Author's Note: Thankyou to the guys who left me lovely reviews and added me to their favourites! There's only two of you so far, but I'm happy all the same! I thought I'd upload this chapter for you, just so you know I AM going to update this thing.
However, I just want to let ya know that the next chapter may not be uploaded for a while. I'll give myself a time limit of two weeks; should probably be sooner than that, but at least I have a deadline now! So keep the reviews coming; feel free to critique, too!
DISCLAIM-ERRRRRRRR *I do not own Naruto stuff*! But oh, what fun it would be if I did!
"I'm going to tell him." She whispered, so softly that only he could hear her. She twiddled her thumbs in a nervous fashion, looking to the ground. He was glad for that, because the look of utter desolation on his face - and the hint of anger in his eyes - would have scared her more than the prospect of what she was about to do. "I am going to tell him, no matter what. I... I've waited too long." He could hear her heartbeat racing as she raised her eyes to his face, and he had just enough time to compose himself. The silence around him however was deafening in his ears; he didn't remember ever knowing the sound of silence, but here it was. Thick and heavy and too hard to take. His hands curled into fists behind his back and his long fingernails cut into the bare flesh of his palms.
"Then go." He murmured, not daring to stare into the perfect face but instead focusing on a tree close to the left. He didn't think the girl noticed his shaking, or his lack of concentration on anything tangible, because she smiled all the same. It was the smile of someone whose dreams were about to come true. For his own sake, he hoped those dreams were crushed. But no, he couldn't think like that, and he tried to lift his spirits as she turned and began to walk away.
The lavender scent of her skin lingered even after she had left the training ground. There was a slight breeze turned in his favour, and he stood staring into the thick forest in the direction she had disappeared, his face turned upward in an attempt to take in more of his favourite smell. He closed his eyes and tried to capture the expression on her face as she had said goodbye. She was hopeful, and yet wary, hesitant. The next few hours would be the most important ones of her life, and what she said and how she acted would change everything.
The next few hours would be crucial for him, too. For if she were successful in her attempts, he would have to try to smile when, tomorrow, she came walking up to him with a dazzling smile on her face, directed not at him but at the blond-haired boy who held her hand. He would have to endure the long days when his training partner instead trained with the future Hokage, who would most likely have her sit and watch so she "wouldn't get hurt". That punk knew nothing about her. Nothing! He didn't understand how her complex mind worked, he didn't know how hard it was for her to sit by and watch as her friends grew stronger without her. Well shit, he'd been too preoccupied to even notice the subtle, utterly useless advances the girl had made towards him over the course of the last seven years!
As the minutes wore on, the familiar scent of her faded and was replaced with clean, fresh air. The smell of the earth and the trees and the grass would normally have had a calming effect on Kiba Inuzuka, but not today. Today was something he could definitely live without.
With a long, growling sigh, he hunched his shoulders and let his head droop, crossing his arms to defend himself against the sharp needles of jealousy that pierced his chest. Naruto Uzumaki indeed. What did she see in him that Kiba himself did not have?
He repeated bitterly the words he'd told her teasingly on many occasions. "You know Naruto and I are similar, admit it! Same hair, same hyperactive exterior, same determination! And you know we're both tough shinobi. But you know... there's one defining difference between me and Naruto."
That was where the teasing always ended, and he'd look at her with sad, puppy-dog eyes, willing her to look at him and understand the sincerity of his words. There was one defining difference, something she had not picked up on, not having the same keen senses that Kiba himself had. One defining difference.
Kiba knew her inside and out. Kiba would look after her. Kiba would make her happy.
The defining difference was that Kiba was already hers, body and soul; she didn't have to go searching for him!
His attempts at gaining her understanding never worked, for as soon as the name "Naruto" would fall from his bitterly twisted lips, she would blush, stare deeply into space, and cease to hear a word he was saying. He'd since learned to hold his tongue, and tried not to mention the name at all in conversation, to avoid a relapse.
With a snicker, Kiba kicked his heels together and turned, striding in the opposite direction as quickly as his feet would allow him on such little chakra. Not only had he felt mentally drained for almost month now, his training regime had been stepped up a few large notches ever since he became a jounin, even though highly-ranked missions were becoming more and more rare as time went on. The genin of the village continued to walk dogs and paint fences, but since peace-time two years previously there was little for powerful ninja like himself to do. All there was was training. Training training training.
And Hinata.
Damn, he just could not forget her, even for a few seconds. There was definitely something wrong with him, something strangely wired in his brain. He used to love the fact that the petite kunoichi stole his thoughts on almost every occasion, but now she haunted him like a child's nightmare. How could a face so pale and perfect be so painful to him now? Oh, that's right. That smile he remembered in her lavender eyes was not for him. It was for the greatest shinobi in the village of Konoha, the person whom Hinata Hyuuga was in love with.
No, not in love. Kiba knew, in the very pit of his stomach, that she did not love Naruto Uzumaki. He suspected it was more like sheer admiration that made Hinata blush and freeze whenever Naruto was present, or when his name was mentioned. Kiba had to admit that Naruto was strong, and everything that Hinata strove to be. Naruto was smart, and brave, and so outgoing it was often annoying. But he was the embodiment of the image Hinata wanted for herself. She wanted to be strong, and brave, and outgoing. She wanted to be classed as one of the great shinobi of Konoha, to feel proud.
And with a family like hers, it was no wonder she craved recognition for her abilities. Hiashi Hyuuga was a proud man, but he was not proud of his eldest daughter. Kiba's sharp eyes caught every emotion that crossed the old Hyuuga's face when mention of his daughters came up; "Hanabi" gained the speaker a small smile, while "Hinata" always resulted in narrowed, tight eyes and a twist of the lips that could only mark disdain. Anyone else would believe this alteration was merely the result of Hiashi's old age, a twitch of the facial muscles, but Kiba's senses knew otherwise. If it were possible for him to get Hiashi alone, Kiba would attempt to scratch those narrow eyes from their sockets.
Kiba wound his way through the trees without thinking; he knew this forest like he knew his own name, having trained in and around it for seven years now, since he became a genin. The smells around him grew more urban, with smoke and metal tainting the clean air, so he knew he was getting close to home. The Inuzuka compound was closest to the forest, and he was glad he would not have to go through the village proper; he had no patience for anyone right now. He was afraid of what he might do if he crossed Naruto's path, though he knew that was near impossible, as Hinata had sought him out with her byakugan and gone directly to him. By now the two of them would be on the other side of the village.
He passed through the final copse of trees to find Akamaru waiting obediently by the front door, his giant tail swinging rhythmically like a metronome. At the sight of his best friend, Kiba smiled slightly, unable to hold back the happiness he felt at returning home to his family. Training had been grueling today, and... well, his day was only going to get worse; maybe being with Akamaru in his own home would help him relax and take... the news... better when he recieved it.
The front door of his home creaked as he pushed at it with his shoulder. Once inside he groaned, feeling suddenly heavy and overcome with tiredness, and crumpled to the floor. Akamaru quickly skittered inside, extremely agile for an animal of his size, and caught his friend as he fell, whimpering as Kiba clutched weakly at his long fur. He barked once, and after a few short moments the sound of footsteps rained down the staircase.
Down the hall barged Tsume Inuzuka, a frightening look upon her face. She was tall, with eyes as sharp as Kiba's own, and hair that splayed haphazardly around her. "Ooh, Kiba!" She growled, frustrated at the sight of the near-unconscious Kiba, "You know better than to train yourself to death. Why do you have to scare your mother like this, huh?" She eyed Akamaru and gave him a nod and a slight smile, thanking him for his assistance, and then said, "Take him to his room, please, Akamaru. Let him sleep it off."
"Sorry, oka-chan..." Kiba murmured weakly, trying for a smile and forcing only a tight grimace, "it's been a long day."
His mother barked out a laugh. "And it's only four. What did you get up to? Sparring with Naruto again?"
Kiba's mouth went dry. "No." He growled. He patted Akamaru's side a little harder than he thought he could, and his faithful friend took the hint, bounding straight past the startled Tsume and up the staircase with Kiba on his back. Why did she have to be so forceful? What was it to her what he was doing today?
What was she, his mother?
Once in their tiny room, Akamaru rolled Kiba onto the small single bed. Kiba made no attempt to move, feeling the guilt rain down on his back as his consciousness ebbed. How could he be so selfish? Hinata... she wanted to be with Naruto. That was the end of it. He could do nothing else. And his mother cared for him like no one else did; perhaps he would confide in her tomorrow.
Tomorrow... he wished it never had to come.