WARNING: CHAPPY IS R13.

I am beyond happy and proud to deliver this to you.

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Kiba: You know, honestly thinking, I can't believe why Shika didn't choose you. You're stunning.

Ino: Please, you're too good for me.

Kiba: Wanna try me?

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Chapter 57: Cover for Me

KAGERO VILLAGE, LAND OF MOUNTAINS

4 YEARS AGO

"Kiba, Shino, I need you to gather lumbers in the woods. We'll make fire inside the tent. Take this--" Kurenai said handing them yellow raincoats, "--there are rogue-nins outside. Be careful. You realize if they see Leaf-nins lurking around their borders, you'll be dead, right?"

"That's too dangerous." Kiba complained. "Sensei, if you leave Shino and me out there, we'll die anyway. There are no reinforcements. There's no signal."

"I AM doing this for the sake of you two and your sick comrade." Kurenai said, tensed. Hinata laid in Kurenai's lap, shivering like a little girl. Hinata hated being the reason her comrades have had to do something, but she couldn't do a thing. She could barely move her body. She was stuck earlier by a lightning user ninja and it was a good thing Kurenai got on time to rescue them trio. "You will do as I say, and no more questions."

"We make a good captives to those folks. Are you seriously gonna leave us both? Heck, we don't even know this forest."

"Kiba is right." Shino proudly protested. "One of us has to stay here. One of us should be accompanied by you."

"Fine." Kurenai declared, swallowing her pride. Kiba is always stubborn throughout anything, but with Shino's logic, Kurenai trusted her students' perception. "Kiba, I want you in here. If something happens to Hinata--"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll look after her."

Kurenai was already with Shino almost outside the tent. "We'll be back when the rain stops. It's gonna be a long night." Then, like a miracle, they were gone. Shino vanishing in a horde of his insects, Kurenai disappearing within a genjutsu that left a red petal.

'Just you and me, huh?' Hinata's conscience thought, as she looked to Kiba. Part of her never wanted to be on Team 8. That part of her only wanted to be with Naruto, no one else.

That all ended when they were sent on D to B-rank missions, realized what a team they've made. The three of them have trained together as friends, with Kurenai watching with a satisfied grin, sometimes she'd be gone with Asuma. Hinata could only stare back at two of her highly valued men team. Kiba and Shino have grown to be overprotective of her sometimes, to the point they've been itching to tell Naruto of her predilection but Hinata objected. She wanted the two of them to walk in the sunset by fate, and she knew someday that would happen.

Team 8 had been a master of one capability; one that the Third Hokage praised Kurenai for--tracking. That is why, Kiba, staring at Hinata, was probably wondering what to do on a sick comrade when he was obviously a nitwit for medical ninjutsu.

She wondered what he would do. She wouldn't stop shaking, even Kiba's warmth due to his hound blood couldn't melt the ice in her skin. He took off his coat, where Akamaru got down licking her cheek. Hinata was able to smile despite her weakness.

Kiba lifted her body, wrapped her in his fur coat. "Kuso, I don't know how to do this, but.. You better get well. We're not leaving you dead." He said. "You still want to see Naruto be Hokage, don't you? You don't want me taking his place." Hinata chortled, sniffing her cold. Kiba's laugh was beautiful. "Yeah. Right. I'll stay with you until the storm ends. I promise."

NOW

Dingdong.

Kiba waited for Ino to answer the door. Surprisingly Yamanaka Inoichi had invited him inside even though he rarely knew him. One thing Kiba had in mind--he needed a favor, and Ino could be the only reliable person in the world that would grant his wish.

Compulsion. She and Sasuke are the only ones who are capable of performing such magnificent jutsu, and Ino, knowingly the control she had upon making Naruto believe he was the father Sakura was claiming to, of her child, his visit better be twice the worth of going to Neji instead.

He slept with Hinata. Having s*x was simple. Conventionally sleeping with someone, slipping a condom, thanking that person for a good time. Kiba could bust out with any trouble in no time. And then Hinata had entered into a chapter of his life, one morning that made him feel exceptional. Red-letter. Hinata had been the one and only, special girl that had walked in his life as far as he could remember.

He didn't need Chiruka, or any other vampire out there who made him feel less pain just because both of them have the same thing in common: lust. He needed someone to remind him what a beautiful puzzling world this is; life is full of surprises and is a maze. A maze filled with flaws and scars, that way Hinata would touch her fingers to his chest and find that scribbled ink lovely. I accept you. I love you.

That was the spring of his disputed point. It's funny how he woke up screaming shit all over the room when the first thing Hinata did was to smile at him. When he was picking up her clothes, Hinata just pulled him again in the bed. She kissed him, he kissed her, the world was just fine.

The doorknob twisted. A raidantly looking Ino answered the door, surprised. She stood in front of the door, wearing bunny slippers. She was wearing a cute nightgown, a Santa hat.

"Hello, handsome." Her smile short-lived. "What do you want?"

"Merry Christmas to you, too."

Ino took off her hat. "It was supposed to be a sleeping hat!" She said, and this was the first time Kiba ever saw her with her hair loose. She looked younger, like a fifteen-year-old girl on a halloween party. "You want something, don't you?"

"Just a little favor." Kiba said. He was close to smirking. "You know, honestly thinking, I can't believe why Shika didn't choose you. You're stunning."

"Spill the beans, lover boy. You're too good for me."

"Wanna try me?" Kiba smirked.

Ino, amazed, gave way to him. "Get in."

✦✦✦✦THΣ THIRD UCHIHΔ✦✦✦✦

THE END OF THE AFFAIR

At midnight, Neji sat in repose at his Hyuga desk, where Hiashi's main office used to be. It wasn't that simple working on a table of a dead man. He could still feel his uncle's soul somewhere, lurking beyond the corridors of the Hyuga Manor. On a book he'd grown fond to read in his childhood, Hamlet, Hiashi had been the vindictive soul of King Hamlet while he considered himself Claudius who was secretly responsible for the monarch's death.

It was getting late. Birds no longer flew from his papered window. The whole Hyuga Manor had been made of paper, paintings covering the walls with either Cherry Blossoms or Izanami and Izanagi, their Gods. They've despised the modern engenderment.

You would know easily Hinata's room. Her room is filled with beautiful paintings--butterflies, flowers and more importantly the sun. Neji didn't want to act like her father, but as the third time he had checked upon her room using his Byakugan, there was no sleeping girl inside.

When Hiashi had been alive, Hinata's presence was something Neji never distressed. She was with Naruto, he entrusted her to him, but the gossips coming from the rest of his beloved Konoha 11 that they have seen Hinata running into the rain, crying, meant that something atrocious happened between her and the blonde jinchuuriki.

He didn't want to pry on his cousin's personal life, but the fact that Naruto was aware that he would be wedded Sakura meant that he should be preparing an effortful herculean explanation to Hinata. Does Hinata even know? Would Naruto even bother to reel it off?

The decision belongs to Naruto. It wasn't his fault he was compelled by Ino. She wanted him to know the truth of what's happening, anyway. We've been keeping too many secrets from him. Let him tell her.

Those were the words Shikamaru last told him. He was bowing his head, shameful. To Neji, something filthy was in the air about him and Ino, and he'd just shelved that little doubt. Hinata had been his priority and what was he doing? Being a competent bastard who sleeps with TenTen even if they still weren't married.

The marriage. This isn't what he wanted when he proposed to his angel--he wanted to get married to her as soon as possible, to not make her wait (not that TenTen minded). Marriage is something devoutful and he'd been educated with it before he thought of surprising her on her birthday with fireworks and all of that spark. Now what?

Atleast that part can wait. TenTen loves him as much as he loves her, and love is patient--it is not something that can be won by a trophy. Once everything is fixed and ready, we can finally make a world of ours. How does that sound? He asked, as he'd cupped her chin. TenTen would smile. That was the part he'd liked about her. Even if how many people of the Hyuga Manor would throw neat shimmering dresses at her, or braid at her, she didn't ask for anything but for Neji himself. We and ours. Sounds perfect.

Breating heavily, Neji sat silently in his desk. TenTen was sleeping in their room and he decided to stay in his office. That way he would be aware of the time ticking, of the clock that stared at him, saying, tick tock. tick tock. She's still not home.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

* P L A Y S O N G *

"Let me get this straight, Hinata slept with you, you slept with her, what's the problem in that?"

"She is Naruto's ex."

"So?" Ino wasn't getting the point. She was sitting in the living room, no longer in her PJ's, rather she was dressed casually for the first time. Purple top and skirt, she'd missed it.

"That means there's not a jutsu in this world that can reverse that, and I don't want to hurt her. If we're friends, we'll remain that way. No pain, no complication."

"You are seriously giving Hinata up for a piece of your atittude? What a loser."

"I'm trying to fix the situation here."

"So don't. Be a bad boy, date her. What she and Naruto had was history. He dumped her."

"That's because you made him think what he and Sakura had was real." Kiba smiled.

"And you wouldn't be kissing her and all that stuff if it weren't for me. See? I'm a saint after all."

"You're not a saint, Ino." He said, as he stood up to glance at the pictures. There were so many of her and Shikamaru, Ino and Shikamaru here and there. There was a picture of her holding a camera, Shikamaru's cheek red. It's as if they were together, for some time. Until Temari got pregnant and no one had their happy ending.

"Don't touch that," Ino said.

"Why are you so obsessed with him?" Kiba suddenly asked. "You're perfect, you're pretty, go find someone you like."

"I have. He's standing right in front of me."

Kiba smiled, feeling a little thoughtful. He brought down the framed picture. "That's exactly the reason I didn't want to go here, or we wouldn't be talking."

"But you're gorgeous. You're full of charisma and it's like anything you do is okay. You know why we're like this? Why we are so in need of attention? We're second options. To them, we're a just a choice once they are done screwing their relationship."

"You sound so.. experienced."

Ino grinned like a cat. "I almost killed a boy today. I didn't care. We were just having fun, I happened to be famished. I compelled him to forget he's even met me. You should see how he walked away like that. I healed him so his neck won't be bothering him. See? I don't leave my tracks dirty."

"Huh. Explains a couple of weird rogue-nin attacks in the hospital. I knew it had to do something with the vampire we have in town."

Ino, bewildered with her story-telling, teleported in front of Kiba. Suddenly she felt tired, exhausted of running after someone whose world never did involve her in. How could anyone blame her? She used to be a storeowner of a flower shop and now she couldn't do any normal stuff if it doesn't involve glaring into a customer, thinking he had more blood in her veins.

Ino couldn't think anything but blood. She realized that was her life now, the kind of life she had to thrive since it was her only way of survival.

She started to slide her hands around Kiba, inhaling his perfume. "I can make you feel better. I can show you some of my talents."

He was smiling at her, too. "You're not yourself, Ino." He said, placing her hands away.

"Come on, Kiba, don't be such a douche." She said. She leaned closer to him, her mouth lingering in his ear. "You want me to compel Hinata, right? I'll do it for you. All I ask is for you to forget that she exists. Just for tonight."

"I can't do that."

"Oh but you can. The way you usually kiss that girl and make her feel like a princess--Chiruka, was that her name? Go on, Kiba. Kiss me. Kiss me the way you want it."

She was already kissing him, kissing his neck. Kiba moved his hands smoothly to her bare stomach, finally feeling the pain soothing away. He breathed heavily as if having second-thoughts; Kiba would usually see Ino hanging around with Shikamaru but he never did try to flatter her, to entice her. That wasn't the kind of Ino who would fall easily for temptations, until now.

Ino teleported the two of them, her pinning him against the wall. She started unbuttoning his shirt. "You know what's the difference between me and Hinata?" She whispered, tempting him. "I can give you everything. You, what do you think she can give you, apart from a one night stand?" She mouthed those words into his ear as Kiba grabbed her, kissing her neck as he swifted positions so Ino ended up being cornered, Kiba as the dominant.

She'd let him consume her, let their souls be one. As if one night could change the next few days. They were now lying in the floor, Kiba taking advantage of her provocative clothes. He had taken his shirt off, making her want to crave for his body more. There was a tattoo in his chest, a tattoo that said, BY DEMONS BE DRIVEN.

Ino kissed her again, letting him throw away the remaining piece of his clothing. Her claws scratched in his back, leaving lines of stricken blood. Kiba broke off from their kiss to groan in pain, but that was the thing about pain--it derives from pleasure. He stared at her and he could only see a demoness hiding in an angel-like structure. Ino was beautiful. She had the most perfect body, hair of a royal, and Kiba cherished this night knowingly he was a lucky bastard for this.

She had taken her purple top now, leaving her cute matte black underwear and her ponytail. Kiba was about to pull her ponytail, but Ino stopped her and said, "leave it there." Kiba just smiled and kissed her again, God she was an angel. Every part of her was made of allurement and star quality. He kissed her chest, her belly button, his lips would divert from her red glossy lips down to her skin--her skin she told herself she wouldn't let anyone to touch but her best friend only.

Kiba suddenly broke off, a feeling someone was watching. And for another important reason. "I'm not Shikamaru. I want you to know that."

Ino ignored him, rather, she pulled him by her hands to end his words to beautiful kisses. She knew that, and it wasn't his choice to make to stop or not. "Ino, wake up." He said, finally taking things seriously. "I want you to look at me in the eye and tell me you're not doing this for him. Tell me you're serious."

Ino, the graceful cheerful Ino, smiled at him and placed her fingers in his cheek. "I don't love him anymore." She said, as she kissed him again and bit his lip, drawing blood. Both of them have really sharp teeth and pain was the most delicious thing.

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7.7.14 HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIBA!!!

Edited 3.26.15

Kids, you do NOT want to tolerate Ino.

Oh, why do I enjoy making these stuffs... anyway i hope you guys got the whole meaning of this thing... yep, Ino's reallyyy in love with Shika. She's doing these crazy stuffs and all that s*x as a 'distraction'. Wonderful story.