A Hatred That Will Never Bloom Into Friendship

The sun was setting by the time I start heading home, the moon lightly outlined high in the thin clouds. I still wished I could sprout wings and fly into the darkening sky, away from all my problems. Selfish, huh?

A bark down the walkway brings me back to reality. Akamaru was standing several yards from me, his tongue out and tail wagging. Kiba was right behind him.

I haven't seen Kiba since his match with Naruto and when they carried him on a gurney after wards. Even from this distance, I could see a huge band-aid covering his left cheek.

Akamaru barks again and runs towards me. I extend my arms just as he leaps into the air. I catch him and hold him close as he licks my face happily.

I laugh. "Akamaru! I'm glad to see you too. And I'm glad you're okay." He pulls his small head back and cocks it to the side.

"Hey, Kimina."

I glance at Kiba, who was now standing only a few inches away.

"Happy to see your doing okay, too," I say to him.

He smiles a little. "Look, Kimina... about that match..."

"You don't have to say anything," I interrupt.

Obviously, he was referring to his match with Naruto's, and the statements he said towards him being weak. But what was said, was said, and there was no taking it back now.

He clears his throat. "So... you ready for these final rounds coming up? I was just helping Shino train earlier."

"Yeah, I'm ready, or I will be anyway," I reply. Akamaru leans his head against my shoulder, and Kiba laughs at him.

He couldn't fool me though. I knew Kiba was feeling the same way Lloyd had after losing to Sasuke, but he would never show it. It was their dumb boy pride.

"I only trained a little bit with Lloyd today. Nothing major. My real training is going to start tomorrow."

"Well, if you need to train some more anytime, I'm available," Kiba tells me.

I smile. "I'll remember that. Well, I should be heading home now." I needed to see if Rakuyo was there.

Akamaru suddenly licks my face and then leaps out of my arms and lands behind me. He barks at Kiba and I a few times before sprinting off in the way I had come.

Kiba laughs aloud. "Looks like he doesn't want you to go just yet." He walks and stands beside me. "Come running with us for a bit."

"Kiba..." I look to Akamaru down the trail. He had stopped and was looking right at me. He barks again and wags his tail impatiently. I smile at him. "Okay, okay. But only because of Akamaru."

Kiba shrugs. "Fine with me. Just hope you'll be able to keep up." He grins.

"Oh, I'll do better than that," I retort.

We both run after Akamaru, who jumps high into the trees on his left. We follow him, and flip and weave through the tree branches.

He gets ahead of me, and moments later I get in front of him. This goes back and forth; laughing and seeing who could go faster than the other, with Akamaru keeping the lead.

I didn't know how long we were at it, until I noticed the crescent moon shining high in the sky. We were now jumping along the very top branches, and I could clearly see each star. I spring into the air and stop on the next branch. I exhale heavily and lean against the narrow base of the tree and wipe the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand.

Kiba lands beside me, smirking but also sweating. Akamaru leaps on top of his head, his tongue hanging out in exhaustion.

I absentmindedly reach my hand up and pat Akamaru's head. He leans his head into my touch, and I smile up at him. I then could feel Kiba's eyes on me. I gaze back at him, without taking my hand off Akamaru.

"You know, he really likes you," he says, regarding Akamaru.

I falter in asking this question. "Is... Akamaru the only one who likes--"

An explosion then goes off in the heart of the village behind us. I turn around and immediately see smoke billowing up into the air.

"Whoa, what the hell was that!" Kiba proclaims.

My heart pounds wildly in my chest, and my throat goes dry. My house was in that area of the village and I grow deathly afraid of the fact that what if Yasu and his partner had finally decided to launch his plan.

I then suddenly swell with anger, but I knew it wasn't my own emotion charging me. I didn't care at this point though, and I let the anger fill me. The green chakra course through my body, giving my strength back.

"Come on, Kimina. Let's check that out... hey!" Kiba takes a step back when my healing chakra flows from my body to his and Akamaru's. "Whoa..." He extends his arms and watches the green tendrils dance across his frame. When it stops, he exhales and inhales new strength.

"Let's go," I say.

"Right."

We both run back at top speed, the fury almost boiling over with every step we get closer.