~*~
Bonds of Blood
By: Animeroxsmyworld
Chapter 4: Puppy?
~*~
“Awww! It’s so cute!” Misora gushed as she knelt down on the ground at the back of the classroom. Multiple other girls gushed and cooed, Kiba barely distinguishable among the various females while the males in the circle just watched the thing in interest.
All one could see was his mop of messy brown hair between the gaps of people.
“Can I pet it?” One girl asked, bent over so she could be closer to Kiba who was sitting on his butt.
“Sure!” He nodded with a smirk before shifting his hold on the thing in his arms. The white and brown puppy turned its head in the girl’s direction as she began petting his head, before he licked her hand and she giggled euphorically.
“What’s his name?” Misora asked, reaching out and petting the puppy as well, scratching behind his floppy ears. He was just barely old enough to be away from his mother, making him tiny and fluffy…down right adorable!
“Akamaru! He’s my partner. My Okaa-san just gave him to me yesterday.” Kiba proclaimed proudly. In the Inuzuka clan, one always had a canine partner when they were old enough to begin training to become a ninja. It was their fighting style.
“How big is he going to get?”
Naruto was crouched down on his haunches, a couple inches from the dog with his head cocked to the side, blue eyes watching the canine with genuine curiosity. A few people reeled back in surprise at how close the Uzumaki had gotten without anyone noticing.
“Uh…” Kiba started, startled himself at the sudden appearance of the Uzumaki, the class idiot. Some kids were backing away from him, obeying the warnings their parents had given them to stay away from the blond male. Kiba however decided that it wouldn’t hurt to talk to the kid…especially if it was about his cool new dog!
“I’m not sure yet. My Okaa-san didn’t tell me.” Kiba started with a frown as he starred down at Akamaru, petting the puppy himself. “But he’ll probably be really big!” Kiba reassured with a huge fanged grin as he set Akamaru down.
Everyone started asking questions again, more people coming over now, Kiba’s ego growing as he and Akamaru became the main interest.
A few girls near the back looked up as the classroom door opened and Kyoko, Haruno Sakura, and Yamanaka Ino walked into the room together, chatting away to each other.
“It’s so exciting! It’s coming next week and it’s so fun! I went last year. Kyoko are you going?” Ino asked excitedly, rounding on her slightly taller friend. They were talking about the festival that was coming next week.
“Um I’m not sure. I would have to ask Hari-san.” Kyoko confessed, popping the lollipop out of her mouth. “What do you do?” She continued, looking to the Haruno for help.
“It’s so fun! You play a bunch of different games and you can win stuffed animals. I got a cat last time I was there! It was so big I couldn’t carry it! You can also get candy!” Sakura gushed, listing off the list of things you could do at the festival off on her hand.
“And you get to dress up in a kimono!” Ino added in happily, thrusting a hand out to cut off Sakura’s rambling, the pinkette barely noticing.
“It sounds fun!” Kyoko agreed, eyes lighting up.
“It is! So you so have to go!” Ino pleaded, the three girls still oblivious to the scene taking place in the classroom.
“I’ll…I’ll try!” Kyoko nodded in determination. Her two female friends smiled, nodding.
“You guys! Come see this!” Misora called over to the three females, effectively cutting into the conversation. Their heads perked up, swivelling to look at the crowd.
“What is it?” Ino asked curiously as she jogged towards the huge circle that the class had made, previous conversation forgotten. Sakura followed after her and Kyoko came after the pinkette slowly. The crowd parted to let the three newcomers see the attraction.
“Kiba got a puppy!” Misora squealed, Ino and Sakura mirroring the noise as they instantly crouched down to stroke Akamaru’s fur.
Everyone turned to look in confusion as Kyoko jumped backwards with a yelp at the sight of the dog, effectively ploughing into four people. They all staggered on their feet, Kyoko scrambling for balance before grabbing a random person and pulling them in front of her as a human shield, effectively distancing her between Akamaru.
The unlucky person was Nara Shikamaru, the lazy brunette looking disgruntled at being a human shield.
“How troublesome…” He grumbled under his breath as Kyoko’s fingernails dug into the flesh of his arm. He was just a simple observer. Why did he have the bad luck of being pulled into this?
“Uh Kyoko…are you ok?” Sakura asked, brows knitting together. Her jade eyes flickered between the Namikaze and Akamaru before her eyes lit up in realization. The pinkette grabbed Akamaru off the ground earning a sharp ‘hey!’ from Kiba, and stood to face the blond heiress.
Sakura held Akamaru out towards Kyoko.
She yelped and shoved Shikamaru towards the animal before she ran into the crowd, hiding behind someone else for shelter…someone who was farther away from the animal. Shikamaru didn’t bother to try and regain his balance and just smacked into the ground below with a muffled groan, Sakura sidestepping the falling Nara easily.
Naruto laughed at Shikamaru’s fallen form.
No one noticed when Iruka opened the classroom door. The Chuunin paused in the doorway, blinking before stopping to watch the scene unfolding in front of him curiously.
It wasn’t often his whole class was doing something together.
“Kyoko, are you…scared of dogs?” Sakura asked slowly in amusement, her face alight with the emotion as she cradled Akamaru back towards her body for a better grip on the puppy. Akamaru seemed to yip at her question.
“How can you be afraid of dogs?” Ino asked into the crowd in the direction Kyoko had disappeared into to find her next human shield. “Their so cute!”
At this a few people started chuckling at the idea of being afraid of a dog. Sakura included.
“You’re scared of dogs?” Someone called out towards Kyoko.
“How can you be scared of dogs?” Another voice giggled. Although it was all good-naturedly, Kyoko’s face went red in humiliation.
“Sakura…” Sasuke’s voice warned, people parting and revealing who Kyoko had picked for her next human shield. Uchiha Sasuke. He looked annoyed at having the Namikaze heiress huddled behind him, and was showing this by trying to push her away with one arm. “Stop laughing.”
Everyone’s laughter died abruptly, the Haruno especially. Her skin looked ash white at the fact that she had made Sasuke upset.
It was at this point that Kiba stood up and hesitantly took Akamaru back from Sakura, Akamaru nuzzling back into his partner’s familiar warmth.
Iruka decided that now would be a good time to make his presence known. Iruka closed the classroom door with a resounding thud, everyone flinching before turning to look at the source of the noise.
“Ok class, let’s get started!” Iruka called as he waltzed to his desk at the front of the room, showing no sign that he had seen the scene that had transpired. Kiba placed Akamaru in the front of his shirt, Akamaru’s head poking out the front, before everyone followed orders and took their seats.
‘I should let Kyoko’s guardian know about her fear. It would be inconvenient for a ninja to have a fear of something so common that could it compromise a mission. Especially if Kiba’s going to be in her class for another three years still.’ Iruka thought to himself as he began teaching class.
~*~
“Hari-san?” Kyoko asked as she saw the older man slipping on his shoes. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to head out for a little while.” Hari explained as he straightened up.
“Where?” Kyoko asked, cocking her head to the side.
“Just out. I got a letter from your sensei today at the Academy and I realized I needed to buy something, so I’ll have a present for you when I get back.” Hari answered, just having to throw in that last sentence for her reaction.
Kyoko gasped, her face lighting up.
“Really?! What is it? What is it?” She asked excitedly. Hari only shrugged for effect and walked out the door, Kyoko whining at him as he closed the door behind him.
She had to find entertainment for two hours, seeing how Hari was gone. She had already finished all her homework earlier, and there was nothing good on TV. Bored, Kyoko decided to explore her house. It was rather big after all.
She didn’t pay attention to the hallways, having walked through them dozens of times everyday. She knew her room like the back of her hand, so there was no use exploring that place.
“To the kitchen!” She declared to herself as she marched towards the kitchen. There was nothing there unusual…she was just hungry. Clambering on top of a counter, she opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a box of cookies.
She opened the box and pulled out a cookie before replacing the box inside the cupboard.
She jumped down effortlessly, taking a bite out of her cookie as she continued her journey. She crept into Hari’s room…a place she had only ever been in twice…during which she was really sick during the night and needed to let Hari know, but he was sleeping and she had to wake him up.
She clambered inside the room, continuing to take another bite out of her cookie as she surveyed the tidy room. Maps covered the walls, random pins and marks here and there. Everything was neat and in its place, Hari’s bed made and his clothes actually in his dresser drawers instead of spilling out of them.
A contrast to her room.
She walked to the dresser, opening each drawer and scowling to herself as she revealed that everything inside was in fact clothes, and nothing exciting. Unless she decided to actually place her hand underneath the clothing, then she would’ve found a bundle of kunais.
But she didn’t.
She closed the drawers and looked up as something on top of the dresser caught her eye. A picture frame was sitting upright all by itself. Curious like every child was Kyoko picked it off its place on the dresser.
A Hari looking no younger then 12-years-old was grinning up at her, an older woman and man interlocking arms behind him while a boy looking a couple years older then Hari was giving Hari moose antlers while sticking his tongue out at the camera.
Kyoko cocked her head to the side before taking the picture with her. Seeing nothing of any interest in the room, she left and continued on her way.
She flung open the other door and grumbled in complaint as it turned out to be a closet, towels and other cleaning utensils stacked to the brim. She shut it with a huff and opened the other door.
Bathroom. No real need to search that room. She closed the door and wandered around a few more halls, searching for any places that she hadn’t been in before. She finished her cookie, licking the crumbs off her fingers before she paused as she passed a closed door.
She had passed the door all the time, but she actually had no clue what was inside. Opening the door, Kyoko blinked in surprise at the sight before her.
It was the master bedroom. The queen sized bed had the covers thrown back, as if someone had just woken up in a hurry, and a pair of pants were lying at the end of the bed haphazardly.
Kyoko hadn’t even realized she had walked inside the room until she had touched the pair of navy blue pants. She didn’t know why but she couldn’t breath. She gulped as she looked around the room, inhaling the slightly unique smell this room had compared to the rest of the house.
Some of the drawers of the dresser were pulled out slightly, as if someone had been rummaging through them quickly, in a rush.
That’s when she saw the cloack hung on the corner of the full length mirror. The white cape with red flames licking the bottom of it.
“…Otou-san…” She croaked softly as she sunk down onto the end of the bed. She starred, transfixed, at the garment, before slowly looking around. Sitting on the bedside table was one of the many pictures they had framed downstairs, of her mom and her dad.
“Okaa-san…” She gurgled as she saw the red haired woman smiling back up at her from beside Minato. Loneliness began to seep inside her as she was struck on all sides of reminders of her parents.
That was when Hari returned.
“Kyoko?” He called out, the sound of the front door closing faintly reaching her ears. There was some rustling as Hari set something down, a few things by the sounds of it.
“I’m over here!” She called out, without turning her head, unwilling to move. She wanted to stay with the memory of her parents for just a little longer. Footsteps echoed throughout the hall before Hari’s frame took up the space of the doorway.
“What are you doing in here?” He asked softly, remembering exactly what room they were standing in. During the whole time he had lived here to raise Kyoko, he didn’t feel he had the right to touch Minato’s, or Kushina’s stuff.
He had left it exactly how he found it…how they had left it.
“I was exploring. I’ve never been in this room before…” She explained, her tone hinting on sadness. She suddenly shifted, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her forehead against them.
“Is it weird to miss them if you’ve never met them?” She questioned, her voice so quiet it could barely be heard. Hari inwardly panicked. He couldn’t handle crying. He was a man of discipline and strictness, not emotional sappiness.
“No. It’s not weird.” He replied, his voice sounding gruff, making him wince. Kyoko’s head bobbed, showing she heard him. Silence filled the room as Hari stood in the doorway awkwardly, unsure what to do.
“Here. I brought that present. Remember?”
Her head raised and Hari would’ve sighed in relief, if he was that kind of person, when he saw that there were no tears.
She smiled slightly and got off the bed, before blinking as she remembered the picture frame still held in her hand.
“Oh yeah. Sorry. It was interesting.” She apologized as she handed the picture over to her guardian. He took it and frowned.
“You were in my room?”
“Uh…well…only a little…” She admitted nervously as Hari scowled.
“So who are they?” She asked meekly, twirling one of her pigtails.
“My family…” Hari started, sighing. “They died when the Kyuubi attacked. This picture was taken earlier though, when I first graduated from the Academy.”
“Oh.”
“Anyways, Kyoko I told you not to go in my room. I have weapon s and other things you can hurt yourself on stashed in there.” He scolded as the two walked out of the room, closing the door behind them, ignoring their previous topic.
“You do not!” She cried. “I didn’t see anything!”
“Then you aren’t trained well enough yet.”
“Hey!” She cried out indignantly.
The two got to the living room where Hari had left the present. As soon as the two entered the room, Kyoko froze. The black pups pointed ears perked up at the newcomers and he barked, tail wagging happily.
Kyoko vaulted backwards in shock, Hari bringing a hand out to steady her so she didn’t fall over.
“Wh-wh-what is that doing here?” She stammered as she instantly hid behind Hari, eyeing the playful puppy uneasily.
“It’s your present.”
“WHAT?! Why?” She yelped, squeaking. The puppy barked again at the loud noise and Kyoko jumped a foot.
“Because your sensei told me about your fear of dogs.” Hari started as he detangled himself from Kyoko’s grasp and walked into the room, picking up the tiny puppy. “He said a boy named Kiba brought in his dog to class today and you couldn’t be near him. This is going to be a very bad fear for you to have Kyoko if you want to be a ninja.”
“Why? How is it bad? Everyone’s scared of something!” She protested, flailing her arms to make her point.
“I didn’t say everyone isn’t scared of something. It’s just dogs are everywhere, and if you go out on a mission and there happens to be a dog, would you want your mission to fail because you couldn’t handle being around the dog? Or what if you happen to get placed on the same team as this Kiba boy?” Hari explained as he scratched the puppies’ head, the dog leaning into the touch.
Kyoko whined in the back of her throat, not knowing what to say, but knowing she didn’t want the dog there.
“I’m not saying you have to get over your fear completely. You just have to live with it.” Hari elaborated.
“But I don’t want a dog!” She cried out, stomping her feet much like a child throwing a tantrum.
“It isn’t up for debate Kyoko. Fuji is staying.” Hari stated firmly. Kyoko continued to whine and throw a fit until Hari placed Fuji down again. The puppy, completely oblivious to Kyoko’s fear of him, ran to see the other newcomer.
He succeeded in making her sprint to her room, and not come out for the rest of the night.
~*~
“Ok, so what’s the big problem that you needed our help with?” Sasuke asked with a frown.
“Are you being target by some rogue ninja?” Naruto asked excitedly, blue eyes alight with imagination. Sasuke hit him, Naruto glaring at him. At the moment the three kids were standing outside of Kyoko’s front door, Kyoko having insisted that they come over after the Academy was over to help her with an emergency.
“No.” Kyoko reassured, waving her hand at the Uzumaki. She shifted the lollipop in her mouth as she cast an uneasy look at the door at her back. “I just need your help.”
Sasuke starred at her bluntly. “What’s wrong?”
Kyoko opened her mouth to say something but barking suddenly erupted from inside the house, Kyoko squawking in surprise and jumping behind Naruto for protection. Naruto blinked owlishly in confusion while Sasuke cocked his head slightly before walking forward and opening the door, Kyoko crying out in protest.
Fuji came bounding out like a bullet, having been able to hear their voices from inside the house. He was barking as he bounced around the Uchiha’s feet, tail wagging a mile a minute.
“You got a puppy?!” Naruto asked excitedly, getting away from Kyoko gently as he walked towards the dog who now took noticed of him and was bounced around Naruto’s feet as well, jumping up at the blond male.
Naruto laughed as he petted the dog who licked him like he was a long lost friend.
“Someone has to take him! Please! Do you want a dog?” She begged, the two males pausing to look back at her.
“But…this is your dog…” Naruto pointed out stupidly.
“Dobe, Kyoko’s afraid of dogs.” Sasuke reminded, rolling his eyes.
“Oh yeah.” Naruto replied. “Wait…then why do you have a dog?”
“I don’t know! Hari-san bought it! He said it was supposed to help me get over my fear!” Kyoko ranted animatedly while Naruto rubbed Fuji’s stomach.
“ KYOKO!” Hari’s voice rang through the house, Kyoko flinching as the two male’s snapped their heads up. They didn’t know Hari was home.
He sounded angry.
“Are you trying to get rid of Fuji again?” He questioned, the mentioned dog perking up at his name before running back inside the house. No one knew how but apparently Fuji had picked up that Hari had complete authority in the house. So when Hari said Fuji’s name, he came running like fire was at his heels.
Kyoko had earlier tried to pawn Fuji off on any passer-by, Hari scolding her and making her do chores. He was getting quite fed up with her antics.
“N-N-No.” Kyoko lied, stammering as the Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other before deciding that it might be time to head home. They had never actually met Hari before…well Sasuke once or twice briefly, but from his voice they didn’t want to end up on his bad side.
Not if they wanted to die.
“Uh gotta go. See ya Kyoko.” Naruto said as he bid farewell, running before he could get in trouble. Sasuke grunted before leaving the Namikaze grounds as well.
“Hey! You traitors!” She yelled at their retreating backs.
~*~
[Reviews - 35]Chapter or Story
Table of Contents
- Text Size +
Chapter notes: Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto
Authoress Note: I thought I would just let you know that yes, there will be romance. It just won’t be right away, since they are kids at the moment.