Disclaimer: Due to not being Masashi Kishimoto and coming up with the idea of Naruto, I do not own any of Naruto's character.

Warning: Grammar and spelling errors occur, putting readers in danger in coming across them. Please proceed with caution.

Chapter 12 Spectacle

"What the Hell!" Kiba snapped.

The loud yell startled everyone, but just then a kunai flew by Kiba. Kiba was able to see the kunai in time to dodge it. Kiba moved to his right side just as the kunai flew by him, missing him by millimeters.

With the unknown attack on Kiba, Kiba's attention was quickly averted from Naruto and Hinata to Shino who was visibly seen standing on a tree limb. Moegi looked at Shino-san who now stood in a tree across from her. She glanced to her side where he was only seconds ago with wonderment.

Hinata relaxed her tense muscles as she saw Shino appear. She feared that Kiba was mad at Naruto-kun but seeing the kunai attack and Shino, she knew that Kiba's outburst was directed towards Shino.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked Hinata. They were her former teammates so she was must know what was going on. It was possible that Kiba and Shino always did this.

Hinata shrugged, "I don't know Naruto-kun." This was something that she had never seen. She looked at Shino, but it seemed that Shino was not angry so the attack was not a hostile attack. Hinata then looked towards Kiba who was still in shock by the surprise.

Shino jumped off the tree limb and began approaching Kiba. Moegi seemed to be the only one to understand that what Shino did was save Kiba from complete embarrassment and to save Hinata and Naruto from trouble.

"What the Hell!" Kiba was growing more irritable by the second. The sight of Naruto so close with Hinata was one thing but also being attacked by his friend. Kiba was losing it by the second; it was too much to handle in the middle of the afternoon.

Shino ignored Kiba's outburst and turned to Hinata. "Sorry Hinata and Naruto. I did not know you two were here."

"What about apologizing to me? I was the one who was attacked." Kiba found it annoying how Shino could apologize to Naruto but not him.

"Kiba lets go. Now you have to buy me lunch." Shino said as he turned and faced Kiba.

"What?" Kiba was baffled at what Shino was saying. Shino was making no sense for to all that were around him; even Moegi who continued to sit on the tree limb and watch was lost by Shino's words. "Is this some kind of joke that you and Hi…"

"Don't try to back away from your word, Kiba." Shino interrupted Kiba. "Let's go."

"Where?" Kiba had now past the point of trying to comprehend his friend and wanted to know at least some information, any information.

"Um…Kiba-kun." Kiba turned to face Hinata just as she called out to him. Kiba thought that probably Hinata felt the joke went too far and would now end it.

Hinata looked at Kiba and what he held. "Kiba what are you doing with cinnamon rolls?" Hinata had noticed the box that was exactly as the one she held in her hands and wondered why Kiba would have a box. He wasn't one who liked sweets in the morning.

Kiba looked down at the box that he was clenching and felt his face turn red. Instead of being angry this time Kiba felt embarrassed. Hinata had noticed the box that was meant to be her gift but now it was too late to offer it to her. Damn Naruto.

"So that is how you did it. I must say that was smart on your part." Everyone looked at Shino as he added another mystery for the day.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto ventured to ask the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Naruto, Kiba and I have been sparring but Kiba found it to be too much of a routine and proposed a challenge. He challenged me that I would not be able to track him before lunch and if I did not accomplish it I would have to pay for lunch. If I did find him in time, just as I did, he would have to pay the bill."

Shino then reached out and took the box from Kiba and placed it in front of Naruto's face. "You see, Kiba used the cinnamon rolls to cover his own scent and confuse my insects. My insects were not able to find Kiba due to the scent of the cinnamon rolls."

"But Shino…" Hinata could not help but doubt what Shino was saying. She trusted Shino but what he was telling them did not make sense. "…I have never seen you have trouble with tracking. Your insects are not that easily deceived."

"I understand your confusion in the situation. True that my insects have an almost perfect success rate of tracking but there are some things that inhibit them to successfully track an object or individual." Shino afterward handed back the box to Kiba and sent out some of his insects towards Kiba. The insects swarmed around Kiba, never coming in contact with him, for a few seconds then returned to Shino. "You see the combination of the cinnamon and Kiba's scent repels my insects."

"I don't understand." Naruto was still baffled about the information that he was receiving from Shino.

"Of course you don't, Baka." Kiba barked. He had tried to control himself but it was too much for him to keep those words from leaving his mouth.

Naruto glared at Kiba and was about to fight back when Shino interrupted. "Hinata can you explain it to Naruto." Next Shino turned to Kiba, "Kiba we should be going to lunch now."

"What?" Kiba was once again put in the dark.

"I found you in time and now you have to pay. Don't try to trick your way out of this. Akamaru lets go." Shino began to walk away with Akamaru but turned when he saw that Kiba stood his ground.

"This is not…" before Kiba could continue Shino went to Kiba and began to drag him away with the help of Akamaru.

"I told you that you are not tricking your way out of paying." Kiba fought against Shino and Akamaru but the hold that his own dog had on him was too great. Betrayed by his own friends, Kiba was carried away.

"Oi, Hinata-chan," Hinata looked at Shino as he called out as he stood a few meters away. "Have a nice evening."

Hinata stood perplex as she heard Shino's words. It wasn't so much the words Shino spoke but the way he spoke them, they hinted at something which she could not understand.

"Hinata-chan, are you hungry?" Naruto asked Hinata. While the whole incident with Shino and Kiba occurred Naruto had accidentally dropped his ramen and was now looking at the spilt remains that was his lunch.

"Hai." Hinata replied, "I think ramen sound good right now."

Naruto looked at Hinata-chan as she replied and gave such a smile that caused his slanted blue eyes to look closed. It was the sweetest thing he had ever heard to come out of Hinata's mouth. The way that her lips curled as the word "ramen" escaped from her lips only added to the grace in her face.

Hinata smiled as she saw Naruto-kun smile and began to walk. "That does sound good."

Moegi sat still as she saw Hinata-sensei walk away still holding the box of cinnamon rolls and Naruto walked with his hands placed behind his head. Shino-san had indeed saved the situation.

"Moegi, what are you doing up there?" Moegi looked down from the tree to find Udon and Konohamaru staring up at her. She wasn't sure how much time she had spent up on the limb replaying all that she had seen happen on between her sensei and her friends.

"Moegi, are you alone?" Being knocked out of her trance, Moegi jumped down from the tree and looked at Udon as he asked the question.

"Of course do you see anyone around?" Moegi asked. "Who would I be with?"

"No one of course," said Udon as he glanced at Konohamaru.

Konohamaru found it annoying how Udon now would never believe him. "Moegi, are you sure you weren't with anyone?" Konohamaru was not going to let Moegi get away with it.

Moegi looked at Konohamaru as if he had lost all his senses. She had just said no. "Who would I be with Konohamaru, my imaginary kareshi?" Udon could not help but laugh as he saw Konohamaru turn red of embarrassment and anger, while Moegi gave a triumphant smile.

Changing the subject quickly, Moegi asked if they had eaten. Udon quickly replied that they were on their way when Konohamaru had an illusion, most likely due to hunger.

"I'm hungry, let's go eat." Moegi said.

Konohamaru only grunted as they began to leave. He had lost his appetite with Moegi's lies and Udon's doubt.

"So Moegi, why were you here?" Udon asked.

"I was just um…enjoying a nice view" Moegi smiled as they walked towards the restaurant.

Kiba continued to fight against the hold his friends had on him. He could not believe that he was literally being dragged against his own will. All of a sudden Kiba was dropped as Akamaru let his grip go.

With a thump Kiba was now sitting on the ground, grumbling as if he were a child. "Let's go in." Kiba looked up and saw Shino begin to enter a restaurant. "Kiba lets go in and have lunch."

Fighting the urge to turn and run back to where Hinata was with Naruto, Kiba stood up and walked towards the door. Even if he had decided to run back to Hinata, he knew there was no way; Akamaru was guarding all possible exits. "I'm not paying", Kiba finally said as he entered the restaurant.

Once they were seated, Shino took up the menu and began to look over the choices. Beef sounded good for that day. Kiba did not desire to lift the menu, what he wanted was not going to be on the menu. He wanted Shino to start talking and explaining all that had occurred.

Shino continued to be silent to Kiba's displeasure, and only let his gaze stay on the menu. "Why are we here?" If Shino did not begin talking Kiba might as well start the conversation.

"Why else, to have lunch."

"That is not what I mean. I mean, why are we here when Hinata is alone with Naruto?" Shino finally laid down the menu and looked at Kiba as he asked this question. Kiba realizing how the question sounded tried to think of something else to say. "I mean we should be training."

"I trained this morning and Hinata has also had enough training for the day. I think she should rest." Shino took up the menu again as he responded. No, pork sounds better than beef.

"Still, why are we here?" Kiba grumbled, he didn't even want to look at the menu. He was no longer hungry. He had lost all his appetite when he had seen the box. The box of cinnamon rolls that Hinata-chan carried. The box that Naruto bought her.

Akamaru began to sense the anger build up in Kiba and barked alerting Shino. Shino set his menu down and answered Kiba's mumbled question. "Can't friends have lunch with each other?"

Kiba looked up at Shino and let the muscles in his body relax. "Fine, but you are paying. You're the one who invited me."

"Fine," Shino agreed. Anything to calm Kiba.

After a few moments of silence which Shino could not help but enjoy, Kiba once again began to speak. "Is it true about your insects being repelled by cinnamon?"

"No," Shino answered bluntly. "It was the only thing that I could think of at the moment."

"Why did you lie about it then?" Remembering about the cinnamon, Kiba also recalled the attack. "Also, why did you attack me? That kunai could have hit me."

"Would you have preferred that I had done nothing and let you make a spectacle of yourself in front of Hinata?"

Kiba quickly picked up the menu and tried to ignore the last comment that Shino made. Indeed he was in debt to Shino's fact thinking but he still felt pain in leaving Hinata-chan alone with Naruto.

Kiba continued to look at the menu and decided that beef sounded good to share with Akamaru. "Shino," Kiba could not keep silent, "why were you there?"

"The same reason you were. I was looking for Hinata." Shino felt wise to exclude the fact that the reason he was searching for Hinata was to have a chance to observe her relationship with Naruto. There was no real need to extinguish Kiba's hunger when he had just regained it.

"So, do you know why Hinata was with Naruto?" Kiba initiated the topic that Shino was trying to avoid for his sake.

"We should eat first. Thinking of ways to save you from embarrassment has made me gain an appetite." With this, Shino had successfully silenced Kiba and he began to eat the food that had arrived. But the silence did not last long, Kiba was too occupied with questions that he had in his head. He needed an outlet, and asking Shino was the remedy.

"She was there carrying cinnamon rolls that Naruto bought for her. Don't you find that odd?" Shino made no reply and avoid looking at Kiba.

Kiba found it alarming that Shino not only ignored his question but also made no reaction in trying to silence him. "Shino, what do you know?"

Seeing no way around it Shino believed that it might be a good time to break the news to Kiba. Kiba had at least eaten part of his meal.

"There is something I must discuss with you. It concerns Hinata." Shino know had Kiba's full attention. "Hinata has been secretly harboring feelings for…"

"You were scaring me there for a moment. Shino, I already know. I over heard her telling Sakura." Kiba smiled as he responded. His smiled seemed that of a child who had just been awarded a prize or was told that he had the correct answer. "But why didn't you tell me…"

"Kiba, I believe you have misheard." Shino knew Kiba well enough to know how Kiba's mined worked. Shino could tell by the way Kiba smiled that Kiba somehow had been mistaken in believing that he was the recipient of Hinata's love.

"Shino, I heard everything. Hinata said it herself. You don't have to hide it." Shino let out a big moan as he heard Kiba talk. Kiba was in total ignorance. "What is wrong? If you're worried about Hinata believing that you told me, don't worry. I'll make sure to tell Hinata that you never spoke of it to me."

"Trust me; there will be no need for that." Shino tired to reason with Kiba but Kiba did not hear Shino, he only continued to talk.

Shino once again tried to get through Kiba. "Hinata doesn't love you." It was this blunt statement that immediately silenced Kiba.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba could not believe his ears. Did Shino just say that Hinata did not love him? "Shino I heard her myself."

"Did she specifically say your name?" It was a logical question for Shino to ask but Kiba did not like it.

"Hai. I heard her myself." Kiba replied half confidently.

Akamaru, whom had been silent during the first part of the conversation finally decided to speak. He gave a long bark and a whine that made Kiba look at him with distress. "What do you mean that she never said it?" Kiba asked his canine friend.

Akamaru barked again, clearly making his last comment understandable. At least to one individual in the room.

Kiba sat quietly for a few seconds as he thought about what Akamaru said. Akamaru was correct, Hinata never gave a name, but that didn't matter. Who else could Hinata love? There could not be anyone else…or could there?

Shino could see the doubt that crept over Kiba's face. He was slowly coming to the fact about Hinata. She simply did not love him. Shino could do nothing but sympathize.

After the initial shock and after regaining his verbal skills, Kiba looked straight at Shino. Shino was the one who knows who tat person is, "If it not me whom she loves then who is it?"

Shino could see the pleading in Kiba's eyes but decided to remain silent. He knew it was wiser to allow Kiba to figure it out on his own. In the current situation, Kiba would likely take his anger out on the messenger when he hears who Hinata loves.

"Who is it?" This time Kiba half asked Shino and half asked himself. He could not figure out who it was. He began to think of all the men in Hinata's life but none of them seemed to fit.

Kiba looked up at Shino as if asking for a clue any clue but Shino continued to ignore his friend's pleas as he ate his meal. It shouldn't be hard to figure out since Kiba had been exposed to many clues, especially in the last few hours.

Rubbing his temple, Kiba could feel a headache rise. He was at lost, all of a sudden he started to smell something sweet.

There they were, the box of cinnamon rolls Kiba bought was sitting on the table. Why did he still have them, they only reminded him of not being able to tell Hinata because Naruto was…

"Naruto?" Kiba's voice was low but Shino heard the name leave Kiba's mouth. He had finally come to the correct answer.

Shino stopped eating and looked up at Kiba. Continuing to be still, Shino observed Kiba go through a series of emotions. Shock came first followed by anger, denial, confusion and then rejection.

Why Naruto?" Kiba thought. He could not believe that this whole time it was Naruto that had Hinata's heart.

"Is it true?" Kiba spoke with a cracked voice. He hoped that Shino would tell him that he was mistaken or that he would wake up from this nightmare. It had to be either a lie or a dream, how else could Hinata be in love with Naruto?

"I am sure this is a shock to you but you must understand…"

"Understand what?" Kiba lowered his voice when he realized his voice had caught most of the other customer's attention. "Understand what? Ugh! Did Naruto place a genjutsu on Hinata?" Kiba knew this was highly unlikely but he needed a rational reason even if it wasn't rational.

"Hinata began to have feeling for him when we were still in the academy. Naruto did not have the skills to invent that type of ninjutsu back then. He hardly has that type of skill now." This seemed to calm Kiba some but Shino knew it was far from over the end of this discussion.

"I have to speak with Hinata. There must be something I can do." Kiba began to rise from his seat but was stopped by Akamaru who took a hold of his leg. There was at least one sane person in that pair.

"Don't be rash. You are talking as if Hinata is sick." Shino then saw Kiba make a face as to say "if she loves Naruto she probably is."

"All you are going to do is embarrass yourself like you nearly did this afternoon." This made a great impact on Kiba as Shino saw Kiba calm down. "Leave her alone. As her teammate and friend you must respect her decision."

Kiba saw as Shino resumed his meal. "Fine" Kiba said and began to resume eating his own meal. He would follow Shino's advice and respect Hinata's decision about Naruto.

At least he would respect her decision when Shino is around.

Hinata sat happily next to Naruto at Ichiraku's Ramen shop. She had just finished her bowl of ramen and was now enjoying the conversation she was having with Naruto as he finished his fourth bowl.

They conversed on a wide range of topics. From the different kinds of ramen to new ninjutsu techniques they had acquired and invented.

Just as Naruto finished gulping the last bit of broth he turned and faced Hinata. Hinata smiled and spotted a bit of spilt broth on Naruto's chin. Without thinking Hinata took the napkin she had at hand and went in to clean Naruto's chin.

By the time Hinata realized what she was doing it was already too late. The napkin had already made contact with Naruto's chin.

Hinata quickly retrieved her hand and placed it on her lap as she looked toward the ground, blushing. Had she continued to look up, Hinata would have seen Naruto's own face turn a tint of red.

So…so…sorry Naruto-ku-kun." Hinata felt her heart racing as she fidgeted her fingers. She had cleaned Naruto's chin. She had touched his face.

Naruto only smiled as he saw Hinata look down. Naruto then began to stretch one of his hands and reached toward Hinata's hands when…

"Naruto!"

A/N Hello to those who read this. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Since I have began school I now am usually busy with work and school and will be posting the chapters in two week time gaps. This is my last year of school and I have the hardest classes ever.

I really appreciate if you leave comments as if you liked it or not. The end is near and I feel sad. Is it normal for one to be sad that their own story is ending?