Hey guys. I know... this chapter's really late. I was a little tied up with exams and everything, but I hope this chapter will be worth the wait! Oh, and before we get into the chapter, I have a few reviewers to thank. You guys get digital mousse, so enjoy!

freshman007- I'm not so sure I'd call the last chapter the climax of the story. Obviously I can't say too much more, but I think you'll be able to figure it out. It's definitely a key moment, though, so I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Maki-Zushi- Indeed, Shikamaru rocks. You'll get another taste of him this chapter, so I hope you like that. Oh, but you weren't feeling much love for Kiba? Then again, he did go a little overboard last chapter.

Rose Tiger- All I can say is that I promise this story will end happily. Anything else and I might give something away.

Now, on to the chapter!

Chapter 8

Naruto Uzumaki sat in Kakashi's English class the next day, his mind still focused on the previous night's events. Even though he had felt relieved telling Hinata the truth, that he was in madly in love with her, he could not shake the sinking feeling inside. Had he done the right thing? Maybe Kiba was right… maybe he was a traitor…

Get a hold of yourself, Naruto! Kiba had his chance… it's not your fault that he could never get up the courage to talk to her!

Naruto still wasn't convinced, though. As he rubbed his slightly swollen cheek, he thought back to that moment when Kiba confronted him, the way the dog-boy's eyes were filled with such a strange combination of sadness and rage. It wasn't fair for Kiba to suffer like that, to feel like everything was slipping through his hands. Naruto knew that feeling, what it was like to have the people you cared about taken away in one full swoop. But to think that your best friend turned on you… Naruto didn't want to know that kind of pain…

He had to talk to Kiba, but of course the Inuzuka was nowhere to be found. To his right, Naruto found only an empty desk… well, that, and another one occupied by a rather morose Hyuuga. What was her problem, anyway? Why did it feel like his whole life was falling apart all of a sudden?

I guess I have two people I need to talk to…

Hinata might as well have been gone too, though, given the amount of attention she was paying to the world around her. All throughout Kakashi's lecture she had just sat there, staring down at her open textbook, not even reading what was on the page. It was like all the joy she usually had for this class had been sucked out of her through a straw, leaving only an empty shell behind.

Why was she moping, anyway? Didn't she like Naruto? She should've been thrilled! The only reason Naruto could think of was that, after hearing Kiba's little rant the night before, Hinata caught on to the deal the two housemates had worked out. That would make sense; after all, if she thought that the boy of her dreams was only talking to her to play cupid… well, knowing Hinata, she'd be devastated.

Well, since she's here, I guess I should talk to Hinata first… what should I say, though? I mean, I can't just pretend that it didn't happen because… well, it's the truth, right? But, how can I get her to understand that she's more important than that?

"Naruto, can I talk to you?"

The blonde looked up in surprise to find Hinata standing before him, her big, sad eyes staring into his very soul. Apparently he had zoned out during the last fifteen minutes of class, because all around them the room was completely empty, save for the vacant chairs.

Dammit, I'm not ready! Why'd you have to choose today to actually talk to me?

"S-sure, Hinata, what is it?" Naruto asked with feigned ignorance.

"Not now," the Hyuuga responded, glancing awkwardly to the side. "I mean… can you meet me after school? I… have something to tell you."

"Oh, okay," the vulpine boy replied in surprise. "I'll meet you out front, then."

"Thank you, Naruto," Hinata said with a slight bow of her head before rushing out the door, clutching her books in her hands.

As he watched the Hyuuga girl disappear down the school corridors, Naruto felt a bizarre combination of dread and relief. On the one hand, he had a little bit more time to think about what exactly he was going to say. But, then again, there was something… wrong in the way Hinata approached him. It wasn't the fact that she had actually talked to Naruto; in fact, under normal circumstances that would have been a good sign. There was something in Hinata's eyes, though… a profound sadness that the blonde found to be quite troubling.

What could she want to talk to me about? It can't just be about Kiba… I mean, I expected her to be upset about that, but this is different. Did something happen to her? Maybe she wasn't ready for that kiss yesterday… did I act too soon? Man… what the hell am I going to do now?

Thus, it was with this hopeless mindset that Naruto finally left Kakashi's vacant classroom, completely unaware of the spy hiding just behind the door.

When Shikamaru left school later that day, his mind was swimming with thoughts as he tried to figure out what exactly happened between Naruto and Kiba. Throughout the day, the lazy genius had studied Naruto extensively, hoping that he might gain some insight on the problem. Much to his dismay, though, Shikamaru was able to glean very little information from his observations, given Naruto's unusually somber demeanor throughout the day.

The day was not a complete failure for the Nara, however, for the genius was able to use what data he had gathered to draw some conclusions about the situation. Since Naruto was acting so quiet and pensive, it was clear that whatever he and Kiba fought about was bothering him. Knowing how the blonde usually acted at times like these, Shikamaru could only assume that he felt guilty about what happened, or else he would have been ranting all day about how Kiba was a stubborn asshole. Yes, Naruto had been too quiet for this to be some stupid little fight. He had done something, probably without even realizing it.

But what could he have done? What could have made Kiba this upset?

Shikamaru decided to stop on a bench by the side of the road to think things through, closing his eyes in concentration. It was a very difficult question to answer, since the Nara had never known Naruto to hurt another person so deeply. Sure, he was known to say something unintentionally offensive, but that was always just a minor thing. This was different… there was something else going on between those two that Shikamaru didn't know about.

The only way this could make sense is if Naruto… "betrayed" Kiba somehow. He probably didn't mean to, but Kiba must've confronted Naruto about it. That's why Naruto's moping today… because he's trying to figure out if what he did was right… but what could he have done?

Well, let's think about this, Shikamaru. The only way you can betray someone is if you shift your alliance away from them. Kiba doesn't really have any enemies, so Naruto must have promised to do something for him and then went back on his word… That would make sense… so I just have to figure out what Naruto promised to do…

Suddenly Shikamaru's eyes snapped open in realization: Hinata. It all added up: Naruto was helping Kiba and Hinata get together a few days ago. He must have been trying to do his friend a favor, and ended up falling in love himself. That's why Shikamaru saw the two of them talking after Kakashi's class… it seemed so obvious, why didn't he see it before?

Naruto had good intentions, but his big heart got in the way… I have to talk to Kiba. Maybe I can still save their friendship if I act now!

Shikamaru found himself running faster than he ever had in his life, weaving between his fellow pedestrians as he raced towards his apartment. He wasn't sure why exactly he felt the need to run; it wasn't like the minute he'd save would make that big of a difference. At the same time, though, the genius knew that if he let his laziness get in the way of preventing a catastrophe he would never forgive himself. Thus, it only took Shikamaru a few minutes to reach his apartment, where he practically broke down the door as he burst in, sweat pouring down his face in a dramatic fashion.

"Kiba! Where the hell are you?" the Nara exclaimed in between his panting breaths.

"Calm down, I'm right here," Kiba responded as he sat up on the couch, eyeing Shikamaru suspiciously. "What's the matter with you all of a sudden."

Shikamaru paused for a moment to regain his composure, realizing that his overreacting might scare the Inuzuka away. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure I caught you before you ran off somewhere."

"Okay, I guess," Kiba said in reply, though he still sounded rather skeptical. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah, you could say that," the said, scratching his head as he tried to come up with a plan of attack. Better just come out and say it… "I need you to tell me what happened with Naruto."

"Oh," Kiba said simply before laying back down on the couch. "I'd rather not talk about it…"

"No, Kiba, you don't understand. I need to know… you can't just expect to keep me in the dark like this –"

"And why can't I?" the Inuzuka barked back. "It's my business, why can't you just wait 'til I'm ready?"

Dammit, this isn't going well at all… time to bring out the big guns.

"I know about Hinata," Shikamaru stated abruptly, bringing his friend to an awed hush. "She is what this whole thing's about, isn't she?"

Kiba sat there for a moment, not saying anything, not even looking the Nara in the eye, but at the same time saying everything in his silence. His feelings of betrayal, his unrequited love for Hinata, and his all around suffering; they were all present in that powerful quiet. "I should've known you'd find out… did he tell you?"

"No," Shikamaru responded as he took a seat beside the Inuzuka on the couch, "Naruto didn't say much of anything today, actually. I think he's taking it pretty hard himself."

"Good! He should feel bad for being a fucking traitor," Kiba spat with contempt. "He'd better get used to it too, 'cause he's gonna have a whole eternity of it in hell…"

"Come on, Kiba, you don't really mean that…"

"You know what, I do, Shikamaru! You don't know how it feels to be stabbed in the back like that, alright? So why don't you just shut your goddamn mouth before I –"

"Would you just shut up and listen!?" Shikamaru shouted, his voice straining to drown out Kiba's own ramblings. "Look, I know how you must feel, but I need to hear what exactly happened. I have an idea, but I can't be sure until I hear the whole story."

Kiba did not respond immediately. It was clear to Shikamaru just how painful it was for the dog-boy to even think about this whole ordeal, and it was only with the beginnings of tears in his eyes that Kiba finally spoke. "Fine, you wanna know what happened? I'll tell you: after that first day of school, I went home and asked Naruto for a favor. I wanted him –"

"To help you get together with Hinata, right?" Shikamaru interjected, testing to see just how close his theory was to the truth.

"Not even that, I just wanted her to notice me, you know?" Kiba murmured as he brushed away a tear. "I knew he would say yes, I mean, why wouldn't he? So I thought everything was going great. Then… then I saw Hinata leaving our apartment one day. She was taking care of Naruto or something, so I didn't think anything of it. But then yesterday…"

"What is it? What happened yesterday?" Shikamaru asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.

"Well, yesterday… I came back from my track meet, and there's a note on the table. Naruto wanted to meet me at Ichiraku, you know how he is… so I go there, and… and…" Kiba started, though the bitter tears were now flowing quite freely down his face. "there he is, kissing her. Kissing!"

"Kiba… I'm sure –"

"Don't you dare try to defend him, Shikamaru!" Kiba said with a snarl. "He left a note for me! A fucking note! He was proud of it! He wanted to rub it in my face… he didn't care about how I felt…"

It's worse than I thought…

"Kiba… I'm sorry you had to go through all that," Shikamaru said after a moment, placing his hand consolingly on the dog-boy's shoulder. "But you know as well as I do that Naruto wouldn't do something like that."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Kiba exclaimed, the hurt palpable in his voice. "I saw the note, Shikamaru! I saw them kissing there, mocking me…"

"I believe you, Kiba," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "But try and think about this, okay? Has Naruto ever tried to hurt you in the past? Can you even think of one time?"

Kiba averted his eyes to the ground as he struggled to come up with a response. "Well, there was that fight in grade school…"

"Exactly, Naruto would never hurt you on purpose. Ever. That's just the kind of guy he is," Shikamaru said triumphantly. "Look, I think you have every right to feel betrayed, but you have to consider Naruto's side, alright?"

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked as he tried to control his rampant emotions. "Are you saying Naruto didn't mean to fall in love?"

"Exactly," the Nara replied with a sigh of relief. Now we're getting somewhere. "Look, I'm sure you know as well as I do that Naruto isn't the type of guy to make some elaborate scheme like that. I'm sure that when he agreed to help you out, he had no intention of stealing Hinata from you. It probably just… happened, that's all."

"But he knew how I felt about her, Shikamaru!" Kiba countered in frustration. "I him all about that, do you really think he forgot about that?"

"Actually, yeah, I do," Shikamaru stated flatly. "Love makes you do things you normally wouldn't dream of doing, you know? It was probably tearing Naruto up inside, knowing that he was in love with your girl."

"So, what, you're saying that Hinata's more important to him than me?" the dog-boy asked defensively.

"Let me put it this way, Kiba," the lazy genius continued, smacking his hand against his forehead in irritation. "If you were in Naruto's position, what would you have done? I mean, it's an impossible decision to make… I sure as hell don't know what I'd do. Naruto must've just followed his heart, and… well, I can't really blame him for that, can you?"

Kiba was silent as he tried to take in the meaning of Shikamaru's words. For a moment, the Nara was certain that he had gotten through to his friend, but soon Kiba leapt to his feet and started for the door. "Dammit, Shikamaru! Just… stay out of it, okay?"

For a moment, Shikamaru considered chasing after the Inuzuka. He had even ran out the door in his bare feet, only to find that Kiba already had a respectable lead.

That damn track team… guess Gai's training paid off after all.

Thus, in spite of his overwhelming concern, the Nara retreated into the comforts of his apartment, where he soon found himself staring up at the ceiling as he laid back on the couch. He had clearly struck a nerve in the dog-boy, but Shikamaru still insisted on going over the conversation several times in his head, searching for any mistakes he might have made. Once he was certain that he had done everything in his power to save the roommates' friendship, the genius decided that all he could do was hope.

Kiba better not do anything reckless… I swear, sometimes he can be so troublesome…

About an hour after school let out, Hinata found herself walking rather awkwardly alongside Naruto Uzumaki as they weaved their way through the town. They had met outside of the school, as they had planned, but aside from a simple exchange of greetings neither one of them had said a word for the past hour. Instead, they both seemed to wander through the city with no real destination in mind, trying to avoid eye contact with the other, lest they be forced to speak.

Hinata was, in a way, relieved that she could delay their little chat, even if it was only temporarily. She had been thinking ever since she woke up that morning, trying to come up with the perfect way to break things off with Naruto. It was inevitable at this point; even if it killed her, she would have to make it clear that the two of them could not be together any longer. Too many people had been hurt already… it would be irresponsible for them to continue knowing that.

But… what should I say? He must know that something's up… why else would he be so quiet? Should I just come out and tell him? Maybe I should take him to the park or something… somewhere we can have some privacy…

When Hinata glanced over at the blonde, however, she suddenly knew that she couldn't keep him waiting any longer. Seeing his deep, blue eyes gazing dejectedly at the pavement, that cold, somber look on his face… he was suffering enough as it was.

No more excuses, Hinata! Tell him!

With that thought, the Hyuuga came to an abrupt halt, causing the blonde to stop just a few paces ahead, though his eyes remained fixed on the ground. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but I… I can't be with you any more…"

For a moment, it seemed like Naruto had not heard her words, for he remained completely motionless, not even making a sound as people walked around him. Then, in an instant, the blonde flinched ever so slightly, like he had been stabbed in the heart; a pain so unbearable, and yet so quick that he could barely even acknowledge it.

"I see," Naruto whispered, his words somehow audible over the bustling crowd around them. "It's because of last night, isn't it? You know, with Kiba…"

"Kiba? You mean your fight?" Hinata asked, taken slightly aback by the sudden question. "What does that have to do with any of this?"

"Come on, don't play dumb," Naruto said, turning his head towards the girl as he spoke. "I'm sure you figured it out… the deal we made…"

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" the blonde asked, his eyes finally meeting the Hyuuga's in a moment of hopeful confusion. "Then… I don't understand, why can't we be together?"

"Because, Naruto, it… it'll only end in misery for both of us, okay?" Hinata finally said, averting her gaze from the blonde, knowing the heartbreak that must be showing in his face.

"No, wait, Hinata! I promise, I'll do whatever it takes… just give me another chance! I'll –"

"It's not you, Naruto!" the Hyuuga interrupted, her voice growing weaker with every word. "Please, you have to understand… it's just easier if we end this now, before I hurt you any more…"

"Any more? What are you talking about, Hinata? I've never been happier in my life!" Naruto exclaimed in bewilderment.

"That's just it, Naruto... I don't want to give you these false hopes," Hinata murmured, tears forming in her eyes. "Even if we did stay together… it would only be temporary. You see, once I finish high school, I'll have to learn to take over the family business…"

"Then I'll go with you! I'll –"

"Let me finish," Hinata said, cutting off the blonde mid-sentence. "It's my duty as the heir to the Hyuuga legacy to become a successful businesswoman… and even if I did have time to marry and start a family… well…"

"What? I don't understand," Naruto started, trying to figure out just where the Hyuuga was heading in her speech.

"The thing is, Naruto… I'd have to marry someone of my social class… you know, for appearances," Hinata murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "So, you see… if I stay with you… you'll only end up getting hurt."

They stood like that for a moment in silence, while the rest of the world seemed to rush by around them. Hinata was certain that she had broken the blonde's heart, just as she had feared. It had been cruel for her to lead him on like this… knowing that it was just a silly little dream…

"Is that what you want, though?"

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, and as Hinata snapped out of her reverie, it took her a moment to realize just who had said it. "What I want?"

"You know, the whole business thing… is it what you want?" Naruto asked again, gazing at the Hyuuga with concern.

Hinata was not quite sure what to say. She had never actually thought about what she wanted in life… for her, there had never really been an option. It was just a simple process of working her way through school and then working as the head of the Hyuuga Corporation for thirty years before retiring. With that simple question, though, Hinata's entire view of the world seemed to be turned on its head, leaving her in a momentary daze.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Naruto began, apparently oblivious to the Hyuuga girl's loss for words, "But I'm just having trouble picturing you in a big board meeting. I mean, you're always in a corner somewhere reading poetry, are you sure that you want to be talking business with a bunch of bigwigs?"

What's he saying? I don't have a choice! It's my duty as the heir to the Hyuuga name…

"You don't understand, Naruto… I-I don't have a choice in the matter. It's my responsibility –"

"Of course you have a choice!" Naruto exclaimed, catching the stuttering Hyuuga completely off guard. "You never agreed to take over the Hyuuga business or whatever it is, did you?"

"Well… no, I guess –"

"Then why are you doing it if you don't want to?!" Naruto continued, his frustration mounting in the heat of the moment.

"Naruto, you don't understand!" Hinata stammered, feeling overwhelmed with her conflicting emotions. "I have to take over the family business… it's my father's dream…"

"If your dad really cares about you, he'll be happy no matter what you do! That's what Iruka always tells me!" Naruto said, his booming voice drawing the attention of several passersby. Seeing Hinata crumble slightly under the pressure, however, the blonde backed off and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder with a sigh. "Look, Hinata… I'm not trying to change your mind or anything. If you want to take over your dad's business, then I'm not going to stop you. I just want to do what makes you happy, okay?"

Hinata did not respond for a moment, but instead stared down at Naruto's feet as she tried to process everything that he had said. The vulpine boy seemed to recognize this, and released the girl's shoulder as he turned to walk away. After going but a few steps, however, he was forced to come to a halt as the Hyuuga called out in an almost desperate voice.

"Naruto! Wait!"

The blonde did not even turn around as he responded, his voice seemingly devoid of all emotion. "Yeah? What is it?"

Is he right? Should I just forget about the Hyuuga business?

"Well… I guess I'm not really cut out for business," Hinata said, looking at awkwardly at her hands as she spoke. "So… umm, I mean… if you'll forgive m–"

Hinata's words were quickly cut off as Naruto sealed her lips with a sudden, yet welcomed, kiss. At first the Hyuuga was too shocked to actually react to this burst of affection, but she was soon able to overcome this and lean into Naruto's embrace, enjoying every sensation that passed through her. The feel of the blonde's moist lips traveling across her mouth, the comforting pressure of his hands around her waist… it was almost too much for her to handle at that moment. Even as the tears began to flow down her cheeks, however, Hinata continued to kiss her Naruto passionately, desperate to make it clear that he was the most important thing in the world to her.

I was ready… I was going to give him up, but… I should have known he'd win in the end…

As the couple slowly backed out of their kiss, their eyes locked in a sort of profound understanding, Hinata's mind was suddenly cleared of all doubt. No longer was she concerned about her future, about breaking Naruto's heart; for the first time in her life, it seemed, Hinata was certain about what she wanted. Even if her father despised her, even if she was forced to live a life of poverty, Hinata Hyuuga wanted only to be with her beloved Naruto, and nothing was ever going to change that.

Several hours passed before Naruto and Hinata spoke to one another. After their kiss, they had made their way through town towards the city park, where they now lay side by side on a hill, with Hinata resting her head gently on Naruto's chest. There had really been no need for them to speak, and instead they simply gazed at the clouds, enjoying the incredible moment that life had handed them. In spite of this fact, however, Hinata felt a burning question in the back of her mind that she could not leave alone.

"Naruto, you said something earlier about Kiba, about some deal, I think it was? What was that, exactly?"

The blonde glanced down at the Hyuuga's face, giving her a somewhat sheepish smile. "Oh, that… well, the thing is… Kiba wanted me to hook the two of you up, as a favor, you know? That's… kind of why I approached you that day; I wanted to set up a meeting with the three of us."

"I see," Hinata said, though she did not sound offended by the story in any way. It was as if she were processing the information, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. "So that's why he was so mad at you yesterday…"

"Yeah," Naruto responded half-heartedly, "I can see why he'd be angry with me… I just wish there was some way I could make it up to him…"

"Hmm," the Hyuuga murmured, pursing her lips in thought. "Well, maybe I could try talking to him. Maybe he'd listen to me."

"No," the vulpine boy stated flatly. "I appreciate the offer, Hinata, but this is something we have to work out on our own."

"I understand," Hinata replied after a moment. "You know, as long as we're coming clean about everything… I have a confession of my own."

Naruto turned his head slightly to the side, so that he could get a better view of his girlfriend before responding. "Really? And what's that?"

"Well, you remember a few days ago when you got sick and I took care of you?" Hinata started, though her question was entirely rhetorical. "You see, the thing is I… kinda went through your stuff… and Kiba's…"

The blonde made no response for a moment, but simply stared at Hinata in disbelief. He then began to chuckle genially, a playful smirk on his face. "What, that's it? Geez, you had me thinking you robbed a bank or something!"

"You mean you don't care?" Hinata asked in pseudo-disappointment.

"Of course not! I told you all about Kyuubi, why would I care if you went into my room?"

"I suppose you're right," the Hyuuga responded with a sigh. "Still, I felt really bad about it."

"Well, I'll tell you what, then," Naruto proposed after a second of thinking. "If you'll go on a date with me to Ichiraku again tonight, I'll consider us even, okay?"

"I can live with that," Hinata said with her typically shy smile.

With the plans all set, the young couple finally moved from their spot on the hill and started back towards town, perfectly unaware of what fate had in store for them.

As Kiba Inuzuka ran through the streets of Konoha his mind was racing, as the words of Shikamaru seemed to echo in his memory. He had been searching the city for upwards of two hours, hoping to find Naruto so that he could talk things out. It had been a rather fruitless search thus far, for the blonde was not at their apartment or any of his friends' houses, leaving the dog-boy with one last option: Ichiraku.

Thus, Kiba found himself rushing through the city, growing wary of the storm clouds forming overhead as he went from street to street. He wanted to find the blond before it started to rain, and thus he pressed on, his legs burning from exhaustion.

Kiba wasn't exactly sure what he planned to say to Naruto when he actually found him. In spite of Shikamaru's efforts, the Inuzuka was not quite ready to forgive his roommate, but at the same time if the Nara had a point.

Is Shikamaru right? Is it my own fault that Naruto fell for Hinata? I guess I could have done a bit more to get her to notice me… No! Naruto knew how I felt! There's no excuse for turning on me like that… right?

Just as these thoughts passed through the Inuzuka's mind, however, he found himself turning onto one of the city's main streets just as the rain began to fall. There, he discovered a familiar blonde and his Hyuuga girlfriend strolling down the opposite side of the street, their eyes locked with one another's.

Look at him… he doesn't even care about me… that bastard…

This sentiment did not last long, though, for Kiba soon realized that something was amiss. Just on the other side of the road, Naruto was beginning to cross the street with Hinata following a couple steps behind, completely oblivious to the fishtailing car headed his way. There was no time for Kiba to think, to consider if the blonde deserved to be punished for his betrayal: he could only act. Thus, with the rain now pouring down around him, the Inuzuka was instantly rushing across the street with all the strength he could muster.

"NARUTO!"

Yay, cliffhangers! I know, I'm horribly cruel and you all probably hate me right now... but, review anyway, okay? Oh, and find out how this all unfolds in the next chapter of The Fox and the Hound!