Ojos Asi [[private -- nyrax]]

“Thanks Akiko, you’re the best”, Kiba said with a warm smile before kissing her lightly. Kiba just watched as she rubbed the top of Akamaru’s head, enjoying that they got along so well. They seemed to make each other happy, and that was what Kiba wanted all along. “I’ll be home soon Akiko”, he shouted before turning and making his way into the meeting chambers. Dang, this wasn’t a sign that something was wrong at all. Kiba just looked around as all eyes seemed to be on him. At first he couldn’t understand what happened, but then the simple words hit him like a ton of bricks. Kiba didn’t even know what to say for a minute. What he came up with was pretty weak. “And your point?”

Shibi gave Aaliyah a light hug and smiled down at her. “I think I’ve proved that I’m a man with good tastes haven’t I?”, he asked jokingly as Aaliyah went back to cooking. “And of course Shino likes them, when he was younger I used to make them for him all the time. Kid couldn’t get enough of the things”, he added with a laugh. Shibi turned his head to the radio as the song suddenly changed. “Ah I do so love this song”, Shibi said as he began to dance quickly in place, letting his body move to the music. “You know I’m quite the dancer Aaliyah, salsa is my specialty. I haven’t done it in years but I know I still have the gift”, he added with a chuckle.

The elders all looked around, except the spokesperson, her eyes rested on Kiba almost threateningly. "The girl whom put this clan at risk when her elder brother attacked." She added, glaring at Kiba. "Cyon was his name correct?" Instantly, a giant whisper swept through all the older members in the room - showing there was clearly a connection to them and Cyon's name. "She's quite young, or is she deformed?" The question was loaded, because either way he answered it was lose lose.

Aaliyah spun around to look at him and was directly in front of him. "Y-You can dance?" She asked, a serious look on her face. "Like, amateur salsa, or advanced?" Now she seemed a bit cocky. "Well, not like someone your age could keep up with me." She crossed her arms. "Not like you could keep up with a woman half your age, especially since Salsa is such an intimate dancing style." The look on her face was taunting, daring him to try it, a smile on her delicate features. "So, if you back down now, there's no hard feelings."

Kiba let out a low growl as the spokesperson continued to glare at him, implying that what happened to the clan was completely Akiko’s fault. She had tried to stop it, she had tried to make Cyon leave before he attacked. It wasn’t her fault. They were all whispering, talking about her as if they knew her. Bastards, they didn’t understand a damned thing! “Hey shut up! We came here to discuss who the next clan leader is and I’m here for that”, Kiba said as he looked around. “That’s what this meeting is about isn’t it? Or was I just horribly misinformed?”

Shibi gave a nod as he saw the sudden surprised and serious expression that the girl gained upon her face. Apparently Aaliyah was a fan of salsa dancing as well. That was nice, at least it would make things interesting given the challenge that she brought forth. “I do the most advanced style that there is, I’m the best in the leaf village after all”, he remarked before she issued the full extent of the challenge. “I see, well I always do enjoy the chance to show off……..I accept your challenge. Although I do hate making people feel bad, I’ll play if you promise not to cry when you lose”

The spokesperson glared at him. "Hold your tongue!" Her voice cracked like a whip, causing everyone to fall silent. From across the room, his mother was glaring at him warningly. This could get him in a lot of trouble... If he screwed this up, he could be ostracized. This was much more serious than he realized.

Looking at him, her eyes narrowed a bit more. "Kiba... this is a meeting about clan leader, and if you have the blind idiocy to assume that we haven't had problems with this clan before! Cyon has been causing trouble within this clan since before he became a criminal. Then, you go and mate his sister! You conceited little brat! How DARE you! How dare you endanger this clan, pulling a move your father pulled before he ran off with his whore somewhere else!" Moving forward, she growled. "How old is this girl!? She looks like a child, did you take any care to make sure she won't conceive a child? Hm?"

Aaliyah laughed. "That's quite impossible. There is no way you can be the best in the village because I'm from Konoha." She said cunningly. But, hearing what he said, he laughed, walking over to him, resting her back against his, getting into a position to start a dance. "Sure, but keep in mind, when I win, you better not cry." She winked at him as she looked over her shoulder into his eyes. "Come on, Old man, let's see if you're as nimble and flexible as your son."

Kiba did actually hold his tongue instead of giving off some rude response. He crossed his arms and took a deep breath, simply listening contently as he was yelled at continuously by someone that didn’t even really know him. She was passing judgment on him for what was going on? Please, she didn’t have one clue as to what she was talking about. “My connection with Akiko already saved this clan once. And it’s saved another possible heir from possible death”, he remarked as he glanced towards Hana. “A few months back Cyon attacked, intent on wiping everyone out with the aid of his companions. If it wasn’t for what I did, my fighting and willingness to protect Akiko something tells me this room would be a lot less full”, Kiba remarked with a shrug. “And I’m not really one to enjoy someone passing judgment on me when she doesn’t do anything to protect this clan. Your ideas and voice? Please, on the battlefield it’s like spitting up at rain. Doesn’t change a damn thing. I’ve already beaten one of the siblings, and unlike the rest of you I’m going to continue to get stronger until Cyon breaks before my might. He wants to kill me anyways, I’ll just beat him at his own game”

“Ah I see the young fox has a sharp and confident tongue about her”, Shibi said in a witty tone although the joke behind it was easily felt. Shibi smiled at the crying comment. “No promises there I’m afraid. You know how emotional I can get when it comes to my ego. It’s so large and yet so fragile”, he said in a dramatic voice as if he was on stage. He glanced back and met Aaliyah’s eye. “Oh believe me, Shino has got nothing on me”, he said with a slow nod. “You shouldn’t underestimate your elders”

The elders all exchanged glances once more. The spokesperson seemed surprised. Hana had told them the same thing, and she had just gotten out of the hospital, and was still injured, but was permitted to attend. One of the siblings, the shape shifter, had had an extended relationship with her, and then lost to Kiba, fleeing only barley managing to survive with the aid of his sister. "I fought to defend my clan long ago Kiba. part of my status as an elder marks my prior skill in protecting my family. Now, I make decisions based on the prestige I learned as a shinobi. Shut up. Hold your tongue."

"OW!" Akiko cried as a male a little taller than Kiba pulled her into the room. Rather than leading her, he held her shoulder's tightly, forcing her to walk rather than just carrying her. His knuckles had turned white from hos hard he was pushing on her body to keep her from running or moving away from him. His nails were sticking into her shirt, but not her flesh, but her stitches were starting to become stressed and blood was starting to seep through the wounds.

Aaliyah smiled at him. "Whatever, old man. You can say that all you want, just dance." She told him, smiling at him. Hitting a button, the song started over and she started to move her hips with the music. "Let's go Shibi, the man always leads. Let's see what you've got, elder-sama."

Kiba watched as his comments seemed to win him a small bit of points at least. It gave him a few moments of silence as they exchanged glances and for the moment seemed to be unable to say anything. Kiba didn’t care how much experience these guys had. They weren’t in the fight now, they were getting second hand information from others. As previous shinobi they should know that decisions couldn’t be made from just information. You needed to be there, feel it, experience it yourself. “I have the right to defend myself and my own actions. Not because I’m a clan heir but because I am a member of this clan!”, he shouted. “I will not be silenced by someone who doesn’t even know what’s happening!”

Suddenly a very familiar voice reached Kiba’s ears, causing him to tense up as if someone had just plunged a knife into his back. Kiba slowly turned his head, letting one of his eyes rest on the scene that was behind him. They had dragged her in here?! What was this bullshit!? At the sight of what they were doing to her Kiba let out a low growl before turning his back to the council and pointing a finger at the man holding her. “Let her go………..NOW”, he said seriously. Kiba would make this get violent if he refused.

“Believe me girl, you haven’t seen dancing till you’ve met me”, Shibi said in a soft tone as he closed his eyes. The music played for a few moments, and then the real magic began. Their arms connected, both their bodies swaying together quickly, each movement balancing each other out. He did everything he could to try to throw the girl off, lifting her up and flipping her all over the place. She adapted to it all, usually using her legs to wrap around him before he spun as if he was showing off to a crowd. The girl was good, Aaliyah danced like……she did. After a few minutes the song slowly came to an end and Shibi struck an ending pose, finishing with Aaliyah beneath him as he held onto her. “Not bad for an old fart I hope?”

The female elder seemed distressed at Kiba's reaction to the girl's treatment. He was truly attached to her if he reacted in such a violent way. It was clear he'd do anything to protect his girl. His relationship with her was strong than they assumed. Nodding, she looked at the male, a disapproving look on her face. To be honest, they wanted her to come here willingly, not hurt or upset. Now that he'd forced her however, she snapped her fingers. "Release her!"

Instantly, he released the young girl, giving her a small push away from him. Moving toward, Akiko grabbed onto Kiba's arm, moving close to him, letting her body rest against his. "Kiba..." She whispered, holding onto his arms, her shoulder starting to burn once again. "What... what did I do?" she whispered, looking up at him. She almost seemed weak, like she was truly scared. "Did I do something bad?"

The spokesperson looked at the small girl. "How old are you?"

Looking up, Akiko bit her lip. "I... I'm 13." She whispered softly. "I'll be 14 soon..." She told her, trying not to make it seem bad, knowing that they'd be upset with Kiba. "He didn't make me do anything! He loves me!" she said loudly, her eyes starting to fill with tears. "Don't be mad at him, whatever it was, it was my fault!"

Aaliyah felt him start to dance with her, and she was floored. He was ten times better than she assumed he would be! She'd never danced with a man that had this kind of skill. When she first learned her dancing instructor was amazing, but Shibi was tent mes better. He tried to throw her off, spinning her, picking her up, flipping her over. However, she knew all the tricks to make things more impressive. A smile met her lips and her breathing was slightly labored as they ended. "Wow..." She stood up in front of him. "And that was without heels." She teased, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm really impressed actually." Her arms rested loosely around him. "I never thought you could dance. Where did you learn?"

Kiba just continued to bare his fangs, no longer caring that this was all some kind of a test. It wasn’t worth it any more. What were they hoping to gain by dragging Akiko into here!? Were they just trying to piss him off at this point? If so, it was definitely beginning to work. Kiba was about to leap forward and slash the guy with his claws, but at that very moment the spokesperson announced for her release. Smart move, the Inuzuka clan needed all the people they could get right now after all.

Kiba stretched forth his arms and held Akiko close once she finally reached him. He pulled her in close as she rested her body against his. He looked at the area where she was bleeding, narrowing his eyes at the site. Who did they think they were!? The council of Konoha? He let out a small growl before touching Akiko’s cheek. “Do not cry Akiko, I’m here”, he whispered before turning back to the council. “What are you trying to prove here huh? If you don’t want me to be the clan heir then fine, you’re turning this into one damn spectacle”, he said harshly. “You brought a child over here by nearly tearing off her arm? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Shibi took a single deep breath as he felt the energy leaving him. He put on a strong face, but in truth it had been quite some time since he had done anything like this. He looked down at Aaliyah who wrapped her arms around him once more. He smiled softly and lifted her chin so that she looked up right at him. “I learned from the real best there was…….the only woman that I ever loved”, he said with a small smile. “Shino’s mother was the greatest dancer that I have ever seen in any category”, he said happily. “She was my wife so I might view it with some bias, but she was amazing. The way she moved…….it was like watching a dream”

The spokesperson shook her head. "No, I wanted her here because I wanted to talk to her. To see if this was real. Her connection to you is much stronger than I thought. She's willing to do anything you'll protect you, even if it means lying to your clan elders. I wasn't trying to prove anything. I never wanted her to get hurt. She was supposed to be brought here without confrontation. However, it seems she was injured before this, so you can't blame this on us." She pointed to the girl's shoulder. "You may leave now Kiba. Hana, you should leave as well. We need to talk without the two of you present. Get her shoulder examined Kiba." She instructed as they were lead towards the door.

Akiko bit her lip. Scared, she looked up at him. "I wasn't lying!" She tried to object, but they were asked to leave. Her eyes burned with tears, from pain or fear, she had no idea. "Kiba...?" She whispered as they left the room. "Are you... upset?"

Aaliyah's eyes grew wide. "You... learned with his mother?" She asked, smiling at him, holding him a little tighter in an effort to comfort him. Somehow, he mentioned her like it didn't hurt him to speak of her. True he loved her, but if she lost Shino after they had a child together, she wasn't sure she'd be able to deal with hearing his name without being reduced to tears. Much like his son, Shibi was amazingly strong. "If you don't mind my asking... how did you meet her? And... how did she die? I want to know more about her. Shino doesn't seem to know anything, and I just..." She bit her lip, knowing it made no sense - her interest in his mother. "Do you think she'd have liked me?" She questioned; the real question she'd been wanting to ask.

Kiba felt his hand form into a fist, his own claws digging into his very flesh. They had crossed a line, even if they hadn’t meant to. Kiba was fine with them yelling at him, berating him, and overall just hating him. Even before Akiko he had never been respected, always judged and treated like some sort of deformity within the clan. He was stronger than all of them, and he would show it one day. The elders could piss off for all he cared, if he ever became clan leader he wouldn’t listen to a single thing they said. They had fallen too far in his eyes. Kiba turned and made his way out of the room, his look was clearly one that wasn’t pleased. “Yes Akiko, I’m very upset”, he said honestly. “But not with you, I hate all this political bull shit that they keep subjecting me to. I don’t even want to lead a clan if I end up becoming like them”, he muttered before he saw Hana leaving as well. “Hey sis, mind looking at her shoulder?”, he asked as he motioned to Akiko.

Shibi had a very simple philosophy, although it was one of the hardest ones to maintain. His wife wouldn’t want him to be sad after her death, so why would he be sad? If she was gone she’d want him to be happy. “Yes, she was the one that taught me herself. I used to dance as well as Shino….aka not at all”, he explained with a smile. “In truth I met her on a mission, we were down one man who was in the hospital and she was sent over as a replacement for our team. We started out as friends, but it didn’t take long for there to be something else growing”, he said with a soft smile. “She died giving birth to Shino. She only saw his face once, and then she passed away with a smile”, Shino said softly as he gazed away from Aaliyah for a moment. A small chuckle escape his mouth as he looked down at her. “She would love you far more than you know, mainly for the role you have taken………..you are doing for Shino exactly what she did to me”

Akiko walked outside with him, hearing the door slam, making her close her eyes tightly. When they opened Kiba was in front of her, he hadn't moved away or left her. "Am I in trouble?" She whispered, putting her hands on his arms which caused her to move away in pain. One of her arms moved away from his, back to her side. Her shoulder moved when it moved. Turning her head when Kiba called out to his sister, Akiko blinked. "She's a doctor?"

Hana walked over to them and sighed. "I'm a vet." She answered, opening Akiko's shirt. There was no reason for her to cover her body considering everyone knew he'd already seen all of it. Removing the top on, she pulled down the one under it to look at her shoulder. Using her nails, she ripped the bandages that had been blanketed in blood.

"They're testing you, Kiba..." She warned, not looking at him. "They want to make sure that you're better suited than I am. They've wanted you to be clan leader since you returned from the mission of trying to return Sasuke." She looked up at him. "When Akamaru was badly injured when you were still a gennin. Believe it or not, they decided then. Now, they're just making sure you can handle the pressure." She smiled at him now. "Try not to take it personal, and don't tell anyone I told you. Come on Akiko." She said, taking her hand to lead her to her apartment. Bringing her inside, she had her sit down and walked away to get something to sterilize to wound and something to restitch it.

When she returned, she pulled the broken stitches out, cleaned it, then started to mend the wound back together. She was however, surprised that Akiko showed little signs of pain. "She's stubborn like you." Now she was just trying to make Kiba feel better, but she meant what she said. "The elders were much younger when Youki abandoned the village, as well as when he openly attacked it. Rumors surfaced that he assisted in Orochimaru's assassination of the Hokage. You have to understand their caution of him. Akiko is one of them." Taking one of her arms, she showed Kiba the tattoo that had been branded on her skin. It was small Kanji writing which read loyalty in a light blue color. The other shoulder had the ANBU tattoo branded on her skin.

Aaliyah couldn't help but laugh at Shibi's explanation of how he meant her. "With minor differences, it would seem that Shino and I meant in the same way in which you and your late wife did." Even though he tried to make it seem that he was ok with talking about this, she could see he wasn't. It pained him, but he tried to put a front on. This earned so much of her respect. If such a thing happened to her, she doubted she could be this strong. The story of her death made Aaliyah's heart feel heavy and numb.

Come to think of it, during her stay here, she had yet to see a woman in the Aburame clan. Maybe it was because of her intrusion, but she found it strange. Her eyes grew wide at his praise of her so highly in the eyes of his late wife. He really thought that she'd like her? But... she was... so flawed compared to Shino's perfection?! "Thank you." she hugged him again and smiled. "I've... been meaning to ask Shino something since last night... It's odd for me to mention, I know, but in the time I've been here, I have yet to see a woman in your clan." She pointed out, uncertainly.

Kiba watched worriedly as Akiko still seemed to be in pain. Seriously what kind of sick bastards would do this to a little girl? It was just wrong, she didn’t deserve to be in pain no matter who her brother was or what he had done to the clan. Akiko didn’t even like fighting! Kiba gave a small nod at Akiko’s question. “Yes and no you could say”, he said before letting Hana finish the answer herself.

Kiba glanced up at Hana curiously as she began to speak. They were testing him? Testing him about what though? Kiba listened, not yet returning the smile that his sister had given him. He was probably being a bit unfair, but his bitterness right now was stretching out to anything. “They’re scum, all of them. If this is what they want me to lead I’d rather not do it at all. I’ve never liked leadership anyways, all this politics and mind games aren’t just okay”, he muttered. He watched as Hana took Akiko away. He stood there for just a minute, at least until something suddenly hit him. Hana’s words were very strange.

Kiba quickly made his way into the apartment after them, a confused look on his face as Hana saw to Akiko’s wounds. “Yeah, great minds think alike and all that”, he said half heartedly. “Hold it though, why on earth would they want me after a mission that I failed miserably on? I didn’t beat my opponent nor could I even protect my own partner?”, Kiba asked curiously. “Also how do you know that’s what they want, they would never tell you something like that. Plus you’ve always been the better candidate, I hate leadership and I’m rebellious………and why on earth do you act like you don’t care?”

Shibi smiled as he felt Aaliyah wrap his arms around him. She really was a good woman for Shino, loving and strong just like he deserved. Shino was a good child, if only a bit quiet. He loved his village and he made his clan proud. One day people would see him for what he was, not just as the quiet kid. “Oh? Well I suppose that is something that you’d be curious about. It is quite strange after all”, he remarked. “Much like the Inuzuka the workings of our clan compare to the creature that we respect most. All insect colonies have a single queen that the males sense. Obviously there isn’t one woman for all of us, but we do take great strides to make sure that they are safe”, he explained. “That’s why people were so afraid of you……..if you end up marrying Shino you’d have a powerful voice in clan affairs. You’d be…..the queen”, he said as he looked down at her.

All the while, Shino watched from a cracked doorway, listening to all the things Aaliyah wanted to ask him and yet for some reason never did. He stayed hidden, wanting to see where the rest of this conversation would go…….

Hana smiled. "Kiba, it's not always about what you win and lose. It's about the changes you make when they happen. Do you remember what you told me when you where in the hospital? That you'd train harder and faster than ever before? And that you'd never allow anything bad to happen to him again. You kept your word, you trained harder than anyone else, and you became a chunnin in no time at all. You spoiled Akamaru, and he grew in strength as you did. You babied him and loved him. It was sweet and everyone noticed. You got a lot of the elder's attention. It's not always about winning, it's knowing how to take responsibility, and that's what you did that day, Kiba."

Sticking a curved needle into Akiko's flesh, she began to close the wound once more. Whereas she wasn't a doctor, this was simple enough. After about 15 stitches, she tied it off, and cut the string. Smiling, she put a green paste on the wound that would help it to heel, then started to wrap bandages around the wound. As she did this, she never stopped speaking.


"You knew that you weren't strong enough, that you messed up. You were humble. The mark of a leader. Something that dad has never been able to understand, never mind feel. They're more confident in you than I. It's always been that way. Since I was a teenager, they told me that the chances of me being clan heir was slim. They wanted it to be passed to you for more than one reason, but you sticking up for Akiko, for your mate - that's exactly what they wanted. They wanted to test your love for her. To see if it was genuine."

Aaliyah's eyes widened a bit. "So... you're clan actually believe woman have right?" She stated this like it was a foreign concept to her. Because, it really was. In both her own clan and within the Heisha, in which she lived, they were patriarchal. The head male had all power and control, he didn't have to listen to the others and normally didn't. There was no compromise or diplomatic choices. He chose to do something, and everyone followed without question.

Then, she realized something - Shibi admitted something to her that they hadn't revealed or even hinted to her. They'd attacked her because they thought she'd kill someone, not because they knew she was with Shino. It was after all the reason they attacked her. So, that meant they were worried about her presence here. They didn't just not trust her, they didn't want her to be with their clan's heir. She was a threat to them. Looking up at Shibi, she bit her lip. "So... they think that I don't love Shino?" She questioned. "And they think that I'm only dating him to screw up the inner workings of the clan? Shibi... I'll do ANYTHING to prove that I really love Shino. I mean it, I will do anything!"

Kiba bit down on his lip and glanced up at the ceiling. Yes, he remembered that day with perfect ease. Those bastard twins Sakon and Ukon had done some horrible tricks and attacks with their cursed seals to hurt Akamaru specifically. Kiba didn’t care about the mission at that point, he just wanted to make sure that his partner was okay. Kiba remembered that he had never been so scared in his entire life. Kiba hadn’t been doing so hot either, but the idea of losing Akamaru was unthinkable. Kiba just gave a small nod. “I see, I had no idea the clan leaders thought so highly of me after that day”

Kiba listened to the rest of Hana’s words as she continued to fix up and heal Akiko, but he still couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t understand something. Hana wasn’t anywhere near as cocky as he was, and yet they still preferred him? Sure Hana was mainly a vet, but she could still hold her own greatly in a fight. Kiba decided to not press the issue any further, he was getting the reassurance that he wanted after all. The clan didn’t hate him, they respected him for the choices that he made. It had been an act all along. Did that mean…….in the next few minutes they were going to name him as the successor?

Shibi stared down at Aaliyah, there was almost an expression of pity. It was one of complete sadness, because no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t imagine what kind of life Aaliyah had been living the past several years. “The world isn’t as cruel a place as you might think. Woman are given better treatment than the men in the Aburame clan……as it should be”, he remarked. “Youki is a crazed fool, and one day he will pay for what he is doing. And believe me, I cannot wait till that day comes”

Shibi watched the heartfelt cry of Aaliyah, listening to each word that she said. She was so sincere, and he only wished that he could calm her down. He raised a finger and pressed it softly against her lips to signal that she should stop talking. “My dear, you don’t need to do anything”, he said softly. “I could tell from the very first moment that we met that you were sincere. Call it an old man’s intuition”, he said with a smile. “I know that you love him, but the clan has a right to be afraid. Don’t go out of your way just to please them. I know that you won’t hurt anyone……just be yourself. Love my son”

Akiko looked up at Kiba as Hana finished wrapping her wounds. A smile came her lips and she took his hand. "You... want this right? Being the clan leader would make you happy?" She seemed really happy about this too, like his dream was being realized or something to that effect. When Hana finished, she got up and kissed Kiba's cheek. Then, she turned to Hana and bowed to her. "Thank you!" She said, looking at her with a smile. Turning to look up at Kiba, she took a few steps closer to him. "I know you can do this Kiba-kun!"

A door opened and someone walked in. Averting his eyes because Akiko was sparsely dressed, he tried to focus on the wall. "The elders want to see the three of you now." He said, before bowing respectfully and walking out of the room.

Aaliyah looked up at him, then smiled. "Thank you Shibi." She hugged him against, and when she stepped backwards, she lost contact with his body, unlike before. "Youki doesn't listen to anyone else's opinion. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of my father... I know that he cares for me, but in a way which I don't return. If he finds out that I am betraying him, I know it'll result in my death. I worry about him finding out about us, which is why I kept the fact Shino and I were together for so long a secret. Or, at least tried to."

Smiling, she nodded. "I would never change the way I acted with him for anything if it makes you feel any better. Even if I changed, it would do no good. They'd like a fake representative that didn't really exist. I'd never do something like that to Shino. Make him love me to become someone else. Even if it made them happy, it'd crush him. What he thinks of me matters way more than what anyone else does. I had given up trying. I'd lost all desire to live before I met him. I was ready to die before I even knew what living was."

Kiba didn’t say anything at first to Akiko’s question, because in truth he wasn’t really sure what he wanted at this point. All this time he always figured that it would be something that was so far out of his reach, and something that no one wanted him to be. To now learn that HE of the two of them was the more likely to get it? That was a lot to take in. He bit down on his lip, wishing that he knew what to say. “Yeah…….yeah I think I do Akiko”, he said with a small smile. Could he really do this though?

As someone came in Kiba took a small step in front of Akiko so that the man didn’t have to look at her. After receiving his message Kiba gave a nod before turning back to Hana and Akiko. “Well then, looks like we are wanted”, he said before making his way to the door. Kiba felt his stomach turning into knots.

“Any time dear”, Shibi said as they embraced one more time before she finally pulled away from him. He was glad that she enjoyed being around him so much. After all if someone was going to be his daughter in law they had to be cool enough for him. As Aaliyah mentioned that Youki reminded Aaliyah of her father Shibi stayed silent. Would it have been better for her to stay here then? At least with her father she wasn’t in danger of dying was she? It didn’t matter though, her being on that mission made her meet Shino. And for that Shibi was grateful. “Well, what’s done is done”

“And I know that you believe every single word that comes out of your mouth and mean it. That’s why you have had my respect and love from the beginning Aaliyah”, Shibi remarked slowly. “You love my son more than anything, and I know that it takes someone very special to see him more for what his shell is…..he was just like me when I was his age. And I know that you’ll be able to bring out the best in him, I think you may have already”

Akiko's face lit up when he said that. She hugged him tightly, a smile on her face. By the time the other man had walked in, she'd let go. Almost instinctual, Kiba moved in front of her, obstructing the male's view of her. Smiling, she saw something move beside her. Hana was offering her back her shirt. Taking it, she pulled it on and took Kiba's hand. "Okay!" She told him, walking with him. He was quiet and seemed unsure. "Don't worry Kiba-kun. They'd be crazy not to pick you. Hana said it was between you and her, remember?"

"Actually, they were considering giving power to the family just below ours. It's between myself, Kiba, and Tenshin." She answered simply. IN retrospect, she knew that probably didn't make Kiba feel any better. Even though Tenshin wasn't as dedicated and there were rumors of promiscuity, he passed the chunnin exam on his first attempt and was rumored to be able to beat anyone he was matched with.

As they entered the room, Tenshin was already standing at attention, waiting. Tsume took Akiko's other hand, moving her away from Kiba, making it clear that he was to do this without her.

Hana walked over to stand on Tenshin's left side, waiting for the elders to render a judgment, feeling Kiba standing at her side.

Aaliyah still seemed surprised. "I love you." She said, smiling at him. "Before this, I've never really understood why woman are so close or why they seem to say that their father spoiled them. My sensei said that her father spoiled all his daughter, but loved her the most. I never understood such a concept, but I think I finally understand what it means for a father to love his daughter." A smile formed genuinely on her lips. "I learned from you."

There was a pause, and a timer rang on the counter. Turning, she looked at it. "Shino's been gone a while, should I have gone to get the yeast in his place?" She questioned with a smirk. "He does know how a grocery store works, right?"

Kiba gave a small chuckle at the hug that Akiko gave him. She really wanted this for him it seemed. She wanted him to be happy and she wanted him to lead the clan because she knew that he would do a good job. As Akiko became fully dressed it was time to head out. He still couldn’t help but be quiet. All these years he thought that everyone treated him like a joke, and with these past few months with Akiko he thought he had doomed himself. All this time they respected him for it? It was just hard to believe.

“Seriously?”, Kiba questioned at Hana’s statement. “Giving it to another family, I hadn’t even thought about that possibilitiy”, he remarked as he scratched his chin. Kiba didn’t know much about this Tenshin but he had seen him from place to place. HE definitely was skilled at what he did, was an amazing fighter, and a good leader from what rumors said. Who knew at this point?

As they entered the chambers Kiba watched as his mom lead away Akiko. His eyes met hers for a moment, and he gave a soft now to show that he was okay. He stood over next to Hana, standing there in silence.

Shibi gave a soft smile at Aaliyah’s words. “And I love you my dear, if I ever had a daughter I could only wish that she would be half of what you are. You have beauty, intelligence, dedication, will, everything that marks what a good human being is”, he said softly. “I have no daughter of my own blood Aaliyah, so I can only hope that you’ll allow me to love you as if you were my own”, he said honestly.

“And in regards to Shino that mi-“, but Shibi found himself cut off.

Shino suddenly walked inside. “Sorry I’m late Aaliyah but the-“, Shino stopped mid sentence. “Dad? Everything okay?”, he asked as he looked from Aaliyah to Shibi. After all they hadn’t met under great circumstances last time. Shino could hide emotions very well. He had been doing it for eighteen years now after all.

Akiko stood beside Tsume and looked forward. The council of elders were sitting, however the spokes person stood. Instantly, Tenshin and Hana bent down, one knee rested on the ground, the other was bent, pointing forward towards the stand where the table was. A hand rested on the grounds, heads bent forward.

"Hana, actions of your youth and recent events repeating your former mistakes in addition with you're admitted disinterest in clan heir disbar you from leadership. The past will always come back to haunt those who learn not from it. A leader needs to be able to reflect and learn." Now, she turned to look at Tenshin and Kiba at once. "Both of you have becoming jounin. You've grown and become strong and shinobi this clan has much to be proud of. Both have impressive mission records. Also, both of you are mated to woman not fro his clan..." She paused.

"Tenshin, you have skill and power which seems unmatched. You're a thinker, you observe your surroundings carefully before you make choices. Someone your parents should be proud of. I know for a fact you're father takes great pride in your accomplishments."

Now, she turned to Kiba. "And you, Kiba... through all the difficulty you've faced, you've thrived and learned everything with pain and difficulty. You weren't handed anything and fought against anyone who intended to take it. Now, you stand before us much stronger and more mature than the small child which was born to us. You're mother is proud of you."

The air seemed to get tense in her sharp contradiction in their achievements.

"And now, there is only one thing that we must request before we announce who is clan leader. Both of you will be required to do one thing and one thing only. Give up your mate for another."

A woman on the left hand side, opposite of Akiko and Tsume tensed up, her face had no markings, her bright green eyes lit up in fear.

Aaliyah smiled warmly at Shibi. "I'd want nothing more than for you to be my father." She said honestly. it seemed that like father like son really did apply in cases such as these.

When Shino entered, his excuse seemed... strange. She studied him for a moment. Something seemed off. Shino could hide his emotions well from others, but with her he had a much harder time. She'd seen all of his emotions, and at the moment, he seemed cold. He was hiding something. Walking over to him, her arm wrapped around his neck to kiss him. Mostly it was to make sure that he was ok. Did he see someone in the village he didn't want to? Like his sensei or Hinata? Or someone else of trouble. If it was her father there would be blood on him, but it most likely wouldn't be his own. "I love you." She said, as she broke the kiss.

Kiba stood there, standing at more attention than usual but he was nowhere near what Tenshin and Hana were doing. Also when the spokesperson actually spoke it took him a second to catch up with Hana and Tenshin who got on one knee. Kiba’s mind was really out there, he couldn’t focus even in the face of these kinds of leaders.

They began speaking about Hana first, and what they said caused Kiba to grow strangely curious. Recent and past mistakes? What on earth were they talking about? Disinterest in being clan leader? But she had said that they always wanted him to be clan leader. Had she honestly not wanted the position for more than three years now? Kiba’s eye slowly moved so that it was looking over at Hana. She had lied to him, or at least withheld some information. Kiba wanted to ask her right there what was going on, but the time for that definitely wasn’t now.

Tenshin definitely sounded like someone on paper that would be the better leader. He was amazingly strong, able to see situations clearly like Shino, and he had a great mission record like Kiba did. Kiba had to admit that his heart sank a bit as he heard everything about Tenshin. It wasn’t exactly good news for him. He held his gaze forward as they also spoke about him and what he had done. His face however was completely stoic until his mother was brought in, speaking about how proud she was of him. The edges of Kiba’s lips quivered as he tried to fight a large smile. He had no idea.

Everything seemed to be going well. Even in the event that he wasn’t picked, at least the leaders of the clan praised him and respect him. Kiba thought he would have died before such a thing happened. Everything was smooth, right up until they declared their last requirement. Give up their mate for another. Kiba’s head shot up to look at the spokesperson. He must have heard wrong. “Wha…..what?”, he asked as he stared at her. He didn’t even see Tenshin’s reaction.

Shino raised an eyebrow at the look that Aaliyah gave him. What, could she seriously tell that something was wrong? There was no stuttering, no emotion to even read. He was usually like this, how could she know? He smiled as she wrapped her arms around him, returning the kiss with equal love as they held each other so close. Shibi watched, happy to see them together. Shino broke the kiss softly after a minute. “And I love you”

Akiko's eyes widened. "No..." She muttered, looking at Kiba, she looked scared. Would he choose his clan over her? He had to! They meant more to him that she ever should. Closing her eyes tightly, she shook her head. Tears started to form in her eyes. He couldn't just... How could they ask him this?! Opening her mouth to speak, Tsume grabbed her mouth, cupping it so she was unable to speak. "Akiko, please... you must be quiet..." She whispered to her.

The spokesperson looked down at them. "We need to know your decision now. Will you leave your mate, or will you not? It's a simple request. Make your choices now."

Tenshin looked up at her. A stern look crossed his face. "I will part with my mate to be clan leader."

Aaliyah kissed him softly on the cheek. Without asking any questions, she took the bag from his hands and took the yeast out. Walking back over to the counter, she went back to cooking. If he didn't want to talk about it, she wasn't going to make it. "If you two have something you need to discuss, you should go and do it now before I finish cooking." Now she smiled at Shibi. "What's your favorite kind of Belgium waffles?" She asked, with a sweet smile.

Kiba just stared up with a look of horror on his face. At the very least it was one of pure distraught. Right when he thought that he couldn’t get any lower. Was this how they separated the strong from the weak? The very notion of asking someone to do something like that just brought a sickening feeling to Kiba’s stomach. He turned his head sharply as Tenshin said that he would leave his mate to be the clan leader. How could he say it so easily! This was the woman that he loved! They were the Inuzuka clan! One mate for life. Kiba’s eyes narrowed and his body tensed.

Kiba suddenly stood, staring up right at the spokesperson with a look of determination on his face. “A simple title and power isn’t worth it”, he said simply. He turned to Tenshin and glared at him. “Take the damn leader position, but don’t expect me to follow you. A man who can’t even stay true to the one he is supposed to love doesn’t deserve to live, and he especially doesn’t deserve to have others following his orders”, he growled. Without another word Kiba turned and began walking towards the large doors that closed them in. He had a feeling Akiko would leap up to follow soon enough.

“I have nothing that needs to be discussed, I just got bored and came out”, Shibi said with a shrug before taking a seat. “But while I’m here I think I’ll see how your cooking is Aaliyah”, he remarked before leaning back in his chair. “I’ll take whatever kind you’re making, I’m not picky eater”, he said with a laugh.

Once Kiba reached the doors, they were locked from the outside. A smile met the lips of all the elders and those who had been sitting, stood up. "I'm glad." The spokeswoman said. "Because leaving her would prove that you're commitment to her meant nothing. Standing by her shows the dedication in which you chose your mate."

The tension once again returned to the air, and a low hush of whispers passed through the air.

Ripping away from Tsume, Akiko ran over to Kiba and grabbed onto his jacket. She jumped into his arms, burying her head into his chest. "I love you..." She whispered, holding his jacket tightly, shaking just a bit.

"Inuzuka Kiba will become the next clan head."

Aaliyah smirked. "I take requests." She teased, turning to face him. "But if you'll eat anything I'll just put strawberries and blueberries in." She answered, starting to make them the way she liked them. Because of her diet, she normally ate the sweeter fruits because she wasn't allowed to eat chocolate and it sometimes got the job done. Mmm... She popped one of the strawberries in her mouth. "Shino... Are you ok?" She asked, turning her head to look at him as she chopped up the fruit with a sharp knife without looking at her hands.

Kiba tried to open the doors, at first figuring that they were just jammed, but suddenly realizing that the was locked in! “God they are going to make me stay through this crap?”,he muttered to himself as he tried to force the doors open. It was then that the voice of the spokesperson caught his attention though. “What?”, he asked as he looked back. HE stood there and just listened, only barely able to hold back his laughter. These guys played some pretty demented mind games.

Kiba just blinked as suddenly Akiko leapt up into his chest and buried her face in his jacket. He smiled pleasantly and wrapped his arms lightly around her. “I love you too Akiko”, he said softly as he kissed the top of her head. They said it out loud…..he was to be the next clan leader. He didn’t even know what to say.

“Oh believe me that will be the most delicious thing that you can offer me”, Shibi said with a smile as his arms folded across his stomach. “If your cooking is as good as I think it is than I think that I might need to loosen a few knotches on my belt”, he added jokingly before turning to his son since Aaliyah addressed him.

Shino had been staring off in space for a few moments before Aaliyah suddenly spoke to him. “What? Oh……..well in truth there is one small problem that I didn’t want to worry you about. I just need to speak to my father for a few moments”, he said before standing up. Shibi had a small look of confusion but followed his son none the less. What could have happened?