Chapter 4: Enter the Classmates
I hate the flu. It's the worst possible thing to happen to someone, especially if it keeps you from you computer for a week and three days.
Year Eleven
Cold…
So cold…
Father…
Help…
Hyuuga Hinata sat up straight in her bed, gasping for breath. Rivulets of sweat dripped down her face. She glanced at the clock, 4:47. She flopped down. Hinata stared at the ceiling. The same dream kept coming every single night for the past week. It always began with a snowstorm, trapping her behind a blanket of ice. She could see outlines, outlines of a massacre. She could hear the screams of the victims, as they all died, one by one. Then, a huge figure would come her way… break the ice… and she'd wake up.
With a sigh, she turned over and once again fell asleep.
The day dawned bright and sunny. A few shafts of light made its way through the window curtains of Inuzuka Kiba's bedroom to land on an empty bed. Kiba was on his way to the park, determined to get a few hours of fun before school started.
Prancing along with Akamaru, eyes shut against the bright morning sun that had just peeped over the horizon, Kiba ran into someone.
Opening his eyes, he grinned sheepishly at Aburame Shino who had been bending over to look at an anthill.
"HI SHINO!" Kiba yelled.
"…" Shino stared at him.
Kiba stared back, and then he quickly left.
Running down the trail, he saw a flash of pink in the bushes.
"HI FOREHEAD-GIRL!" Kiba said.
Sakura glared at him, "SHUT UP, DOG-BOY!"
"Whatcha doing?" Kiba asked.
"Spying on Sasuke-kun, go away," Sakura said picking up her binocular and training it on the figure below. "So, he likes Doritos Nacho Cheese," she said, scribbling on a notepad.
Kiba grinned deviously and ran down to where Sasuke was sitting eating Doritos.
"Psss Sasuke, Sakura's spying on you in those bushes." Kiba whispered to him.
"Those idiot girls," Sasuke muttered, crumbling up his empty Doritos bag and walking away.
Kiba waited for Sakura to come screaming and hit him on the head. He heard TWO screams and ducked as Ino and Sakura came bouldering down with sticks.
A black and blue Kiba sat in his respective chair when Academy started.
Hinata woke up at 8:01. Rolling over and looking at the clock, it took her five seconds to figure out that she was late. "Eep," she squeaked and hurriedly put on her clothes. Then, opening her window, she scrambled out hoping that her father didn't know that she had slept in. He hated tardiness.
Iruka-sensei was calling roll when Hinata stumbled into the classroom. Iruka stared severely at her and several girls giggled. Hinata blushed and whispered, "Gomen nasai, Iruka-sensei." And hurriedly ran to her seat.
Kiba grinned at her when she sat down next to him.
To the right of Hinata sat Ino, who whispered to her, "What will Sasuke-kun think of girls if they're late? He probably thinks that all girls are the same. Try not to do that again Hinata, for my sake."
Kiba glared at her and said, "Sasuke wouldn't care if anybody came late. He only cares about himself anyway. You're wasting your time if you think that he even notices that you're alive. Oh wait, with all the stalking you do, he must think you're some kind of gnat that he shouldn't care about."
Ino sniffed and turned the other way.
Kiba whispered, "It's ok Hinata, I'm sorry I didn't go to your house today to check if you were ready for school. It's mostly my fault."
Hinata said, "N-no Kiba-kun, I-I sh-should h-have been r-ready myself."
At lunchtime, some girls came over to where Kiba and Hinata were sharing lunches.
One of the girls said, "Well, aren't you two lovebirds happy. I heard you defending your girlfriend Kiba. It must have hurt you deeply when Ino rightfully told her off."
Hinata blushed and hid her face.
Kiba stood up and yelled, "I dare you to say that again, Sasuke-idiot. If you weren't a girl, I'd beat your face into the ground. Stop making fun of Hinata and scat. Go pick on someone your own size, like an ant. Or better yet, go ask Shino to pick you a boyfriend out of his bugs."
Hinata whispered, "It's ok Kiba-kun, they didn't mean what they said."
The girls scowled at Kiba.
"Leave them alone," came a cold voice.
"SASUKE-KUN," the girls squealed.
"Get out of my face," Sasuke droned.
The girls cried and ran away.
Kiba looked up at Sasuke, "Umm."
"Returning the favor from this morning," Sasuke said and walked away.
"PASS, NARUTO YOU IDIOT. PASS THE BALL," Kiba screamed.
Yes indeed, Kiba, Naruto, and a couple other boys were playing football. Intent on scoring a touchdown all by himself, Naruto ran across the field completely ignoring the fact the Kiba was standing at the touchdown line with absolutely no one guarding him.
Hinata sat on a bench near the sidelines, cheering (on the inside) for Naruto.
Naruto suddenly tripped and the ball went flying and landed in the middle of a chess game that Shikamaru and Chouji were engaged in.
All the pieces went flying as Naruto laughed, "Sorry fatass and lazy, my bad."
Chouji stood up, and with a roar charged at Naruto, "TAKE THAT BACK!"
Shikamaru sighed, "How troublesome, I was one move away from checkmate."
Chouji, accompanied by all the boys (minus Kiba) that had been playing football, chased Naruto across the park. Hinata stood up, worried, as Kiba ran over to her.
"They'll catch Naruto and we'll be in for some fun. That loser, he always ruins the game. I don't know why we even let him play," Kiba laughed.
"B-but w-will Naruto-kun g-get hurt?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah, but who cares," Kiba scoffed.
Hinata stared worriedly off into the distant speck that was the mass chase.
Kiba looked at her worried face, "If it worries you that much I can always go stop them."
Hinata's face lit up, "Oh w-will you K-kiba-kun?"
Kiba sighed, "Sure, come on Akamaru."
Kiba didn't understand why, but every time he saw Hinata's worried or sad face, he wanted to do whatever he could to make her happy again. Every time his classmates would make fun of Hinata for her stutter or her shyness, he wanted to beat that person up badly. And every time any mention of his friendly relationship with Hinata came up, his insides would squirm.
He didn't know why this happened all the time. He wished it wouldn't because it was distracting. He pushed it to the back of his mind, and concentrated on running.
Hinata watched Kiba's figure get smaller and smaller. Kiba was always so nice to her. She thought of Naruto, and blushed. She didn't understand why everyone was so against him. She liked his sunny smile that matched his hair, and his blue eyes, which were so innocent when he laughed. She blushed deeper and pushed his image to the back of her mind.
Sakura and Ino sat in the bushes watching Hinata.
"It's official. Kiba likes Hinata, but Hinata doesn't know. Hinata like Naruto, but Naruto doesn't know," Sakura whispered.
"All the better, if Hinata likes Naruto, that's less competition for me," Ino said.
"FOR YOU! You aren't even considered competition to me," Sakura screamed.
Hinata heard the two in the bushes but decided not to comment.
"Would you two kindly keep it down. I'm trying to concentrate on my business," came a drawling voice.
Shikamaru was still sitting in front of the chessboard. The scattered pieces lay around him but he made no move to pick them up. "Girls are so troublesome. OUCH," Shikamaru managed to say before he had his body beat up like no man's business.
Hinata had fallen asleep. She saw the figures behind the wall of ice, with much more clarity than before. A giant hulking monster. In his hand, he held the limp form of Kiba. He threw it aside and began walking towards her.
Kiba watched Hinata toss and turn on the bench. He had succeeded in stopping the boys from killing Naruto and had come back to tell Hinata.
He looked at her anguished face and felt his insides twist painfully.
He went up to her and shook her.
Hinata saw the wall of ice break and waited to wake up. It didn't happen. She screamed as the hand reach for her, grab her shoulders and shake her.
She woke up to see Kiba's worried face. He had grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"Hinata? Hinata? Are you ok?" Kiba asked.
Hinata looked up, nodded, and fainted.
Kiba picked her up and carried her to her house.
Sakura and Ino watched the scene. Shikamaru lay in the background in a steaming heap.
"Awww," both girls said simultaneously.
Kiba knocked on the door of the Hyuuga residence.
It was flung open to reveal Hyuuga Hiashi.
He glanced at Kiba with Hinata in his arms and said, "What have you done to my daughter" in an even cold voice.
Kiba scowled, "She fainted so I took her home. I didn't do anything."
Hiashi took Hinata form Kiba and stood her on her feet. He slapped her cheeks, saying, "Wake up girl. Be strong and wake up."
Hinata moaned as Kiba watched furious, "How could you do that to her daughter? She needs rest, you should take her to bed and get a doctor."
"Don't tell me what I should and should not do, boy. You may leave," Hiashi said, slamming the door in Kiba's face.
A/N Just wanted to throw a leetle bit of romance in there. Hope you like this chappie. Review please.