…This one's weird, as it's pretty out of place with the inclusion of a certain loudmouth among other things (like a sucky title). Still, I've been mulling it around and figured I may as well get it written. I'll go back and revise once I feel like it.

Tension

The only sounds in the training area were the dull thuds of fist on flesh. Three pairs of eyes watched as blows were exchanged and blocked at a furiously increasing rate. The spectators to this vigorous exercise didn't dare say anything to distract the combatants, and they watched with different expressions; one with amusement, another with worry, and the last with growing irritation.

At length, Uzumaki Naruto, whose bright blue eyes had narrowed into slits, sighed in frustration. "This is so weird," the blonde growled.

"What do you mean?" Inuzuka Kiba, who sat to his right, was grinning wolfishly at the sight before them. "They're having a ball."

"Eh? But they're trying to kill each other!"

It was a known fact to the group of young ninja that whatever was going between Aburame Shino and Tatsumaki Hokuto was reaching a breaking point. All of a sudden, Shino couldn't seem to tolerate Hokuto's presence, and the Falls-nin in turn had even taking to avoiding and ignoring him when they did happen to come into contact.

Theirs was an odd relationship, even more so that the ones known but unsaid among the group of chunin and one jounin. The bond between Neji and Tenten was subtle but there, one of mutual respect and something else no one but the two understood. No one knew what happened to tip the two into being more than friends, but they had a feeling it wasn't as violent as this.

Kiba wondered idly what it would take for Ino to accept her attraction to Shikamaru, try as she might hide it beneath vanity and he behind indifference; and for Sakura to get over that bastard Uchiha and realize that Lee was more than devoted, body and soul, to her. And…

The Inuzuka boy looked past Naruto briefly to Hyuuga Hinata, whose troubled milky eyes flitted frequently from the passionate sparring before her to the oblivious blonde boy beside her and back.

Kiba shook his head and closed his eyes. "You really are clueless, aren't you?"

"You think you're so smart, huh, Kiba? Then you give me one good reason why they agreed to this!"

"Easy." Kiba shrugged, returning his attention to the match as a sweeping claw from Hokuto managed to catch in Shino's shirt and unclasp a few buttons. As Shino turned to dodge, he grabbed her arm and managed to twist it behind her back; but Hokuto's hips squirmed as she moved her legs into position, and in Shino's hesitation he almost didn't let go quick enough to avoid the skillful and flexible kick she delivered.

Really, the fight should have been short, as in previous spars Hokuto would charge aggressively while Shino dodged and distracted her until his kikaichu were in position to force her to surrender. This time, though, the two purposely dragged on the fight, with Shino hardly using his trump card and Hokuto not striking any pressure points. It was rare for the Aburame to even use taijutsu for this long and for the Tatsumaki to not finish the fight quickly, but the answer was obvious to Kiba.

The air was thick with the pressure of a storm from the two ninja and the clouds above, and to something else only his over hyper sensitive nose could detect.

"They just wanted an excuse to touch each other," the Inuzuka continued.

"What?" Naruto's eyes opened fully, and he uncrossed his arms from behind his head as he looked incredulously at Kiba. "That's stupid! They don't need to spar to do that. I mean, I could touch… I dunno, Hinata and not have to spar with her." To prove his point, when Naruto's eyes fell on Hinata as he spoke he put his arm around her shoulder and slightly pulled her closer against him. Oblivious to Naruto, the Hyuuga heiress visibly reddened.

"See? I don't need a reason to touch Hinata!"

Kiba sighed to himself and shook his head again, then looked up in time to see Shino grab and consequentially take off Hokuto's flimsy vest, returning the favor from when she had ended up tearing off his hooded jacket earlier and leaving her with virtually a sports bra for a top. Somehow their grappling ended up with either clothes being forcefully removed or someone making somewhat suggestive movements.

"Alright kiddos, I think it's time we get going," Kiba said as he rose from his position.

"What do you mean?" Naruto absently helped Hinata to her feet as she seemed pretty feeble all of a sudden, but kept his wary eyes on Kiba. They narrowed suspiciously. "…Oi, is there something you're not telling me, Kiba?"

"Maybe when you're older…" Kiba looked up as the trio walked away and left Shino and Hokuto to their devices, and noticed that the storm clouds that had been gathering all day looked ready to burst.