Kiba had been waiting outside of the Hyuuga compound for almost 2 hours now; and if one more Hyuuga looked at him that way again, he'd probably spit in their eye.

He smiled when he finally saw Hinata on the edge of the meditation pond.

"HEY! 'Nata!"

It actually seemed to take her a minute to find him; like the giant white dog wasn't a mile marker all by himself.

"Hi, Kiba."

"What's the matter with you? You sound horrible - no offense or nothin'."

She shook her head, focused on the surface of the water. "I'm just fine, Kiba. Can....Kiba? Is there anyway I could, maybe...talk to you about something?"

Not going to lie, he was pretty confused by the whole thing - but what could it hurt to listen? Maybe she wanted to talk about her dad. Maybe.

"Yeah, sure."

Hinata turned away from the pond, facing Kiba directly - and, wow - was she mad?

"I'm not.....well, I'm not stupid, Kiba - I know why you're here."

Kiba stopped breathing, just for a second - which was probably enough to convict him. "Y'do?"

"Yes. I do."

There she went again, staring at that pond. He had a feeling meeting her here was a bad idea. Since-

"Did you know that my mother drowned here? They told me that after Hanabi was born, she slipped here." Hinata marked a spot in the sand beside her, tracing what looked like a butterfly. "And she died."

Kiba wasn't following - what did this have to do with her dad? As sad as the story was, she'd told him about it a long ass time ago - and hadn't they decided that it was probably a lie, anyway?

"He's all I have left, Kiba. My father cares for me."

Oh shit. Did he just laugh?

"It's not funny, Kiba! He...he believes in me now. I'm going to be just like him someday - I'll be clan head, and-"

"Don't be dense. C'mon Hinata - you know that Hanabi-"

"She's the second born. He told me so."

And now she was believing everything he told her? What was going on here?"

"Are you feeling alright, 'Nata?"

"Why? Do I have to be sick now to rationalize defending my father?"

He didn't answer that; it seemed too much like a double-edged sword. She never waited for an answer.

"I think that you should go. You're going to be late for Naruto's coronation."

Kiba's jaw dropped. "You aint coming?!"

Suddenly, she was shielding her eyes - burying her head between her knees. "No."

Now he knew something was really reeeally wrong. She was Naruto's biggest fan. "Is this about Sasuke?"

"No."

"Is it something he did?"

"No."

"...And you're sure that you're not sick?"

"Yes!"

Her answers were muffled, but here was no mistaking them - not with Kiba's ears.

"Then...why --?"

"Father doesn't think it's a good idea for us to support the council's decision this time. He says that as happy as he is that Naruto made Hokage, he says that the Council appointed him for the wrong reasons."

Bullshit, and Kiba knew it. But it was just the kind of lie he could see Hiashi feeding her.

There was no use pushing her anymore. She was....fucking brainwashed, or as good as by now.

"I outta get going."

Hinata grabbed at his jacket, catching the sleeve. "Wait?! Please....please wish him luck. For me?"

And Kiba couldn't help but smile - even though it was still bullshit.

---------------

Speaking of bullshit - who the hell designed the Hyuuga compound, anyway?

You had to be a Hyuuga to get out of it! The buildings made finding a path nearly impossible, not to mention a serious lack of "You are here" signs. Kiba loved those stupid things.

"Inuzuka?"

Akamaru hadn't heard that coming - in fact, he accidently knocked Kiba off his back in the process of turning to face-

"Neji?"

He hadn't really seen Neji since right after Sasuke came back - almost a year ago now. He remembered, because both he and Neji had seats on the council, since they had taken exams with the Uchiha.

Kiba couldn't remember how Neji voted, but he figured it wasn't important anymore.

"Any reason you scared my partner like that?"

"My apologies to your...."partner." Any particular reason you're wandering aimlessly across my compound?"

"I, well - I was on my way to. Um. What I'm trying to say, I was-"

"Incomprehensibly lost?"

What had he just said? "Yeah. Sure, that's it."

Neji sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "You'd think, growing up in Konohagakure, you'd at least know the geography by now."

"Hey, HEY! This compound is totally not my business. I don't 'gotta know it!"

"And pray tell, what were you doing wandering it?"

"I was talking to Hinata! Y'know - my team mate?" Maybe that last statement had been a little more sarcastic than Kiba had meant.

Neji's demeanor changed noticeably - his expression shifting from condescending to...something.

"Oh...right. Forgive me for prying, then."

Well this was awkward.

"So...I figure you're going to Naruto's acceptance thing, right? Y'know - the, um -?"

"Coronation?"

Did ALL Hyuuga know that word? Kiba had to get the hell out of this compound - he was actually starting to feel a little stupid.

That may have just been the way other Hyuuga had been looking at him, though - Inuzuka and Hyuuga had never particularly gotten along so great. In fact, Tsume had been officially expelled from the monthly House-head congregations - where they usually discussed village affairs. As Kiba knew it, his mom had taken the liberty of getting shit-faced and mouthing off to Hiashi during the meeting. Not too classy, but she got her point across - and she made sure to let everyone know that she thought he was a half-eaten boar's ass with glass beads for eyes, plastic ones for brains, and none for balls.

Neji didn't seem too phased by the stigma though. Maybe because Kiba hadn't called him a boar. Yet.

"Hey, Neji? You don't know what's wrong with Hinata, do you? She's been acting kind of weird since her dad got back - and she aint even coming to the coro...whatever!"

"It's not my place."

Could this guy be any more stiff? Seriously - even they way he walked was stuck-up.

On second thought...Jesus, how do you even get an ass like that?

"I see that."

Fuck fuck fuck! Kiba hadn't even realized he was,

was he just looking at - ?

Did he just - ?!

"See what?"

"I would appreciate it if you could keep your eyes to yourself."

Kiba turned a very bright shade of red, and pretty much stared at the ground the rest of the way to the Kage Memorial.

He never stopped smiling.