DISCLAIMER:

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. NARUTO AND ALL RELATED PRODUCTS BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL OWNERS. I ONLY OWN THE PLOT, AND MY OWN CHARACTERS. PLEASE SUPPORT THE ORIGINAL RELEASE.

Howling at the moon, chapter six: Destruction Part III

Last Time…

"K-Kiba… You're here..."

"Come on…You don't want to cry around your sister, huh?"

"Sister…?"

"Kiba, can you tell me what they did to you? Why are you acting strange…?"

"...You're not going to do what I think you are, are you?"

"Kiba? Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's fun!"

"So, did you smell him?"

"This might be more serious than we thought…If something's making Akamaru this scared, then we should prepare."

"Let's play…"

"I won't have any time to test it though… There are chances that it won't make a difference…"

"We'll take any chances possible for the sake of the village…"

"Are you Hoshi's sister?"

"H-How did you know?"

"Don't you want to know what's going on?"

"Her name is Shi,"

"I'm going to enjoy killing you…!"

"What is it…?"

"Sasuke, we need your help…"

Now…

Hikari's POV:

"So… Will you help…?"

Sasuke stared at me for a moment and sighed.

"Well, since the situation calls for it, I guess I could..." He muttered.

"YES! THANK YOU SO MUCH, SASUKE! OH! I'm so happy I could kiss you!" I accidently screamed out in joy, Sasuke narrowing his eyebrows. "N-Not that I would do that, of course..."

And with that hell of a conversation over, Sasuke and I began to run back towards the fight. When we got there, the others looked like they were having a rough time, but luckily no one was seriously wounded enough for it to be fatal.

"This is what's going on, Sasuke..." I told him.

"Hm... That explains it... So, just hold him off enough until your comrades come back with some antidote...?" He replied.

I nodded. "Yeah... Though, I'm not sure how long it'll take..."

"That's fine..." Sasuke said as he stepped forward. "That mutt wasn't all that much smarter than the dobe... So, with that being said, I should be able to handle it..."

"Yeah, that would be the case if he wasn't completely insane... But, might I remind you what's happening Sasuke? We can't afford to kill Kiba, yet he is a killing machine at the moment." I said.

"I know that... But still, like I said, I should be able to handle it..."

"Don't let him attack you... The others have already suffered because of it..."

"I can see that... I'll let him have at it..." He then rushed towards Kiba as I clenched my fists.

"Damn it...!" I cursed under my breath.

*Flashback*

"Alright class, we have a new student with us today..." Iruka began. "Would you please introduce yourself.

"H-Hikari Sekai..." I introduced myself shyly.

"Everyone, be nice to Hikari, and help her out... She hasn't been here long enough to learn all that we have yet. Hm... Hikari, you can sit next to Kiba Inuzuka... Raise your hand, Kiba." Iruka instructed.

A brunette in the back row lazily raised his hand with a small yawn escaping his mouth. I blinked and walked to the back row next to this 'Kiba' person. His hand went back down onto the desk. I sat down and glanced at him. And somehow, only now I noticed a small, white puppy on top of his head. Is that even aloud...?

"Alright, now that that's done, we'll continue on with the lesson..." Iruka explained as he began to write some notes onto the black board.

Kiba let out another yawn and buried his head into his crossed arms on the table. I raised an eyebrow. He's actually sleeping in class? Surely, he doesn't get away with it!

I looked around the classroom and noticed someone else sleeping. I couldn't really get a good look at him, since I am looking at his back, but a feature to note was his black pineapple shaped hair.

And, I also noticed a blonde kid sleeping in the room. Does this sensei seriously let them get away with this? If so, we should just invite all of the kids from the other classes to party in here with us. Not that I would ever do that, of course...

"Hey, are you really sleeping in class...?" I asked the brunette next to me.

He rolled his head over slightly so then I could see his bored, black eyes and just stared at me for a moment. "Yeah..." He replied.

"But why...?" I whispered in shock.

"It's either this or I could jump out the window, new girl..." Kiba told me. Did he just forget my name in a minute?

"It's Hikari..." I told him.

"Alright, alright, I get it... You're Hikaru..." He mumbled. Did he seriously just call me Hikaru? THAT'S A BOY'S NAME!

I sighed and decided to just ignore him for the rest of the lesson. This guy is probably at the bottom of the class or something...

After the lesson was over and we went out for our break. The three boys that I mentioned earlier slept for the entire time, but were off like rockets once we were let out. Well, the pineapple haired kid was slower than slow motion. But you know what I mean.

I was basically just looking around, trying to match names with faces; it was so hard though... The kids here hardly even have to talk to each other. They just know what to do! It's so frustrating that the only guy I know the name to is a slacker...

The thing is though; two of the boys in my class were sitting alone – not together, alone, but alone, by themselves! One of them was a boy that was sleeping in class earlier. A couple of kids were eyeing him, or staying clear of him. With the other boy, a bunch of girls were gawking at him. I have to admit though, he is pretty cute...

I glanced over at Kiba and his dog doing a bunch of running together and they even played fetch. I stared and noticed Kiba's fangs and the tattoos on his cheeks. And Inuzuka... That name seems familiar... But... Where do I know it from...?

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice Kiba and his dog right in front of me. "Yo!" He said, catching me off guard.

"Um... How long have you been there for...?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you were kind of staring at me..." Kiba replied with a pause.

"Well, it's not-!" I tried to explain.

"You were checking me out, weren't you?" Kiba asked with a smirk.

"Yeah... I was... NO!" I screamed, waving my hands around, my face burning up. "That's not-that's not what I meant!"

"Oh? Then what did you mean?" The brunette asked. He's enjoying this too much...

"Um... What I meant to say is... That I'm an animal lover and I noticed your dog and-!"

"HA! Man, you should see your face! This is too much, Hikaru...!"

"It's not funny! And my name is not Hikaru!"

Kiba blinked, acting confused. "Nah... I'm pretty sure that it was Hikaru..."

"I'm not a boy, you know..." I muttered.

Kiba sighed. "Well, I guess I should introduce you to my partner... His name is Akamaru..." He said, gesturing to his dog, who barked. "And I know what you're thinking about his name, but it's legit..."

"He's so cute..." I said with a small smile. "How are you aloud to bring him here?"

"EH? You haven't heard of the Inuzuka Clan? We're a dog clan and we have dog partners by our sides all the time, so it only makes sense, don't you think?" Kiba explained.

I blinked. That's where I know the name from!

"Anyway, Akamaru and I had better get moving... Sorry to ditch, but to be honest... I can't stand sitting still..."

"See you later, Hikaru!"

"It's Hikari, you jerk!"

*End of Flashback*

"What the bloody hell did Kiba do to deserve this...?" I muttered angrily to myself. "He's never done a terrible thing in his life..." Tears were now rolling down my cheeks.

"Everyone is suffering... And it's all that damn Shi's fault...!"

"Hikari!" I heard my sensei's voice. I turned to see her and Kodai standing them with a needle in his hand.

"Nisshoku Sensei! Is the antidote ready?" I asked.

Nisshoku nodded. "It's done... We just need Kiba to hold still..."

I glanced over at Kiba and Sasuke fighting, the others intervening whenever they could, even landing a few hits on him. I looked back at my sensei with a nod, wiping away my tears quickly. "I think we could manage that."

Even though – and I hate to admit it – Kiba's kicking some serious ass out there. The others must've knew what we were thinking and tried to hold him, but would easily get knocked back.

"Damn it, Kiba...!" Naruto growled and spat some blood out of his mouth and onto the ground. "This is impossible! He won't stop moving! Believe it!"

"Oh, I believe it alright..." I mumbled. "I can see it myself..."

Out of nowhere two kunai were plummeting towards Kiba, one landing in each foot. I blinked as Kiba looked around for the thrower of the knives.

"Looks like I got here in time..."

...Really...? I ask this again... Really...?

"Cloud! What the heck are you doing here...?" I asked my brother.

"Ah, you know, I just thought that I'd come out, eat some ramen... What the hell do you think I'm doing here?" Cloud replied.

"...Really? Sarcasm at a time like this...?" I asked.

"Hey, I just thought that I should lighten the mood." Cloud answered.

How am I related to him again...?

"Hey, wasn't that a little extreme...?" I asked staring at Kiba who roughly took the kunai out of his feet.

"Hey, it'll slow him down a bit..." Cloud replied.

OH! THERE'S the reason...

"Now you guys can inject him..." He continued.

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother...?" I asked.

Kiba rushed towards us with anger flaring in his eyes, taking note of this, my brother and I decided to put this conversation on hold... For now... It will continue... Trust me on that! This guy could be an alien planning to destroy Konoha or something!

Cloud and I rushed at Kiba and tried to pin him down, our attacks failing each time. Panting I faced my bother.

"W-We should probably... Try this from a... D-Different angle..." I told him.

"Don't confuse me with a math problem..." Cloud told me, his face clearly showing his worry and confusion of the deadly thing known as maths.

I scoffed. "Not like that, you nitwit! I meant we should probably come up with a strategy instead of rushing in like that!" I explained.

"But, on missions, I always just rush in... Works every time..." Cloud replied, scratching his head. I groaned. Why do I always get the crazies...?

Before I – or anyone for that matter – knew it, Kiba pounced on me, pinning me to the ground, his sharp claws making their way to my throat. I clenched my eyes shut and then, I heard someone.

To my surprise, it was Nami, who easily knocked Kiba off of me; he was practically glowed in victory. Geez... It's like they want to see how many people can save my ass in the nick of time...

"You okay, Hikari?" Nami asked with a small smirk on his face. I nodded in confusion, still in shock from what just happened. "That's good..."

He turned to Kiba, who was roughly wiping the blood away from his mouth, with a suddenly changed expression. Instead of his usual happy smile, he had his teeth clenched, glaring at Kiba.

"DUDE! I DON'T CARE WHAT SHI DID TO YOU! STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE AND DON'T EVER THINK ABOUT TOUCHING MY TEAMMATE AGAIN!" He yelled.

...

...

...

...Whoa...

Did... Did Nami just really have an outburst...? That's so unlike him though... Kiba just smirked.

"And you think that I'm going to listen to an idiot like you because...?"

Nami turned his head towards Nisshoku and Kodai. "Sensei... I would like to try out something before the antidote your brother put together is used on him... I think it might work..." Nisshoku and Kodai faced each-other in thought and confusion. "Just trust me... I might be an idiot half of the time... But, this time, I'm being completely serious..."

Nisshoku and Kodai looked back at Nami with a small nod each, Nami facing Kiba once again. "Alright dudes, it's time for us all to get Hikari's love interest back to normal!" He said with a small smirk, everyone nodding in agreement with smirks also on their faces.

I growled. "YOU IDIOT! NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR THAT! AND HE'S NOT MY LOVE INTEREST FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

That's more like Nami... I have to say... I prefer him to be happy over serious... It's just not him... I couldn't help but smile a little for a moment.

"ALRIGHT! IF YOU DUDES ARE READY, THEN LET'S DO THIS!"

Everyone rushed at Kiba as a team, trying to kick and grab him, succeeding quite a bit. He might have gained a lot more power, but stamina doesn't last forever... I can tell that he's starting to slow down.

"Take this, Hikari!" Nami yelled out to me when he got the chance, throwing me a needle, me being awesome, I caught it. "When you get the chance, jab it into him!"

"But... What is it...?" I asked, staring at its murky colour.

"Just trust me on this one!"

I blinked, giving one last glance at the liquid inside before staring back at the battle, waiting for my chance to do my part.

What really scared me was how pissed Kiba looked. Why wouldn't he be? I mean, every single time he got close to killing me; someone showed up and saved my life. I just hope that I can do this...

Kiba mostly had his hateful eyes glaring towards me most of the time as he was trying to fend off the others. I almost froze in fear. Sure, Kiba could be an intimidating guy, considering the fact that he's part of the Inuzuka Clan and all, but this was beyond... It took all I had to keep my focus.

As the others were attacking him, I swore that I could see a small, pleasant smile on his face, it wasn't intimidating at all. There wasn't even a trace of hate – well, that was for the second that I saw that happen. I bit my lip, knowing that Kiba was trying to fight back – not us, but for control over his body.

"See you later, Hikaru!"

"It's Hikari, you jerk!"

Well, I don't know... Things have change throughout the years... Maybe it's me who's the jerk now... I should've stayed by his side like I was ordered to by the Hokage. Maybe if I could've prevented...

No... There would've been nothing I could do anyway... He already had it in him...

I quickly shook my head. Now is not the time to be thinking about stuff like that! I have to focus!

Unfortunately, Kiba had found a way out and began to head towards me, even though he was severely injured, he was still fast enough to reach me; I was unable to react in time.

But, Kiba surprised me... He grabbed the needle in my hand and jabbed it into his own arm. A small gasp escaped my lips. The others were just as shocked as I am now! They could only stare at what he did.

Kiba's genuine smile returned as he collapsed into my arms, unconscious. I stared at the arm where he had jammed the needle into. To be blunt – I am as shocked as a child on Christmas. That means... That means that he at least had some control over his body. I didn't bother to stop the obvious tears rolling down my face as I held him closer.

"Thank Kami...!" I sobbed. "You're okay! You're okay! You're okay!"

"You were checking me out, weren't you?"

...Shut up, Kiba... A smile grew on my face, remembering that, and that he's now back with us...

But... It didn't all end up a happy ending... With our luck... It never is...

Kiba's POV:

When I opened my eyes, everything was fuzzy at first... But, after blinking several times, my vision became clear. The white ceiling was once again above me, that terrible hospital smell entering my nose.

I sighed. It's difficult to remember what the heck happened. I thought for sure that I was captured by Shi and her men. Was that all a dream...?

"Oh! Kiba! You're awake!"

I turned to see Hoshi and Luna, looking down at me with large smiles on their faces, both of them looked pretty injured and exhausted.

"Oh? Hey... What happened...?" I asked them.

The two girls looked at each other for a moment before turning back to me. "You really don't remember...?" They asked in unison.

I shook my head slowly. "No... Why? Did something happen?"

"You don't need to worry about that now, Kiba... We're just glad that you're okay..." Hoshi told me. "Especially Hikari..."

I stared at them for a moment and faced the ceiling again. Hikari... So... Does that mean that she was worried about me...? It sounds crazy though... Then...

"I DON'T CARE WHAT SHI DID TO YOU! STOP BEING AN ASSHOLE AND DON'T EVER THINK ABOUT TOUCHING MY TEAMMATE AGAIN!"

Wait a minute... That whole thing... That couldn't have been a dream... It seems too real...

"Where is she anyway...?" I asked softly.

"She just needs some time to clear her head about some things..." Hoshi replied with a sad smile.

I couldn't bring myself to ask about it. The answer is obvious... It was me... Damn it, I'm an idiot...!

"We'll leave you alone, Kiba..." Luna said as she and her sister left.

At least those two are okay... But... What about those injuries...? I was the one who gave them to the two of them... And what about the others...? Are they okay...? I hope I didn't do anything too bad...

...And to hear about Hikari... It just makes me so mad at myself! How the hell could I do such a thing...? I just wanted to get closer to her... If something like this had to happen to make that happen, then I don't deserve her...

The door opened, revealing Hikari who walked over next to the bed that I was lying on.

"...Hey mutt..." She said with a sad smile on her face.

I blinked. Okay... Now I know something's definitely wrong... That insult had no effort into it... She's upset, alright...

"Hey..." I replied. What could I say to her...? I really screwed up... Big time...!

"What? No comeback...?" She asked half-heartedly.

I sighed. "Ran out...?" I lied.

There was a long, awkward silence between us for a while before Hikari finally spoke up.

"How are you feeling...?" She asked. Not even a, 'not that I care' at the end...

"Okay..." I answered.

"You're not very talkative today, Kiba..." She continued.

"No..." I replied.

"You're not okay, aren't you?"

"I don't know..." I paused. "Are you okay?"

Hikari blinked and then sighed. "To be honest, I've had better days... But, yeah... I'm good."

I studied her, noticing all of the bandages she had over her body. That was because of me and my stupid idea...

"You don't look like it..."

"I'm fine."

I slowly sat up and stared at her. "Where are the others...?" I asked.

"They're just doing the normal. Nothing special..." She answered.

Liar... They're probably recovering from the injuries... Especially Lee... He has a broken leg...

"..."

"..."

"Would you stop lying to me, Hikari?" I asked her. "It's not like it's that big of a deal or anything..."

"I'm not lying to you, Kiba!" She now began to form tears in her eyes, which took me by surprise.

"Look, I'm sorry..." I told her. "I just don't want you worrying about what I would think and just tell me the truth already!"

"I am telling you the truth! Now, please just stop it! I'm not worried!"

"Then I want you to tell me what happened!" I yelled. "If you're not worried, you should have no trouble answering what I want to know!"

"I don't need to tell you that, Kiba..." She replied.

"You don't, huh? Well, there's another thing you're hiding from me! This is what's making things worse!" I yelled.

Hikari bit her lip, tears slowly rolling down her face. "FINE! Then I'll leave if that's what you want!" And then she stormed out of the room.

I could only stare at the door where she left. I bit my own bottom lip until it began to bleed. "Damn it...! I made things worse!"

...My plan was to use this opportunity to get closer...

...I told her that she was to blame...

...I blew the chance I was given...

...And I made things worse...

...She won't forgive me...

*One Week Later*

It's been a week since that day and I was finally moving on my own... Ma and Hana have been a little too over-protective though... And when Ma is over-protective, it's best to stay far away...

Shino and Hinata had come back from the mission that they were on and been hanging out a lot more at my place... They wanted to make sure that I was okay. I haven't been able to go out on a mission with them, but they've only gone on one since they've come back. Which is nice, I have some company...

Hoshi and Luna have been getting along well and it's like they've picked up from where they have started. They have also been visiting me a lot and have been giving me a few too many gifts... Weird... I wonder why though...

I have heard that Shi has been locked up. Apparently she came to the village with Nami and Luna. After that though, she will have to do some community service for a long time...

Hikari and I still haven't talked... Whenever I see her in the village, she immediately runs the other way... She is really pissed... Hoshi even says that she has been acting strange during team meetings and training.

I hope she will forgive me...

I have also remembered everything that has happened and to put it simple: I'm mad. I'm also confused. I'm mad at myself as I brought myself and all of the others into this mess, but confused at what I should do... I have no idea...

Akamaru was sitting on my lap as I stroked him gently... I stared out the window to see the moon. I stayed like this for a while and I picked Akamaru off of my lap and placed him on the couch. Akamaru tilted his head in confusion. I gave him a sad smile.

"Stay, boy..." I whispered so then I wouldn't wake Ma and Hana up. Akamaru whimpered as I walked to the front door. He jumped off the couch and followed me. I stared down at him.

"Stay, boy..." I repeated. Akamaru whimpered as he walked closer.

I narrowed my eyebrows. "I told you to stay...!"

I sighed as Akamaru sadly sat with his head down. I quietly unlocked the door and opened it, the cold air hitting my face.

"You've got to stay... Okay, boy...?" I told him softly. "I hope that you do that for me..."

I paused for a moment, staring at my best friend and partner. "I just need some time to clear my head... I don't know how long I'll be gone for... But I'll be back, okay..."

Akamaru whimpered. "You have to promise me you'll look after Ma and Hana while I'm gone, okay?"

Akamaru barked as softly as he could in agreement. I smiled and stroked his white fur one final time before walking out the door, quietly closing it behind me. I frowned as I dug my hands into my pockets and began to make my way to the village gates. I need to seriously think...

Once I made it to the gates, I looked back at the village one last time before walking into the forest... I have no idea where I am going... But I'll only know when I get there...

...

Goodbye, everyone...

Author's Notes:

SonicShaymin2: Okay, so I was listening to a Skrillex song called 'Bangarang' while writing this chapter and I was trying to figure out how I could write with that song on... There is no conclusion!

Hikari: Then, listen to something else!

SonicShaymin2: NEVER! Also, speaking of music, I got these cool Fairy Tail headphones and they have AWESOME sound!

Kiba: Um... Not to interrupt or anything, but... THE ARC JUST ENDED AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MUSIC!

Hoshi: YEAH!

Kiba: See? Hoshi agrees!

SonicShaymin2: She agrees with everything you say!

Kiba: No she doesn't!

Hoshi: No I don't!

SonicShaymin2: But, in all seriousness, stay tuned for the next arc of the story!

Nami: DUDE! That sounds AWESOME!

Hikari: You can only guess what will happen!