I suck at quotas so badly...I'd say this chappie's short because my throat's been killing me for awhile, but that would a stupid excuse since that doesn't effect my fingers in the least. I feel like I need to go back and merge a bunch of the chappies together...so instead of this little things there'd one or two proper chappies. On the other hand, at least I'm not as tired as when I was posting last time!

Kiba and Shino left the training grounds shortly after that incident. They were both getting worried about Hinata. Kiba had suggested they check her house.

Akamaru sniffed around the porch, pausing here and there before moving on. Shino had tried knocking a few times but knew Hinata wouldn't answer.

Kiba was getting inpatient, "Damn it! There's nothing here! Just her scent!"

Akamaru cast a glance at his master and whimpered. Kiba just sighed, trying to suppress the growl rising in his throat.

Shino slid open the door, "I doubt she is in here but perhaps we can find out where she went?"

Kiba pushed passed him, "Yeah, she'd have to pack some clothes if she'd left or..."

He stopped, a jolt running through his body. Akamaru ran ahead of him and sniffed the discarded clothes lying on the floor. Kiba's nose twitched. He had smelled this earlier, the dank coppery scent of blood. He hadn't been worried then, it wasn't uncommon for ninjas to have their clothes ruined with blood before but...

He heard Shino beside him, "Is that-"

"It's not hers...It's not hers..." Kiba felt sick. The clothes were the ones that Hinata usually wore...they were soaked through with blood. None of it was hers and Kiba could tell it wasn't all from one person either.

Shino stared at the heap before them, the blood faded red-brown, dried and crusty.

He turned to Kiba, "Can you tell-"

"So many..." he cut him off again, "Oh kami there's so many scents! What the hell happened? Was Hinata in some kind of massacre!" Kiba's voice increased in volume, lilting up as he was consumed with worry.

Shino put a firm hand on his shoulder, "Look. Akamaru found something."

Akamaru had left the bloodied clothes behind. Now he was sniffing Hinata's headband. After a minute he left it and started nudge one of the ornamental screens that had placed against a wall. Kiba went to grab him when he knocked it over.

All of them stopped. In the rice paper wall covering was a huge hole. Kiba's eyes narrowed and stepped forward.

"What is it?" Shino asked quietly.

"I...damn, there's a set of stairs back there...I don't hear anyone though..."

Shino nodded, "I'll keep looking around up here. Though there isn't much."

Kiba hadn't heard him, he was already feeling his way down the darkened steps. Akamaru stood outside the hole, whimpering. Shino headed toward the kitchen area against the wall.

Akamaru started growling again. Shino felt his insects scurrying again, their tiny legs gripping his skin, sending a slight shiver through him.

Then he noticed it. A person standing beside him. He turned quickly, a kunai flashing in his hand.

But then he stopped and stood rigidly in place.

An eerie familiar face, sickly pale skin, and ink black hair spilling down his shoulders.

Thin lips frowned, "You shouldn't be messing with Mother's things."

I hope that chappie was a little enjoyable!

I still feel like I've lost interest in this story...like I'm no longer doing it just because I can but because of this stupid feeling of obligation that's not even to you peeps but to this stupid thought inside myself that if I don't finish it I'll never be able finish any of my stories. I don't want that to be true.

Also for some reason it seems I do a better job on these shorter chappies because I'm not worried about length. Still...these things are pathetically short... Also also...names...this new person needs a name and have one in mind but it sounds kinda stupid to me...help?