"Alright." Said Kiba." You've dragged me off now what?"
"We had to get you out of that situation." Told Choji." What were you going picking a fight with a jounin."
"Well not that it's any of your business." Said Kiba as he turned from the two." Dismissed, rejected publicly humiliated why it's more than I can bear."
"We've got to get his temper down." Said Choji to Shikamaru.
"Let's go find Neji." Replied Shikamaru."Surely he'll know what to do ." Choji nodded and then walked up to Kiba and wrapped his arm around his friend.
"C'mon Kiba." He said as he did so." Let's go find something to do."
Meanwhile Hinata found herself following Kurenai and Asuma.
"S-sensei." Said Hinata as she followed." W-where are we going?"
Just then Kurenai did a complete turn around and faced Hinata.
"Hinata we need to talk." Said Kurenai.
"T-talk." Said Hinata. "About what?"
"About Kiba." Replied Kurenai. Hinata stood back in confusion.
"He seems very distraught recently." Said Kurenai.
"And I don't know how much longer his friends will be able to keep him under control." Added Asuma.
"I don't understand." Said Hinata." W-what's this h-have to do with me?"
"Very simple." Said Kurenai." I want you to get him under control."
"M-m-me?" asked Hinata." W-what can I do?"
"So far he's friends have been able to keep him under control." Said Kurenai." But like we said this might not last much longer. So I want you to channel all the rage he's built-up and harness it into something productive and safe."
"B-b-but I don't see what I c-can-"
"You're a smart girl." Said Asuma." Just use some charm on him and he'll do whatever you ask."
"I-" began Hinata.
"Good luck." Said Kurenai as she turned away with Asuma." We're counting on you." And then they were gone.
And Hinata was left behind confused with a task she didn't understand.
Meanwhile with Neji.
Tenten had dragged him from his mediation and to a restaurant.
He of course didn't announce his displeasure but the stern look on his face gave it away and it was not to Tenten pleasure.
"Come on." She said as she hurried him inside. He could barely comprehend what was going on as she pushed him along.
And then suddenly he stood before Sakura and Ino.
"So glad you could make it." Said Sakura to Tenten cheery but then she turned to Neji." I didn't know you were bringing company." She said in a duller voice.
Sakura had never fully forgiven the boys of the Sasuke mission for not bringing Sasuke back, others in the village thought the same only Sakura made her opinion well known to the four who remained. And it was things like these that made Kiba angry and Neji the cold person he was now.
Neji of course did not reply to Sakura only laid hos cold eyes on her.
"Come." Said Tenten to him." Sit."
"You brought me from my meditation to be with your friends?" he asked.
"Well I thought you could use some social interaction." Said Tenten as she sat down. Most had always taken Neji for a cold character who seldom spoke. This in part was true although he did it not for spite of anyone else, but Tenten always thought she could reach out and make him something other than what he was."Sit."
Neji let out a slight sign and sat down surrounded by the three females. Tenten was pleased and would talk on for several moments about their growing relationship and how she was getting Neji to do new things, these 'new things' qualified as them getting together more. She believing getting past his cold exterior and trying to make their relationship work although Neji was more than willing to comply, just so he could make her happy although he'd never say or let that be known.
But even after all these times Tenten had never once gotten Neji to do what she wanted most.
This whole time Neji was completely beside himself, not that he didn't want to be out with Tenten he just didn't want to be out in these circumstances.
"Speaking of which Ino." Said Tenten suddenly changing the conversation." How it going with Shikamaru." Sakura rolled her eyes at the name.
"Well I." Ino stammered for a moment." We're fine." Neji's cold eyes rolled over at her at the question of his good friend and Ino froze up on the spot." I-I-I-"
"NEJI!" said Tenten reaching over and giving him a push on the chest, then he turned his eyes to her." You're scaring her."
"I meant no disrespect." Neji said very flatly.
"You know." Said Tenten." If you smiled more often more people wouldn't think you're so stuck up." Neji only looked at her with a raised brow and not smiling.
"How sentimental." Said a voice that attracted their all their attentions. Everyone looked over to see Kiba standing nearby." You know I haven't been this choked up since I got a hunk of musaca caught in my throat, huh?" He then waited for everyone to laugh which they didn't and they all just looked at him. Kiba then walked forward rolling his eyes." Is this an audience or a mosaic?"
Following after him were Shikamaru and Choji. Their brief walk around town had done well to calm Kiba down only now we would get sarcastic, and his sarcasm was only liked by him.
"You always were a hard and nasty man." Said Neji as Kiba turned to him and the two began to stare each other down. A cold silence fell as the two looked over the other with judging eyes. But then Kiba let out a chuckle and a smile crossed his lips.
Neji in turn gave up although he didn't smile his face was put at ease and gave a pleasant look Kiba's way.
"What brings you boys here?" he asked turning to Choji and Shikamaru.
"Just in the neighborhood." Said Shikamaru." And thought we'd drop by, forgive me if we're intruding."
"Not at all." Said Neji before Tenten or the others could speak up.
"Well if you're not too busy." Said Kiba glancing over the female crowd." Your more than welcome to accompany us around."
Neji stood up and looked at the girls." Ladies." He said." I'll be excusing myself now." Then he turned to his friends and they began to file out.
"Wait." Said Tenten clasping Neji's arm." Have you forgotten what we have been doing?" she asked. Neji turned and glanced back at her.
"I go where I am wanted." Replied Neji." And my company will be more appreciated elsewhere." Then she let him slid threw her fingers as he walked off with his boys.
Tenten with a great huff returned to Ino and Sakura.
"Well that was interesting." Said Sakura.
"Probably something we didn't need to see." Added Ino.
Yea that was a couple moment." Said Sakura.
Tenten let out an annoyed cry as she slammed her hand on the table.
"This always happens." She said." Every time I try to get him to go out he always goes somewhere else!"
"Shikamaru to." Added Ino." The four of them are always hanging out. Shikamaru, Neji, Choji, and Kiba."
"They're all united in their bonds of failure." Spoke up Sakura.
"Did you notice." Said Tenten pointing an annoyed finger up." That his mood completely changed the second they showed up. He's never like that with me, he's always so locked up and serious. I have a vagina why doesn't he open up to me and-"
"E-excuse me." Said a timid voice. The girls turned over to see Hinata walking up to them." H-have any of you seen K-kiba? I couldn't help but overhear you mention his name and I-"
"Why are you looking for Kiba?" asked Sakura.
"I-I need to t-tell him something." said Hinata.
"What do you have to tell him?" asked Ino.
"It's- It's very i-important." Said Hinata. The other three girls looked at each other curiously.
"He just took off with Shikamaru, Neji and Choji." Told Ino pointing in the direction they went." If you hurry you might catch them."
Hinata looked in the direction pointed to her." Th-Thank you." She said and then she turned and walked off. She was nervous about all this, Asuma had said 'Use some charm' and Hinata had a hard time of figuring out what that was. She was also very cautious about how she would approach this situation. Kiba was as close as a brother to her and she knew just as well as Shikamaru, Choji, and Neji that when Kiba is made to do something he doesn't like he reacts the way he always reacts with anger. So Hinata was going to have her hands full with this.
Meanwhile the boys had been walking through the streets.
"Looks like we rescued from hell and back." Said Kiba slapping Neji on the back.
"It's no hell." Said Neji." Just an uncomfortable situation."
"How so?" asked Shikamaru as he and Choji walked to the other side of Neji.
"Tenten always wants to go out, but her way of going out differs greatly from mine." Replied Neji.
"Yea." Said Shikamaru as he scratched his head." Ino's always trying to get me to hang out with her." With that remark Neji and Kiba looked over at Choji who smiled back.
"Does she?" asked Kiba feeding into the conversation.
"She fancies you." Said Neji turning to Shikamaru.
"Me?" asked Shikamaru turning to Neji with a skeptical look." No, no not me."
"She is always trying to get you to hang out." Added Choji.
"No." said Shikamaru." She likes tougher guys, guys like Sasuke not like me."
"What makes you think that?" asked Kiba.
"She's always telling me what to do and complains about my lifestyle." Shikamaru quickly replied trying to stop this slaughter from his friends.
"Tenten's always like that with me." Said Neji." Don't be too quick to judge such ridiculous situations." He added with a raised finger." Stranger things have always happened."
"Hey look." Said Choji stopping. The other three looked back to see him standing there looking at a piece of paper on a pole.
Neji, Shikamaru, and Kiba crowded around him and looked over the paper. Shikamaru of course happy for the sudden change in topic as it strayed away form him.
It read:
"By the order of Lady Tsunade the fifth Hokage a tournament is to be instated between the Leaf and Sand village. As a sign of Good faith between the two, the mightiest ninjas in both villages will met in a tournament"
"Well that's interesting." Said Choji looking back at the boys." A tournament."
"Do you think those Sand siblings will be there?" asked Kiba.
"I've no doubt of their appearance in this." Said Neji." They were tough opponents all those years ago."
"And have most likely gotten stronger." Said Kiba with a smile." I'm down for this tournament." Akamaru gave a bark in agreement.
"Surely you are." Chuckled Shikamaru.
"But I won't go alone." Said Kiba." You guys have to enter to."
"I don't think so." Said Shikamaru shaking his head." It would be too much of a drag."
"I have to agree." Said Choji.
"The paper says the mightiest ninja of both villages." Told Kiba." Who's the mightiest in this village if not us." His friends scoffed at his comment." Granted Naruto's not with us, so we'll have to do without him."
"I conquer." Spoke up Neji." I shall enter this tournament." He added with a nod.
"That makes two." Said Kiba as he took Shikamaru and Choji in his arms and began to squeeze." Now what of you two?" Then he began applying pressure.
"Ok, ok." The two answered after a few moments.
"That's enough." Said Choji as Kiba kept applying pressure after they answered." Damn it, that's enough I said." Then he shook Kiba off.
"Okay okay." Said Kiba as he took a few steps back.
"This tournament will do you the most best." Said Choji." Let you harness all that anger and rage into something."
"You'd all just best hope I don't have to use it on you." Replied Kiba with a laugh.