Alright guys, here's the new chapter. The next one will be an epilogue, and then it will be over. I thank you all for reading so far and especially for reviewing. Speaking of which, I have some wonderful reviewers to thank before we get to the chapter. You guys were so helpful with the last chapter, I've decided to give you each an ocean of digital chocolate.

werewolfluvr147- I'm glad you liked the last chapter, even if it was so sad. I cried too, and I knew it was coming!

QWERTYNarutoUzumaki- Thanks for the review, and I'm glad to know I'm not the only writer who gets so connected to his characters... well, not my characters, but you know what I mean.

x.Nanako-chan.x- Oh, sorry that I misled you! I didn't mean to fake you out, so I'm sorry that Kiba's death wasn't quite as powerful as I intended.

Rose Tiger- Yeah, I felt so bad about killing him...

freshman007- Well, I like your suggestions, but I honestly thought people would be expecting a real dramatic ending. I wanted it to feel abrupt, so that's why I didn't elaborate much more. This chapter deals more with the aftermath.

UchihaKyoko- I'm glad you liked it! I was afraid that I wouldn't get the response I wanted, so it's good to see that I struck a chord with someone!

Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter 10

Kiba's funeral took place just two days after his death, on Sunday. His parents had decided to bring him back home to be buried, so that they could visit his grave when they wished. It was perfectly reasonable, to want to be near their son even in death… at least that's what Iruka had said when he came to pick Naruto up.

As he sat there in the funeral parlor, staring at his friend's cold, lifeless body, though, the blond began to doubt his father's wisdom. It wasn't that Kiba's parents were wrong… Naruto felt that they should be near their son, that was their right, after all. No, there was something else about seeing the dog-boy lying there, without that cocky grin on his face… something that truly struck a nerve within the vulpine boy.

It should be me in there… I should've been hit by that car… why did you do it, Kiba?

He hadn't cried once since Kiba died. The ambulance had arrived two minutes later, and the paramedics tried their best to resuscitate him, but he was already gone. He had cried then, watching helplessly as they hauled him away in the ambulance, but it was only for a little while. A few tears, followed by emptiness.

That's what he felt now, like he had actually died in that accident, and this entire scene was just a vision of what could have been. He knew it was all too real, though; he could feel the guilt, the pain of that loss… but he couldn't express it. He wanted to cry, he wanted to show Kiba how much he meant to him, but the tears just wouldn't come. It's like his body knew that no amount of tears would ever do that pain justice. And so the blonde sat there, feeling hopelessly lost and alone, while he looked around the room.

Of course, what he saw did not exactly make Naruto feel any better. At various places around the funeral parlor assorted members of the Inuzuka family stood talking, reminiscing about their own experiences with Kiba as they looked at pictures, each one a just a microscopic piece of the dog-boy's life. In the corner, Kiba's sister was bawling quite openly into her mother's lap, who in turn was silently weeping as she tried to console her daughter. Just on the other side of the room, Iruka was having a conversation with Kiba's father, both trying to laugh away the sorrow that showed deep in their eyes.

All these people… they must hate me. I took you away from them, and yet here I am… pretending like I was worth saving. They'd all be better off if Kyuubi had killed me that night… if I'd never gotten close to anyone…

As painful as it was for the blonde, though, he could not take his eyes off the body before him. It amazed Naruto how well they had cleaned him up in such a short period of time. There were no cuts on Kiba's body, no blood, none of the visible anguish that was so obvious just two days before. It was like there had never been an accident, like Kiba had just passed on without sacrificing himself for an unworthy friend…

It's all my fault… I took everything from him! Our friendship, his life, his love… and he saved me! Why did you do it, Kiba? Why?!

Sitting on Naruto's lap, Akamaru appeared to sense the blonde's growing frustration and began to whimper slightly before gazing back at his deceased master. Hearing this, Naruto gazed down at the puppy and began to stroke its fur in a vain attempt at comforting it.

All my fault… all my fault…

"Do you feel guilty, Naruto?"

Looking up in surprise, Naruto was strangely relieved to find Iruka's gentle face staring back at him with a half-hearted smile. Seeing this, the blonde quickly shifted his attention back to Kiba's body and sighed. "Why did he do it, Dad? Why didn't he just let me die? I… I was horrible to him, but he saved me anyway… What makes someone do that?"

Iruka gave a sort of defeated sigh and sat down beside his son, staring at Kiba's body as he spoke. "I don't know, Naruto. I really don't. I guess there's just something about saving the life of another person that's… well, important to us. For Kiba, it was a choice between sacrifice and watching his best friend die… I don't really know what went on between the two of you, Naruto, but clearly it wasn't enough for him to forget you completely. It was more important for him to save your life, Naruto, than to live himself… you mattered to him, Naruto, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

In spite of Iruka's efforts, however, it seemed that none of his words sunk in with the blonde. Instead, Naruto continued to stare at Kiba, his eyes retaining that pained, yet utterly emotionless quality, like he still wasn't quite sure what happened.

"I just wish I knew what was going through his mind, you know?" Naruto said as he continued to stroke Akamaru's fur mechanically. "Why did he throw his life away for me?"

"Do you really think your life's not worth saving?" Iruka asked, retaining his philosophical tone. "Look, I know what you mean… you feel like you aren't worthy of that kind of sacrifice, and I can understand that. Let me put it to you this way, though; if you were Kiba, wouldn't you have done the same thing?"

The blonde actually had to think about this one. Sure, Kiba was a great friend, but Naruto had stolen his dream girl, without feeling any regret whatsoever. Would he really have saved his friend after something like that?

"Yes," Naruto said, his eyes widening with realization. "I would have…"

"You get it now, don't you," Iruka said, turning with a comforting smile towards his son. "You were best friends, it's as simple as that."

"I know, it's just… it's just," Naruto started, though he was suddenly cut off by a small hiccup in his voice. It was during that brief pause that the blonde felt it: that surge of emotion at the realization that the boy before him was never coming back. The sweet memories, the regret at things left unsaid, the hollow feeling of loss… it all seemed to spawn at once, and it became too much for the vulpine boy to handle. Thus, it was with pent up tears streaming down his face that Naruto finished his thought, "I miss him so much, Dad…"

With those words the blonde finally lost control and began to sob quite openly, forcing him to close his eyes as he tried to get a hold of himself. He was gone… Kiba was gone and there was nothing he could do to bring him back. The first real friend he'd ever had, the boy that had been with him for as long as he could remember, who had helped him learn about life all over again… he was simply gone. For that moment, Naruto's could focus only on that one fact, his mind completely closed off to everything else around him.

Then he felt it… a faint pressure that forced him to open his eyes is surprise. There, on his lap, Akamaru had begun to nuzzle the blonde's stomach comfortingly, his fur spotted with Naruto's tears. The vulpine boy stared down at the pup in shock, his eyes red from sobbing.

He… he doesn't want to see me cry. Just like his master…

At this thought, Naruto felt a gentle, familiar embrace as Iruka joined in to console his son, the trio simply sitting there before the coffin in a moment of serenity. It took the blonde a little while to calm down, but as he became increasingly aware of those around him, he was able to wipe the tears from his eyes and regain control.

I'm not alone… Kiba's gone, but I'm not alone…

"Are you gonna be okay, Naruto?" Iruka whispered, his voice strangely reassuring in that simple question.

"Yeah… I'll be fine," the vulpine boy responded, though the words seemed to come out on their own.

"Alright, if you need me I'll be talking to Mr. Inuzuka, okay?"

Naruto nodded slightly in response, his attention once again devoted entirely to his friend's body. No longer did he stare in a sort of blank disbelief, as if he simply could not understand what happened, could not accept Kiba's death. Instead, his gaze was one filled with admiration for the dog-boy's sacrifice and an appreciation for that gift.

I'll make it up to you, Kiba. Somehow… I'll show you that it was all worthwhile.

Of course, even with this newfound determination, Naruto wasn't exactly sure how he could possibly return the favor to his friend. After all, now that somebody had given his life for the blonde, everything else seemed sort of weak by comparison. It was quite frustrating, but Naruto didn't actually feel any such annoyance. Instead, he could only sense that there was something missing still, that somewhere in his soul was a hole that had been occupied by Kiba. Naruto knew that he wouldn't feel at peace until he managed to fill that void, but he also had no idea how to do so.

Just when the vulpine boy was about to give up, however, he suddenly saw the shadow approaching on the floor, causing him to glance over his shoulder out of curiosity. Much to his surprise, Naruto found a familiar, purple-haired girl staring back at him, and instantly he knew what he had to do.

One sacrifice deserves another…

"Umm… hello, Naruto," Hinata said in her overly shy manner.

The Hyuuga's greeting caught Naruto momentarily off guard, causing him to stumble over his words as he snapped out of his reverie. "Oh… uh, hi, Hinata. I'm surprised you could make it."

"Oh, well, Neji gave me a ride," Hinata continued, taking a seat next to the blonde. "He's so much nicer now that he's heir to the Hyuuga Corporation."

"So you already made your decision, huh?" Naruto asked, though his eyes remained focused on Kiba's body. "I take it your dad's okay with it?"

"He's not exactly thrilled, but he'll come around," Hinata said with a light smile, "I think Neji will make a much better businessman than I ever would, anyway."

"Well, I'm glad your dad didn't disown you or anything," the blonde responded in a stolid tone. "I mean, at least you can still change your mind if you want, right?"

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Hinata asked as she eyed the vulpine boy suspiciously. "You said it yourself: I should do whatever makes me happy. Why would I change my mind now?"

Quit beating around the bush, Naruto… just tell her…

"What I mean is… I can't be with you anymore, Hinata," Naruto said as his eyes shifted dejectedly towards the ground.

"But why? I thought you wanted this…"

"I did, Hinata, it's just…" Naruto started, pausing somewhat as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "Well…every time I look at you… I see the girl that Kiba loved, and I think about how I took that away from him…"

Hinata stared at he beloved blonde for a moment, not knowing exactly what she should say. "Naruto, that wasn't your fault…"

"How wasn't it my fault, Hinata? How can you possibly say that?!" Naruto exclaimed, fresh tears of frustration forming in his eyes. "He died because of me, Hinata!"

"He died for you, Naruto!" the Hyuuga countered, bending down so she could look the vulpine boy in the eye. "He wanted you to be happy… that's why he saved you that night, don't you see?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Naruto continued, choking somewhat on his tears. "If I hadn't walked you home that day… if I had just gone on like I never knew you, he'd still be here. It's just like that little girl… the one Kyuubi killed…"

Hinata was suddenly dumbstruck, and could only look on helplessly while the blonde broke down before her. Of course he felt responsible… this was the second time he had watched someone die in front of him. As much as the Hyuuga wanted to tell Naruto that everything was okay, that it was beyond his control, she knew that it would take far more than superficial words to heal a wound that deep. Nevertheless, Hinata knew that she had to try something, even if her efforts were completely futile.

"Naruto, I can't even imagine what you're going through right now… to have had so many people close to you be taken away like that," Hinata started, speaking in a compassionate tone. "But you can't just let Kiba's death ruin your life like this? It's like you told me, you have to do what makes you happy."

"I was wrong," Naruto responded flatly. "Even if you do what makes you happy, someone will always end up suffering. That's why you should go back and take over the family business… if we stay together, it will only end in misery…"

For a moment Hinata considered arguing with the blonde, hoping that maybe he would change his mind. The more she watched those sad, blue eyes, though, the more she knew that it was best to just drop it. Naruto had made up his mind, and there was no going back.

"If that's what you want, Naruto," the Hyuuga said, her voice hardly more than a whisper as she rose from her chair and headed for the exit.

There… you did it. You gave up the one joy you had left in your life… Now you can and suffer like you deserve…

"You're not really gonna let her go, are you?"

Naruto looked up once more in surprise to find a familiar, bored-looking figure with a pineapple-shaped haircut. "Shikamaru? What are you doing here?"

"I got a ride with the Hyuuga's," Shikamaru replied casually as he took a seat beside the blonde. "But that's not important. What matters is why you're letting the best thing that ever happened to you walk away."

Naruto sighed heavily before responding, "I just can't do it, Shikamaru. If I stay with her, I'll never forgive myself… not after what happened to Kiba…"

"I see," Shikamaru said, leaning back in his chair. "So it's guilt, then."

"Not exactly," the blonde explained, "It's like… maybe if I give her up now, I might make it up to him, you know? Like, maybe he'll forgive me for stealing her to begin with…"

"Naruto, let me tell you something," the Nara interrupted, though his voice sounded just as causal as ever. "Before he died, I talked with Kiba about what happened. He told me all about the deal you two had, and how you fell in love with Hinata yourself."

"Really? He told you about all that?"

"Yeah, he did," Shikamaru confirmed, "He felt betrayed, of course… he couldn't understand why you'd do something like that to him. I told him that you can't really control love, though… it just sort of happens."

"W-what did he say?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"That's when he left to go look for you," the lazy genius continued. "He was frustrated and confused… but I think, deep down, he knew I was right. He didn't blame you, Naruto. He might have been upset, but he didn't hate you."

"I know that, Shikamaru… it's just," Naruto said, shaking his head as he tried to sort out his thoughts, "he'd still be here, you know?"

"That's true, but you can't change the past," Shikamaru said bluntly. "Kiba's dead. I'm not saying that you should just forget about him and move on… but you have to think about what Kiba would've wanted. He didn't die just so you could go around moping all the time. He wanted you and Hinata to be happy."

As those words left Shikamaru's lips, Naruto suddenly remembered what Kiba said that night as he died in the blonde's arms. Even though he had thought that night over in his head time after time, Naruto had never actually considered what the dog-boy had said. No, those words were buried beneath heaps of mourning and self-pity…

How could I forget that? He told me to make her happy! Maybe if I hurry…

"Sorry, Shikamaru, I gotta go," Naruto said as he rose from his seat, handing Akamaru to the Nara.

"Go get her, Naruto," Shikamaru replied with a knowing smirk.

The blonde never heard his friend's words, though, for he was already running through the church's main hallway in desperation. Before long, he burst through the front doors and began to look around hurriedly, hoping that he wasn't too late. Fortunately for him, Naruto soon spotted a girl with distinctly purple hair about halfway down the parking lot, causing him to shout out frantically.

"Hinata! Hinata, wait!"

The Hyuuga glanced over her shoulder in surprise at the sudden call to find a rather winded blonde standing before her. "Naruto…"

"Hinata, listen, I was wrong," Naruto explained after catching his breath. "You should do whatever makes you happy… we all should! So, I guess what I'm saying is… if you still want to…"

"Shh… it's my turn, now," Hinata whispered as she gently placed a finger to the blonde's lips.

"Your turn? What are y-"

Naruto's answer came soon enough as Hinata silenced him with a kiss, pulling the vulpine boy close in an unusual display of affection. Together they stood like that in the parking lot, each one showing their true feelings for the other in every movement of their lips, in every gentle caress of the other as they out all their pent-up emotions. It was then, at that moment locked in a tender embrace with the love of his life, that Naruto understood what Kiba had wanted.

I'll see to it that you didn't die for nothing… I'll make her happier than you'd ever imagined…

Yay! Everyone's happy! Alright, please share any thoughts you have, and stay tuned for the final chapter of The Fox and the Hound!