notes: i'm back! this chapter is a bit long because i tried to include some back-story to explain the direction the story is going a little more. good vs. evil will be a prevalent theme. REALLY appreciate the reviews, in fact i clambered right out of bed to grab my laptop and write this once i saw them! if you have any questions feel free to ask, and i will reply! again, please drop by a review! :) (there also might be mistakes since i wrote this so quickly. feel free to point them out!)

4. — like bamboo under nails

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"Are Sakura and Tenten still there?" Naruto asked, struggling to keep up with Kiba's hasty stride.

"Probably," he answered. "They should be coming here soon, though."

"Well, they should hurry. This bastard's worrying the hell out of their disappearance." He pointed at Sasuke, who instantly glared at him.

"Oh, my bad," Naruto said. "That bastard too." He pointed at Neji this time, who was luckily too far to hear him.

"A-huh," Kiba nodded absentmindedly.

Naruto frowned. "Kiba, what's up?"

Kiba shook his head a little, trying to regain his senses. "Yeah, sorry, man. I'm fine. Just… tired, I guess." He patted Naruto's shoulder and moved on, leaving the blonde behind with lingering confusion.

"That makes no sense," Naruto mumbled to himself. "He's gone on ten-day missions without getting tired before. He's the only person whose stamina even rivals mine."

Sasuke stood up, kicking Naruto's ankle lightly.

"Don't be so sure about that."

Konohmaru's team was lined up outside the nearly-deserted hut near the closed window, peeking in through the tiny crevices to catch a glimpse of the kidnapped police officer's wife.

"She's kinda pretty, yeah?" Konohamaru said, jaw slightly open at the sight of Ino's hair glinting in the small streams of sunlight that came in through the poorly-patched roof.

"Sure is," Udon agreed with a boyish giggle. Moegi elbowed them both, but before Konohmaru's "Are you jealous?" retort could even spill out of his mouth, she dragged them both away.

"What's the big idea?" Konohomaru spat, though he submissively followed her.

Moegi looked back again, eyes filled with apprehension.

"I think they're going to go in and talk to her now."

Konohomaru and Udon exchanged glances.

Kiba had escaped to the pathway surrounding the rapids. The area was for laundry, and his clothes were begging for a wash from the past few days' travel. He normally wouldn't care, but he felt he had to distract himself.

Unfortunately, that wouldn't be happening. Hinata and Shino joined him, later followed by Naruto and Sasuke.

"I think I get it now, Kiba," Naruto proclaimed as he gently plopped down on the same boulder as Kiba. He grinned, leaning over to watch Kiba's semi-concentrated face as he hand-washed his shirt in the running water.

"Get what?"

Sasuke replied for him, "We think we know why you let her live. One shot would've killed her instantly, a case would be filed, and one of us could serve the two years' jail time. The problem would have been solved."

"But," Naruto cut in, annoyed that Sasuke had spoken for him, "You have a plan, and that's why you let her go."

Kiba froze, instantly frowning. He turned to Naruto this time, making eye contact. "And what's that?"

"Isn't it obvious? Don't play dumb, Kiba." Naruto was proud of sounding smart and foreseeing the events for once, and he didn't want Kiba ruining it.

Shino spoke up this time. "In fourteen hours since her disappearance, Suigetsu panics and brings in seven police vans including himself to form a search party. If we drag this out for another two weeks, imagine how he would react."

Kiba's frown suddenly turned into a very pensive look, as if he was realizing something.

"He'd lose his frickin' mind," Naruto said, leaning back in satisfaction.

There was a silence amongst the group. Sasuke, Naruto, and Shino had said everything they had wanted to say. Hinata had listened to everything there was to say.

And then, Kiba spoke. "I had gun in my hand. She's gonna die in like, one minute. And she's… God, she's standing there without an ounce of fear in her eyes."

None of them spoke when Kiba paused to exhale, who was seemingly shaken.

"She isn't even scared of a hundred foot drop! I'm…just, I was speechless when it happened. There are all these thoughts running through my head, but there's still one question I keep thinking about.

How do you kill someone who isn't afraid of death?"

The question rung through the air, and no one had answers. Kiba turned to Naruto, gazing at him intensely. "If you were in my shoes, would you have done it?"

Naruto stared, opening his mouth though no words came out.

"How is that even a question," Sasuke almost scoffed. "Not a second thought would've passed through my mind."

Kiba bared his teeth at him. "That's why I asked Naruto, not you, you asshole. Shut it."

Naruto shook his head. "Don't ask me stuff like that. This has to do with you, not me. I don't have the same feelings as you do on this. And you know I don't like these kinds of missions. Ask me to kidnap someone, I'll do it. Ask me to bring down an enemy within inches of death, I bet I could do it. But just… don't ask me that."

Hinata gasped softly at the confession, clasping both of her hands together. It went unnoticed by Kiba and Naruto, but Sasuke and Shino easily picked up on it.

"K-Kiba," she said, finally gaining everyone's attention. "E-Everything he said was… was right. We're here in this to support you. We can't do what you're supposed to do. I thought Neji told you that."

Hinata gave him one last meaningful look before gathering her things and leaving. Naruto looked after her, jaw agape.

"She fucking gets it," Naruto said.

Sasuke and Shino both looked at him.

"What?" Naruto asked obliviously.

And Kiba had fallen back into the cave of his thoughts.

"Hey, this isn't a circus! Get out of here!"

Some of the other kids who had made the mistake of spying on Ino were once again shooed away, but this time it was by Sakura. She had just arrived, with Tenten immediately heading straight to the baths, which left her to herself.

"Hey," Sakura said, smiling weakly as Naruto and Sasuke approached her.

"Sakuraaaaa!" Naruto dove in for a hug, not caring if his shirt got dirty again.

"Hey yourself," Sasuke deadpanned. "That took you a little longer than usual."

Sakura shrugged. "Well, that girl is a feisty one. Plus, we had to but distance behind Kiba so we wouldn't be tracked."

"Heh, you're right about that," Naruto said once he pulled back. "Everyone's dying to see her," he added, pointing a hand at the old hut.

"No one's seen her yet?" Sakura remarked, eyes widening in surprise.

Naruto shook his head. "Well, no. Kiba hasn't gone in there yet, so I guess…"

"Are you serious?" Sakura said disbelievingly. "So none of you have fed her? God, I'm gone for an hour and look at you guys. What's everyone else doing?"

Naruto blinked. "Uh… stuff. Everyone's busy in one way or the other. Remember, this is Kiba's thing. We're just helpin' him out."

"Tch," came Sasuke's ever-present tick. "There's rice out back. We ran out of instant ramen thanks to this guy. Tell Konohomaru to get some more next time we move."

"Done and done." Sakura smiled cheerfully at her boys. "Thanks! Also, you really ought to take baths." She pinched both of their cheeks before moving on.

Naruto gaped, and Sasuke merely looked after her with an unimpressed eye-roll.

"And why is she telling us that?"

Sakura walked inside to a scene she wasn't expecting. From what she remembered, Ino was damn fierce. She hated being told what to do and she held onto her pride like anything. It was more important than even death, apparently.

Ino's hands were tied to a pillar, and she was desperately stretching near a spile, mouth wide open underneath to catch the small drops of water that leaked out.

"There aren't any dresses around here," Sakura said casually as she walked inside. Ino retreated hastily, trying to assume a normal position. "I've got a t-shirt and shorts in my size, and I'm pretty sure you'll fit." She almost chuckled at the thought of Ino being insecure about her size. Her waist was an ideal "model" size. Well, what her world considered ideal anyway.

Ino simply glared.

Sakura raised her hands defensively. "I wasn't laughing at you or anything! Didn't expect you to laugh, anyway. If you don't experience fear, how could you experience humor?"

Ino swallowed, glare still in place as she determinedly didn't respond. Sakura sighed and placed the clothes on the ground next to her.

"Here," Sakura said, holding out a plate. "It's just steamed rice, but it's the best we've got for now. I hope you can shelf your pride for a while to have a bite…"

This got a reaction. Ino felt the anger flare within her as she lunged forward, trying to knock the plate from her hands onto the ground.

"Hey, whoa!" Sakura yelped, backing away. "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing? You think I'm some kind of pet to tie up and feed and keep helpless?" Ino's voice was hoarse from yelling, and Sakura flinched. "Throw it away!"

"You know, like I said, your pride isn't the most important thing right now," Sakura scolded, now irritated herself. "There are times we struggle for food, and you're here telling me to throw it away?! What kind of attitude is that?"

"You kidnapped me," Ino spat in retaliation.

Sakura sighed angrily, setting the plate down too. She stomped over to the pillar and with a slice of her kunai, the ropes came undone. Ino gasped as she finally found herself free, taking deep breaths after being constrained for so long.

She faced Ino again. "Eat if you're hungry. Leave it alone if you're stupid. I can't control what you do, but –"

Sakura was cut off mid-sentence, heaving a slight gasp as Ino knelt down immediately, picking up the plate and gingerly scooping the steaming rice to her mouth.

She found herself smiling. She knelt down next to her, watching. "How is it? I salted it for you." Ino kept eating, but only in small bites. It was funny to watch because it was obvious she was restraining herself from forking it down.

Sakura laughed. "You're going to have to put your survival first for the next couple days, girl."

He was finally alone from everyone else. It was in the early hours of the morning, and the rapids tended to be calmed at that time. It ran smoothly in gentle waves. There was a small fire cackling in the background. It was peaceful but it was also lively. He felt his inner tensions loosen, and his thoughts and voices began to unload.

The first image was of Ino. Ino, screaming as gravity seized her and pulled her down, and her lavender dress inverting around her. He felt his frown and the tension in his eyebrow slowly melt away. He felt himself smiling.

The next image was of Ino, too. She was passed out on the branch, her face serene and her long hair flowing underneath her. As the branch cracked, he could vividly see her fall. She was lying down as if she was in her safe bedroom at home, not even flinching when she splashed into the water stomach first.

And then he realized, all of those other thoughts were of her too. He saw her bursting out of the water, eyes clenched as she coughed up seawater in disgust.

Suddenly, he knew why that woman was engaged to a man like Suigetsu. The reason made him want to scream, but it also made him want to laugh, and be strangely proud, and also to be utterly disgusted.

With brave intentions filled in his gut, a final chuckle escaped his lips as he fired the last three bullets of his gun to the heavens: once, twice, thrice.

He was in the middle of shaving when he heard the noise.

"Sir!" Sai was the first to meet him outside of the tent while the others were slowly being aroused from their sleep.

"It was a pistol shot," Suigetsu said, still wiping the shaving cream off of his face.

Sai frowned, trying to remember the noise. "That it was."

Suigetsu began moving faster, washing the rest of his face as he began stalking towards one of the vans. "Get Karin," he said flatly. "They're trying to show us where they are."

Sai didn't listen, though. He held up a hand, motioning Suigetsu to stop for a moment. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

A rustling sound was heard, and the trees in front of them shook from the presence of someone else.

"We may not have to go far." Sai smiled in plastic.

There were lots of them. They were in camouflage, green and brown paints smeared over their eyelids and lips as they stared silently at the man that walked up to them.

"Police," Karin explained. "Tell us everything you know."

Suigetsu wordlessly pulled out two small photographs from his jacket. He showed them the first one, which was a picture of Ino's beautiful, smiling face.

They did not respond.

Suigetsu, then knowingly, slowly slid the picture aside to show the second one. It was Kiba's profile, with a nefarious grin plastered on his face. The leading man seemed emotionless once again, but Suigetsu sensed the imperceptible change that most couldn't. His eye twitched, and Suigetsu's own eyes widened.

And then, they attacked.

He had a face full of mud in the next instant, as many of the others did. They began to flee, but he would not let them.

"Karin!" he shouted. "Get the rest of the men and pin down as many as you can! Naane leader ah muduchidren!"

The next few moments were a blurry haze for most of them, but Suigetsu had a tendency to gain tunnel vision when he was really focused and willing. He saw nothing but the leader he wished to capture, and he began to barrel towards him at full speed in the midst of all the other chaos. He tackled him to the ground, and by instinct slammed the gunpoint on his temple.

Suigetsu glared down at him, vision still hazy from the adrenaline rush. All he could see was Kiba's satisfied face smirking back at him.

It boiled his blood.

He punched him square in the face. "Where's Inuzuka?" He punched him again, drawing blood this time. "Where is he!?" The blood squirted on his jacket and splattered on his face, but he didn't care. He kept striking, repeating the same question over and over.

Obviously, Kiba knew they would come. He told everyone in advance that they would have to make their move sooner than usual. Their main group had packed up and left on quickly crafted rafts, gliding on down the river the moment the first sound of thunder struck.

Naruto left first with Sasuke, followed by Tenten, Neji, and Lee. Sakura let everyone else go before her, choosing to take Ino with herself.

When Suigetsu and his men found their location, they were already gone. They infiltrated the base and the rest of the people, however, temporarily seizing command with their guns and their threats.

It didn't take long to find out the man they wanted was gone, however. But strangely, and much to everyone's surprise, Suigetsu didn't seem frustrated at all. It almost seemed like he was expecting it to happen.

"It's not rocket science," he explained coldly. "They purposefully clued us out to mess with us. There was a low chance we'd actually find them. But now, we can start questioning."

Karin shook her head. "God, when I find this Inuzuka guy, I'm gonna kill him myself."

This earned her a sudden, unexpected death glare from Suigetsu. "Don't."

Karin retreated in shock for a millisecond, but shrugged him off with a scoff. "Oh, my bad. That's your job. Fucking calm down, Sui."

He paid her no heed as he sat down next to her in the old hut, ready to bring in the villagers one by one, ready to inquire them about the whereabouts. There had to be one little weed that he could take advantage of.

The first one came in. She was a woman with dark brown hair named Saki.

"Inuzuka? Why would you want to know about him? If you ask me, Uzumaki and Hyuuga are the main around here – "

"Did we ask you about fucking Uzumaki?" Karin snapped immediately, making the woman cringe.

Suigetsu merely sighed, rubbing his temple. "Next," he said.

The next villager came in, this time a man with black hair. "Oh, so it's you!" he exclaimed. "I was just leaving the old shack that they kept your wife in."

Karin facepalmed, but Suigetsu's interest was visibly piqued. "Where is it?" he asked.

"Just out back."

He turned back to Karin. "Karin, you stay here. I'll be right back."

Karin did not look happy.

"Your hands are so rough," Ino scolded.

"Thanks," Suigetsu replied easily. "They are hands that possess authority." He laid his hand over Ino's, holding it over the breakfast table. She smiled just barely, letting him.

"Wonder how many lives you have in that hand sometimes," she remarked, casually scrolling through her phone with the other hand.

"My hands don't just have the power to kill." He grasped her hand tighter.

Ino's blue eyes peered at him suspiciously. "Hey, I don't know what you're planning, but not now. I'm on my period, so chill."

"I never said anything."

Suigestu felt a smirk curve his lips, and he leaned over the table to quickly peck her on the lips. Ino seemed a lightly startled, as she hadn't seen it coming. She kissed him back lightly when his other hand cupped her chin.

"You're not really on your period," Suigetsu said. "I would know."

Ino bit her lip while grinning, realizing she'd been caught in the lie. Before questioning how he even knew such a creepy thing, she kissed him again, and all lingering thoughts receded to the depths of her mind, never to be dredged up again.

While Suigetsu remembered all of this, he stared at the severed rope littering the ground, wondering how she felt when she was tied up in it.

The backs of Ino's hands were pressed taut against wet rock. She was leaning against it, only lightly fidgeting as she had given up getting out. She was leaning against another cave; she briefly wondered if it was the same one – this whole place was beginning to look the same; watching Kiba spar by himself outside.

She watched him for a long time, wondering if he was just trying to show off. Then again, that wouldn't exactly be his primary concern, would it? She knew he was doing this to get back at Suigetsu, but by letting her live, it seemed he had ulterior motives. The knife in his hand glinted each time the sun peeked out of the clouds.

Her question would soon be answered. She nearly jumped, startled at the sound of something knocking against the cold hard ground. Neji and Hinata were approaching her from her right, both carrying a young, battered man ,who was yelling and begging for them to let go. Neji was emotionless, and Hinata tried her best to be the same.

"We found him," Neji told him. "Go on." He pushed the frightened man towards Kiba.

Ino watched.

He stood up straight as soon as he caught sight of Kiba. Brushing his sweaty bangs out of his eyes, the desperate pleas began again. "K-Kiba… I don't know anything, I swear. It wasn't me, I swear!"

Kiba said nothing, only leaning in closer to inspect him. Neji shook his head, and Hinata looked on gravely. "Tell the truth," she said.

"Any trouble getting here?" Kiba questioned, ignoring both of them. "Up to your taste and all?" Thrown off by the question, he merely nodded, trembling as he did so.

Ino swallowed thickly from the distance, feeling apprehension fill her throat.

"So, what's that?" Kiba nodded his head and gaze flickering downwards. "A watch?" The other man remained speechless, still shaking. "It that the one I got you?"

He nodded again, this time more surely.

Kiba was trying not to smile; he knew he had an audience. He couldn't reveal too much, but his tendency of restraining himself only led to his inevitable burst.

"You had my sister, too," Kiba said. His tone grew exponentially darker when he added, "Where is she."

"I-I don't know," the man barely managed to stutter.

"Did you lose her? That's hilarious. You've kept the watch safe this whole time... but you lost her." Kiba turned away, shaking his head as he tried to gather himself. He gripped his knife tighter. Neji and Hinata had dutifully turned away.

"Please," the man whispered, looking to the Hyuuga. "Please tell him to leave me alone. I don't know anything, I've never known anything!" They faced him stonily, not responding.

"Where is she?" Kiba repeated.

Ino watched, as everyone kept repeating themselves and tensions ran higher and Kiba's voice was getting dangerously lower and the man's voice got desperately higher and Hinata and Neji refused to say anything. Then, Kiba screamed, the knife had blood, the young man let out an ear-piercing roar, and there was a severed limb on the ground.

Ino looked away, eyes clenched shut, swallowing her own scream.