"Let sleeping dogs lie." He heard Ginaki's voice whisper to him. He opened one eye and smiled. "Mornin'." She said quietly standing up and stretching. They had fallen asleep by the waterfall, Kiba found himself propped up against a tree, Ginaki had been lying next to him leaned against him. Her hair was askew and messy to no end, how could she stand to have that much hair?
Kiba yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Where's your mutt?" Ginaki asked cracking her knuckles. "Akamaru? I dropped him off at home before coming to get you. I figured since you had such bad luck with dogs it wouldn't help having one around." He stood up and shook like a dog did when it was wet. He saw the look on her face, a confused and slightly creeped out look. "What?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "OK then. Don't get me wrong, I hate that stupid mutt but, you're completely defenseless. He's your best bet on living when it comes to fighting and you left him at home?" She pointed her index finger at him and put on hand on her hip giving him a disapproving glance. "Not the sharpest kunai in the bag, are you?" She rolled her eyes as she lectured him.
"I guess you're right." He clasped his hands behind his head and laughed, "Well, we should be heading back. You're mum has GOT to be having a fit right now. I mean since you left the dog home and you haven't turned up yet." She put her normal clothes over her swimsuit which she was still wearing. She pulled a note out of one the headbands, "Ha, you'd have a fit too if you knew what was going on right now, neh?" she said absent mindedly to the note. "What's that?" Kiba asked looking over her shoulders and at the note. He jumped back when he saw what it said. "Orochi- WHAT THE HELL? NIECE!" He shouted gasping for air. "Hm? Heh, right... I forgot he's sort of a traitor." She smiled and grabbed her bag, they began to walk back to the village and she read the note to him.
I expect you to take care of my niece, Hikuma.
-Orochimaru
"He can't REALLY be your uncle can he?" Kiba said in seriously denial. "He'll kill me!" "Well, has he tried to yet?" She asked putting the note back behind the metal part of her headband. "Well, yeah. Some ninja from the sound village named Sakon did." She smiled when she heard this. "You're kidding! What luck!" She laughed to herself and threw her hands in the air. "WHY THE HELL IS THAT A GOOD THING!" Kiba yelled, "Well, he failed to didn't he? So he'll approve and you won't have to go through that again." She stated putting her hands in her pockets casually. "Have you ever even met him?" Kiba was pretty skeptical at this point in time. "No, not really. I've heard a lot about him and once or twice talked to one of his ninja but it was more or less vague. They said he yells a lot and seems pretty pissed when someone mentions that he has failed to 'rescue' me from Konoha a couple years back." 'She talks about him like he's a hero, does she even know he's well... evil?' thought Kiba, Ginaki launched into 'prove her point' mode. "I understand he's killed a lot of people and is pretty self absorbed but that's really not my problem. He's still family, ya know? I mean, I'm sure lots of kids who have ninja as relatives are aware at one time or another that their relative has killed someone on a mission."
That was true, but it made no difference. He was an enemy of the village, and she was still allowed here? Guess she's better off here than there though. All of the signs of "YOU DON'T BELONG WITH HER!" were flashing in his head but he had to be. He wanted to be. She hates dogs (for an obvious and rational reason, that is), she's related to a mass murderer and enemy of the country, and finally she was stronger than him. Like every other guy he wanted a girl that was sweet, a bit quiet and at least a little dependent on him. A woman who could stand on her own wasn't too attractive in their society.
Ginaki was quiet of course but she was naturally like that, she was sweet at times but when pissed off Kiba would rather be dealing with Sakon and Ukon. 'Feh, I'll just keep my mind off it.' Kiba thought as they exited the woods.
"Well, see you around, I have to get home. I have some unfinished business"
"Like what"
"An overdue poem waiting to be written"
"You write"
"Yeah I write. I'd invite you over for a while but... It's sort of a writer's messy domain"
"S'Okay. I have to get home anyway."
'I know we'll be torn apart by a ninja mission. I'm leaving in a week and we are actually passing by the Oto no Kuni(Land of Sound). She doesn't need to know, it'd just be useless stress on both of us. It had only been yesterday that we met and now I was talking as if we've know each other for months. It's sad...' He shook his head and walked past the houses that were neighboring his own. He opened the door, it was unlocked so that had to mean someone was home.
"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!"
'Ugh... I knew this was coming'
-
A week later I hadn't really talked to Ginaki. Once or twice we saw each other on the street and she had smiled and waved. She was headed towards the memorial and had flowers in her hands. I assumed she was going to visit it and place flowers there for her parents. Kakashi wasn't far behind... I wonder if they know each other, I imagine he knew her parents.
We're leaving at daylight tomorrow and aren't expected to come back for a while. The mission is to take a merchant past the Oto no Kuni and to a sea port near there. It's ranked a B mission because of the possibility that Sound Ninja may interfere. I was asked not to tell Ginaki because of her relation to Orochimaru.
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Kiba left his house with Akamaru when it was still dark out. He planned to leave Ginaki an apology gift at her doorstep so she wouldn't be too mad at him when he got back. Hinata had suggested it, and he listened. Since she was a girl she would know how Ginaki would react. What was he going to give her? A silver necklace with a dog paw charm was in a little wooden jewelry box with the kanji for "Inuzuka" and the katakana for "Ginaki" carved on the lid was placed carefully inside a gift box and wrapped in red paper, finally topped off with a note under the green bow that read "I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, I'll be back soon. Don't worry. -Kiba". He had gotten a letter from her a couple days ago so he knew her address, but where she lived wasn't exactly the best part of town so he couldn't slack off and be un alert.
He looked up at the window of her second story apartment. The curtains were open just enough for him to see papers pined to the walls covered in writing and messily assembled. He picked up a little piece of gravel and tossed the pebble at her window.
KLACK. KLACK. KLACK.
The light in her room turned on and he saw a shadow approaching the window. She lifted the window open and stared out, squinting. "Kiba?" She blinked looking confused and tired. He held up the gift and pointed over at the door. "Hold on..." She said and closed her window again racing out of her room.
Kiba placed the gift on her doorstep and ran into the woods. He decided to take a short cut through them. He wanted to see the look on her face when she opened it but would have to sacrifice it for getting to his mission on time. The sun's light was beginning to lighten the woods enough so he could see where he was going. He and Akamaru arrived just in time, Hinata had appeared as well. She looked disgruntled and tired, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "Well let's go." Kurenai-sensei said. The merchant they were escorting was a short middle-aged guy with barely any hair and wasn't skinny or in-shape at all. He looked like an older Chouji.
They walked almost all day and finally at 12pm they got to stop for lunch. He heard in the breeze the sound of metal hitting metal. It was a small 'clink' noise and was barely recognizable. Akamaru's ears perked up, they both turned and looked up into the same oak tree. "Kuso..." said a whispered voice. The voice was a familiar one, "Who the hell-!" Hinata and Shino stood up and Kurenai-sensei just looked on. "Oy! Get down here, you fool." Kiba shouted and walked under the tree.
"Stupid breeze"
"C'mon, I don't have all day"
"Shut up, Kiba... I'm coming. I'm not too good at climbing down trees but climbing up I can do"
SNAP!
"Holy crap!"
WUMPH!
Kiba caught Ginaki as she plummeted from the tree. She was wearing the necklace he had given her earlier, and that had hit her headband top and made the clinking noise. "Yaamino Ginaki! What is she doing here?" Kurenai-sensei seemed a little too worried for this to be normal. "Whoa, people actually know my na- Oh. You're a Jounin... You would." Ginaki sounded disappointed. Kiba set her down she had something in her hands. "What are you doing here? Hokage-sama is going to be so angry with you... and with me!" Kurenai-sensei stamped her foot.
"I'm sorry, it's just"
"(sigh) Don't worry about it. What's done is done. We have to move on, do you have any weapons"
"My usual stuff, yeah"
"Good you can help."
They walked for another 6 hours and finally rested. "It's getting dark. We should stop for the night, we aren't too close to the Sound Country so we should be fine." Kurenai-sensei said leaning against a tree. Ginaki had distanced herself from Kiba again, she was acting pretty strange. But then again.. maybe not. They were going to be married, yes, but she may not want anyone to see her emotions as a weakness. It was useless trying to figure her out because every time he thought he had he would be completely wrong.
-
The stars were so bright outside of the village... They were so beautiful and pure. Ginaki curled up by herself under a tree hugging her knees and looking up through the branches. Kiba was keeping a close watch on her even now. Why was he so worried? She felt more alone than together with him now that she had come along. Why was this? Her head filled with doubt and questions. Only hours ago had she been talking and laughing with her comrades and now this. This feeling of being in a cage. 'He's watching so I don't leave. So I don't go find Orochimaru.' She grasped her stomach just above her naval. It was painful every time she felt anger towards him, and every time she felt sadness for anyone. It was only slight before but now it was like a dagger through her twisting and turning cutting her skin deeper and deeper. She gasped and heard Kiba lift up his head and felt his eyes staring at her from behind her.
"Ginaki..." She had made him transform again, from the bully loudmouth to his true self. He jumped down from the tree he had rested idly in and walked over to her, holding out his hand. "Wanna go for a walk?" he asked smiling. "Dammit Kiba, why do you have to be so perfect?" the pain began to subside and she flashed a smile back at him taking his hand. He pulled her up and kept his hand holding hers, she was sick of walking but this one was better than her last 6 hour stealth 6 hour walk. She smiled and looked away blushing pink.
Was she really falling for this act? 'UGH! Get your head together!' she scolded herself using her right hand to flick herself in the forehead. 'Holy crap I missed!' she covered her right eye and gritted her teeth. "What? Am I so repulsive that you're trying to blind yourself?" Kiba joked. "No no. I'm just stupid..." She laughed. "So what's wrong then? Now that you've relaxed a bit." He asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about something."
'Just lie through your teeth, Ginaki. He'll believe you if you just lie like you're a pro'
"You're a terrible liar"
"So I'm told." She shook her head in defeat.
"It's ok if you don't want to tell me. You got the rest of our lives to tell me"
Ginaki froze completely. 'Lord in heaven did that just happen! No, no way. I'm sleeping. I'll wake up soon and Kiba will be yelling at me that I sleep too much. Yeah that's it.' she thought still in shock.
Kiba had just kissed her.
-
'WHAT THE HELL POSSESSED ME TO DO THAT!' Kiba kept a straight face as his mind was going insane. He drew back and smiled warmly. 'There goes my chances with getting her to think I'm not really forward. Someone strike me down now. Please just kill me.' Kiba let go of her hand and began to walk back to his tree. They had made a complete circle. "Try not to worry too much. I'll protect you." he said 'AGAIN WITH THE ON IMPULSE NICENESS!' He was ready to punch himself in the face. He sighed and lay on the branch. 'Well, isn't this comfy.' He said imagining himself slamming his head against the trunk.
-
The next morning they ate and then walked some more. Kiba and Ginaki sighed in unison after their short rest and said "There ain't much I wouldn't do for some other form of transportation besides WALKING.". Hinata laughed and Shino... well he acknowledged that they were talking. He was very quiet around Ginaki for some reason. It made her a bit nervous.
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"Well well well. What have we here"
A voice boomed from the trees. Ginaki whipped out a kunai knife and held it at the ready. Kiba looked down at Akamaru, "Are ya ready?" he whispered, Akamaru barked and sniffed the air. "We're surrounded." Shino said pushing his glasses up his nose. Kiba and Ginaki looked at each other and once more spoke together:
"Shit."
((BWUAHAHHAHAHAAA! Make sure you check out Ryoki-chan (Kibou-Greenbird)'s fan fiction: Guardian Angel Greed!. It's the shit. Also... DOUBLE CHAPTER IT UP! Read on my Orochimaru fans. READ ON.))