Title Kiba's Strength, Hinata's Weakness...
Author lonely whisperz
Genre Romance/General
Rating K+ (For nows anyways...)
Disclaimer Kiba and Hinata are both characters of Naruto belonging to Masashi Kishimoto! (Duh!) I am not profiting at all by publishing this piece of fiction. I have written and 'published' this work of fan fiction for my pleasure and the pleasure of other Naruto fans! Besides… It isn't worth suing me because I don't own anything but some old smelly socks and some unidentified gooey stuff under my bed. So… Yeah.
Summary It's just another normal day for a teenage ninja...
Chapter Three Another day in the life of...

Saying Nothing… Sometimes says the most…
Emily Dickinson

The following day training was at 9 a.m.

Kiba had spent the night at the training ground where Akamaru had joined him not too long after he had fallen asleep. They woke at daybreak and went about their business before heading out to get a replacement log for their worn-out one.

He arrived back at the training ground to find Hinata sitting in the shade of the tree.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Kiba-kun" She looked beautiful and so serene sitting there that it took a tremendous amount of Kiba's willpower not to go pounce on her and hold her in his arms.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Hinata-san" He was amazed he actually managed to replace the log without falling over or crushing his foot with it or something.

After he was done, he went to sit next to Hinata under the shade. She smiled at him. His heart swelled at the gesture. He grinned back at her.

Akamaru was very content to simply rest his head on Hinata's lap and doze there. Hinata giggled when he initially wanted to sleep on her lap but she told him gently that he was much bigger than her and could only put his head on her lap.

"Sorry about Akamaru" Although he was quite sure she didn't mind, he felt that he should apologize all the same.

She smiled at the large canine on her lap before looking at Kiba. "I actually like him like this. I miss him a lot now that we don't have as much time to spend together anymore…" She ruffled the fur on top of Akamaru's head a bit. Kiba stared at her hands wishing they were touching him instead.

"And me? Don't you miss me too?" His tone was half joking half serious.

She glanced at him then turned back to Akamaru blushing prettily. Kiba laughed a little at that trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh Kiba-kun…" Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

"Kiba! Hinata! You're here early! Its not even 9am yet! Come on we will start warming up and training now!"

Kurenai-sensei had arrived with Shino-kun right then. Kiba gritted his teeth as he got to his feet and Hinata followed suit. He wondered what she was about to say before they were interrupted.

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The sun was setting slowly in the east as Hinata made her way painfully back to the training grounds.

Kurenai-sensei had made them go and complete half a dozen D rank missions around the village and later warned them to prepare to go on a C rank mission the following week. Retrieving a scroll from the Village of Hidden Water for the Hokage. Nothing dangerous but sensei still expected them to do their best nevertheless.

Hinata wondered how she expected them to be so when she made them train for 3-4 hours daily and then go around the village completing silly D rank missions.

Leaning against the tree she had sat under that very same morning, she thought about what she was about to say to Kiba before they were interrupted.

"… I miss you even when you are right here next to me…"

She closed her eyes. Thank Goodness Kurenai-sensei and Shino-kun had arrived at that moment. She didn't even want to imagine how embarrassed and awkward the situation would have been with Kiba had she uttered those words.

Even if they were true.

Argh! She shook her head till she felt dizzy. Please make it stop. Make it stop! He doesn't think of me that way! He doesn't feel for me that way! He doesn't look at me that way! No one does or ever will! No one loves me! No one! So why love anyone else! Just stop breaking your own heart!

Her face suddenly felt wet. Stupid tears. Frustrated, she rubbed her sleeves against her cheeks to wipe away evidence of 'weakness' as her father liked to refer to tears as.

She missed Kiba now. Now, Naruto didn't occupy her mind every moment of her free time. Kiba did. This was too unfair.

Breathing deeply, she forced her nerves and emotions to calm. She forced herself not to think about Kiba-kun's infectious grin… Forced herself not to imagine his laughter in the forest… Forced herself not to imagine the touch of his wild hair… Forced herself not to think of the kindness in his eyes when he looked at her…

Eventually, she looked up and finally realized that night had fallen around her. She took in all the beauty of the evening and then went up to her log to train her taijutsu. Never mind that her stomach was growling from hunger just yet. She can take care of little things like hunger later.

Right then and there, she only wanted to train herself to exhaustion and sleep a dreamless sleep...

-------------------------------------o0o-------------------------------------

Kiba sat among the branches of the trees surrounding the training grounds careful not to let his presence be known to the spirit-worn shinobi below.

God… Why couldn't he go down and comfort her? Take her into his arms and let her have his strength? Let her have his warmth? Let her have his love?

If it would only matter. If it was only wanted.

Akamaru was with him. Nudging him insistently until he glared at the canine with a clear warning in his eye.

He watched her wondering when was the last time she ate. She looked so thin. He wondered when was the last time she sat down to have a meal with her family. When she last spoke to her father as a daughter and not as a shinobi updating him on her progress.

He wondered when she last had human contact simply for her own sake. Not for training or fighting or to help another person. When she last touched a person for the sake of feeling. When she last spoke to another being for the sake of listening. When she last looked at a person to be looked back with love.

He reached out his hand… And then let it drop to his side.

He watched as she finally went to train taijutsu.

It wasn't him she needed… But she sure as hell was the one he needed.

If only…

To be Continued...

Author's Notes

Reposted for your reading pleasure:-D I think you all will find it a little more pleasant to read now as compared to the previous format! ;-) Now, do be a darling and leave a review for me k! LoL! Reviews are always much loved and appreciated:hugs: Thank You!