"Holy shit! Is he okay?!" Usagi exclaimed, and Hotaru didn't say anything, just dove into the water. Lugging him back through the water, she grunted. Bloody hell, he was heavy.

With Usagi's help, she got Kiba onto the bank, and smacked his cheek. No response.

She leaned close, and cursed. "He's not breathing!" she pressed a finger to his neck, and immediately started compressing his chest. "But he has a pulse! I have to do emergency CPR!"

Usagi blinked. "But doesn't that mean you have to-"

"Yes." Hotaru grimaced, but continued. If she didn't do it, he could die.

After a few more compressions, she pinched his nose and secured her lips to his, pushing air into his lungs. She scrunched up her nose and shut her eyes, trying to imagine him as someone else, anyone else, but it didn't work.

Hotaru just grew more irritated as her cheeks grew hot, but repeated the process, then dodged quickly as the boy sat up, coughing violently. She steadied him for a minute, face blank, until Usagi stepped in and helped the boy to his feet.

"W-what... what happened?" Kiba wheezed, clutching his throat.

"You must have fallen asleep in the spring, Hotaru-san pulled you out and did emergency CPR."

Kiba looked up, and saw the redheaded girl standing a short way away, her back to them.

"Hotaru.. did..?" he mumbled, and Usagi smiled.

"Yeah, she saved ya!"

Quick as a wink, Kiba felt impact on his cheek, and was sent flying back a few metres. He sat up, and touched it. He could feel a bruise forming, and glared up at the furious hazel eyes of Hotaru.

"What was that for?!" he demanded, and she growled, clenching her fists.

"Why are you such an idiot?! You caused such a fuss!" she hissed, then huffed and stormed away, back in the direction of camp. Kiba glared after her, touching his sore cheek gingerly. It was only when he could see her no longer that he stood up, but he did not stop glaring.

He went and got his clothes, then walked back over to his dog and client, still scowling. "What's her problem?!"

Usagi chuckled. "I think that's her way of saying that she was worried about you, Kiba-san."

Kiba's eyes widened a second before narrowing, and brushing it off. "Her? Worried about me? No way, she's too cold hearted."

Then the Inu-nin glanced around, "So what exactly happened?"

"We came down here to find you after Hotaru-san realised you weren't at camp. You were in the water, unconscious. You must have fallen asleep in the bath." Usagi said, his expression slightly disgusted at the memory of the boy's floating body. "We thought you were dead."

Kiba frowned. "That's weird, I'm sure I got out and sat in that tree over there... that was where I fell asleep."

Usagi shrugged, "Maybe you just dreamed that part."

Kiba frowned, but was put off by a whine from Akamaru. "Maybe..."

When they got back to camp, everything was already packed away, and Hotaru was sat on one of the many large bags, plaiting her hair, her back to them. Kiba was well aware that he was still dripping wet and only in his boxers, and Hotaru seemed to know it too.

"Kaze!" Hotaru slapped her hands together, then made a wave motion with her left.

Two blasts of strong wind hit Kiba from front and back, steadying him since they were equal in strength. Then, the one from behind suddenly cut out, making Kiba fall backwards onto his butt. He growled, but was dry, and the fall didn't hurt, so he couldn't really complain.

Muttering to himself, Kiba dressed quickly. Once finished, he was startled to see Hotaru in front of him, holding out a cup of some funky looking stuff.

"Eugh!" Kiba cried out, covering his nose. Akamaru whined. It smelled funky too! "What is that stuff?!"

Hotaru's eyebrow twitched. "It's in case you've got heat stroke. We don't know how long you were in that hot spring." the redhead gave him a menacing look, and Kiba flinched. "Now drink!"

"Why?" he whined, backing away, but she just followed, holding the cup out, her eyebrow twitching more frequently as her annoyance grew.

"Because! I don't wanna be stuck carrying your sorry ass because you were an idiot and fell asleep in a hot spring! Now drink it before I ran it down your throat!" Hotaru growled, and Kiba shook his head, running away.

"Nooo!!" Hotaru chased after him, yelling death threats, then finally caught up and tackled him to the ground. She sat on his stomach and pinned each arm with one knee, then pinched the inu's nose so that he had to open his mouth. Said boy gasped as his mouth was filled with vile tasting liquid, but quickly swallowed, so as not to choke. A shudder ran over his spine, and Hotaru smirked in obvious glee at his suffering.

"HA! Win!" she announced, and the Inuzuka growled.

"Only because you tackled me! That's cheating!"

"Street rules, man!"

"Where's the street?!"

"Uh, guys..." the two arguing shinobi looked to their client, who just laughed. "You do realise how you're sitting... right..?"

The pair then realised exactly how they were sitting, and Hotaru jumped off of the dog boy, brushing herself off. "Ack!! I'm contaminated!!"

Kiba rolled onto his stomach and growled, his face a bright, tomato red. "HEY!! You sat on me!!"

After much more arguing, the group once again set off, in a protective formation with Usagi in the middle, once again.

"Hey, Kiba-san?" Usagi whispered, catching the Inu's immediate attention.

"Yeah?" Usagi gave a sheepish glance at Hotaru, who seemed, as of yet, to not have noticed the occurring conversation.

"I think Hotaru-san's mad." Kiba rose an eyebrow.

"Why should I care?" Usagi bit his lip to retain a smirk; he couldn't have his plan fail.

"I think if you apologise to her, she'll protect me more efficiently." Kiba stared at the older man, growing irate.

"What?! Why should I?!" he demanded, pride swelling. Usagi held his hands protectively in front of himself.

"Guys, I'm going to go scope ahead." the quiet voice cut the building tension, and the two males (if you don't count Akamaru) watched as the only female of their group melted into the trees.

Once they were sure she was gone, Kiba continued, "Why the hell should I apologise?! She started it!"

Usagi hurried out a reply, "Or at least thank her! She dove into that water to save you this morning without even thinking about it!"

Kiba growled; the client had a point. "I didn't ask her to!"

"But still, you should-"

Usagi cut off abruptly as Hotaru reappeared, her expression unreadable. "All's clear."

Hotaru stared blankly ahead as she processed what she'd just heard. They weren't exactly quiet.

That ungrateful little bastard! She jumps into a deep pool to save his butt, soaking her own clothes in the process, then uses the last of her herb supply to cure him of heat stroke- the nerve!

It was grinding away at her insides as she walked, riling her up more and more. She really couldn't stand ungrateful people! This was just one of the many reasons why she hated Inuzuka-teme!!

"Usagi-sama... are you getting tired?" Hotaru kept her voice stiffly polite, and Usagi stared at her. He shook his head, smiling awkwardly.

"No, no, don't stop on my account. I'm fine." he said, and Hotaru just gazed at him steadily. Her unwavering hazel gaze was quite unnerving.

"Usagi-sama... our mission was not only to escort you to your home, but to escort you safely... you will not be very safe if you collapse from exhaustion or dehydration." Hotaru said calmly, and Usagi sighed, blushing a little.

"Okay, okay, I guess I'm a little tired." the redhead gave a small smile at the client, and nodded.

"There's a stream a short ways from here... we can take a short break there." she said, and Usagi and Kiba both nodded. Usagi was relieved- he was, in actuality, exhausted.

A few minutes later, they came to the stream. Hotaru knelt down and splashed some cold water on her face, then re-filled her water canteen. She took Usagi's and re-filled that too, then took a long drink from her own.

"Go sit down somewhere. We have a long walk ahead of us; we have to be around the rest of the base of this mountain by nightfall if we want to get to your home on time." the trip, which was supposed to have taken two days, was now taking at least four. Hopefully they could move a little faster on the way back.

They were moving slower than they usually would since both shinobi were slightly injured from fighting off enemy shinobi the day before. It had been a lot harder without the rest of their team, but they had managed.

Usagi just nodded, and went off to sit against a tree and rest. Hotaru stayed by the stream, putting her finger in the water and watching the trail of ripples form from the running water. She looked up at the mountain that the water was running from, and an absent smile crossed her face.

"Hotaru?" the smile disappeared, and Hotaru turned slowly to face a very uncomfortable-looking Kiba.

She rose an eyebrow. Usually it was 'Bimbo', or 'Bitch', but mostly 'You'. Inuzuka was very original with his insults.

"Uh..." Kiba scratched his head, a forced smile on his face. "I... um..."

Hotaru grew irritated. "Spit it out, doofus!"

"I was trying to say thanks for saving me earlier!!" Kiba yelled, finally losing his patience. He hadn't been aware that swallowing his pride could be so difficult.

Hotaru blinked. He was.. thanking her? But didn't he say earlier...?

Hotaru just turned away from him, and shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Kiba scowled at the redhead for a moment, before turning and striding away, his pride magically out in the open once more.

---

End of chappy three! Man I'm updating fast!! But meh, I'm enjoying writing this =w=

Heyheyeheuheyehehcyjen!! There's a twist in the next chapter!! There HAS been a point to this plot, after all! I bet you're glad to know that this isn't all just the pointless rambling of a mad, fifteen year old girl... mostly.

AND YESS!!! ZOEY IS FINALLY NO LONGER HERE TO BOMBARD ME WITH SHOES!!

I'll have you know, they hurt.

BOMBARDMENT!

Heyy, guess what?

I'm drawing a cover for this story :3 AND KIBA IS ON IT!!! :D

He's not wearing his hood... hehe.

Wait a second... in pre-shippuden he's twelve! I'm fifteen!

OH NOES I'M AN ANIME PAEDOPHILE!!! D:

Fan, vote, and comment!

Oh, and eat at Mcdonalds! Cuz it's Grrrreat!! Wait, no... wrong commercial... heh heh heh...

I'm lovin' it!~