Chapter Four: Hana and Kabuto

A large ray of sun extended across the back yard, the solemn spring breeze rolling the trees. Many sakura petals lay on the green grass, and continued to fall from the breeze. Momentarily the sun's ray hit the sleeping eyes of the young Uchiha, Taraka. Her soft azure eyes opened sleepily to find herself face to face with Kiba, who at the moment was asleep. She quietly inspected his features for a moment as he slept soundly, messy brown hair and animalistic features. Although he was cocky, she had been wrong about him. Kiba was indeed a truly good friend. A slight smile grew across her face as she stood up and quietly moved away from him. Arashi, had too been asleep as well on the other side of her. She smirked and stood up, putting her tabi on and fixing her headband once more to her head. She went into her house and left a note on the table for him about her whereabouts.

Taraka slowly walked out of her room, sliding the door tightly shut behind her for a morning walk around the Inuzuka territory feeling outnumbered being amongst a large crowd of Inuzuka. She followed down a narrow path that wrapped around the entire clan territory, but a constant feeling of paranoia shook her body in which she could not rid of. The feeling that she had been followed this whole time. She quickened her pace to the children's playground which was barren due to the early hour, she halted and turned around speaking clearly.
"Come out. I know you're following me."
Out from the brush a jounin appeared; chocolate brown long hair, and her face painted with similar red of Kiba. Beside her an immense burly grey dog with an eye patch stood.
"Ah, so you have a lot more skill then I though, but I guess that's expected from an Uchiha."
Taraka's eyes narrowed at her and she inspected her. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

She smirked cockily, "Inuzuka Hana, Kiba's older sister. He obviously hasn't been doing a good job in watching you."
"So I'm guessing being quite cocky runs in the family. As a matter of fact he's been doing a great job."
Hana drew nearer to her, a cold look on her features. "His mission is to stop you from leaving this village."
Taraka looked up with a rather dull expression, "I'm not leaving...I'm just going for a walk. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way."
Taraka turned ready to leave again, before Hana yelled over. "We're watching you."
She raised a hand, and continued on to leave soon reaching the grounds of her house once more. "Yeah yeah...running away...Sasuke...sound ninjas...whatever"

Inside her house the note remained where it had been, untouched and she went into the back once again to find Kiba still sleeping. She rolled her eyes and a sinister idea crossed her mind. She ran beside him and leaned her lips close by his ear as silently as she could, then yelled out loud, "BOO!"
Kiba's eyes snapped open and he threw his arms up into the air, and rushed to sit up in complete fright. Taraka broke into laughter seeing him as startled as he was. Kiba growled and fell back to the ground quoting her sleepily, "I never ordered...a wakeup call." Arashi stood up sitting upon his haunches beside her. Taraka smirked, and pushed the Inuzuka with her foot incessantly to annoy him. "Get up...get up, get up, get up, get up..."
Kiba opened his eyes however he grinned sheepishly shortly after and grabbed ahold of her leg and pulled her down. Taraka's chuckling stopped and she squeaked falling down, and landing on top of him, face to face, she could feel his breath against her lips, she grew pink and her eyes grew wide at the close proximity.
"Wow, you were right,.he must have been watching over you...or the other way around." Hana shouted from afar to her leaping down to the ground.
Taraka quickly fumbled to her feet pushing him away, and standing up. Kiba's eyes examined Taraka momentarily completely clueless then turned to Hana, "What do you want Onee-San?"

"I wanted to inform you, you've both been assigned to a mission with Shino and Hinata. Tonight you are ordered to stay out and guard the outter gates of Konoha. They're have been many recent threats in which the sound-nin are to return."

Taraka turned quickly around and jumped back, "Is this true?"
Kiba looked at Taraka with a worried look, Hana studied her, "Yes. You are both assigned on post tonight. Get rest."

With that Hana left and Kiba examined her. "Don't do anything stupid." He stated bluntly.
Taraka turned standing up ignoring him, "I'm going to go train, come Arashi"
Arashi followed Taraka, for the remainder of the day leaving Kiba in her yard, watching his new teammate retreat.

Later that evening, Taraka and Arashi returned awaiting them all at the gates of Konoha. Shino and Hinata arrived first, followed by Kiba and Akamaru. Kiba looked to Shino and Hinata, "This is our partner tonight, Uchiha Taraka and her wolf, Arashi. Taraka this is Shino and Hinata."
Shino nodded in greeting, and Taraka smiled to Hinata, recalling her right away. "Hello Hinata." Hinata smiled "H-h-hello T-taraka."

Kiba tilted his head with Akamaru but dismissed this gesture, "Ok, we shall break up into groups, Shino and Hinata you go watch the East side, Taraka and I shall take the West side."
Taking their positions Taraka sat quietly besides Kiba, Arashi sitting by her side. It had been hours on end they had remained there with no action what so ever. Kiba's eyes never left the west location, "Maybe it was just an empty threat." He dully stated.
Taraka nodded, "Could be just a--" She dropped to the ground, her chakra emulating from her and and black marks slowly forming up her face, she had lost control once more. Kiba looked to her with concern, and Arashi whimpered. "Not again!" Yelled Kiba.

"Hmph, so I see the curse is in the second stage." Kiba whirled around to see a tall young man, a chuunin from sound. He raised his glasses to his face, with his index fingers. Long hair tied back with a ponytail, his bangs falling over his sound headband. "Orochimaru sent me to look after our next Uchiha, and I intent to take her back to my lord..."
Arashi leapt up baring his ivory fangs, and tried to bite Kabuto, but Kabuto leapt to the air away. "Hand her over..."
Taraka lay on the ground, her purple chakra in visible site, started to burst around her. On the grounds as expected were many sound-nins as expected, surrounding their outpost. Kiba turned up to Kabuto placing a hand on the shivering Taraka, "No. She stay's here...and will..."
Kabuto smirked, "Very well then..."
He turned to his men, arms crossed across his chest. "Kill him."

A/N: That's it for now...R &R please...