One

Hinata Hyūga did her best to avoid listening in on the conversation happening across the table. She stared down at the bits of barbecued pork left over from her lunch. Her usual appetite after a morning training session vanished the moment her teammate decided to talk about the latest piece of gossip quickly spreading around Konoha.

"I just want to know who it is." Kiba leaned back in the booth. "How can Naruto get a girlfriend before me, huh? I am a totally better catch than him! This is an outrage!"

"Why does it matter who it is?" questioned Shino, asking the question Hinata did not have the courage to ask. "He seems happy with the arrangement, and as his friends, we should be supportive of him. The truth will come out only when he is ready."

"Bullshit! I need to know now!" Kiba turned his attention to her. "You want to know, right?"

"Not…really."

Hinata decided it was best for her to put some space between herself and Naruto. She loved him enough to allow him to find happiness even if without her. It would be wrong of her to breach his trust and possibly interfere with his relationship. Still, a small part of her wanted to know who was able to capture his heart.

"Oh, come on! I can't be the only one that's dying to know."

"There is a real possibility you are," Shino replied. He finished his meal and waved down the waitress for the bill. "It is not our business who Naruto chooses to date."

"Maybe it is!" Kiba huffed in frustration, clearly not getting the reaction he was hoping for. He did not respond for several moments. When he next spoke, his words were slow and carefully chosen. "Say, Hinata…what if we found out this girl is only using Naruto for his fame?"

Shino paused while counting coins to send a warning glare to his friend. "Do not do this."

Ignoring him, Kiba leaned forward with a sly smile. "You could be the one to save him from a gold-digger, Hinata. His hiding this girl from us is pretty suspicious. We are his friends, right? Friends don't keep secrets from each other."

She bit her lip, suddenly envisioning herself exposing some harlot trying to trick Naruto into falling in love for all the wrong reasons. Why would he feel the need to hide his relationship from his closest friends? The only reason everybody knew he was dating was because of an offhand comment he made about taking a certain somebody out to a newly opened restaurant. There was a good chance that the woman he was trying to seduce told him not to tell anyone. Perhaps it was a cry for help, a subtle hint to his friends that he needed rescue. She could be the one to save him once again and, maybe, win his heart.

"What if it was another village trying to get ahold of him?" Kiba looked back at Shino. "It's not totally unheard of that a foreign kunoichi is sent to seduce a promising shinobi. Iwa or Kumo would kill for someone like Naruto to join their ranks. We could be uncovering a plot to destroy the Hidden Leaf!"

"If you are so concerned," Shino replied sharply, "then why don't you go to the Hokage? I am positive that Lord Sixth will be thrilled to hear about your accusation that his favorite student is being manipulated."

Kiba slammed his hands on the table. "That's a great idea! We can get this turned into an official mission!"

"I was being sarcastic."

"Let's put it to a vote!" Kiba raised his hand. "I say we go to the Hokage and investigate this."

Shino kept his hand down.

Both men turned to stare at Hinata to break the deadlock. She sunk deep into her jacket at the attention forced on her. Finally, to Kiba's cheering, she lifted her hand slightly to signify her approval of the idea. "We need to make sure Naruto is safe."

"That settles it!" Kiba whistled for Akamaru. "Let's not waste any time!"

###

Team Eight arrived at the Hokage Tower just as the final missions for the day were being handed out. Kiba marched up the stairs with determination, driving him forward. Hinata and Shino followed close behind with much less enthusiasm for the coming meeting with the Sixth Hokage. Both felt uneasy at throwing a baseless accusation at the hero who saved the world.

Shizune sat at her desk outside the double oak doors that led into the Hokage's office. Her pet pig, Tonton, sat on a silk cushion on the corner of the desk, happily being fed little treats from the woman. She looked up in alarm as Kiba, eager to begin their mission immediately, slammed his hands on the desk. Tonton glared at the Inuzuka for being interrupted in the middle of a snack.

"We need to speak to Lord Hokage! This is an emergency!"

"It is not an emergency," interjected Shino, seeing the rising anger in the Hokage's secretary. He pushed Kiba aside to take over the conversation. "There is a matter of personal business we must discuss with Lord Sixth. Is he available? We can come back tomorrow or the day after. There is no rush."

"Don't listen to him!" Kiba grabbed Shino's shoulder to yank him away but paused as a black beetle crawled onto his hand. He quickly took a step back from the bug-infested man. "This is about Naruto! Hinata thinks he is in grave danger!"

Said Hyūga squeaked as Shizune's gaze fell upon her. She tried to mumble a response or anything to shift the focus back onto her teammates. The words died in her mouth before ever reaching her lips. Her lavender eyes dropped to the floor instantly as she withdrew into the safety of her large coat like a turtle sheltering inside its shell.

"I see." Shizune sighed and decided to speak with the most 'normal' of the bunch. "What is the concern, Shino?"

Shino was about to reply, but Kiba charged back into the conversation. "Naruto is dating a spy!"

Silence fell on the office like a suffocating blanket. Shizune's black eyes widened for a moment, a storm of emotions flashing across the black pupils before finally settling into pure amusement. Her small giggle turned into full-blown laughter, and even the pig joined in on the amusement. She grabbed a tissue to wipe the tears flowing down her face, smearing her makeup.

Kiba snarled. "Why are you laughing? This is serious business!"

Shizune quickly recomposed herself. "It's nothing. Nothing at all. Just was thinking of a funny joke. So, what makes you suspect that Naruto is dating a spy?"

"I mean, we don't have any evidence yet." Kiba rubbed the back of his head. "We were hoping the Hokage would give us a mission to investigate this mysterious woman. Could be a security risk."

"I think that's a great idea. Let me talk with Kakashi really quick." Shizune disappeared into the office for a few minutes before ushering them inside. "Lord Hokage wants to speak with you."

Team Eight shuffled into the office. Kakashi leaned back in his office chair holding a familiar orange book but quickly closed it to give them his undivided attention. He looked over at the grinning Shizune, who was having a hard time keeping her composure.

"Naruto, eh?"

Shino, already feeling foolish at being dragged into this mess, spoke first to save some face. "He is not known to keep many secrets, and as his friends, we are concerned for his safety. Kiba simply wants your blessing to look into this to ensure an enemy isn't trying to seduce Naruto."

"Interesting. It warms my heart that Naruto has such good friends." Kakashi's dark eyes scrutinizing each of them with a powerful stare. "Your concern is not unfounded. I have personally wondered who Naruto is courting As his teacher…nay, his older brother, it is my duty to make sure he is being protected."

"Exactly." Kiba punched the desk, scattering paperwork and earning a glare from the Hokage. It did nothing to curb his enthusiasm. "We are just trying to help him. Gotta keep our hero safe, right?"

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Right. You seem quite invested in this, Kiba. I must commend your initiative in bringing this to my attention. What about you, Hinata? Don't be shy."

Hinata summoned the courage to speak. "I think it would be a good idea to make sure Naruto's kind heart isn't being taken advantage of."

"Of course. He is too trusting at times." Kakashi leaned back. His expression was unreadable behind the thick mask he wore. "This is certainly a curious situation that needs to be looked into. Hmmm. What do you think, Shizune? You and Naruto are quite close."

"I think Team Eight should be assigned a mission to find out the identity of this mysterious woman." Shizune smiled pleasantly. "Give me three minutes, and I can have the mission typed up."

"Do that," Kakashi commanded. He gestured for Team Eight to take a seat. Shizune bowed and quickly left the room. "Naruto hasn't really shared too many details with me. Then again, his personal life isn't something I generally take too much interest in. Any clues?"

"Nothing," Kiba admitted. "We have no leads, evidence, or suspects."

"A real mystery." Kakashi drummed his fingers on the desk. "Sakura is a good place to start. Naruto talks quite a bit with her, even about things he won't tell me."

"We could stalk him," suggested Kiba. "Hinata has a lot of experience doing that."

Hinata blushed in embarrassment at her younger self's antics. "I don't do that anymore."

"Stalking him might be too dangerous. The Nine-Tails enhances his senses to an inhuman degree, and he could become agitated." The Hokage thought for a moment. "Then again, you three are pretty good at tracking missions. I suggest talking with Sakura first and then observing Naruto from a safe distance. Thankfully, he follows a pretty strict daily routine. This is a good chance to practice gathering intel. Thoughts, Shino?"

"None, sir."

"Come now. Teamwork is a cornerstone of Konoha," Kakashi softly chided. "You need to be a team player."

Shino sighed, clearly wishing to be somewhere else. "I think we need to start organizing everything we know and don't know about Naruto. We can use that information along with anything we learn from Sakura to begin formulating a list of likely candidates."

"I can see why Kurenai spoke so highly of you. Now, Hinata, what is some relevant information about Naruto? What do you know about Naruto that could affect his romantic life?"

"He used to have a crush on Sakura." Hinata's brows furrowed in concertation. "Lady Shion from the Land of Demons, too."

"That's right." Kakashi glanced at Kiba. He slid a piece of paper and a pencil towards him. "You better write this down."

"Yes, sir." Kiba started to scribble on the paper. "Sakura and Shion. What do they have in common? Uhhh…they're both girls!"

"Excellent! Naruto likes women. That cuts your list of suspects by fifty percent. Your intelligence is truly remarkable. I feel better knowing you three are on the case." Kakashi smiled as Shizune returned with a scroll. "Perfect. Now, I'm making this an A-Rank mission. Keep this between us, understand? We can't let Naruto know about your mission under any circumstance."

"Understand!" Kiba stuffed the paper into his pocket. "We won't rest until the truth is revealed!"

"That's the spirit! I am placing you in charge, Kiba. Do not disappoint me." Kakashi opened his book once more. "Report to me when you find her identity. Dismissed!"

###

Per their agreement, Hinata and Shino arrived at the Inuzuka compound the following morning for a meeting with Kiba before the day's work began. He met them at the front door of the small house where he lived alongside his mother and older sister. There were thick dark circles underneath his eyes, and he held a steaming coffee mug in a trembling hand.

"Morning, guys. Ready to start? I've been ready."

"Are you…okay?" Hinata threw a worried glance at Shino, who looked equally concerned.

"Never been better. Inside! Inside!"

The older house contained the usual signs of an Inuzuka household, with pictures and statues of dogs or other canines decorating each room. Chewed rawhides were everywhere alongside other mauled squeaky toys. Despite the obvious presence of dogs, there was a pleasant, clean aroma in the house that reminded Hinata of the forest. They walked through the living room towards the stairs that led to the bedrooms.

Tsume Inuzuka sat on the couch with a heart-shaped box of chocolate on her lap and her canine companion sleeping at her feet. She held a battered old paperback, turning the pages between pieces of chocolate. Her eyes looked up from the book onto the three ninjas. A pleasant smile graced her violet-tinted lips.

"Been a while since you two came over." She closed the book and placed the lid back onto the chocolate before jumping up. "Want some breakfast? I was just about to whip something up."

"Can't. No time. No time." Kiba paced the length of the living room. He kept taking quick sips of coffee.

"Calm your ass down, pup." She snatched the mug from his hands. He froze in place, looking ready to attack, but quickly submitted once she barred her fangs at him. "I like to see you working, but this is just crazy. You've been up all night."

"Don't be too hard on him, ma'am. He is just taking our latest mission seriously." Hinata always admired Tsume. The older woman often filled the motherly role she desperately wanted ever since her own passed away. While others found her savage personality disconcerting, she found it endearing.

"Mission? What mission?"

"It's classified," replied Shino. "Sorry."

"Interesting. Glad to see you guys doing important work. Don't worry. I won't ask questions. I'll call you when breakfast is ready."

The still-shaking Kiba led them upstairs to his bedroom, muttering darkly about his need for coffee and caffeine next to veiled threats against the tyrannical matriarch downstairs. He unlocked the door with a tiny brass key. Hinata froze in the doorway of the room, her white eyes widening in shock. She felt Shino's presence behind her and heard the confused buzzing of the insects living in his jacket.

Pictures of various women from Konoha and beyond hung from the wall of Kiba's room alongside random sticky notes. Yarn connected them back to the photo of Naruto at the center of the collage. A few faces were already marked out, while others were circled in red. Kiba rushed over to continue his work, crazily rambling about his various theories on the identity of Naruto's girlfriend. Neither of his teammates expected this level of obsession, and Hinata considered calling Ino over for a psychological evaluation.

"Ayame is my current top suspect," Kiba ranted with a crazed, caffeinated look on his face. "She cooks ramen. He would obviously be interested in that. Then again, Tenten made him that sword for his last birthday. Why would she make him a gift instead of just giving him money like the rest of us, huh? Pretty suspicious. Oh! Do you remember when Temari hugged Naruto during her last visit? What if they were going behind Shikamaru's back? That could explain the secrecy!"

Shino stared at the wall with open shock on his typically stoic features. "Why are you this obsessed? This is not normal."

"Obsessed? I am not obsessed. I am dedicated to my mission. Aren't you dedicated? Why are you trying to hinder the mission?" Kiba raised an accusatory finger at his friend. "Are you dating Naruto?"

"I am not a woman."

"About that…I have my doubts about Naruto liking women." Kiba opened the door to his closet to reveal a second smaller collage made up of pictures of men. "Sasuke and him have always had a weird relationship. Why is one man obsessed with another, huh? That has to mean something!"

Hinata glanced at Shino with a concerned expression. "This is not normal."

"No, it's not."

"Everyone is a suspect," declared Kiba. "Worst of all, he could be boning any one of us. It could be you! It could be me! It could even be…"

"Sausage or bacon?" Tsume appeared in the doorway of the room, holding an empty frying pan. She raised an eyebrow at the conspiratorial mural adorning her son's walls. "Breakfast is almost done. Hope waffles are okay. I forgot to go grocery shopping last night."

As if broken from a trance, Kiba perked up at the mention of waffles. "Are they the chocolate chip ones?"

"Yeah. You won't eat the others."

"Hell yeah!"

Kiba hollered and pushed past her to race to the kitchen leaving Tsume along with the remaining members of Team Eight. She took a cautious step inside the room. She stared at the pictures then back at Hianta and Shino.

"Do I even want to know?"

###End of Chapter###