My Guardian Wolf

by Kexita

Kiba could never understand Hinata's strange attraction for Naruto, nor could he understand his own strange attraction for Hinata. Watch as Kiba tries to come to grips with his feelings, and cell 8 goes through missions, chuunin exams, and overall life.

5. Chapter 4

My Guardian Wolf; Chapter IV

To my reviewers: I'm very, very sorry I didn't have the time to respond to your reviews from last chapter! (cries) But I wanted to post this up right away! But it's comforting to type a story knowing at least a few people actually like it enough to stick with it. As long as I have just a few fans, this story shall live on! Thank you all so much for your kindness.

Disclaimer: And as always, I still do not, and never will, own Naruto! For this we should all be grateful. I only own this story! Steal it, (though I don't know why you'd want to) and I'm going to mentally poke your brain until it itches. And you won't be able to scratch it, for it will be inside your skull. Thank you.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The next morning, Kiba had a terrible time dragging himself out of bed. He had finally fallen asleep somewhere around 2:30am, and had to get up four hours later at 6:30. When the alarm clock had screeched its horrible melody, Kiba promptly yanked it out of the wall. Soon after, the alarm clock met a terrible fate of being thrown against the closet door. Rubbing his tired eyes, Kiba decided he was going to be selfish today and go back to sleep. Akamaru did not grant him this opportunity. He promptly jumped on top of the bed, and stuck his wet nose in Kiba's face. Kiba woke again with a start and sat straight up. Akamaru almost went flying off the bed. Kiba almost considered going back to sleep for a 2nd time, but he figured Akamaru would not allow it. Grudgingly, threw himself out of bed and blindly groped around on the floor for his jacket. Upon finding it, Kiba reached into his dresser drawer and grabbed whatever happened to be lying on top. After a quick shower and a few bites of breakfast, Kiba was scuffling out of his house and to the usual meeting place.

"Today is going to absolutely suck." Kiba thought bitterly to himself, dragging his feet along. He was completely and utterly exhausted, and in no mood to go out on a mission. Or even do training for that matter. Maybe he could play sick or something. Kiba pondered this for a moment, then shrugged and decided against it. Last time he tried to play sick, he failed miserably and his father was not pleased. Kiba's mind began to gradually shut down, and turned on auto pilot. It's a good thing Kiba had walked to this damned bridge so many times; otherwise he would have crashed into several non soft things. Like trees. Or rocks. But especially trees.

"OW! Son of a BITCH!" Kiba growled, rubbing at his sore nose. Kiba had actually made it to the bridge, but forgot to turn "auto-pilot" off, so he ended up smashing into a tree anyway. Thankfully, he had arrived first as usual. So no one was there to witness this embarrassing act. Akamaru whined, and barked suggestively. "Yes, YES. I know it's bleeding Akamaru, thank you." Kiba grumbled, fumbling for a bandage in his beige pouch. He obviously had forgotten to re-stock, because he couldn't find any. Cursing under his breath, Kiba stomped over to the stream and kneeled down. He was greeted by his own, blurry and grumpy looking reflection. Kiba noticed that his eyes looked red, and there were small, dark rings beneath them. A small stream of fresh blood was pouring down the cut on the bridge of his nose. Thankfully, it didn't look broken, but it was tender none the less. All in all, he looked like hell. Reaching down, Kiba cupped his hands together and got a handful of cool, clear water. He used it to scrub at his face and his nose. It helped, a little anyway. But his nose wouldn't stop bleeding. Standing up, he bit down at the end of his sweatshirt. He was ready to tear off a strip and use it to stop the bleeding, but…

"Ah! K-Kiba-kun! You're bleeding!" Hinata exclaimed, dashing over to inspect his nose. Kiba blinked in surprise. He was so out of it he didn't even hear, or smell, Hinata approaching. Before he could say anything, she had pulled out a white rag and was pressing it firmly over the scratch.

"Oh…Morning Hinata." Kiba said absent-mindedly, noticing the worried look in Hinata's eyes. She really was quite sweet and considerate. If someone gets hurt, (other than herself of course,) she'd be the first one to do anything about it. Maybe she should be a medical ninja instead of just a regular shinobi.

"K-Kiba-kun, what on e-earth did you do to your nose…?" Hinata asked with concern in her voice. She paused for a moment to remove the rag and inspect the scratch a bit closer. It was still bleeding a little, so she pressed it back on. Curiously, Hinata gazed at Kiba's face. He looked like he had been drained of his energy. Absent-mindedly, she reached up and touched one of the rings under his eyes. Kiba tensed up for a moment, then relaxed. Her fingers felt cool and pleasant under his tired eye. "K-Kiba Kun, y-you look sick." Hinata said hesitantly, removing her finger and the white cloth. "Ah, could it be that you are sick!" she asked, beginning to panic and reaching up to feel his forehead.

"H-Hinata! I'm not sick!" Kiba exclaimed, slightly startled to see her panicking over something so insignificant.

"B-but Kiba-kun! You look terrible! You need to go home and r-rest! Right now!" she said in a voice that almost sounded demanding. She grabbed his arm and began to tug on it, as if to drag him away. "C-come on. Let's go! I-I'll take you home, then I'll tell Kurenai sens-"

"No! Really, I'm fine!" Kiba said, trying to tug his arm back. He was starting to lose control of his emotions again. "I just…uh…didn't sleep well last night, and uh…the nose, well uh…." He stopped, unwilling to finish his sentence. How ridiculous would it sound to say, "I crashed into a tree?" He didn't want to face that embarrassment.

"If you didn't sleep well, you would be of no use on a mission anyway. Why don't you take Hinata's advice?" Shino remarked coolly, walking up to greet his two friends. Kiba inwardly scowled. That was the second time this morning someone had managed to sneak up on him like that. But then again, didn't Shino always appear un-detected?

"Good morning to you too Shino." Kiba replied sarcastically. An awkward silence for an awkward situation followed. Hinata was still clinging to Kiba's arm, Kiba looked sick, Akamaru was whining and pawing at Kiba's leg, and Shino had no idea what to say or do to any of it. No one spoke for a few minutes. They all merely looked at each other. Hinata could feel face flushing. She must have looked ridiculous. Kiba was mentally debating on whether or not he wanted his arm back. Akamaru was looking expectantly at Shino as if to say, "…Will you please do something?"

"Well well. Good morning Kiba, Shino, Hinata. Kiba, you look like hell." Kurenai added, clutching three sheets of paper while eyeing her group suspiciously. It was as if someone flipped on a switch, or hit a button. Everybody whirled around to face Kurenai, and began to chatter at once.

"K-Kurenai sensei! I-It's terrible! Kiba-kun is-"

"No, really! I'm not, I just didn't-"

"Sensei, what's today's mission?"

"Arf! Arf!"

"N-no! K-Kiba-kun is being un-truthful b-because of his pride! He-"

"Hinata, please, I'm alright-"

"N-no! No you're not!"

"Sensei, what are those three papers you're holding?"

"Kurenai sensei, p-please allow me to-"

"Hey, everyone? CALM DOWN A SECOND!" Kurenai shouted over the chatter, silencing the group instantly. She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. They hadn't been this energetic in a long time. "One at a time, please. I can't listen to all three of you at once. Hinata first!" she added sharply, upon noticing they all opened their mouths to speak again.

"K-Kurenai sensei. I-I think Kiba-kun is ill. He l-looks terrible and his nose was bleeding just a few seconds ago. I…I'd like to…take him…home…" she trailed off, blushing at her statement. Kurenai nodded, and then faced Kiba and nodded at him.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, but I'm not sick. My nose is fine, and I don't think I need to go home. "Kiba said firmly, giving his arm another tug. Hinata still clung to it.

"Okay, what about you Shino?" Kurenai asked.

"I merely wanted to know today's mission, and inquire what those papers you are holding are." He said simply with the usual expressionless face. "Though I would also like to mention, that I agree with Hinata." He added, noting that this only flustered Kiba more.

"I said I'm fine." Kiba said stubbornly. "I appreciate the concern, bu-"

"There is no mission today Shino!" Kurenai cut him off, with a huge, cheerful grin. Everyone was about to start bickering again, but Kurenai quickly cut them off by shoving a sheet of paper under their noses. "Today we have paper work." she elaborated, watching Kiba's face fall. Paperwork, lovely. Just what every healthy young ninja loves. With a sigh, Kiba squinted his tired eyes and began to scan over the words on the paper. They didn't make sense at first. Partially because Kiba was having trouble seeing, and partially because the information the words contained seemed unlikely. He read over the title again. And again. And again. For some reason, he just…couldn't grasp the concept.

"Kurenai sensei…? Is this some kind of joke?" Kiba asked suspiciously. "Cause if it is, it's not very funny. I-"

"No, it's true." Kurenai replied pleasantly. "I'm allowing you three to participate in the chuunin selection exams." A small, stunned silence followed. When was that decided? Chuunin selections exams are a vital time in a ninja's life! Well, that is, if you're about 13 years old and a genin. Sometime after that they kinda become a memory.

"K-Kurenai sensei? W-when was this decided…?" Hinata asked tentatively, clutching her paper tightly.

"Just a few hours ago as a matter of fact." She replied. "I believe that all of you have shown excellent growth and improvement, and that this will be a wonderful opportunity for you. Well, it IS your first time, so I'm not expecting perfection. You might not make it." Kurenai said with a sigh, running her hand through her hair again. Upon noticing Hinata's worried look, she quickly added, "That doesn't mean plan for failure though! Lots of rookie ninjas have made it through on their first try, and-"

"And I'm gonna be one of them! YES! Woo-hoo!" Kiba shouted with joy, pumping his fists through the air. It was funny how a simple sheet of paper had given Kiba such a sudden burst of energy. It was almost as if his exhaustion never existed. He continued to babble on like this for a few minutes until Hinata decided to speak up.

"K-Kurenai sensei…do we have to participate…?" Hinata asked unsurely, looking flustered and anxious. Kurenai smiled at this query.

"No, of course not. But know this…" Kurenai began, trying to look comforting and serious at the same time. It was an odd facial expression, so she decided to just try being serious. "I would never, never, give anyof you this opportunity if I wasn't completely convinced you were ready. You've all grown a lot, and you're different from the ninjas you were when you first graduated from the academy. These exams will only give you a push in the proper direction, whether you pass or fail." Kurenai turned around and began to walk away. "Think about it before you immediately decide. If you want to participate, I expect you all to meet outside the front door of the selection exam building this time tomorrow. Farewell." Kurenai finished. She slowly walked away for a moment, and then paused as if she forgot to mention something. "Oh, and Kiba? Go home and sleep. Please. You look like a wreck. In fact…" she began to add thoughtfully, feeling her mischievous side bubble up. "I want you to take him home Hinata. You know, just to make sure he goes to bed right away." Kurenai said with a sly grin, getting her desired reaction from the genin. Kiba's mouth dropped open and began to silently move up and down. No words would form. Hinata bowed her head to hide her facial expression. Kiba tried to shake off the shock.

"WHAT! But WHY! I don't need to be treated like a baby, I need-"

"To go home and get some sleep. Good-bye now!" And with that, Kurenai quickly walked away before further arguing could occur. Maybe that order wasn't such a good idea. But while she would have never liked to admit it, Kurenai loved watching this little miniature soap opera unfold.

"…I suppose I'm leaving then. Good bye you two." Shino said in a slightly irritated voice. Neither was given the chance to return the farewell, for Shino strode away in a very quick manner. A brief pause of silence occurred before Hinata spoke up.

"A-ano….Kiba kun…do you need me to s-support you while I take you h-home?"

"N…No. I'm fine."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"K-Kiba kun? I…I can't locate any medicine…"

Groggily, Kiba forced himself to sit up and face Hinata. They had arrived at the Inuzuka residence about 5 minutes prior, and the first thing Kiba did was crawl into bed. He didn't even bother to change into his pajamas. Hinata, still convinced that he was actually ill, had scuttled off into the house in search of medicine. Kiba didn't know what she was doing, nor did he care. Now, he just wanted to rest a little bit…

"Wha…why do you need medicine? Don't tell me you're getting sick Hinata…" Kiba groaned, knowing full well this wasn't the case. She couldn't have gotten sick so quickly.

"A-ano….not for me…for you Kiba kun." Hinata mumbled, looking worried and still in a slight panic. Kiba merely sighed, and flopped back into his soft pillows.

"…Don't think we have any…" he lied, not wanting to take any medicine for a sickness he didn't have. Akamaru was tempted to bark and lead Hinata to the medicine cabinet. You know, just to get back at Kiba for the wet dog training a couple days ago. But he decided to be a good little doggy and not blow his master's cover.

"Wh-what? That's terrible! How can y-you not have any medicine?" Hinata asked frantically, waving her hands around as though she could magically pull medicine out of thin air. Realizing how silly she must have looked, she ceased her panic attack. "T-then I'm g-going to make something. P-please wait here a moment Kiba kun…" Hinata mumbled, scuffling her way out of the room before he could say no. Kiba sighed again, and shifted positions. It was kind of nice to know someone was fussing over him and trying to care for him. Thoughts of the chuunin exams ran wildly through his head.

"Do I want to enter the chuunin exams? Of course I do! I'm one of the best rookies out there!" Kiba silently told himself, day-dreaming about how smoothly things would go. There would be a lot of fighting of course. Maybe free for alls, or one on one matches. But either way worked fine for him. He would use his killer new jutsus he had been working on to blow the competition out of the water. In a way, he kind of felt sorry for the other rookies. "Heh. They won't know what hit them…" Kiba thought arrogantly, smiling at the thought of becoming a chuunin so easily. Maybe he would even be allowed to fight against Naruto. Then he could show Hinata how a true-

"Wait a minute. What about Hinata?" he pondered to himself. "She seems reluctant to take these exams…if she doesn't take them, and I become a chuunin…we won't be on the same team anymore." The thought unsettled him. He, Shino, and Hinata had been a team for what felt like a long time now. He worked well with them, and they all fought hard to support each other. How strange would it be if they didn't fight side by side anymore…?

"Well it's not like you'll never see her again if that happens. Besides, maybe she will take them. Who knows?" Kiba told himself firmly. Still, a cold feeling ran up his spine at the thought of not being on the same team anymore. They wouldn't train side by side anymore, nor would they fight together anymore. No…that's not it. Kiba knew that wasn't it. Training and fighting had nothing to do with it. The true reason he felt dread with the situation was, because...they wouldn't be together anymore. She would go to a new team, with new genins, and he couldn't watch her back anymore. He…might begin to lose site of her. At this thought, Kiba quickly sat up and put a head to his sore forehead.

"W-wait a minute. That wouldn't be…" Kiba began to mutter incoherently.

"Hmm? Did you say something Kiba-kun?" Hinata's sweet and pleasant voice asked. Kiba looked up and saw that Hinata had re-entered the room, and was holding a tray and a stool. She dragged the stool across the floor, and sat it down next to Kiba's bed. She took her seat, then took a steaming cup off the tray and handed it to Kiba. He gave it a sniff. It was some kinda herbal tea. And it smelled really, really good.

"A-ah, Kiba-kun, please be careful it's…" Kiba paid no attention and downed the tea quickly. "…i-it's hot…" Hinata's quiet warning faded away. Smiling, Kiba handed the cup back to Hinata.

"That was good. I feel kinda warm inside now. What was that?" Kiba asked curiously.

"A-ah…It was an herbal t-tea that I learned how to make a long time ago. I-It helps with colds and makes the person go to sleep e-easier…" she said, staring down at the empty cup. "D-do you need some more…?"

"Naw, I'm good. I already feel like I'm going to nod off any second as it is. It was good. Thank you Hinata." Kiba said, grinning with gratitude. Hinata blushed slightly at the compliment and began to fiddle with the empty cup. Both genins stayed quiet for a moment before Kiba spoke up again.

"Hinata, you don't have to stay anymore if you don't want to. I'm going to go to sleep in a few minutes anyway. You can leave." Kiba offered, suppressing a yawn. Hinata furiously shook her head.

"N-no! Kurenai sensei told me to s-stay until you fell asleep…! And…and I don't want y-you to get any s-sicker…" she stuttered. Kiba decided to not argue. No one had listened to him say he wasn't sick anyway. Why argue now? Instead, he decided to impose a question that had been bugging him for the past few minutes.

"Hinata…are you going to take the chuunin exams…?" Kiba asked slowly, unsure of how she would take the question. She stiffened a little bit, but showed no other signs of discomfort.

"W-well….I…" Hinata stammered, unsure of how to begin. "I…I'd like to, yes…but I don't think I should. That would be a p-poor choice on my part…"

"What!" Kiba practically shouted, startling Akamaru out of his nap. "Why not! You should! You're a strong kunoichi Hinata! You have a lot of room to grow, but we all do! I think you'd do great! And you heard Kurenai, it would be a great chance to grow even more; whether you pass or fail!" Kiba exclaimed, desperate to convince her. Hinata's eyes widened a little and felt her face growing warm. She fidgeted a bit before responding.

"Oh…K-Kiba kun…I…." she stuttered, beginning to feel pathetic and helpless. "I-I'd love to believe that but…I honestly don't think I'm good enough!" she cried out sadly, bowing her head in shame. "I still mess up a lot on s-simple things, and things don't always g-go well with training. A-and the best are going to be there! N-ninjas like N-Naruto kun and Neji nii-san..." Kiba raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't know that Neji was her brother. Hinata took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing to reveal her fears and anxieties. "I-I know I've improved…b-but it's still not enough! I'm still…I'm still…"

"No!" Kiba said firmly, shaking his head. "You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for! We all screw up sometimes Hinata! But your ability to smell, your stamina, Jyuuken, and kunai skills are becoming remarkable, aren't they?" Kiba asked, trying to get Hinata to look up. He hated seeing her head bent down in shame like that. "Your only problem right now is your lack of confidence! Hinata, if you would just try to look at things from a different angle…" he trailed off. Hinata still gave no response. Kiba sighed, knowing that this pep talk wasn't going to get through to her. He had to try another approach. Anything, anything to convince her she was good enough. Abruptly, Kiba sat up and shifted himself until he was facing Hinata. Hesitantly, he extended his hand and gently grabbed hold of her chin. She didn't respond. Slowly, Kiba rose up her chin and forced her to make eye contact. Her silvery eyes looked paler than usual, and threatened to spill over with tears. Kiba felt pity for her well up in his heart. How could she possibly think she wasn't strong enough?

"Hinata…" he said slowly, his face a mere inch away from her own. "Look at me. Look at me in the eye and tell me, "Kiba, I'm not good enough." He said softly, waiting for her response. She blinked, and acting like she wanted to avert her gaze elsewhere. She wasn't going to get the chance to though. It was obvious Kiba wasn't going to let her. Hinata opened her mouth, and tried to form words. A lump had formed in her throat. Partially because of what Kiba had told her to do. And also because their faces had become so close. She could feel her heart beating almost out of control in her chest with mixed emotions. There was sadness, hope, pain, and strength…

"K-Kiba…" she stuttered, dropping the suffix; perhaps on purpose or on accident. "I…I am…n-not…I…" Hinata trailed off, and tightly squeezed her eyes shut. In that instant, Hinata realized she couldn't say it. It would be a lie to say she wasn't good enough. What made her realize that? Kiba's eyes…they were pretty. Probably even prettier than Naruto's. A deep, wolfish shade of brown compared to a bright, azure blue. And in that instant, that tiny little instant, those wolfish eyes gave her more strength than Naruto ever did. "K-Kiba…I…I am. I'm…good enough. I can do it…" She whispered softly, not allowing her tears of doubt to leak down her face. She opened her eyes to meet Kiba's intense gaze. She was greeted with Kiba's classic, wolfish grin of joy.

"Good. That's what I thought." Kiba said with his big grin still plastered across his face. He released her chin, and gave her a few encouraging pats on the head. "You're gonna be just fine Hinata. Let's give it our all, okay…?" Kiba said sleepily, falling back into his pillows. He spoke no more. It seemed as though the tea had finally taken its effects. Kiba's chest rose and collapsed in a slow, steady rhythm. He was definitely asleep. Hinata gave him one of her rare, true and genuine smiles. Such a pity he wasn't awake to see it. Kiba had given her strength. And for this, she was grateful. Before she left, she reached down and removed his shoes from his feet. When I said Kiba hadn't changed into his pajamas, I meant he hadn't even taken off his shoes. She set them down by the foot of the bed and wiped away her tears before they could spill over

"Good night Kiba….Goodnight Akamaru…" she whispered to the pair before turning around and quietly leaving. She didn't cry, she didn't doubt, and most of all, she didn't stutter.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Shino was a very strange guy. At least, that's what one who didn't know him would always assume. If he wasn't training, he was either nowhere to be found, or wandering about Konoha aimlessly. On rare occasions, he could be seen with his friend Inuzuka Kiba, but this was usually only for the sake of training. Not to mention the way he always dressed. Dark sunglasses kept a gorgeous pair of eyes hidden. A long neck on his coat kept part of his attractive face covered away. He rarely talked. And when he did, it was in that deep, smooth voice of his. Villagers thought he was strange. Ninja rookies knew he was one to be treated with respect. And fan girls saw him as some kind of priceless treasure; one worth much more than Uchiha Sasuke or Hyuuga Neji.

As of right now, Shino was doing one of the things he does best; taking a walk through Konoha. He was on his way home to get some rest, and discuss the chuunin exams with his father; though doubtless his father probably already knew. He had already had to shake of some creepy fan girls who called themselves, "The Aburame Shino Investigation Squad." Today their, "mission", was to try and figure out why Aburame Shino was in deeper thought that usual. Even if they had been quiet enough to stalk-err, follow him around Konoha, they wouldn't have figured out way. No one could break down Shino's barriers. The fans didn't even realize that they had been following around a doppelganger for the past half hour. Nor did they realize this clone was walking the complete opposite direction from Shino's destination.

The real Shino, as I have said, was strolling through Konoha deep in thought. The chuunin exams we're still fresh in his mind. "I'm definitely going to enter, and I'm positive Kiba is too. Though I must wonder if Hinata is going to." Shino mused. He too had realized that if Hinata didn't take the exams, he most likely wouldn't be on her team anymore. I mean after all, chances are very high that he would become an excellent chuunin. Not being on the same team with Hinata meant he wouldn't have a reason to see her everyday. This troubled him for some reason. Then again, it was Hinata's choice. Only she knew her true limits and capabilities. If she truly thought she wasn't ready, then maybe she wasn't. He was the last person on earth, next to Kiba of course, who would want to rush her into something she wasn't ready for. He wondered if he should confront her about the exams. You know, maybe give her a little encouragement. Who knows? It couldn't hurt. Maybe she just lacked confidence.

Speaking of Hinata, Shino noticed her a little ways down the path. She was in a conversation, no…heated argument with a couple of annoyed looking girls. Familiar girls too…where had Shino seen them before? Much to his distaste, he noticed that the tallest blonde girl was yelling at Hinata. And of course, Hinata was doing the only thing she could do. She was flinching. They had formed a semi-circle around her, and looked as though they'd like nothing more than to crush the poor girl trembling before them. Shino felt a deep anger rise in his chest in a rare spurt of emotion. He swiftly took long strides over to the group to help his team mate. Those girls were not going to get away with this.

"What do you think you're doing, hanging all over Kiba sama anyway you freakish brat!" the one who called herself Himeko snapped at Hinata. Hinata could feel herself trembling violently. "Say something…! T-tell them off…!" Hinata willed herself, but she could think of nothing to say. "You probably think you're soooo special, just because Kiba sama was kind enough to carry you around like you were some kinda little princess!" Himeko continued, glaring down at Hinata. Himeko's friends furiously nodded in agreement. "Well he was just being nice! Kiba-sama is a very kind person! He probably just felt sorry for you since you're such an ugly freak!" she spat, advancing on Hinata. Hinata felt herself shrink under the girl's murderous eyes. Why we're they being so cruel to her…? What did she ever say or do to them…? She didn't even know their names! Before she could answer her own question, the verbal attack of Kiba's fangirls continued. "We don't care if you love him! We love him more! He would NEVER fall for an ugly brat like you anyway! And we don't care if you're one of his fellow team mates! You don't deserve it! You burden Kiba with your presence, and that cannot be tolerated!" Wait a minute. Hinata love Kiba? Hinata never said that. Still slightly in shock from her fear, the comment didn't register in Hinata's brain.

"Yeah! That's right! You tell her Himeko!" the shortest brunette in the group encouraged. Himeko smiled a cold smile at her friend.

"Thank you Junko. Now YOU!" Himeko growled, taking a step towards Hinata. In response, Hinata took a step back. "You stay AWAY from Kiba sama from now on! Or else we'll make your life a living hell! The only time you're allowed to speak to him is when you're on your little missions! And even then, you can't talk to him unless it's necessary! GOT IT!" Himeko screamed at her, emphasizing certain words to get her point across. At this ridiculous remark, Hinata felt her trembling abruptly cease. Stay…away from Kiba? What gave them the right to tell her that? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Hinata closed her eyes for a moment and thought. The first image that came to her mind was Kiba's wolfish grin and his deep brown eyes. Stay away from Kiba? How could she ever do that? After all he had done for her? She couldn't do it. She wouldn't do it.

"…I refuse." Hinata said simply, looking Himeko in the eye with a blank expression. Himeko blinked. She was taken aback. Did Hyuuga just tell her she refused…? This insignificant unworthy bitch, dared to defy her authority? It infuriated her. She heard her friends gasp in shock at the simple sentence Hinata had uttered. White hot anger flashed in Himeko's eyes. She raised her hand up as if to smack Hinata across the face.

"Your mistake you arrogant little bitch!" she snarled, bringing down her hand to slap Hinata's cheek. Hinata's fighting instincts immediately perked up. She got into a Hyuuga back stance. She was ready for anything this prissy non kunoichi could dish out. She was ready to defend herself, and her rights to stand by Kiba's side. She knew it would be an easy battle. These girls had no training whatsoever. "Then your just gonna have to-" Himeko began.

"Deal with me." Shino uttered in a deadly calm voice. He reached up and roughly grabbed Himeko's wrist. Shino wanted nothing more than the take that delicate, skinny wrist and crack it in two. He dug his nails into her, and a small stream of blood began to creep out of the small wounds. Himeko screamed as if she was stabbed with a knife. She desperately tried to yank her wrist back. Shino responded by tightening his icy grip. A small swarm of bugs crawled eagerly out of his sleeve and skittered across Himeko's hand.

"AIYEE! Oh my gawd! BUGS! Gross! Get them off! GET THEM OFF!" She screamed at Shino. He ignored her completely, overtaken by his fury. He merely summoned another small storm of bugs. These ones crawled over to the other 4 girls in the group. He made sure he sent out some of the largest males he had. He knew that most non-ninja females were intimidated by large insects. The other girls shouted and tried to smash the bugs that skittered across them. The bugs were too quick, and dodged their simple and crude attacks.

"If you continue to scream, resist, or try to run away, I'll have them kill you." Shino said icily, raising his arms up in a threatening manner. The girl's cries caught in their throats. They were silent, some of them on the brink of tears. Of course, Shino was bluffing. He would never kill non fighters. But they didn't know that. "You. What gives you the right to say such things to Hinata?" he inquired, casually circling the group of girls. They were frozen like statues in their fear. "You girls are the, "arrogant little bitches; picking on a small, shy girl because of your disgusting jealousy." He growled, calling out more bugs to frighten them. His anger was not satiated. He then walked back up to Himeko, and glared daggers at her through his sunglasses.

"If you ever approach Hinata again…I'll have no choice but to take more drastic measures" Shino said, commanding a trio of bugs to jump on her face. She squealed. Shino glared. "Apologize to Hinata. And never come near her again." Shino ordered them coldly. He was tempted to tell them, "Get on your knees and beg for her forgiveness", but he knew Hinata would never want that. One by one, the girls walked over to Hinata and looked at her with unreadable faces.

"…Sorry." Himeko muttered like a scolded child. The other girls nodded, and gave out meek apologies. Shino called the bugs back. "Go." He commanded them. And that was all it took. The girls sprinted away from Shino as fast as their skinny legs could carry them. When he was sure they were out of sight, Shino turned around to face a very shocked looking Hinata.

"S-Shino kun…" Hinata stuttered, sounding amazed. Shino had just scared a bunch of girls senseless with a few words and a couple of bugs. He didn't even need to raise his voice. Hinata was very certain she would never see Himeko again, and it was thanks to Shino. He just went out of his way to stand up for her. That…was rare for Shino, unless it was on the battlefield. "I…I don't know how to say thank you…" she said meekly, bowing her head. Shino gave a tiny smirk. It would have looked like a smile if you squinted and got glasses.

"I was just helping my team mate. Think nothing of it. I'm sorry those girls were so cruel to you." Shino said coolly, putting a hand on her shoulder. Hinata rose from her bow, and smiled a sweet, genuine smile for the second time that day.

"I-I really don't know what happened…" Hinata mumbled, doing her classic forefinger fidget. "I-I was just on my way home, and they started bothering me about Kiba. I m-mean, I understand they l-like him, but…but…"

"It's okay Hinata. You didn't deserve that. They struck out at you in jealously. Though I don't think they'll be bothering you again." Shino said calmly, and Hinata nodded. He was probably right. "But…just to be sure, would you feel more comfortable if I walked you the rest of the way home?" he asked in what he hoped sounded casual. Hinata smiled and nodded. Hinata's house was not far from here, but she would like the company. After all, Kiba had walked her home before. Now she had the chance to walk with Shino too. Lucky her!

"So….Hinata, did you intend on taking the chuunin exams?" Shino inquired, not knowing this was the second time today she was asked this. To his surprise, Hinata giggled a little. Shino blinked. He didn't see the humor of his question, but it certainly was a precious little laugh.

"Of c-course I do Shino-kun." Hinata said happily, feeling her face growing warm with pride. "I…I can't wait. I wasn't too sure at first but…but Kiba…" she trailed off, gluing her eyes to the ground. She had begun to blush a deep crimson red. Shino noted that Hinata had dropped the "kun" suffix she used to use. How odd.

"…You had a talk with Kiba, and he encouraged you?" Shino guessed, feeling as he already knew the answer. Pity, sounded like Kiba had beaten him to the pep talk. Hinata smiled again and shook her head.

"N-No. Well, yes. But he did m-much more than that too…" Hinata replied, unable to hold back another silly grin. Before Shino could inquire what he had said, they had arrived at Hinata's house. Hinata bowed, and graciously thanked Shino again for what he had done that day. After softly shutting the door, Shino turned around and began to saunter off.

"Kiba…what on earth did you say to her…?" Shino asked no one, slightly bewildered with the whole situation. He was almost completely convinced Hinata wasn't going to compete, so what could Kiba have possibly said to change her mind so quickly…?

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Shift a little more to the left. No, that didn't help. Maybe if she rolled onto her other side. No, that didn't help either. Grunting in discomfort, she tried to fluff her pillows in a vain attempt to make them softer. Hinata's small tabby cat, Chiko, mewled with annoyance. Hinata scratched Chiko's ears in a sort of apology, and let her head flop back into the pillows. The fluffing really didn't help. She still felt restless. The urge to roll over and switch sleeping positions ever 15 seconds was strong.

"I can't sleep…." Hinata realized, staring up at the ceiling. She was still too wide awake from the events of the day that had just passed. It was like riding an emotional rollercoaster, one that had gone entirely too fast. Himeko's words still rang in her head.

"I don't care if you love him! We love him more! And he would never fall for an ugly brat like you!" Himeko's words echoed in her head. That reminded Hinata of how badly Shino scared them, and she laughed a little. She paused, and then the meaning behind Himeko's statement finally sank in.

"W-wha…? M-Me…? Love Kiba?" Hinata asked herself more than Chiko. Chiko had jumped off the bed in favor of sleeping on the floor. "T-That can't be true…I…I love Naruto kun…" Hinata whispered to the dark. A short, bitter silence followed. It took her a moment to realize the emptiness those words held. They lacked emotion. They lacked strength. "I mean….I do.…D-Don't I?" Hinata thought to herself, confused by her own emotions.She sighed, and closed her eyes. Of course she did. Who else could she ever love? Upon closing her eyes, she was immediately greeted with the image of Kiba's brown, wolfish eyes. Those deep, beautiful eyes that gave her so much strength that day. She recalled how deeply and intensely he had gazed at her. Was he that devoted to convincing her to believe in herself…? Those eyes…they seemed mysterious somehow. As if they were hiding a secret, a tiny little secret that they would not reveal to her. Hinata's heart gave a sharp jolt. She abruptly sat up. If Chiko was sitting on the bed, she would have met the same fate Kiba's alarm clock had met that morning. Startled, Hinata raised a hand to her heart. It was thudding fast. It took a moment for it to calm down. It was just for a moment. A brief and fleeting instant, but she felt it. It was so strong. A precious and familiar feeling. But it wasn't for Naruto. And that confused Hinata. Maybe even scared her a little. However, her heart had calmed down and resumed its normal pulse. Sighing again, she snuggled back into her pillows and buried her face. She didn't want to think about it right now. She had other things to worry about right now, like chuunin exams. Kiba had told her she could do it, and she believed those words with all her heart.

"I know I can do it Kiba…Thank you…." Was the last thought that drifted across Hinata's mind before going into a deep slumber.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A/N: A long author's note for a long chapter. Oh. My. Goodness. This shouldn't have taken so long to update! One day I was typing, and then I got up and left the computer. The computer automatically logged me off, then my brother logged on. Then when he was done, he turned off the damn computer, and a few pages of this chapter were lost! And after that I was so mad I had NO motivation whatsoever to re-type it…But since that wouldn't be fair to you guys, I forced myself too. Now, I understand it's partially my fault for getting up and leaving the computer without saving, but it's partially his fault too. (Groans) when you turn off the computer, you get a spiffy little message that says, "Other people are logged on! If you turn off the computer, they'll lose that data! Continue anyway?" and he claims he didn't SEE it. How can you NOT see that message! It pops up right before the computer turns off. He's lying to me. He lies to me a lot. -- So I was really angry at him, and really really mad at myself too. I tried to make this chapter a little longer than usual to make up for the wait…

Is the insomnia scene familiar? (Grins) Mhmmhmm. Kiba and Hinata's relationship really is moving far too slow for my liking. But I want it to be realistic. And In order for that to happen, Hinata needs to realize that Naruto has no room in his heart, (or brain) for her. Not on a romantic level anyway. That's naturally going to take awhile. She's going to start figuring things out soon though. For this I am pleased. :3 Oh, and by the way? I know Neji isn't Hinata's real big brother. But she calls him Nii san anyway, so it confused Kiba. And for you people watching the anime on cartoon network, Shino DOES have a rich, deep sexy voice! That horrible, nerdy voice acting the Americans did made me so mad. Listen to the Japanese anime sometime, okay CN fans? It would make me oh so very happy if you could hear how he really talks. Cheers!

My favorite part to type was Shino's revenge for Hinata on those damn fangirls. (Grins evilly) Originally, I wanted this chapter to be a little different from this one, and have Kiba save her from the fangirls. But I love Shino far too much, and I do not not NOT want him to just fade into the back round of this story. So I let him do it. And it turned out lovely I think. (Squeaks) Well, I better stop babbling and start typing up chapter V. Thanks again for taking the time to read my story. :3 And extra special thank you to my reviewers. This was for you, as it always is.