Shadows and Fangs
Chapter 28
Today's random musings: the story's also set in August in this chapter! Real time! :)
With the Kages' meeting date finally around the corner, their various guests started arriving in Suna, unmistakably bringing more liveliness to the village as the streets were bustling with children, young shinobi and even civilians of all ages who hoped to catch a glimpse of the other Kages and their guards. Despite being a potential diplomatic catastrophe waiting to happen, and involving a heavy extra workload from everyone in the Kage's tower to organize, said event had actually become a good economy booster, since it also fueled the hosting village's tourism industry.
Standing under the arid August sun at the northern gate waiting to welcome the Hokage's party, Shikamaru found himself feeling strangely tranquil, the way he usually felt before battle. Or at least he felt that way until he saw Sakura's smile – almost making him blink in surprise because he'd really been on the ready to face his best friend, but she was very strangely nowhere to be seen.
"On behalf of the Kazekage, welcome to the village of the Hidden Sand," he declared nonchalantly instead of giving into his urge to grab Sakura's shoulders and look into her eyes to see if it was a transformation jutsu – or maybe even Ino using her signature move!
Either way, she'd never dare harm a representative of the Kazekage, would she?
(Kankuro's reassurance that Gaara would give him a 'poignant' eulogy in case that meeting ended up costing him his life did little to actually reassure him.)
"Hey, hey, hey, Shikamaru!" Naruto called excitedly as he dashed to him and slung an arm around his shoulder to pull him towards the group, his other hand tugging on his arm so he'd show his forehead protector. "See, Sasuke? I wasn't making it up!" he claimed as he tapped the hourglass shape on the metal.
"Was my protector a heated subject of discussion on your way here or what?" Shikamaru wondered with a raised eyebrow as he didn't fight back – like quicksand (and Kiba), Naruto was harder to escape if you fought him off.
Sasuke opened his mouth the slightest bit before closing it, opting for a sigh instead – although Shikamaru highly doubted the Uchiha had actually accused Naruto of making anything up, and had visibly decided not to bother correcting him in the end.
"And I wasn't making that up either!" the Uzumaki continued happily as he moved from Shikamaru's protector to his hand, holding it up so the ring on it would be more visible. "See, see?"
"I think it's a widely established fact that Sasuke's eyes are in working order, Naruto," Shikamaru couldn't help but comment with a huff – but not feeling nearly as annoyed as he pretended to be.
Naruto pouted and Sasuke let out a small smirk at his expense. As Sakura stepped forward however, it took all of Shikamaru's willpower not to jerk his hand back when she reached for it. (He'd swear he saw it happening in slow motion, but that had most likely been stress making him hallucinate.)
"How lovely," she drawled, perfect smile still in place as she squeezed his fingers between hers. "Ino asked me to convey her well wishes to you! She's sorry she couldn't do so in person, but she's been so busy recently…I hope you're okay with little old me!" the medic finished brightly as she didn't let go of his hand.
Shikamaru only wondered why it didn't hurt more than that.
"It's always a pleasure to see you, Sakura," the diplomat in him replied easily – not that he didn't mean it, of course. "And seeing Team 7 like this sure brings back memories!" he added with a small grin.
"I know, I know, right?" Naruto asked eagerly, visibly happy someone else thought so too.
"Makes me feel a good few years younger myself!" Kakashi laughed at their antics before offering the Nara a perfect way out. "Say, Shikamaru, can you show me the way first so I can leave you youngsters to your reminiscing?"
"Of course," the shadow-nin replied evenly, glad to have his hand back safely.
Sakura actually laughed at this, looking both very amused and quite proud of herself as she followed him docilely. When he took his leave, she bumped their shoulders together and he found himself smiling slightly, figuring that maybe she wouldn't give him such a hard time in the end.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
In the end, Shikamaru needn't have worried about Sakura actively toying with him; she may have been Ino's best friend, but she was also the Fifth Hokage's student: she knew how to behave herself during official meetings and simply stood by Kakashi's side discreetly and efficiently. Still, from his spot by the door, the shadow-nin really wasn't ashamed to admit that he tried to stay out of her way as much as he could – although of course Kankuro noticed it and raised an eyebrow at him from his usual place behind his brother, horrible person that he was.
Sasuke didn't take part in the primary wave of meetings, but rather stepped in with Naruto sometime during the afternoon – and Shikamaru had to agree that had been a smart move from Kakashi, having Naruto lead him in with his infectious grin.
The Tsuchikage's eyes narrowed imperceptibly but she didn't otherwise react, and kept her face leaned in her left palm.
Next to her, the Mizukage's face took on that calculating expression that reminded people why she was a Kage in first place, even though she often acted like a ditz.
The Raikage's frown deepened and his mouth turned upside-down as he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, but he remained seated – behind him, Darui sighed as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders, and really, really, really hoped his Kage would behave.
Gaara's demeanor didn't change, because after all he trusted Naruto implicitly, so if the Uzumaki said Sasuke could be trusted, he was willing to listen to him – and yet Shikamaru knew that if need be, he'd be ready to fight him without the slightest hesitation.
Kakashi, naturally, was his usual model of boredom. "So, you all know Sasuke," he unnecessarily stated. "He's got some information to share."
"It's not exactly game-changing news, nor is it particularly bad," the Uchiha moderated as he stepped forward.
He spoke in clear, concise sentences, as if reciting a report, and when it came down to it, it felt obvious to Shikamaru that Sasuke was as thrilled to attend this meeting as the Raikage was to see him there. And neither was his presence a necessity, really, which made the Nara want to sigh although he resisted the urge – clearly all that buildup had been needless. Naruto and Kakashi had likely somehow persuaded – pestered – him so he'd deliver these news in person, because effectively, the Hokage could've done as much on his own.
And yet, he had a feeling he understood why they'd done it – it was there, in Naruto and Sakura's smiles. They were simply trying to make sure their friend didn't completely isolate himself from the world all the time, and accepted some recognition for his work behind the scenes. And really, it was entirely to Sasuke's credit that he went along with it to please them.
Besides, it went without saying that everyone was very satisfied with the lack of bad news.
As was customary, they concluded that first day with a formal dinner – although the word 'formal' should've really been used lightly, when it came down to it. And for once, Shikamaru agreed that Kakashi was preferable to Tsunade, because at least he didn't make it a point to outdrink everyone.
Even though he still had to stay on his toes to make sure everything went smoothly, it was the first time the Kazekage's assistant was somewhat able to relax a little that day, something Omoi picked up on as he clapped his shoulder.
"You look exhausted," he said sympathetically.
"You don't look much better," Shikamaru said back with a raised eyebrow. "Did the Raikage decide to race you here again?" he asked knowingly.
Omoi sighed woefully and held his glass up in a toast, wincing at the familiar burn. "For the record, I liked it better the last time we were celebrating something here," he added with a knowing smile.
Shikamaru smirked lazily as he reasonably couldn't deny that his and Kiba's wedding had been infinitely more fun and less stressful – well, it was a different kind of stress, really. "How's it going with Tenten?" he then wondered, still keeping an eye and ear out for anything that might require his attention.
The Cloud shinobi's smile turned even more genuine as he looked down at his drink. "The distance doesn't make it any easier, but we're good – we're really good, you know?" he replied with a happy sigh. "I mean, it could've been bad – it's so easy for things to go wrong, and then of course since we're not there in person next to each other, sometimes it could really spin out of control, but so far it hasn't, and—"
"Okay, it's going well – let's keep it at that!" the shadow-nin interrupted him with a pat on his back before he could start visualizing up to eight different ways their relationship could collapse in the following hour.
Omoi grinned back sheepishly, fully aware of the fact that he did have a tendency to let his negative side run rampant hand-in-hand with his overactive imagination. "How about you guys? Did marriage change anything? Or everything, maybe?" he wondered curiously.
Shikamaru almost snorted at that question. "So far, the biggest change is that we need to remember to check a different box when filling out forms!" he informed him in amusement.
Okay, admittedly, they also did get a kick out of saying they were married, and Kiba absolutely loved it when someone else used the word 'husband' – fine, Shikamaru loved it too, but he was more reserved about expressing it and didn't ask the person who'd said it to say it again (and again).
A somewhat loud sound drew his attention to the side, and the Raikage looked like he was debating something with the Tsuchikage, but then again from a certain angle it also looked like they were just having a drinking contest – yet the table was still in one piece, nor where there any chairs flying, so he figured all was well. Darui shrugged as they shared a look and then returned to his conversation with Chôjurô.
"So did Kiba join the Nara clan yet?" Omoi then asked, wincing from another gulp of liquor.
"Not yet, no," Shikamaru replied with a shake of his head. "We need the head of the clan's approval, and it can only be finalized in Konoha anyway, so that'll be taken care of the next time we visit – which should be around New Year's," he told him, shrugging lightly.
"Oh, is that so?" a voice asked sweetly from above.
Shikamaru froze in his seat as he slowly looked up into Sakura's bright eyes and her bright, bright smile.
"You were in such a hurry to get married, but that can wait half a year?" she asked once more, absolutely loving the fact that he resisted the urge to gulp and had to crane his neck to look at her.
Omoi looked between the two with a frown, visibly trying to figure out how serious it was and whether he should get involved – but electing to keep a safe distance, because he'd seen what the pink haired medic was capable of.
Sakura's smile only widened as she sat down between them. "Please don't mind me – by all means, carry on! I find the subject fascinating!" she insisted.
The way he saw it, Shikamaru had two options. One, he let her win: apologize, say whatever he needed to say to satisfy her (and Ino) and call it quits. Two, he turned the tables on her – and would possibly suffer the consequences at Ino's hands one day in the future.
Decisions, decisions…
"Personally I find your fascination with the subject more interesting," he said nonchalantly, deciding on ditching safety and going with option two – Kiba would be so proud. "I wonder whether it wouldn't be linked to a certain someone," he added, eyes darting towards the Uchiha.
Omoi raised an eyebrow but otherwise kept his expression neutral, enjoying the show.
Sakura for her part blushed stubbornly but still held his look – though she was visibly fighting back a chuckle.
"Just how much did Ino ask you to make me pay?" Shikamaru finally asked her knowingly.
The medic did laugh at this, tapping a finger to her lips. "A self-respecting best friend doesn't betray her best friend's secrets!" she replied with a wink.
"Fair enough – how about we both call it quits then? I'll even tell her you almost made me cry," he offered easily as he held out his hand.
Sakura grinned and clapped it – with way more force than was necessary and therefore making it hit the table, but he figured he should just count himself lucky that said hand was still attached, all things considered.
"Seriously though, I am happy for the two of you," she added earnestly, chuckling at his 'thanks'. "But I didn't know Kiba was going to join the Nara clan – Ino didn't mention it."
Omoi briefly wondered whether he'd blundered and that particular piece of information wasn't supposed to make it to Konoha yet, but Shikamaru didn't look alarmed, so he relaxed.
"That's likely because it's possible I didn't mention it to her," the shadow-nin replied with a shrug, trying to recall their recent conversations. "It just never came up, I suppose."
Sakura shrugged back as she had to admit that didn't exactly trump their getting married in the first place. "It's so funny though! I mean, you and Kiba! Married! To each other! If someone had told me that when we were kids…!" she added with a grin.
"Hey, not everyone ends up with their childhood crush," he teased her back easily, noting her blush and Omoi's raised eyebrow at this – as a rule, Omoi didn't really tease people, but he loved watching others do the honors. "I guess we'd all have been shocked by the future, as kids. Just look at Chouji and Tenten – corrupted by shinobi from the Cloud!" he added with a mock shake of his head.
The Cloud shinobi in question chuckled at this, leaning his head against his fist. "Oh, yes, Tenten has indeed already complained about being corrupted by me!" he deadpanned in amusement.
Sakura laughed clearly as she slapped his shoulder in agreement. "Yeah, as far as the two of you are concerned, I'd say we all know who's doing the corrupting!" she teased him easily.
"Not sure how I ought to take that," he admitted with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, it's not an insult," Shikamaru reasoned with a shrug.
"Certainly not!" the medic confirmed happily, cackling smugly as she leaned closer to Omoi and elbowed his side. "Don't worry, I have it on good authority Tenten loves it when you try to 'corrupt' her anyway!" she assured him.
Omoi blushed – but still managed to look pleased – while Shikamaru resisted the urge to slap a palm over his forehead. "Really? We're going there? Now? Here?"
Sakura only snorted at his rebuttal. "Oh, please Shikamaru! Don't be a prude – you're married to Kiba, your cover's already blown!" she stated matter-of-factly.
What was it with everyone always assuming Kiba was a sex-crazed beast?
"For the record, and just so we're clear, he doesn't start things that much more often than I do," Shikamaru stated with a huff. "And neither does he go in heat!" he added with a frown because that particular rumor about the Inuzukas had been driving him crazy for years – as well as Aoba, and most if not all other Inuzuka clan-members' spouses.
"I know that!" the medic replied with a huff before lightly elbowing his side. "So you get horny too, well noted – I've never doubted you though: it's always the quiet ones after all!" Sakura teased him between giggles – giggles, and somehow it made Shikamaru wonder whether maybe she wasn't done playing with him on Ino's behalf after all.
"Yes, after all you've been able to test and verify that particular theory yourself," he couldn't help but say back as he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of cradling his ribs.
Sakura blushed but grinned happily, and Sasuke actually raised an eyebrow at them at this, which momentarily made the Nara fear for his life – because he doubted Sasuke was the kind of guy who was okay with other people making jokes about his sex-life. But he just turned his attention back to Kakashi and Shikamaru wasn't ashamed to admit he'd almost sighed in relief – he really didn't want to make Kiba a widower so soon after all.
"You and Kiba sure are lucky though," Omoi told him out of the blue, sighing deeply.
"In what sense?" Shikamaru asked him with a raised eyebrow – because yeah, he knew they were, no questions there.
"Living together must be so nice…" the Cloud nin commented wistfully – honestly, requesting a transfer to Iwa was become more attractive every day.
Sakura wordlessly reached to pat his shoulder, having sobered up the slightest bit because yeah, she could relate to that too – and admittedly, living together had to be really nice…
Shikamaru opened his mouth to cheer them up, but Gaara caught his gaze and tilted his head to the side, so with a pat on their shoulders he excused himself from his friends and went to his Kage's side – these friendships actually made it dangerously easy to forget that this was an official gathering and he was still on the clock!
It was almost two hours later that he finally made it home, and he did his best to make as little noise as possible so that he wouldn't wake up Akamaru and Kiba for good – of course they'd wake up anyway, but if he wasn't too loud they'd fall right back asleep. The nin-dog wagged his tail once in greeting as he passed by his cushion in the living-room, and he whispered a good night to him around a jaw-splitting yawn.
"So how doomed is the world?" Kiba asked him sleepily as he felt him slip into bed with him, automatically shifting closer.
"Not that badly," Shikamaru assured him, letting out a satisfied sigh as finally, he could really relax for real. "Sakura says 'hi'."
Omoi said 'hi' too of course, but he and Kiba had actually already seen each other since he'd arrived in the village the day before, so he didn't think he needed to reiterate his greeting.
"Sakura?" Kiba repeated, slightly more awake. "So it was her scent that I picked up! Is Ino okay?" he asked worriedly as he slightly turned to him.
"Yeah, don't worry," Shikamaru replied against his shoulder, voice half-muffled. "I think she just let Sakura take her place so she could have more time with Sasuke," he mused – it was only his theory anyway, but it sounded like something Ino would do, amazing friend that she was, so he'd stick to it.
Kiba relaxed and chuckled at this, yawning as he put his head back down on the pillow. "Gotta try to sneak in a visit tomorrow…" he mumbled, falling back asleep mid-sentence.
Shikamaru didn't notice; he was already gone.
Good thing those Kage meeting only happened once a year and not always in Suna, the schedule was way too crazy – even without accounting for additional special guests.
As was more often than not the case, nothing of great importance happened during the second day of meetings – which some would argue should be viewed as a good thing, since it implied that there was nothing too bad to discuss or plan for.
The Tsuchikage elected to leave in the early afternoon right after lunch, and the Raikage didn't dally for too long either – with Omoi shooting his friends a pleading look and giving a half-hearted wave as the imposing man once more decided to race his guards. The Mizukage was in less of a hurry, although in effect she didn't stay back much longer before taking her leave – to her credit, she stopped by the Allied Division HQ to greet and encourage the Mist shinobi stationed there, even further boosting her popularity among those of other villages.
This only left Kakashi, with the Hokage postponing his departure mainly because Naruto (who wanted more time with Gaara) and Sakura (who wanted an excuse to keep Sasuke from leaving off on his own, although she did want to stop by the Allied HQ's medical ninjutsu department) gave him pleading looks.
As the Kazekage, Gaara originally insisted he should see to his guest, but finally gave in when Kankuro and Shikamaru assured him they'd keep the Hokage company, and following that Naruto happily dragged him off – his schedule had already been cleared for the day just in case after all, because of the meetings.
Sakura, not being one to miss golden opportunities, particularly when they were handed to her on a silver platter, promptly offered to Sasuke to accompany her to the HQ, which the Uchiha couldn't exactly refuse. And he really put quite the effort in keeping a neutral face on in front of so many witnesses, so Shikamaru really couldn't tell how he felt – but that he didn't turn her down had to mean something, he supposed.
Truly, Kakashi didn't really need any babysitting, but he and Kankuro soon got into a discussion centered on Suna's history after the puppeteer mentioned they held statues of their Kages in the village council room instead of a very large and public monument like Konoha did. It seemed the copy-nin was slightly envious of the more discreet tribute – something the others could easily relate to, in all honesty.
Shikamaru used that time to check in with the other departments to make sure everything was going smoothly and nothing required Gaara's immediate presence. Sometime later, Korobi almost apologetically gave him some documents that required the Kazekage's signature and he shrugged meditatively at him, saying it was bound to happen anyway.
"Besides, I don't think tracking him down should be too difficult since Naruto's with him," he added with a smirk – oh yes, their friend still knew nothing of the meaning of the word 'discretion'.
"Aww, does that mean you don't need me?" a voice asked teasingly from the doorway.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes fondly as he turned to the newcomer. "Not necessarily."
"Hey Kiba!" Korobi greeted energetically.
"Looking good, Korobi!" the tracker greeted back as he clapped his hand. "Probably just relieved the meetings are over with the village still standing!"
The puppeteer very well couldn't deny that, and simply shrugged. "Well, what can I say? I'm a man of simple pleasures!" he praised himself modestly as he placed a hand over his chest and mock-bowed.
"I'll tell your wife you said that!" Shikamaru teased him easily, chuckling at his frown before waving his folder at him. "I'll get you these back and signed as soon as I can," he promised.
Korobi nodded his thanks and clapped Kiba's shoulder before turning back to his work.
"What brings you here?" Shikamaru wondered as he stroked Akamaru's head.
Kiba shrugged as he stretched his arms above his head. "I told you I'd try to cram in a visit, didn't I?" he reminded him easily as he smirked at him.
The Nara only lightly bumped their shoulders in reply. "Where's Gaara?" he asked him instead.
Kiba wiggled his nose and shrugged his head towards the roof. "On the roof with Naruto. Kakashi's with them."
Shikamaru blinked as he checked the time, not having realized that a couple of hours had already passed since he'd returned to work. "Kankuro's not with them?" he asked, although he figured that if he'd left the Hokage, it was at the man's request – implying he was ready to leave.
"He's by the western gate – a patrol came back in bad shape, I heard he went to check it out."
"How bad is it?" Shikamaru asked him with a frown – and wondering why he hadn't heard about it.
"Doesn't smell like death," was all that Kiba could say.
Shikamaru nodded back, trusting him. "I'll just wait for his report then. Sakura and Sasuke?"
"They were at the HQ a while back – nearly took ten years off Temari's life, seeing him in the middle of so many shinobi from every village like that without more of a heads-up," he told him as he winced upon remembering.
"Did anything happen?" the Nara asked back with a raised eyebrow.
"Nah, don't worry. Sakura's a really well-respected medic across the Alliance, no one would dare give her a hard time," Kiba assured him before sighing in mock-disappointment. "But right now they're just strolling along the gate-walls," he said as though he'd been expecting them to do something more fun.
"Don't sound so disappointed," the shadow-nin drawled, smirk widening at Akamaru's barking laugh.
"Gross," was all that Kiba replied, instantly perking up as they walked out on the roof terrace of the tower and Naruto ran towards them.
"Hey, Kiba, Akamaru! I've got something for you guys from Hinata!" the blond shinobi said excitedly.
"Yeah? What is it?" Kiba asked with a wide grin. It was almost comical how similar the nin-dog and his master looked as they tilted their heads to the side.
Naruto chuckled and then glomped them both, sending them tumbling to the ground in a pile of limbs. "That's her congratulations to you, Kiba! And Akamaru gets one too because she misses him!" he told them happily.
Akamaru barked back, tail wagging, and Kiba fake-sighed at this. "Sure, she's always liked him best!"
"Yes, you're visibly heartbroken over it," Shikamaru commented with a raised eyebrow.
Gaara and Kakashi walked over to them and the three disentangled themselves before standing up – with the nin-dog immediately going to the Kazekage, as always.
"Hello, Kiba," the Hokage greeted easily. "I've already told Shikamaru, but congratulations," he said in his usual knowing tone.
"Thanks!" Kiba replied brightly anyway, sharing a happy look with his husband.
"Since you're here, would you mind helping us track down Sakura and Sasuke? We really should get going before we'll be forced to spend the night sleeping on the ground somewhere cold and creepy," Kakashi requested as he slid his hands in his pockets.
"You're welcome to spend an extra night in Suna, as always," Gaara needlessly reminded him – although he knew that Kakashi was only complaining for the principle. His eyes then caught sight of a folder under Shikamaru's arm and he frowned imperceptibly as he looked at his assistant. "Does this require my attention?" he asked him although he knew the answer.
"It's nothing that can't wait until after we've seen our guests off," Shikamaru replied honestly – Korobi hadn't said it was a matter of life and death, after all.
"Please, we're not going to keep you any longer," Kakashi said seriously, remembering very well how much work he'd had to catch up on when the meetings had been held in Konoha. "Kiba can help us track down the other two and then see us out," he offered with a shrug.
Kiba raised an eyebrow at being volunteered, but obviously didn't mind – he was technically just on break, but it wouldn't take him too long anyway. "I don't mind," he assured Gaara.
The Kazekage nodded at him and Naruto pouted as they said goodbye, before promising him he'd visit soon, and bring Hinata with him this time. Gaara could honestly say he was looking forward to it.
Shikamaru left Naruto with a message for Chouji, and then followed his Kage back to his office, going over what they'd missed during the meetings.
Naruto once more slung an arm over Kiba's neck once he started leading them towards their team-members and poked his side conspiringly. "Kiiibaaa! I can't believe you're married! I never thought it would happen!" he said excitedly.
Kiba frowned at him, raising an eyebrow at Kakashi upon having distinctively heard him snort in amusement – but of course, when he turned to him the man just looked too damn innocent. "Hey, what's with the lack of faith? You knew we were planning on it!" he needlessly reminded him.
The Uzumaki blinked at this, waving a hand about to dismiss the notion. "Yeah, of course, I knew that – I just meant generally speaking! Back when we were kids?" he clarified.
"Okay, fair enough – I wasn't sure either back then," the tracker conceded as he had to admit as much. "I could say the same to you though!" he then said back easily.
"Yeah, I know…" Naruto shrugged self-consciously – but looking very, very pleased with himself.
"I'd say that as a rule, during childhood we aren't equipped to know what the future holds for us," Kakashi opinionated wisely, amused by their antics.
Naruto chuckled but then raised an eyebrow as he looked back at him. "You should get married too, Professor – you're not that old yet, but you're not getting any younger, so you shouldn't waste so much time!"
Kiba hard to work really hard not to snicker at this, because truly, Naruto was the only who could get away with saying stuff like that to Kakashi of the Sharingan – well, maybe so could Sakura, but her instincts of self-preservation were clearly superior. Still, for his own safety, he stepped away from his friend – Kakashi's happy expression had to be a sign of horrible things to come, after all.
"How sweet of my adorable student to still worry about his dear old teacher!" the Hokage noted with a sigh as he clamped a hand on his shoulder, enjoying the way he tensed. "Oh, look! Sakura and Sasuke! There they are! Should I maybe tell Sakura you've made certain comments?" he offered absently, leaning his face an inch away from his.
"N-no, thank you," Naruto replied slowly and carefully, turning pleading eyes to the Inuzuka.
But Kiba definitely wasn't about to get the tables turned on him, and ignored him as he said 'hello again' to Sakura with a bright grin – and nodded at the Uchiha, not wanting it to be said that he wasn't polite.
After that it wasn't long until Konoha's delegation left, and he cracked his shoulder absently as he figured he should go back to work himself. He'd call Hinata to thank her for the hug, too.
Really, that Naruto…how did he do it? He'd barely left the village, and it already seemed quieter!
TBC
I can completely picture Ino giving Sakura instructions on how to annoy Shikamaru...
On another note, 'Kiba in heat' is possibly my most hated trope, all fandoms included...