AN: argh, I was so desperate to get this chapter out like, ten minutes after the last one, but I have to restrain myself, otherwise you'll all only review one out of two chapters and I'll never get to 150 reviews.

I have just started up my own website, the link to which is on my profile so go looky. It's basically a base of operations for my writing, so I'm going to have an entire page dedicated to MIA, where I will put up info in advance for my bigger fans to see if waiting proves too much for you. It may also acquire some fan art soon as part of the page but I've only done a few rubbish sketches of Sakura's dresses so I would REALLY appreciate it if someone can help me out.

The page already has a lot of information about my first novel and the first chapter for my second. My plans are to eventually fill it with writing, but short of a half-finished NejiTen fic which I absolutely love to bits, I can never come up with much to write.

Enough rambling: just go to see my homepage, OK?

1630 words in this chapter

Unmasked

Chapter 15- The she-beast

Kiba stood at the edge of the hall with Sakura at his side, and watched as she scanned the crowd desperately. She was trying but failing to conceal it behind the illusion of admiring the view of the hall.

Neither of them had been to a formal celebration like this before, so it was expected that they would feel out of place, but her frantic movements were going to draw too much attention soon, so he leaned closer to her and slipped an arm around hers in comfort. "He's not here Sakura"

"Nani?"

"Don't pretend you don't know. He's not going to be here and you know it"

"You don't know what you're talking about" she frowned disapprovingly at him.

"I don't know why you're so fascinated by him. He never appreciates it."

She turned and gave him a sly look. "Are you trying to get back with me again Kiba?"

"No, you're too much hassle"

"So why are you sounding so jealous?"

"I'm not; I'm uh… well you are supposed to be dating me anyway. It would be much more believable if you weren't looking around at other men."

She began to walk off like she had seen someone interesting, taking him with her "What other men?"

"Sakura, we have just been talking about…"

"Kazekage-san" she nodded her head in respect as she met Gaara's gaze.

Trapped in a crowd of people, he was staring homicidally at Kankuro, who was talking away happily with most of the gathering. When he saw them over his brother's shoulders, he immediately signaled to Kankuro and strode over to greet them.

"Haruno-san" he nodded back, "Arigato, I owe you"

She smiled sweetly in return.

"It's not a problem. I knew you might need an escape route, that's one of the reasons I was looking for you" with the last comment, she smirked sideways at Kiba, amused by his inaccuracy.

Kankuro had just finished making his excuses with the crowd and pushed his way passed to face Kiba. "Inuzuka"

Kiba smirked enough to let one fang slip passed his lip. "Kankuro"

"Didn't think they'd let you in here"

"It helps if you know people" he signaled to Sakura.

"Right, yeah, I remember her telling us she was doing charity work"

Kiba moved the arm that was linked with hers to wrap protectively around her waist. "She's my girlfriend"

"Still? I thought she might have learnt by now"

"Leave him alone Kankuro" Sakura sighed "it was funny the first few times but it's getting old"

"Alright, you win, but only because you are looking so fine I'd have to do something really illegal to get my hands on you"

Sakura tried to contain herself from laughing at him, inwardly winching at the cheesiness of that line. Instead she turned to look at Gaara despairingly "I think that was supposed to be a compliment"

He almost smirked… almost

She smiled in return, letting him know that she at least noticed the effort. "We never got the chance to talk over your questions the other day."

"I understand. Apparently you only stopped working this afternoon"

"Hai, we can go over it now if you want"

"Of course." He nodded

Sakura leant over and gave Kiba a brief kiss on the cheek for show. "Catch you later?"

"Sure" he let go of her and she wandered off through the crowd with Gaara

Kankuro sighed. "I don't know, we can be as charming as we like but in the end, all it takes for guys like Gaara is a word and we have no chance."

"No chance?" Kiba confronted him with a glare. "Were you not listening when I said she was my girlfriend?"

"Sure little man" he reached out and ruffled his hair as though he was a little kid.

"your sister sure looks twitchy" Kiba commented, noticing her standing across the room amongst a group of people, pretending to listen, but still glancing around the room now and again.

"Ah, hai," he sighed again as he watched her aswell "she hasn't managed to get her claws into man flesh yet the entire time she's been here. It's beginning to grate on her."

"Well she's had plenty of chances, surely?"

"Hai, but there's only one species of man flesh she's interested in right now. Until she locates, insults, then mates, the she-beast will be on edge for days."

"Kankuro, is there any particular reason you are speaking like it's a nature documentary?"

He shrugged "it seems appropriate. Just wait until her target enters her vicinity; then the real show will start"

"How many hours a day do you sit watching your sister?"

"As many as it takes. The only way to out maneuver Temari is to observe her movements carefully."

"You are very disturbing. Who is it she's looking for then?"

"That Nara kid"

"You can't be serious" he laughed

"Oh, I am" Kankuro gave him a stern glare "He's like a drug for her"

"She doesn't know then?"

"Know what?"

"How can you not know? It's all over Konoha. Shikamaru's engaged, he's getting married next month."

"The she-beast will not like this." He shook his head in disappointment

"Hai, no shit Sherlock"

"She will compete"

"She will lose. Ino is psycho-possessive of him. I'm not even kidding; she caught him looking at Sakura earlier and almost took his head off."

"Could you arrange not to tell her until I'm miles away then? I really don't want to catch the backlash from this."

"It's not up to me mate."

"I had better keep a close eye. If I can avoid immediate contact, we may just survive the night."

"Have fun" Kiba looked at him skeptically as he slipped through the crowd, then muttered under his breath "nutter"

Looking around, he noticed Naruto, Tenten, Ino and Shikamaru standing across the hall near a series of cushioned benches, and more importantly, a nice selection of Suna Kunoichi worth ogling sat on them.

Quickly making his way around he locked his arms around Naruto and Tenten's shoulders to slip into a prime viewing spot. "Ladies! How are you all?"

Tenten removed his arm forcibly and glared at him "Inuzuka Kiba, you better not be abandoning Sakura to come over here and make an arse of yourself."

"No, she went first, I swear. I'll get back to her in a bit; I just thought I'd drop over to say hi."

"More like you are checking out the other merchandise" she nodded over to the kunoichi he had spotted earlier.

Kiba glared at her with a frustrated expression, letting go of Naruto "Haven't you got a Hyuuga to follow around?"

"Not if I can help it. He'll be staying away if he knows what's good for him. Or else I'd…"

"You'd what?" Hinata called from behind them and the whole group, except Tenten snapped around to face her immediately.

Tenten spun more reluctantly to face her and nervously snapped on her public Hyuuga façade "Hinata! It's so good to see you!"

"And here I was hearing from Neji that you wanted to kill me"

"He he, what would give you that impression?" she nervously scratched her hand

"Whoa Hinata, you're really showing now!" Kiba exclaimed, looking down at her belly. She was now into her fourth month of pregnancy and they hadn't seen her for just less than a year.

"Hai, Kiba-kun" she smiled sweetly. "It's so difficult finding formal wear that fits nicely. It's growing so fast; they think it might be twins"

"Well it does run in the family. Haven't you had a medic check it out for you?" Ino suggested as she joined the conversation, Shikamaru in hand beside her.

"No, we wanted it to be a surprise."

"Hey Hinata" Naruto waved to draw attention to himself.

"Hi, Naruto-kun" she smiled at him confidently. Since she had been in love with her husband, her school girl crush on Naruto had faded.

"Where's um…?" he tried to pretend like he knew what he was talking about but failed.

Luckily for him, Hinata was used to no one remembering her husband's name and didn't mind too much. "Taka-kun? He's talking to Neji." She turned to Tenten again "I asked him to try and get you a break. Believe me when I say I know what you're going through to some extent."

She looked over to see if she could hear what they are talking about, but they were too far away, near the other side of the hall. "He doesn't have to do that. I can handle my own husband Hinata"

Tenten stormed off across the hall in a bad mood, not following the direct route but fleeting around the edge towards the open door leading to the gardens first, so they wouldn't see her coming.

She was about ready to walk right up and tell Takahiro to go back to his wife and mind his own business. What the hell? Really… why is everyone so determined that we shouldn't get a divorce. I gave him a chance. I gave him a 5 year chance. If he could just do one thing with true emotion, not because he was told to or because he thinks it's proper, it might make the whole thing worth it, but the chances of that happening are about the same as… well as Sakura marrying before Ino…

As she approached the two of them, she overheard their voices and froze in her thoughts and steps. The hushed tones they were speaking in were dosed with so much emotion, she felt like she had walked in on a stranger and had merely mistaken him for Neji.

The glimpse passed Takahiro's slim shoulder of a familiar ponytail told her otherwise. I've seen the back of his head often enough…

AN: I'm not sure if I really meant for Kankuro to be so… unbalanced? unhinged? unstable? I just kind of kept writing and that's where it ended up. Shlol.

Just in case you didn't get it the first time around, go to my writing website, ( ) . Now laziness is no excuse. There is pretty art on there too, and my novels. i urge ye all, if you like my writing, at least read the first chapter of Trash (it does get better once the plot starts up fully, buts it's my baby and i love it). There is also a commenting and rating page with lots of previewy goodness for Unmasked chapter 16 and the later bits also.

Stay shiny and show the luff

Xx Belizma-chan xX