Alright, I've finally come up with an idea to write for KibaSaku! You have no idea how long I've wanted to write one! Though originally I'd only read KibaSaku fanfiction as a joke, within a few fanfictions it became rapidly one of my absolute favorite pairings! Maybe there's a certain appeal to Kiba…

Anyways, I tried pretty hard with this.

I actually wrote the beginning of it by hand in a notebook…because I didn't have my computer with me when the inspiration to write hit me. So I apologize for errors toward the beginning.

So, enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, yeah. Nor do I own Dido's song "Thank You", yeah. I also don't own Deidara's accent, yeah, but I'd like to, yeah. Yeah…

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Not Good Enough

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There they were again, the other males surrounding her, showering her with affection and presents that she would decline gracefully each time.

Kiba knew he wasn't good enough, especially with those other males around, but Goddamnit! He was the Alpha, heir of the Inuzuka clan. She was smart, funny, rational, loyal, and beautiful; she was everything he and his clan desired.

Everywhere she went though her suitors plagued her, who would present her with candy or plushies even though she would refuse them repeatedly. Kiba knew she didn't want to accept any of them, due to her obligation to her patients and training, not to mention the fact that some of them were following her around because they were forced by their clans. While, yes, the Inuzuka clan would love to have Sakura, Kiba had made the decision based off his own thoughts and musings.

Sasuke…wasn't much of a threat, Kiba decided. Sasuke was only motivated by her acquired strength and abilities, but didn't care for Sakura's personality the way Kiba did. Anyway, Sakura had refused him more than the others.

Naruto…he loved her with all his being. Sakura only thought of him as a brother and the entire village knew it.

Shino…Kiba knew he wasn't any competition. Shino had a long time crush on Hinata since they were Genin. No problem there.

As for Lee…he was just irritating and persistent. There was no way Lee would be able to get Sakura on a date. Kiba just didn't understand how Lee could remotely think to court Sakura when no one could take him seriously.

Neji was definitely there for the clan. Kiba knew it. Sakura knew it. Neji himself knew it. Kiba was confident that Neji wasn't a problem.

No, most of them were really no competition for Kiba. None of them could match Kiba when it came to "the package". Kiba had looks, strength, status, personality and a cute fucking dog. They only real problem Kiba could find was Shikamaru.

Kiba had done major research on Shikamaru. Intel wasn't usually his forte, but it was required when dealing with Nara. It seemed Shika-kun (as Sakura had nicknamed him affectionately) was honestly trying to court her, not through flowers or any of the usual methods, but through friendship.

Kiba learned that Shikamaru had gone on a mission gone awry a few months before with his Genin team. They'd been trapped in foreign territory with no possible way to get back to Konoha. With severe injuries to both Shikamaru and Rie, the female member of the team, Sakura had disobeyed her orders and had rushed to the injured team. It was because of Sakura that the team had even survived.

Shikamaru then, at the prodding of his nagging mother, had gone to thank her with a game of Shogi, at which Shikamaru had lost for the first time. Shikamaru had then fallen for the pink-haired medic.

Kiba, upon learning this crucial piece of information, kept close tabs on the strategist. It seemed that every Saturday morning the two would play a game or two of Shogi over coffee and occasionally the two would go see a movie together.

Kiba didn't want to say he was a stalker…but he was simply looking for an opening to talk to her. He decided that the best option was the upcoming Friday, when Sakura would go out drinking with Ino and Shikamaru had a mission. As predicted though, Kiba did find an opening.

Sakura was sitting at the bar as her ditzy, blonde friend was dancing with some Jonin he'd never met. Kiba approached the empty seat beside her. "Is anyone sitting here?"

Sakura looked up at him, green meeting brown for a fraction of a second. "No. Go ahead and sit, Inuzuka-kun."

"Call me Kiba, please." He flashed her a toothy grin before turning to the bartender, "Could I get two, man?"

"So, what are you doing here, Kiba?" Sakura sighed. "Please don't say it's for me. I'm a little stressed out right now."

"What's wrong?" Kiba frowned, there went one pickup line.

"Oh, nothing. It's a personal thing that I can't seem to get out of my mind." Sakura let the top half of her body slump forward until her forehead hit the cool wood of the bar.

"You can tell me. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets. Better than Akamaru anyway." Kiba chuckled. He needed her to drink a little more…she had to loosen up around him.

Sakura's face lit up slightly at the mention of the puppy turned dog. "How is Akamaru?"

"He's good. Akamaru's expecting a batch of pups in the next few weeks, so he's a little on edge. He can't even go on missions with me, so I'm a little lonely." Kiba had to be honest with himself, he was slightly jealous of his dog's situation. Akamaru's little family was what had really prompted Kiba to actively pursue Sakura.

"Puppies! Oh, that's awesome! Tell him I said 'congratulations'!" Sakura squealed as the bartender reappeared with the two beers. Kiba took them and passed one to Sakura, who'd finished her drink a while ago. "Thanks."

"Why don't you drop by sometime and tell him yourself? Akamaru has always been a fan of yours. He thinks you're pretty." Kiba smiled. Of course, it was he who thought she was gorgeous…but Akamaru always was the lady-killer.

"Alright." She sipped at the beer as a slow song began to play throughout the bar. Sakura sighed sadly.

"You wanna dance?" Kiba offered.

"Sure. These songs usually make me so depressed because I never have anyone to dance with." She confessed.

Kiba held out his hand and smiled, "Well, I'll have to change that, won't I?"

"You can try," She smiled back at him, took his hand and was pulled out onto the dance floor.

"My tea's gone cold

I'm wondering why

I got out of bed at all.

The morning rain clouds out my window

And I can't see at all.

And even if I could

It'd all be gray.

But your picture on my wall

It reminds me

That it's not so bad.

It's not so bad."

Kiba wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his body. He had to look down, but he gazed into her green eyes and was lost in the depths. She had put her arms around his neck and if she objected at the closeness they were sharing, she didn't breathe a word.

"I drank too much last night

Got bills to pay

My head just feels in pain.

I missed the bus

And there'll be hell today.

I'm late for work again.

And even if I'm there

They'll all imply

That I might not last the day

And then you call me

And it's not so bad

It's not so bad."

They swayed back and forth, relishing the contact with each other. Sakura rested her head on his shoulder, etching into her memory the softness of Kiba's blue shirt. She knew it was standard for most Shinobi, but it rubbed against her cheek in a soothing motion and she couldn't help but feel amazed at the sweetness of the Inuzuka.

"And I want to thank you

For giving me the best day

Of my life.

And oh…Just to be with you

Is giving me the best day

Of my life."

Kiba could say to himself with certainty that if he had to spend the rest of his life with someone, there was no one else he'd rather be with. She was petite and fit him perfectly. She was shorter than most of the girls he knew, but it was perfect for him. He didn't need a supermodel the way he needed her.

"Push the door

I'm home at last

And I'm soaking through and through

Then you handed me a towel

And all I see is you.

And even if my house falls down now

I wouldn't have a clue

Because you're near me."

Sakura drew closer to him, if it was possible. He was so warm and inviting, someone she'd never spent much time with but who seemed to know what to do when she was feeling terrible (cause he's a stalker…). She wanted to know Kiba. She wanted to know him like he seemed to know her.

"And I want to thank you

For giving me the best day

Of my life.

And oh…Just to be with you.

Is giving me the best day

Of my life.

And I want to thank you

For giving me the best day

Of my life.

And oh…Just to be with you.

Is giving me the best day

Of my life."

They whispered the last few lines and were surprised to see that the other had done it as well. They stared at each other in surprise without words, until eventually the shock wore off and they grinned. The song dwindled down to an end and they sighed as they let go. Kiba offered his hand once again when a slightly faster song started, and again she took it.

He spun her around and pulled her in, wrapping his strong arms around her waist from behind. They began to sway in time with the music and Sakura let her head sway along with her body, giving Kiba a fleeting view of her neck.

"How'd you get to be such a good dancer, Kiba?" Sakura asked as he spun her once again.

"I practice?" Kiba smiled as she let out a delighted giggle. "What about you?"

"Like you said, practice." She wriggled an eyebrow. "No, no. I think you're carrying me. I usually trip all over myself and fall flat on my face."

"You're a klutz?" Kiba chuckled. "You're a freaking awesome kunoichi, and you are a klutz. That's a little hard to imagine." She hit him lightly in the shoulder playfully. "Don't hold it against me, Sakura! You'll probably be the one to heal me when I get injured next time, I don't want you mad at me!"

"You. You're funny, you know that?" Sakura broke out into a huge grin. "If not slightly cheesy."

"I'm not cheesy!" Kiba teased, spinning her once again.

"Are too!" She raised her hand to his face and affectionately ran her thumb across the red triangle on his cheek. "But really sweet."

Kiba blushed, "Thanks. I try. Really, I do." He smiled and moved a hand to her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "You're really great yourself." He pulled her close to him again and held her.

Just as this touching moment was reaching its maximum potential, a drunk, ditzy Ino came bumbling through the crowd to gawk at her best friend. "Omfg! You guys have such great chemistry!"

"Hey, Ino." Sakura looked at her friend with a glare that read 'If you don't get your drunk ass out of here, I'll kill you.' Ino didn't get the memo, however.

"Kiba, you should totally marry her! Sakura, say 'I do'!" Ino wailed drunkenly.

"Um, Kiba, could you help me get her out of here? She's gone way beyond her limit." Sakura asked her tall partner.

"Yeah, sure. No problem." He was disappointed at how such a nice evening could get so out of hand all because of Ino. But it was Ino. He released her and picked Ino up in a cradle. "Do you know where she lives?"

"Um…not really. She just moved out of her parents' house to Choji's…so I'm not really sure." Sakura sighed. "I can't believe that even though she's living with him she would go out clubbing and dancing with other guys. But, it is Ino."

"Poor Choji, he really loves her, y'know. He would probably die for her." Kiba sighed.

"She loves him too, on a level. She hasn't realized it yet though." Sakura sighed as well. "Do you know where Choji lives?"

"No. He really isn't all that close to me. We can take her to my place though as long as you'll be there along with so she doesn't freak out." Kiba suggested.

"Uh…sure. You probably live closer than I do anyway." Sakura walked along with Kiba on the darkened streets of Konoha.

"Yeah, I'm just a couple streets over. Are you tired?" Kiba watched her as she yawned loudly.

"A little. Before I went out with Ino, I had an emergency surgery. I wouldn't usually go out after something like that, but I needed a drink." She sobered up at the memory.

"Was it that bad?"

"Shikamaru was brought in injured. He'd failed his mission. There was a lot of blood, but I managed to put him back together. Then he told me he loved me. I declined and he refused to talk to me. It was hard…he's a pretty good friend of mine. Or was." Sakura sighed.

"He'll be fine. He wasn't in his right mind at the time." Kiba smiled.

"Everyone keeps asking me why I decline all those guys…but the truth is that I just hadn't met anyone with the right…I don't know. I just don't know." Sakura sighed, rubbing her temple with the palm of her hand.

"I get it. There's no one with that 'spark', huh?" Kiba's smile turned wistful.

"Well, I might've met one person." Sakura chuckled.

"Who?" Kiba turned his head to look at her face. She just shook her head.

"Which is your building?" Sakura asked, avoiding the question.

Kiba sighed and peered through the darkness with ease. "This one." He turned and Sakura followed to the door of the nearest building. "Could you get my key? It's in the left front pocket."

Sakura blushed profusely, but she did as she was told and reached her hand into his pocket. She quickly found the cool metal of the key, grabbed it and pulled it out. "This it?" She asked, avoiding his gaze.

"Yeah. Can you open the door though? My hands are a little full."

Sakura held the door open as Kiba slid through with her drunken friend and followed after. She went ahead of him and clicked the elevator door by impulse. Kiba and Sakura waited in silence for the elevator to arrive then both climbed on. "Which floor is it?"

"The top floor. I have the penthouse suite." Kiba smirked, "I take a lot of missions."

"You're in Anbu, aren't you?" Sakura inquired.

"Yeah, so I go on a lot of well-paid assignments." Kiba smiled. "I'm currently off duty though for clan reasons. I'm the heir, so it's a lot of meetings and stuff. I'd much rather go on missions."

"It must be a lot of responsibility." Sakura commented, "I'm a Jonin, but I'm the head of the hospital, so I don't get many missions. And when I do get them, the boys on my team treat me like a deadweight."

"That's fucked. You can level an entire building! I've seen you in action, who would be stupid enough to underestimate you?" Kiba snorted.

"My team, that's who. Sasuke and Naruto are so protective of me, that they even hold back during training. I got so fed up a few months back that I've stopped training with them completely. Training with Shishou is much more beneficial anyway." Sakura sighed. "Boys."

"Hey!"

"Sorry. You just seem to be an exception. All the guys who come along though to give me stuff always say that they'll protect me. I don't need that. Yes, it's a nice sentiment. But I can do it myself." Sakura huffed. "Okay, maybe it's cute that someone would want to protect me…but if it's that overbearing crap, they can go straight to hell. I can open the freaking jar myself."

Kiba laughed, "I'll bet you could hit that same jar and send it flying to Suna. I wouldn't doubt it." Kiba flashed her a smile that she returned. The doors of the elevator slid open and both exited. There wasn't even a hallway, just a small little area with black and white checkered linoleum and cherry wood coverings on the wall. Even the door looked expensive, with a brass knocker and golden plated letters marking the flat number.

"Wow." Sakura's mouth was hanging open, "I know you said that you take a lot of missions, but damn! How can you afford a place like this?"

"Uh, the clan may have something to do with it. I was living in a small apartment a few blocks from here. It was a dive. My mom came to visit me, and she flipped. She nagged me and the clan into getting this place. Apparently the owner owed her or something." Kiba sighed. "Can you get the door? She's getting heavy."

"She'll kill you if she hears that." Sakura smirked before moving toward the door. "Um…how do I open this?"

"With the key, honey." He motioned his head toward the little brass key that was still in her hand.

"Oh, wow. That was a stupid question." Sakura chuckled, chiding herself internally for making herself look like an idiot in front of Kiba.

"Not stupid, just…" Kiba searched for the word as Sakura managed to get the door open.

"Stupid." She held the door open and tried not to stare at inside of the flat.

"Your mouth is hanging open. C'mon, I still need your help!" Kiba motioned his head (as his hands were occupied) for her to follow. Sakura shut the door and removed her shoes, rushing after Kiba as he disappeared down a hallway. Sakura promised herself that she would look later, but she wanted to catch up to him in front of the third door down the hallway. "Can you open this door?"

Sakura obliged and Kiba shuffled inward, nodding at her as an indicator to pull back the sheets on the queen sized bed. Once that was done, he set Ino down on the bed. He sighed, happy to get the use of his arms back. He watched as Sakura removed Ino's shoes and dress shirt. "Look away, please."

"Oh, sorry. I'll be outside the door." Kiba blushed. He left the room and shut the door behind him. 'Time to do a little cleaning,' Kiba thought as he rushed through most of his rooms, removing anything that could leak to Sakura how much he really liked her. He cleared all that up and was finally starting to relax when he remembered something important in the kitchen. That morning he'd been looking through the old academy yearbooks at the table while he'd been drinking his coffee. "Oh, crap!" He rushed to the kitchen, shut the books, tucked them under his arm and walked them to his room. He tucked them into the special alcove on his desk.

Just as he finished, he could hear Sakura's voice lightly calling from the hallway, "Kiba?"

"One second!" He quickly moved over to his dresser, pulling out one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers. He then moved out into the hallway and held out the clothes to her, "Here. I thought you might need these to sleep in."

"Thanks. Where's your bathroom?" Kiba motioned to the door across the hallway from his room and she took off.

Kiba sighed, heading back into his room to change into his pajamas: a pair of flannel pants. He pealed his shirt off and deposited it into the hamper before stretching his arms up and leaving the room. He made his way to the hallway closet and pulled out a few blankets. He had already removed his headband and was scratching his hairline when Sakura left the bathroom. His breath caught. It resonated with his feral side, he supposed, seeing her wearing his clothes. It gave him a feeling of satisfaction, and before he could stop it, a smirk developed on his face. "What?" She sounded slightly flustered and was trying to get a look at how she looked. "Is it bad?"

"Not at all. C'mon, you're staying in my room." He began to walk towards his bedroom door.

"Eh? What? Why do you have all those blankets?" She looked around wildly.

"I'm sleeping on the floor. You get my bed." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm open to sharing though." He laughed at her expression, a look that was a cross between mortification and hoping…maybe.

"That depends on how hard your floor is and whether or not I'm feeling generous," she joked.

"I'll be fine, but if I crawl up there in my sleep, I'm sorry. I'm still forty percent instinct." He laughed as they entered the room. He threw the blankets on one side of the bed and patted the edge of the bed to get Sakura to move from her place near the door. "Don't be shy."

She blushed, but made her way to the bed. She hopped on and Kiba got a generous view of her upper thigh, instantly his mouth went dry. "Your bed is great!" she remarked.

"Yeah, it's one of the things my mother made sure I had. I told her I wouldn't need a king sized bed, but she insisted that once I decide to marry it'll come in handy." Kiba snorted again. "Just like her; thinking of the future of the clan above all else."

"Your mother sounds proud of her clan." Sakura crawled under the covers of Kiba's bed, another thing that made his stomach churn with pride and longing.

"She is, just a little ahead of herself though." Kiba motioned around himself. "The whole point of this pad is just to give me space before I decide to settle down and then give me space to start a family."

"Anyone you have in mind?" Sakura said as he turned out the lights.

"You sure I can't share that bed with you?" Kiba asked, changing the subject suddenly.

"Go ahead if you want. It's your place." She crossed her fingers, knowing that he couldn't see her, in a gesture of hope.

"Well, then! Scoot over! The floor is pretty cold you know." He nudged the blankets out of his way as he made his way to the bed.

"That explains the massive amount of blankets." She chuckled.

"You have no idea. It's so freaking cold on the ground. Last time I slept on the floor, I woke up with stage one hypothermia." He slipped into the bed, lying on his back and crossing his arms behind his head.

"Well, if it will save you from a frosty death, we'll share the bed in happiness." She nuzzled her face into the pillow. "It's so soft."

"I know. It's a pretty nice setup. Even I'll admit that. But it's wasted on me because I take so many missions. I'm not here for weeks at a time." Kiba sighed. "I wish Akamaru was with me as well, but he's got too much too worry about to deal with me cause I'm lonely."

"You know, I need to visit him." Sakura thought about it, "Could we go tomorrow maybe?"

"Sure. He'd like that." Kiba closed his eyes as he added, "As would I."

"Well, goodnight." Sakura blushed.

"Goodnight." He smiled again into the darkness. He could feel it when she fell asleep. Her breathing evened out and her body moved to make itself more comfortable. He waited a little while to be sure, then drew closer to the sleeping girl. He pulled her against himself gently, wrapping his arms around her as her body moved into a better position against him. Kiba was in heaven. He had the girl of his dreams pressed against him and they were in his bed. It was nice. "You know, Sakura, I really do love you. If I could spend my life just holding you, I'd be happy. I would never force you into being with me, but I wish I knew how to tell you how I feel." He pressed a small chaste kiss against her cheek and nuzzled his nose into the juncture of her neck, relaxing as the steady beat of her pulse vibrated against his face. "I can see myself with you. A few kids and their Nin dogs running around, my mom would be super happy about training the little ones. We'd be so happy together. So good together." His train of thought began to fade as the fuzzy blackness of sleep overcame both his vision and mind.

XP

Sakura found herself in a dream. She was picking up a small child. This child had brown hair, was a boy, and had two red triangles directly under his eyes. 'An Inuzuka,' thought Sakura.

"Mommy!" the child called.

Sakura's dream self pulled the child closer, cuddling his little face to her chest. "Your daddy will be home soon. Don't worry."

"I'm home!" yelled a voice from another room and dream Sakura and the boy ran towards it. An Anbu stood in the doorway, mask still covering his face.

"Daddy!" the child yelled, running straight into the arms of the masked Anbu operative.

"Ki-"

XP

Sakura suddenly woke to find herself tangled up with Kiba. His arms were around her and her head was resting directly above his heart. It seemed to still be dark outside and Sakura could only guess that it was around three in the morning. She thought back to her dream. 'It had to have been an Inuzuka,' Sakura reasoned, 'more than likely, it was Kiba. Probably a subconscious reaction to my physical body's proximity to him.' She relaxed and let herself fall asleep once again to the distinct thumping of Kiba's heart.

XP

Both Kiba and Sakura remained asleep until a groggy looking Ino flipped the lights on. "No matter how fucking adorable it is that your bodies are so in tune, it's fucking ten in the morning and I have a hang over." She all but screeched.

Sakura glared at her from her place on top of Kiba. "Ino, why the hell are you yelling at us?"

"Cause I'm hungry and I can't cook worth a damn." Ino stared blandly.

"Was that any reason to wake us both up? Seriously, shouldn't food make you nauseous?" Kiba groaned. He'd been having the most wonderful dream about Sakura and Ino had woken him up at the best part of the dream.

"Okay, whatever. I'll just go home. I can make it by myself." She huffed as she left. The front door slammed shut and Kiba sighed.

"She's such a handful." Kiba shook his head.

"That reminded me of a child waking its parents." Sakura made herself cozy once again against him, causing a blush to develop on his face. "You're warm."

His face became even more reddened and he moved his arm around her, resting his palm against her back. "You're pretty awesome too."

"Wanna go out to breakfast then visit Akamaru?" Sakura asked.

"I can cook." Kiba smiled shyly. "I'm a pretty good cook actually."

"What's on the menu then?"

"How do pancakes sound?" (lolol. I've said this before, but review if you love pancakes!) Kiba asked, moving his thumb over the crevice of her shoulder blade.

"That's sounds great."

XP

'Kiba was right, he's a damn good cook!' Sakura thought happily as she ate. She sighed with joy as the first drop of syrup hit her awaiting tongue. "This is really good!" She managed after she swallowed.

"Thanks." He smiled as he too dug into his pancakes. Both had already showered and once the hearty meal of pancakes was completely eaten, they began the trek to the Inuzuka compound.

Akamaru was a huge blur of fur as he jumped on his master. Kiba rubbed his ears and pointed Sakura out to the dog. "So, master, I see you managed to talk to her." Akamaru said only for Kiba's ears.

"Yeah." Kiba answered back. "How are the pups?"

"Still not born. It's killing me, really." Akamaru barked. Akamaru left Kiba's side in favor of pushing against Sakura in the hopes of a scratch or two behind the ear.

"Hey, Akamaru, I hear you're going to be a dad." She willingly scratched behind his ears, causing Akamaru to bark happily and rub against her even more.

"I like her. I like her. I approve. Marry her. Marry her." Akamaru was saying and Kiba chuckled at the dog.

"I plan on it, boy." Kiba smiled.

"Well, hurry the hell up! She gives almost as good of an ear rub as you do! I wonder if she uses her excellent chakra control if…" Akamaru looked in pure ecstasy as he plopped himself on the ground to let her rub his white belly.

Kiba was laughing hysterically at this point, joining in the rub down of his best friend. "Silly dog." He chuckled.

"He's gotten so big! I remember when he was just a puppy. It seems so long ago now." Sakura smiled at Kiba.

"Yeah. I still can't believe he's going to be a dad." Kiba gave him one last pat and stood up. "Let's go, Sakura."

"Where?" She looked cute, kneeling next to the giant dog that was whining for her to keep up the stomach rub.

"Inside. Let's go see my mom." He offered a hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Okay." Sakura truthfully felt nervous. She hadn't really talked with Kiba as much as she'd done the night before and that day, meeting his mother was a little unnerving. She followed along with Kiba and Akamaru through the compound to the main household and into the house. Sakura dutifully removed her shoes along with Kiba and they made their way inside.

"Mom! Mom!" Kiba called as Akamaru barked.

"Kiba? What're you doing here?" Kiba's mother appeared from one of the doorways.

"I brought a friend over. Thought I'd check in to see you." Kiba gazed at his mother's reaction upon seeing Sakura.

"Of course. C'mon in." Kiba's mother shrugged, silently pondering the possible outcomes for hair color should her son marry the pink-haired girl. Of course she knew who Sakura was, she was the Hokage's apprentice, but she'd also heard of her infamous team and her massive strength. She would have to spar with her eventually.

"Where's Hana?" Kiba asked, casually walking beside Sakura as Akamaru trailed behind to give them room in the narrow hallway.

"She's at the clinic. She'll be home in about an hour and a half." His mother waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal.

"Okay. So, is there any upcoming meetings or anything that I have to be at?" Kiba sighed, "It's boring not taking missions just to go to those things."

"Sorry, duty to the clan before missions. Anyway, you're required to go to a marriage meeting where the elders are going to try to con you into marrying some bimbo with no brain."

"Joyful." Kiba sighed. "When will they understand that I want to do it myself?"

"They understand, they just don't care. Sakura, would you like some tea?" Kiba's mother led them to the living room and gestured for them to take the loveseat.

"Sure." Sakura smiled as she sat down, "That would be lovely."

With a nod, Kiba's mother left for the kitchen impressed with the girl. So far, she seemed both mannered and calm, while her reputation screamed strength. Tsume took the time she was brewing the tea to review the facts about Sakura Haruno. She was the head of the hospital, which was nice if you're in a clan where everyone seems to be injured every other day. Not to mention, Tsume thought, she has some stance with the Hokage. Apparently, the Godaime was sort of her adopted mother. 'She's got some good points. Not to mention the effect she has on Kiba…' Tsume deduced, 'She pretty much works. The elders would not be pleased about being bypassed, but they would be delighted to have someone with a standing such as hers.' Tsume finished the tea and made her way back to the living room. Instead of entering, she suppressed her chakra and used a concealment jutsu. She stood in the doorway and observed Kiba and Sakura.

"So, you're forced to go to those kinds of meetings too?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. What do you mean 'too'?" Kiba's eyebrows knit together.

"Sasuke has to go to a ton of those meetings, but somehow he still finds the time to hit on me." Sakura frowned.

"You'd think he'd give up." Kiba shrugged. "Who's gonna wanna marry him? He's kinda a jerk sometimes."

"A civilian bimbo with no brain." Sakura chuckled. "He doesn't object to the meetings though. He's keeping his options open."

"What an ass!" Kiba shook his head. "He thinks he can come on to you every other second, but he can't be bothered to stay faithful!"

"It's not like I care though. It is Sasuke we're talking about." Sakura sighed, "I got over him a long time ago. What once I would have killed for, I do not want."

"Good. He doesn't deserve someone like you." Kiba slung an arm around her shoulders, catching her off guard for a fraction of a second, but she casually leaned into his shoulder.

"You know your mother is standing in the doorway, right?" Sakura whispered.

"I know." He called out, "Mom! We're not Genin, we know you're there."

"Good." Tsume emerged from the doorway and released the jutsu. She set the tray upon the coffee table and poured three glasses. Sakura grabbed two and handed one to Kiba.

"Thanks." Kiba grabbed the cup with his hand that wasn't occupied with rubbing circles on Sakura's arm.

"Thank you." Sakura said with a slight incline of the head.

"So, how do you know each other?" Tsume asked.

"Well…" Sakura blushed.

"Sakura was in my graduating class. We were part of the Rookie Nine. Last night, I went to a bar and we started talking. Her friend, Ino Yamanaka, was wasted beyond belief, so I brought them both to my apartment." Kiba took a sip of tea. "Ino staying in the guest room and Sakura and I shared my bed."

Sakura blushed profusely, "We were just sharing."

Tsume stared unblinkingly at her son. They caught each other's gaze and held it for nearly thirty seconds. Tsume began to chuckle and broke contact, "That's cute, Kiba, but you've embarrassed her."

Kiba looked to the side and noticed Sakura's face red with embarrassment. "Sorry, that probably came out all wrong, didn't it?" Kiba brought her closer to himself, "Sorry." He leaned forward and managed to land a small kiss to her cheek.

"It's okay." Sakura turned redder than ever.

"Way to go, master!" Akamaru barked happily. "Now just pick her up and carry her to your room…"

"I don't need advice from you, Akamaru!" Kiba whispered harshly as he pretended to take a drink.

Tsume laughed, pulling out a treat for Akamaru. "Here you go. Tell him how it's done!"

"Well," Akamaru gnawed on the treat, "it's like-"

"Okay! Shut up!" Kiba glared at both his mother and best friend.

"Calm down, Kiba! It was only a bit of fun!" Tsume smiled. "Would you like me to cancel that meeting?"

"If you don't mind." Kiba sighed. "I hate those meetings."

"I'll need some kind of excuse for you though." Tsume daunted.

"Oh…uh…Sakura?" Kiba looked away and blushed.

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind going out with me later? To dinner or something?" Kiba couldn't meet her eyes.

"Of course. That would be nice." Sakura reached her hand up to stroke his face, rubbing her thumb against the red marks that held a permanent residence below his eyes. He leaned into the touch and Akamaru snorted.

"I told you. Now imagine if she used chakra…think about how great that would feel! Her hands are so smooth too, you'd think she didn't train a lot, but I bet it's those gloves she wears!" Akamaru hopped on the love seat and laid across her lap, hoping he would also get a pat or two.

'Kiba is smitten with her!' thought his mother as she watched her son, usually so prideful and loud, act like a pup. Kiba was virtually in her lap now and Sakura had one hand on dog and master. She was laughing and Kiba was watching her through one of his eyes, which was barely cracked and peering intently at the pink-haired girl.

Sakura stopped for one second to take a drink of tea, but she had to lean over the boys to reach the cup on the coffee table. Kiba quickly grabbed around her waist and held his face to her stomach and let his senses take over. The material of his shirt that she was still wearing was soft and she smelled like vanilla. It was intoxicating to no end, and Kiba couldn't get enough. Sakura was surprised, to say the least, to have him pressed against her abdomen, but she only smiled. 'Kiba's sense of smell is a thousand times greater that the common person, so he thinks I smell good, I guess,' she thought affectionately. She placed a hand on the back of his head and played with his hair as she sipped her tea.

"Hey! Master, that's no fair! I was getting my ear scratched!" Akamaru whined.

"Akamaru, why don't we go check on your pups?" Tsume Inuzuka motioned to the dog and Akamaru jumped up. They walked out of the room, leaving the two ninjas together. Sakura let herself slouch in her seat, which gave Kiba better access to her stomach and scent.

"How good do I smell?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Amazing." Kiba answered nonchalantly.

"So what was Akamaru saying earlier? When you pretended to drink your tea?" Sakura asked.

"Nothin' much. Just stuff about stuff." Kiba suddenly reached down, grabbed her knees, and pulled them onto the couch. Sakura was shifted so she was lying on the couch. Kiba placed a hand on her hip and once again rested his head on her abdomen.

"Kiba?" She yelped in surprise.

"I thought your neck was probably uncomfortable." He whispered, causing a shiver throughout her body.

"Not anymore." Sakura said as she let her head fall back on the arm of the cozy loveseat. Her tea had been replaced on the table, and she found herself falling asleep.

"Sleep if you want." Kiba commanded quietly. Sakura tried to fight unconsciousness, but she fell asleep anyway as if under his command.

As soon as she was asleep, Kiba left her stomach and sought refuge higher. He settled his head near her neck and turned her over to be on top of him. He relished lying like that and the thought of doing this with her for the rest of his life sounded very appealing.

After a few…hours? Minutes? Kiba couldn't tell. Tsume and Akamaru reentered the room quietly. Tsume was proud of her son, he was becoming more mature and driven, exactly what he needed to be as the heir of the Inuzuka family. "Kiba?" she whispered.

"Yeah…" He whispered back.

"I want you to know that she's a good choice. I can tell she likes you." Tsume wriggled her eyebrows. "You just need to get to know each other over the course of a year or something then get married and working on some kids."

"Jeez, Mom, do you ever stop?" Kiba groaned quietly.

"At least I'm not that Nara kid's mother. Nag, nag, nag! I had to go on a mission with her husband and he just wouldn't shut up about how troublesome his wife was!" Tsume frowned. "You should take her to that fancy restaurant near the Hokage tower. Your father took me there on our first date. It was so romantic!"

"Alright. I suppose I should wake her up, she'll probably want a couple hours to get ready." Kiba sighed.

Tsume turned on her heel and waved as she walked out of the room, "I'll make the reservation. The owner owes me a favor."

"I can't wait for her to be your wife! Then I could get ear scratches all the time and she'll be able to talk to me so I can tell her about my chakra-enhanced ear scratch idea!" Akamaru grinned.

"Sorry, buddy. Most of those scratches and rubbing will be for me." Kiba grinned back at the dog.

"Miser." Akamaru whined as he walked out of the room to give his master space.

Kiba opened his palm across her stomach. 'One day,' he decided, 'my kid will be in there.' The idea was enough to make him squeeze her closer. He licked her shoulder, "Sakura. Wake up."

"Huh? What?" Sakura woke with a start.

He licked her shoulder again (send me your guess as to why…'cause there is a reason…), "Our date will be at six. It's around three thirty now. Would you like me to walk you back to your apartment?" Kiba smiled.

"Yeah, sure." Sakura stretched under his grip.

-o0-

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Wanna know how evil I am?

I ended it there!

OMG! RITE!

Heheh…

Anyway, if you would like to review, it is much appreciated.

I love those people who review! It makes me smile when I log into my email and I have about twenty new messages, (even though it's hard to go through them all and there are only a few reviews.)

My internet is still broken and I have summer work still, so it might take me a while to get both the reviews and update.

Don't let that deter you!

:3

AJlovesKakashi

:3

P.S. Much love to Bloody Diamond! I promise to proofread your NaruHina fanfic when I get a chance, I swear! And also, congrats on the written portion of the driving test! You have your permit before I do, lucky. (We both waited waaay to long to take the damn thing, MB. But I haven't even made an appointment with the DMV. T.T) Luv you!