>> Lonely Howl << [1]

>> Lonely Howl << [3]

You take a deep breath, a small smile across your lips as you stepped on the puddles, splashing water around. You really didn't care if you were already soaking wet, you loved water and it was honoring to have it as your primary element. You decide to close your umbrella and put it away since you weren't using it anyway and continue your way, enjoying the raindrops hitting your skin.

You reach the main square, happily walking under the tall trees when you see someone running towards a nearby forest and suddenly falling to the ground. You recognize the person's clothes and run to him. 

"Kiba! What are you doing here? You're supposed to be resting!" 

"Akamaru!! Akamaru!" was the only thing he said 

"What happened?" you ask, trying to help him up 

"He's gone!!" he shouts "He wasn't there when I woke up! Akamaru!" he starts struggling in your arms 

"Kiba, calm down..!" you say, trying to hold him still, at this rate he'd have internal injuries for he wasn't completely healed 

"Akamaru!!" he keeps yelling 

"Kiba!" you yell back, making him look at you. Once he stops debating and actually pays attention to you, you say "Calm down... Let's get you home before you get sick. I'll help you look for him later, okay..?"

Kiba shifts his gaze from your face to the forest and back again, looking slightly desperate. You had never seen him like that before, so weakened and confused. 

'Akamaru-chan is very dear to him...'

You keep looking at him, waiting for an answer, and when he finally nods you help him up, putting his arm around your neck and leading him back to his house. He didn't say a word while you walked, Kiba simply kept looking back, his eyes losing more and more focus.

Once you finally reach the Inuzuka's compound, you shift his weight a little, pulling him a little closer to you so he wouldn't fall. It seemed like he had lost all will, you didn't doubt that if you hadn't found him, he'd stay there until Akamaru returned. You push these thoughts aside when you see him losing his consciousness and knock on the door. 

"Hana-san!! Tsume-san!!" you yell, hearing approaching footsteps 

"Suzuka-chan?" the door is opened "What's wrong-" Tsume is suddenly cut off by her own yell "Kiba!!" she pulls him to her, getting him inside 

"Wasn't he in his bedroom?!" Hana yells, helping her mother 

"I found him near the forest" you say, deviating your look a little as they took off his coat and shirt 

"Suzuka-chan, you're soaking wet. Come in and take a bath before you get sick" 

"Oh, no, it's okay" you say "I just wanted to make sure that Kiba-kun would reach home safely" 

Tsume smiles a little and stands up, leaving Kiba in her older daughter's hands "Come on in, Suzuka-chan" she places her hand on your back, bringing you inside "Would you mind giving my foolish son a check up after Hana gives him a bath and dresses him?" 

"...Sure..." you say, a little embarassed under Tsume's gaze.

She leads you to her room while Hana carries Kiba to the bathroom. She hands you a towel and says that she'd come back soon with some dry clothes. You sigh a little, looking around the bathroom before taking your clothes off and getting on the shower. The warm water made you relax a bit, but you flinch once the door is opened.