When they reached the border that night by sunset they set up camp, staying up against a rock face to block the harsh rains. "How can they stand this weather?" Kiba murmured, looking through the rain. He could smell wet earth, musk, leaves, wood, and the wet dogs as they kept a perimeter. Sure, seals worked the best to keep enemies at a distance but even in the rain Akumaru and Kuromaru had the most excellent sense of smell. They could spot enemies from a long distance away.

Kiba looked over to see his mom was sound asleep in her sleeping bag, her nose wiggling slightly as she slept. For once, Kiba thought, she looked peaceful. He sighed, his eyes trailing over the classic Inuzuka fang marks on her cheeks. They resembled his except her eyes also had markings. He sighed, looking down at his feet. He never bothered to ask his mom what happened to his dad. In fact, it was a subject he wanted to avoid wholeheartedly. He didn't want to know the truth.

His dad was gone. In fact, his father had been scared away, or so his mother said. He didn't like to think of his father as weak and could barely remember the man's face. He supposed that was just as well. He loved his mother and his sister. No matter how much pressure his sister put on him by being perfect or how scary his mother was, he still loved them. He had grown up with them, as part of their pack as his mother said. They were closer than any bond known to man. This made Kiba feel special but at the same time restless. He was never one to just sit back and let things happen. He had to be in the action. Maybe that was the main reason he agreed to the Hokage's offer and this mission.

He sighed, looking up at the sky. It was streaked with light and clouds, the small rumble of thunder in the distance. This place looked miserable. He wondered if it was really his villages fault that the people of this land were so destroyed, so weak. Naruto's fight with Pain revealed that to the village but at the same time it had also put something else in perspective. War was a complete waste of life and effort.

Sure he loved the animalistic thrill of battle but the loss of life was more than the overprotective Inuzuka could handle. He sighed again, this time thinking about what his mother meant when she said "his alpha" earlier. Was there really someone out there like that for him? What was his ideal woman? He didn't even know. Sure, he'd had sex with women before; a couple of women during and after the war. It was feral, completely detached. Sure it was amazing and in the heat of war when you could die any second, a quicky didn't seem like too bad of an idea.

But now it had him pondering. He didn't know what his ideal woman was. In fact, if he could just list a few traits he'd be screwed. He wanted a good looking woman with a kind heart and nature. That was simple right? Something easy to find in the faces of Konoha. There were many beautiful women as well as kunoichi. Maybe Ino would be interested? She was pretty but damn was she bitchy. Kiba growled in frustration. He didn't want to be forced to find a mate but it didn't look like he had any other choice. He'd rather choose from those that he knew than someone that he didn't.

They reached the Hidden Rain the next day but you could barely tell it was day. The tall buildings, constant cloud coverage, and rain made it seem like it was the dead of night. Kiba sighed, sniffing the air about them. He couldn't find a trace of the girls scent. Akumaru though, who was pacing up and down the street, suddenly barked, turning his attention to his master. He had found her scent. Good job Akumaru! Kiba thought as he followed his companion. His mother, who had decided that splitting up would be the best option, must not have found her scent yet either.

Sprinting up the street, following closely behind Akumaru, he wound his way through alleys, around large buildings and towers until he came to what looked like a dilapidated cottage. It sat squat against a large tower, the chimney smoking small amounts of white smoke. The rain poured down over the house and the ground, flashes of lightening lighting up the sky and home. There was a small light inside and Kiba could smell the girl through the walls. He still wasn't sure what that scent was.

He slowly made his way to the door and could feel the atmosphere in the home change. In fact, he could smell the subtle smell of panic and then anger. "Who's there?" A woman's voice from within asked. Kiba paused, unsure how to respond. Then, before he could do anything he was on his back, the hard cold rain hitting his face.

"Wha-?" he managed to say before a kunai met his throat. Akumaru growled and was about to attack when Kiba held up his hand, signaling him to stop. "Wait, wait, wait…" he said, looking up at the girl above him. He was surprised at the very least. She had shoulder length crimson hair pulled back into a spiked pony tail at the top of her head. She was young, not much older than him and her face was sort of rounded, her mouth thin and her lips a soft pink, downturned into a pout. Kiba couldn't help but take in the scent and looks of this kunoichi who not only snuck up on him but straddled him without abandon, holding the kunai dangerously close to his throat.

She was shapely to say the least. He didn't linger on her assets, not very long because she must have noticed, her eyes narrowing at him dangerously. Those eyes though, they caught him. They were the brightest and most deadly form of green he had ever seen. It reminded him of the never ending sea of leaves above him as he trained with Akumaru in Konoha. Just then Tsume showed up, Kuromaru growling angrily. "Ah!" she said, pointing at the girl.

She quickly got off of me and stood in a defensive stance, ready to repel any strike. I quickly got up, my jacket and pants soaking. "Now listen here," she said, looking between Kiba and his mother. "I don't know what you want but go away if you want to keep your lives. I'm dangerous, you know?"

She was fierce and she looked it. What she must have endured was probably harsh because unlike the girls from the village, her attention to physical attraction really was nonexistent. Not to say she wasn't good looking. It was just hidden behind the rags she called clothes.

"We aren't here to harm you," Tsume said in as gentle a voice as possible. Even Kiba was surprised. Kiba turned his attention back to the girl now, her simple appearance and lackluster attention to clothing making her seem even tougher. She wore a simple kimono but the bottom of it looked like it had been cut to better accommodate her lifestyle. It was short, just above her knees but underneath he spotted a pair of skin tight stockings. The top, which came up in a V shape to rest over her chest, was held with a simple white obi. The kimono itself, which hung loosely around her shoulders and hugged all the right curves, was a dull orange. At this Kiba snickered, shaking his head.

She might be more like that brat then I thought… Kiba pondered, eyeing her. She noticed and narrowed her eyes at him, taking a step back. For the first time he noticed that she wasn't wearing shoes. He didn't want to cross this girl, not here at least.

"Then what do you want?" she asked, her vision narrowing at Tsume. "State your business and leave. I don't have time for this shit, you know?" she quirked, the sentence sounding choppy and informal. Yeah, a lot like that brat.

"Please, we have an official scroll for you, something from our leader, the Hokage of Konohagakure," Tsume said, pulling out the scroll. She took another step back, putting her hand in front of her.

"I'm not stupid, nor a simpleton. Break the seal yourself," she said, watching Tsume angrily. Kiba had to hand it to this girl. She was taking precautions to avoid being caught in a genjutsu or seal. Tsume nodded, unrolling the scroll before her.

"See, nothing… just a letter. Please, read it and take it into consideration. We'll be here waiting for your decision. Our fondest hope is that you'll agree to the request within." She then tossed the scroll over to Kana who caught it in her one hand, never loosing focus of Kiba, Tsume, or their canine companions. She rolled the scroll back up and quickly made her way to the door of her home. She stood in the doorway though, her eyes scanning the inside of the scroll cautiously. Every once in a while she'd glance up at Tsume or Kiba. When she looked at Kiba though her eyes narrowed and then she looked away again, as if she saw something offensive. This made him mad.

Who was this girl thinking she can treat the future head of the Inuzuka clan with such disrespect? And even to his mother. He didn't care about that as much as he cared about that look she was giving him through those seemingly cold eyes. She analyzed him most, her gaze drifting between his mother and himself. After a few moments of looking at the scroll she sighed, her eyes becoming soft for the first time.

"Your Hokage is very persuasive," she said, her voice becoming softer with every word. "It seems I have relatives in your village. Tell me, how did you find me? I have several strong seals around my home…"

"Your scent," Kiba spoke up, nearly barking it at her. He then tapped his nose and rubbed Akumaru's head. Instead of becoming fascinated or angered by his outburst she just grinned, a wide and curious grin.

"Scent…" she said, tapping her chin. "Hmm, thank you. You've given me a great idea. Now, if you give me a few minutes to pack I'll be ready to leave for Konoha."

"Wait, wait wait…" Kiba said, stopping her from turning back into the house. "Wait just a second. You read the scroll, agree to come without a fight, and you are being somewhat polite. What was that all about a few minutes ago? Looked like you were going to kill me for even getting near you."

"That's right, I was…" she said, looking him over. She then turned to Tsume, bowing her respects. "I am sorry for any disrespect Inuzuka-Sama. I hope you can forgive my rudeness upon meeting you. The Hokage has written very kind words about you and I do hope you can forgive me." She then turns to Kiba, bowing in the same manor. "You too, Inuzuka-San."

Kiba just looked at her confused. He caught his mother's eyes and she just grinned and nodded for him to bow back. He sighed inwardly and did so, shaking his head. "It is my fault, Kana-san." At this he heard a snort of laughter followed by a bout of giggles. He looked up to see the girl shaking her head, her eyes on him.

"Though I appreciate the name, it is not my real one," she said, looking at him. "My given name, by my mother, is Yuka." He raised an eyebrow to her and she sighed, spelling out the characters in the air with her chakra from her fingertips. It emitted a green glow. "Yuka."

Kiba had never seen anything like that before. He nodded and she smiled, turning to bow to Tsume before disappearing into her home. Kiba caught his mother's eyes again and she was grinning at him. There was something else there, he was sure. "So, this is our mission? Bringing her back? This was way too simple," he said and his mother just shrugged, petting her hound on the head. Kiba looked down at Akumaru to see a strained look on his face. Kiba sighed, petting his head gently. He then kneeled, looking into Akumaru's eyes.

"You're worried about your pup, aren't you?" Kiba whispered, rubbing behind his wet ears. The dog whined, moving closer into Kiba. He sighed, pressing his forehead to Akumaru's. "She'll be fine. She's small, like you used to be. Remember?" Akumaru just sat there, his conflict reaching out to Kiba from his core.

Just then Yuka's head popped out from the door frame. "You are welcome in out of the rain. It's not very big but it services to keep dry and warm. You may also bring your ninja hounds in as well. That one looks particularly distressed," she pointed at Akumaru and grinned. Kiba looked down at Akumaru and then back at her. She just shrugged, leaving the door open for them.

Either she had really good hearing or could read minds. Either way, not even Ma picked up on Akumaru's distress. Kiba watched as his mother went into the home, her hound staying just outside the door. He was to keep watch. Kiba followed her in, Akumaru following right behind him. She was right. The home was small but he could now tell where that smell came from. It was pleasant, sweet, yet earthy and musky. It was no surprise that her home smelled as she did. He moved to sit next to his mother at the small table, the stools and benches worn and old.

"I'm not very good at conversation," she said, breaking the silence as they surveyed her home. "I'd rather kick ass and take names later, you know?"

Kiba couldn't help but grin at that. If anything he was pleasantly surprised by the kunoichi's sudden and choppy sentences. If there was one thing he couldn't stand it was people who said something and then meant another. Tsume, unbeknownst to Kiba, was watching him the whole time, analyzing his facial expressions and (probably to Kiba's disgust and annoyance) his hormone levels. She just grinned.

"So, Yuka right?" Tsume finally said, looking at her. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you come to this place? I mean… you don't seem like the kind of girl to enjoy the indoors as much as others."

Yuka quirked an eyebrow, looking at her curiously. "Uhm, well, how do I put this?" She paused, unsure how to word something. "I'd rather just discuss something else. I'm trying to hold back on offending you but my vocabulary is quite colorful, you know?"

At this Tsume guffawed, shaking her head. "Ah, so I see. Well, Kiba and yourself will get a long well. His vocabulary isn't exactly monotone." She then patted Kiba on the arm.

Kiba however, was watching the kunoichi with caution. She had great amounts of chakra, her life force almost overpowering. "Well that's good," she answered, turning from her belongings that she was packing into a sack to look at Kiba. "Fang, huh?" she asked, looking him over. She just smirked. "Doesn't look too sharp…"

At this Kiba huffed, looking away from her. Tsume couldn't contain her laughter and nodded, watching the Kunoichi as she moved to another room. Kiba could hear her ruffling through some things and could smell something odd about whatever it was she was packing. She emerged a few minutes later carrying a bag on her back. "Scrolls," she said, hoisting them closer to her back. "Passed down from my mother. The Hokage will be most interested in these." She then turned to her other pack, pulling it over her shoulder and across her chest. "Alright, now to figure out what's wrong with him." She quickly moved over next to Kiba, kneeling down to look at Akumaru. She did a quick hand sign and before Kiba knew it a glow from her hand shown green over Akumaru's white fur.

"Whoa! Hey, what the hell-?" But he was stopped when she stood up and faced him, her eyes steely and annoyed.

"Listen here Fangs," she said, pushing him back a little from her, her hand still resonating chakra. "I'm not hurting him. If we're going to be comrades you should show a little trust." She then knelt down again, holding her hand over Akumaru's face. He whined a bit and then she pulled away, smiling softly at him. She rubbed behind his ears and under his chin, his tongue flopping out in pleasure. She grinned, rubbing him harder before standing to look at Tsume. "This pup is worried about his own pups. We should hurry back so he won't have to suffer anymore."

Kiba just stood there in awe and shock. "H-how did you do that? Akumaru doesn't communicate with anyone other than me! What did you do?"

She looked him up and down before sighing and turning back to Akumaru. "It's kind of difficult to explain. In fact, I can't really explain it. I'm sure your elders and Hokage could help with that. All I know is that I can focus my chakra to my hand, which has a seal on it, that can convey another's thoughts to my own mind. I never tried it with a ninja hound but now is as good a time as any. It can do more than that too. I can do some minor healing with the seal as well." She looked back at him. "That's not all I can do… I have seals on both hands. This one is for healing, or so I think," she said holding up the hand she had just used. She then held up her other hand. "This, this however is to destroy. You see, with my chakra focused on my palm, I can easily find an opponent's weak spot, whether it be physical or mental. I can infuse my chakra into them and in so doing, break them down from the inside out. I've heard something used like that in your village actually," she stated, turning to Tsume.

"Yes, something like that. The Hyuuga of Konoha have similar chakra control techniques but it is their Kekkai-genkai that shows them how to strike," Tsume responded, looking over at Kiba. He was very familiar with this particular power. His teammate, as she recalled, was a Hyuuga.

"We'll analyze it further when we get back to Konoha," Tsume said, breaking the silence. She made her way out the door, Yuka following closely. Kiba followed now, Akumaru looking at him curiously. Tsume looked over at Yuka now, placing a palm on her head. "I forgot, our ninja hounds are fast and I don't think you can keep up with us on foot. Would you like to ride with Ki-?"

"No, I can keep up. That's why I don't wear shoes," she corrected, pointing to her small and soaked feet.

"Ah, so that's why you don't wear shoes?" Tsume asked, eyeing the girl. "You could get sick."

"No worries. I've never been sick before. I guess it's the chakra… or maybe it's the blessings of a great immune system, you know?" She shrugged looking about. Her home was no longer her home and this must have struck her cause Kiba saw her eyes turn duller, a sadness reaching them. Then, like a flash she did some hand signs before emitting a flame from her mouth, igniting the flammable roof of the house.

"H-hey! You didn't have to-" Kiba started but she looked at him, her eyes conveying her determination.

"No, this part of my life is over. It's time to move on." And with that she darted down the street, faster than he'd ever seen someone move, a flash of green emanating behind her.

The trip back was quicker than expected. In fact, by the time they reached the land of fire, Yuka was already waiting, playing with the grass in between her toes. It was a pretty sunny day, the breeze whipping about making it easy for them to follow her. How she could be faster than their ninja hounds was amazing. Maybe it was just a lot of good chakra control, or it was her overwhelming power, but she was always ahead of them, sometimes waiting, sometimes reading maps and scrolls. She was odd.

Kiba watched her as she spotted them; her once dull looking dark hair was now flames in the sun. It was a dark red still but the way the length moved in the wind, the sun catching the hues of copper, ruby, and crimson making her green eyes stand out even brighter in the midday sun. She waved slightly before looking about; the clearing she was standing in full of small white flowers. Kiba could smell the fragrance of the flowers but what he was most drawn to was her scent. He wasn't sure how to describe it. It had driven him mad since she first attacked him.

It was earthy, but at the same time it was sweet, almost sweet enough to taste. What was it? She watched him curiously catching up before stopping next to her, Tsume looking about the clearing. "I'd say we are about a day's journey from Konoha. Let's get further inland and we can stay in a village not far off the great road. It's a small hot spring village so nothing much else there. If we stay the night and leave early enough in the morning we can make it back by tomorrow afternoon."

Tsume pretended not to notice the two young shinobi watching each other both curiously, and cautiously. Then, Yuka replied, looking over at her. "Yes, good idea Inuzuka-sama,"

"Please, Tsume is my name," she said, nodding at her. "And like I said, that moronic ass over there is Kiba. He hasn't been this quiet in a while…"

Kiba just growled, glaring over at his prying mother. She knew all too well that Kiba wasn't to the point of trying to impress the girl but he still didn't want to be made an ass of. To his relief, and Tsume's surprise, Yuka just grinned, shaking her head. "Such a dynamic. It's fascinating. I wish I had a son," Yuka pondered, looking up at the sky. "Kota, no… Kuon?"

"What are you ranting about?" Kiba asked, turning from his mother's smirk. When he turned to finally look at Yuka, her green eyes were swimming with many different emotions. Confusion, strength, annoyance, and loneliness could easily be seen in her eyes. He bit his bottom lip, looking away now.

"Oh, just possible names… my mind wanders sometimes," she said looking from the ground to his face. He wasn't looking at her so naturally he didn't see the embarrassment that now flushed her face. She turned away now, walking away from him, her feet rustling in the soft grass. "Oh well, let's get going Tsume-san." And with that she was gone, her silhouette bouncing through the clearing and into the trees.

"Way to go, mutt…" Tsume said, slapping Kiba on the back of the head and following after her. Kiba just growled and shook his head.

"Women… how do you deal Akumaru?" Kiba asked, looking down at him with an outraged expression. Akumaru just barked and took off after Tsume, Kiba following suit.

When they finally reached the desired location, it was getting dark. The sun was going down and stars were just starting to show. Tsume led them into the hot spring, throwing down enough Ryo to pay for two rooms. She then sighed, stretching her arms. The lady at the front desk smiled sweetly at them before leading them to their rooms. Tsume pulled Yuka into her room with her things and quickly shut the door. Kiba just sighed, walking into his room. It was small, clean, and quiet; something nice.

He laid down on the bed, stretching sleepily. Just then Kiba heard and thump and then Yuka's voice from through the wall. "Tsume-san! What are you doing?"

"Come on now girl, you're what? Nineteen, twenty? You need to relax, let loose…" Tsume urged and he could hear a laugh come from her now. "That's it… show me what your working with at least!"

Kiba just groaned, crushing the pillow over his head now. He didn't even want to imagine what his scary mother was doing to get this girl to "let loose". Just then there was a giggle but it wasn't from his mother. "Tsume-san! C'mon, no need to stare, you know?"

At this Kiba's throat became dry. "I can't help it! When I was your age I'd have been lucky to have those kind of tits."

"Tsume-san!"

Then there was silence followed by a short burst of giggles. Then, the door to his room flew open. Kiba's mom stood there in a long bath robe and a scowl. "We're going to the spring. Going to get this girl to relax for once. We'll be back in a while."

"What the hell?" Kiba said, glaring at his mother. "Not very ninja-like ma." He then growled as she quirked an eyebrow at him, looking over her shoulder. "Just go, have your fun. I'll be here…"

"Well, I guess I shouldn't go then," Tsume said, halfheartedly. "Kiba is jealous that I get to have fun and he doesn't. I'll wait until you two are sleeping then!" She then turned around and walked back into her room, closing the door.

"Tsume-san," he heard Yuka's voice call. He looked up to see Yuka standing in his doorway, looking at the door Tsume just went through. What she was wearing caught Kiba in his own sinful thoughts. She was wearing only a towel around her, covering her from her collar bones to mid thigh. He swallowed hard, looking at her. She was stunning, he'd decided that a while ago but in that skimpy towel he could really admire her long legs and full bust. "Tsume-san, please don't make me go alone. I wanted to-."

"Kiba can take you! He seems to be the party pooper of the night so he can take you to the hot spring!" she called back, and Kiba shot up, glaring at the wall where their rooms connected. Yuka noticed and stepped back, away from the doorway. He could see she was watching him now and he looked over at her, trying his damndest to smother the lustful feelings that surged through him.

"T-Tsume san, maybe I'll just wait. Kiba-kun doesn't look like he wants to... please, unlock the door," she whispered into her bedroom door, making her face turn red. She must have been really embarrassed about what she was wearing but he couldn't figure out why.

"No, you want to go I'll take you. This is, after all, a peace keeping mission," he said, walking toward the bathroom attached to his room. He came back moments later wearing a pair of black boxer shorts and a towel over his shoulder. Now it was Yuka's turn to stare.

His body was amazing, or so she thought. She'd never seen an actual naked man but this was, in her opinion, the closest she wanted to get. Kiba was tall, she already had found, and his messy mop of brown hair fell over his face a little as he stood there, clad in nothing but boxer shorts. The fang marks on his cheeks, which she was becoming used to, were quite becoming of his facial features. He didn't have high cheekbones but his square jaw, deep and dangerous eyes, and ever present smirk made it look too good, almost God like. He probably noticed that long ago. She admired his chest, somewhat broad and tight, the muscles nearly rippling behind them. His stomach wasn't bad at all. He didn't have those overly pronounced abs but she could see them underneath that olive tanned skin of his. What she noticed, and wish she hadn't because her face immediately reddened, was the small trail of hair leading south from his navel to the trim of his boxers. She looked away now but not without a quick mental note to herself. The carpet matches the drapes.

Kiba felt the air in the room change, the smell too. He wasn't too sure what that was but through the wall his mother was smirking, a hand over her mouth to stop the laughter. She knew what the difference in smell once. Maybe, her son would find out too.