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Author's Note: Hello everyone! Welcome back. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far, I know I am. This chapter is about Kiba and Hinata. Please, if you do not support this ship, then skip ahead to the next chapter. Thank you!
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH EVERYONE!
In celebration of pride month, I would like to take on some requests for simple ONE-SHOT DABBLES ONLY! So, if you have a couple (not just Naruto) that you would like for me to write about, please send me a message.
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Chapter 106: Puppy Love
Normal P.O.V.
"Hold still, ya mutt!" Kiba yelled as he bathed Akamaru.
The large dog panted and barked in amusement as he continued to jump around and splash water all over the bathroom floor.
"C'mon man. This ain't funny. You need to finish your bath, or else Ma won't let you stay in the house. And you know it's gonna snow tonight, right?" Kiba smirked. Akamaru whined before sitting down with a frown. "That's what I thought. Now hold still so I can finish washing you."
Once the large white dog did as he was told, it only took his owner about fifteen minutes to finish the job. Next, he grabbed a large, fluffy brown towel and a blow dryer to get the dog completely dry. Even though Akamaru hates bath time, his favorite part is the blow dryer. He'll never admit that to his owner.
"There, now dontchya feel better?" Akamaru huffed and nodded his head. "Great. Now to clean this place up." Kiba sighed with his hands on his hips. "This is gonna take a while." Thinking that his owner wasn't looking, Akamaru tried to sneak out of the bathroom. "And where do you think you're going?" Knowing he was caught, the large dog turned around, sat, and lowered his head. "If you think you're gonna leave me with this mess to clean up alone, think again. Now let's go."
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"There, all clean. Now let's go get inspected by Ma before she gives us something else to do."
Kiba and Akamaru walked outside to their clan's private training fields where they found his mother, the clan leader, Tsume Inuzuka. She followed them back to the bathroom where she inspected both the room and Akamaru.
"Great job, you two. I'm impressed. I think this is the cleanest I've seen your bathroom since you were a kid. Now if only you could keep your room like this." She laughed as she reached up and scratched his head.
"Ma! Stop! Why are you always so embarrassing!" He whined without pushing her away.
Tsume smiled as she continued to tease her son before walking away. "Oh, before I forget. That pretty Hyūga princess is waiting for you in the living room."
"What?! And you're just now telling me?!" Kiba screamed as he grabbed his hair before changing his clothes and fixing his appearance.
"Don't worry. Hana volunteered to keep her company until you were finished." Tsume chuckled as she watched her son with folded arms. "You must really like this girl, huh?"
"Ya. I do. It just sucks because I know she's super into Naruto and has been since we were in the Academy. I kinda feel like I'm betraying one of my closest friends."
"Those are some strong feelings. Have you talked to her about them?"
"No. I know Naruto obviously isn't into her. But I'm not sure if she knows, or if she's over him yet. I mean, what's the time limit, or rules on stuff like this?" He groans as he tried to tame his hair.
Tsume chuckled again before helping him manage his hair. "I think the best thing for you to do is talk to her. Maybe she already has her feelings figured out. After all, she's been coming here for visits more than I've ever seen before. And, if my mother intuition tells me anything, it's not for training purposes or to work on your teamwork."
"Wait, what do you~"
"There, now you look like a real Inuzuka alpha male. Now, stop talking to me, and go get your princess."
He smiled before hugging his mother. "Thanks, Ma. You're the best." He kissed her cheek before running down the stairs.
Akamaru panted as Tsume smirked and folded her arms. "That boy needs to stop growing on me. Before we know it, he's gonna get himself a mate and have puppies." The dog barked in agreement.
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Just like his mother said, Hinata sat on the couch with his sister Hana. Luckily, it was his sister and not his mom. Hana was a gentle, fierce beta female dog. She has fair skin, brown eyes, and long brown hair in a low ponytail with two small bangs. In a way, she is also like his second mother.
After his mother ran her mate off, it was only the three of them. His mother was a member of the Tokubetsu Ninja Unit. Tokubetsu Shinobi all have specialized skills and lead their own smaller units. For example, Tsume and almost all of the Inuzuka clansmen specialize in working with certain animals. Members of the Inuzuka Canine Clan work alongside their dog companions for search and rescue or intel missions. Tsume is the head of the Search and Rescue Squad and a member of the Intelligence Gathering Squad.
While their mother completed missions, Hana watched over her younger brother. Kiba always admired his elder sister for stepping into this role. It's always a difficult task when a child has to step into the role of an adult, but that can be said for anyone who enters the Academy. Luckily for Hana, watching over Kiba was like being assigned a B-ranked mission. She handled it with as much grace, kindness, and patience as she could muster during those short few years. But it strengthened their bond as a family. In fact, she even helped trained him during his years in the Academy. If you ask Kiba, he will say it made him into a better shinobi and teammate.
"Ah, Kiba. I was wondering when mother would finally let you go." Hana smiled before standing up and gathering their cups of tea. "Well, Princess Hinata Hyūga, it was lovely speaking with you. I hope we get another chance sometime soon."
"Oh no, the pleasure was all mine. You are a very interesting person. I would love to hear more of your stories. And please, you can just call me Hinata." The purple-haired mouse smiled and bowed at her hostess.
Hana bowed back and walked past Kiba towards the kitchen. She only stopped to whisper in his ear, "I like her. Keep her if you can."
Hana's comment made him blush and cough into his hand before he walked toward her with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Hinata. What brings you by?"
"I actually wanted to know if you were hungry and wanted to know if you wanted to join me for lunch?" She asked with her arms behind her back.
"Uh yeah. I could eat. What did you have in mind?"
"I'm not sure. I don't have an appetite for anything specific. But before we eat, I have to stop at the bookstore for some things. And maybe afterward, we can walk around until we find something? It's not that cold today, so we could stay out a little longer if you'd like." She blushed.
"Uh, sure. Let me just let my mom know before we leave."
"I'm sorry, but do you have a restroom down here I could use?"
"Yeah. It's right over there to the right. Just knock before you go in first. I'll be back in a second."
Hinata found the restroom and made sure her appearance looked fine while Kiba spoke with his mother. In the mirror, Hinata stared at herself and felt a little self-conscious. Ino and Sakura pushed her to dress in a way to show off her full figure. Normal, Hinata dresses more on the moderate side. So, this outfit was the closest she's ever come to sexy.
She wore her hair in a high ponytail with her bangs framing her face. She wore a black long-sleeved turtleneck, short lavender and white plaid skirt, lavender leggings, and back shinobi sandals. The outfit was not revealed in the slightest, but it did an excellent job showing off her assets. She only hoped that she did not come off as cheap to Kiba. She wanted to impress him after all.
She spent a few moments in the restroom messing with her hair and outfit until she was finally ready. With a deep breath, she walked out of the door with as much confidence as she could muster. To her surprise, Kiba was right in front of her with a shocked expression on his face. By the judge of his hand, he looked like he was about to knock on the door before she opened it.
"Oh, Kiba-kun. You scared me. Was I taking too long in the restroom?" She quietly asked.
However, he did not answer right away. Yes, she caught him off guard by opening the door before he could knock. But what caught his attention was her overall appearance. Again, since Hinata doesn't normally dress in outfits like this, Kiba never got a chance to admire her body, just her face. Not that Kiba wants to just admire her body, but this was the first time he's ever had a chance to admire her entire being.
His eyes started from the top of her head and slowly traveled down the length of her body. His eyes paid special attention to her slender neck, how round, large, and full her breasts looked in the turtleneck, the curve of her small waistline and hips, the length of the short skirt, down her legs, and to the tips of her toes. However, as his eyes started traveling back up her body, he could feel his member slowly come to life and his mouth water. Hinata on the other hand felt like prey trapped by its predator. The weirdest part was that she wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, she felt excited, especially when he subconsciously licked his lips while his tail wagged behind him. Unfortunately, she had to break the spell between them.
"Um, Kiba-kun. Your tail is wagging. What has you so excited?" She smiled with a light blush on her cheeks.
"Huh?" He suddenly said before he looked behind him and quickly grabbed his tail. "Oh, sorry about that. It's nothing. It's just… stupid…" His face was as red as a tomato as dread overwhelmed him. "So, uh, you ready to go?"
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The couple walked through the streets and animatedly talked about any and everything. Well, it was mostly Kiba talking while Hinata laughed and commented. Finally, they reached the bookstore. He followed Hinata to the section with books associated with animal health and medicine. He chuckled and admired her as he listened to her carry on about the subject.
"Wow, Hinata. I never knew that you were all about animal health." He said as he leaned against a nearby bookshelf.
"Well, I only recently got into it. Even though I trained under Lady Tsunade, I didn't take too well to regular medical ninjutsu. I know the basics, and enough to heal nonlife-threatening wounds. So, I leave the more serious injuries to them. But recently, I started training with Lady Tsunade on the aspect of animal health and wellness. Hana seems to be an excellent source of knowledge. She even offered to help train me." She smiled as she hugged the books tighter.
"Yeah, she's the best animal vet we have in both my clan and the village. I've been trying to encourage her to open her own clinic, but I don't think she's interested in doing it alone. Hey! Maybe you can help her?! Why don't you talk with her about opening a clinic? I'm sure the both of you will do well together."
"I don't know about that. I'm not sure I know enough right now to help her. I would only get in her way. Maybe when I'm more experienced I'll consider it."
"Well, I think you don't give yourself enough credit. You may not be able to heal life-threatening wounds, but you can definitely improve your skills in other aspects, like animal health. Don't sell yourself short, ya."
"Hm. I'll definitely think about it. What about you? Do you see any books here that interest you? I feel bad if you're just following me around the entire time."
"Naw. Reading ain't really my thing. But I like when you tell me about what you're reading. I could listen to you all day, honestly." Both looked at each other as blushes dusted their cheeks. They stayed like that for a few moments before Kiba coughed into his hand and spoke, "Do you have any more books to look at? I think I'm starting to get hungry."
"Oh sorry. Yes, I'm ready to go. Just let me check out first." She apologized before running to the checkout line.
Kiba chuckled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed behind her.
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After they left the bookstore, the two of them walked the plaza until they finally settled on a beef restaurant. They ordered their food and talked for almost an hour as they enjoyed their food. Kiba, being a gentleman and trying to show off his aloha status, paid for the meal, despite Hinata's protests. After that, he offered to walk her home, without any protests from her.
"Thanks again for coming with me today, Kiba-kun. I hope you weren't bored."
"Oh no. I had a great time. I like spending time with you." He said as he walked beside her.
The blush on her face brightened as she covered her face with one of her hands. "That means a lot, Kiba-kun. I like spending time with you too."
Both felt their checks heat up against the cold. And, even without looking at each other, they knew that the other felt the same. As smooth as he could, Kiba moved closer to Hinata's side enough for their arms to brush against each other. Hinata squeaked when she felt how close Kiba was to her. She lifted both her hands to cover her face and try to control her emotions.
"He's so close to me. Why is he so close to me? Does he know he's this close to me? What should I do? I don't want to move away, or else he'll think I don't like him. Should I reach for his arm? Maybe his hand? Oh, no. I'm overthinking again. Oh. What do I do? What do I do~"
Hinata gasped as her thoughts were interrupted when Kiba suddenly stopped her. She was about to ask what was wrong when she heard him growl low.
"There's something there. I can smell fresh blood and hear it." Kiba glared in the direction of a nearby bush.
Thinking quickly, Hinata used her Byakugan to see for herself what it was that had him on edge. It didn't take long before Hinata gasped and pushed his protective arm aside before cautiously walking towards the tree.
"Hinata! What are you doing?" He quietly yelled.
"Kiba-kun, come look," she said before she hid behind the bush and motioned for him to follow her. Despite his senses still, on edge, Kiba did as he was told and knelt beside her as they looked through the bush.
"It looks like some kids are hurtin' something." And he was right. Beyond the bushes were three boys, who were no more than twelve years old, surrounded something as they kicked, threw, and hit it with sticks. "I can't see past them. Can you, Hinata?"
She focused her eyes and gasped when she saw what they were doing. "It's a puppy. They're torturing a poor little puppy."
"Those brats! I'll teach them some manners~ Wait! Hinata, what are you doing?!" He silently yelled as he watched an angry Hinata stomp towards them with her fists clenched.
"Hey!" She growled, shocking the boys. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Uh, we were just~"
"Save it!" She glared hard and shut one of the boys up. "I don't want to hear it. Theirs is nothing you can say to justify any of you torturing a defenseless animal. Now, you're going to leave this poor animal alone and run home to think about what you've done. And, if I ever see any of you doing this again, you'll have me to deal with." The boys ran screaming at the growl in her voice and the flare in her eyes.
Once they were out of her sight, Hinata released her Byakugan and sighed before cautiously walking toward the puppy. However, when she got too close, the puppy growled.
"It's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to help you. Will you let me?" She whispered as she stretched her gloved hand out.
Cautiously, she eased her way closer to the puppy. The closer she got; the lower the puppy's growls became. When she was close enough, Hinata held her hand in front of its nose to be sniffed. Frightened but unable to move, the puppy cautiously sniffed her hand to get her scent. Hinata patiently waited for it to accept her, and even released some of her omega scent to calm it. Kiba, who was still in the bushes, remained behind to not scare the puppy. Finally, the puppy accepted Hinata's scent and submitted to her. She sighed in relief as she moved to pick up the puppy and carried it toward Kiba. Realizing that it was safe, Kiba jumped up and ran towards them.
"Hinata, that was amazing! You really showed those brats and got it to trust you." He smiled as he held his hand out and released his scent too.
"Thank you. I don't know what came over me, but I just couldn't stand there and watch them hurt it anymore." She admitted as she looked down at the bloody, brown, and white puppy.
"Well, whatever it was, you were amazing. Do you want me to hold it while you look it over?"
She nodded before giving the puppy to Kiba to hold. Quickly, she used her Byakugan again, looked it over, and saw that its back right leg and forehead, and it had several broken ribs. "It has several injuries. I can't heal all of them, but I can at least mend them until we can get more help."
"We can take it to my sister. She should be able to fix it up good as new." Kiba suggested as he soothed the puppy.
"That's a great idea. Now hold still, so I can start the healing process." Kiba did as he was told while she added healing, green chakra to her hands. She worked through each area as quickly and cautiously as possible until she was done. "There, that should do it until we get to your house. But we need to wrap something around its torso to protect its ribs."
"Here, you can use my scarf, and my kunai to cut it up?"
"But Kiba-kun, I don't want to ruin your scarf. I'm sure we can find some bandages at a nearby store."
"We don't have time. And besides, I can always get a new one. C'mon. Take my scarf off and use one of my kunai to cut it up."
Reluctantly, Hinata did as she was told and cut up Kiba's scarf and tied it around the puppy's torso. After she made sure that it was tight enough, both made their way back to his house to find his sister. Once they arrived, they explained to her what happened, and what they did after rescuing the puppy.
"That's terrible. Those brats definitely needed to be taught a lesson. I'm proud of both of you for rescuing it. Now, I'll take over from here, and do my best to heal this poor pup. I'll find you two when I'm done." Hana smiled as she took the pup and went into her examination room, leaving Hinata and Kiba alone in his family living room. The air around them was awkward with only the puppy on their minds.
"Do you think it'll be ok?" Hinata whispered with her arms wrapped around herself.
"Oh yeah. My sis is the best vet in the village, remember? If anyone can help it, she can. There's nothing to worry about." Kiba tried to reassure her as he scratched the back of his head.
"Thank you, Kiba-kun. For everything. I'm happy you were with me today. Not just for book shopping with me, or for lunch. But for the puppy and everything afterward. I really appreciate it." She blushed as she looked at him.
His eyes widened, and his blush deepened when he looked into her eyes. "You're welcome."
Despite their conversation, the air between them was incredibly thick and awkward. With nothing else to do, Hinata decided that it was time for her to leave.
"Well, I should be going home. Thanks again for everything, Kiba-kun. And please let me know what your sister says about the puppy."
Kiba didn't say anything as he watched her turn around and head towards the door. But something came over him, and before he knew it, he grabbed her elbow and called out to her. "Hinata, wait," His action surprised both of them. Without thinking, he snatched his hand away and was surprised when Hinata didn't run away. In fact, she turned to give her full attention, hoping that he would continue. Kiba swallowed a lump in his throat as he found his voice.
"I, um, need to know something… I've really been enjoying hanging out with you these past months. And, I really like having you around, but I know you're dealin' with your feelings about Naruto. But Hinata, I just… I mean… I'd hope… Ugh. I wish I knew how to say this." He grumbled as he pulled his hair.
"You want to know if I'm still in love with, Naruto-kun?" She bluntly said.
"In a way, I guess that's what it boils down to. I mean, you're incredibly intelligent. I know, or at least think I know, that you know how I feel about you. I like you, Hinata, a lot. But I don't want you to think that I'm pressuring you into something that you don't want to be in. I may like you as more than a friend and a teammate. But I'm ok with just being both of those if it means that I can stay by your side. But I also can't keep going like this if there's not a chance that you and I might one day… become something more. I hope that makes sense." He sighed as he rubbed his fingers through his hair.
Hinata was shocked by Kiba's confession. Sure, she knew how he felt, but she never thought he would be the first to say it. It could be that she isn't used to confessions like this. Or maybe it was because she waited to hear the confession from Naruto. However, knowing that it would never happen, left room for growth. And maybe, this was the extra push she needed to grow towards Kiba.
"Oh, man. I can't believe I spilled my guts like that. You must think I'm an idiot." Kiba groaned as he rubbed his face.
"No, no. It's not that. I was just… surprised is all. But you're right. I do know how you feel. In fact, I've known that for a while now." She shyly smiled.
"Hn. I guess that I'm not that good at hiding my feelings, eh?" He smirked as he scratched the back of his head.
"Kiba-kun, can I be honest with you?"
"Of course."
"You and everyone in the village knew that I've been in love with Naruto-kun since we were younger. And for a long time, I've also known about his relationship with Sasuke-kun. I think I've just been in denial about it."
"Did Naruto finally tell you about them?" Kiba asked.
"No. I've… just had a feeling, and it was only recently that I finally saw the truth. I know it isn't easy for them to come out and talk about it, especially with their statues."
"Yeah. I can only imagine the number of enemies they'll gain after it does come out. I know Naruto isn't worried about saying anything. In fact, he's ready to shout it from the Hokage Mountain. But I think Sasuke knows better, or at least more cautious."
Hinata nodded before continuing, "However, after I accepted the truth, I knew I had to move on. It hurts, a lot, to know that you'll never be with the person you've been in love with for a long time. But I guess you can kind of understand my feelings. With that being said, I want you to know this: I do like you. I like you a lot. You've been a great teammate and friend to me since we became Team 8. And, especially within the recent months, you've been there as I heal from my own heartbreak. You may not know it, but you've been a great source of strength for me to look towards, and I couldn't be more grateful."
"Gee, thanks, Hinata." Kiba smiled and blushed.
"But even though I really like you, I can't officially give you an answer. It's just not fair for me to say that we can be together when I can't give you my all. And I know that Naruto-kun will always remain in my heart, but I want to make more room for you too. So, would it be alright if you wait a little longer? At least just until I know for sure that I can be there for you as much as you were for me? I hope that answers enough for you." She nervously said.
His eyes widened and his blush deepened at her confession. His mind ran a mile a minute, but through all of it, he couldn't be happier. "Yeah. It definitely answers enough. I've waited this long. I don't mind waiting as long as you need."
Suddenly, the air from his lungs was lost when he felt her run into his chest and tightly hug him. "Thank you, Kiba-kun. Thank you."
"No problem." He said as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. "But if anything changes, even if it means we can't be together, right?"
"Of course. I promise to be as honest with you as you are with me."
"Good. That's all I ask." He sighed, not wanting to let go.
They stayed like this for a few more moments before Hinata reluctantly pulled back. "I should get going. It's getting late."
"Hold on. I'll walk you home." He offered as he reached for his coat.
"No, that's alright. I'm actually going to meet up with Neji, so he can walk me. But I wouldn't mind if you walked me home another day?"
"What about tomorrow after you visit the puppy, and maybe we can catch a movie, or you could read a book to me?"
"Sure. I'd like that." She giggled. "And I promise to knit you a new scarf." Kiba was about to protest until she put her hand up and stopped him. "I don't want to hear you say no. I want to do this."
Deciding not to argue, Kiba closed his mouth and just smiled. "Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow. Be safe getting home."
Hinata gave a final nod before putting on her coat and leaving him in the same spot. Kiba watched with a bright smile until he could no longer sense her. Once he was satisfied, he turned around and gasped as he saw his mother, sister, and Akamaru standing in the kitchen doorway. Both his sister and mother mouthed "Good job," while Akamaru barked in agreement before they turned around and disappeared into the kitchen. The smile on his face widened as he shook his head and followed them, preparing himself for their endless line of questioning.
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To Be Continued…