Hello all! So good news and bad news. Good news? Only 9 chapters until the end! :D Maybe that is bad news? I'm not sure. But also some other good news: This chapter reveals a lot about Kiba's family history, Kiba's feelings, and it centers mainly around Kiba. Bad news? I am starting school so I might not update more than once a week. I want to keep it at a minimum of 1 chapter a week but I am starting school, National Novel Writing Month is coming up in November, and I may have some more changes to my living conditions. BUT! I am having a lot of fun playing with this story so I hope you are all enjoying it! Don't forget to review! I do love those. (PS: More bad news: I am in too much of a hurry to proof read. Sorry for any spelling, punctuation, or grammatical mistakes. Oopsies!)
Kiba sat at the table in his kitchen, his mother busying herself behind him with food. Tonight he was going with his mother, and a couple of clan elders, to the secret Inuzuka compound in the mountains. It was well hidden from the outside world, the exact location only discoverable by smell. It was an elaborate underground base with training temples and the tree of past alphas, their names etched in the long lines of Inuzuka history. He descended from these mighty shinobi and it gave him a deep sense of pride. His mother, however, was not expecting his alpha changes to happen for another year. This threw off their plans completely.
"So, get a good meal today and then we'll head out. It's about a four hour hike up the mountain to the compound so you'll need to eat plenty," Tsume fussed, setting down a tray of three different cooked meats, fresh bread, and some hard boiled eggs. "You won't get anything to eat at the compound but you only need stay there over night. Hurry up and eat so we can go let lord Hokage know where we're going. You're sisters working tonight on a mission so she won't be accompanying us."
"Alright Ma, settle down. You're fussing and it's starting to annoy me," Kiba sighed, grabbing some bacon and eating it. After twenty minutes of his mother complaining that he wasn't eating fast enough, they finally left the compound, ninja gear and all. Kiba couldn't help but let his mind wander for a bit. He'd taken this beaten path to the Hokage tower hundreds of times. He could almost do it in his sleep.
Kiba sniffed the air, a smirk coming over his face. Yuka was out and about and if anything he imagined she was still quite annoyed with him over his behavior last night. He didn't care. He knew he was right and that Yuka would soon realize it. Kiba had convinced himself that this wasn't just a half-hearted delusion about her feelings. He could see it in her. It wasn't a sixth sense but he was sure that she would be his very very soon.
She absolutely loved what he did to her, what he could do to her as well. She would never admit it, her embarrassment over it clouding her obvious attraction to him. The truth was that he knew all of this, knew that he was the one who instigated it, and knew that if Yuka really didn't need him, for whatever reason she needed him in the beginning, she'd be rid of him. This didn't turn Kiba away but attract him more. This girl wasn't playing hard to get in the fun typical way girls play; she was playing hard to get to guard her heart against him.
She was coarse, brash, smart, powerful, caring, innocent, and above all she was cunning. He'd have his hands full but he was sure that if she had ulterior motives his actions last night would have riled her up and maybe even changed her plans. He would find out her secrets, he was sure of this but he knew that she'd never let him in fully. Suddenly a smell met Kiba and he scowled, shaking his head. It was Shikamaru. Kiba couldn't deny that Yuka's words last night, about Shino and Shikamaru, got under his skin. It bothered him more than anything to know that the girl that he claimed, that he loved, was considering two other suitors; two of his comrades.
"Kiba! Are you def?" Tsume's voice came, breaking his jealous thoughts.
"What?" He growled, approaching the main gates of the Hokage tower.
"I said we are meeting the elders at the checkpoint at the base of the mountain. Hokage-sama may want to escort us that far at least."
"Is he allowed to leave the village like that?" Kiba asked, making his way toward the steps leading up to Konohamaru's office.
"He's the Hokage. He can basically go anywhere he wants," Tsume spat, rolling her eyes. "Honestly pup! Where is your head?"
"Full of Yuka-chan, Tsume-san," came a voice from behind them. Kiba knew that scent anywhere.
"Hinata-chan!" Tsume said, turning to greet the girl.
"How did you know that, Hina-hime?" Kiba teased, crossing his arms. "Are you a mind reader now?"
"No, but I know you were her guest last night after we all left," Hinata said, Jiraiya popping out from behind her legs.
"Uncle Ki-Ki!" He said with a cheesy grin. It reminded Kiba so much of Naruto's.
"Hey Jiraiya," Kiba said with a grin, kneeling down and ruffling his locks of blonde hair. "What are you up to today?"
"Ma and I are going to see Konohamaru after we get some dango!"
"So how about it Kiba-kun? How was your night with Yuka-chan?" Hinata asked, her eyes narrowing slightly on the dog nin.
"Not as great as you think it was," Kiba admitted, shrugging. "I had to tell her I was going to be gone. Not to mention we had things to discuss."
"Things, huh?" Hinata asked, looking over at Tsume knowingly. Tsume just grinned proudly, puffing out her chest a little bit.
"That's my pup! I take it you've chosen her to take part in the ceremony?" Tsume asked, watching Kiba closely.
"Ceremony?" Hinata asked, her eyes alight.
"Uncle Ki-Ki! What happened to that puppy! Is she better? Mom said I could have one if I show I'm responsible!" Jiraiya was now circling his mother's feet and Kiba, a grin on his face. "So can I have Akamaru's puppy? Pleeeease?"
"She's not old enough pup," Tsume said, ruffling Jiraiya's hair. "She isn't even three weeks old. Let's wait before we make a decision."
"Okay but I want to come see her today. Can I?" Jiraiya asked looking up at his mother hopefully.
"I'm sorry Jiraiya," Kiba said kneeling down to his eye level. The young nin's eye's went wide in confusion and horror. "We won't be home tonight. I have some things to take care of. I promise you can come see her tomorrow if you'd like."
Jiraiya just nodded, a grin breaking across his face. "I already have a name for her and everything," Jiraiya admitted with some pride.
"What ceremony are you talking about, Tsume-san?" Hinata asked Tsume, gently stroking Jiraiya's arm.
"Oh! That's right, you don't know. Well, Kiba has started the alpha transformation early," Tsume explained.
"What? I didn't think that happened for another year at age 24?" Hinata questioned, her glassy violet eyes widening.
"It isn't supposed to," Tsume said with a shrug. "But it isn't unheard of for Inuzuka alphas to gain their powers early. One of the first alphas was fifteen when it happened."
"Do you know why it is happening so early?" Hinata asked, Jiraiya tugging on her hand. She looked down at him to see the dango cart was strolling through the courtyard.
"I'll take him over to get some dango, Kiba will explain it to you," Tsume said, holding her hand out to Jiraiya. His eye's lit up and he followed her over to the cart, his voice carrying back to them.
"I want sweet dango! Like cherries!"
"So what does she mean?" Hinata asked, turning to look at Kiba. "Why so early?"
"Well there are several theories but there are only two that we really refer to. Hana thinks it is because I am the only male born to this generation. Obviously my sister and cousin's are females; something about high testosterone and hormones."
"Really? So what is this ceremony then?"
"Well, the second theory kind of feeds into this problem," Kiba said, stepping closer so they weren't over heard. "You see, in the past Inuzuka alphas only gained their powers early when the clan or those around them are in immediate danger. They used to think that the transformation foreshadowed tragedy."
"So, what does that have to do with a ceremony?" Hinata asked with a skeptical look.
"Well, you see when an Inuzuka alpha can control his transformation he will choose his own alpha," Kiba whispered. "And this alpha is his mate for life. For the Inuzuka marriage isn't as important as the bond we create between our mates. When a male alpha finally claims his mate he passes to her a special power that keeps her safe during times of child bearing and disparity."
"So, you want Yuka to be the one you choose, right?" Hinata asked, a little too excitedly.
"She won't go for it; at least not any time soon," Kiba admitted. "And I haven't mentioned any of this to her. I mean, I have mentioned the transformation and leaving on full moons but she doesn't know about the alpha's ceremony."
"She's not going to like that," Hinata said with a curt nod. "She's very independent. Instead of choosing her you should just let her fall for you."
"Yeah, that would be the Hinata way to do it," Kiba said with a grin. "But the things that I had to discuss with her last night were just that. I basically told her that I loved her, that I was the only guy for her, and that she could deny but I knew she loved me too. Then I think she broke her door trying to shoo me away."
"Kiba-kun!" Hinata said, her lips forming a shocked O. "You just bombarded her with it and so suddenly?"
"Well, yes and no. She knew how I felt already, that was discovered the first time we kissed. She wasn't actually bad at it for a first time-."
"You kissed?" Hinata gasped, a smile on her face. "She never said anything to anyone! I'm going to have to talk to her about this. She needs a friend to help her out with boy matters."
"Help all you'd like, Hinata-chan. But I'll make it clear to both Shikamaru and Shino that she's mine. I won't give her up."
"Who knew," Hinata said, turning to face Tsume and Jiraiya who were both approaching with a stick of dango each. "I have confidence in you as my teammate but I can't take either yours or Shino's side on this, Kiba-kun." She grinned when Jiraiya waved his dango at her. She waved back and looked over at Kiba. "Don't underestimate her Kiba-kun. You may love her but even Jiraiya senses that she has an ulterior motive. I don't want to loose my best friend, okay?"
"Never," Kiba said with a smirk, Jiraiya coming up to tug on his jacket.
"Are you going to see Konohamaru too?" he asked, taking a big bite of dango.
"Yup!" Kiba answered, grinning at Jiraiya.
"C'mon then," Tsume said, ruffling Jiraiya's hair one more time before turning toward the stairs. "Let's go Kiba."
"See you later Hinata," Kiba said with a grin. She just nodded, taking Jiraiya's hand and leading him to the bench under their favorite tree in the courtyard.
"So, what does Hinata have to say about the ceremony?"
"She's excited. She's Yuka's friend and thinks that she could be dangerous if I don't handle it properly," Kiba admitted.
"Hmm… I always liked that girl. If I didn't know she still loved Naruto I'd be more than happy to work out an arrangement with Hiashi Hyuuga for her hand for you. A strong clan alliance for sure."
"Hinata?" Kiba protested, shaking his head as he followed his mother up the stairs. "She's like a sister. That's like arranging Hana and I to-."
"I get it," Tsume said cutting him off. "Anyway, we have to explain to Hokage-sama what is going on if he's fuzzy on the details so let me explain. This really shouldn't take that long and we'll be on our way to the base."
"Sounds good," he replied, following her to the top step and around the corner. They walked down the hall quietly before standing outside the Hokage's office. Tsume knocked and then a familiar voice echoed through.
"Come in!"
Kiba and Tsume both walked in faced with more people than expected. Konohamaru sat behind his desk, Moegi standing at his side as Shikamaru, Shino, Neji, and Yuka stood across from him. "Ah, perfect," Konohamaru said, waving for Tsume to come over. "Tsume-san, tell me… we already know Kiba is the best ninja-hound tracker in your clan. Would he be up for another mission in a few days?"
Tsume looked at him curiously before turning to stare at Kiba for a second. She looked him up and down before shrugging. "Yeah, sure he'll probably be recovered by then. What's it about?"
"We need you for our team again," Shikamaru said, waving from on the other side of him. "Exact same formation as Sasuke Retrieval except Lee is in place of Naruto and Shino is our backup."
Kiba just shrugged, glancing over everyone's face, lingering only a moment on Yuka's. She didn't look at him directly. She smiled at Tsume and scanned over him a moment, waiting for his response.
"I guess I could do it but what is it all about? What's our goal this time?" Kiba replied, approaching the desk.
"I'm glad you asked!" Konohamaru said standing up and looking out the window. "Because of information Yuka provided along with a very very long night of debating this issue, we agree that Orochimaru is after another body for his jutsu. In fact, he has someone very specific in mind." He glanced back at them and his eyes lingered on Yuka. "Yuka-chan is the last remaining member of the Uzumaki clan as far as Orochimaru knows. That doesn't guarantee Jiraiya's safety but it does show us that Orochimaru is desperate for a powerful body; he scouted Yuka years ago and now he is back to take what he wants."
"Orochimaru against the whole force of Konoha?" Kiba scoffed, his eyes lethargic as he watching Konohamaru. "He may have got me last time but I promise it won't happen again." Kiba had a sadistically twisted smirk on his face, his eye's darkening until the slit like pupil covered the entire eyeball. Konohamaru stared at him for a second and Shikamaru, Neji, and Shino, who hadn't seen the transformation yet, looked shocked. Tsume sighed pushing Kiba to the side so she could go over to Konohamaru. She whispered something to him and he looked down at her with slightly wide eyes before sighing.
"Alright, give me an hour you four," he said motioning to Yuka, Shino, Shikamaru, and Neji. "I'll fill Kiba in and be back here by then. I expect to see all of you. If we are going to do this I have to discuss it with Tsume."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Neji said, turning toward the door. Yuka followed and so did Shikamaru and Shino, the door snapping shut behind them.
"So," Konohamaru said, sitting back down in his chair. Moegi was scribbling something down on her scroll, her eyes listlessly roaming the page. "You're going through the transformation already?"
"Ugh," Kiba said, shaking his head. "I'm never going to get used to this kid talking to me like that," Kiba mumbled. Tsume glared at him for a second before Konohamaru started laughing.
"Sorry Kiba-kun," he admitted, raising his hands in defeat. "I can't help it. I talk to everyone like that. I am the Hokage and if I don't at least pretend to be greater than everyone else we may be in danger."
"So, you know about the transformation? How long have you known?"
"Tsume-san came to me last night," Konohamaru said. "She explained it in very good detail. I think it's fair to say I know more than you."
"I'm the alpha," Kiba growled, that familiar heat surging in his chest. "I know everything about this transformation, about its implications, and more importantly it's meaning to our clan. You're an outsider brat."
"Kiba! Don't talk to your Hokage that way," Tsume demanded, her eyes shooting daggers. He brandished, sighing before running his hand through his hair. This always seemed to calm him down.
"So, you're here because…?" Konohamaru said, eyeing them both.
"We're taking Kiba to the Inuzuka compound in the mountains for his first full moon transformation. He needs to be analyzed and what not so we're leaving here after we speak to you. It is customary, as the fifth and sixth Hokage have not had to do so, that the seventh Hokage escort us to the meeting place at the base of the mountain."
"That is right!" Konohamaru said, motioning for Moegi to hand him something. She did from her clipboard and he scanned it. "Yes, grandfather's personal notes tell me many things. He made notes about clans and their customs. It seems that it is basic ceremony to present a gift to the Alpha as a gesture of good faith and love as well as escort him to his clan's ancient lands."
"Yes, the fourth Hokage and Kiba's father did so as well," Tsume spoke and Kiba could have sworn he heard some sort of softness behind it, like a bitter sweet memory.
"Right," Konohamaru said, nodding. "There hasn't been one since then, right?"
"Correct, Kiba was the first born male of our clan after his sister and his two cousins from his father's sister."
"So, lone wolf Kiba huh?" Konohamaru asked, eyeing him. "The only male in your generation."
"Yes, but his cousin's pups are all males," Tsume commented. "Three boys from the eldest and two boys from the youngest."
"Yes, born during the fifth Hokage's reign, too young for war… I seem to recall a few Inuzuka runts following me around at the academy."
"They're the life of our clan," Kiba assured, looking back from the window at Konohamaru.
"I couldn't agree more," Konohamaru smiled. "Now, as for a gift… I took the liberty of choosing it myself. You can think of it as a personal choice but either way I think Kiba will enjoy it greatly." He held his hand out and Moegi placed a box in it. It was a plain white box, nothing special about its size or shape. It was a bit bigger than the adolescent Hokage's hand.
"What is it?" Kiba asked as Konohamaru extended it to him.
"A gift," Konohamaru stated as a matter of fact. He then grinned. "Just take it and open it."
Kiba nodded, taking the gift from his Hokage. He opened it slowly and his eyes went wide when he saw it. It was a set of kunai made of pure silver. Their hilt had the hidden leaf symbol etched into it and on the blade was marked the two fangs of the Inuzuka. What Kiba liked most of all was the engraved words on the underside of one of the blades. It was beautifully etched and it read: "Inuzuka Kiba: Thirteenth Alpha of the Inuzuka-Wolf Clan." He looked at the other one, flipping it over and found that it also said something. It read: Blood, Honor, and Love; My Nindō.
Kiba couldn't help but grin at this etching, looking back at Konohamaru with an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"No need for that! I had them in mind for you as a gift for a while now. I just couldn't figure out when to give them to you. This is as good a time as any!"
"Right, now that that is out of the way I'd like for you to escort us, Hokage-sama," Tsume insisted, walking toward the door. "We are in somewhat of a hurry. As you've seen, Kiba isn't exactly the most patient nin when he's going through the transformation."
"Yes, quite frightful," Konohamaru agreed, moving around the desk. He smiled at Moegi before moving toward the door with Tsume. Kiba pulled the kunai out of the box and put them in his pouch, making sure that they were safe and secure. It was by far the best gift he'd ever gotten.
"What about this mission?" Tsume asked as they descended the stairs from the hallway leading to the Hokage's office. "What kind of mission are we talking about?"
"Well, it's not really a mission but more like a charge," Konohamaru explained, following Tsume down the stairs and through the courtyard. Kiba spotted the group that was just in the Hokage office standing under a tree on the far side of the courtyard. Hinata and Jiraiya were with them as well, their conversation quiet. When Jiraiya spotted Kiba he yelled out but Kiba ignored him, following Tsume and Konohamaru.
As they left the courtyard he heard Konohamaru's comment about the mission being a guarding and if possible retrieval mission. "What does that mean?" Kiba interrupted, catching up to them so he could listen easier. They moved through the crowd of people on the main road and up toward the main entrance.
"Well, you see the evidence of Orochimaru's return is overwhelming but the problem was asking ourselves what he wanted. Naturally the information about Yuka having to escape him as a child makes sense. He's massing at our boarders because he plans on obtaining a body. What better one than the last remaining Uzumaki with extreme sealing and healing powers?"
"He'd never get close enough," Kiba growled.
"That's what we are hoping for. That is why we are talking to Tsume about this mission. You see, Tsume-san," Konohamaru began, waving at the gate guards as they made their way out of the village. "We need somewhere secret, absolutely hidden from Orochimaru and his followers. This is why I am asking you about the Inuzuka compound in the mountains. I know taking outsiders there is strictly forbidden but I am asking, as your Hokage and hopefully a dear friend, to reconsider that."
"You want to hide Yuka there?" Tsume asked, the doubt dripping from the tone in her voice.
"Yes, but please let me explain. You see, it seems that it may be possible, though unlikely, that Orochimaru has spies in Konoha. If we can get her outside Konoha to a controlled location with constant guard from natural elements and the Inuzuka trackers we can neutralize Orochimaru by drawing him in with bait."
"I should have a say in this ma," Kiba protested, looking over at her. "After all, after I control my transformation and choose a mate I will be Alpha in more than name."
"I agree," Konohamaru said with a nod. They sped through the forest floor, jumping along tree trunks and branches and back down the ground. They had slowed to a jog now and were a good distance away from the gates.
"Well, let me see if I get this straight," Tsume said. "You want to use the Inuzuka mountain compound to hide and I'm assuming restrain Yuka Uzumaki?" Konohamaru couldn't help but grin.
"You caught onto that, did you?" he asked her.
"What are you talking about? Restrain?" Kiba asked as he jumped over a fallen tree trunk, lunging over it. It reminded him of running through the forest with Akamaru. He missed his ninja hound. With his new puppies, Kiba's new duties as alpha and a ninja, and Akamaru's dedication to his position amongst the ninja hounds, it was rare for them to see one another anymore. It broke Kiba's heart to loose his best friend but every night, when he sleeps in his own bed, Akamaru is right there, lying at the foot of his bed waiting. That always brings Kiba some sort of comfort.
"Well, you see Kiba-kun," Konohamaru said. "We have no idea what Yuka's real purpose is for being here. She came without a fight and-."
"She wouldn't have fought anyway," Kiba insisted. "Ma and I would have been able to neutralize her. That is why you sent us."
"Among other reasons," Konohamaru said with a smirk. "But I expected her to put up some sort of fight. I had no idea she'd come so quietly. That is what bothers me. Though we all trust to her to the extent that she hasn't done anyone here harm, we can't eliminate the fact that she could be a foreign spy or something."
"I don't think that's it," Kiba admitted. "She's hiding something, I know this. She tries telling me that it's just her past and the pain from her parent's deaths but to be honest I believe there is more to it than that; much more."
"But it is something, and until we can be sure that she isn't a danger to our village we have to keep an eye on her. In fact it was Shikamaru and Shino's idea. Since she hasn't undergone any prying or poking from the intel division or from Inoichi, we can assume that there is something she doesn't want us to know."
"Shikamaru said that, didn't he?" Kiba asked, following his mother and Konohamaru through the tree trunks. The base of the mountain was a good distance from the village but from the base to the hidden compound was all lead by smell. This is why it was so well hidden. None but an Inuzuka can find it.
"Yes, but Shikimaru is right. He suggested letting Yuka think it was her idea to be put under lock and key as protection for her, not from her," Konohamaru admitted. "He's brilliant sometimes but I could see that he was having some difficulty treating a comrade like that."
"Comrade? He barely knows her," Kiba scoffed. "Besides, sometimes I think Shikamaru and Shino are too logical when it comes to a situation like this. I've gotten her to break out of that mask she's wearing. It wasn't easy but I just had to hit the right mark and she shows her true colors."
"Really?" Konohamaru pondered, Tsume still leading the way.
"So, what you're saying is that this is all an elaborate plan to bait Orochimaru to Yuka in a place far enough away from the village to not do harm to innocents, but close enough to capture him with the force needed?" Tsume asked.
"Yes, that's it. That and the fact that Yuka thinks it's her choice. If she's going along with this quietly and making this choice on her own it can only lead to three possible conclusions."
"Sounds a lot like Shikamaru," Kiba groaned, shaking his head as they dodged around some more trees and through the canopy.
"Actually, this part is mostly Neji and Shino," Konohamaru said with a smirk. "Shikamaru agrees but it was mostly them. It makes sense anyway."
"Well, let's have it then," Tsume said, her nose twitching as she sniffed the air. "The elders of our clan are waiting for us about a kilometer ahead."
"I'll make it quick then," Konohamaru said. "She could either one: be genuinely scared for her well being, which seems to be the least likely. Two: she is planning something and being away from the village might actually help instead of hinder her in some way. Three: She's expecting Orochimaru and is already resigned herself to allow him to take her. This last theory had us debating for a while because we weren't sure if she has a curse mark. None of us have seen any such sign but-."
"She doesn't," Kiba admitted, wrinkling his nose. "I've seen most of her body and in any case, I can smell that evil jutsu from a mile away. It tarnishes the bearer."
"But you haven't seen all of her and that is what we are debating. We are debating what her move could be if she really was expecting Orochimaru and intended on giving herself to him," Konohamaru said, sighing slightly. "It was a long debate. Why would she go all the way to the Inuzuka compound of her own volition? Why would she allow herself to be under constant surveillance and lockdown if she intended on giving herself to him? More importantly, why would she agree to go to such a secluded area where we are almost sure Orochimaru won't be able make an appearance? There was a lot to answer."
"I hadn't realized she'd become such a liability," Tsume admitted.
"Neither did I until Shikamaru, Shino, and Neji came to me with their concerns. The truth is, when I brought her to the village I knew that she would be in danger. That is why I sought her out. Of course I said it was because she was the last Uzumaki and all that bull. But it was more than that. Orochimaru has been on the move for months now; this was select information that only certain people knew. We were tracking him and it was quite curious. He'd gone to almost every nation on this continent, even the Hidden Mist. The one place he avoided, the one place that he hasn't been to in the eight months we've been watching him was the Hidden Rain. Curious don't you think?"
"You think he's got his influence over her, don't you?" Tsume asked, approaching the rendezvous. She could smell the two elders waiting for them.
"Indeed but I don't know what kind. That is why I am officially asking you, as current and future leader of the Inuzuka," he motioned from Tsume to Kiba. "To consider allowing us use of your facility."
Tsume stopped a good fifty yards from the elders, waving for them to wait. She then turned to Konohamaru, a slight grin on her face. "I don't see a problem with it as long as we can keep the location of the entrance to the compound secret. Blind folds, seals, whatever you want to use. I don't have a problem with it because I think there is no better place to face off against Orochimaru for the final time. If she is planning something, if she is under his influence, then we can be sure that she is sure of him finding her. The secrecy may not be needed for everyone but definitely Yuka. As long as you medical staff ready and available when the time comes and a good plan I have no problems at all, Hokage-sama."
"I do," Kiba said shaking his head. "This is sacred Inuzuka ground. Bringing outsiders has never happened since the very first alpha and that was only for Hashirama Senju!"
"You know your history, good for you pup," Tsume spat. "Is that the only problem you have with this? Concealing the location?"
"No, of course not; I have a problem with how we are going to keep a constant watch when the Inuzuka are the only one's who know the location."
"Shifts of three sound adequate enough," Tsume said with a sigh. "These are minor details. We can spare a few Inuzuka here and there. This is an official mission after all."
"Yes," Konohamaru admitted. "Currently just a B-rank mission but it will escalate."
"What about my transformation? Before I can control it it will be dangerous for anyone but an Inuzuka to be here during those times."
"It won't last that long. We'll bring her here after your own business is done and by the next full moon Orochimaru should have already made his move. The time to take a new vessel is extremely close," Konohamaru assured. "So, what do you say Inuzuka Kiba?"
"I don't like it but I won't deny my Hokage," Kiba said after a moments pause.
"Excellent! Well, I hope you enjoy the gift and I will forward all the mission notes to Tsume-san when we draw them up. See you tomorrow Kiba-kun!"
Kiba waved after him, Tsume turning toward the elders now as Konohamaru disappeared back the way they came.
"Late, Tsume-san?" the older man asked, standing in front of her now. "I see our rambunctious and young Hokage has adhered to tradition. How prudent. Tell me," the old man said, turning to Kiba. He looked like an old dog; he had long eyebrows and a long beard and mustache that covered his chin and down his neck half way. His long white hair spiked and tangled on his head, making the gray locks look like small ears. If Kiba didn't know this man as his great uncle he would have thought him to be ridiculous looking. "Are you ready, young Inuzuka pup, to take over the responsibility of transformation and the alpha?"
"As I'll ever be," Kiba remarked. The man just smirked and turned around to face the old woman behind him.
"I see the pup hasn't lost any of his attitude," she cackled, her laughter like a wounded howl. "Good, you'll need that in the months to come. Let's get moving. It's still another three hours hike to the compound. We should make it there before dark."
They all took off up the mountain now, Kiba easily keeping up with the older Inuzuka's. Kiba just grinned at the old lady. She was his great aunt and sister to his father's father. She was the only remaining Inuzuka, other than Kiba and Hana, to belong to the main branch. Of course his mother was part of it but she was betrothed to his father since she was born and wasn't related by blood. The Inuzuka, in order to provide the best continuation of their powers in his parent's day, married their main branch to several lesser branch females to produce the best candidates for alpha males and females. If he wanted to be technical, his parents were fourth cousins. His mother's great grandfather was his father's great grandfather's brother.
The genealogy of his family would probably be best contemplated with extreme caution. He didn't need to know much to know that clans used to inter-marry and ally themselves with other clans. For all he knew he could be related to Shino. This sent a chill down his spine and he couldn't help but smirk. His mind was already wandering and they weren't even fifteen minutes into their trek up the mountain.
After a couple hours and several thoughts about Yuka, Akamaru, his family, his duties, and finally Orochimaru, they came to a large stone face on the side of a cliff. They weren't as high up the mountain as Kiba would have imagined, his lungs adjusting to the slight elevation change. In fact, he was sure he'd been here before. The face of the rock looked familiar and the way the ledge was naturally carved out with wind and water made it look that much more secluded.
Tsume stepped forward toward the rock and pulled out a kunai. She cut her palm and placed it flat against the rock. She then did a couple of hand signs with her free hand, her eyes closing. Her hand glowed red for a second and then her eye's snapped open, the entire eyeball black. The stone in front of them started to slide and shift and they watched as an archway was revealed to them. It was wide with tall pillars framing it. The pillars were made of human and wolf skulls, each set of eyes hollow. They watched Kiba as he followed his mother and the elders into the archway. The hall was completely dark, the echoing of footsteps the only deviation from it.
Kiba followed closely, squinting through the dark to see his mother and the white haired elders turn right and then left, through an elaborate maze to a large open area. Kiba's breath caught when he immerged from the dark hall. It was like an arena, the hard dirt and moss covered floor below expanded into an oval encased by tall walls. It came up into a dome; the only deviation from the tall walls was the balcony that they now stood on. "This is the arena," his uncle said. "This is where you will be for the first few weeks. In the arena you learn to tame the beast within and gain control. If you're lucky it won't take very long."
"Yes, you're free to come up her and train anytime your duties are not to the Hokage or the clan," the older woman echoed.
"Thank you," Tsume said, waving for them to leave. "I'll take first watch. You two should get some rest after that hike anyway."
"Rest? Ha, I don't know the name of the word. I'm more fit than I was in my prime!" Kiba's aunt protested, following his uncle down a set of stairs into a room with a large metal door. Kiba looked over at his mother and she just smiled.
"Now, this will be where you will master your transformation," Tsume began. "You'll stay down there all night. As you can see this dome is naturally lit." She pointed up to the top indicating the different windows and natural shafts cut into the rock to let in natural light. It was a yellowish orange.
"The sun will be going down in an hour or two. When that happens the moon will have a pull on you and anything that triggers your emotions will bring on the transformation. It is best to train your mind. Think of things that are neutral, unimportant or insignificant."
"You've been through the transformation?" Kiba asked, his eyes going slightly wide. She shook her head with a slight scowel.
"Of course not. In fact, I've only ever seen it once and that was a very long time ago," she whispered the last part, shaking her head and then grinning. "But never mind that."
"The idea of being caged up doesn't really sit well with me," Kiba groaned, moving down the stairs toward the door that the elders had just gone through.
"Well, there are several other parts to this hide out but you won't discover those until you can control your transformation," Tsume said with a shrug. Kiba tried pulling the door open but it didn't budge. "Yeah, if you want to get down into the arena you have to jump. The walls are infused with chakra and a substance to repel transitioning Inuzuka's from getting out. You will be a danger to everyone who is around you. Remember that."
"Right, so a caged dog it is," Kiba groaned throwing himself over the edge and into the arena. He landed with a thump and sighed, moving around the arena. It looked worn and smelled old, like dirt and musk.
"Enjoy yourself pup!" Tsume said with a smirk. "Because when that moon rises you'll be in the worse pain of your life."
"Thanks a lot Ma!" he called, waving his arm over his head. He then rolled his eyes, moving to lay on the soft moss and dirt covered ground. He needed to think about everything, he needed to mentally prepare himself for this transformation. He also needed to prepare for the mission he'd go on to keep Yuka locked up. She wasn't going to like this place, he could already tell; if he felt caged then she'd feel suffocated, almost crushed. As he stared up at the ceiling her face drifted through his head, his breath hitching in his throat.
His mother had warned him of thinking about things. If his emotions were going to be in that sort of state of being he needed to banish all thoughts from his mind. However, the only lingering thought that he just couldn't get rid of was Yuka; the softness of her skin, the pout in her lips, the deep green pools that were her eyes, and of course that beautiful ruby red hair. It was rich, darker than a ruby but just as shiny and luscious. It was almost irresistible; Kiba wanted more than anything to touch that hell, to smell her against him and in his arms. That was the most amazing feeling he had experienced so far.
He had to tear his mind away from such things, he had to think about what was best for him and what was best for Yuka. He would never want her to have to see him like the beast he was turning into but she did and what was most surprising was that she wasn't afraid of him. No, she wasn't even deterred by such an appearance. Maybe he was taking this too fast, jumping on the first possibility but this girl was different than all the others.
She was harsh, calculated, controlled, and had a temper that could rival his own. She made him laugh, made him want to go off the deep end, but more than anything she made him feel happy. If that wasn't a good enough reason to love someone then Kiba didn't know what love was. Soon, night would be coming and the moon would stream into his prison, making him into the beast that he knew he needed all his chakra to control. He was not going to allow this wild feeling of abandon change him, make him into some sort of lone-wolf like his father. No, he wouldn't give in to such weakness and dishonor.
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