"So what's the last thing you remember pup?"
Kiba, Haku and I had been walking back for about an hour. Haku was sleeping peacefully on Kiba's back since we started. He more or less kept his silence until now.
"You mean before all of this?" I motioned toward the world in general. It didn't take a genius to know he meant before Eden.
"I was at the fair with Hinata, Sasuke, and Hinata." I trailed behind Kiba closely, my night vision seemed to be gone. He, however, didn't seem to have any issue advancing through the contained darkness. The density of the shrubbery kept slipping me up, so I did my best to stay alert. "Sasuke came back to visit, it was probably the last time I had all my friends in one place like that in a really long time."
"You came here with one of them?"
"Two, unfortunately..."
"No need to be so vague. We all came here in three's." His tone was uncharacteristically serious, and he was doing his best to keep a low voice as not to wake Haku.
"Gaara came with both siblings, Haku with her adopted brother Zabuza and a complete stranger. Ino and Shikamaru came with their late friend Choji. I could go on, but the point is." He slowed down for a moment to turn and look at me. "We don't keep secrets. If I ask you something you tell me. And in return, I'll do the same. Fair?"
"Yeah... fair."
"So who was your third?"
"Sakura. Sakura Haruno."
"Was huh... So did you know her well?"
I thought about it for a minute.
'How do I even describe her?' Her presence showered my heart like sunlight and her courage made mine look like a ball of yarn. So much life in such a small fiery package.
But I couldn't tell him that.
Kiba didn't place any pressure in trying to get an answer from me, giving me my time to process as he continued his trek.
"She was my best friend besides Sasuke."
"Did you love her?"
"Of course I did."
"Like how you love Hinata?"
"What the hell are you getting at Ki-"
"I'm asking you all this for a reason Uzumaki." Kiba stopped cold in his tracks, taking a deep breath as he turned to confront me once more. "You just ate the corpse of one of my best friends. And I'm trying. Trust me when I say I'm FUCKING TRYING to find every reason not to end you where you stand. I need to know you're human. I need to know that you're worth the God damn effort kid!" Frustration contorted his face into a furrowed brow and a jawed cage of enlarged teeth. A sniff seemed to be holding back tears and his face began to soften a little as we let the silence sit.
"Kiba..." Haku groaned in her sleep at the commotion. Shifting a little to bury herself deeper into Kiba's back. "Not so loud." The girl drifted back to sleep as we stared at each other for a moment.
"She's the reason me and Hinata aren't together now. I couldn't figure out my feelings for her. I thought..."
"You thought you were in love with Sakura, so you broke up with Hinata?"
'Sounds even shittier when someone else says it.'
"Yeah. Yeah, I did."
"Hah!"
'Did this asshole just laugh?'
"That's good kid! Haha That's really fucking good." Kiba was in full chuckle by now, doing his best to cover his laugh with his shoulder.
"The fuck are you laughing at? Asshole." I gave him a shove as best I could with disturbing Haku.
"That's- Ahahaha!" He stopped to wipe a tear that'd finally dropped from his eyes. "That's just the DUMBEST thing I've heard you ever say."
"How is love dumb? See you told me to tell you what happened and you make fun of me for it? What kind of shit is that?!"
"Let me finish kid, don't get your panties in a bunch. Here." Kiba took care in slow shifting Haku of his back, holding her out bridal style to me. "You carry her for a while."
"I don't know man."
"She doesn't bite."
"Kiba, we all bite."
"Well, she doesn't bite hard. Go on." He extended her out to me again. "She's one of the few of us that kind of hibernate when they're recovering. Making that snowfield really tired her out."
"Speaking of which, can you explain that?"
All Kiba could offer was a shrug as he handed her to me.
"Her and Gaara seem to be able to effect the elements around them, that's why we group them together, they make a great team. I honestly couldn't tell you how that shit happens though. That's more of a Shikamaru question."
"If I can ever find his lazy ass..."
I took her without any trouble, the added weight of her felt like nothing in my arms. Even though I'm certain I had a easy 50 pounds on her. She formed to my hold in her sleep, wrapping her arms around my neck and easing her head into my chest. As expected, she was icy to the touch, but surprisingly gentle at the same time. It was hard to think that such an innocent looking girl had the power to spawn a miracle in the form of snowfall in a reasonably warm climate.
"Don't blush too hard bro, she sleeps like a rock and she's a bit of a cuddler."
"I'm not... blushing. Dick. Whatever, finish what you were gonna say."
'Not my fault she's the only girl whose gotten this close without trying to kill me lately...'
We starting moving again before he decided to continue
"What I was saying was that emotions like that. Stupid, selfish, naive emotions like that."
'Lay it on thicker huh?'
"That's how I know you're real. That you aren't some monster Orochimaru cooked up in that lab."
"I guess that makes sense." I decided to keep quiet for a while. Kiba might be rude about it, but he seems to be able to pass some real wisdom my way when I need it.
"So what about you?"
"What about me kid?"
"Did you always know how you felt about Tenten."
"Hn, on sight. The way a dog loves a bone."
"Really? Dog puns??"
"I kid, I kid. But no really, I knew I loved her the moment I laid eyes on her. She was in the cage next to me. I can remember the fire in her eyes when she told that physco she was going to tear him apart."
"...Sweet?"
"You can't fake that kinda woman, she's all tooth and nail man. Just like me."
Me and Kiba continued on like that for a while. Trading stories about the women in our lives, granted, on a much lighter note we found that we're both really devoted to the ones we've had so much shared trauma with. I'd only know him a week and he felt like an older brother who'd been looking out for me.
"You should stop being a pussy and tell her how you feel."
'on second thought maybe I'm too sentimental.'
"And your advice on that oh wise one?"
"Well, we're almost back. Just walk up to her, tell her how fucking stupid you were. Then kiss her. Easy."
"Before or after she rips my head off?"
"Works for me. Living in a house of females isn't exactly the easiest thing to do."
"So what, you kiss all of them?" I figured Kiba the charming type, but not like that.
"God no, just the one. I'd literally probably die in my sleep. Speaking of which." His playful tone deepened a bit. " Have you noticed a change? In Hinata that is."
"You mean besides the obvious bloodlust and fangs right?"
"Smartass. You'll know what I mean when you see it. Every one of us, no matter what, bends to the will of our emotions at some point. The females I've noticed." I swear I saw him give a quick shudder." Are particularly prone to being more jealous."
"Maybe Tenten was just showing some of that "fire" you were talking about."
Kiba just shrugged. He passed through the cusp of the forest and we soon found the close silhouette of the dog house.
"Well look at that, home sweet home. Ready?"
'Am I?'
"How do we... how do well tell them?"
"Let me handle that kid-"
"AHH!!" A shrill sound could be heard all the way from the tree line.
"Shit that's Ino! Let's move!" But Kiba was sprinting toward the house before I could even finish my sentence. The added weight of Haku wasn't any real issue but the girl did make it more difficult to keep up. "Damnit hold on Kiba!"
Kiba didn't bother running around to the front entrance. Instead, he vaulted clear through the tall window on the side of the building with a shatter and crumble of glass pieces. I followed suit without much thought.
"Keep your FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!"
'That's Hinata.' my heart dropped to the depths of my stomach as I raced up to see what caused her distress. The first thing I noticed was that our door was in pieces and that Tenten and Ino were holding her secured to a chair as she flung around recklessly. Lee was unconscious in the corner, propped up against a chair with bandages covering his head.
"What the hell is going on here?!" The whole situation didn't make any sense to me and Kiba was just sitting off to the side in a chair watching the whole thing.
"Nice of you to show up! Your crazy girlfriend has been trying to murder one of us for the last 3 hours." Tenten put on a faux smile as she answered me.
"Oh and to top it off." This time Ino said. "She won't wake up, I'm not sure what's wrong with her." Inos answer, of course, was a lot more empathetic.
"Hinata?..." I walked over to my bed, placing Haku down before squatting down in front of Hinata. "Hinata you need to wake up now." All the while she still screamed and kicked like we were violent strangers she'd never met. Her eyes still nailed shut, refusing to take in her surroundings.
"Kiba." He watched me with slight interest as I tried and tried again to wake her up. "How do I wake her up?"
"Bout time you asked. Roar kid, show her who's boss." His tone matches his casual attitude, seeming content with watching us handle this.
"But I don't even have my fangs right now, how do I-"
"Kiba you don't really think this kid got it in him do you? You do it."
"Excuse you?" I cut Tenten off before she continued, and Ino choked back a laugh. "I can take care of my own."
"Seeing is believing kid."
'Seriously?! You're only one fucking year older too!'
"Fine. Let her go."
"What? Why?" Tenten shot me a dirty look like I was the worlds biggest idiot.
"Do as he says, girls." Kiba seemed interested to see what I was going to do. He nudged the seemingly empty space on the bed next to him. "Shikamaru wake up, you gotta watch this bro."
Shikamaru's passive camouflage flickered out of view.
"...Fine."
"You are hiding there the WHOLE TIME?! Nara Shikamaru I am going to murder you!" Ino was in fumes, ready to pounce on the boy as soon as she got the chance.
"...What a drag."
"Let her go." Normally their antics would be hilarious but I tried to maintain my focus on how I was going to get her to calm down.
Oddly enough when they released her, she stopped thrashing around. Instead shaking roughly in her chair as clawed hands gripped the wooden armrest with a white knuckle grip. All the while muttering under her breath.
"His pain. I can feel his pain. His pain-"
"Whose pain Hinata? I approached cautiously, but she didn't even flinch at my advancement. The room was still as everyone watched me.
"Hinata." I reached my hand out to hers. "Whose pain?"
"Orochimaru."
"Hinata, he can't hurt us anymore-"
I was cut off by the stare of stark white eyes. The veins across her face bulged and her hands broke clean through the chair.
"You." She pounced me before I could react. Feral eyes scanning every each of my body. "You smell like." I tried to remain calm as her nose sniffed repeatedly over my torso. "You smell like someone else." For that moment her voice was meek, and I saw what I thought was an essence of hurt. "You're supposed to be MINE!"
'Maybe she smells Haku?' I almost felt bad until I felt her teeth attack my neck.
"Hinata. GET. OFF!" Her canines chomped at my neck as I kicked her head first over the top of me. I scrambled to pin her down by the arms but she was a lot stronger then I was expecting in this state, tossing me clear across the room into the open doorway.
"Only MINE!"
"Let's go, bro! At least make this interesting."
"Yeah Kiba I'll get right on that." Between taking the fall and talking to Kiba I lost track of Hinata.
"Where the hell did she go?" The fangs in my shoulder blade answered my questions as we went tumbling down the stairs.
xXx
The Naruto that awoke at the base of the stairs wasn't the same one that took the fall.
His aggression was fatal as he pounced on top of Hinata once more, placing his weight on either shoulder with his knees.
"Enough." His eyes screamed kill but his body refused to bend to the pull of his primal anger. Bringing one hand to her throat he silenced the onslaught of growls and curses that Hinata sent his way. Using his free hand to place pressure on his bleeding shoulder.
"You will listen to me.
He noted that his claws hadn't sprouted but his strength was indeed returning. Surging through his veins like an unkinked hose. He needed to kill and she was so vulnerable beneath his grip.
The intensity in her stare began to fade as her voice weakened under his hold. Naruto could feel the struggle for air dissipate as her body began to give up. The veins surrounding her eyes disappeared as her abnormalities began to disappear as well. Cat ears sunk beneath her large bulk of disheveled hair and claws retracted back into soft petite hands.
"Naruto..." her voice was weak with the lack of air. Her eyes slowly began to roll to the back of her head.
"Alright kid that's enough." Kiba placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder but he seemed didn't seem to plan on letting go until the girl was completely unconscious.
"Naruto. I said you're done." Kiba picked him up with ease by the neck. Lifting him clear into the air with one hand. "You were suppose to kiss her, not kill her."
Naruto threw a rough elbow at Kiba's head to escape. He dodged and let the boy go.
"Ohhh you don't want to go there right now." Kiba scrunched his nose as he let out a roar. The walls of the hallway filled with his voice as the rest of the group came rushing down the stairs. "So stand down, before I make you."
The boy rushed without hesitation, tackling Kiba at the waist into the thin wall behind him. Sending the two crashing through l into the dinning room on the other side.
"You're ruining the house you idiot!" Kiba shouted, dust brandished as he pounded on Naruto's back to loosen his grip. "You are so decked when you let go of me!"
"Kiba stop fucking around before you break everything!" Kiba responded to Tenten's statement by promptly slamming Naruto through the dining room table.
The blonde still stirred as he scrambled to get to his feet in his dazed state. His body had yet to show any signs of change, but his attack held power as he kicked at Kiba from the ground.
"Yeah babe, it's reaaaal fucking easy taming teenage monsters. Thanks." Kiba choked back curses as he held his offended shin. Shoving boot to chest as he kicked Naruto back down. Grounding him with his bare foot.
"Ino knock him out before I break the damn kid."
"Awh, but it's so fun watching you two bond like this." Ino giggled from her position on the staircase, currently atop the lap of a very uninterested looking dNara.
"Ino..." Kiba's words turned to growls as his pupils began to darken and the whites of his eyes began to dissipate. "Now."
"Are you going to let him boss me around like that?!" Ino shouted as she pointed an expecting glare at Shikamaru.
Her question was answered with a feint snore.
"You're sleeping at a time like this?! You jerk!" Ino had both hands at his neck but the man had no intention of waking up.
"Ino!" Kiba's claws sprouted through the tips of his fingers. His chest broadened as he blocked another blow from Naruto's enraged fist. "Move your ass-"
"Damnit do you not see me disciplining my boyfriend?! I mean honestly, he doesn't even hibernate and he sleeps like a god damn bear-"
"I DON'T CARE!"
"Fine...The nerve of you people." She rose as she stopped down the stairs. "Boys." She gently placed a hand on the nape of both boys who where currently engaged in a grapple of hands to try and overcome the other.
"Sleep."
A/N: My revision phase is over. Let me know what you guys think moving forward.