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Between purple and red

Chapter 3 - The boy with the dog

"Your mission will start monday, only by then I will have all the items you'll need prepared. So you can rest for the weekend," Tsunade said. Kaoru was relieved. She was too weak and tired to start the mission right in that moment, whatever the mission was.

"And what is the mission?" he asked. Tsunade glared at Shikamaru that seemed bored for being there, she didn't want to talk in front of him.

"You will know monday."

Someone knocked the door.

"Enter." Tsunade ordered.

Shizune entered the room, following her was a boy and a white big dog. Kaoru saw the boy, he had red marks in his cheeks resembling fangs. His eyes were animalistic, and his hair was too messy. Kaoru found herself thinking about making his hair neat. The boy looked at her, and she blushed. The boy was really handsome.

"Kiba, these are our Suna guests," Tsunade said.

"Kiba, the dog boy!" Kankuro mocked. Kaoru wanted to slap the puppet master, for being so rude to their host, but she was surprised when she saw Kiba laughing.

"Kankuro, the doll boy," he replied equally joking. Then he turned to her.

"I assume you are Kaoru, right?" Kiba asked.

"Yes, Kurokaze Kaoru," she presented herself.

"I'm Inuzuka Kiba," he said giving a sexy smile, that made her heart skip a beat. A bark came from the huge dog, that startled the purple haired girl. "Ah right and he is Akamaru." Kiba said pointing at his dog. Kaoru looked at the dog and gave him a small nod with a small smile. What was she supposed to do? Talk with the dog?

A few minutes later, the two sand nins were following Kiba and Akamaru. Well, Kaoru was following, Kankuro was next to Kiba talking about random things. Kiba looked over his shoulder.

"I have to say that when I saw Kaoru's name in my mission scroll, I thought it was a guy," Kiba said.. "But I'm grateful, it's a girl, a pretty one!"

Kaoru blushed and smiled, Kiba smiled at her too. Kankuro saw the exchange of smiles.

"Kiba, you must be desperate," he evilly said. Kiba was about to respond, but the girl cut him.

"Kankuro-dono," she sighed on purpose "Please just... shut up."

Kiba's eyes were filled with surprise by her words, but he laughed.

"Yeah, Kankuro shut up!" he joked.

After, an almost 20 minute walk, they arrived at Kiba's house where they were staying.

It was a mid size house and it was close to a forest. It was bigger than Kaoru's for sure, not that Kaoru had a small house, she actually had a really good house, located in the richest part of Sunagakure; her family was a high-class family. However no one knew what happened inside those walls.

The three shinobis entered the yard following the dog nin. There were a lot of dog houses and dog toys scattered through the yard. Kaoru realized that Kiba probably had more dogs other than Akamaru.

Kiba unlocked his door, and they all went inside.

"My mother and my sister are not home for a while, so we are alone. Well my sister is only out for the weekend, but still, make yourselves home," Kiba said.

The house was surprisingly clean and well furnitured, compared to its rustic yard. It was a pleasant place.

Akamaru started to snuggle his head against Kaoru's knees. Kaoru petted the dog's head , and he seemed to enjoy it, that until he smelled her gloved hands and barked.

"What is it boy?" Kiba asked his companion, also petting him. Akamaru barked some more.

"Really?" Kiba asked him understanding what the animal was saying, then he looked at the girl's hands. By his face she could tell he knew what was there.

"Let me guess... some kind of chackra seal?" Kiba asked. Kaoru smirked, this boy was smart.

"Yes," she responded. Kankuro stood not far away watching the whole thing.

'Chackra seals? What are they talking about?'

"Akamaru got scared he can't smell you no matter how hard he tries," he laughed, " Neither can I."

Kaoru blushed a bit, and her eyes fixed in Kiba's hair again. He had a loose lock that pointed in the opposite side of the others. She started to move her fingers discretely. That loose lock was getting at her nerves. She tried to distract herself.

"You use chackra to smell?" she asked trying to no pay attention in to that damn brown lock.

"Yeah I use chackra to increase my sense of smell," he replied. Not noticing her shaking hand and uncontrollable fingers, however a certain observant puppet master was watching it, and smirking. Kankuro didn't even tried to hide it.

"Well if you use it close to me, it won't work, you can't use chackra. You'll have to be at least 3 meters away from me." Kaoru couldn't take it anymore. Her hand reached almost on its own at his hair, she took the hair lock between her finger and gently tried to make it look right. Kiba blushed at her attitude.

No matter how hard she tried, that piece of hair didn't stay right. She kept touching for a while.

Kankuro laughed in the beginning, then his amused face started to fade away, as he saw Kiba liking it. Kaoru seemed not noticing the effect she was having at the dog boy.

Then Kankuro saw something else, they were staring at each other.

The mood was awkward, at least for the puppet master. He had to break it.

"What do you mean he can't use chackra in you?" Kankuro spoke loud enough to make the other two shinobis jump. Even poor Akamaru got startled.

He saw his plan working when Kaoru let go of Kiba's hair.

"Chackra doesn't work against me," she said with a cold voice.

"Since when?" Kankuro asked raising an eyebrow.

"Since a few years ago," she replied.

"No way, I remember using my chackra strings on you." He smirked reminding some wicked situations where he put Kaoru through hell. Well... not hell, but it was funny seeing her all riled up.

"And when was that?" Kaoru asked.

"Hmm... I think a few years ago," Kankuro responded.

"Exactly!" she said, ending her point.

"So the seals are in your hands?" Kiba asked.

"Yes, my hands are totally immune against chackra attacks. However my body also rejects any kinda of chackra contact. It turns it off. Like fire under water," Kaoru replied smiling at Kiba.

Kankuro was speechless. In just half an hour, Kiba had discovered something that he has tried for years. A strange feeling came inside of him.

'Whatever, he probably will start finding her annoying anytime soon.'

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Kiba showed them their rooms. He let Kaoru stay in the guest room, and he would share his room with Kankuro.

"Dude your room is a freaking mess," Kankuro said looking arround.

"Sorry, but I didn't expect anyone sleeping here. I really thought Kaoru was a guy," Kiba said picking up his clothes from the floor. Kankuro wondered why the hell he would share the guest room with another guy, if Kaoru was a dude... in a king size bed.

"If she saw your room, she would have a heart attack, or probably clean it for you." Kankuro said putting down his scrolls.

"Why is that?" the younger boy asked, still trying to clean up his room.

"She has OCD, she's a neat freak."

"What the hell is OCD?" Kiba asked.

"She has an obsessive compulsive disorder. She can't stand things out-of-place, everything must be perfect you know?"

"Ah! I know what that is." Kiba kept doing his thing. Kankuro saw the boy reacting indifferent about that. That somehow got into his nerve.

"That's why she was playing with your hair." Kiba stopped and glared at the sand-nin. Then he smirked.

"Good, now I have an excuse for her touching me." He said messing his hair even more. Kankuro frowned.

"What? Don't tell me you don't find her attractive? She's a total babe...wait she's not your girlfriend, right?" Kiba asked.

"WHAT? Are you serious I would never date that weirdo. How on earth would you think something like that?" Kankuro burst.

"Well, I noticed your face paint is the exact same color as her hair."

"So?" Kankuro was red, not knowing if he was blushing or just furious, Kiba kept speaking.

"I don't know, it could be a tribute to her, a relationship thing or something."

Kankuro grunted. "It's not."

"I have to go do groceries, we could go out dinner, what do you think?" Kiba asked.

"Sure," Kankuro replied.

"Ok, let's ask Kaoru-chan."

'Kaoru-chan?'

Kankuro frowned. He had a bad feeling about this.

Kiba knocked the door where Kaoru was staying.

"Kaoru-chan we were planning to go out to eat wanna join?" Kiba asked. Kaoru at first blushed, no one ever called her -chan. No one was ever that nice to her, but then her thoughts flew away, when she realized she had to say no.

"I'm sorry but I'm really tired. I really want to sleep."she said. 'and change these damn bandages'.

"You don't eat for almost three days, I'm starting to wonder if you are truly anorexic." Kankuro said appearing from behind.

"Kankuro-dono, please mind your own business, I am not anorexic, I am just really tired. As you know I did not sleep last night," Kaoru said, trying her best to not show how hungry she was.

"Well, you can stay if you want, we have to go because I don't have anything to eat here. Akamaru will stay with you in case you need anything," Kiba said. Kaoru didn't understand, how the dog would help her if she needed anything.

"Kiba-kun. I was wondering... if I can use your shower," she politely asked.

"Of course, the bathroom is across the hall. There's towels in the cabinet."

"Thank you, Kiba-kun."

The boys said goodbye, well Kiba said, Kankuro just ignored her and they both left.

Kaoru sighed. She prepared her clothes neatly in the bed, that she was going to wear, which were basically pants and a long sleeve shirt pyjamas.

She took off her gloves, and let the air touch the skin. Then she looked down and saw Akamaru laying on the floor of the room. She came close to the dog and knelt to pet his head. His fur felt so soft between her fingers. It was amazing. Akamaru seemed to enjoy it as well. Kaoru always loved animals, but rarely she was able to actually feel one in her skin.

Her father would never let her have an animal, it would "mess and make the house dirty" as he usually said, even though she was almost treated like one. No... Even worse than an animal. Compared to Akamaru, her life was below shit. She tried not to think much about it. The thoughts about her father made her feel sick. She was in another country, she didn't need to deal with that for a month!

She grabbed her bandages and healing ointment and her bath products and went to the bathroom. Turning on the water, she stripped down her clothes and untied her hair. Then unwrapped the bloody bandages. She look over her shoulder to the mirror and saw that the stab wound still looked really bad. The others somehow seemed better... kind off... She entered the bath tub and let the water spill over her head. It was the best feeling she had over the last three days.

After washing and carefully pick a red towel, if any blood would stain it. She took care of her wounds. She finished the bandages she had. Kaoru sighed in sadness, she had to buy more the next day. Of course, she would prefer to buy food, but she had to treat herself, and make sure no one would find how bad she was damaged.

Damaged in body and in mind. Since young, Kaoru was quiet. Not because she was shy or timid, but because her father didn't like her to play with other children. If she did so, she would get beaten. So she didn't play with anyone, never. The other kids took that attitude as arrogance. They judged her, and mocked her, because they thought she acted 'so superior'. Kaoru was damaged, but she wasn't stupid. Her father knew that long missions like this one could make her change, it was undeniable that she could actually make... friends. Maybe that Kiba boy could be her friend. Maybe she could act... normal with him. Yeah maybe...

Kaoru cleaned the bathroom, letting no signs of blood in there. Then she wrapped herself in the towel and went to her room dress. Akamaru was watching, but come on he was a dog... what would he do? She placed the wet towel neatly behind the chair located at the corner of the room. Then she went to bed. Patting the free space next to her, she let Akamaru laid beside her. She fell asleep in no time.

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"I'm so tired," said Kankuro, coming back to Kiba's place.

"I'll prepare your bed. I have a spare futon for when Shino comes sleepover." Kiba responded getting inside the house. He went straight to the kitchen putting the groceries where they belonged.

"Shino? Isn't that the guy that I almost killed?" Kankuro asked yawning.

"Yeah. I think he's still mad about that. Where's Akamaru?" Kiba asked looking around.

"Must be with Kaoru."

Both boys went upstairs. Kiba prepared Kankuro's bed, while the puppet master went for a bath.

Kankuro was truly tired, as he washed his face paint off and the paint diluted in the water, he remembered Kaoru touching Kiba's hair. How nice she was to the dog boy and not to him. She was teasing him. Yeah that was it Kaoru was teasing him with Kiba. Kankuro smirked.

'There is no way she would like him. She doesn't like dogs. She like things neat and clean.'

After putting his sleeping clothes on, which were some loose black pants, he left the small room.

"Traitor."

He saw Kiba in front of Kaoru's room. Kiba saw him and waved with his head for him to peek.

Akamaru was sleeping in the bed with Kaoru, they were laying side by side. Because of Kiba's attitude, Akamaru probably didn't want to sleep anywhere else. Both boys were pissed off.

Kiba because of his "traitor" companion, and Kankuro because he wasn't so sure about 'her not liking dogs' anymore and with that thought he wasn't referring to Akamaru...

To be continued...

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