so depressed. "It is decided. We will spend… one more year on the mountain!"

The training was over? How? When?

That's when it hit me. One more year? What about my family? What about becoming a chuunin?

What about Hinata?