Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto!

Chapter 8 - Opposites attracted

Kaoru woke up with a huge smile. The night before, she had her first kiss. And it was amazing! For the first time, the sand kunoichi wanted to jump and giggle like a school girl. She was falling in love, and that feeling filled every little hole in her damaged heart.

"I love Konoha," she whispered to herself.

She glanced at her side and Akamaru was lying down next to her, once again. The dog seemed to enjoy sleeping with her. She petted his head and he slowly woke up, rolling back down, so his belly was up. She started to ruffle his fur and he seemed to enjoy it.

Akamaru then started to lick her face and that made her laugh really loud. After several minutes of "fighting" and playing with the dog nin. Someone knocked the door. Before Kaoru could answer, the door opened. Kiba leaned against the door frame.

"Isn't that a great scene or what?" Kiba said grinning. Akamaru was almost on top of Kaoru, and they both looked embarrassed at Kiba. Akamaru ran towards his master, and barked.

"Is that so, boy?" Kiba replied.

Akamaru barked some more. Kaoru watched the boy and the dog talking with each other. It was quite amusing, she chuckled and got Kiba's attention. The leaf shinobi smirked and moved into the bed. He sat next to Kaoru and kissed her. She blushed a bit, but kissed back. He grabbed her head, entangling his fingers in her hair. He kissed her cheek, then her jaw, and then her neck. He sniffed her neck, and moaned.

"You smell so good," he said. Kaoru blushed and pulled him in to another kiss, this time Kiba parted her lips with his tongue guaranteeing it's entrance in the girl's mouth. Kaoru may never french kissed before, but she knew that kiss was the sexiest kiss. Their tongues licking each other, tasting each other like there was no tomorrow. Kiba pulled Kaoru gently into his lap and intensified the kiss.

Akamaru started to bark loud, to break the kiss. And he was successful. Kiba laughed.

"Don't be jealous Akamaru!" the dog barked in response.

"What did he say?" Kaoru asked curious.

"That I stole you from him," Kiba replied. The girl laughed at the white dog and petted him.

Akamaru barked some more, and left.

"I made breakfast, come," Kiba said with a huge smile, pulling her out of bed.

"I have to get dressed, wait."

"You don't need to!" Kiba said. Kaoru was in her black pajamas, which were longs pants and a t-shirt. She grabbed her gloves from the dresser, but Kiba took them away.

"You don't need that either! Come," He pulled her to the kitchen. Kaoru was so happy. Never in her life she would imagine, that she would wake-up in a such a good way. She really liked the guy that was grabbing her hand. It didn't matter if he was from another village, or if it was a small romance kind of thing. In that moment she just wanted to go with the flow. To savour every bit of it.

Kaoru was so distracted with the dog boy, she didn't realize that Kankuro was already in the kitchen sitting at the table. The puppet master's jaw almost hit the floor when she saw the kunoichi enter the kitchen. Her hair flowed behind her back. But he put himself together quickly, when he saw Kiba holding her hand. He tried not to stare at them, when he noticed the tattooed seals in her hands and arms. He looked away with all his will power.

After a while Kaoru noticed the puppeteer, he was sitting at the edge of the table eating breakfast. She sat on the table across him, while Kiba fed Akamaru. She waited for the puppeteer to say something about her arms, but he didn't say anything. In fact it was like he was avoiding looking at her. His silence was killing Kaoru.

'Why are you so silent?

Break me, like you always do.'

"Hangover?" she cut the silence. Kankuro looked at her and nodded. He kept looking at her for a minute, then he smirked.

'Here it comes.

Break me in pieces.'

"Kaoru?"

"Yes?"

"I knew your hair wasn't straight."

"What?" Kaoru asked. Somehow she forgot about her hair. Kiba made her forget about how she should be looking.

"Your hair is naturally wavy," he continued. Kaoru blushed, she would never use her hair loose and wavy. Her father didn't let her, because "she would attract the wrong kind of attention from men".

"Yeah, I forgot the blow dryer in Suna," she said.

"You look better like that," he said with a small smile. Then he looked away. Kaoru was shocked.

'What's wrong with you Kankuro?'

After breakfast, Kiba convinced Kaoru to go for a walk, Kankuro insisted staying home because of his hangover, and he had to work on his new puppet. Kaoru went to her room and changed her bandages. Her wounds were getting better, except for the stab injury which seemed to be even more infected. She put some of the ointment Sakura made her buy on it. The ointment seemed to have an anesthetic effect because the pain was nothing compared to a few days ago, or maybe she was just getting used to the pain. She dressed her shinobi outfit and put her forehead protector. She brushed her hair and parted it in three sections to braid it, but she remembered Kankuro's words.

"You look better like that"

She decided to let it loose. Kaoru knew that this was probably going to be the only time in her life she could be herself. She decided in that very moment, that she wouldn't care about details while she stayed in Konoha. She planned to take advantage of every minute in that month, she didn't care the consequences with her father. He wouldn't find out anyway, right?

0000000000

Kiba was a teaser. He teased everybody about everything. In fights, he would tease the opponent, in missions he would tease the client, at home he would tease his mother, when going out he teased his friends. Kiba was a teaser by nature.

But since he met Kaoru his teasing evolved to another level. He never teased someone romantically, or for his own sake. In the past he always teased to confront authority, to show his independence, his way as a leader.

However the sand Kunoichi trigged something inside him, that he hadn't felt before. Of course he had a few crushes and had made out with some girls before, but with Kaoru was different. He actually felt like he should please the girl.

Never Kiba put someone before him, on the exception of his dog. Not even his team mates. For him they were all at his level. But Kaoru... Her hair, her eyes, her mouth, her presence... She mesmerized him, from the first time he saw her.

Kiba didn't want to admit but the whole idea of existing someone so powerful over him, someone who could make him do anything they wanted, was terrifying.

But he wasn't a coward, and his animalistic side said he should go ahead with the girl. Somehow he had nothing to lose. If things went wrong, he only had to bear with her for a month, then she would go to Suna and probably they would never see each other again. But what if it turned out to be alright? What if he was really falling in love?

Kiba glanced at the sand Kunoichi at his side, as they both walk through the park.

Kaoru looked impeccable.

Even with her hair flying behind her back, her posture was magnificent. No one could pass by her, without noticing how royal she was. He smiled to himself. He was falling for her.

'I'll ask Kankuro for his help.'

Both shinobis spent the whole morning walking around Konoha, and knowing each other. The more they talked, the more they realized how different they were. But that made them more attracted to each other.

Kaoru never met someone so free spirit; in Suna everybody was so stiff like her and so serious about everything. Kiba on the other hand, - not only him, but Konoha shinobis in general were so... human. They acted by human instinct. Shinobis should be emotionless, but in Konoha they were all so kind, they weren't afraid of showing love and compassion. And Konoha was one of the best militar forces worldwide. And Kiba represented that. She loved how the boy spoke his mind, how he acted goofy and playful almost all the time, everywhere. He was a bit cocky, true. But his ego was nothing compared to Kankuro's.

Kaoru compared Kiba to Kankuro when they were sharing an ice cream, that the leaf chunin kindly paid for. Kiba was kind towards her, he complimented her and smiled to her all the time. His touch was gentle and his kisses were amazing.

Kankuro always made fun of her, and always hurt her, even when he didn't mean. He seemed to exist only to torment her. Even though, lately he had been acting weird.

Kaoru's face frowned when she thought about the puppet master. He was a big head ache, that's what he was.

Kiba noticed her.

"Is everything ok?" he asked. She smiled and answered yes. They continued to talk knowing each other.

"So what's your biggest fear?" Kaoru asked.

"Nice try, but a true shinobi has no fears," he cockyly said.

"Everybody is afraid of something, tell me I won't tell anyone," she said clinging on his arm, the boy couldn't resist her.

"Ok, I'll tell you, but you can't laugh, ok?" he asked. The sand nin nodded.

"I promise I won't!"

"I'm afraid of big cats," he said blushing and looking away.

"What? You are afraid of cats? But you are dog-like, aren't dogs supposed to chace cats?" Kaoru asked chuckling.

"Oh you promised you wouldn't laugh! And it's not cats! It's big felines. Like tigers and leopard and panthers."

"Aw, I love panthers!" she said, " It's my favourite animal!"

"I thought you were a dog person..." he said making sad puppy dog eyes.

"I'm an animal person. I love all animals!" she touched the boy's messy brown hair trying to make it standing right. Kiba smirked, he loved her OCD, specially when she touched his hair.

"What about you? What's your biggest fear?" he asked the girl.

Kaoru looked at the boy carefully. She had to hide well, her true emotions.

'My father...'

"My biggest fear is... to lose control," she answered, "I think that if I control every single thing in my life, I won't be hurt. Even when I am hurt, at least I know it's not my fault, because I did everything I could to make things perfect."

"If you make things perfect, how could you be hurt?" the dog boy asked. His eyes rested on Akamaru that was lying next to his feet.

"I mean...", his eyes turned to her, "How could you be afraid of getting hurt when you are perfect?"

'I'm perfect...?'

Kiba leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. Both forehead protectors touching.

"Don't worry... I won't let you get hurt," he whispered and then kiss her. Kaoru was speechless. No one ever said that would protect her. Her father words echoed in her mind.

'Why do you keep screaming?

No one will ever come to you...

No one will save you...

You know why?

Because nobody will ever love you...'

A silent tear felt through her face. Kiba kissed Kaoru passionately, he cupped her cheek with his hand and felt something wet. He broke the kiss and saw that the wetness he felt was a tear. Before he could say anything, Kaoru spoke.

"Thank you."

Kiba smiled. He didn't know why the girl cried, but he felt like he shouldn't ask about it. He hugged the girl, and they both walked back home.

0000000000

Kankuro was bored. He worked on his new puppet Sasori, but he didn't feel like it anymore. The mixture between hangover and melancholy was making him depressed. Kiba and Kaoru were gone for a while now, and he felt extremely alone in that house. The puppet master was tired of waiting for them, so he decided to go for a walk by himself.

It wasn't like he knew the village. In fact he had been there just a few times, and it was always in missions or serious matters. He decided to go to where he knew which was the market streets. Maybe he could find a merchant that sold puppet parts.

It took him some time but he finally arrived at his destiny. After seeing a couple of shops and buying a few items he needed, he saw a familiar face. He wasn't really on the mood to talk to someone, but the person saw him and called his name.

"Kankuro-san!"

"Hey Sakura."

"Doing some shopping I see," the girl said smiling.

"Yeah, I was bored alone at Kiba's so I decided to come for a walk."

"Alone? What about Kiba and Kaoru-san?" she asked.

"They went walk Akamaru."

"Oh, I see. By the way, yesterday I forgot to ask Kaoru-san, did she liked the healing ointment I recommended?" Sakura asked.

"Healing ointment?" Kankuro asked clueless of what she was talking about.

"Yes! Oh maybe she didn't use it, I mean I deduced she would use it, because she bought so many bandages. I thought she was hurt, or someone at least was hurt," Sakura said.

The puppeteer didn't say anything.

'Bandages? Healing ointment?

Didn't she said she was going to by "girl stuff"?'

"Well I have to go, bye Kankuro-san."

"Yo, Kankuro what are you doing here?" a voice came from behind the puppet master. It was Kiba and Kaoru was at his side. She looked at the puppet master and then at Sakura.

"Hey Kiba! Hey Kaoru-san" Sakura greeted then left.

Kankuro ignored the leaf kunoichi leaving. His attention was focused at the purple haired girl. Was the sand girl hiding something from him? Why she would lie about buying medical items? It was normal a shinobi buying those things, so why lie about it? His mind thought about a million excuses for her to lie, until he thought the worst one. Was... was she hurt?

Kaoru noticed how Kankuro was staring at her, his eyes showed something. Sadness, anger or... pity? Kaoru froze. Why would he feel pity? Did he knew something? About her father? Without noticing her poker face was lost. Her eyes were almost pleading for Kankuro to stop looking. Both eye contact was broke by Kiba speaking.

"Let's go home, I'll make lunch for us."

Both sand shinobis were silent. They followed the younger boy and his dog. Kankuro felt something was wrong. He had a gut feeling that something terrible was about to happen, that... if it wasn't already happening.

To be continued...

Reviews are welcomed =)