The first time she realized she felt something for Kiba, was when she felt jealousy.

War made everyone a little crazy, a little hot-blooded, a little bit more willing to do things they wouldn't normally do. When every day was a day you could, and should, die…well—apprehension flew out the window.

Hinata even knew it, it was the only way she could confess everything she had to Naruto.

Others drank heavily. Some gambled. Some took up smoking. Some hooked up.

A lot of them hooked up.

So when she saw Kiba crawl out of Ino's tent, she was surprised when she felt her stomach twist in knots. This was normal. It's war, and girls like Kiba. Her dear teammate was handsome, he was outgoing, he was funny. Of course, this was going to happen. So why did she feel that pang of…jealousy?

Perhaps it was because she was lonely herself. But no, that couldn't be it, because she didn't care when she saw it happen with others, when she saw Shikamaru and Temari, Neji and Tenten. Plus, she had companionship in Shino. They still spent every night together, cuddled up, even if Kiba was out getting his own companionship. So that's what this was. She was feeling possessive over her teammate.

When Kiba crawled back into their tent and found her awake, he flashed her a cocky smile and curled up with Akamaru next to her. Her stomach tightened further.

She convinced herself it was because he was her teammate. Nothing more.

As Shino exited, Hinata couldn't help but stare at him as he got comfortable. He glanced at her, opening the arm on his other side to wave her over. "C'mon."

"It won't make Ino…jealous…?" Hinata murmured, a twinge of jealousy coating her own words. Kiba snickered, shaking his head.

"Nothin' to be jealous of, you're my best girl," he teased, beckoning her. She let a smile take over as she crawled over. She rested her head on his chest and he draped his arm around her. "Think she'd be jealous of Shino?" Hinata giggled at the thought, looking up at him, a lazy smirk on his face. "Besides, it's nothing serious. Just fun. No girl can tie this down." A lie. One could.

"Hmm," Hinata hummed, smiling at him. She admired his relaxed nature about these things, she almost wished she could be like that, too. She brought her lip between her teeth as she debated asking what she wanted to ask. He tilted his head at her as she averted her eyes, then brought them back up. She took a deep breath as she forced the question out. "What's it like?"

"What's what like, Hina?" His smirk widened at the question. She shook her head as if to say never mind and he tightened his arm around her. "C'mon, out with it. No secrets on this team."

"Well…you know. Being intimate…kissing for long periods of time, stuff like that…" Her voice was barely a whisper as her face reddened, from her neck to her ears. He chuckled, pulling her closer.

"Wanna find out?"

Her heart skipped at the words. She did want to find out. She wanted to find out with Naruto, of course, but maybe…it would be okay with Kiba. Just practice, right? "Like…we could practice?"

"Sure." He snorted, tilting his head so he was closer to her. He did a magnificent job of covering up the fact his stomach was in knots that she was even considering it. "You're pretty enough," he teased quietly, and she smacked his chest gently. "Let's call it 'training.' I'd be honored to be practiced on by you, princess."

"Oh-" she gasped, raising her eyes to meet his. He had a way with words that always made her feel…funny. He chuckled once more, wiggling his other arm from Akamaru to slide over her cheek. He raised his eyebrows expectantly, waiting on her cue. He could feel her shuddered breaths on his cheek as they closed the distance, and she eventually took the lead and brushed her lips against his.

They had kissed once before, to Kiba's dismay, because she immediately recoiled from it. He never tried again, but this was different. She was asking him. And he knew there could be no strings attached to it. He knew what this was. But he chose to indulge in his fantasies, just once. He knew it could go no further than kissing, and that was okay. So once her lips met his, he took control and slid his over hers more assertively. He rubbed his thumb in circles against her cheek as he deepened the kiss, savoring every second of it. When he kissed her before, he barely got a taste. But this time, he could really taste her, the sweet taste of the berries she had earlier, her minty toothpaste, and everything in between. Memorize her scent and feel. And he was determined to do so if she allowed him.

And she did. He tasted salty and metallic, and she was surprised to find she didn't hate it. She actually liked it, a bit. His arms cradled her far more gently than she could have imagined, and his lips were softer than she could have imagined, too. She thought they'd be chaffed and itchy, but they were smooth and light. The way he slid his lips over hers caused heat to bubble in her stomach, it felt sleek and intimate. When she felt his tongue swipe over her bottom lip, she let an in voluntary gasp escape her, which he took advantage of, slipping his tongue just slightly past her lips. He gently slid it over hers and tightened his grip when a sigh left her. Kiba had his tongue in her mouth, caressing her own tongue, and something felt hot between her legs. At that realization was when she finally pulled away, breathless.

He immediately opened his eyes to scan her, making sure she wasn't upset in anyway, and was graced with a thing of beauty. Kiss bruised lips that were parted for air, eyes closed and brows raised, pink on her cheekbones and nose. She was gorgeous, and he ached to bring her in for another kiss but stopped himself.

"Thank you, Kiba," she breathed out, slowly lifting her eyelids to meet his gaze. He forced a smile as she rested her head on his chest.

He knew what this was. But at least he had this. He had this memory, and it was just for him. At least.