Sorry it took so long! Combo of writers block and Holiday Craziness. Any way here's the next chapter! ^^
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Ayame walked down the street to her house, Naruto beside her deep in thought. He looked frustrated and pained but she left him alone, she already had her fair share of problems and she knew that he mostly kept his thoughts to himself, but about 100 ft from his house he stopped.
"What's wrong?" she asked concerned but still in a pile of her own thoughts. He looked up letting the light hit his striking blue eyes calm and clear.
"I don't know." He admitted bringing his hands up so he could see how shaky they were. "But for some reason I really think going home right now is not an option." Ayame sighed.
"Okay, go in tell your old man that you have a project to do and come over my house for a while, I'll be waiting." Ayame told him. He smiled and ran off, and she also stepped up the speed. When she got to a small wooden house she walked around the back to the two story barn, opened the door and threw her stuff down. Nala, her black wolf demon she had raised since infantry, thrust her thoughts into Ayame's mind. She was greeted by warm yellows and reds and the words "Welcome Home."
This barn was her home. The loft filled with hay was her bedroom and the first floor with the dingy old sofa and the beat up gas stove was her living area. She grabbed onto one of the low hanging wooden trusses and swung herself up to the second floor. Lying in the hay with her head down and tail wagging was her companion. The wolfs golden eyes watched as she made her way over and sat nexto her stroking her fur softly.
"Naruto's coming over, we had a bit of trouble come up at school and I think he needs to just go somewhere safe for a while." She stated starting off into space. The colors radiating off of Nala's mind quickly turned from warm to menacing as she let out a low growl.
"Who was it!" she asked. "If they hurt either of you I swear I'll tear them limb from limb!" her eyes started to turn from the gold to blood red.
"Everything's fine." She said trying to assure her. Although the wolf was quite protective, she didn't mind, Nala was like the mom she never had. The two heard a knock on the door and Ayame got up. Jumping down from the loft she went to the door and opened.
"What do you want?" she said, eyes narrowing on the boy in front of her. The brunette looked down timidly.
"May I come in?" Kiba asked.
"I ask again, what do you want." She asked bluntly. What distracted them though was a scream heard from a few houses down. Ayame grabbed Kiba's arm and threw him in, he landed on the couch with a thud. Nala jumped down from the loft at this and let a low growl leave her throat as she saw the Inuzuka. The boy cowered back at her size. She easily stood four feet tall and her K-9's stuck out two inches past her lower jaw.
"Nala go check on him." Ayame commanded and the wolf nodded and walked out the door never taking her eyes off the boy.
"Now, what do you want." She asked turning back to Kiba.
"I… I wanted to… m… make sure you were okay." He stammered.
"I'm fine, but why are you really here. If it's to get dirt, here it is. I live in a shack in the worst part of town, I'm broke, and I'm alone." She said turning and swinging back up to the loft. To her surprise he followed with little effort. She sat on the hay and stretched out closing her eyes. He sat next to her and went to say something, but stopped short.
"I'm serious!" Ayame growled getting annoyed. "What do you want, why are you here, and how the HECK did you find my house!" She looked him the eyes, they were filled with uncertainty and something else, fear? What did he know and what was it. Ayame's body shivered as she heard Nala howl from down the street.
"What was that?" Kiba asked.
"Don't move and don't touch anything." Ayame said getting and jumping down and running out the door. She ran to the street and bolted right. Nala's eyes were wide with fear and hated, once again the blood red from her demonic instincts.
"Whats wrong?" she asked catching her breath. Almost immediately Nala sent her an image of what she had seen and tears started to well in Ayame's eyes.
"You have to get him out of there!" Nala yelled in her mind replacing the images with black and blue swirls battling each other wildly. She only nodded and went to the door, she took a deep breath and knocked.
"What do you want!" Roared the man who opened the front door. He was in his late thirties and was obviously drunk.''
"I'm sorry to both you," Ayame started. "But Raiden said he was coming over to help with a school project and he was taking forever so I came to get him." The man mumbled something under his breath and went back into the house. Moments later he returned and threw an unconscious Naruto onto her. She stumbled from his weight and the man slammed the door. Ayame threw his small frame onto her back and returned to Nala in the street; the two walked back to their house and went inside. Ayame made her way up to the loft first to find Kiba exactly where she left him and signaled for Nala to come up as well. Kiba's eyes widened he relized who the for was on the girls back. She walked over and layed the boy gently on to the hay. She removed the boys tattered shirt and examined his stomache while Nala went to retrieve her med. Kit.
"What…" Kiba said swallowing. "What happened to him?"
Ayame ignored his question and tended to Naruto's numerous open burns and gashes and wrapping his welted wrist. She got up when she was finished and motioned for Kiba to follow. They jumped down to the first floor and Kiba sat on the couch while Ayame fixed them a hot drink. When she finally joined him his mind was buzzing with questions. Ayame took a sip of her drink and sighed before looking at him.
"If you answer my questions I will answer the ones you obviously have." She said looking back at her cup. "How did you find my house?"
"A teacher." He answered.
"Why are you here." At this Kiba shut his eyes, he knew she wasn't going to like the answer.
"While you were in the bathroom at lunch Kabuto, Ino and I made our way over to him and lifted him up by his shirt." She stopped taking a deep breath and looking her in the eyes. "He had some fresh slits on his wrist, and I had to know."
"Know what." She asked harshly.
"Does he cut because of us?" he finished. Ayame got up and when to the one window that illuminated the entire barn.
"No." she said not turning around. "It's complicated and a combination of things."
Ayame was going to say more, but Nala interrupted informing her that Naruto had woken up.
"If you want to know ask him yourself." She said. "He's awake."
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Could Kiba have a heart? 3