„I told you it was the wrong way. Even if you don't like me, listen to me for once in your life. You can't always rely on your nose."

„You don't say. No. I'm sticking to it. Never before have I been wrong, and this time it won't be either," Kiba replied snootily. „Won't you Akamaru?"

An approving yelp answered. Tiredly, I rubbed my temples. Doing this part of the mission with the Inuzuka was really a huge effort of wasted nerves. But everything had started so promisingly.

Our mission had consisted of catching two escaped horses of a farmer and bringing them back. Unfortunately, when we found them, they ran away from us and in different directions. Which had led to us splitting up. Hinata went with Shino, while I had Kiba by the cheek.

On top of that, Kiba simply followed the horse's tracks without asking for my opinion whether this was really the right way. And so, it came to pass that we were now standing somewhere in the middle of nowhere, without a plan or a sense of direction. At least Kiba was. I, on the other hand, had taken some precautions and with a stone, painted crosses in the trees, in case we would get lost.

„Can't you trace our scents?", I asked, but my counterpart shook his head.

„No. Why should I when the way is right?"

An angry, almost genuine-sounding growl escaped my throat. This was a bad joke, wasn't it? How could anyone be so stubborn and insist on his own opinion. I wasn't one to tease him for that, just because he was wrong. Personally, I felt such behaviour was unfair.

However, the immense wall of burrs, vines, and thorns piled up in front of us spoke absolutely against our going any further here.

„Just look at that, you thick skull. The only one who could fit through there would be Akamaru," I said, hoping my teammate would finally come to his senses.

Kiba grinned.

„Exactly, and that's why he's going to go through there and see what's on the other side."

Akamaru gave a whimper, and the brown-haired boy raised an eyebrow in surprise.

„What do you mean you refuse ... but Akamaru? Wait a minute what?" His gaze grew more and more scowling until he finally stood up and walked towards me.

„Alright, what's your plan?"

With all my might, I suppressed the triumphant feeling that was rising inside me. At least he listened to his dog. I opened my palm to him and showed him the stone.

„I've carved marks into some of the trees we passed. With this, we should be able to find our way out of this mess again."

„All right, let's see about getting back. After all, neither of us wants to be stuck in here with the other." He was right about that, though. Kiba was the last person I wanted to take my last breath next to. Well, I did not want to think now so extremely. We simply could not stand each other.

After what felt like an eternity, we actually found ourselves back at the forked intersection where Kiba had decided to take the path into the dense undergrowth.

Reluctantly, Kiba followed me onto the other path. Here the undergrowth was not as dense as on the path before. It was still a mystery to me how Kiba could have assumed that the branched path could have been the right one. A whole horse would never have fit through there without some scraps of fur getting caught in the surrounding bushes.

But so far, all we had been able to track were footprints and broken branches. With each step we took, the forest became lighter and began to thin out. Rays of sunlight now penetrated more and more down to us and warmed our heads. I exhaled with relief. Kiba also seemed less tense than before. He walked calmly beside me and looked around now and then for possible signs. Every now and then my eyes would dart to him and I began to wonder what was on his mind at the moment.

„Are you okay?" it finally burst out of me and Kiba raised his head in surprise.

„Yes ... why?"

„You seemed so absent-minded," I replied hesitantly.

Surely, he wouldn't answer anything now or just shake his head, just as was his way. Ignore me and just go his way. But he finally turned his head towards me. There was something thoughtful in his gaze.

„I was just thinking about what if Hinata and Shino finished before us. Somehow, I don't like the idea." A smirk crept onto my lips. Of course, he hated being last, it was his way of always being ahead and setting the tone everywhere.

„Then there's no time to lose," I replied.

„Huh?"

I barely stifled the broad grin.

„Well. You wanted to be first, didn't you?"

Kiba seemed to understand, and he grinned.

„Well, let's go."

In the meantime, we had been running through the forest for quite some time, stopping now and then to check the smell of the horse or because of the discovery of footprints. Kiba seemed to be having more and more fun, because he began to relax and laugh more. This also helped me personally to loosen up, as I had always been very close to him before. But as long as he was in that mood, he was quite a pleasant teammate for me.

„Wait a minute Tora." I paused and glanced to the side.

Kiba had abruptly paused in his movement and seemed to be checking something. Drawing in a deep breath, he exhaled. He had smelled something. For Akamarus senses also seemed to be focused and strained to the utmost.

Then the Inuzuka raised his hand and beckoned for me. Quietly I followed him.

More and more the undergrowth began to clear before our eyes, revealing a small clearing where a light brown horse grazed peacefully. It didn't seem to suspect anything, let alone smell anything.

I gave Kiba an appreciative look, which he acknowledged with a cocky grin. My eyes rolled slightly. Typical.

„You should go Tora," he muttered, and I looked at him in surprise.

„It seems to be afraid of me and Akamaru. I think it doesn't like our smell. You do it," he said, looking at me confidently.

I already had a strange feeling about it, as I carefully stepped out of the embankment and walked towards the big animal. Abruptly it lifted its head, looked at me scrutinizingly and I stopped. However, since I did not move again, the head was lowered and continued to eat. Again, I ventured a few steps and when nothing happened, a few more.

Cautiously, I kept approaching the animal when suddenly I felt a tingling in my nose. No, please don't. With effort I suppressed the sneeze that had just escaped my throat. And also, the next and the next but one.

Stealthily I looked at the horse, but it had only raised its head again and looked at me almost curiously. I, on the other hand, tried not to question this strange sneezing fit any further, but that turned out to be more difficult than I had thought, because parallel to that, all at once my eyes began to itch. Like crazy.

But I had to pull myself together, suppress all the annoying itching. After all, we had almost completed the mission. Now just don't grab my face and scratch. That would only make things worse.

Slowly I reached out my hand to the horse, which was now also cautiously approaching me. Gently his wet nostrils touched my fingers, and I began to gently scratch his head, all the way to his mane.

„Easy. Everything is fine," I murmured, suppressing another sneeze. This sudden fit was really maddening. While the right hand, continued to tickle the horse's head, the other disappeared into my pocket and unearthed a rope.

Slowly, without wanting to scare the animal, I put it around its neck and tied it loosely around it. Very slowly I pulled on the rope and suppressed a cry of joy when the animal willingly moved along. So, I walked a few more steps with the horse until I finally found a faster gait, which worked perfectly.

Only when we met Kiba and Akamaru, the animal became a little restless, but after I had carefully stroked it a few times, it was calmed down again, and we could continue.

So, we finally reached the farmer's farm safe and sound, who was of course very happy about the return of his horse. Whereby ... healthy and whole was the wrong word. Nothing bad had happened to anyone, but I ... well, I had, as Kurenai told me, a strong horse allergy, which now showed its full extent.

Eyes and nose, swollen to the utmost and itching like crazy. I sniffled from time to time and tried to cool my face with a wet cloth. But it all helped nothing. It just didn't get any better. Not even on the way back, when we had already left the farm behind us.

Through my swollen eyes I finally recognized the saving gate of Konohagakure. I sneezed and almost lost my balance again. My head was pounding, and dizziness threatened to take the ground from under my feet. Staggering, I ran after the others when finally, Kurenai turned to me.

„I don't think this is going to work out Tora. You go home for now and take a shower to get all the hair off. Kiba can hand in the report from your mission, after all." Gratefully I nodded and made myself on the way home.

I had enough of missions for today.