Author Notes :

I'm keeping you waiting on what is happening with Asuma's team as we return to Konoha for this chapter

Kiba picked breakfast out of the fridge as he was running late for his training. Kurenai sensei had recently changed their routine to train earlier, and Kiba had a hard time adjusting and kept sleeping through his alarm. He almost ran into his sister as he hurried out with Akamaru.

"Hey, watch out where you're going, or one of you will end up in my vet ward!" Hana shouted at him.

Panting, he made it just in time in training ground 7. Hinata was already there doing warm ups, and Shino seemed to be concentrating on some tracking tasks Kurenai had given him. Something to do with his bugs, that Kiba didn't quite understand.

Kiba greeted them, and decided to do like Hinata. It pleased their sensei when they were already ready for their day when she got to the training ground. It was something his teammates had worked on in this life. Team 8 had been too often looked down upon compared to their peers, so it was up to Kiba, Shino and Hinata to up their game. Hinata had trained into her clan's renowned abilities, but also, she had taken advantage of having one of the best genjutsu users - bar the Uchiha - in case it was needed in their missions.

Kiba realized, when his warmups were done, that Kurenai wasn't there yet. She was late. It was odd, it wasn't a habit of hers to be late, unlike a certain Kakashi.

"Kurenai really said Training ground 7, at 6 AM, right?" Kiba said, suddenly doubting himself.

"She did. Maybe she's just a little late and will arrive shortly."

"Maybe she's just testing us as well," Hinata said, before making a hand sign. "Byakugan!" There was silence. Then, Hinata talked again. "I don't see her around. Do you?"

Kiba concentrated his chakra to his nose and sniffed the air. He could pick the scent of ramen closeby, Sakura's perfume and ashes from what Kiba assumed was one of Sasuke's jutsu. Team 7 was used to train nearby this training ground. He could smell some civilians in the streets from the sweaty ones to those who still had their hair wet from a shower. But no traces of his sensei. Akamaru barked. I don't smell her either, he meant.

"Let's start training, I'm sure she'll come soon," Shino said after shrugging.

But half an hour later, Hinata stopped them. She was getting worried. And even though Kiba wasn't the anxious type, he didn't like how his sensei had yet to show up. It was past their former training time. If she had set her alarm at the wrong time, she'd be in the training ground by now. Then, Shino said something that shocked them all.

"It's been a week since Team 10 left Konoha. I'm hoping I'm very wrong, but maybe something happened to Asuma? They've been dating for a while, if he was back but at the hospital or…"

Shino didn't finish, he didn't need to. They remembered very well their past life, when nothing they could say or do console Kurenai. The void she felt when she lost her boyfriend. Kiba clenched his fists. It couldn't happen again. He knew Shikamaru, Ino and Choji wouldn't let it happen again.

Hinata suggested they search for Kurenai. "She could be at her apartment, or hanging out with Anko. If she questions it, we're practicing our tracking skills?"

Kiba doubted she was with Anko at this time of the day. Anko was probably making breakfast for her son before he went to the academy or something. Tadashi was in the same class as Hanabi, Hinata's little sister. They had more luck if they tried going to Kurenai's apartment, if Kiba tried to guess.

Usually, the street Kurenai lived on would have her scent alongside it. But it seemed to have faded. Akamaru's growl indicated his frustration.

"I don't even think Kurenai's been here for the past two weeks," Kiba said as they were just about to knock, and Hinata confirmed Kurenai wasn't inside masking her chakra and scent. "Where did she go?" he added, frustrated. "She came back from our mission with us the other day, so why has she not stepped foot here since then?"

"Maybe she moved in with Asuma?" Shino suggested. "They've been together for at least a year, from what we noticed. It could be even longer."

"He's away, remember? Wouldn't she sleep at her own place if he's away?"

Kiba wasn't sure where Sarutobi Asuma lived. The people who most likely knew where he resided were gone with him on a dangerous mission. Kiba didn't dare knock at the Third's door to ask where his son lived. If Kurenai had intended a tracking exercise, it was a hell of a good one.

Kiba was thankful to know Kurenai's scent very well, because he used it to track her while Shino used his bugs to guide him. The scent started to become clearer, and Kiba knew he was on his way to find his teacher, no matter if it was at Asuma's place or any other place she was. They were led to an apartment building.

"Hinata, in which apartment is she?" Shino asked.

"The one at the right, on the second floor. She's… still in bed." Hinata's tone sounded like a mix of confusion and surprise. Kiba slept through his alarm regularly. Kurenai did not.

"That's weird. I'll send out some bugs through cracks in the walls, for reconnaissance. Because I don't like that she's still in bed."

"Maybe she's sick?" Hinata suggested.

"And maybe she was attacked and someone is waiting for us to show up. I'd rather be careful," Shino replied. Kiba felt the urge to barge inside, but the careful Shino was there to stop him.

A few minutes later, a few bugs returned to Shino and danced on his finger. "No one other than Kurenai inside. She is breathing normally. She's asleep."

Kiba just wanted to bark, "Told you so!" but Akamaru started to make noise.

"Shh! It's too early in the morning, you'll wake up her neighbors!" Kiba immediately said to the dog.

"Kurenai's awake now," Hinata whispered. She still had to deactivate her Byakugan, so she must have noticed movement inside.

The door finally opened. Kurenai was in her pajamas.

"Morning to you. I just noticed the time. I'm so sorry. I turned off my alarm, and I guess I fell back to a deep sleep. Would you mind giving me like, ten minutes, and then we go to any free training ground?"

Shino shrugged. Kiba was tempted to argue that maybe she sets the training sessions too early if she can't respect her own meeting time.

Hinata, as the nice person she always was, suggested cooking something while Kurenai showered and dressed up. Shino and Kiba decided to wait in the living room. Minutes later, Kurenai sat next to them, bowl of food in hand, followed by Hinata.

"I'm quite embarrassed about you having to wake me up. I notice you are quite sweaty, I guess you started training until you got worried?"

Kiba smiled. "Yeah, we practiced some stuff for a bit. We even had to use tracking skills because we didn't know where Asuma lives."

They chatted about training for a good five minutes, and then Shino screwed it all.

"I notice you haven't eaten much of the food Hinata made. Are you feeling sick of something?"

Hinata's reaction was to blush, and immediately apologize if Kurenai didn't like her cooking. Hinata was definitely the best cook out of the four of them, if missions had taught Kiba anything. Kurenai usually preferred Hinata's cooking to her own.

"It's not your food, dear. I just don't have much appetite. Maybe Shino is right and I'm coming down with a cold or something, because I felt quite tired this morning. I'm happy about the food you made, it smells fine."

At least, Kurenai still had a sense of smell. If there was something Kiba personally hated was having his nose stuffed, preventing him from his most used sense. But Kurenai wasn't from the Inuzuka clan, she likely didn't hate having a cold as much.

Wanting to change the topic, Kiba decided to ask about Asuma's mission. Did she hear about anything? Kiba didn't know Asuma that much, but he didn't wish for him to die.

Kurenai was petting Akamaru, and suddenly looked up. "No, and I doubt I'll hear anything until they come back. I shouldn't say that, but I have to admit I'm a little bit worried. I do not like that teams filled with genins are sent to fight enemies this strong. I have a bad feeling about it."

Kiba did as well, but he wouldn't say why aloud. Shino and Hinata remained silent, though it wasn't unusual for them. They simply scooped closer to Kurenai in an attempt to comfort her. Asuma had to be fine. To come back alive. Kiba didn't want to deal with a grieving Kurenai again. Akamaru was in the same state of mind, popping his head on Kurenai's lap to bring some comfort.

When Kurenai finally managed to eat her food, time had passed, and Kiba remembered his sister had promised him to train a new jutsu together.

"Is it okay if I join the team later? Hana doesn't have tons of time to train me. She spends most of her days at the vet clinic."

"Considering it's my own fault you didn't get to train, I'll let it slip for this time," Kurenai decided, her tone serious as it's ever been that morning. "You're not going home to have fun and relax, so I'll allow it. With the menace of a war, you must remain serious about training. Who knows if we'll be the next team sent to an A-ranked mission."

Kiba nodded, and called Akamaru to his heels. But the dog looked at him with defiant eyes, walking back, almost bumping into Kurenai. It was followed by a disapproval bark.

"What's wrong with you, Akamaru? Let's go training, you like training with Hana usually! We need you to get strong so one day you beat mom's dog!"

Akamaru growled at him, and then turned into a playful puppy as he rubbed his head on Kurenai's legs. Akamaru had grown taller over the last year, but he was still young.

"Are you sick too?" Kiba questioned. His dog never acted like this. He was suddenly protective of Kurenai. It never happened before, other than that time she got injured during a mission and Akamaru was tasked to guard while Kiba got help.

To be fair, Kurenai seemed a little off, she probably was trying to hide she was feeling unwell. Kiba was tempted to leave his dog with her, if Kurenai wanted to, but he couldn't waste Hana's valuable time. He decided to contact his sister.

"Oh Kiba, I'm glad you called. I have to step in for an emergency surgery on a dog, I won't make it to our training."

That was settled for the training, then. He'd run around the village by himself or something, maybe Rock Lee was up to a challenge. Hinata and Shino had caught up to their sensei's pale face, and mentioned training with family instead.

Kiba hid his disappointment on his canceled clan training, and let Akamaru be the therapy dog for the day. "Kurenai sensei, if Akamaru acts strange, call me and I'll bring him to the clinic. He seems to just want to spend time with you, but keep me updated."

It felt weird to give out orders to his sensei, but nothing was changing the dog's mind. It was weird for Kiba to be on his own, without Akamaru, but even though he missed his companion, he had to train hard. Their village depended on them. Kurenai was right, they had no clue what would come their way next. Kiba could only pray it wasn't a death announcement.