"Alright, training is over."

The sun was beginning to set when Kurenai called off her team's training session. Kurenai looked at her team's sweaty tired faces. Shino had his back against a tree. He seemed tired as he watched one of his kaikachu bugs crawl up his arm. Hinata was kneeling on the ground, trying to catch her breath. Kiba was practically passed out on the ground beside Akamaru, who was repeatedly licking his master's face.

" Akamaru, cut it out!" Kiba jumped up, surprised by the warm wet tongue on his face. "Why'd you have to do that, boy?" Kiba rubbed his red triangled cheek. Kurenai couldn't help but laugh at Kiba being licked to death by his dog.

"Hinata, let's go." Neji commanded. Neji hardly had a scratch on him, and barely broke a sweat at all. He had been so quiet, Shino and Kurenai had almost forgotten he was there. Kiba hadn't though.

"Hey, let her catch her breath first!" Kiba shouted through clenched teeth. Hinata was still kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. Neji gave Kiba a cold stare.

"No…It's….Alright…..I'm f-fine…." Hinata said between breaths. She rose, her face flushed and her bangs stuck to her forehead from sweat.

"Are you sure?" Kiba knew she must be dying inside. She gave a small nod, her breathing still irregular.

"Besides, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go and get some ramen. You know, just you, me, and Shino." Kiba gave Neji a smirk. He knew Hinata couldn't refuse her teammates.

"I-"

"Sorry, but Hinata cannot. She has to go straight back to the Hyuga compound where it will be easier for her to be protected." Hinata was rudely interrupted by her cousin.

" Now come on Hinata!" Neji was becoming very impatient. He grabbed his cousin's arm and started to drag her toward the compound.

"Sorry S-Shino. K-Kiba. See you tomorrow!" Hinata breathlessly said over her shoulder. Soon she and Neji were far up the path toward their home.

Kiba's hand curled into a fist. "That jerk! Who does he think he is, telling Hinata what to do like that? And What's his problem? It's like he's challenging me, trying to make me look bad!" Kiba punched a tree in frustration.

" Well, he's doing a pretty good job of it." Shino told him coolly. " He knows you like Hinata. He's just trying to make sure nothing goes your way. He's kind of doing his job. He is Hinata's protector, and besides, what would Hiashi do if he knew you liked Hinata?"

"Whose side are you on Shino?" Kiba glared at him, showing his fangs.

"You know that doesn't faze me. I've been around you and Akamaru too long for it to."

"Well, what should I do, Shino? Neji's going to ruin everything!"

"Beat's me. Come up with your own plan. I've got to head on home though." Shino jumped up in the tree he was leaning on and swooped tree to tree toward the Aburame clan.

"Of course! Leave while I'm talking to you! Well, that's just great!" Kiba shouted after his friend.

What am I going to do about that baka Neji? He keeps making me look like an idiot!! There has to be a way to get him away from Hinata…

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"Neji, you didn't have to drag me away from my friends like that!" Hinata snapped as he let go of her arm.

"Sorry, it's just… I couldn't take it anymore. I was sick of being around that dogboy and his mutt." Neji said harshly.

"NEJI! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT ABOUT KIBA!! HE'S ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, AND MY TEAMMATE!"

"Sorry, but I just don't like the guy. He kept glaring at me and his dog kept growling at me." Neji didn't mention why Kiba and Akamaru were acting that way at him. Hinata had been too oblivious to notice that Neji had been glaring at Kiba over her shoulder the whole practice.

"So maybe he was in a bad mood. Be nice Neji." Hinata was still fuming over what he said.

The cousins walked the rest of the way to their manor in silence.

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on the other side of Konoha, a man is sending a message…

"Akki, is it safe?" a deep vice asked on the other end of the line.

" Yes, our target is being guarded, but not heavily. Send in only a few of our men." The man answered.

"Are you sure about this Akki?" the deep voice questioned.

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll send them."

"Good, I'll expect you at the northern gate tomorrow night." The man hung up the phone. He adjusted his dark lensed glasses.

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"F-Father, may I ask y-you something?" Hinata had gone straight to see her father as soon as she and Neji had arrived at the Hyuga mansion.

Hiashi turned around, his lip thin. "What?" he said coldly. He was back to his usual attitude to her. When other Hyugas were around, he treated her like all the other Main Branch members. But when they weren't around, he treated her like dirt. He even treated her horribly around her younger sister, Hanabi. It drove Hinata crazy constantly and she tried everything to get her father to respect her and to make him think she wasn't weak.

"I-I have a request." Hinata gathered up all her courage, hoping he wouldn't be outraged.

"Oh." Hiashi smirked and raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"I'd like to be able to go to practice a-alone, w-without N-Neji." She looked down at her feet as she spoke. She was too afraid to look at his reaction to her request.

"And why should I let you be able to do that? Why is that your request?" Hiashi still had that icy voice.

" I- I am tired of Neji having to f-follow me around everywhere I go. I can t-take care of my-myself." Hinata was very nervous around her father. She could tell she was stuttering more than usual.

"Oh, you can take care of yourself?" He laughed at her.

"I-I'm stronger n-now" Hinata quietly said, still staring down at her feet.

"Oh, you're stronger now?" Hiashi laughed harder.

Hinata slowly brought her head up to lok into her father's eyes. They were laughing at her, taunting her. Her father thought she was just a big joke. She decided to go to plan B.

"W-What if one of m-my teammates went with m-me instead of N-Neji?"

Hiashi contemplated this for a moment. Reluctantly, he agreed.

"One of your teammates must be with you at all times, and if they aren't available, then Neji will go with you, like it or not. Understood?"

"Yes father!" Hinata smiled and ran up to her room to call Kiba and ask him if he'd want to be her protector around town. She already knew he'd say yes. Kiba always was willing to help her, even a his inconvienience. She remembered one mission when he fought a Rogue ninja that was beating her badly, even though he had gotten a severe wound to the chest. Hinata smiled at that memory.

She dialed Kiba's number and asked him about the task. Just like she expected, Kiba said yes without any hesitation. He said he's come to her house around seven the next morning to take her to training.

Hinata smiled as she laid down in her bed. I'm lucky to have a guy like Kiba as a friend.