A/N: Some fluff and angst coming at you in this chapter, hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, sadly.

The Father and the Son

Luna was still reeling from her realisation when the Anbu, and various other leaf ninja she didn't care to learn the names of, arrived. The Hokage wasn't far behind, having already been alerted prior to the Hihanta's capture that Luna had escaped from her cell. Tsunade must have sensed the girls current state of shock, and decided to bypass her with little more than a sigh and an eyeroll. The hybrid girl was thankful for the avoided lecture. That could wait for another time.

At least she was free to roam the village again.

The Hangetsu hunter's face was covered before they led him away, this time with a brown potato sack. Much less flattering disguise for someone such as himself, Luna thought. He seemed so much more human like this. So much more vulnerable, without his Oni mask or his musical weapon of choice. But that only proved to unnerve the she-wolf more.

Someone tugged at her arm, lifting her wrist and examining the fresh blood now beginning to dry on her skin. Luna spared a moment to register the person as Sakura. Of course, the Hokage's medical apprentice.

She allowed the pinkette to twist her arm this way and that, a swell of green healing chakra flowing from her palms and into the wound briefly before she moved onto her other injuries.

Luna almost cried out when even a gentle palm was pressed against her lower back, coaxing her into a standing position. The anguish must have been evident on her face, as Sakura's face paled as she focused her attention to the girls spine.

Akamaru, who had remained by Luna's side either out of guilt or shame, nuzzled her shoulder in a canine apology, whining and staring with big sad eyes.

The she-wolf could only shake her head with a small, forced smile. She knew he was hurting because of what he was forced to do to her, and she was in no means going to hold it over him. If anything, she understood him completely, and in a way, Luna was thankful that it'd been Akamaru attacking her and not the other way around. She didn't think she could live with that, again.

When the medical examinations were complete, the Hihanta locked away somewhere in the depths of the Leaf village and the remaining ninja trailing after their Hokage, the cavern seemed to swallow the light.

Yawning, she stretched her muscles as much as she could before her injuries began to protest, and nodded to the giant white canine to follow her. They left the cave in silence, neither pausing to look back.

Luna trailed quietly after Akamaru as the great white mutt followed his masters scent, pausing occasionally with his nose in the air or pressed to the ground.

They had departed on their search as soon as Sakura had finished insisting they both visit the hospital and vets as soon as possible. Neither had actually agreed to follow her advice right away though, technically. Besides, both were eager to find their Inuzuka friend.

It wasn't long before their hunt ended, right outside the Izakaya restaurant and bar that was closest to the Inuzuka estate. Oh.

"Sorry, Akamaru. No dogs allowed… Better put these away too." She mumbled as an afterthought, shrugging away her ears and morphing into her all-human form. Akamaru whined in acknowledgement, sitting himself down beneath the swing sign obediently as Luna made her way into the bar.

The establishment was quieter than she'd have liked, but then she hadn't expected it to be bustling this late at night. The she-wolf was surprised it was still open at all; it must have been past two at least. Kiba wasn't hard to locate. Slouched on a floor cushion at the back of the room, half asleep and swaying slightly, Luna couldn't help but worry. She'd never had to deal with a drunk before, and had half the mind to turn around and run before he spotted her. But she couldn't do that.

Sighing heavily, Luna approached his table, lowering herself onto the seat next to him. At first, he didn't react at all, and she wondered if he'd even noticed her arrival. After a few moments spent deliberating how to greet him, he solved the problem for her.

"It's been over fifteen years, since he left. I barely even recognise his scent."

Luna bit her lip. His words were vaguely slurred, though she wasn't sure whether that was from exhaustion or alcohol. She wasn't really one for heart-to-hearts at the best of times, but her empathetic side stubbornly reminded her that Kiba was her friend, and he needed her right now.

Suddenly very aware that she hadn't spoken in almost thirty seconds, she blurted, "You've done alright without him." And then proceeded to slap her forehead in unabashed regret.

Kiba threw her a half-hearted sideways glance, his movements small and sluggish. "You're not very good at this, are you?"

Her nose scrunched. "Sorry."

The Inu let out a quiet breath of amusement, chugging the last of his drink and closing his eyes. At least he saw the funny side of her stupid response. "I used to pretend he was dead. When other kids asked me where he was, I'd tell them he died on a mission defending the Leaf, or something else heroic sounding… Stupid, I know."

"That's not stupid at all." She murmured, touching his arm lightly. His eyes snapped to Luna's at the contact, startling her enough to withdraw her hand, but his expression was far from disapproving. It was a little unnerving, like he was waiting for her to continue. Was she supposed to keep talking?

Feeling a little awkward, she tried to take control of the situation. "Well, we should be heading home. It's really late, you know. Can you walk?"

"…You called it home." He noticed, voice soft and wistful.

"Well, I do live there for the time-being. Can you walk?" She repeated.

Kiba frowned, staggering to his feet and looking offended. "Of course. I'm not drunk!"

"Yeah? Well your cerebellum seems to disagree with you."

"Don't be using all your fancy words on me now…"

"It's a part of your brain. Controls your balance."

"I know what it means!"

The hybrid scoffed, disbelieving, but decided against arguing with him in this condition. It just wasn't worth it.

After slapping some money on the bar and a wonky nod to the staff member behind it, Kiba began to hobble to the exit. On his way, he managed to bump into two tables, knock over two empty glasses and almost tripped over the doorstep. Luna would have laughed if it hadn't brought on the realisation that she'd have to help Akamaru carry him home.

"I told you, I can walk just fine!" He grumbled, pushing on his canine's nose when he tried to shimmy him onto his back for the third time.

"Kiba~," Luna whined, getting agitated and beyond tired. "Please, just let us help you," Luna tried again, wrapping her arm under his and draping it over Akamaru's withers. This time, he relinquished his protests and finally allowed the pair of them to lead him home.

Once finally inside, Akamaru apparently deemed Luna able to handle things on her own from here, and decided to sleep under the kitchen table that night. But convincing Kiba to get some sleep was proving impossible. She'd placed a full glass of water beside him and ordered him to sip it, which he was doing, thankfully, but when the next command she gave him was to sleep it off, he was having none of it.

Sighing, Luna stood up from the bedside and made to leave. "Fine, suit yourself."

The girl had barely even taken two steps toward he door when she felt his arm curl around her waist, pulling her back.

"Wait," he murmured, voice sounding a little less slurred than earlier.

She complied, pausing in his hold and waiting for him to release her so she could turn to face him, but his grip tightened and his other arm also found its way around her middle.

His nose touched the space between her shoulder blades softly, as though seeking comfort, and despite the gasp of surprise that slipped through her lips, she allowed it.

"What is it, Kiba?" She pressed, feeling a little awkward in their current position. Not to mention his 'affectionate' state was making her extremely nervous.

"…Stay." Although the word was muffled by the way he was now nuzzling her back, the raw emotion in his voice squeezed her heart. This was not a tone she was familiar with from her friend, and it hurt her to hear him sound so vulnerable.

It took a moment for her to realise he was waiting for a reply.

"Okay." She felt the warmth of his relieved sigh on her back before she heard it, and finally he released her waist and moved back enough for her to perch beside him.

Though their bodies remained too close for her to fully relax, Luna offered him a small smile. She wasn't sure how else to react in this situation. She knew she wanted to comfort him, but how could she do that when she herself was so far out of her comfort zone it made her want to run and hide?

"How's your arm?" Kiba asked, seemingly out of the blue.

Luna blinked, thrown off by the drastic subject change. "Erm, it's much better actually. I think it's finally on the mend."

As if to prove her point, she waved the loosely bandaged limb in front of him. The Inu nin's eyes followed the movement until it slowed, apparently taking this as an opportunity to see for himself.

His fingers wrapped around her elbow gently, holding her forearm in front of him with one hand, as the other carefully began to unravel the bandage. Luna was silent as she watched him work, unsure why even this action was making her mouth dry. IT was a perfectly innocent expression of concern for his friend, but the intensity behind his eyes was captivating.

When her skin was fully revealed, he angled it towards himself, turning it one way and then the other as he scanned the damage. The wound was pretty much completely healed, with only several jagged scar marks marring her flesh. As he turned it again, his gaze flickered to hers, watching observantly for any expression of pain. There was none.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Satisfied?"

A smirk slipped onto his lips in response. "Almost."

And then, before she could tug her arm away, he lifted the limb right up to his face, where he dusted the surface of her wrist with the lightest brush of his lips.

The she-wolf gaped at him, stunned. Blood rushed to her cheeks as her heart raced, each beat hammering in her chest so hard she swore he must've heard it. Or, considering he still held her by the wrist, he'd at least have felt her pulse jump.

"All better." He grinned, as though comforting a child.

"I told you it was…" Luna grumbled, brain failing her for any other words.

And then his lips met her forearm once more, slightly further up her arm than the first. And then again, and again. Higher and higher, and so softly, that she might not have felt them at all had she not been staring so intently at each action as though it were some strange, unexplained phenomenon. And in that moment, it was really.

His kisses paused slightly when he felt her shiver, his face now hovering in the crook of her neck, the space between them closed in such a short time.

"K-Kiba, you're drunk." She muttered, denying all insinuations behind his actions and trying to dismiss him.

"I'm not."

Her eyes met his as he raised his head to look at her directly. He sounded so sure of himself, but how could she believe him? His face was mere centimetres away, but he was making no attempt to close that gap, giving Luna time to think. Although, she was hyper aware of him holding her hands just above her lap, which was distracting while she debated with herself.

Though his words had gradually become less and less slurred since the bar, Luna hadn't noticed until now that Kiba's balance had returned, and that he could now maintain proper eye contact again. But still, she doubted he could have recovered so quickly, even with the fresh air and glass of water. Besides, wasn't this typical drunken behaviour of stereotypical human males? Her lack of personal experience left her with little options on how to proceed.

After several long minutes, Kiba's eyes left hers, but only to follow the lines he'd begun tracing on her palm with his thumb. Feeling her own eyes slide shut at the sensation, Luna had to remind herself that this was not real, and neither were the butterflies stirring in her stomach. The callused texture of his fingers was both harsh and gentle against her feather-soft skin, the difference in their lifestyles presenting right there and then from such a simple touch. It was enough to send goose-bumps up her wrist and along her arm.

"What're you thinking?" He wondered aloud, voice no more than a whisper. He sounded… nervous.

What was she thinking? Her eyelids parted slowly, scarlet irises unfocused beneath a furrowed brow. She wasn't, was the answer. And then, as if to prove that point, her body moved of its own accord to lean in, pressing her mouth to his in a timid, gentle kiss.

Kiba matched her cautious pace at first, but soon grew impatient. Running his tongue along her lower lip, he leaned closer until she had to tilt her head back to continue. Bodies now sufficiently entwined, the Inu made a soft rumble in the back of his throat, successfully gaining access to Luna's tongue when her lips unlocked for breath.

Her eyes, though still closed, fluttered at the bold move, but she didn't push him away. Her hands slid up his chest to bravely encircle his neck, vaguely aware of one of Kiba's hands tangling in her hair. Luna's heart thudded when a fang skimmed her bottom lip, the action igniting something in her she'd never experienced before. It was all it took for her to suddenly realise the situation. Did she even have feelings for Kiba in this way?

A frown slipped onto her features as she flipped back through her memories, trying to recall a particular moment when she had started to see him in a different light. When had these feelings started? And how on Earth had they managed to seep through her iron defence?

There were things she knew about him that she suspected no one else did, like the time he'd told her of crying to the Third Hokage, but he'd told her that out of empathy for her family, right? Then when he'd hugged her so tightly right before the Anbu had come to lock her away, seemed so intense, but again, she'd simply rationalised that to him being there when she needed a friend.

Kiba had been there all along, it seemed, and Luna had never noticed. Until now.

The realisation must've seeped through her filter, as she felt her arms tighten around his neck and pull him closer, as though he would suddenly disappear and be lost to her forever. He must've sensed her conflict, because in the next second he had drawn back.

His forehead leaned against hers as they panted wordlessly, her eyes slipping open, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer. He gazed back at her with an unknown emotion, and Luna couldn't help but feel he was trying to tell her something in that moment.

Whatever he was going to say was lost when Luna suddenly broke into a startling yawn, surprising them both. Kiba was the first to break from the shock, laughing out loud at her embarrassed expression. The hybrid was quick to join in, unable to hold back at the series of extremely unexpected events. The more she thought about the day, the harder she laughed. It almost got to the point where she was starting to question which of the two was supposed to be drunk!

They somehow found comfort in the insanity, not long after managing to fall asleep, side by side. She was sure by morning their silly moods would have sobered, but that was tomorrow's problem.

For now, she just wanted to sleep.

As the events of the previous night unfolded in his mind, Kiba let out a sigh, watching as his breath clouded the window before him. Sitting with one knee bent upwards, and the other leg swinging over the side of the window ledge seat, he had been trying to make sense of their current situation for the past half an hour.

When he had awoken, practically nose-to-nose with a certain wolf-eared girl, his first reaction was to freeze, terrified he'd wake her up before he had a chance to analyse everything. He wasn't sure who had been more surprised by his actions, him or her, and Kiba wasn't sure how to proceed with them. He'd never felt anything like before to someone he considered a good friend and, in truth, it kind of scared him.

As heir to his clan, he'd always just assumed his future would be out of his control anyway, as with Shino and his family. The bug-user had already begun arrangements for meeting with suitable matches, that both he and his parents approved of. The Aburame clan rules were strict, stricter than the Inuzuka's. Shino would only have until his 21st birthday to decide on a mate, and the girl in question had to be both a strong shinobi, and an Aburame. Kiba hadn't like the idea of an arranged marriage himself, but Shino, being the laid-back and traditional kind of guy, had expressed no such detest. It was simply something he had accepted and was resigned to do.

For Hinata, she had dodged the bullet completely when her younger sister, Hanabi, had assumed the title of future Hyuga heiress. Although at first his teammate had felt shunted from the role, it hadn't taken her long to realise she would now be free to marry whomever she chose. And everyone knew that'd probably be Naruto, once he stopped fooling around and realised how he felt about her, too.

And then there was Kiba. His family were not as strict as the other two clan names, but there were two main differences. The Inuzuka's were stubborn, and they were proud. Stubborn because, no matter the laws on their future alpha's mate, said heir was more than likely to disobey them anyway and choose whoever they wanted, provided their partner could prove their worthiness to the rest of the pack. And proud because if their heir appeared to being pressured into a certain marital contract, or swayed in the direction of an approved female, he would appear weak, and that was not something the Inuzuka's were.

Kiba had never really stopped to spare a thought to the idea of romance, only ever been focused on becoming a stronger shinobi, and finally being able to make his mother proud. But he would never admit the last part, obviously.

He wasn't sure when these feelings had first stirred in him, or if there was a defining moment when the dog-trainer began to see Luna differently, but with the added fuel of liquid confidence last night, it had become blatantly clear. However, no matter how deep these feelings ran, he definitely didn't need the rest of the pack, or his mother, finding out anytime soon.

A soft shuffling from his bed alerted him that he'd run out of musing time, the noise followed by a gentle voice. "How are you feeling?"

Eyebrows furrowing, he turned his face slightly to view her with one eye. Her hair was ruffled on the side she'd been sleeping on, her ears flexing as she rubbed her eyes.

"I'm not hungover, if that's what you're getting at…" He hoped the confidence in his voice was enough to convince her that what happened last night was intentional.

"Well I guess that answers my next question too."

Rising from his window seat, Kiba crossed the room. Her breathing hitched as he kneeled beside her, eyes widening as he lifted her wrist to his mouth in a similar fashion to previously. It was a single, chaste kiss that could easily have been mistaken for a polite greeting, had the situation been any different.

"How are you feeling?" He repeated her question, releasing her arm and leaning back a little.

Luna seemed to ponder the question momentarily, as if debating some hidden meaning. "I'm fine."

Kiba rolled his eyes with a smirk at the vague answer, making her smile and re-evaluate her reply.

"I'm much better, thanks." Lifting both arms into a stretch, she winced as her muscles ached and groaned. "Actually, I take that back. I've been better…"

The Inu nin chuckled and offered her the half empty glass of water on the bedside table, which she accepted and glugged eagerly. As she drank, Kiba had a few seconds more to panic. He hadn't even considered her side of things yet. Although he didn't, what if she did regret what happened between them? What if she had simply felt sorry for him, or was just feeling particularly vulnerable after the events of the night? It was understandable, after everything she'd gone through…Had he backed her into a corner and now she felt too trapped to escape?

The panic running through his mind must have been blatant on his face, because no sooner than the worry began to engulf him, Luna reached out a hand to tentatively touch one of his cheeks. Her thumb brushed over one of his red tattoos, the sensation making him shiver as his eyes snapped to hers.

Her face held a shy smile, as though trying out the expression for the first time. He leaned forward unwillingly as he inhaled, her earthy scent drawing him closer subconsciously. His lips now hovered just millimetres away from Luna's, her scarlet irises staring up at him through hesitant, half-lidded eyes.

It was at that moment that an unwitting Tsume chose to burst in through the delicate shoji door, ranting and rambling about the Hihanta's reveal, her fury overpowering any emotion Kiba had ever experienced from his mother.

They had managed to spring apart just in time, though neither could hide their startled and slightly embarrassed expressions.

Shaking out of it first, Kiba growled a little as he attempted to calm his mother. "Ma, wait, just slow down. Have you been to see him?"

"Yes, of course, I've been to see him, you fool. I had to go and identify him, didn't I!" She growled back with unrivalled ferocity.

Luna was wise enough to stay silent throughout the tirade.

"Where are they keeping him?" Kiba ground out, his own anger rising the more he thought about the Hihanta's true identity.

But Tsume caught on to his intentions right away. "Oh, hell no. There is no chance you - either of you – are going anywhere near that bastard traitor."

"You think I'm just gonna sit back after what he–"

"Kiba!" Tsume roared, scaring Luna half to death and silencing her son in a heartbeat. The gleam in her eye was deadly serious. The Inuzuka alpha was not budging one inch on this matter. "Neither of you," She stressed again, "are to go anywhere near him. Do you understand me?"

The duo nodded mutely, until Tsume demanded again, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Yes, ma."

"Alright then. The Hokage and I will deal with this."

Kiba grit his teeth, balling his fists in frustration at having to submit to her over this matter. Luna's hand itched to touch his, wanting to comfort him. She knew he must have a million questions racing through his mind, as did she, but she also knew no amount of affectionate nudges or words of comforting would ease this situation.

"Oh and, by the way," Tsume called over her shoulder as she made to leave. "Don't think I haven't noticed that little scent change between you two."

"Wha– Errr…" Kiba spluttered unintelligibly, as the door slid shut without another word from his mother. He glanced at Luna's equally frozen expression, and then back at the closed door.

Guess the rest of the pack might be finding out a little sooner than he'd hoped.

A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! I've reworked on this chapter and the next, combined two shorted chapters together to make this one longer and the next one too, so you'll have more to read with each update.

I'm trying to power through the writer's block and finish this story once and for all! R&R :)