"Who the hell told you to knock them both out?!" Tenten scrambled over her unconscious boyfriend, not sure whether or not to move him or to let him wake up naturally.
"Well." Ino stood up from over their sleeping bodies. Both Kiba and Naruto laid face first on the wooden floor. "Not like he specified. AND he was being rude. Sooo." She shrugged.
"You bitch."
"What was that brat?!"
"You heard me pig-"
"Ladies! Please. There's no time to bicker." Shikamaru begrudgingly shifted from his peaceful position on the stairs. With Kiba out of commission, that made him pack leader. "Ino go get the first aid kit and check on Hinata. When you're done with that, check on Lee and Gaara. Tenten wake up Kiba, we need a debrief on what happened out there."
Ino shot him a growl and Tenten stared him down, but none the less, the girls got to work. Ino rushing for a medical kit and Tenten cradling Kiba's head in her lap.
"Okay baby. Time to wake up." She gently patted his face while simultaneously shaking his head from side to side.
"I said wake up!" She shouted.
Nothing. A peaceful look still graced Kiba's face as he breathed calmly in his slumber.
"Be that way." Its on record that Tenten hates being ignored.
She held the bridge of his nose shut with two fingers and used her free hand to cover his mouth.
"I said wake him, not kill him." Shikamaru himself had taken to nudging Naruto with his shoe in attempts to wake the blonde.
"Just give it a sec."
On cue Kiba gasped for air, his eyes exploded open as he jumped in her hold.
"Oh my god, you're awake! What a surprise." Kiba sat up quickly, clutching his head at the sudden sharp pain.
"What happened? Why am I on the floor?
"Why-" Kiba took a deep breath as he settled back onto Tenten's lap. "God damnit Ino."
"Mhm. You ok?" Her hands ran through his disheveled hair with ease, playing with the occasional knot as she did her best to calm him down.
"I am now." Him beamed up at her. Giving her that smile that always left her in a blushing mess.
"Do you say that to every girl that chokes you in your sleep?"
"Only the really hot ones." Kiba took Tentens lack of words as an opportunity to stand up, offering his hand out to her in the process.
"Ten I have something to tell all of you." He gave a nod to Shikamaru who stopped his halfhearted nudging at Naruto for a moment.
"Ooh! I want to hear!" Ino was steadily turning the corner, a now groggy Hinata by her side and a strangely quiet Lee behind her.
"It's not good news, by any means."
"Kiba, what's wrong?" Tenten' face fell, her jaw tightened as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Panda..." he wrapped his own arms around her trembling shoulders and pulled her close. "Shino is gone. He-" Kiba fought back a choke. "Shino's dead."
"No... Kiba don't joke like that. Shino!" She shouted into the open entryway. "Shino come out, NOW!" But her cries fell on deaf ears as she traversed through the multitude of doors in the spacious hallway. "You can't be dead-"
"Ten. He's gone." Shikamaru placed a firm hand in her shoulder before she barged through another door in the empty hallway.
"How'd it happen?" He asked as he released a speechless Tenten back towards her confidant.
"One of Orochimaru's goons. Kabuto I believe?" He said as he held her close.
"He's dead?"
"What?" Tenten caught Kiba of guard with her sudden question.
"Did you, or did you not" Tenten clinched tight to his shirt, muffling her words into his chest. "Rip. His. Throat. Out."
"He... he got away." Kiba took a moment to look at everyone in the room. "But I promise all of you. He's a dead man walking."
"Did you say Kabuto?" This question came from Ino, who had been racking her brain at the mention of the name.
"Yeah I did. Why? Got something for me?"
"He's our informant at the college... I knew something was off about that creepy little shit."
"Perfect. Then you'll be the one to find him again. And figure out what possible benefit there could be to him pushing us toward the possible source of Orochimaru's power."
"No prob." Ino slumped lazily against a stiff Shikamaru, who had no issue comforting the blonde as her thoughts drifted.
"I wish to go too Kiba! This kind of dreadful act must not go unpunished-"
"No Lee. This assignment will require tact. And someone who will easily blend in with the crowd. Besides, I need you here to protect the house and our youngest." Kiba said referring to the fresh 18 year olds that were a Gaara and Haku before focusing his words back to Ino. "You'll be taking the boy and Shikamaru. Me and Tenten will be taking the girl. Anybody have any questions?"
"Yes actually. What will you have me doing?" Asked a still slightly disoriented Hinata who had found her self nelt next to Naruto's sleeping form. Running a smooth hand across the length of his face.
'You idiot, why'd you have to go and piss me off?.'
Hinata couldn't remember much of what transpired in the last 24 hours but she was certain of something. When Naruto finally came home she was filled to the brim with uncontrollable anger. The very sight of him had enraged her to he point of hostile and she couldn't seem to figure out why.
"We're going to be looking for trouble in the forest of death. You'll be Tenten's shadow, it'd benefit you to learn how to support an Alpha before we let you and Naruto anywhere near each while you're... under the influence."
"An alpha?" The term wasn't exactly new to the girl but it wasn't something that was ever really used to describe people she knew either.
"There was a lot of bullshit behind that evil bastards research, but the concept seems understandable. It's rooted in basic behavioral patterns of animals." Shikamaru began to speak once he had the attention of everyone in the room. "For example, aggressive creatures with pack mentalities like dogs, wolves, lions, or whatever all have an even more aggressive son of a bitch as their leader, or at least a more outspoken individual."
"Awh shucks, thanks Shika." Kiba gave a toothy smile at his explanation. This earned a small chuckle from Tenten and Lee and the mood seemed to lighten a little.
"Anyway. On the other end of the spectrum are the general population. The basic members of a pack who contribute to its overall effectiveness."
"This effect is a little different with us however." Kiba took his turn to speak. " I can literally feel a surge of strength and speed when surrounded by any number of you, growing with each one you there. That's something that no amount of science or reasoning could explain. Orochimaru might be fucking cracked, but he really stumbled up on something interesting here."
"So does that mean everyone else here isn't an Alpha?" So far Shikamaru's and Kiba's explanation had done more in the realm of confusion than help the girl to understand.
"Not really, the whole beta/omega thing seems like a waste of time to understand. I am pack leader when Kiba is unable. But that's only because I choose to be. I choose to support Kiba, I don't have a primal urge to, like some of us here. In other words, I don't give a damn."
"Ain't that the truth." Ino mumbled at his side.
"Ino has bonded to me and most everyone here besides you two have bonded to Kiba."
"Bonded?-"
"I know you have a lot of questions, but bare with me. See, perhaps the most genius part of this whole thing is that he's combined that basic animal instinct with that of the human physci. Observe. Ino." Than older boys eyes flared yellow as he turned to his less than enthusiastic girlfriend and gave a simple command.
"Yes, dear?"
"Smile."
And smile she did, be it with a twisted look of malice underneath but for the most part Ino's smile was wide mouthed and genuine. "See, unconditional obedience. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where Naruto has asked you to do something and you did it despite your will telling you not to?"
"Often actually. Anytime he growls, or roars at me I don't really seem to be able to control my actions anymore."
'Like there's a little voice in the back of my head telling me to obey.'
"I hate it when you do that..." Ino rubbed her cheeks from the extended level of strain that the bright smile had put on her face. Shikamaru however ignored her gripe with a shrug as if to say "It was for the sake of explanation."
"So the instinct is already there because of the animal like power he gave us, but we're more compelled to follow orders because a humans mind is more superior in taking orders?"
"Hn. Looks who's a quick learner. Be sure to tell your boyfriend when you wake up that your his new submissive." Tenten giggled out.
"Like. Hell." Hinata grit out through clenched teeth. "And I don't know why your laughing if that means your pretty much at Kiba's beck and call!"
Tenten stopped laughing but she didn't seem at all phased by what Hinata had to say. In fact, she smirked at the younger girls comment.
"And? I love Every. Single. Minute of it." She let out slowly as she brought Kiba's head down to her level. Wrinkling her nose against his, before taking his mouth with a passionate kiss.
"I think I'm going to be sick..."
"It is true Hinata that the pack may be at his "beck and call." But no more than the average leader of any group really. I'd follow Kiba into battle, and that is why I have pledged my allegiance to him. Not in a way so... intimate." He noted as everyone did there best to avert there eyes. "But as a blood brother with an unbreakable bond."
"I think I understand. But I just have one question."
"Shoot kid." Kiba said, having finally separated himself from his lover.
"Who the hell said I wasn't the one in charge? Like what kind of backward sexist shit is that?!" Hinata was typically a calm and timid girl. But one thing the power of a lioness had given her was grit, and a lot of it. Her need to feel in power had succeeded the point of insatiable, her life would be ruled by her and her alone.
'What's gotten into me?'
"Oh sweety." Ino approached the girl and took a seat next to her. "Maybe you are, maybe you're not. But there's something you should know."
Kiba finished oh so more crudely for her.
"If you're an alpha, there will be no fucking doubt about it. Something got the best of you tonight. Naruto too. And I can't remember the last time anything. Hunger, anger, fear, anything, got the best of me when any of you were in danger. I don't know what's up with you two, but you'll figure it out before you put anyone else in danger. Clear?"
'You should be in power.'
'Yeah, yeah I should.'
"Clear." She said, not backing down from Kiba's gaze.
XXX
Somethings wrong about this. Somethings wrong about all of this. One of their own die and they bounce back so quickly?? Ready to retaliate with so few tears shed? I don't understand. The reality of all our current situations is sinking in deeply and I can't seem to shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen.
Until I look at him.
He's so much more peaceful when he's asleep. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to see a look of peace on his face. More often than not he'd wait until I'd drifted off before presumably going to sleep and waiting for me when I woke up.
"You dolt... why'd you have to go and get hurt."
Granted. Ino gave me a play by play of the ass whooping Kiba and I gave him. So I guess I can't get too mad at him. But still, it was his fault. That tramps* smell was all over him and he has the ordacity to grovel to me for my affection?
Does he think me a fool? That pushover of a girl I used to be? I'm not going to fall for the same thing twice. For the same fool twice.
Right?
... But he does look so innocent when's he's like this.
"Like you could never hurt me huh."
Bullshit.
'Maybe you should just dispose of him now.'
"What the hell was that?"
That's the second time today I've heard something, I'm sure of it...
'You, should be in power. Not him. End it.'
'Who the hell are you? Get out of my head!' The familiar pain of my skull compressing assaulted me like a train.
'I'm the mighty Kyubi child, and you WILL obey me.'
My body must have been dripping sweat, I couldn't stop from ripping my hair out at the root, and I'm positive the enamel of my teeth was beginning to crumble from the pressure. But I'm sure the only thing I could grit out was-
"Try. Me."