Rivals For The Hokage's Love

A Rejected Confession

Neji made his way to the Uchiha district, knowing that by now, Itachi would have probably reached his old home as well. He wondered how Sasuke would react to that.

"N-NEJI?!" The Hyuga turned around when he heard someone scream his name in disbelief.

A brunet with short, spiky hair, a dark complexion accentuated by an upside down red triangle on each cheek, riding a huge white dog with brown ears, approached the long-haired brunet.

"Oh... Kiba," Neji said, relaxing slightly, before he realized there was something odd about him. "What the... what have you done with your hair, Kiba?!" he shouted, eyes widening.

"Cool, huh?" Kiba ran a hand carefully though his new hairstyle. "I styled it so it looks exactly like Naruto's! Hey, anyway. So you and Jiraiya-sama were both revived, huh?"

"And many others," Neji added, still unable to get over the shock of his comrade's appearance.

"Everyone's falling in love now that things are a bit peaceful," Kiba commented, eyeing the Hyuga curiously. "Though damn few are taken at the moment. Everyone's pinning their hopes on being Naruto's ... significant other, for lack of a proper expression for it. What about you?"

"The same." Neji turned around and headed back to his original destination abruptly.

"What?!" Kiba screamed as he rode his dog by Neji's side. "Why you as well?! I mean, wait, no... you're gay?!"

"Are you implying that it was something impossible?" Neji smirked  and laughed when the boy almost fell off from shock at his comment.

"N-No..." Kiba scowled at the laughing pearl-eyed brunet as he got back onto Akamaru.

"Anyway, Kiba," Neji said hesitantly. "If you're complaining about everyone loving Naruto, does that mean you have someone in mind? Or are you pitting for Naruto as well?"

"Nah... man... well, okay, I tried. I did confess to him, a month or so ago," Kiba admitted, looking at the ground, as he began to tell the brunet the story, after swearing him to secrecy.

~Flashback~

It was a perfectly normal, sunny day in Konohagakure.

Ino looked up when a very familiar face entered the shop, surprised that her classmate should be in a flower shop. Maybe he had come to look for her, for a mission or something?

But the brunet seemed to be looking around the flowers, not even trying to get her attention. Her interest peaked, and she walked over to the boy who was being followed by a white dog.

"Kiba, are you here to get flowers?" she asked, not daring to believe that it was the case.

"Yeah," he said, trying his very best to act nonchalant about it, but failed when Ino squealed.

"Oh~!!" she smirked, knowing that she was embarrassing him. "Who's the lucky girl then?"

"None of your business!" Kiba howled, as he ran out of the shop, his cheeks on fire.

It was stupid to get flowers for Naruto anyway, he decided. What would a boy, and the Hokage at that, do with a stupid bunch of flowers that would wilt and die anyway? Nope, he was right to leave the shop. Maybe he could try getting a ring...?

He walked over to the jewellery store that Tenten had opened, and entered as quietly as he could. The last thing he wanted was for her to start squealing the way Ino had.

He found a beautiful silver ring embedded with a large sapphire in the middle. It was a bit darker than the color of Naruto's eyes, but it would suit him well anyway.