Chapter 88 Old Teammates New Enemies

The sun was just rising over the demon feline kingdom as a group of wolves moved though the large hotel which had been set aside for their personal use. Each of the nations had their own hotel where their residents and where their fighters stayed. A group of three wolves moved though the hallways until they reached the room.

"Open it." ordered Caden as one of the other wolves used a master key to open the door allowing them to enter the hotel room. The room was like the standard hotel room with a small bathroom by the door which leads into a large central room with a bed in the center. They turned on the lights to see two figures sleeping on the bed.

"Time to get up." ordered Caden as he threw the blankets off the bed to reveal that Kiba had fallen asleep with Karin's arms wrapped around him from behind.

"What?" asked Kiba as he slowly sat up, Karin beside him.

"You have a match in two and a half hours you need to get up and get ready." explained Caden "So it is time to pull yourself off the bitch and get ready to fight."

"I will be right down." said Kiba as the three other wolves walked out of the room. Once they were gone Kiba ran to the bathroom before throwing up. Karin rolled her eyes as she stood in the doorway watching him throw up.

"So how many drinks did you have last night?" asked Karin

"None." answered Kiba as Karin raised an eyebrow

"Then why are you throwing up because someone standing in the hall probably thinks I have morning sickness or something else." Stated Karin as Kiba rolled his eyes as he looked up at the red she wolf who he was faking a relationship with.

"First we would have to have sex for that to happen." explained Kiba as he threw up again. "This is just pre combat nerves. I threw up before the chunin exams too."

"Wow…seams kind of kiddy Kiba." stated Karin as she turned and started to walk away "You need to grow up a bit wolf boy."

'Oh shut up red." answered Kiba as they both used the nicknames they had called each other as the hotel room door closed and she walked out. "Like I would want to have clubs with you."

Kiba threw up one more time as his mind wonder a bit, the first thing that popped into his head was the image of little boy wolf who looked just like him only with deep red fur like Karin. He couldn't help but smile before forcing that image out of his head, little did he know Karin was doing the same thing only she was day dreaming about a young she wolf which looked like her only with Kiba's brown fur.

Across the city in the Royal Palace Queen Hinata woke up even earlier than normal as she walked over to the large table located in their bedroom like always the newspaper was waiting for her.

"Let me guess you're on the front page?" asked her mate as Gamba woke up and moved to the table taking one of the fresh breakfast rolls which was sitting out for her.

"Yes and it seems like the people either love or hate the fact that I am in the tournament." explained Hinata before she looked at the odds. "However they did give me good odds that I will win my first match."

"Don't get cocky Hinata." added Gamba

"When have you ever known me to be cocky?" asked Hinata as Gamba nodded his head.

"When does the first match start?" asked Hinata

"Ten." answered Gamba as he remembered the rules for the first round of the tournament each fight could only go for an hour and a half. If after that both fighters remained able to fight the winner was picked by a collection of judges from races not fighting.

"You know I always hated the idea of watching two of my teammates fight but now I really hope that Shino whips the floor with Kiba." added Hinata

Hours later the stadium was filling up for the morning match between Kiba and Shino, the wolves vs. the ants. This was the only match of the morning with the next match wasn't scheduled until one. The crowd roared as Gamba and Hinata took their places in the box seat. Hinata looked out over the crowed and the arena. It was a rather simply design for the first stage a few trees surrounding a large open dirt filled area. Standing in the center of the arena was a demon snake who would be the monitor of the fight. It was his job to make sure no one died and to call the match if need be. The monitor would change so that the same race wouldn't be the monitor as those fighting.

"Don't get to conformable with the arena lay out Queen, they are changed overnight." stated the wolf representative Caden "That way no side gains an edge over their opponent."

"I know, just like I also know all the fighters are currently in their own locker rooms so that they can't see the arena." explained Hinata "Makes me feel sorry for Itachi and Choji, they are in there until eight tonight."

A load trumpet filled the air as two more figured walked onto the field. Hinata's eyes moved back and forth between her two former teammates. One was now considered a war criminal and the other was now almost a mindless drone. As a warrior class ant he had some thought however it was more along the lines of he was told what to do and he could find any way to do it. The two of them moved to the center

"This should be good." said Queen Mother Oda as she sat on Gamba's left "The Ants haven't taken part in this in years it will be great to see how they have changed."

Kiba and Shino walked toward the center of the area where the snake referee was standing.

"Alright listen up, I am sure you know the rules but I have to go over it again." explained the snake referee with a distain in his voice, it was known that most snakes wanted the old no rule fight to the death system brought back. So having a snake referee meant the fighters could get away with more deadly attack. "You cannot kill and if I call an end to the match you must end fighting. There is a chakra dome over the arena so any attack you send toward the stands will be stopped and the dome will not be lifted until the match is over. Do you understand this?"

"I do." answered Kiba as Shino nodded his head.

"Alright begin." stated the referee as Kiba jumped back and into a combat stance. Shino just stood there for a moment before turning his head and looked at his former teammate.

"Are you even in there Shino?" asked Kiba as suddenly thousands of tiny holes began to open up across Shino's black insect body. Everyone's eyes widened as thousands of flying bugs took off from Shino.

"Bugs within a bug, what the hell?" asked Kiba as he jumped back again as the coming swarm of insects. Kiba did the first thing that came to mind as he ran though hand signs. He took a deep breath before howling out a giant gust of chakra lanced wind which cut apart the flying bugs. Then he quickly sent another blast of air down which sent him flying up and to his right. He landed in a nearby tree.

"Nice try Shino but I know that is your favorite moves is to attack from above only to hit from below." Explained Kiba as he looked down at where he would have landed only to see a group of ants. Kiba's claws dug into the tree bark as he gingerly stood up. It was unnatural for any of the demons here to be up a tree.

"Knowing your enemy is key to any victory." stated Shino as he spoke for the first time to his old friend; his voice had changed into a form of high pitched clicks as his pincer like jaws moved in front of him. "Just like I know you are currently trying to figure out a way to hit me even though any contact you have with my skin will result in the bugs I have within me entering your system and defeating you."

"You know me." laughed Kiba

"I do and you know that you stand no real chance against me, you can't touch me without being infected by the bugs and you are a close combat fighter. While the match has a limited time frame it is too long for you to keep running." explained Shino "Surrender would be your best choice."

"You know I won't do that." explained Kiba as Shino nodded his head before moving across the ground in a high rate of speed straight toward Kiba's tree. Kiba jumped away as Shino grabbed the base of the tree, then everyone's eyes widened as Shino pulled the entire tree out of the ground by the roots. He then began to swing the giant tree around like a club.

Up in the stands Sakura was sitting with Naruto's family and her demon fox friends in the demon fox section.

"How can he pick that up?" asked Seth Namikaze "The tree has got to be almost as twenty feet high."

"He is a demon ant." explained Sakura "Ants can lift up to a max 50 times their weight for a short amount of time. Which for Shino who was 173 I believe during the last physical would be…."

"Its 8,650 pounds I believe." stated Shikamaru as he and Temari sat in front of the Namikaze.

"You're correct but that tree is probably pushing the upper limit of what he can hold." Stated Temari as Shino swung the tree so hard that he knocked over another tree.

"So if he can't hold that up forever what is his plan?" asked Seth as he asked his soon to be sister-in-law as another tree fell from Shino hitting it.

"I was never a planner you have to ask Shikamaru or Temari about that." admitted Sakura "However normally Shino doesn't act like this, it must be part of his plan."

"So what is his plan?" asked Seth to the two other foxes sitting in front of him.

"Shino's bugs are generally slow moving so he has to relay on setting a trap or having his enemy come to him." Explained Temari as yet another tree was knocked down by Shino as Kiba jumped to another tree.

"The issue comes from the fact that Kiba knows not to come to him so that leaves a trap, because of their size demons ants don't climb trees like the smaller ants do" stated Shikamaru

"So Shino is destroying the trees to force Kiba to the ground?" asked Seth

"No that would take to long." Added his father Minato "look at where he is knocking down trees."

Seth looked at the arena only to see the Shino was knocking down trees mostly in one corner of the arena. It was clear from this angle that the Shino was herding Kiba toward a patch of trees.

"He is herding Kiba to a match of trees where I would bet his insects are waiting." explained Seth

"Correct." said Minato with pride in his son.

In the arena Kiba was running for his life as he tried to find a way to attack Shino without touching him.

"I should have thought ahead once I learned I was fighting Shino but no I had to go drink." cursed Kiba as he dodged yet another strike from Shino's tree club. Suddenly an idea popped into his head an idea just crazy enough to work. He jumped back as Shino's tree landed just in front of him, the moment the tree landed Kiba turned back to one of the first justus he had ever been taught.

"Passing Fang." yelled Kiba as he started spinning at a high rate of speed, however instead of going around the tree and striking Shino he went though the tree splitting it into two parts like an a cutting though a log. The tree began to shake violently as giant shards began breaking off shards of wood from the tree which flew in every direction. The shaking was so violently that Shino had to let go in fear of breaking his hardened exoskeleton. Demon ants didn't have internal bones instead the depended on a hardened outer covering, while strong it was thin around the joints and breaking it was the same as breaking a bone. Suddenly a large shared flew off the halfway destroyed tree as suddenly Kiba appeared behind the shard which had moved up into the air.

"Take this!" yelled Kiba as he kicked the giant shard of wood straight at Shino. The shard went flying at a high rate of speed, top fast for Shino to move however the shard missed Shino by less than a foot.

"Nice try Kiba, using the terrain to strike at your enemies." explained Shino "However you missed."

"Did I?" asked Kiba as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Shino's eyes widened a bit as suddenly the large piece of wood which had landed right beside him disappeared in a puff of smoke as another Kiba appeared with two much smaller shard of wood in each his hands. Shino had no time to react as Kiba used the pointed end of the wooden shard like a sword as he stabbed Shino, both of his right legs joints.

Shino groaned in pain as bugs swarmed out of wounded trying to get to Kiba, this time the bugs reached him digging into his skin of his right arm. Kiba jumped back as he placed his hand on his arm before channeling chakra into his hand. He howled in pain as he used the chakra to burn the bugs that had entered his body. He burned his own hand to kill the bugs, however to burn the bugs he gave himself second degree burns over his entire right arm from the elbow down.

Up in the stands Karin's heart winced as she saw the pain on Kiba's face.

"A wise move." said Asuma as he sat beside the young she wolf.

"A wise move Kiba is hurt." growled Karin to her fellow member of the wolf human resistance, however at the moment their resistance wasn't doing much. They passed some information on and placed the seal that would hopeful cut off the human and the demon world but nothing more.

"I know you love him but he is fine, the burns are minor." Stated Asuma as Karin showed her teeth "Besides Kiba may have lost some movement in one arm he has taken out two of Shino's legs."

"Which limits his ability to move and which probably means he can't lift as heavy weights because his legs are injured." stated Karin "And you can fight though a burned hand but losing your legs makes fighting all but impossible."

"I am just worried for Shino." stated Kurenai as she sat beside Asuma, watching two of her students fight. "Don't Ants eat the wounded?"

"Only if their injured too badly and if they are not important the colony." explained Asuma "And if Shino is fighting here is probably their best warrior. Which means he is probably a breading warrior."

"Let me guess that means he is used to bread more warriors and drones with Queens." stated Kurenai

"Yes." responded Asuma knowing that probably Shino already had kids with multiple queens.

Back on the arena Kiba had moved away from a disabled Shino who was barley able to stand on his two badly injured legs. Kiba looked toward the referee expecting the snake referee to stop the fight but the snake just stood there with his arms crossed.

"Keep going." stated the snake as Kiba and Shino looked at each other for a moment as Kiba lowered his head for a bit.

"Alright then." said Kiba sadly as he suddenly bolted toward the injured Shino, then with one quick movement he ran his claws over neck so deep he came within millimeters of causing decapitation. The entire arena became quiet.

Hinata's jaw hit the floor as she watched Shino lifeless body fell to the ground his blood soaking the ground with Kiba standing over him. Shino's legs started to twitch before suddenly stopped moving all together. The wolves began to cheer in joy as the felines began to chant murder. While demons had died in past tournament it hadn't happened in generations and now in the very first match it happened.

"Winner Kiba Inuzuka." stated the snake referee as he held up Kiba's hand for all to see.

"Looks like you will need another warrior." laughed Caden to the Demon Ant High Queen Adeer

"Oh well, there is always more warriors." stated Queen Adeer who simply shrugged her shoulders "However he was a special one but we can always find another."

"Hinata?" asked Gamba as he looked at his mate.

"Excuse me." said Hinata as she quickly left her chair and moved one of the private rooms behind the Royal box. Gamba followed his mate into the room locking the door behind him so that only the two of them where in the room.

"He killed him; I can't believe he killed Shino." cried Hinata as tears rolled down her face "We were teammates for years, the two of them where best friends and he just killed him like that."

"Come here." said Gamba as he pulled Hinata to him wrapping his arms around her, letting her cry into his chest.

"I knew he was a monster but I never thought he could do that." cried Hinata as Gamba just held her close.

Elsewhere in the stands the rest of Hinata's friends just sat there stunned as a medical team collected Shino's lifeless body in the arena. None of them wanted to believe what they just saw but yet it was clear that Kiba had killed his best friend.

"I can't believe it." stated Ino "Please tell me I am dreaming."

"You're not." replied Shikamaru as Temari gripped his hand letting him know it was ok.

"If he can do that his best friend what can he do Naruto-kun if they face each other?" asked Sakura as the announcer came out and reminded them that the next match Naruto Namikaze vs Yahiko would take place at one.

"Can we tell Naruto what happened?" asked Sai as Sakura shook her head.

"No, he is isolation until the match is over." explained Sakura

Down below their feet in the looker Kiba was being looked over by a medical wolf.

"You're lucky your hands should be fully healed for the next round." explained the medical wolf as suddenly the door to the locker room opened as Karin stormed in. She pushed past the medical wolf and wrapped her arms around Kiba. Kiba buried his face into her warm red fur just above her heart.

"I'll leave you two alone." said the medical wolf as she walked out leaving Kiba and Karin alone.

"It's alright Kiba it was you or him in there." reassured Karin as she placed her hand behind Kiba's head "That Snake should have stopped the fight."

"He asked me….he asked me to kill him." Softly cried Kiba as Karin eyes widened a bit.

"What?" asked Karin

"I didn't burn all the bugs in time, one got to my ear. It was one of his massager bugs." explained Kiba in between tears "He asked me to kill him; he wanted to die instead of living as an ant."

"He asked for it?" asked a stunned Karin as she pulled back a bit to look Kiba in the eyes.

"Yes." answered Kiba as he nodded his head "I didn't want to kill him, he was my best friend."

"You where being his best friend by honoring his wish." explained Karin

"I've killed so many demons when I was human but seeing Shino dead by my hands was so different." Explained Kiba

"He was your friend." Explained Karin

"And if it was so hard to kill my friend when he was asking for it, I don't think I could kill my ex-love when she doesn't want it." explained Kiba as he looked into Karin's deep red eyes.

"Ex?" asked Karin slowly Kiba moved forward and gently placed his lips against hers. Both of them closed their eyes and pulled each other close as they fake couple enjoyed their first real kiss.

Well I hope you liked this chapter and the unexpected event of Shino's death. I am sorry for the delay in posting this chapter but I had to rewrite a chapter in my mass effect/BSG story two times and that took a lot of time. I hope that you can forgive me. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and I ask that you keep reading. Thanks Wilkins75