Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns the character and me my plot only.

Chapter 9: Minato's Legacy – New Team Dynamics

"You two had some kind of special bond, much more than just a simple rivalry or such. And I'm not saying it was a romance crush or the sort either because you both are waaaaay too dense for such things."

- Sakura -

Naruto POV

Great. Suddenly, someone was in the way, and I bumped into that person. My body hurt, yeah, but my pride hurt even more. A huge part of me wished Konohamaru would not see me as an idiot because the others, especially Sakura, were already a lost case. Damn, my cool technique started off smoothly until a random passerby ruined it for me. I opened my eyes. A string of apology was already formed in my head, ready to be said. However, it only existed just to be quickly brushed away by a pair of brown slit-like pupil. And a glimpse of red on each tanned cheek. Plus a warm and soft feel on my lips.

Shit. There's no mistaking it.

It was not some random guy.

It was definitely Kiba.

And I accidentally pressed my lips into his…

What I was feeling right now I even could not comprehend it. Each element of surprise just piled up and up until it crashed down because of the last part. True to the saying, last but not least, the kissing part wrapped everything up into a huge blow equivalent to Granny Tsunade's infamous punching force. The problem was…that only my mind was successfully sent off flying somewhere unknown in whatever mental realm existed out there. Meanwhile, my physical body was still firmly rooted on top of him.

'This is bad.'

My body was obviously having its own mind since the real mind is somewhere out there right?

And a certain Inuzuka was just making it worse! With his lips moving against mine!

My nervous system instantly focused on that slight brush of contact, intentionally amplifying that heat on the spot. My heart also thumped like crazy that I almost believed it could get out of my ribcage in any moment. All my muscle and skin happily responded to the sudden rush of heat churning inside me. A certain vocal cord was no exception either. Before I knew it, I let out an involuntary gasp.

Shit. I quickly clamped my mouth shut. Only to end up between his lower lips!

'I'm really screwed.'

If possible, my already too sensitive lips became more receptive to its electrifying build-up. Its sensational spark sent hot shiver throughout my body. My face must be undeniably red by now, and I might have looked like a fool or a blushing schoolgirl with her stupid crush.

'Wait. Crush!?' Damn. I hoped Kyuubi was not messing up with me with her stupid heat again. Her mating season should be over already...right?

But my racing heart told me otherwise as well as my paralyzed body. I was getting embarrassed beyond belief until I saw a deep red quickly crept up his face and put his proud fang marking to shame. Of all expressions which I devoutly believed that mutt-breath could pull off, a blushing Kiba was never one of them …because I simply never had seen him blush. His face could go red yes, because of laughing his ass off for his stupid pranks or being half-embarrassed (and half-scowling) for his idiocy. He wouldn't admit he's an idiot. But reduced to a blushing mess that could even outmatch Hinata's trademark flush? Such sight could even make whatever villain in this world flabbergasted. It reminded me one of his rarest expressions: his fascinating gentle smile. How his eyebrows drooped a bit, highlighting a soft gleam in his feral eyes. How his lips stretched rightly, showing off one or two canine tooth on its end. And if his eyes crinkled a bit, they would bring out his striking features more. And he would look even more attractive…

Fuck. My brain really did a wonderful job. Now I must really look like a stupid girl with a stupid crush. I could tell Kiba was staring right into my eyes when I was thinking of his stupid smile while I could think of something else. Something else…? Oh SHIT! Mortification flushed away every exciting sensation till there was none left; my sane (mortified) mind had somehow miraculously come back. As I clumsily stood on my feet, my awareness grew steadily keener. I could count a number of probing onlookers and pick up a girly squeal or two in the background. Speaking of girly squeal… I tentatively looked at flushed red Sakura and the rest who just looked stunned, except one old man who threw that annoying and perceptive smirk at me. Damn. I wished I could literally die out of embarrassment right now. Alas, it was impossible.

Kiba POV

First, I had to deal with the sudden awkward tension between me and Naruto. Next, I had to deal with another meddlesome teammate. Knowing Sakura for quite a long time, she would not leave me for good until she got what she wanted. Yes, these all started because that idiot blond ran into me and accidentally kissed me, and my body just somehow reacted in the most possible unwanted way. Exasperation flared in me like never before because everything just turned upside down like an unexpected storm coming your way and leaving a jumbled up mess for you to sort out. And now there was one annoying girl beside me who wouldn't leave me in peace when I truly needed one!

"Kiba…?" Her tone turned gentler and more understanding. Great. So she used another approach. How persistent. I growled lowly with displeasure, but it still sounded loud.

"Look. I know you're upset." A touch of firmness in her tone obviously implied that she would not be deterred by my attitude. She had adjusted really well to my ill-temperedness; and in some occasions, I hated that. This was one of the occasions. "I just want.. you know.. want to know whether you like him or not."

"Why do you care?" I snapped. "Drop it. I'm not in the mood right now."

She heaved a deep long sigh. "You are the densest idiot I've ever known in my whole life, you know. Naruto likewise." I was going to cut her off, but she just continued with her eyes fixed on me. "Remember our last battle before Naruto left us? When you surprised us by protecting his back?"

"What? What about it? You're not implying that I have some feeling for him because I covered his back, do you?" I frowned.

"Well, do you?" her steely gaze held me still. I could not help but stiffen, but my scowl hid my growing discomfort, I hoped. "I already told you why I did that, didn't I? That I kinda pissed…" Her quirky smile stopped me and roused my irritation, deepening my frown.

"Yes Kiba, I know." Her smile vanished in a second, taken over by her serious stare, looking right into mine. "But you didn't see his true expression, did you?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I did, he looked surprised and whatnot. I made sure he knew that I was truly sorry for what I said. And he should stop protecting us if it was just some kind of stupid martyrdom." I could not believe Sakura asked such stupid question. It got me more emotionally riled up. "What is the purpose of it if he just tortured himself with guilt? I can practically smell it! That's why I made sure he got it in his stubborn head, and his expression had proven enough!"

"That's why I call you dense, idiot." She looked perfectly calm and sighed again. 'Tch, what's up with her really?' I did not speak out my anger and frustration though. Her big frown and scrunched up nose clearly told me she was struggling of what to say and how to say it.

"Kiba, you're unconscious, so you didn't see it. Naruto was always the determined one, who knew what to do and acted on it with his stubborn attitude. But after you protected him, he looked…unsure and shaken…The battle was still going on, but Naruto just stood there…like he was at loss of what to do… like his drive to fight was gone…well, it's not like he had given up. To me, it looked like he lost it because you took his spot you know… He always covered our back and always acted on it… to prove his worth… but then you just butted in and shook his firm ground and challenged his ideals…and made him feel how it was to be protected…"

My bubbling emotions receded, replaced with a strong pang of pain across my chest. It was a complicated kind of pain, created by sympathy and irritation altogether. Sympathy because he was suffering inside. Irritation because he was acting tough outside. These two opposite mixed strangely together in mutual agreement to carry out my goodwill. That's why it turned out to be a good intention executed by my bad temper. What irony. But Naruto took it well…right?

"And, it's my first time to see him lose his usual composure…to see him break down and show his true self, and if it is not you who stubbornly stood up to him, I might not even know the real Naruto…"

I was truly at loss of words. The real Naruto would be distant, cold, and lonely, like the time he showed me when I exploded on him. However, from her sad voice and cast down expression, that real Naruto would likely be crying and shaking. I really did not want to visualize it.

"Honestly, I do not know how to put it. You two had some kind of special bond, much more than just a simple rivalry or such. And I'm not saying it was a romance crush or the sort either because you both are waaaaay too dense for such things. What I'm trying to say here Kiba-kun, is that you're able to make Naruto show his different self from the usual. Similarly, judging from what happens just now, Naruto is the sole reason for you to be an awkward and blushing dork, heh even your blush could even outmatch your red markings! However, these two occurrences obviously show us that both of you influence each other in such a way deeper than normal friends and even lovers, right?"

Wait. How could she change her mood so easily? As she went on and on, she addressed me more like straight to the business and pointed out every important detail. And for her to come up with the most absurd conclusion, I knew where this would be headed to.

"Listen, I'm not going to judge you and you can trust me. So, tell me Kiba, do you like him or not?"

Damn. I knew it. Her persistence. I would just give her what she wanted and she would leave me in peace. The faster, the better.

"I don't know." Well, my simple answer sounded good and true enough, because I really didn't know. The big problem was she looked unsatisfied. Great. I had a long day ahead of me.

Naruto POV

Yesterday was really horrible. My embarrassing incident with Kiba quickly became the highlight of my first comeback after a long time, especially when the news reached Tsunade baa-chan*. With Ero-sannin added to the mix, a simple jest had escalated to a full-length discussion of my most despicable "Dark Age". Though they claimed it as a vital research, I knew they enjoyed it to the fullest at the expense of my precious dignity. Hopefully, I could keep it a secret from the rest; but baa-chan encouraged me to face it like a man and let everyone know about it. Seriously, was there even a Hokage besides her who had the audacity to encourage a poor victim of Kyuubi's damn hormones like me to announce his utter disgrace to the whole world? I was sure there was none as insensitive and shameless as her! However, I hated to say there was some truth in what she was saying. Sooner or later people around me would find out anyway like she explained, and I had to prepare for the worst reaction. My mind shook away a looming terror that could possibly happen to me if this village got another reason to hate me more. For now, only Granny and Ero-sannin knew about it, and she was briefing me, Sakura, and Kiba a mission. Or to be exact, it was a mission which mostly concerned about my current well-being as a jinchuuriki in conjunction with, to my surprise, Akamaru as well.

"Is that true? T-that Akamaru can heal himself now?" I could not believe my ears.

"Yep, he also can change his fur to red on his own will, no special effect to it though." Kiba smirked and seemed pleased about it. "And yesterday, I found out he could smell Kyuubi's scent in a huge range and track you Naruto."

Oh. Those sounded cool, from how Kiba said it with his usual smug tone, but still… "Does he…you know… change like…you know?" I could not help but ask, because a lot of things had changed. Last time before I left, Akamaru was still under complex procedure supervised by baa-chan.

"Nope, he hasn't even changed at all after all these years. He's just normal and the same Akamaru, right Tsunade-sama?" His voice seeped with confidence.

"I'm positive about it. But, it's better to prepare for other possibilities, which I assume may arise from Naruto's chemistry with Akamaru. That's the whole purpose of this mission: to take pre-caution and find out the nature of their chemistry, if there is any chemistry between them at all." She took out a red scroll and handed it to a man with a weird forehead protector which framed his head. He was our assigned team leader in place of Kakashi-sensei. "Alright, Yamato, here is a detailed report of Akamaru's entire protocol result. I had already informed Asuma in the Temple of Fire that your team will be coming. He'll tell you what to do once you arrive there."

Now that she mentioned Asuma-sensei, she didn't tell me why he left Konoha. I wondered what he was doing in the temple. It seemed I missed a lot of stuffs while I was away, and curiosity got the best of me.

"Umm, baa-chan.."

"Where's your manner, brat!?"

Geez. Her concept of beauty was delusional; she was actually a fifty-over year old granny inside her made-up young appearance. So, I ignored her protest and asked about Asuma-sensei, which she replied unhelpfully. Guess I had to wait until I met him, but some depressing assumption and implication started to form in my mind. I hoped everything was going to be alright and not getting worse.

"Ne, ne, Kiba can you please tell Akamaru to change his fur now?" I really wanted to see it after hearing an earful of Akamaru's entire update from Kiba.

"C'mon Akamaru, show your technique!" he urged his dog. "It is called Akamaru Style: That's My Name!"

"Pfft. What kind of name is that? It sounds ridiculous."

"It's not! Many people get confused about why his name is Akamaru, claiming that his fur is white. This technique is proudly named that way to clear all the misunderstanding."

"Oh. I see. Yeah that makes sense." I nodded in response.

"And also, I've named his healing ability as Akamaru Style: Red Recovery" Kiba continued and grinned before my face, which, I was pretty sure, expressed interest at his odd choice of name. Reading my unspoken question, he explained, "His healing is similar to yours. The red chakra is doing the job."

The last sentence triggered one particular unpleasant memory to surface and to sway my mood. The red chakra which healed Akamaru that day at the bridge was the same red chakra which turned him into a monster. Despite all these years, they were still fresh and vivid as if they were yesterday's occurrences.

"But there is still another one which I haven't named yet." The teen beside me nudged my shoulder, disturbing me from my thoughts. His gaze held a gleam of mischief which I had been familiar with since Academy days. "It's his ability to track you by Kyuubi's scent. Should I call it Akamaru Style: Naruto Super Tracker?"

I snorted at how silly it sounded. "There should be a better name for it right? It just sounds too ridiculous."

A female voice quipped behind us. "Geez. Guys, they're not a technique in the first place, but you come up with names for them. Now, that's even more ridiculous."

"Well, he's not just a ninken with no techniques. He got some skills like real ninja." Kiba immediately defended.

"I bet he's got stronger with those skills, especially when he could heal. Can't let that technique be wasted with no proper name at all." I somehow agreed and observed the red dog before me. The stark red in every inch of his fur made him to resemble a smaller version of Kyuubi if he had nine tails from his tailbones, except for his eyes. They were simply Akamaru's, reassuring me that he had won and stayed ever strong. Despite his red form, his eyes spoke louder than anything.

"Some things never change, huh?" Kiba smirked at me. After I raised my eyebrows at him, he jerked his thumb toward Akamaru. "You stare at him like he's a brand new toy. Can you never get enough of his awesomeness?"

I snorted with amusement after I realized what he actually talked about and shrugged with an easy smile, "You can say that. He always never fails to surprise me. He's just simply amazing."

It seemed the awkwardness between us had diffused because we got comfortable again with each other pretty quickly. We joked and bickered as usual. Some things just never changed.

Omake:

"Stop acting tough, Naruto! It won't change the fact that you are a jinchuuriki! It made me sick!"

Shit. I should not say it. I regretted instantly once I saw an evident hurt shown in his face. Naruto averted his eyes and tried to compose himself. When he started to walk away, I called out to him out of impulse.

"What do you want?" It was my first time hearing his cold voice; I could not help but shudder.

"I-I'm sorry, okay. I do not mean to…what I'm trying to say is… I mean…" I could not come up with an explanation, and I was out of words. My brain really did a wonderful job.

After a moment's silence, he gave a curt reply, "It's fine."

Those two words echoed inside my mind, carried by a cold voice, with a hint of resignation.

'Fine? Really? How so? What's so fine?' My fiery rage awakened again. He's acting it again, saying everything's fine, except that it was actually not. At all.

"It's not fine!" They just slipped out of my mouth. I clamped my mouth shut and tried to cool down my temper, but I failed.

"It's not fine!" I did not know why I repeated it, but it had a slight edge of anger. I took a deep breath and exhaled to stay calm.

"It's not fine, Naruto…" This time, it came out softer and gentler, and I hoped Naruto would hear me out. I did not want him to think that I hated him.

"What do you mean it's not fine?" His tone was a bit angry with some edge of frustration, but this question was an eye-opener to me. Its answer was very simple. I immediately knew it; I had witnessed it a lot of times.

"It's you…you're not fine…" I started bits by bits. "You're trying to look and act fine but actually you're not… I know you're trying to justify yourself being a jinchuuriki, but I can tell you're not okay, Naruto… I know you're hiding something, I know..."

"Don't act like you know it all, Kiba! And you don't have to tell me I'm not fine because I know it already, LONGER than you do!" he shouted, his cold voice turned to burning rage.

"Not that, idiot! I don't mean you're not fine because you're a jinchuuriki. What I mean is how you try to act tough but actually you're not is not fine! You think suffering and taking all the damage will make you feel better, huh? You're just being a martyr!" I shouted back in exasperation.

"O-Ooohh.." His voice quivered a bit. His eyes glistened, but no tears fell as if they were frozen by ice. Never had I seen his blue orbs void of warmth, gradually turning dull and cold into icy blue. "…so do you have any better ideas Kiba?"

My tongue suddenly became heavy like lead, unable to move and utter a word.

"Cmon, tell me…Why are you being silent now? You're sick of my martyr ways, right?..."

I could not say a thing. My throat constricted. My heart constricted. Everything constricted. In pain. The tense and cold silence stretched on and on as if time itself was frozen, until Naruto broke it like shattering a thin ice.

"Fuck you, Kiba." Then he ran away, with his back turned to me slowly disappearing from my line of sight.

The pain did not go away.

The chapter's supposed to be angsty, but it turns out like this. Anyway, hope you enjoy it and please do review!

baa-chan: granny