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To avoid any awkward goodbyes and even more awkward pep-talks from any of his friends Kiba had left at sunrise. It was way earlier than he'd gotten up in a while but the silence of the village had been kind of nice as he and Akamaru made their way out. Even the forest was calm and quiet and Kiba, normally a loud guy by nature, was a little taken back by the silence as he glided through the trees on Akamaru's back. Every time he left the village he had a team with him, either his own team or one assigned to him by Kakashi. He was alone this time, alone with Akamaru and nature and his thoughts. His mind was a lot calmer now though ever since the talk with his mother, content knowing his mother wasn't angry or feeling betrayed by him doing this. It saved him a whole trips worth of guilt, but it left room for his other thoughts to start to creep in. What was he even going to do if his dad wasn't in Suna anymore? He wouldn't even know for sure until he got there, which would take a few days even at Akamaru's speed. Sakura had warned him, of course, and it wasn't too far fetched of an idea to consider his dad had moved again, but he really wasn't sure if he could handle the irritation he just knew he'd feel. Or the disappointment.
Akamaru barked loudly, jolting him from his thoughts, and Kiba chuckled a little bit as he patted the dog's head. "I know, Boy; I'm over thinking. Can't help it."
In response Akamaru huffed softly, and even though it was a small and casual sound to most people, Kiba could hear the worry in it. Akamaru was nervous too for Kiba's sake, worried about his partner's emotional well being. God, Akamaru was such a good friend. Kiba kind of wanted to hug him, but he'd do that later when they made camp for the night. He wanted to get there in two days, three at most if he could. He was pretty sure The Kazekage knew he was coming and was expecting him soon. Kakashi told him he'd sent a message a few days prior so Kiba's presence didn't take anyone by surprise. He had actually tried to convince Kiba to take Temari when Kiba had gone to check in with him the previous afternoon, insisting that Temari going with him would at least make his entrance a little faster. Kiba had declined, even if Temari would have been great company along the way. He wanted to make the journey alone. It felt like more of an accomplishment. Not to mention Temari knew what his goal was and would have questions to ask and while he was flattered that Temari was interested in his personal life, Kiba wasn't too sure he would have liked having so many questions centered around his dad and his family being asked, even if Temari meant well.
They didn't really stop traveling until the sun was high in the sky and Kiba was sweating, Akamaru panting heavily as he jumped down from the trees to land beside one of the many streams that snaked through the forest. Well, Akamaru stopping was a sign for a break and Kiba slid off the dog's back, walking over to press a kiss to his muzzle gently. "Good boy, Akamaru. You're probably as hot as I am with all that fur. Let's cool off for a bit."
Akamaru didn't have to be told twice, rushing past Kiba and all but launching himself into the stream, splashing Kiba with water in the process. Kiba snorted loudly as he shrugged off his wet jacket, setting it aside in a patch of sunlight to dry while they took their break. He knelt down by the stream and dunked his hands in, leaning down so he could splash his face with water. The cold water felt so good on his face. He almost wanted to follow Akamaru's lead and jump into the water too, but he knew he'd get too riled up and end up rolling around in the stream with Akamaru until the sun went down. He didn't want to waste too much time; they could have fun and play later when they got to Suna.
He sighed softly and rolled up his pant legs after kicking off his shoes, sticking his feet into the water as a lame compromise with himself. He watched Akamaru splash around in the water, most likely scaring away all the fish within a twenty yard radius, a smile tugging at his lips. Sometimes he couldn't believe that the little puppy his mom had given him when he was a boy had turned into this big, hulking, amazing dog he rode around on all the time. He kind of missed the days when Akamaru still fit in his hood or in his jacket, or when Akamaru could curl up on his chest at night. Not hat he didn't mind Akamaru being able to curl up around him now, and he definitely didn't mind being able to ride him places, either. It was just so weird to think about how much time had passed and how much they had both grown. There was a swell of pride in his chest when he thought about it. Was that how his mom felt when she thought about Hana and Kiba?
Akamaru barked once, loud and happy, before he was splashing his way over towards Kiba. He was all joy and excitement as he licked at Kiba's face, before his wet nose was nuzzling at his cheek gently. Kiba grinned and grabbed Akamaru's head with both hands, pressing a sloppy kiss to the dog's nose. "Yeah, I see you being all wild in the water, big guy. All the fish must think you're an absolute terror. But that's okay; you're my absolute terror."
Akamaru barked in agreement, wet and wagging tail sending water flying in all directions. He was happy to be out of the village, it seemed, even if he had left his mate and pups behind. Akamaru loved going on missions out side of the village. The forest gave him more room to run without having to worry about not knocking people over and Kiba knew he loved all the scents that mixed together here, too. Akamaru was a dog, after all, and no amount of awesome ninja skill would take away the fact that Akamaru went absolutely nuts when he smelled any animal that wasn't another dog. Kiba was just thankful Akamaru didn't take off the chase the scent of deer or rabbits like he had back when he was still small and learning.
Kiba let Akamaru run around in the stream for an hour or so, before he stood up and pulled his shoes back on. "Alright buddy, come on! Gotta cover as much ground as possible before it gets too late!"
Akamaru whined loudly, pouting as best as a dog could, but he trotted out of the water as he was told. Taking a second to shake the water from himself, tongue lolling out of his mouth a bit as he did so, he huffed and waited until Kiba had pulled himself up onto his back again before he took off into the trees once more. His fur would dry out in twenty minutes tops with the way the heat was and Kiba felt kind of bad thinking about how hot it was, about how much fur Akamaru had. This was nothing compared to how hot Suna would be though, Kiba had to remind himself. Suna was gonna be hotter than a motherfucker.
If Naruto had been with him he was sure the other would be complaining about the heat constantly. As much as Naruto visited Suna it seemed like he never really got used to the drastic heat change, but Kiba could understand that. Konoha got hot, but it was never boiling. They got more cold weather than hot weather most of the time and Kiba knew from personal experience that Naruto's body ran hot. He was like a walking furnace, almost like fire raged just underneath his skin. Too much heat drove him up the wall. It had been kind of funny back when they were kids, like most things about Naruto had been.
Naruto had been another crush of his, back in the day. It hadn't been the most long lasting crush, naturally. Anyone with eyes could see Naruto's heart had been set on Sasuke from the get go, but that didn't stop Kiba from looking and admiring. Who didn't admire him, after all? Loud and energetic, always on his feet Naruto, who was unafraid to say how he felt and had a heart so big it was almost unbelievable. Kiba would honestly bet money that at least several of his friends had crushed on Naruto for a while, too. But his own crush had faded pretty quick, just like his crush on Hinata had. Naruto was a great friend in the long run and that was what mattered; Kiba never had any desire to push the limit, not with failure so surely on the horizon.
Jesus, why was he thinking about his old crush on Naruto again? He rolled his eyes and shook his head a little bit as a scoff escaped his lips. "Damn heat's got me thinking dumb shit already."
One of Akamaru's ears twitched and the dog glanced back at Kiba, curious and a little worried. Did they need another cool off break already? Kiba flashed him a small smile, trying to assure him they were fine. "I'm good, Akamaru. I've just got weird shit on my mind right now, that's all. I'm thinking about my old crush on Naruto."
Akamaru grunted. That again?
Kiba chuckled a little bit. "Right? Been ages since I thought about that. What was I thinking, huh?"
A small yip, an amused Hell if I know. Kiba snorted a little bit, patting the top of Akamaru's head as the dog continued on through the trees. As much as his friends teased him for talking to his dog Akamaru was actually one of the best listeners Kiba knew. All of their dogs were if he were to be honest. Hana talked to her dogs constantly, whether she needed to vent or just wanted to talk to them about her coworkers at the clinic, or the fact that she was having a bad hair day. His mom talked to Kuromaru a lot too, though they bickered more than anything else. Their dogs weren't just good listeners, of course. They had great advice, contrary to what almost anyone else would think. They might not understand human social rules, or understand the human world in general, but they were always watching and learning; they knew more than most people thought. Akamaru himself had good advice whenever Kiba decided to go to him for it. It was Akamaru who had helped him get over his Naruto crush so quickly.
Dogs were man's best friend, after all.
They finally came to a stop as the last slivers of sunlight were fading from the quickly darkening sky. Kiba had been quick to make a fire for them both, digging around in his backpack for the food he had brought them both. Akamaru was as patient as ever, laying with his head resting on Kiba's knee as he watched Kiba rip open the package for their dinner. Packaged meals weren't very high on either of their lists of favorite foods but food was food in the end. He'd rather eat packaged food than nothing at all. Akamaru could agree with that.
Kiba ripped open one of the packages enough for Akamaru to be able to eat out of, setting it down in the grass. "Eat up, Akamaru. It's beef. I think, at least. Kind of has a stale cracker smell." When Akamaru huffed at him, clearly displeased, Kiba huffed right back. "Don't give me attitude, Mister! You gotta eat the stuff that's good for you first! I know you want the jerky Mom packed us but you know the jerky rules; that's what we eat when we're out of the packaged stuff."
Kiba couldn't blame him, though. His mom's home made jerky was to die for in all honesty. He could wait, though. He leaned back against the tree they had sat down in front of, smiling softly and digging out a plastic fork from his bag as Akamaru started to lap at the contents of his own meal. The fire crackling a couple of feet in front of them looked like it would be okay for a while so Kiba relaxed, shoveling his packaged meal into his mouth as if he was starving. Which, considering he hadn't had breakfast or lunch that day, wasn't too far from the truth.
It was quiet again, save for the crickets chirping from their hidden spots in the grass and the crackling of the fire. His jacket was folded up next to his backpack beside him and he made a small mental note to make sure he shook it out in the morning, just in case any crickets got ballsy and decided to try and make home in it. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.
Akamaru nudged the now licked clean foil package aside with his nose, jaws opening in a wide yawn before he laid his head back on Kiba's lap. Kiba glanced down at him and smiled a little, yawning himself as he went back to eating. "You did good today, big guy. You must be tired. I'll run on my own tomorrow so your back can get a rest."
He didn't make a sound in response but Kiba knew Akamaru was thankful. When his own package was empty Kiba crumpled his and Akamaru's up, shoving them back into his backpack to be cleaned out later once they were in Suna. He didn't liter, after all. He yawned and stroked Akamaru's head, a soft smile on his lips as he looked down at the dog. "I'm glad you're coming with me to do this, Akamaru. Your support means a lot."
As if he wouldn't support Kiba either way, his soft expression told him before his nose was nuzzling at Kiba's hand.
"Good boy." Kiba murmured softly, leaning his head back against the tree trunk for a moment. "Let's head to bed, buddy. We can get an early start in the morning."
It didn't take long for them to get comfortable, Kiba lying with his head resting on Akamaru's abdomen. Akamaru was asleep in mere minutes, his soft snoring making Kiba want to laugh, but he held back from doing so. The big guy was tired and deserved to rest. Above them stars shone through the gaps in the tree branches, more stars than they'd see in the village. When he was a kid and had first been assigned to Kurenai's team, the first time they had to camp in the woods Hinata had told him how much she loved all the stars out here. She had spoken so softly, her voice a mere whisper that he had been afraid he wouldn't hear if he hadn't been paying close enough attention. Truthfully Kiba hadn't thought much about things like the stars before that night but the way Hinata had sounded so sincere had made something inside of his chest flutter. He couldn't help but think of Hinata whenever he looked at the stars now, couldn't help but think about that first camping experience with a nervous little girl that had turned into such a wonderful woman.
He loved his friends a lot and there was a part of him that felt bad for not letting them come with him. Shino and Hinata were nothing but supportive and caring. He was sure they were worried about him even now, sitting at home and hoping this trip wasn't a waste of time in the long run. His chest kind of ached to think about them.
He didn't usually feel this lonely. Not until recently, when all of his friends relationships had started to settle down and cement themselves. Naruto's upcoming wedding was probably what started these feelings, but everyone else so in love and happy probably hadn't helped. It was a frustrating feeling that made him want to slam his fist into something. He wasn't bitter about his friends being happy and in love. After all the bullshit they all had gone through in their lives his friends deserved every ounce of love that came their way. The mere idea of resenting his friends for being in love made him sick to his stomach; he didn't have the heart for that kind of stuff.
But he was lonely. Maybe it was mentioning his old crush on Hinata to Hana, or thinking about his past feelings for Naruto earlier that afternoon that had emphasized the loneliness all of a sudden. Whatever had caused it he really didn't like it. It was too heavy of a thought to be left alone with, realizing that at his age everyone was in love, ready to marry, and he hadn't even fallen in love yet. If he were five years younger he wouldn't really care that much, but he wasn't five years younger. He was twenty three, nearing twenty four sooner than he'd like to admit. It just didn't feel normal to be lacking in...romantic experience at his age. He was lucky enough to have friends that didn't give him a hard time about it at least. He'd be mortified at this point if one of them had decided to poke fun at this...sensitive information. Then again he was more so the type to tease someone for that, unless of course Ino caught wind of it. If Ino had noticed, which she most likely had like everyone else, she hadn't said anything just yet. He considered himself very, very lucky.
Kiba groaned softly, feeling Akamaru shift under him almost instantly before a wet nose was sniffing at his hair. He reached a hand up blindly to awkwardly pat at whatever part of Akamaru he could reach. "Sorry. Go back to sleep, Akamaru."
Oh, but if Kiba was still up then Akamaru was going to be up. He huffed softly, nipping at Kiba's hair and tugging on a couple of strands with his teeth, pulling a yelp from Kiba's lips as he swiveled his head around to try and glare at him. "That hurt, you big bully!"
Was Akamaru sorry? No, not really. Kiba should have been asleep and Kiba knew that if Akamaru had been just a little more awake he would have been growling out a lecture. Instead he just kept his tired eyes locked on his partner, watching Kiba fix his hair for a few moments before the young man was settling back down, lying against Akamaru like before. Akamaru would probably stay awake until Kiba was asleep now, Kiba knew. Akamaru was too good at sensing when Kiba was trapped in his own head and even if he didn't say it out loud very much, Kiba was thankful. More than thankful.
With another sigh Kiba finally let his eyes slip shut, the crackling fire and the crickets the only noise occupying his mind now. Beneath him Akamaru's breathing calmed a bit even if his eyes were still open, ears still twitching every time another noise caught his attention. Sleep sounded great now that Kiba had managed to work himself up into yet another emotional crisis. As if the issues with his dad weren't enough?