A/N: Thank you all for following along with my story so far, this chapter we're finally getting into the plot lol. No lemons this chapter but I'm pretty sure there will be in the next chapter. Enjoy :)

Content Warning: Language, Alcohol

If you don't like it, don't read it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

I wanna be the type of girl you take home to your mama.

Sakura nervously brushed through her hair, making sure every strand was perfectly placed. She had applied light makeup to accentuate her features and she wore a simple outfit. She had on a basic pair of jeans, a white tank top, and a soft brown cardigan. Once she felt presentable, Sakura exited the bathroom and quickly located a pair of brown boots to slip on.

Just as Sakura grabbed her purse, she heard a knock on her apartment door. The pinkette jogged to her door and pulled it open. Kiba stood before her, offering his signature grin. Sakura gave a weak smile in return but she was clearly uncomfortable. She looked down to see Akamaru accompanying him, she gave him a quick pat on the head before exiting her apartment and locking the door behind her.

"What's wrong?" Kiba questioned, grabbing Sakura's arm to keep her in place. He carefully examined her facial expression, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"I'm just... I'm nervous." Sakura admitted, her eyes meeting Kiba's. A small blush covered her cheeks in embarrassment and she chewed her bottom lip. "What if your mom doesn't like me?"

Kiba let out a deep chuckle, Sakura's embarrassed expression quickly morphed into one of anger. She resisted the urge to punch him square in the jaw as he laughed at her. Kiba noticed that the pinkette was glaring daggers into him and he composed himself.

"Sakura, you're absolutely insane. Everyone loves you." Kiba stated, his eyes softening. He caressed Sakura's arm soothingly and she relaxed a bit. However, Kiba could still see the doubt in her eyes. He took a step closer, closing the gap between their bodies and pulling her into a warm embrace. "You're one of the strongest kunoichi in the country. You're beautiful and sexy. You're feisty, kind, and passionate about everything you do. You're one of the best medical nin's in the world. You're perfect, Sakura. My mom is tough but I know she's going to love you, just as much as I do."

Sakura gave Kiba a small, genuine smile before tilting her head upwards to meet his lips. The kiss started soft but quickly became heated as Kiba grabbed her hips, pulling her body flush against his. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and fisted her hands into his messy locks. Kiba bit at her bottom lip before pulling away.

"I love you, Kiba." Sakura said, a pink blush covering her cheeks once again.

"I love you, princess." Kiba smirked and placed a kiss on her forehead. He released the petite pinkette from his grip and began walking along side her. They started in the direction of the Inuzuka compound, Akamaru following close beside them. Kiba grabbed Sakura's hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.

"Just be grateful that this is happening now and not at Christmas." Kiba joked.

They soon arrived at the Inuzuka compound. Kiba didn't bother knocking, he simply walked straight in through the front entrance. Sakura's anxiety returned as they entered the home, but before she could even think, a loud, feminine voice came booming down the hallway.

"Hey! It's about time!" Hana walked quickly to the couple. She first approached Sakura, pulling her into a tight hug. The pinkette has met Hana before due to their similar lines of work, however, the last time they saw each other was before her and Kiba began their relationship.

Sakura returned the embrace. She liked Hana, she was gorgeous and strong willed just like the rest of the Inuzuka's, but Sakura could clearly see her love and passion for animals and her family.

"I'm so glad he finally brought you home." Hana admitted before releasing Sakura from her embrace. Sakura smiled at her words, she was appreciative that she was joining them for dinner tonight. Hana turned her attention to her little brother, giving him a bright smile and messing up his hair. "You never come around anymore, I swear you get taller every time I see you."

"Maybe you're just shrinking, runt." Kiba teased, pushing her hand away from his head. Hana scoffed and slapped his arm just hard enough to hurt. She looked to Sakura with an exasperated expression.

"I don't know how you willingly deal with him." Hana joked. Sakura giggled and wrapped her arms around Kiba's waist. She looked up at him with soft, tender eyes.

"I guess you can't choose who you fall in love with." Sakura smiled at Kiba, who looked mildly offended at the comment. Hana giggled at the couple before motioning for them to follow her.

"Dinner is almost done, let's go take a seat." Hana said as she led them to the dining room. Sakura was very impressed as she walked through the elaborate compound. It was beautiful. She wondered to herself why Kiba had decided to get an apartment instead of living here.

They found their way to the dining room, Kiba pulled out a seat for Sakura and sat down beside her. The dog nin placed a hand on her back, absentmindedly tracing small circles over her sweater.

"So Hana, how's work been at the veterinary hospital?" Sakura questioned, folding her hands in her lap.

"It's incredibly hectic but I love every minute of it." Hana chuckled. Sakura smiled, understanding what she meant, completely. Being in the medical field was unbelievably draining both mentally and physically, but helping those in need was well worth the strain.

Suddenly, a tall woman with untamed, brown locks burst into the dining room. Sakura was immediately stunned by the woman's beauty, she had olive toned skin and sharp, exotic features. She had the same narrowed eyes as Kiba, the same red markings on their cheeks, and the same signature smirk, exposing her elongated canines. This must be his mother.

"Mother, long time no see!" Kiba exclaimed, standing to his feet and approaching the woman. Sakura stood as well but froze in her tracks when she watched the woman backhand Kiba across the cheek. The pinkette's jaw dropped and the room grew thick with tension. Kiba groaned and rubbed his stinging face. "What was that for?!"

"You haven't come to see us in over a year, Kiba!" The woman barked at him, venom dripping from her voice. She glared at Kiba who had an apologetic expression covering his face. "We have a lot to discuss."

Hana awkwardly cleared her throat, making their mother aware of her presence as well as Sakura's. The woman turned her attention to the pinkette, her eyes immediately lighting up and a smile crossing her lips. Sakura smiled back politely, despite her being completely shocked by what she's just witnessed.

"Well Kiba, don't be rude, introduce your friend here!" His mother demanded.

"Mother, this is Sakura, my girlfriend." Kiba explained, grabbing the pinkette's hand and pulling her to stand next to him. "And Sakura, this is my mother, Tsume."

"It's great to meet you Ms. Inuzuka." Sakura bowed.

"Oh, don't be so formal, Sakura!" Tsume insisted. Sakura stood up straight with a pink tint covering her cheeks. Tsume wrapped her arms around the pinkette, squeezing her in an embrace. Sakura forgot how touchy the Inuzuka clan was. "Please, call me Tsume."

"Thank you, Tsume." Sakura hugged back for a brief moment before they released each other. She turned to Kiba who was smiling at them.

"Well, the food is ready. Let's eat and you can tell me all about yourself, Sakura. I've been dying to meet you." Tsume smiled.

"So, I began my training as a medical nin almost ten years ago. I love working in the hospital, being able to help the villagers and my fellow shinobi is so fulfilling for me." Sakura explained, dabbing her mouth with a handkerchief.

"I completely agree, Sakura. Helping others is very rewarding." Hana offered a soft grin to the pinkette. "That's why I want to continue working in the veterinary hospital for the rest of my days."

Sakura noticed Hana's eyes flash to Kiba, observing his reaction to her words. Sakura was a bit confused, and based on Kiba's face, he was too. Tsume sipped from her glass of wine and cleared her throat.

"Hana, do you mind if I speak to your brother in private?" Tsume looked to her daughter, Hana gave her a knowing expression and nodded before standing up from her seat.

"Sakura, do you want to go with Hana, maybe she could give you a tour of the grounds?" Kiba suggested, however his eyes never left his mother's.

"Actually, this concerns Sakura as well. You may want her to stay." Tsume spoke. Sakura looked to Kiba nervously, he met her gaze and grabbed one of her delicate hands. He absentmindedly stroked her knuckles with his thumb, looking back to his mother. Hana exited quietly, giving the three shinobi some privacy.

"Kiba," Tsume sighed, folding her hands on the dining table. "You are the next in line to become the head of the Inuzuka clan."

"What?" Kiba's brows furrowed in confusion. "Hana is the next in line, Inuzuka leaders are traditionally female."

"I know Kiba, I've tried to talk to her but Hana is dead set on keeping up the veterinary hospital. Without her, there would be no one to run it." Tsume explained, her voice strong yet cool. "Hana has no desire to lead the clan. You're a much better fit for the position, Kiba."

"When was this decided?" Kiba questioned, a bit jarred by the sudden responsibility on his shoulders.

"About 5 months ago!" Irritation could be heard in Tsume's voice. "If you'd ever show up to any clan meetings, or even come to visit, you would've known earlier."

"I'm sorry mother," Kiba looked down at the table, avoiding her piercing eyes. Sakura sat quietly, listening intently to the conversation that was taking place. "So, what does Sakura have to do with this?"

"Well, surely you're aware that the head of the clan is required to complete the mating ritual before taking the title?" Tsume questioned. He thought for a moment before memories of the Inuzuka clan traditions came flooding back to him. Kiba hadn't thought about such things since he'd learned them as an adolescent. The dog nin turned to look at Sakura, she looked just as overwhelmed as he felt.

"Yes, I'm aware mother." Kiba said in a low voice, keeping his gaze on Sakura.

"And you're aware this needs to be completed before my 45th birthday?" Tsume pressed. "That's when the title is passed to you, Kiba."

Kiba took a breath in, trying to collect his thoughts. He ran a hand through his brown locks. The dog nin looked up at his mother as he spoke.

"And when is that?"

Smack.

Tsume had abruptly stood to her feet and slapped Kiba from across the table. The sound echoed through the room and Sakura simply shook her head at Kiba. "He deserved that one." Sakura thought.

"You don't know my fucking birthday?" Tsume seethed. Kiba held his cheek in pain, cursing under his breath. Tsume sat back down, putting her head in her hands. "You have until August 12th, Kiba."

"That's less than a year, mother!" Kiba exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Great observation." Tsume grumbled, taking another sip of wine.

"But, I'm not ready, there's so much I still need to learn about leading the clan." Kiba spoke. Sakura gazed over his features, they were twisted with concern. This might be one of the first times she's ever seen Kiba unsure of himself. She squeezed his hand, bringing his attention to her for moment. She gave him a soft, reassuring smile.

"I know that you aren't ready yet, Kiba. But I'm confident that I can teach you everything you need to know by New Year's." Tsume smiled. "Look, I know I'm tough on you, but you already have a very good understanding of the Inuzuka clan and our history. There's a reason that you've been chosen to be the head of the clan, Kiba. Don't doubt yourself, kid. You're gonna be great."

Kiba smiled to himself and nodded his head. He was touched by his mother's kind words, praise wasn't something he heard often from her. She was entrusting him with a huge responsibility, he couldn't let her down.

"So, when do we start?" Kiba smirked.

After awhile, the couple said their goodbyes to the Inuzuka family. Kiba, Sakura, and Akamaru began to walk to his apartment at a leisurely pace. They strolled in silence for many minutes, a lot going through both of their minds. Still, Kiba wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulders, keeping her close to him.

"So..." Sakura broke the silence, looking up at Kiba's strong features. Questions plagued her mind and she needed answers. "How does this... mating ritual... work? What does it mean?"

Kiba cleared his throat and furrowed his brows, trying to find the right way to explain it. He stayed silent for a moment, staring down at the pavement. He finally answered in a deep voice.

"In the Inuzuka clan, we don't have traditional marriages." Kiba started, Sakura's eyes grew wide at the word.

"Marriage?" Sakura thought. "We've been together for two months!"

"Instead, we imprint on our significant others." Kiba continued, glancing down at Sakura.

"Imprint?" Sakura questioned.

"Yes. When you imprint on someone, everything changes. You protect them, put them above everyone, even yourself, and you follow them to the ends of the earth. You'd do anything for them. From what I've heard, there's no feeling more powerful." Kiba explained, a soft smile gracing his lips. Sakura took a deep breath, trying to wrap her mind around this new information.

"That sounds... intense." Sakura admitted. Kiba chuckled at her words.

"Well, it's not like you're forced to stay with that person forever. Take my father for example." Kiba said in a more serious tone. Sakura looked up at him with innocent eyes, encouraging him to continue. "He left our family when Hana and I were very young."

"I'm sorry, Kiba, I had no idea." Sakura said sadly, throwing an arm around Kiba's waist to hold him close in a half embrace. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Don't worry about it, I barely remember the bastard." Kiba responded. "He was just a coward."

The two continued walking, silence fell over them once again. They eventually made it to Kiba's apartment where they entered and removed their shoes. Sakura plopped herself down on Kiba's couch and he sat next to her.

"So, how do you... imprint?" Sakura questioned, nervously twiddling her fingers. She could practically hear the smirk in Kiba's voice as he explained.

"Well, you and your partner would engage in intercourse, and during your peak, you transfer your chakra into each other." Kiba stated. "It's a simple process, but it's intense."

Kiba's eyes searched over Sakura's face, trying to read her expression. She remained quiet and he couldn't quite tell what she was thinking. Kiba reach out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

"What are you thinking, love?" Kiba asked. He knew this was a lot of information to take in, it was for him too.

"You know I love you, right?" Sakura asked, her gaze falling to her lap.

"Yes, and I love you too, Sakura." Kiba declared, gently rubbing up and down her back.

"This is just really fast, Kiba." Sakura whispered, tears welling in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away, trying to keep herself composed. Kiba suddenly pulled Sakura into a tight embrace, holding her close to him.

"No one's saying that we have to do it right now, Sakura." Kiba reassured the pinkette. "We have time, and trust me when I say, I'd never make you do something that you don't want to do."

Sakura smiled softly, fisting her hand into his shirt. She was glad that she could talk to Kiba so openly. They both understood that imprinting was a big commitment, and they would wait until they were ready. After all, they had almost a year to figure it out.

A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed! I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter so lmk what you think so far. Stay tuned for more!