Hello all of you out there on fanfiction world. Today I enter the world of fanfiction with a crossover as my first fic. I'll put the universal disclaimer here.

I, whose name shall not be known anywhere but the Internet, claim zero ownership to the concepts or characters of Naruto, Okami, or any other licensed work that might end up being mentioned from this point further. I am not making money, and will not attempt to sell, extort, or steal anything from Clover studios or whoever the hell publishes Naruto.

Not gonna bother with author notes from here on in. Enjoy the story.

-Lady Lemony

Gift of the Gods
Belief

Sakura was alone. Well, alone besides him, but he didn't count himself when watching her. He didn't have to worry about himself. He was worried, but that worry was for her. She was always alone these days, when she wasn't with her sensei. She was either training or off by herself.

And in the past weeks, he would tail her. He'd follow her, find out where she was spending her lonesome hours, just as alone as she was. They were both alone, separately, and yet together.

It started out that he'd follow her in the mornings, find her visiting friends here and there, going out to eat sometimes, but mostly just returning to her apartment and staying there. But one day he had decided to watch her apartment, to see if she left at night, and found that indeed she did.

And alone, she would walk off again.

And equally alone, he would follow.

When she had first walked to the memorial rock, he had been confused. What reason had she to kneel and pray here? She had lost no one in the previous war, no name that might be carved there. But it was as she knelt that she put down a photo. At a distance he couldn't hope to glimpse what it pictured, but he had a good guess.

He frowned at it. He found himself wishing that the behavior he witnessed was something she did only once in a while, but in the weeks to come he found she did it each and every night. She would leave under the cover of darkness, go to the memorial, put down the photo, and pray.

Sometimes she'd cry.

Tonight was the same. She was alone, with her picture, with her tears. And he was alone, watching her from a distance, aware that his time watching her was limited. He had his own obligations, like his dog. There was only so long Akamaru was willing to stay home without him, but he had insisted on being alone when following her. Akamaru had gotten so big now that he was having trouble with stealth.

And the tears... Now and then he could hear her sobs, and it pained him to watch.

Tonight, he decided he couldn't take it anymore.

"Sakura?"

He had come forward from the shadows.

At once she snatched up the photo and dried her tears. When she stood up and turned her gaze on him, it was stone cold and razor sharp, not at all blunted by the tears that had been streaming down her face.

She blinked when she saw who it was. "Kiba... what are you doing here?"

He was honest. "Following you. What are you doing?"

"Following me?" She looked offended, but didn't chase after it. Instead, she answered his question. "Well... Praying... that's what I was doing..."

"You do it a lot. Do you really have all that belief in the gods?" He questioned while approaching her. Sadly, she had the photo pressed to her chest, so he had no chance of seeing if he was right about who was in it.

"It is belief that gives them their power... if no one believed, there would be no miracles." She said this while looking down, somewhat embarrassed. "Are you saying that you... don't believe?"

"Oh no, I do... just don't think they've done any favors for me lately." He shrugged, stopping close enough to put a hand on her shoulder, but only thinking of doing so. "Gotta believe, even just to hate 'em..."

"That's a bit... backwards."

He shrugged. "Whatever. So... I guess you're praying for... you know... him. Right?"

"For his safe return, yes." She sighed, frowning. "Though that would take a miracle."

It would take a miracle for you to give up on the traitor. I nearly died trying to bring the bastard back. He thought to himself brusquely. He was still mad that Sakura hadn't even visited him in the hospital after that mission, even though he'd put his life on the line to bring her emotastic love interest back.

Not that he'd ever mention it.

"Can I walk you home?" He said in the silence.

"I guess you have been for a while, the way you talk." She said with a somewhat serious expression.

"No, we were both walking alone then. I want to walk with you, if you'll have me."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Lead the way before I change my mind."

"Touchy! Sorry, would you rather I continued hiding in the bushes?" He said while starting to walk back to the village.

"I'm mad that I wasn't paying enough attention to notice you. I simply assumed I was alone..." She frowned, the tears she had stowed away so quickly shining in her eyes again.

Ugh... she's gonna cry about him again.

She shook her head, and her determined look came back. "I should have gotten serious about being a shinobi long ago. If I had been more prepared then, I could have stopped him myself."

"So what? You feel guilty?"

"A... a little. But mostly angry. What do you care?"

He rolled his eyes with a sigh. "I'm walking you home, and silence is awkward. This is what's on your mind."

"And? What's on your mind?"

"Sakura, this is me you're talking to. What do dogs usually have on their brains?"

Sakura blinked for a moment, then shook her head again as if disturbed by something. "I'm not saying that outloud."

He held back a laugh, having not expected her brain to go that direction with what he said. "What?" He asked while flashing a toothy grin. "If we're both thinkin' it, one of us oughta say it."

She gave him a shove, though it was playful. "Back off, Kiba. I already know the surgery needed to fix you; permanently."

He gave a fake whimper. "Jeez! No wonder Sasuke ran for the hills."

He had expected her to laugh. Instead, she shut down.

Shit! I said his name.

"Yeah..." She said quietly.

"Don't do that." He grumbled.

"Do what?" She said to the paving stones they walked on. They were in the village, walking the lanes to her apartment.

"You know exactly what. You can't just say fuck the world because someone said a stupid name."

The next thing he knew, he was on the paving stones, his jaw singing in pain. She had fired out and hit him, and gods above he saw stars.

Kiba... do yourself a favor and think before you talk.

He had the sense of Sakura walking off in a huff, and forgot about rubbing the pain out of his jaw to get back to his feet. Sakura was monster strong, but she hadn't hit him with full power. If she had, he would have been knocked into a building and out till the next morning.

"Sakura!"

She stopped. It was a violent step that half turned her back to him. Her jade eyes her narrowed, the look on her face dangerous.

He, about to run up to her, also stopped. He stared back at her for a moment, and then sighed.

"You... I..." He stuttered, seeing that she was balancing tears once more.

Don't make her cry... please don't make her cry...

"I'll pray too. Just for you. Okay?"

She blinked. A tear slid down her cheek. He would give anything to wipe it away for her.

"Thank you Kiba. I... I'm sorry I hit you."

"It's cool. Get some sleep, I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded, and turned away. He stood, watching till she turned off the lane, before falling back down to the street.

Said I'd pray... he thought to himself. Didn't say what I'd pray for. Sure, she's hoping Sasuke'll come back... but I'm praying for her to get over the whole damn thing.

Sakura had fallen asleep the second she hit the pillow. Up so late to go out and pray, with the rest of her usual day on top of that, sleep was more than welcome. She had thought her strange encounter with Kiba would keep her awake for at least a little while, but she hardly remembered falling into bed.

Instead, she was plunged straight into a dream. She had many dreams, ranging from girlish fantasies of Sasuke coming home to the odd flights of fancy into twisted memories past. She had done all of her missions a thousand times over in her dreams, playing different parts and using different techniques each and every time. Each and every time she felt totally unstoppable.

But this dream was different.

She felt warm. That was strange. There was never comfort in her dreams. Something was always happening, an event that required action, and problem that required resolve. Instead, she found herself outside, laying in the grass under a bright and cheerful sun. She could smell flowers, and a smile washed up onto her face. She was dreaming of a wonderful summer day.

Eventually she sat up from where she lay, standing up and looking around. At first she could see nothing but grass waving gently in the breeze, dotted with bright red flowers here and there to give the world its delicate aroma. She was pleased with this, but she soon sound it very boring.

So she began to walk, in search of something. There had to be something going on here, or it wouldn't be one of her dreams. Her dreams always had activity.

She walked for what seemed to be forever. The plains were unending, always with the same pretty flowers, the same breeze, and ever constant sun. She began searching for something that wasn't so perfect. This was so calm, so serene, that she took to seeking out what little chaos she could find.

And find it she did. As soon as she realized how wonderful this vision was, it began to unravel. The sky began to cloud, and darken. As the sun was blocked, the flowers and grass shriveled, and the world turned horrendously bitter with a howling wind that tore withered blossoms from their stalks. Despite this, the most horrible feeling was strange fire clawing at her back.

And then the sun itself fell from the sky. Sakura watched it, falling down from the heavens and into the field. She felt the earth shake, and at once ran to it. She needed to get to it, to somehow raise it back to the sky where it belonged.

Without the sun, there was nothing. Sakura knew her stories, stories of the great goddess Amaterasu, goddess of the sun. There were few instances where the sun would fall from the sky, or be blocked out, because Amaterasu had been somehow damaged or obstructed. Perhaps they were just stories, but Sakura felt convinced that this was as real as could be, and that if she did nothing there would be no sun when she awoke from this terrible vision.

When she reached the place the sun had fell, she found not a burning ball, or fair maiden representing Amaterasu, but a wolf. It was a beautiful creature of pure white, crimson markings stretching the length of its lean body, but at the moment it was curled into pitiful defense, too weak to stand. As Sakura approached, she could feel that the wolf wanted all the chaos to stop. It was a benevolent spirit, trying to save the world from this darkness.

Sakura knew it was a dream, but she felt sure yet again that this was somehow true. Something terrible had happened to the world, and this precious spirit, perhaps even the goddess herself, was trying to make it stop.

But without the belief of the world, she hadn't the power to do so.

"Please..." Sakura came to the ground, taking the wolf into her arms without struggle and bending her head to its muzzle. "I want to help you. Let me help you."

The wolf was so warm. Not the like fire that tickled Sakura's spine, but the wonderful warmth she had felt from the sunlight before.

"I am a tool of the gods..." Sakura muttered. "Use me as you see fit."

The world came to sudden stillness, and Sakura awoke.