ikibai

[ikibai]

'He's not a father...' The words struck a chord with him, resonating on a deeper level than she might have expected. Kiba almost felt as if he could relate, although he knew that what she meant by that statement was something else entirely from his circumstances. Still, he could definitely understand.

The salty scent of tears reached his sharp nose, and he noticed the efforts she took in order to suppress them. It was something to admire, though he made no indication that he'd noticed. Even he knew that there were some things that it was best to leave alone. She was trying so hard to be strong, and it showed. Kiba wondered how he had never seen the signs that she'd felt this way before --

As her words began to sink in, impatience turned to outrage. "So wait, you're saying that he actually did hurt you...? Enough that you almost died?"

How the hell hadn't he noticed? Was he really that bad of a friend...? Kiba wondered at this point if he even had the right to call himself that. He'd always been a little dismissive of Hinata's abilities and feelings, despite knowing that she came from a strong clan herself. She was just as skilled at tracking and such as he was, but he'd never really thought about anything other than that -- In fact, he'd always sort of seen her as someone that needed to be protected, simply due to her sensitive nature. 'Is this what Shino was talking about...?' The Aburame had always been insistent that there was more to their shy teammate than Kiba had thought. 

"Shit -- Hinata, I...I didn't know," the Inuzuka sighed heavily, running a hand through his already mussed hair. "Stop...J-Just don't cry. I really don't know if I can handle that shit right now -- I'm kind of pissed you never said anything about this. It's okay to want to be strong for everyone else's sake, I guess, but you shouldn't keep things like this inside..."

Indeed, this was one of the main rules he lived by in life. The Inuzuka was an emotional clan, and Kiba was no different. What he felt, what he thought -- Those were all things that he felt the need to share whenever possible, or he would implode. That's what it seemed like, anyway. Still -- Her display of deep, overwhelming anguish as a result of all that she had silently endured unsettled him for some reason.

Taking a deep breath, he stated firmly, "You're not worthless. Stop it. Seriously, just quit it. This isn't like you at all, Hinata -- I mean, sure, that situation is shitty, but honestly...Everyone's got something to deal with, right? So -- What exactly is it that caused you to...act like this?"

He was definitely mishandling this, but how the hell else was he suppose to act?

ιт'ѕ αвσυт уσυ || Hinata

She looked slightly over to the Inuzuka and noticed his subtle change in attitude. Not anything bad that was for sure, but it was something that she remembered oh so clearly. This obvious attitude was Kiba being Impatient. She knew this instantly, because one…she was one of his team mates from home and she was with him all the time since she was younger. His impatience didn’t bother her one bit, because it kind of made Kiba who he was…and she definitely didn’t want him to change.

The purplette was still trying to hold back tears from her grey eyes, just wanting to spit all of this out and finally let it go. Her brain still was not sure how she would react, knowing this was going to be a relief and mentally trying.

—{きば} "Your father…Nah, can’t say I ever heard anything,"

"Oh," she said while a sigh escaped through her lips. "I…I kind of figured you wouldn’t have.." It was after all kept secret, because it would cause reputation ruin to they’re so called perfect clan. Her eyes glanced away from her friend as he mentioned her being kicked out. She could feel a huge knot slowly growing in her throat as she tried to conceal her emotions and tears. "I wouldn’t consider myself weak. Well, I m-mean…maybe I was…but that doesn’t mean I can’t change, right?" Her glance still didn’t move back towards Kiba. "I changed, b-but he wouldn’t even recognize it. He’s not a f-father." A tear unknowingly swept on the side of Hinata’s cheeks.

—{きば} “Is that what this is about? Because if it is, I thought you would know better by now. You’re not weak, or anything like that.”

Her eyes suddenly glanced back as Kiba as she heard his comment. It was the first time in forever that she heard someone say she wasn’t weak. She then felt her tears that where currently on her cheeks and turned back quickly to hide them. I-I’ll just seem weak if I cry..

—{きば} “Uh — Wait. You said he did something to you…Does that mean he…Did he hurt you, Hinata?”

She suddenly felt the knot in her throat grow and it felt too much for her to handle,not able to keep any more of this in. "M-My father killed me…if it wasn’t for my m-mother arriving in time to call a healer, I wouldn’t even b-be here!" She then proceeded to cover her face with her hands as she started to burst out in tears.

"I feel a-as if-" She haulted for a moment. “I feel like he didn’t want me a-as a daughter!” She continued to cry, starting to hide her face in her knees. "I feel like I’m w-worthless to him…I f-feel…worthless." This wasn’t over though…she knew soon she’d have to explain why she had such an attitude change.

[ikibai]

'DOES SHE HAVE SUPER SONIC HEARING ---?'

Scooting back a small distance before leaping to his feet and backing away slowly, Kiba replied cautiously, "I said nothing! C-Catch ya later, Sakura." 

Even though she was behaving strangely, he wasn't going to take any chances that she wouldn't unleash her gorilla like strength upon him. Turning with his metaphorical tail tucked between his legs, Kiba rushed off as nonchalantly as possible, which, as one might guess, was hardly nonchalant at all.

Her ear pricked as she heard the sentence the boy muttered under his breath. “Excuuuuuuse me?” she asked as she turned around on her feet slowly, a goosebump-raising mix of glaring eyes and a wicked smile on her face.

[ikibai]

'What the hell -- Who does this chick think she is...?' 

Kiba wasn't phased by the approach of the young woman; he'd been in Bunkyo long enough to have gotten used to having random conversations with complete strangers. He bristled somewhat when she reached out to pet Akamaru, ever protective. Everyone back in Konoha knew better than to come up and randomly interact with an Inuzuka's dog, but it seemed like that wasn't the case here. 

"Donuts...?" He forced himself to relax, simply focusing on her words and raising an eyebrow in confusion. "They're okay, I guess. I personally think they don't really have a taste most of the time. They're just a bunch of dough -- Nothing to really improve on. Pie on the other hand...Well, shit, you can do so much with pie. That's where it's at."

Was he being intentionally confrontational...? Perhaps.

ωαииα вιтє? || Open

An uneventful day, but at least her box of donuts made up for the lack of entertainment in her day. Stifling a yawn from parting her lips, keeping her lips pursed, Nobume closed her eyes— squeezing them gently as the yawn dissolved within her throat. Fluttering her lids open, her favorite scent filled her nose, the ambrosial scent emitting from the box held in her hands. Slender digits plucked a donut out of the small, white box, silently and listlessly helping herself with the godsent pastry. Nothing will be nearly as delicious as donuts. 

Nothing. (She’ll cut you down if you think otherwise. Seriously, don’t disagree with her.)

Impassively and carelessly strolling down a sidewalk, accustomed to patrolling since she is a member of the Mimawarigumi, she kept an eye out for any inhabitants acting out or making a scene. She put her job first before anything, after all. There was no time to laze about or sleep on the job. (What?! Why are you lying? You always fall asleep at your desk.)

Noticing a male, a large dog that reminded her of Sadaharu, Kagura’s dog, she approached the large, furry white creature; suddenly patting it, offering a piece of her donut. She managed to overhear the dog’s name as the owner talked to him. However, she had to disagree with his little statement. "I disagree. Donuts are better— and taste better and better every time. Not pie." (What are you— some 5-year-old child trying to argue what’s better and what’s not?)

[ikibai]

ωαииα вιтє? || Open

"Geez, boy -- It seems to have gotten rather crowded lately. D'ya think the people are multiplying like rabbits, or is that just me...?"

It was true that the city of Bunkyo seemed to be flooded with a ton of people recently. Kiba didn't really know what to make of it, but he didn't particularly care either way. He was currently loitering outside of Antique, observing the crowd milling about on the busy street, with an enormous pie cake which he fully intended to eat all by himself -- Ah, okay; maybe Akamaru could have a quick taste. Scooping out a slice for the enormous dog, he patted him on the shoulder and grinned widely at a mother and child duo walking past, staring with wide eyes at the spectacle they made. 

Leaning back and digging into the rest of the pie, Kiba mumbled aloud around a mouthful of the delicious treat, "This stuff just gets better and better. Don't you think so, Akamaru?"

[ikibai]

Team 8  |  Requested by anonymous

[ikibai]

Well, someone was touchy.

Judging by her snappish response and the rather noticeable disapproval in her gaze, this strange woman found his presence utterly unappealing. Kiba wasn't concerned. He was use to such receptions, given the status of his clan back home and his proclivity for getting into trouble. Still, he gave as good as he got, and the way his lips curled back to reveal the slightly longer (and considerably sharper) than average canines was the most telling sign of his anger. What was probably just exasperation over his stubbornness and pride, Kiba saw as condescension, and he couldn't stand being looked down up in any way, by anyone.  

"Guess not. You smell real," Kiba agreed reluctantly, placing one hand on his hip as he observed her with some suspicion, "I don't really care about whether it's open to the public or not, but I can see your point. Anyway, it doesn't really matter why you're here, or why I'm here, does it?" 

Like usual, he spoke with a frankness that might be a little too straightforward, given that he'd practically admitted to her that he would've entered the place whether he was offered admittance or not. It might prove to be a fatal error at some point in the future, but for now, Kiba wasn't concerned. 

Scratching the back of his neck with his free hand, he continued distractedly, "Well, like I said -- It's a dump. There's not much to look at...I wonder if anyone actually bothers to take care of it...As for respect, it's just a place in some city that I have no connection to. This ain't no Konoha, so I don't have any...emotional attachment to some abandoned shrine. Honestly, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the --"

Here, he cut himself off mid sentence, realizing what he was about to reveal. Kiba wasn't sure if she would believe him even if he explained it as delicately as possible. 'Who the hell would believe something like that..?' Whenever someone started making claims about 'feeling' something and noticing presences and shit like that, people tended to start looking at them a little funny. 'Hell, if someone said something like that to me even a few months ago, I'd have had them committed.' 

"This is going to sound pretty fucked up, but --" Kiba paused to muss his hair again, this time clearly agitated as a result of the nerves that were set on edge, "I've seen some things. That's why I thought you were a ghost...There's something not right about this place. I had this odd...feeling about this area for a while, but since I couldn't feel any type of chakra or anything, I started trying to see what was going on....And then one day, I'm pretty sure I saw a ghost and that's just impossible, right?"

Curiouser and Curiouser

[ikibai]

A metallic scent wafted toward him, a tangy undercurrent that was entirely too familiar to the shinobi. 'Fresh blood, huh...' Kiba rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, wondering how to go about explaining what a pharmacy was ('How the hell do you get to be that age and not even know the word, anyway?') when he felt her hand tighten around his. 'What...? Did I say something wrong? Ah, shit.' 

"Guess we should hurry it up a little, kid --" He was interrupted by her small voice once more, and that was when the situation really became crystal clear. 

She'd probably lost a little more blood than he'd expected. At least, more than her little body could handle. Kiba hadn't given that particular factor any thought, but then, he wouldn't have known that he should. No matter how much she tried to hide it, she couldn't conceal her true fatigue from his finely honed eyes, and he sighed heavily. 'This just gets better and better.' He knew it wasn't her fault that she was in this kind of condition, so he couldn't really place the blame on her for all the trouble. 

'Her parents, on the other hand --' Seriously, what the hell kind of parents just abandoned their blind daughter...? He'd have a few strong words for them when he finally got the little girl to reveal her address...Which honestly sounded kind of nefarious, now that he thought about it.

"-- Just call me Kiba. I'm no 'Mister.' Look, hang in there. We'll be there soon," Kiba promised in a tone that was surprisingly gentle coming from one with such a wild and rough demeanor. His jaw clenched as he made a quick mental study of what he knew of the surrounding area. It was true that under any normal circumstance, the distance to the pharmacy wasn't that great. But as it were...He sighed again. "Dammit. Alright, c'mere."

Kiba wasn't going to give her time to stage any protests. Without warning, he swooped down and scooped her up into his arms, a little startled by how light she truly was. A second later, he'd vaulted up onto Akamaru's back, and settled himself comfortably as he readjusted his hold on the little girl. 

Clearing his throat, the shinobi began to explain himself a little sheepishly, "-- You don't really look too good, kid. I'll be honest with you, I've got no idea how to handle anybody under the age of twelve. Even then, that's a bit of a stretch, with lots of special conditions...Anyway, you're practically dead on your feet. I...don't want anything bad to happen to you under my watch. At least, anything more than this. You're already pretty banged up, and I won't lie to you or anything. It's not pretty. I'm not a medical nin like Sakura, but I can definitely help you, at least a little."

They were moving much quicker now and they had managed to break away from the crowd, making good head way toward the pharmacy. Once he collected everything they needed, Kiba truly hoped the girl would be alright. Maybe he could also take her to some place to get some food...That would definitely help replenish her a bit.

"Hey, we're almost there. By the way, earlier you asked what a pharmacy was...Dunno how you got this far in life without knowing, but I guess it's not a big deal. A pharmacy is really just a place where they keep drugs and uh, other kinds of medicine that's good for ya. Things that'll help you out depending on what kind of injure or illness you have," Kiba explained in a halting manner, wondering why it was so difficult to discuss something that was so ordinary.

Lost in the Dark [Young! Toph M!A] || Kiba

[ikibai]

in the background kiba is elated that the kage position just became much more accessible

[ikibai]

At the sound of her laughter,  the corners of Kiba's lips twitched upward in amusement, and soon he was chuckling right along with her. He supposed the little scene he'd created was rather hilarious, all things considered. They were moving at a leisurely pace, and Kiba was able to get a pretty decent look at each display they passed. There were some rather unique looking mammals, and though his interests was piqued, their joint destination was what he was really looking forward to. 

Kiba glanced over at the pink-haired girl when she made a sudden noise, brow raised in confusion before he suddenly grinned, realizing where they had stopped. It didn't surprise him any that she thought the hairy beasts were cute, or whatever had caused her to react in that sugar sweet way that honestly gave him the heebie jeebies. Sakura Haruno was rather strange, taking interest in the most random of ways and behaving in a way that was opposite of what many 'normal' girls would. He rather thought that was one of her best selling points. 

      'If ya get pass the monstrous strength and the Uchiha fascination...She's not so bad.'

"Ah, nothing much -- Don't worry, it won't be too horrible, or anything," Kiba began, shoving his hands into his pocket as he stood in front of the gorilla cage and peered in curiously, trying to play it off as nonchalance. 

Truth was, he hadn't exactly thought that far ahead. He wasn't sure himself what he could request from her. She had the potential to be a good sparring partner, so he considered that for a moment...Before promptly giving himself a mental smack. 'Sparring with Sakura...I'm not suicidal.' Yeah, she was strong and he could very well get a lot out of a session with her, but -- Kiba valued his life a good deal more than that. 'Maybe sometime in the future when I know she won't kill me for doing something stupid. Heh.' That was definitely something to discuss with her, but at a later date. For now --

Shooting a glance sideways at the medic, he proposed, "How 'bout you promise to heal me if anything ever happens. You know, if I ever need medical attention that requires more than slapping on a band-aid. I'd rather not have to go to the hospital any more than I really have to, ya know?"

Now that he thought about it, that was a rather good solution to his little problem. Hospitals were exactly the same no matter where you were; back in Konoha, or here in Bunkyo. They had that sterile, too clean scent that made him feel like he was high. He tried to avoid it as much as possible, and this would be the best way to get out of it all together. Sakura was a world-class medic-nin, and he knew that he could trust her more than some shady doctor with a four inch needle at his or her disposal. 

"So, uh -- You know anything about these gorillas...? I mean, you seem really interested in them in particular. Not that I don't understand; they're actually pretty cool." Kiba observed, grinning toothily as the youngest in the cage made a particularly daring move.

Animal Kingdom | Sakura & Kiba

Sakura was on the verge of shouting in frustration. 'What the hell is taking him so long!? I know he’s looking here - hell, I can feel his gaze!’ Needless to say, her inner self was furious at the delay of action on Kiba’s part, annoyed past her limit at the zookeeper’s rambling. “Oh, did I mention that our zoo’s prairie dogs have the longest life expectancy for captive prairie dogs in the country? It’s all thanks to our facilities and advanced use of medicine!” Faking a smile, the medic nodded and added a polite “Is that so?” as she tried to do her best to look interested. It was growing continuously hard to fake her enthusiasm, considering this was the fourth time the guide had announced that fact in a voice that seemed so proud Sakura would not be surprised if the zookeeper in front of her had invented the current medicine in use at the zoo herself. It would explain a lot of things if it were so, that was for sure.

“Oi! Sakura, We gonna go, or what? I don’t have all day, you know.”

It was almost impossible for her to not let out a sigh of relief at the sound of Kiba’s raucous voice cutting the zookeeper mid-sentence. Almost, but she somehow managed to keep it inside. It was rude of him, she supposed - the zookeeper certainly thought so, according to her open-mouthed shocked reaction - but it was hard for Sakura to deem it so, especially considering how Kiba was her savior. Kind of.

Throwing what she hoped was an apologetic smile at the zookeeper - the enraged look that replaced the surprised one told the medic it looked nowhere close to sorry - Sakura burst into soft laughter as her new friend grabbed her wrist once more and pulled her away. By the time they were safely far away and the other had let go of his hold, her laughter had grown from a soft giggle to outright, hold-onto-your-stomach-for-dear-life laughter. People passing by were staring at her, some with an amused smirk as they passed, most with a worried ‘should we call the police?’ look that only made her laugh more.

Wiping away a tear that had somehow managed to appear during her fit of laughter, she inhaled in an exaggerated motion, her breathing still shaky. “Guess I do,” she managed to say somewhat coherently as a few last bursts of laughter escaped her mouth. But what could she do for him that he would like? Kiba was a much more complicated guy than she was used to - she blamed Naruto for giving her such low expectations on what it takes to make guys happy, as not all guys were happy with just a bowl of ramen - and she could think of nothing that Kiba would want for her. 

Matching her pace to the dog-nin’s so that she could walk side-by-side with him, she kept her eyes alert for any further signs as to where the primates were kept. They were the main reason she was here in the first place. What with primates and humans sharing such similar DNA, medicine that was effective on them was sure to have the same effect on humans once a few things were tweaked. Konohagakure wasn’t known for its intensive studies on animals - with the exception of canines, thanks to the Inuzuka clan - so animals seemed like the first thing Sakura should research in order to gain new information. 

"Aw, hi there," she cooed as they finally reached where the gorillas were kept, one of the young catching her eye. Checking a tall clock upon a pole a few yards away from where they stood, she noted there was still some time left until the zoo doctor she was supposed to meet would arrive. "Ne, Kiba-kun," she started as she finally broke eye contact with the baby gorilla to look at her companion, her eyes searching his face for a hint. "What would you want? Since I owe you, I mean." The only thing she could think of was doggy treats for Akamaru, and she wasn’t sure if the ninken - or its owner for that matter - would be happy with that.

[ikibai]

xx

[ikibai]

For a moment, Kiba wondered if he should take the seat next to her, but then thought better of it. He could tell that this was going to be the kind of 'story' where it was best to remain standing. 'Optimal pacing advantage.' They had only just begun talking, and already he was about to break out in sweat. This was nerve-wracking, not knowing what the hell was going and being unable to do anything to help, as a result. Right then, he just wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her until she spit it the hell out. That thought was one he was unfortunately familiar with, since he'd known her for so long and had to deal with her faltering way of speaking. 

No one could ever accuse Inuzuka Kiba of being patient, that was for damn sure.

"Your father...Nah, can't say I ever heard anything," The Inuzuka knew this situation required some tact and a little careful handling, but he wasn't good with either, so he figured it would be best just to be blunt about it. "I mean, I knew that you were...kicked out. Something about how you were weak, or some shit. Kurenai-sensei told us that much."

Kiba was sure Shino would know exactly what it was that Hinata was trying to say. Somehow, Bug Boy had always had all the answers when it came to their shy teammate. It made him feel a little less than a pile of dog shit to know that he really didn't have much knowledge of his teammate's private life. He just...never had to before. The fact that she was there with them, working to make herself stronger to be able to support them on their missions alongside the two of them...That had always been enough for him. Briefly, he considered saying this, since he felt like he was being a little too insensitive here, but thought better of it. 

Instead, he settled for, "Is that what this is about? Because if it is, I thought you would know better by now. You're not weak, or anything like that. Uh -- Wait. You said he did something to you...Does that mean he...Did he hurt you, Hinata?"

The thought didn't set well with him. Not one bit.

ιт'ѕ αвσυт уσυ || Hinata

It’s not like she expected him to understand everything she was going to tell him,but she expected him…as her friend..to at least listen to what she had to say. The purplette was still awaiting his response to her question, hoping he would agree to talk.

　—｛きば｝”Yeah, yeah. Okay. Whatever you say.” 

A faint smile slowly came on her face, some relief also followed, because right now he was about the only one she felt comfortable about telling how she felt.  "A-arigatou.." The walk sounded like a nice place where no one would listening in to what she had to say, so she quietly followed along. It wasn’t hard to notice at how he was making sure she was following him, but then again…if it was him…wouldn’t she do the same?

"How am I going to explain this to him?" She couldn’t help but think about how he was going to react to what she had to tell him. It constantly bothered her, the anxiety starting to build up within her, but this needed to be done. If she didn’t let it out now, it would only get worse and she knew this. When they came to a hault, she found the nearest bench and took a seat. 

    —｛きば｝”So, what’s this shit all about…?”

She let out a sigh, mentally preparing herself. She was finally going to tell someone.

"Well, it all began before I came here.." She then heaved another sigh, not even sure if he knew  what her father did to her. “Do you know what my father did to me?” It honestly wouldn’t surprise her if he didn’t know, because it was kept secret to a lot of people.

[ikibai]

The fact that she was willing to admit her faults bolstered his opinion of her greatly, and he decided that in the end, he almost admired her. Almost. She'd done pretty damn good during the race, a far sight better than he had imagined possible, and he figured that just this once, he didn't mind admitting that he was wrong. Not out loud, and especially not to her, but hey, who said he had to, anyway...? 

"Alright, you lot! Let's head back up to the school," the teacher suddenly called over the heads of the students who had gathered and were milling about, waiting to be directed like a bunch of sheep. 

Kiba rolled his eyes at their behavior, thinking that maybe some of them required just a little more time in this particular class than the rest of them. They were the ones complaining the loudest, so obviously they needed the most work. It hadn't been that bad. In fact, the Inuzuka rather thought of it as little more than a warm-up. This was nothing compared to some of the training he'd gone through as a shinobi, and it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy him. 'Guess I'll be looking for a clearing later...'

                 He was rather looking forward to it. 

He snorted as he turned the girl's words over in his head, glancing down at her as they merged with the group dutifully following the teacher as he said, "Heh. Still confident after losing like that...? I guess you're alright, after all. Just don't underestimate me next time. That really pisses me off, you know?"

The Inuzuka was a prideful clan, and its heir was no exception. Kiba's greatest pet peeve was anyone who looked down on him in any way. That's what had gotten him so pumped up back there, admittedly a bit of an overreaction for such a dumb race. 'Ah, well. Not everyday I get the chance to just...run.' He missed that he most about back home. Here, his muscles were so tight and he was so wound up, he felt like some kind of coil ready to snap at any second. It had felt awesome to just let loose. 'I should start jogging, or something.' He'd seen some other people do it, so it shouldn't be too strange for him to pick up the habit. 

"That so...? Well, I don't see a problem with it, just as long as the cost ain't too crazy. It'd be worth it, anyway. It's great to win, but it's even better when your opponent gives 110%."

He wouldn't settle for anything less than the best from anyone, not even her. She might have impressed him a little bit, but consistency was really what true worth came down to, in the end. Next time, he would be able to see a little more of what she had, and he would be that much closer to getting even stronger than before. That's what it was all about; after all, he still had to beat Naruto and become Hokage. Kiba knew that he needed to exert an incredible amount of energy and devote a ludicrous amount of time to training before that could happen. Any little bit would help.

They had finally arrived at the school, and Kiba realized this was where they'd be parting ways. He put a hand on the purple-haired girl's shoulder to stay her for just a moment, shooting her his normal half-grin as he said, "There will be a next time, Senna -- Don't go getting complacent, ya hear? Later ~"

That little 'warning' was his way of saying he was looking forward to their rematch, whenever that may be. Kiba raised a hand in farewell, before disappearing into the boy's changing room to clean up. If he was smiling a little wider than he had before he'd left that very room not long ago, he pretended not to notice.

A Little Competition || Senna&Kiba

[ikibai]

'...Well, he tried.' 

The butchering of attempt at his surname might have pissed him off at any other time, but at the moment, he was more amused than anything. Judging from the guy's name, Kiba assumed that he was a foreigner, and it stood to reason that he would mishandle a few pronunciations here and there. 'Still...Enuzooka? Emphasis on the zoo -- Pfft. That's just hilarious.'

Along with the sudden appearance of the creature that skulked into their field of vision came an utterly repulsive scent. The Inuzuka screwed up his face in distaste, eyeing the mass and trying to match the description up with any known animal, ultimately falling short. This certainly didn't look like any type of mammal he'd ever seen, given the fairly obvious human-like features. 'What the hell...Some kind of demon...? Nah, that can't be right...' It smelled more like an upturned grave and some kind of bug than anything like what he'd sensed from Naruto once or twice.

"Ah, you were close enough, Kirschstein. It's Kiba, yeah. Kiba Inu-zu-ka. Dunno what the hell that thing is, but it sure as hell don't smell like sunshine and daisies. You might want to -- " Here the shinobi suddenly sprang to the side, applying a small amount of chakra to aid him in a quick getaway as the insect-thing made a lunge for the two young men. "Get out of the way."

'Ah, a little late, but looks like he got the idea...' Right now, Kiba kind of wished he knew more about the other male's character. This insect-thing was eyeing them a little too hungrily, and he certainly had no desire to be anyone's next meal. He rather thought Jean would concur. The thing that was currently causing him to hesitate a little in his actions was the fact that he couldn't be too sure what, if anything, Jean could contribute to this 'battle.' There was absolutely no sign of any ability to wield and mold chakra, as with many of the various people he'd happened across who now called Bunkyo 'home', but there was an undeniable aura around the male that gave him the suspicion that there was more to him than one might see on the surface. 'Almost like he has some kind of...military training, or something.'

               He rather hoped his suspicion was correct. Either way, he had no intention of sitting around with his thumb up his ass, waiting for the other male to make a move.

"Help out, or don't. I don't give a shit. Just...don't get in the way!" Kiba called, sliding a kunai out from up his sleeve, where he'd hidden one earlier that day, long before they had even been set the task they'd come out here to complete in the first place. He launched a quick attack at the grotesque being, who seemed a little caught off guard that his/her food was fighting back. 

'Tough luck, bitch. This is one piece of meat that ain't gonna lay down on the grill for ya.' Ah, truly, there was nothing like a little tussle to get him in the mood. His 'inner comedian' appeared to have emerged for a little entertainment. 'Well, sit back and relax, 'cause I've got a show for you ~!' A little bit of fancy footwork here and there and a casual display of brute force, and Kiba would have this insect on a skewer.

"Wonder if she tastes like chicken...? Guess I'll find out! Hehe --" Kiba barked out a laugh as he slashed at her with his weapon, almost lazily, as if he weren't really paying any attention at all. Now, he was just having a little fun. He hoped the other boy wouldn't mind too much.

נυѕт συя ℓυ¢к || Jean

Jean never really could label himself as a ‘social’ type of guy, so naturally he felt a sense of unease about doing just what he wasn’t exactly good at. He wasn’t completely anti-social, but he also wasn’t the kinda person who gravitated towards others or vice versa. Generally, he only interacted with people for as long as necessary and that was it—save for a few exclusions, and even some of those weren’t entirely excluded from Jean’s other worldly level of suck at dealing with people and… Not making people hate him, so to say. Since, y’know, he had a knack for that.

It really wasn’t his fault that he had opinions that differed from others and he liked to voice said opinions—it also wasn’t his fault that usually people kind of took it the wrong way and thus, confrontation ensued. And it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist (he didn’t even know what they were—he’d just heard of them) to figure out his partner here was of the hot-blooded type—Jean had enough experience with Jaeger, as well as knowing himself to be one, so it was pretty easy to tell. Would they bump heads, he faintly wondered? Probably wouldn’t be all too shocking, since he had a habit of starting shit without really trying to.

Only time would tell, he surmised.

Feet sunk into the previously un-touched snow, crunching noises rising as he took each step on the crisp white surface. He could see his breath in the frigid air with every exhale; these were the only sounds that filled the silence for a short moment before the accompanying—or rather, the guy who Jean was accompanying—male spoke up, seeming to Jean as a means to strike a conversation. Eyebrow arching, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt him to socialize a bit. Definitely less difficult than dealing with man-eating monsters, after all.

“Jean, yeah,” he responded, noting the pronunciation used and finding himself a bit impressed. Nine times out of ten, people mispronounced his name as something like… Jeen. He just shuddered thinking about it. “You’re like… Kiba?” From the way he said the name, it was painfully obvious how bad he was with the Japanese. “…Enuzooka? Yeah, Japanese was not his strong suit here and it was clearly showing as he tried to pronounce the guy’s name. It wasn’t his fault he spoke an entirely different language where he came from, right? “Think you’re right,” he nodded, seeming to recall seeing the brown-haired teen in a class or two of his. Those markings on the guy’s face were pretty unmistakable, after all. “Funny? ‘Suppose. I usually don’t get along with people though, so I’m not exactly a social butterfly or whatever the fuck it’s called.” No one ever said Jean was tactful with his words, now did they?

Eyebrows arched slightly to the sudden change in demeanor from the other teen; one second the guy was fairly cheerful with a smile on his face, the next there seemed to be an air of displeasure about him. He didn’t question it, only making a noise of understanding and agreement to the directions given. Finding wood shouldn’t be too hard of a task, but before he could even begin looking he also sensed the disturbance in the area. Tensing up, he turned his vision towards the direction Kiba was, face going pale when some… some thing came slithering out of the woods.

“What the fuck is that?”

[ikibai]

His grin widened at the acceptance, a light flickering in his eyes at the prospect of a future battle between the two. This would be a deciding competition, and Kiba knew it, even if Naruto didn't. After losing to the blond in the chūnin exams, the Inuzuka had made a promise to himself that he'd one day challenge his 'rival' again, and this time...He wouldn't lose, especially not because of something as idiotic as a fart.

He'd changed much since then, grown stronger in every sense of the world. Next time, he would be the victor. 

"As long as you don't pull anything funny, and you give me all you got -- Hell, I'll be fine, even if I lose," Kiba answered at long last, accompanied by a firm handshake. "Don't wimp out on me, though. If you think I'm not serious about this, you better think again. I'll be training hard, so you should, too."

That was basically his way of saying, 'I'll find a way to kill you if you don't take me seriously and actually try.' Instead of clarifying that, he started to walk in the opposite direction and lifted his hand in a parting waving, taking to the familiar heights of the trees with one last grin back at his friend. Now, he had something to keep him occupied. He thought he would go stir crazy from the inactivity. 'Just wait, Uzumaki. I'll make sure that you remember my name.' 

Naruto might be far beyond his reach in terms of sheer power by this point, but if he could come even close to beating him or making him pull out the big guns, well -- Kiba would be satisfied with that. It would be validation, of a sorts. No one would doubt the Inuzuka's ability to be as good as any other shinobi ever again. He would make sure of that.

Naruto stared down the other as he yelled about. He wasn’t looking down on Kiba at all, in fact Naruto knew he was a great ninja. So he just laughed, hoping it wouldn’t be taken as he was rubbing it in or anything.

"I’ll bring it on any day ! And then I’ll just keep kicking your ass every time." He snickered giving that cheesy grin while he walks off from the male a bit laughing now, he really did find it all funny now. He didn’t understand why some people always seemed to challenge him, was it something he did? Maybe he came off as a very strong, but to the blond, he didn’t feel it at all; he had so much more to go, and so much more to learn. But sometimes—- now that he was in Bunkyo, he felt he had no meaning to keep going forward.

However, now he stopped and turned back to the other just in time for him to start pointing his finger at him.

Laughing now with a bright smile he felt comfortable getting challenged. “Lets do it some day then! We’ll fight to see who is the best, and the loser can’t be upset; got it?” He said holding his hand out, offering his hand in an agreement shake.

[ikibai]

"Trying to make yourself feel better, huh? Don't worry about it. I'm sure that someone will find the eggplant look to be to their taste eventually. Might have to wait a while, but hey; beggars can't be choosers. Ain't that how the saying goes...? If I were a fruit fly, wouldn't I have eaten you up by now? I wouldn't think too highly of myself, if I were you. That's not gonna happen. As much as I would love to continue to trade insults with you, I have better things to do. More important, actual people to talk to, instead of, you know -- Hanging out in a vegetable garden. Later --"

"You’re pretty rude, you know that?" Not that she was any better

"I don’t know who this Sakura girl is, but I don’t think she would appreciate her hair colour being labelled a mutation. If you put it that way, I would think purple is linked with black or brown or something like that. A lot of people have strange hair colours. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed— Maybe a meat head like you just isn’t observant enough. Don’t ask me why we’re talking, your the one who butted into this in the first place. Not only are you a meat head but seems like you have the memory capacity of a fruit fly."

[ikibai]

The small girl was silent for so long, Kiba felt sure she wasn't going to answer at all. He couldn't really say that he would blame her if she refused to speak further, since he was technically a stranger, and he was pretty sure that most parents taught their children not to speak to anyone they didn't know. That would complicate matters, since he couldn't very well abandon her and simply go about his business. It would weigh too heavily on his mind, damn his conscious. 'Ah, this'd be easier if I knew anything about kids at all.' His lack of knowledge on the subject had never bothered him until this moment.

"No. I’m fine, don’t tell anyone. You don’t have to get anyone, Mr. Kiba." 

Her actions made it clear that she did trust him (after all, Kiba wasn't entirely oblivious to what such a display might mean, though he was relying wholly on his instincts, here.) The Inuzuka took a deep breath, considering what to do next. It would be a hell of a lot more trouble than he really wanted to lead some kid around without a single indication where she belonged, but...Hell, who was he to deny a small request like that? He didn't feel like prying into her personal life any more than he already was, and besides, Kiba wasn't sure how he'd go about explaining to some worried parents that he'd found their kid all banged up like that. They most definitely wouldn't believe him, and he didn't feel like spending even one night in some jail cell.

Huffing out a weighted breath, Kiba muttered, "Okay, kid. If you say so. Let me know if you change your mind, I guess. Uh -- We're gonna start walking now..."

He felt decidedly awkward, announcing something like that. It seemed necessary, though, considering her...affliction. Kiba honestly didn't know how to handle a kid, let alone a blind one. Was it offensive and insensitive to her independence? Yeah, probably, but what else was he suppose to do besides tug her along by the hand that clung to his trustingly? After a moment of uncomfortable silence in which the unlikely trio trudged along the pathway to merge with regular pedestrian traffic, he sighed once more, and scratched the back of his neck.

"I'd take you to the hospital, but I can't stand them," Kiba began bluntly, not bothering to apologize for the fact that he was placing his own comfort as one of the foremost factors that held any weight at the moment. "Too sterile, yet somehow, there's still too many damn smells. Can't be in them for longer than a moment, and I guess I'd feel bad if I just dropped you and ran. So, here's the deal, kid. We'll go to the pharmacy and pick up some things, and then we'll head to one of those parks with the outdoor water thing... I'd take you back to my dorm room, but I don't really feel like explaining to my roommate why I got a kid along with me, you know?"

That would be one hell of a strange, uncomfortable conversation. Not that this one wasn't, truth be told. He felt sure that maybe he was suppose to be reassuring her that everything would be alright, or something like that, but he didn't think she'd actually appreciate it. Maybe it was just him. 

Clearing his throat, he continued unhurriedly, "You don't need a hospital, anyway. Those scratches and shit...They're not that deep. Probably the only reason they bled like that is 'cause your skin's so soft and fragile. Uh...Not that it's a bad thing. You'll get thicker skin when you get older, kid. Probably. Think most of it's dried by now. We just gotta make sure that it's clean so it won't get infected. Any questions, kid?"

Lost in the Dark [Young! Toph M!A] || Kiba

[ikibai]

The Inuzuka reared back slightly at what he saw as an uncharacteristic, violent outburst. He couldn't recall a time when she'd ever spoken back to him like that, and honestly, he didn't know how he felt about it. 'Ah -- What the hell.' This was so far out of his comfort zone that he almost expected to discover a sudden affinity for cats. That would honestly be less surprising than this...

"Yeah, yeah. Okay. Whatever you say." Kiba brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "If uh...you want to go somewhere else --"

'And where are we suppose to go, huh, Inuzuka?' It wasn't like they could just go back to one of their dorms or something, since they both went to different schools, and besides...Well, it would just make everything that much more awkward. He figured that a restaurant or cafe was out of the question, if she couldn't even bring herself to begin this conversation in the middle of the street. That was hardly less private.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he suggested hesitantly, "Guess we could go on a little walk. There's a park nearby that's good enough for that...I figured you probably don't wanna be around other people, so we can...Yeah."

He would have smacked himself, but it would've looked a little odd, considering their location. 'Smooth.' Well, it wasn't like he was prepared to deal with shit like this, so it was unsurprising that he would falter a little here and there. Kiba started to lead the way, glancing back a few times to make sure she was following him. It would be easier if they had contact, but since Hinata was reacting unpredictably, Kiba figured it would be better off this way. Once they'd arrived at the park, he shot a glance sideways at the former heiress, and huffed out a sigh.

"So, what's this shit all about...?"

Blunt, but he was done fooling around. It was time to get to the bottom of this act.

ιт'ѕ αвσυт уσυ || Hinata

Her eyes were firmly fixated on him as he tried to explain his hoity toity remark, although knowing it wasn’t a big deal and that she shouldn’t have made a big deal about it in the first place. This was all her and knew she should apologize. “S-sorry..I-It is kind of…rich and all. Not as fun as I expected..” She slowly let out some truth out, which made her feel a bit more open to telling him more…She had enough of feeling this way.

Her eyes glanced away at his confrontation,almost on the verge of bursting out in tears. “I-I..” She stopped, unable to tell him as her face slowly became emotionless..acting as if nothing was wrong. It was so hard to just tell him, but why?

"N-nothing is wrong, no-one is messing with me so just leave it be!" Her fists slowly started to clench, but then eased as if she was trying to control some of her feelings. "If someone was really bothering me…I could beat them up myself." This was what she wanted to say, but she suppressed it, as it was this unneeded anger speaking.

"Listen. I might not be the best at, uh, this sort of thing, but — I thought you knew you could always tell me anything. You know? I’m here."

She glanced back at him, having an expression as if she had been waiting to here those words from a dear friend for a long time. She then looked around a little nervously, and then looked down to the ground as her eyes got a little teary.

"N-not here…."  Her voice was broken up slightly, trying to hold in what she wanted to tell him until they went somewhere more private.

Soon he would know why  she felt she wasn’t a good enough Hinata…