Blue Eyes
By Wusai, the Dark Phantasy

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. _;
Claimer: I own my ideas.
A.N.: This is... to HRM. What would KibaNaru be like? o.O; Anyway... this would be the sequel to Silences, formerly known as Defeat. I hope I'll write this one better than that one... _;

***

Kiba awoke to the steady beat of falling rain. Groggily, he rubbed his eyes, then yawned widely. He crawled out of bed, and took off his doggy 'jammies (A.N.: .:drool:.), then dressed in his casual attire. Akamaru woke a minute later, then pounced on Kiba, knocking him over. He licked Kiba's face, causing him to laugh.

"Akamaru, get off! I need to brush my teeth and stuff!" Kiba said, happily, events of the previous day seemingly forgotten. Stretching, he walked to the bathroom, and did all that good, hygienic stuff. Walking out, he heard a knock on the door. He ran towards it, curious as to who would come this early. Opening the door, his eyes widened slightly, and he suddenly remembered the events of yesterday.

"G... good morning, Kiba-kun..." Hinata greeted, softly.

"Hinata... why are you here so early?" Kiba asked.

"I... I wish to ask you something..." Hinata replied. Kiba raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you come in? I'm sure it's pretty cold outside..." Kiba offered. Hinata nodded, and walked in, closing her umbrella, and leaning it against the shoe rack.

"Kiba-kun..." Hinata began.

"What's the question?" Kiba asked. Hinata took a deep breath, then looked to the side.

"Do... do you remember... how I told you that there was someone... else?" Hinata asked. Kiba nodded.

"Naruto," he commented. Hinata nodded.

"Well... After you left... he returned... and I told him how I felt about him... but..."

"But...?"

"He... told me... that there was... someone... else..."

Kiba's eyes widened slightly.

"But... I thought he liked you!" Kiba exclaimed.

"I... I did, too..." Hinata replied, hesitantly.

"Well? Surely that's not what you came to tell me," Kiba said, anxious to know what the question was.

"Um... well... I... I feel as though..." Hinata stuttered.

"As though...?"

"I feel as though... I... like you... more than a friend," Hinata finished, blushing, eyes still focused on a point on the floor. There was a silence.

"Hinata..."

Hinata looked up, expectantly.

"I can't... accept what you're telling me..." Kiba said. Hinata looked shocked. "After all... first, you tell me that there's someone else. Once they reject you, you return to me. I feel kind of... suspicious."

At Kiba's feet, Akamaru nodded, agreeing with his master.

"And I must point out... that Naruto and I are fairly strong," Kiba continued. "I feel as though... you're, well... just looking for a protector. Once I think about it... yes... Sasuke... You wouldn't like him, because he already has so many admirers, and the chances of him choosing you would be very slim. Neji... he's related to you, so I doubt that you'd love him in a way other than a relative. Lee, he's devoted to Sakura. Shino... we all know that he's a bit creepy. Chouji and Shikamaru... neither of them are all that strong. Hinata... am I right?"

Tears formed in Hinata's eyes as realization hit her. She placed a finger on her lip.

"I guess... I guess that subconsciously, I chose you and Naruto for those reasons... I know that, in my conscious, I wouldn't... I guess that my inner self is still weak... and dependent on others..." Hinata replied. Kiba nodded.

"I... don't think that I can accept you as more than a friend," Kiba said. Akamaru looked up at him. Inside his canine mind, he was pondering deeply. I don't really understand what Kiba-sama said to that girl... Akamaru pondered. But it didn't sound too nice. I thought he liked Hinata...?

"I... I understand..." Hinata uttered.

"Hinata... I'm still your friend and devoted team mate," Kiba added, "so don't think that I hate you."

"I... I understand..." Hinata repeated. She slowly got up, walked to the door, opened her umbrella, and exited Kiba's house. Kiba sighed. He didn't believe that Hinata was actually like that. Females are so confusing... he thought. His stomach growled, and he realized that he didn't have breakfast. Short on money and food in his house, he decided to have a bowl of ramen. He picked up Akamaru, and placed him on his throne atop Kiba's head.

Kiba pulled up his jacket hood; he didn't mind the light drizzle. A bit of rain was good for everyone. The occasion passerby would pause and look at Kiba; he knew that he looked a bit strange: a boy, hood covering his head, with a dog peering out from beneath the hood.

Moments later, he arrived at the ramen shop, and took a menu. Flipping through the laminated pages, he settled on a simple beef ramen. He would give the meat to Akamaru. Handing the menu back to the shopkeeper, he tapped on the table, waiting for the ramen. At that moment, there was the telltale tinkling of bells, signaling that someone had walked in. Curious, he looked up, and wasn't surprised to see Naruto standing in the doorway.

"Yo!" he said to the shopkeeper, who smiled in return.

"Ah, Naruto. Miso ramen?"

"Yep!"

Naruto sat down on a stool next to Kiba, smiling widely. He looked up at the clock on the wall, watching the second hand move. He counted under his breath; and was glad when he finally reached one-hundred eighty, for that was when his ramen arrived. Kiba's had arrived a moment earlier with an extra, empty bowl for Akamaru; he hadn't noticed that his food was ready. Akamaru whined softly; he was hungry.

Kiba smiled, then picked out the pieces of meat with his chopsticks, and left them in the bowl for Akamaru, who happily ate the slices.

"Oh, hi, Kiba!" Naruto said through a mouthful of noodles.

"Yo, Naruto," Kiba replied. Kiba paused to eat a bit of ramen, and there was a slight silence. After a moment, he spoke.

"Naruto, Hinata said that you told her there was someone else... is that true? I always thought that you liked her," Kiba said. Naruto nodded, slowly, and gulped down the last of his ramen. He said a quick thanks to the shopkeeper, then turned to Kiba.

"So?" Naruto replied.

"Well... Hinata then came to my house... Never mind. This seems pointless. How are things going between you and the... other person?" Kiba asked.

"Um. Not so well."

"Oh? First off, who's this other person?" Kiba asked. He was feeling a bit friendlier towards Naruto; he didn't have to worry about Hinata's affections for him. He now simply considered her a friend.

"Um. You should know. Haruno Sakura..." Naruto said the last bit a little softer than the rest of his words.

"Aa... isn't she chasing after Sasuke?"

"Yes... and she's not exactly giving up her chase, either," Naruto said, sadly.

"Oh... you know, you should give up on her. She's had that crush on him since she was, oh, eight years old? I'm not sure. Anyway, it seems like an undying love."

"I've been telling myself that, but I can't seem to accept it."

"You should accept it. There will come a day when you'll tell her how you feel, and she'll... reject you. If you don't accept it... you'll be hurt," Kiba said, wisely.

"Yeah... I'll try to keep that in mind..." Naruto answered. Kiba finished up the last of his ramen, and wiped his mouth. He huggled Akamaru, then placed him on his 'royal throne'. He pulled up his hood, and stood.

"So... I'll be leaving now."

"Um. I'll go with you."

"All right..."

Both boys exited the ramen shop together, Naruto with his hands in his pockets. After a moment of silence, Naruto spoke.

"Sometimes... don't you wish you were Sasuke?" he asked. Kiba looked at him.

"Not really..." he replied.

"Why not? He's perfect, pretty, all the girls like him..."

"Exactly."

"Huh?"

Kiba shrugged.

"Sometimes, it's best to have some flaws. Besides, who wants to have girls clinging all over him? I wouldn't... wouldn't be able to go anywhere without a random girl latching on to me," Kiba said, then chuckled slightly. "I wonder how he survives with that."

"Me too." Naruto laughed. There was a slight silence. "Why do girls have such an attachment to the guy they like?"

"...I'm a guy."

"...That's right."

"...Damn you."

Even though the words exchanged were a bit mocking, Kiba did not feel insulted. His eyes twinkled with happiness. There was just something about Naruto, something that refused to let you be injured by his petty insults. And those wide blue eyes... they could portray any emotions; they showed what words would not. Kiba blinked, bringing himself out of his pondering.

"So, see you tomorrow!" Naruto said, and waved at Kiba. He walked into his house, and closed the door. Kiba smiled, and continued to his own house. There was just something about those blue eyes...

***

A.N.: Um. I shall continue... later...? o_O I want at least five reviews before I continue. T_T

~Wusai