Hello readers. I'm so ecstatic to have you reading my fanfic. Thank you! It's my first so please feel free to review. I'd love one just to know what someone thinks. I've been typing away at this thing for almost two days so any advice or even words of encouragement would make my night. :)

~Kat~

Kiba sat there for a second, staring after the kunoichi in shock. Her kiss had come just as suddenly as it had left and left Kiba with a burning in his chest. First kiss? No, she had to be lying. There is no way she could just kiss like that. That was… Kiba couldn't even think of the words. He sighed, running a hand through his hair trying to calm himself. Her scent filled his senses and the burn of that soft, yet primal kiss made his whole body tense up.

She had rendered him speechless, almost catatonic with that kiss. The way her lips formed to his, the way she suckled and bit at his lip, was perfect. He couldn't even comprehend the fact that she had just walked away too. Like nothing had happened. This made the beast in Kiba's chest rise again, sending pulsing waves of triumphant pride and annoyance through his veins. This girl played with his emotions, his senses, like a cat and mouse. This realization sent anger through him.

She had managed to ensnare Kiba, to make him feel like he was being toyed with only to tease him even more with that sultry kiss of hers. It was more than Kiba could stand. He stood up, looking out over the now shaded village. The sun had managed to sink into the horizon, the light blues, yellows, and oranges fading in the distance to be replaced by that ever-familiar navy blue star speckled sky. Kiba shook his head, stretching his body and then wafting the air. She was still walking to the hospital. He'd follow her scent all the way just to make sure she got there safe.

What he really wanted to do though was confront her, ask her how she truly felt and why she kissed him like that. He wanted to catch her off guard, to make her feel weak and played. He groaned at the idea of going home to an empty bed now as well. With all the red-haired kunoichi had been doing today and the days before, he couldn't get that body out of his mind.

Just then images of her silhouette in the pools at the hot spring made Kiba's pants suddenly feel tight. He couldn't help but picture those long legs and that chest of hers was something to rival Tsunade-sama. Kiba however didn't really care about size. Sure, Kiba didn't mind getting a good hands full of that supple flesh that Yuka hid behind that outfit but quickly shook these memories from his head when he smelled something different. Yuka had not gone back to the hospital. No, her scent was coming from somewhere else, mixed with other scents. One of them was all too familiar.

Kiba growled and bolted for town, barreling over tree branches and through the gate. The guards just gave him a look as he passed by, looking about. He knew where she was, just a few blocks away but her scent was changing. Something smelled different about her and for a second Kiba's throat hitched in disbelief and anger. Was that her pheromones? What the hell is that lazy ass up to?

Yuka made her way past the guards and onto the streets, the lamps coming to life before her. Konoha was even more breathtaking from ground level. She sighed, biting her lip as she walked toward the hospital. It could be seen from almost anywhere in the village seeing as it was sitting up on a hill. She rounded the corner, making her way down the now glowing street. Lights from shops, bars, and restaurants lit up the street around her. She could feel the soft faux fur of the gift Kiba got her lodged firmly in her ninja pack, his little head sticking out to watch people as they passed by, looking at it with a grin.

She felt bad now. Kiba had bought her the bracelet she wanted and a cute stuffed animal, the first one she ever remembers receiving and she treated him horribly. Kiss and run was an understatement. She bit back her annoyance now, wishing that she would have thought about it more before just leaving him on that hill outside the village. Knowing him he was probably still there pondering over their kiss. That or he was at home relieving some tension she knew she probably caused. Damn him.

She was about to turn to look at a shop window when she bumped into something solid. "Oh!" she gasped, taking a step back. She realized she had run right into someone. She gulped, looking up at the man and recognized him almost instantly. He was at her match, watching from the stands. "I-I'm so sorry…" she said, looking up at the nin.

He was tall, his long black hair tied up onto his head tightly in a spiky pony tail. She saw him eye her for a second, taking a step back as well. He had a lazy look in his eyes as he surveyed her. "Yuka, right?" he asked, putting his arms behind his head and leaning back, as if to rest against some invisible surface. She nodded slowly and he smiled. She was caught off guard by this. His smile was genuinely soft but at the same time it looked half-hearted, as if it was too much trouble for him to smile fully. It turned out as sort of a grimace but the way he was pulling it off was, in Yuka's eyes, attractive. She bit her lip harder looking down at her still bare feet.

The nin's eyes followed and she could hear the low rumble of a chuckle escape his lips. "It's okay Yuka-san, I'm not judging. It probably makes your jutsu easier, right?"

She looked up at him now, her eyes somewhat wide in surprise. He just reflected her with a subtle smirk. "That's right," she said, wiggling her toes oddly. "I'm really not a fan of shoes anyway; never really had a use for them."

The ninja laughed again and this made her face flush. "Well, my name is Shikamaru Nara," he said, watching her closely. "Would you like to join me for something to eat? There is a great barbeque place just around the corner."

Yuka didn't know what to say. This person, who didn't even know her that well, was asking her to have dinner with him. She didn't know if she should respectfully decline or just go with him. It may have been easier to just go with him. She swallowed hard and then all of a sudden her stomach rumbled, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Shikamaru just grinned.

"I take that as a yes?" he asked, nodding his head over his shoulder. "C'mon, you can pick whatever you want. I figured you'd need a good meal considering your still recovering."

"T-thank you," she blurted. She knew it sounded weird saying it so suddenly but she didn't know what else to do. She was never in situations like this. Maybe she was misreading this whole situation. She really was hungry and on the road to recovery. Why not a late dinner with a cute nin?

"You're welcome," he said, leading her down a side street to the front of a large restaurant. It smelled of barbeque and meats. Her mouth watered. "It's a great place. Come here almost every day with my best friend." He looked down at Yuka to see her gazing down at the ground, a confused look on her face. He shook his head at her, moving to wave his hand in front of her face. "Let's go in. We can talk and get to know one another over a meal."

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru-san but I'm confused," she said, looking up at him now. Her green eyes reflected in the light from the restaurant making them look glossy. "Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, I almost flattened your Hokage, I practically blew up my arm so now not only am I injured and a burden on the medical corps but I made a fool of myself by not being able to control my skill. On top of that you seem to be hiding something yourself, you know? I can see behind those lazy eyes that you have a lot of questions. You know you don't have to be nice to me just because you want answers. I-." At this she was stopped by a hand, raised slightly to get her attention.

"Yuka-san, you have a lot to learn about this village still, that I understand. However," Shikamaru paused, watching her with a genuine smile on his face. "Here in Konohagakure our comrades are our friends. I want to be one of the first to get to know you. People consider me to be a genius and to be honest, the way you were fighting yesterday made me feel like a damned fool. So, what better way to alleviate that then to have dinner with a pretty kunoichi?"

At this Yuka giggled. She couldn't help it really. The nin considered himself a genius and yet she made him feel like a fool. Along with that he was actually trying to be friends with her. Though she had friends now that Hinata and Jiraiya had found her, she still didn't feel comfortable around others. "Alright," she whispered finally, her blush still evident in her cheeks. "I'll eat with you and be friends with you. I think you've earned enough of my respect to want to dine with you Shikamaru-san."

Shikamaru just nodded, pushing aside the door to allow her entry to the restaurant. They walked in and took a seat in a booth just below a window. The breeze from it was nice. Yuka watched as a waitress came over and poured them some tea. She thanked her graciously before turning to the menu in front of her. Shikamaru didn't even bother looking at it. He watched Yuka study the menu, reading almost too quickly for him to comprehend. Was she really reading all of that, that fast?

She had decided what she wanted and set the menu down, a smile spreading across her lips. "Alright, Shikamaru-san, ask your questions. I'll try and answer them as best I can."

Shikamaru just watched the girl for a second, taking her in. She didn't falter when staring back at him, her eyes roaming over his face and, to his amusement, body. He knew she'd be troublesome. He couldn't help but roam her looks as well. Sure, he had taken in every move she made during the fight, every step and every jutsu but what he didn't expect was the fiery kunoichi's soft and almost irresistible smile.

"Alright, I only have a few questions because Shizune-sama helped fill in some of the gaps," he said, looking up at the waitress who had come back to their table. After ordering some cuts of pork, beef, and fresh vegetables to sauté on the grill before them, Shikamaru ordered a pot of jasmine tea. When the waitress had left and then quickly brought the tea back Shikamaru gave her a wink, sending a bright blush across her face. "Now, where were we? Yes, questions…" he leaned forward, his elbows propped on the edge of the table and his chin resting in one of his hands.

Yuka stared at him awestruck. This ninja may have been lazy but he knew how to work his magic with the ladies. She sighed now, looking down at her lap. Shikamaru noticed immediately and reached out, grabbing her injured arm and extending it toward him. She gasped slightly and then watched as his eyes roamed over the appendage. He then looked up at her with those lazy dark eyes.

"That's the most you've ever tried to use on that seal, correct?" he asked, running his index finger over her burnt palm slowly. She nodded and he grinned, looking at her arm. "How did you get these seals?" he asked, curiosity tinting his lips.

"Well, it's nothing special I can guarantee. My mother, when I was only seven, infused her chakra into seals that were placed onto my hands right before she died. It was basically the last thing she ever did," Yuka whispered the last sentence, tears threatening to well up. She pushed them back and looked back up at Shikamaru. He was caught by the intensity of her eyes. They threatened to spill tears but at the same time they were deep, solid with determination. It was amazing how reminiscent her green eyes reminded him of Naruto's big blue ones. It was almost mind blowing.

"I see," he said softly, moving his hand from hers. "Well, what exactly does your destruction hand do?" He looked her over and smiled. "I mean, from what I gathered you built up your chakra for a massive attack and over time you build it into your arm, releasing huge amounts of chakra into a seal. This was obvious from the blow you gave Gamakichi-san. However, I am curious as to how you focus your chakra to do your mind reading trick?"

Yuka just grinned, looking down at her arm. "Well, it's sort of a mind reading technique. Basically I funnel my chakra into the body either through direct contact with my own body or by concentrating it to high levels. Doing that creates a sort of vapor because of how thick it is, you know?" Shikamaru nodded his understanding, mentally noting the mannerisms she shared with her counterpart. "Well, anyway I can control that chakra, like a puppet so to speak, to get in and target an area of my choosing. The mind reading is how this works."

"Ah," he said, looking at her curiously. He then glanced down. "An area of your choosing?" he asked, staring at her hand. "How do you know what area to choose?"

"Well, I can see you leaf nin are good. You knew I was targeting with help from Hinata-chan and her family, you know? Not very fair Shika-san," Yuka commented, taking a sip of her tea. "But you don't know how I'm doing it?" There was a twinkle in her eye now as she looked at him. "Good."

Shikamaru just looked at the girl dumbstruck. A grimace had made its way across his face and he couldn't help but stare at her. She was different to say the least. "Well, you know once our good friends Inoichi and Ino Yamanaka get a hold of you; it won't be a secret for long."

At this her eyes got wide and then steely. "So that was Konoha's plan all along?"

Shikamaru then threw up his hand, shaking his head slightly. "No, no it's just procedure to know all our nin's powers and abilities. This way people like myself will be able to place you accordingly."

At this she just stared at him, dumbstruck. "So, they're going to pry into the inner workings of my mind to learn my jutsu? And I suppose you didn't think I knew who the famous copy ninja Hatake Kakashi was?" She paused, looking down at her lap. "That sharingan watched me the whole time. He copied everything."

"He can, but what does it matter? He doesn't know how you do it either and to be kunoichi of Konoha you have to pass this test. They'll be checking your mental capacity as well," Shikamaru remarked, looking her over. She looked frightened.

She grasped at something under the table and then sighed, looking up at him. "Fine, I'll do this. I want to be a kunoichi of this village and I want to prove to everyone that I can, you know? If this is the way, then so be it."

Shikamaru just nodded as they began eating, randomly chit-chatting about Konoha and it's nin. Shikamaru actually caught himself smiling at her a few times, wondering why it was just so easy to be care free with her.

"You know," Shikamaru said, eating some rice. "Kakashi also noticed something else about your fighting style."

"Yeah?" she asked, grinning through her chopsticks. "And what is that, Shika-kun?"

"Well, he noticed the way your movements delayed, your reactions and the way you threw your opponent off guard. In our analysis we decided that you were intentionally doing so to cause confusion in your opponent, and us. Tell me, is that how to play the game?" he asked, a smirk playing across his lips.

She just chuckled, munching on her pork cuts. "Yes, Shika-kun…" she said, her eyes locked on his. "That is how I play."

At this Shikamaru laughed, making several heads in the restaurant turn toward him. He just grinned at them and turned back to his meal. This made Yuka smile, focusing back on her own meal. After the meal and some dango, she fixed her eyes on him again.

"Shika-kun," she said, smiling softly. "Please, answer a question for me."

He just paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. He then sat back, sighing. "Troublesome woman," he noted, running a hand over his forehead. "What is it?"

She bit her lip and looked at him with sad eyes. "Tell me, what was Naruto-sama to you?"

At this Shikamaru couldn't help but look down, the past memories flooding him until finally all he could do to stifle a tear was to sigh. He then looked back up at her, a slight smile on his face. "He was my Hokage, the hyperactive-knuckleheaded troublesome loudmouth that not only brought an end to a war between enemies but the war between comrades as well. He shed a light on everyone and not even the darkest of us all could hide from it."

Yuka couldn't help but smile at this, her face lighting up as if that same ninja were right in front of Shikamaru now. He couldn't help but grin back; Naruto had come to life as Yuka sat across from him, as if nothing had changed and everything was okay. After another cup of tea and a short but passionate talk about how young Jiraiya was the spitting image of his father, Shikamaru paid and escorted her outside.

"Thank you, Yuka-chan," he said, walking with her up the road and back to the main street. "This discussion was very enlightening. Please, stop by our compound anytime to research. We have an extensive collection. Not to mention I feel like you would be excellent at Shogi."

"Shogi? What is that?" she asked, eyeing him. "Is that a technique or something?"

"No, it's a game. Stop by sometime and I'll show you. You seem to be a quick learner," Shikamaru said before nodding at her and roaming back toward his home.

"Thank you Shika-kun!" she called after him. He just waved back at her.

Yuka grinned at him and then moved back up the street toward the hospital. It was a long day and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a bed and sleep. As she rounded the corner up the hill she couldn't help but smile at Shikamaru's words. Hyperactive huh? I guess I am sort of like that… and it's true, I don't give up easily. I am pretty weird… maybe this is a place full of weirdos and I'm just a face in the crowd?

Just then Yuka noticed she was being watched. She turned, nearly screaming when she noticed who it was. Kiba was standing next to the gate outside the hospital, a scowel on his lips and a glare directed right at her. At first she wondered why and then she remembered. She had kissed him and then disappeared.

Kiba ran through the gates looking around. He could smell Yuka and that lazy ass Shikamaru up the street. They were standing there, not moving for a minute. Then he smelled the rush of fresh food and drink hit him, nearly throwing him off. "Great!" he groaned, coming around the corner to see Shikamaru walk into the barbeque restaurant. "Fuck," he growled, looking at the door with contempt.

He didn't want to go in there and cause a scene. That is the last thing he wanted. In fact, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to do when he got here. His thoughts and emotions got the better of him and he just came running over here, expecting Yuka to just come with him. Great…

He could still smell them; her scent wafted to him stronger than it should have, as if she was outside still. Kiba followed his nose, leading him around the side of the building to a window. He sniffed it and could almost taste Yuka. She was right under the window and he could faintly hear her words and what she and Shikamaru were talking about. He looked around briefly before jumping up onto the roof, looking down into the window. He had a perfect view of the table and their torsos. The only problem was he couldn't see their faces. If he got any closer he'd definitely be spotted.

He just watched, straining to listen to their conversation. He almost busted through the window when Shikamaru grabbed her hand and arm, running a finger over her palm. That rat bastard! I'm going to rip his arms off. He saw Yuka trembling a bit, watching as she sipped her tea, moved her hands and arms over the table and back onto her lap.

Kiba had no idea what they were talking about. A few words drifted to him and he managed to catch the words mind reading, jutsu, Hinata-chan, and then his heart dropped. Did she just call him Shika-san? Kiba tried to listen harder but all he could hear was a soft laugh that obviously came from Yuka. He bit his lip and kept watching as more random words came to him. Then, he saw her tense up, her body almost rigid. She must have been getting angry. Good, that lazy ass probably said something offensive. Then Kiba noticed her hands reached down under the table and she started to fiddle with her pack.

His heart skipped a beat. She was squeezing the wolf plush he had bought for her. She then brought her hands back onto the table surface and started drinking her tea. After a few moments they started eating, their chatter becoming a bit quieter, making him strain to hear again. After a while Kiba could tell they were about to leave. The dango had disappeared and they were both done with their tea. He watched as Shikamaru stood, holding out his hand for her. At this Kiba growled, jumping down from the roof and running up the street toward the door. He wanted to punch that lazy good for nothing in the face.

He paused however, slipping around the corner to watch Yuka's face light up, talking and smiling. He couldn't hear them yet but they were making their way up the street now to the main one where he hid in the shadows. He heard them now, his ears burning the entire time.

"This discussion was very enlightening. Please, stop by our compound anytime to research. We have an extensive collection. Not to mention I feel like you would be excellent at Shogi."

"Shogi? What is that?" Yuka asked, eyeing him. "Is that a technique or something?"

"No, it's a game. Stop by sometime and I'll show you. You seem to be a quick learner," Shikamaru said before nodding at her and roaming back toward his home.

"Thank you Shika-kun!" she called after him. He just waved back at her.

Kiba held back the urge to walk right up to her and quickly darted up the road, moving toward the hospital. Shika-kun? She called him Shika-kun. She never said it like that to me. He would meet her at the hospital and confront her. It'd be quiet and there would be no pressing ears. He just had to know what that kiss was about earlier. He also had to confirm with her own words that she didn't feel anything for that lazy ass, Shikamaru.

When he got there he sat on the bench, staring at his feet. He was being completely irrational, almost manic the way he fawned and worried over this girl. He had never felt like this before, never knew he could and now that he did his insides were turning in an unpleasant way. He couldn't think straight and with his emotions so imbalanced he couldn't even rely on his instincts.

Just then he spotted Yuka come up the hill, her eyes in a daze, a smile on her face. At this Kiba couldn't help but growl, his eyes turning dark. When she finally spotted him he just glared over at her.

"Yuka-san," he said, looking her over. "Glad to see you made it back. Now I can go home," he said, looking down at his feet. He was lying but just being here, near her, was more than he could take. She smelled like him.

"K-kiba-kun," she said, looking over at him. He looked angry but at the same time Yuka couldn't help but be a little annoyed. Was she not allowed to have any other friends? "Please, don't be mad at me. I didn't mean to just leave you out there. I… I panicked, you know?"

Kiba watched her closely, her eyes drifting from his face to the ground. She looked like she was about to go off on him and he waited, hoping she'd want to forget him all together. He didn't want this weird feeling anymore. It was like he just couldn't function right. He knew what he had to do but it never happened.

"I'm sorry if I made you mad but I'm aloud to have other friends Kiba-kun," she said, looking up at him gently. "Shika-kun is nice and the way he was talking about his friends made me realize that I want friends too."

Kiba just stared at her, his expression unreadable. After a moment she sighed, shaking her head and walking past him toward the hospital entrance. If this was how he wanted to end their brief friendship, then so be it. She wasn't in any mood to protest though her stomach turned at the thought. Just then she felt his arm come out and catch her shoulder, turning her to look back at him. He was standing right in front of her, dangerously close.

She swallowed hard, unsure what to do. He then grinned, leaning down so that their faces were inches away. "I didn't know that was what you wanted. You can have as many friends as you want Yuka-chan; I don't care. As long as I'm your first friend I don't care if you make hundreds of others," he said, that grin turning into a coy smirk. "Besides, Yuka-chan, I was your first kiss anyway. Anything after that will just dull in comparison."

At this her face blushed brightly and she moved away from him, his hand gently brushing hers. "K-kiba-kun… your embarrassing me," she said, watching him closely.

"I have a question for you," he said, ignoring her statement and quirking an eyebrow at her. "If I was your first kiss, where did you learn to kiss like that? That was not a first-timer's kiss."

Her face reddened even more and he chuckled, running his hand through his hair. She then smirked at him, a twinkle in her eyes. "Well," she said, moving toward the doors. "You'd be amazed what you can learn in books." She then winked at him and went inside, the door snapping shut behind her.