And so, Shino and Kiba squared off against each other with their fair maiden in attendance, and, naturally, Shino used his mad skill, utterly defeating his foe. He confessed his feelings to Hinata, and she did the same, and all was as it should be...

NOT!

Tee-hee! I hate to say it, but things are about to get a bit crazier now that Kiba's on a roll, and the madness is only just beginning! BWAH-HA-HA! (I'm so bad...don't hate me too much for this ) Once again, the reviews have made me SO HAPPY I COULD BURST:bursting: Er, right, so while I go and pick up the pieces of myself, enjoy!

Chapter 4: The Right and Honorable Quest of Sir Bug-Brain and Sir Dog-Breath

"See about what?"

Time seemed to stand completely still.

Kiba did not move.

Shino did not move.

Both sets of eyes were fixed upon the slight figure of the girl who stood before them, her head cocked to the side. She appeared tired and sweaty, as if she had just emerged from a fight, which she had.

In his head, Kiba was already beginning to form a plan, so before Shino could go and ruin it by saying something stupid, he blurted quickly, "About where we're going to take you for lunch!" Putting what he believed to be a charming smile on his face, Kiba elaborated. "We figured it would be nice to have a little Team 8 reunion, wouldn't you say?"

What the hellis he doing? Shino thought frantically. Is he out of his mind? Hinata isn't going to buy that! Idon't even buy it!

As if he sensed what Shino was thinking, Kiba moved back a fraction and stepped on the other boy's foot.

"Not a word," he mouthed, barely moving his lips. Shino glared at him, but remained silent.

Hinata had the distinct feeling that she had been dropped into a very strange fairy tale. Here were the two people who, in the course of a few days, had been playing a mental tug-of-war inside her head, sloshing her emotions around to the point where she could not distinguish what her heart was trying to tell her, and they both looked as if they had stepped out of a trendy fashion magazine. Not only that, but she could feel a tenseness in the air that radiated off of the two of them like dry heat. She had missed something important, of that she was certain. Before she realized what she was doing, her pointer fingers came together in a furious succession of taps.

Shino and Kiba noticed.

"Do something!" Shino hissed, nudging Kiba hard in the side. "You upset her!"

"We couldn't come to an agreement about where we wanted to go, but since you're here, you can just tell us!" Kiba said brightly. "Isn't that right, Shino?"

I'll kill him, I swear...

"Er, yeah! Yeah, that's right! So...wherever you want to go, we'll go."

The tapping stopped.

Hinata's eyes narrowed in confusion. "You want to take me to lunch," she stated.

As one, the two boys bobbed their heads in conformation.

"A Team 8 reunion."

Their heads bobbed again.

There was definitely something fishy going on; Hinata could almost smell it. However, she could not quite put her finger on whatever it was. She supposed that Shino and Kiba could have been planning this outing for some time, but if that were so, wouldn't they have come prepared with the exact place they were to take her? And then there was the fact that the only reason she'd stumbled upon her former teammates in the first place was because she'd heard raised voices, and she was curious as to whom the voices belonged. Shino and Kiba had been fighting with each other, she knew, and she found it hard to believe that they would make such a fuss over a restaurant.

None of it added up.

Unless...

Unless Shino and Kiba were both coming here to talk to me, and they ran into each other on the way.

Almost as soon as she'd thought that, she felt ridiculous.

That can't be it! I'd have to have a pretty high opinion of myself to imagine that they both care about me! No, there must be another explanation...there has to be! Maybe...maybe Kiba was nervous about seeing me again, and he convinced Shino to come along so he wouldn't have to be alone with me? That makes sense. And...perhaps they really were arguing about where to go, then...

As shaky as her logic was, Hinata did not want to delve into the other possibilities. She didn't think she could handle them right now.

"Well... that would be wonderful," she answered, smiling. "It's been a long time since the three of us been able to hang out together, and I've missed that. I'd need to get cleaned up a bit first, though. I hardly look presentable compared to you two."

Oh man, that was way too close, Kiba thought, running a hand through his hair. For a minute there, I believed for sure that Hinata figured I was lying out my eyeballs, and that would have been bad. Like...catastrophic, even. I'm walking a dangerous line here...Shino's going to have a canary when he finds out what I'm up to, but it's his fault we're in this situation to begin with, damn it! I don't see why he had to go and like Hinata, too...ARGH! Oh well, he doesn't stand a chance against me! Heh, that guy couldn't be romantic to save his life, so I've got this in the bag.

A smirk found its way to Kiba's face, as he was quite proud of his own cleverness in the matter.

"Why don't you go and do that now then, and Shino and I can chill until you're ready." Kiba said, resting a hand on Hinata's shoulder. He felt the moisture of her sweat. "Were you fighting or something?"

"Mm-hmm, with Neji. It's a little custom we have to beat each other up on a regular basis," she said, and Kiba looked at her in horror. "Oh no, no, we both agreed to it, Kiba, really. He's not taking advantage of me, I promise!" Hinata smiled, and patted his cheek. "It's quite fun, to tell the truth, and it helps to ease the tension between us."

"Oh," Kiba said, though he sounded doubtful. "If he ever lays a hand on you in anger, I'll beat him senseless, I hope you know. I don't trust that guy."

Shino rolled his eyes. I knew about her matches with Neji a long time ago, and you're just finding out now? Idiot. Neji would never dream of hurting her, especially with that seal on his forehead.

"Are you calling Hinata a weakling?" He snapped, unable to resist the urge. "She can handle Neji just fine, I've seen her."

Kiba felt a vein begin to pulse somewhere in his forehead. Why you little... "I knowwhat she's capable of, Shino. You—" He had been about to say something rude, but he thought the better of it. Hinata would grow suspicious if they started ripping each other's heads off in front of her. Instead, he forced himself to say calmly, "I only wanted to call attention to the fact that I'm watching out for her, that's all."

"I appreciate it—" Hinata began, wanting to change the subject, as this one seemed to strike a nerve, but Shino talked over her.

"And who says she needs watching over, huh? Do you have any idea how hard she's worked to get to where she is now? Hinata did all that so that people wouldn't shelter her anymore!"

Though it was not possible, Hinata swore that she saw steam shooting from Kiba's ears. The smile he now wore was forced.

"Yes, thank you for telling me what I was aware of," He said through clenched teeth.

Shino's eyes narrowed.

Kiba's eyes narrowed.

"Hey! Come on inside, okay? I'll only take a minute," Hinata said quickly, grabbing a boy by each arm and towing them along with her, chattering at the top of her lungs.

Oh dear...oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. They...they're just a little tense, that's all. I'll bet Kiba sprang this on Shino right before they came...yes, I can see him doing that. Shino must be grumpy because he's tired. The poor thing...he's got circles under his eyes, like he hasn't slept in weeks.

When they reached the compound, Hinata showed her friends to a comfortable sitting room and, after assuring them that she would not be long, hurried to shower and dress. She felt apprehensive about leaving them alone together, but she kept telling herself that nothing was out of the ordinary. Shino and Kiba's friendship had always been rocky, and she'd had to divert their attention from each other quite a few times when the three were Genins. Granted, their tempers had cooled considerably since then, but they still had the tendency to get snappy when they were out of sorts.

"Of course," Hinata said out loud as the water from the shower rained down on her. "It all makes perfect sense." She reached for a bar of soap, remembering that she had yet to give Kiba an answer. "See? He's worked up over that, Shino's tired, and I'm confused." The soap was slippery in her hands, and she looked down at it, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm confused," she repeated to the soap, as if she expected it to answer her, which it did not. She continued anyway. "Kiba likes me, that's a fact. He told me himself he does. And it was sweet of him to get upset about Neji. But did you hear what Shino said?"

The soap was silent.

"He said that I was strong, that I could take care of myself." In a softer tone, she added, "I always wanted to hear those words, you know. I hated it when other people had to defend me. It made me feel horrible, to see others risk themselves for me. That's why I changed, that's why I can't be who I used to be anymore. I do miss her sometimes...her gentleness...and...Shino knows that. He knows me, he knows that underneath, I still need to be reassured of myself, or I'll fall apart. He understands..."

The hand holding the soap now resembled a dried prune. Hinata stared, and started to laugh. "I guess I've been in here too long, haven't I? Thanks for listening, though."

I'm talking to soap. There is something seriously wrong with me.

Hinata sighed, and let the water run over her head.

I don't know if Kiba understands me the way Shino does.

She sighed again.

I'm confused...

"What the HELL was all that about?" Shino seethed after Hinata left. He leaned up against the mantle of the fireplace, his arms crossed. Kiba sat on a couch nearby, one foot tapping out a rhythm on the ground. "You are solucky that she didn't catch on to you, moron."

"Yeah, well it was a pretty close thing," Kiba growled back. "What did you have to get all riled up for? I told you to keep your mouth shut!"

My dislike of the dog-human is growing. Echo's voice sounded in Shino's mind. He had better have a good reason for his actions, or I shall disobey your orders and feast on him.

At this rate, I may just let you, Shino thought back. Hold tight for now, though, please? I want to hear what he has to say.

Echo sighed. Very well.

"Are you going to tell me what was running through that head of yours?" Shino demanded, "Or do I have to resort to other methods to get it out of you? I'm royally ticked off right now, so I'd advise you to hurry."

Kiba glared at him, and the feral look returned to his face. "You'll find out soon enough. Hinata could come down at any time, and I don't want to risk her overhearing things that she shouldn't."

As much as Shino desired to protest, he knew that Kiba had a point.

"Fine," he conceded, albeit grudgingly.

Silence followed, as neither had any desire to speak to the other. Shino was still too irritated for civil conversation, and Kiba was too preoccupied with the details of executing his plan to focus on anything else. By the time Hinata rejoined them, Shino and Kiba had gotten to the point where they could look at each other without scowling, which was a definite improvement.

"So, where to?" Kiba asked, getting to his feet.

Hinata held her chin. "There's a nice café near the outskirts that I visit with Naruto and Sakura every now and then. Can we go there?"

"I know the place," Shino said, nodding. "Why don't we?"

Lunch was a subdued affair. Hinata took pains to steer the conversation in the opposite direction of where it threatened to turn and Shino and Kiba followed her lead willingly. Though they tried to appear as if everything was normal, Hinata noticed that her teammates were being almost too polite to each other when they spoke, though she did not mention that. Avoiding another outburst was her goal for now. Of course, throughout the entire meal, she could not help but think of what she needed to do.

I have to give Kiba an answer...not now with Shino here, but some time today...

She looked at Shino, who was rubbing at an eye vigorously while Kiba yakked on about how beautiful the weather was and other such unimportant things.

Oh Shino...you really should have stayed at home and slept.

"...I mean, this breeze is fantastic, don't you think, Hinata?"

"Hmm?" Her thoughts were interrupted by Kiba's voice. "Oh, yes, it's lovely."

"And the flowers are all in bloom, too," He added, though such a statement was obvious to anyone who had eyes.

Hinata smiled. "They are, aren't they? Ino must have quite a selection at the shop now."

"I think we've covered the weather enough, wouldn't you say?" Shino put in. "That kind of talk is for acquaintances, not friends."

The tell-tale pulse in Kiba's forehead was back.

"Right you are, Shino, as always," Kiba replied, his voice dripping sweetness. "What would you like to talk about, then?"

"Oh, I don't know," Shino said, his voice equally sugar-coated. "What you plan on doing over our break from missions, perhaps? I hear the fishing is quite good this year."

Kiba's face blanched, and his eyes went wide for a moment. Under the table, Shino felt a sharp kick to his shin, and he bit the inside of his lip to keep from swearing.

"We should train together some time," Hinata said quickly. "Or you could come and help me with the girls. They love it when mysterious fellows drop in on practices." She winked at Shino, who blushed.

Kiba noticed.

"Is that so?" He said. "I'll have to come by, then. I'm sure I can do better than some people in demonstrating techniques."

Shino leaned forward with his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his folded hands.
"You know Taijutsu? My, I am surprised. I've never seen you use it before."

The other boy's mouth opened and closed, a series of squeaks issuing from his throat. Hinata chose that moment to change the subject yet again, and the rest of the outing passed without any further mishaps.

"I had a nice time," she said as they neared Hinata's house. "Did you?"

"Of course we did!" Shino and Kiba replied in unison and then looked at each other. Kiba wrapped an arm around Shino's shoulder and he did the same, both laughing hysterically. The Hyuuga compound was now in sight.

"Well, we'd love to stay and chat, but there's so little time and so much to do!" Kiba exclaimed, dragging Shino away. "Farewell, fair maiden! We shall see you again soon!"

Hinata stared at their retreating backs, her mouth hanging open.

What is up with that? What are they doing?And how am I supposed to give Kiba an answer now? Did he forget about that already?

"This is getting way too strange for me," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

I wonder where they were going in such a hurry...

"WHAT?" Shino bellowed. He and Kiba were in the woods behind Shino's house, and Kiba had just explained his proposition. "There's no way I'm agreeing to that! It's...it's wrong! Just... wrong!"

"Ah," Kiba smirked, "So you're too chicken to go up against me, eh? Afraid that I'll humiliate you, is that it? You have good reason to back out now, I must say."

Something snapped.

"Chicken? CHICKEN? HAH!" Shino jabbed his pointer finger against Kiba's chest. "I'm going to beat you so badly you'll wish you'd never been born," he said menacingly. "Name the terms."

Kiba's smirk grew wider. "I knew you'd come around."

"Terms," Shino repeated with more force.

"One, loser bows out for good, no exception."

Shino nodded.

"Two, whoever receives a kiss first is the winner."

Oh no...oh, that's not good...not good at all... "Fine," Shino spat.

"And that's it. The rest is no-holds-barred type of deal."

Shino raised an eyebrow. "How will we know who got kissed first?"

Of course, Kiba was ready for that. "Using this," he said, and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Paper?"

"This is not just any paper, my dear knight. I'll put a seal on it after we sign our names in blood, and it'll let us know when the bet has been won."

"And might I ask how?"

"Oh, you'll know, trust me. So, are you in?"

Shino looked from the paper to Kiba and back.

"Let's roll."

OOOOO! I'm evil, evil, evil! BWAH-HA-HA-HA! Please don't hate me...I couldn't make things THAT easy:grins evilly: You know the drill. Give the button a clickeroo! (I love you guys, I really do)