"Ugh..." Hotaru crossed her arms over her skinny chest, tucking her chin into her scarf and glaring ahead of her. "Hurry up, mutt. I don't wanna be stuck with you any longer than necessary."

Kiba grunted. "Well, I'd take less time if you'd gotten off your fat ass and helped me pack up!"

Hotaru growled. "What did you just say?!" she pointed angrily at the bags she had packed. "What's this then, asshole?! I was out the whole time collecting supplies for the journey!"

"Yeah, and took long enough doing it!" the two growled at each other for a moment, before a nervous Usagi stepped in between them.

"Now, now, you two. Stop fighting, p-please." Hotaru hmphed and turned away folding her arms once more.

"Whatever." she muttered.

It took a little while, but eventually the group were on their way again. They walked in silence, mostly, except for the odd noise from Akamaru. Eventually, Usagi decided that the silence was killing him, so started up a conversation with the fiesty kunoichi.

"So, Hotaru..." Usagi watched her from where he was between the two shinobi. "You got any family?"

"No." her expression remained as an insolent scowl. Usagi sweatdropped, but didn't press further.

"What about friends?"

Her expression lightened a bit, and her eyes hazed dreamily. "I got a couple... you already know my other teammates, Hinata and Shino.. and then there's Naruto and Shikamaru and Sasuke-"

"You mean Uchiha Sasuke? The Uchiha Sasuke?" Both shinobi rolled their eyes at this, and Hotaru nodded.

"Yeah... he's my closest friend." Hotaru frowned a little, then smirked. "Who is probably being molested by fangirls right about now." or his boyfriend...

Usagi grinned, then leaned closer and whispered, "So why do you and Kiba-san hate each other so much?"

The redhead sighed. "You wouldn't understand even if I took the time to explain."

The dark haired man smiled daringly. "You discredit me, Hotaru-san."

Hotaru grinned, knowing full-well that a certain Inu-nin was listening in. "There isn't really much to tell."

Usagi blinked, "But you just said-"

Hotaru cut him off with a malicious grin. "Truth is, I hate him cuz he's a bastard."

Kiba, having heard this, growled. "I heard that, you flat-chested bimbo!"

Hotaru just laughed, looking at him with challenge in her eyes. "You were meant to, Bibiri-kun."

Kiba froze, then gave a glare that made all of his other glares pale in comparison. "YOU DID NOT JUST CALL ME A CAT!!!"

Hotaru just smirked. "So you do understand human speech... I thought I'd have to speak neko to you."

"WHY YOU LITTLE-"

~~~~~~~~

It was now nightfall again, and camp had been set up once more. Usagi had long since fallen asleep, and Kiba was on watch duty. Hotaru had gone off to wash her hair or something. She'd gone to sleep for a bit, but woke up after a while.

Hotaru sighed. It was lucky, but it just so happened that they had set up camp right next to a hot spring. So, after resting for a bit, she had took her stuff and gone down to bathe.

She still had a good hour until it was her turn to watch, and had finished washing her hair, so just sank down in the water, letting her eyes fall shut. She couldn't remember how long it was since she had come to a hot spring... she made a mental note to do it more often.

After forty five minutes, she climbed out of the pool, then used a Fuuton jutsu to dry herself. She had kept her underwear on, so just had to put on her black capris and white t-shirt. She then had a black jacket, that she rolled up the sleeves of so that they were three quarter length.

She sat down to put on her boots, then picked up her hitai ate and sighed. She tied it around her neck, since her hair was still wet, and stood up.

Her flaming hair was thick and curly, which was why it took so long to dry. Frowning a bit, she pulled it up into a bun to keep it off of her neck, as she walked back to camp.

"Oi... there's a hot spring about forty metres south of here... go bathe." Hotaru sat down on a log, watching the fire with an empty expression. Kiba stared at her a moment, then his eyes narrowed.

"Don't boss me around." he muttered, standing up and looking around. "How am I supposed to dry?"

Hotaru huffed, "If you bathe in your underwear or something and walk back here, I'll dry you with a wind jutsu."

"Why would you do that?" Kiba asked suspiciously, and Hotaru smirked at him.

"I just don't want the campsite smelling of wet dog... but if you don't wash it'll smell anyway, so..."

"Why you-!" he was silenced by a bark from Akamaru, who then jumped off of his master's head. Kiba huffed at the little dog, before leaving the campsite, muttering unintelligibly to himself. Akamaru just watched him leave, staying behind at the campsite to sleep.

Kiba continued muttering to himself as he sniffed out the hot spring. It was where she said; forty metres south. Exactly.

But Kiba wouldn't admit that. Admit that that... bimbo, could be right?! Never!

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Kiba stripped down to his boxers and slipped into the hot water.

Did he think that she'd keep her word? No. He expected that she would leave him cold and wet, laughing at his misery. But this water... it was just too good to pass up.

After about an hour, Kiba finally decided to get out of the water. Deciding that he couldn't be bothered to face Hotaru just yet, he sat down on a branch in a tree for a little bit. He yawned, and leaned back in the branch. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

* * *

Hotaru leaned back and sighed, squinting her eyes. It was almost time to leave again- she'd have to wake up mutt-face in a minute.

Cussing under her breath, she stood up and walked over to his sleeping bag, kicking it a few times before realising that he, in fact, was not inside.

Her eyes snapped open, and she searched around the camp, not finding him anywhere. She quickly woke up Usagi and Akamaru, and the two humans followed the dog on a search for the Inu-nin.

After a while, Akamaru stopped, and barked frantically. The two humans' eyes widened, seeing the person bobbing in the Hot spring, unconscious.

It was Kiba!

---

OMG WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?!

KIBA DIED!!

Nah not really.

Wouldn't be much of a story if I killed him off, now would it?

OW!! SERIOUSLY ZOEY STOP THROWING SHOES AT ME!!

Where's she even getting them from?!

Why am I asking you people this?

You can't see me.

I hope...

Well, fan vote and comment!

And post me paracetemol for the HUGE HEADACHE I WILL HAVE SOON!!!

Byee :3