Hellfire

Part 4

Contrary to belief, Inuzuka Kiba was an early riser. He may have been extremely tardy, messy and unfathomably gross in certain aspects but he woke with the sun.

When Hinata groggily sat upright in her futon at four AM - an ungodly time her body seemed to be used to waking up at - she was surprised to see her feral teammate standing with her father. She was already dressed for the day and had tied her hair out of her face (a decision she unanimously decided when she realized how annoyingly long it was) and was about to get a start on breakfast.

Judging by her father and Kiba's body language, she could tell they did not get along. In fact, Kiba despised her father. She could see it on his face.

"Kiba-kun, good morning," she greeted her with a small smile and wave.

"Hinata!" he cried out in joy, a wolffish grin overtaking his lips. He moved towards her, grateful for her appearance, and was quick to strap on a pleasant face. "I was just telling ya dad that you should come out with us - and by us, I mean Team 8."

Hinata's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?" She approached them and looked up at her father's face.

"We could help you remember some things about us that you've forgotten! You did spend most of your time with us anyway," explained Kiba. At that, he gave an almost hateful glare at Hiashi who remained unimpressed and stoic. "Besides, Hinata, you've been cooped up in this depressing place for too long! Everyone misses you."

Hinata nodded her head up and down, liking the idea. "I think," she started, "I would like to do so. Otousan?"

Hiashi had quite his mouth sealed all the while and a vein had popped out of his forehead.

"If it is necessary," he sighed, reluctantly.

His eyes said; I blame you.

Kiba visibly shrank with a wince, resembling that of a wounded animal. But as quickly as he was hurt, he recovered and threw an arm around Hinata's shoulders.

He drew her close, and he smelt like a familiar smell. Unlike what one would think him to smell like, Kiba's wet dog scent was overwhelmed by a sweet aroma she couldn't put her finger on.

"Me and Akamaru ain't just ya typical runts, yanno!"

Hinata put her head up quickly and looked at Kiba. "Sorry?"

He glanced down at her. "I said, Kurenai-sensei and Shino will be glad to finally see you outside of the hospital," he repeated, oblivious to the fact that she may have just remembered something he had once said to her once upon a time.

"Aa," she smiled brushing it off, "Me too."

<~>

"This is our training grounds," Kiba said gesturing to a long clear plain beside a thick forest. "We've been training here since we graduated from the academy. It look familiar to ya?"

Hinata gave it a thorough look over and nodded. She didn't quite understand why the memory of sparring here felt so far away, like it was an image from some place as far away as her childhood, but she didn't ponder on it for too long.

"Sort of," she responded and that was enough for the Inuzuka.

They approached Kurenai and Shino whom Hinata remembered from her bunch of visitors at the hospital, Kiba with a skip in his step and a lopsided grin on his face.

Kurenai smiled warmly at the Hyuga, erupting a sense of affection in Hinata's stomach. Yes. Hinata remembered the way she felt towards her sensei. Their relationship was like that of a mother and her daughter, so Hinata had no qualms when Kurenai leaned in for a hug.

"It's good to see you up," her sensei said. "Kiba and Shino have been talking nonstop about you."

Hinata caught the watery look in Kurenai's eyes.

Aa.

That explained Kiba's behaviour toward her father earlier.

Her two teammates - both who appeared to be faithful, sincere and genuine boys, perhaps a little ill-mannered and dense, but positive in heart and with good intentions - blamed themselves.

"Do you remember anything of what happened?" Tenten had sympathetically asked because she had been in a slightly similar situation when Sabaku no Temari hospitalized her for weeks with a broken spine and collapsed ribcage. Tenten, too, had recalled nothing much until a few days after returning to consciousness.

"You were on a mission," Sakura had relayed to her when she was still bed bound in an icky hospital room. "It was only a B-Rank mission but you had caught the attention of Kumo shinobi at the civilian village you had visited. This wasn't the first time they'd attempted to steal your eyes, and Kiba and Shino weren't strong enough to fight everyone off on their own. Shino was knocked out and Kiba had run for help."

Hinata swept the memory from her mind and gave a sweet smile.

"I do remember you all," she insisted as Kurenai's hands swept down from her back to her hands. "It's just there are periods of time that are blurry and hurt to try remember."

"I see," sympathised Kurenai warmly, "Well we will be happy to help your recovering however we can, Hinata."

Kiba's hand shot out between them and he grinned widely. "You can consider that a promise, Hinata."

The Hyuga's chest warmed and her eyes closed as her lips stretched across her face. "Aa. Thank you."