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Chapter Text

 "Alright, I'm heading out now," Hana pulled her backpack over her shoulder, ruffling the head fur of one of her dogs. "And I'll be back soon, won't I? Yes I will."
  The younger boy nearby perked up with confusion with his sister's goodbyes, 
"Huh? You're leaving the Haimaru behind?"
  
  Before Hana could answer, a plate was set in front of him as his mother approached the table, 
 "Eat your lunch, Kiba. Don't worry about her."

Well, that was hardly an answer at all! Hana never traveled without the Haimaru brothers; they were basically an extension of her! He pouted, shifting his eyes to his mom, who only sat down in one of the empty chairs with a frown, seeing he was still bothered, 
 "It's a mission that she can't bring them on."

   Hana sighed as she crossed his arms,
 "You know, little kids are going to be even more curious when you answer like that," The young woman chuckled, approaching Kiba only to ruffle his hair into a mess just like she did her dog, 
"Hey!" He shook her hand off as his sister smiled, 
 "I'll be back soon. It's top secret, but when you become a chunin, maybe you can come too. So make sure you keep training hard."

  A chunin... That was so far away. He had only just become a genin...

 "In position at point A." Kiba backed into a tree as he activated his microphone.
 "Point B." Shino responded first in his softspoken voice, blunt as ever.
 "I'm at C," Hinata replied last, her voice dripping with hesitance, but determination to fulfill the mission. 
"Alright, you know the plan," Kiba took charge, followed by a short yip from Akamaru beside him, "Fan out to the border, walk the trail. This is border patrol, but we're not about to get sloppy! Who knows what types of freaks are trying to sneak into the Land of Fire?"
 "Don't attack any merchants." Shino tacked on swiftly, almost accusatory, "Kiba." He accused. 
"Why you gotta call me out? I know already! Merchants, tourists, whatever. Just look out for the real freaks. Bandits or stuff."
 "Um..." Hinata gently interjected over the microphone, "Not to... Cut either of you off or anything, but you packed supplies, right? Hiking the border is going to take a few days."
 "Of course," Shino affirmed.
 "Yeah, obviously. I got some stuff in my pack. Akamaru wouldn't let me leave without his favorite treats anyway."
The dog perked his ears, hearing his name. 
   "I'm going to start moving. I suggest you do the same. It would be inconvenient to make little distance before nightfall." Shino shut off his microphone, causing a short buzz over the feed. Kiba could only sigh.
 "Man, not even a goodbye? Alright, I guess that's my cue. Peace."
At least he said goodbye to Hinata before cutting off his speaker as well. With that, it was time for the mission to start for real!

  The boy offered a short pet to Akamaru, scratching that perfect spot behind his ear before he began to move. The plan was to work in a pie formation of triangles. The team would fan out to three angled points at the edge of the border and monitor for a few days before the circular path led them to meet. Kiba had the longest path, though, but he was ready for it. Hinata and Shino would go in opposite directions, but later they would meet and take the rest of the way together, while Kiba took a longer way around. He had the speed and sight advantage with Akamaru, so it was only natural that he would accept it. At his current pace, he would easily get to the border before nightfall, especially if there weren't any problems on the way there.
  Luckily for him, the forest was peaceful and quiet the whole run. It was almost disappointing that there wasn't any chaos along the way he could sink his teeth into.
  The edge of the border was marked with the dirt trail he was meant to find. The trail had been loosely marked by some shinobi trying to warn outsiders they were about to enter the Land of Fire, but it was fairly overgrown at this point. Not that it was any professional path to begin with, and more like a dirt trail they made by ripping up grass and bushes. 

   Kiba clapped his hands with pride before looking up to the sky and finding the orange hues of sunset were upon them. Already there, and he wasn't even tired yet. Training really paid off, and all he had to do was relax and catch some sleep before morning. Easiest mission ever. 

 "How about we get a few extra steps in, huh?" He offered a toothy grin to Akamaru, who cocked his head curiously before perking up with an enthusiastic bark. "That's what I like to hear! It's still plenty light out; we'd just be wasting time if we made a camp now-"

    Out of nowhere, something threw off his focus as a strange scent crossed his nose. It was faint, but something new... No... Was this familiar? Nah, it couldn't be. Something told him he had smelled it before, but it was also totally new. 
 He sniffed the air again, instantly freezing up to focus. 
Damn it, it was too far, just out of his range. 
  As though they shared a brain, Akamaru sniffed the air as well, beginning to pace in circles to try to narrow in on it, but equally had trouble. Finally, Kiba sighed.
 "Ah, it's no use. It's too far away. I can't tell what direction it's comin' from. Just give the word if you smell it again, yeah?"
He gave his canine another quick scratch as he started down the path as planned. If he had a head start, maybe he might meet up with the others before they even found each other. 

  Even as he walked, there was no 'again', because the smell simply wouldn't go away. It lingered in the air like a curse. Just out of reach to pinpoint, but noticeable enough to start getting annoying. Was it just how the border smelled or something? It couldn't be, could it? He had been here tons of times before! 
 The boy grit his teeth, practically working overtime to sniff it out before grunting with frustration.
 "Damn it! I know I'm picking up on something!"
   Akamaru's head hung low, the dog whining with apologies. He could only sigh.
 "Sorry, boy, it's not your fault either. It's just starting to piss me off. It's irritating my nose, and it's like it's following us. But we've been walking around for a couple of hours now, we would've noticed someone."
   It wasn't much longer before the sun fully set and the sky darkened. Under the shadow of the trees, it was too difficult to keep walking anymore. There wasn't any choice but to stop for the night and rest. It didn't take Kiba long to unpack his blanket, but still, was it alright to just sleep when that smell was still lingering? 
 He sat down, looking to Akamaru.
"It's probably fine, but let's sleep in shifts. Good thing there's two of us, huh?"
  The dog yipped, sitting down beside him as Akamaru chose to be on watch first.

 Deep within the trees, a pair of glowing eyes watched from the shadows. Along a thick branch, the body moved with calculation. Soundless, bounding from one tree to the next. 
  Akamaru perked up his head on high alert, catching wind of the smell drawing closer. His eyes peered into the forest, but it wasn't worth waking his partner yet. Whatever it was, it was still a good distance away. His tail scraped against the dirt as he shifted position, and he fell still, his training having prepared him for whatever may come of this. 
 The watcher paused as their eyes locked onto the canine and lowered themselves down against the branch carefully. In the shadows, their eyes still glowed like two stars, faint but shimmering. 
  The silence dragged out for what felt like an eternity before the stranger slowly began to climb their way forward again.

The smell was close and sharp enough to pinpoint. They knew this, but it was unavoidable the closer they got. Akamaru finally jumped up and barked, echoing his voice through the trees. It was a single sound, but it was enough to jolt Kiba awake. 
  He groaned as he pushed himself up, unable to hide the irritation of being woken up so soon after drifting off, but he still reached out to brush a hand through Akamaru's fur, 
 "What is it, boy?"
It took a moment before his mind woke up as well, and Kiba himself picked up on the strong scent that had been following them.
 "Hey... There's no doubt about it, is there?"
He slid a kunai from his pouch as he pulled himself up and sniffed the air. It sure smelled like an animal, but something was off about it. Uncanny, even. It wasn't quite right, yet it was... So damn familiar. 
  He peered into the trees, managing to finally pinpoint the direction it was coming from. Whether it was movement, sound, or the smell getting closer, his whole body tensed up as he anticipated a potential attack. 

    It was hard to resist staring. There was no doubt about it. He smelled familiar, but that scent on the dog was new to me. I had been trying to keep a distance all day until I knew for sure, but it was hard when he had the same sense of smell I did. I didn't mean to wake the ninja, but that dog...
 The sound of the bark made me bristle up, practically freezing me in place as I tried to get the nerve to move again. A dog... How frightening. I didn't want to get too close to it; it was the guy that I was trying to investigate. I watched as he stood up, a weapon glinting in his hand. Did he plan to attack without thinking? I didn't want to fight, but if he decided to attack, I wouldn't have a choice. How was I meant to get close if I was already a threat?
  I kept still, as though I were blending into the trees themselves. No matter how quiet I was and if I chose to wait it out, it was too late. The ninja was already on edge and watching. His stance was defensive and prepared for a fight. Even if he didn't plan to make the first move, my scent was already in the air. There was no two ways around it, I couldn't stay lingering for long. If I backed away and left now, I could avoid a confrontation, but my curiosity wouldn't be satisfied. No way, I had to talk to him, even if I needed to face that beast to do it!
 When I hopped down to the forest floor, my body was lightweight and quiet. Even the leaves dare not crunch beneath my feet. I didn't try to lurk, but my attempts to make noise before I showed myself weren't very good. Brushing against the bushes sounded no different than the wind, and the ground was against me in terms of revealing myself. When I finally slinked out from the overgrowth and met his eyes, he tensed up even more, baring sharpened teeth. Was he like me? I thought he was a simple trainer, but teeth like that... No, his nails too. I couldn't help a smile as my gaze flicked to his nails, long and sharp just like mine. I didn't mean to disregard his anger and distrust at my appearance, but it was so hard not to smile.
 "You... Are you like me?!" When I stepped forward, he took a quick step back to gain distance again, his dog growling threateningly as it protected its master. Yet, even his defense was hard to notice when excitement started to bubble up, "I've never seen a dog before, much less someone like you! And your smell-!" 
 I sniffed the air, taking in the scent of the ninja and his canine. They were muddled together and overpowering, but he smelled similar to me as well. Human, and yet not. Mixed with the scent of beast, it was too thrilling. 

   His sharpened eyes scaled me up and down, taking in every inch of my appearance. For a moment, his eyes flickered with hesitation and surprise, only to quickly remember his training and tense up again. 
 I could pick up on the slightest movements he made and how his heart was beating quicker the closer I got. The subtle sounds caused my ears to flick involuntarily, tail twitching behind me.
 The dog suddenly barked, freezing me in place again. That sound was like a command, halting me against my will. I wanted to keep getting closer, but something in me wanted to recoil at hearing a sound like that. 
 While I was tensed up, the ninja spun the kunai in his hand, getting a better grip as he held it guarded in front of his chest.
"Dunno who you are, but back up, man." His voice rumbled as he spoke, but doing that was so... Boring. I wasn't known for obeying commands, after all. Still, maybe it was better if I did. 
 I started to back up again, but that look... He wasn't nearly as excited about the smell as I was, but why not? It was a disappointing feeling to know someone who smelled so familiar didn't greet me more happily. 
  The dog continued to growl, but it didn't move forward in a threatening way. Suddenly, it clicked. Of course, they were only being defensive; I could still avoid a fight if I tried to talk it out. Ninjas from hidden villages could usually be reasoned with to avoid an unnecessary fight. 
 I tried to smile as I perked up.
 "I'm not an enemy, I promise!" That... Didn't do anything at all. They didn't move an inch. Well, I probably just needed to keep talking, "I'm from the felidae clan, we're allies with Kohana."
 "Yeah?" The boy nearly scoffed, "Never heard of ya'. I feel like I would've been told about it if we were allies."

 Man, how annoying, I forgot about that detail! With a sigh, I found myself having to explain. I raised my hands in a show of faith that I wasn't holding any weapons, but his eyebrows furrowed as he caught a glimpse of my claws.
 "We're in hiding. My clan stays isolated for our protection, only high ranks in your village would know about us, and-"
Hey, wait a moment. Something was coming to me...
 "And specialized medical ninjas."
I finished my sentence, but I was starting to piece something together already. This smell in the air, yeah, I knew it! My mood quickly switched back to excitement as I found myself remembering his scent.
"You're related to Hana!" That was it! There was no doubt about it! His smell was mingled with his dog's, but once I remembered that detail... Yeah, I remembered her!

  Right away, his eyes widened as I seemed to have broken through his defensive wall. His kunai lowered as he relaxed, but I stood my ground, not yet trying to get closer.
 "Just who are you, huh? How do you know my sister?"
He looked to his dog, where the two shared a look of equal confusion. I simply shrugged it off, clasping my hands with joy.
 "She was the only outsider I ever met! She smelled like dogs, too. I never thought I'd get to see one."
The ninja's eyes shifted to my perked ears before slowly moving down to meet my eyes. He still carried unease, but mentioning his sister had sliced through the tension. His dog lowered his head, communicating something I couldn't quite understand with his canine body language, but his owner picked it up, giving him a short nod. 
 "Yeah, I feel it too," he muttered to the animal before sighing my way, "Alright, you're freaky as hell, but I'll hear you out. But shut off... Whatever Jitsu that is, we're not talking until you're back to normal."
 Huh? What was he talking about? Did I activate something without realizing?
I looked down at my hands, then circled around my body. Nope, I was still me. When I glanced back to him, confusion spread across my expression.
 "I'm not sure what you mean. I didn't do anything."

  He clicked his tongue with clear irritation, his grip suddenly tightening around the knife.
 "I'm not messin' around, y'know! The animal stuff, get rid of it!"
   What? 
Animal...?
 Did he mean my normal look?!
I would almost be offended if I didn't think it was so funny. I didn't mean to laugh and make him look so flustered suddenly, but I couldn't help it! Take them off like they weren't body parts?
 "I can't just get rid of it! Those are just me!" I breathed through my laughter before I pointed to my ears, finally trying to catch my breath, "It's my kekkei genkai. That's what my clan is known for."
  The ninja's flushed red cheeks of shock and shame moved into a look of curiosity and confusion, then to shock.
"Huh?! You're kidding!" He sniffed at the air, as though trying to confirm my statement before using his free hand to wipe his nose and sniffled, "Yeah, you smell like a cat, alright, but I've never seen a kekkei genkai like that."
 
  He looked to his dog once more, the two sharing a stare of unease. They remained silent as they communicated without words. After a long moment, he finally lowered his kunai into his pouch.
 "Alright, weird cat person in the forest, knows my sister, and claims to be part of some secret ally clan. Guess you got me curious. But it's my mission to run out anyone not meant to be in our territory, so you better not be lying, got it?"

   He was so defensive, even though I saw him playing earlier. I thought he would be more relaxed when I finally showed, but he was still pretty funny. I tried to restrain a purr as I nodded, my tail flicking with joy.

Chapter Text

"Come along, inside now," My mother's claw hooked my shirt as she pulled me into the den. She tried to hide the visitor walking by, but I could smell the lingering scent in the air. Once she moved away to do something else, I couldn't resist peeking through the curtain. Our small home was covered with branches and leaves to blend in with the forest, but I could see the ninja through the foliage. 
  She looked so tough, but most of all, she didn't look like us. No fluffy ears or tail, it was so... Weird!
Weird, but exciting! When I giggled, my mother quickly snapped her attention back to me, 
 "(Y/N), would you close the curtain? We don't need outsiders seeing you, kitten."
   Man...
 I sighed, but I did as told and closed it once more, only to drop against the wall with a poutful sit, 
 "I want to see her, though. She looks all weird without ears. Why can't I?"
"Hana's not weird, (Y/N)," My mother brushed it off, choosing to ignore my pouting, "Most people in this world look like her. With any luck, you won't have to see any more of them eventually. She's training a doctor here for us, so she doesn't need to travel here later. It's normally restricted to people like her."
 Restricted... Yeah, I remember hearing about that before. That didn't stop my ears from dropping sadly,
"But why? I want to see more. I like her smell."

  I wasn't sure what I said, but my mother's tail bristled with unease. She looked like she wanted to say something, then brushed it off and cleared her throat to adjust her words before speaking, 
  "(Y/N), that's the smell of dog. That woman is a beast trainer; Hana trains dogs to fight with her. She's only here because she's an exceptional vet, and normal medicine doesn't work for a clan like ours. Dogs are dangerous, do you understand? If you ever smell that, you need to run away very far."
  But...
I couldn't argue with my mother. Still, I turned away, refusing to meet her eyes,
 "Okay."
Dogs were banned here; I never saw one before. It only made me more curious to smell it on that woman. I heard all the stories. How they drooled, were practically waiting to rip our tails off with sharp teeth, how they smelled vile after a bath, never anything good about them. 
  Still, that didn't make me not a little curious just to see what one might look like. 
 
 

So this guy, his name was Kiba, he told me. And this Kiba was pacing in front of me. A few steps to the left, digging his heel into the dirt to spin around, and a few steps back to the right. Every few seconds, he would look down at me, but I maintained a smile where I sat, swaying myself quietly as I watched. 
  From a distance, his dog sat, watching me with equal suspicion. I didn't like the stare of the dog, but I tried to focus more on Kiba. Finally, I grinned, breaking the silence with a twitch of my ear,
 "I told you everything, didn't I? The elders thought my clan was in danger. Shinobi kept trying to capture us for our abilities, since we don't need to expend chakra for our felidae-style, so we went into hiding. Kohana let us stay in the Land of Fire, so we kept a distant allyship, that's all. Your sister came on missions to help with medicine."
It was a loose conclusion after everything I just told him, but Kiba didn't respond right away. His eyebrows furrowed as he continued to pace.
  "Is that why she kept them a secret...?" He muttered under his breath, talking to himself more than me, "We should've been told before we started going on missions..."
 "It was one of the rules." I knew he wasn't talking to me, but I had an answer for it anyway, "The elders asked for the clan to be kept a tight secret. If people knew, then we might've gotten visitors, traders, support requests for your village, or more. Basically, pulled back into the known eye again, you know?"
 It made me sad to say aloud, as though cementing it in my mind. If I had stayed home, I never would've seen everything I had.
 I felt my ears lower, my tail flicking a bit more with irritation, but I quickly attempted to reel myself back in and gave a forced smile. Kiba continued to think before finally looking down at me once more, 
 "Alright, here's a question for you, yeah? If you were so isolated and convinced outsiders are dangerous, why'd you leave or show yourself at all?"
 
  That was a great question, and one I couldn't wait to tell with a wide grin, 
"That's easy!" I waved off his suspicions like it was nothing, "I left a long time ago, and I just happened to pick up your trail a little while ago by chance. I wanted to see a dog."
  I looked to the dog, who perked up after I answered. Kiba raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms,
 "Yeah? All there was to it, huh? Didn't you tell me dogs were banned in your clan? What made you change your mind?"
   It was funny to hear him ask the question with his desperate attempt to mask his tone beneath his words. I wasn't trying to offend by talking about my clan's rules; it was just how they were!
 "I like their smell," I tapped my nose when I replied, "But I like the smell here even more! You smell a lot like us. Just in two separate bodies instead."
  Kiba sighed as he turned away from looking at me. He continued to think once more while attempting to hide his face.
As the ninja was trying to work through his own embarrassment, I peeked down at the blanket I was sitting on. It was soft, much more comfortable than the trees I slept on. 
 I lowered down to lie on it comfortably, stretching out on my stomach. Oh yeah... This was the good stuff. So soft. 
  "Smell, huh..." I heard him mutter again, making a clear attempt to ignore me stealing his blankets, "Now that I think about it..."
He trailed off to finish the thought in his own head. How boring, why wouldn't he let me eavesdrop? Hana was his sister, wasn't she? If I recognized the scent, then would he know my clan, too? She visited a few times. 
 Suddenly, he turned back to me with a gaze of frustration  
"Alright, guess I got no choice but to believe you. I didn't really wanna consider it after you mentioned my sister, but the more I think about it, I know I recognize your scent too because she brought it back home with her when she went on those missions."
   Oh, he believed me just like that?
I wasn't lying, but I figured a trained ninja would've needed a lot more convincing. I grinned, but he only turned away, scratching his claws through his shaggy hair with frustration, 
 "Man... Of all animals it could be... She was helping a clan of cats?"
"Felidae, not cats." I quickly corrected, "Cat family. I have cat traits; my cousin's ears are rounded like a panther's." I rolled onto my side to rest on my elbow, but Kiba didn't look amused with my interruption. He stared me down with a frown. Was it that big of a deal? "You know, like meow?" 
 I playfully added on, to which he groaned again, dropping down to a sit in front of me. His dog whimpered, lying down as well as he mimicked his master's mood. 

  While he continued to think, my tail continued swaying out behind me, twitching every so often against my will as the chilling night air brushed along the fur. 
  Being this close, I could pick up on finer details I couldn't earlier. I was able to smell the forest on him, which made sense. I could also smell the lingering, faint traces of his last meal. I sniffed again, trying to pinpoint the exact food. It was something cooked, with hints of meat. Lucky guy, what I wouldn't give for a hot meal right now. 
  Now that I was right in front of him, it was easier to take in his appearance. His claws weren't claws at all, but he grew his nails long with a fine point. And his teeth, while sharper than normal, weren't the same as a dog's. It was disappointing, to say the least, that he was just like everyone else. Was I the outlier then? His smell was still merged with his beast, but that was only because they were close; it didn't come from him. 
  I finally pushed myself up and scooted closer. Kiba momentarily tensed up, leaning back in defense, but I didn't quite bother with his security again. I wasn't going to attack, so what was the issue?
I continued to sniff the air and investigate the scent. Deep down, I knew my clan's birth traits were unique, but if there was even a chance someone was like me, I wanted to know for sure. All the mixed information hitting me at once was starting to give me a headache, while the ninja was tense with deep perplexity.
 His dog suddenly gave a yip, and my body moved on instinct, jolting back and freezing. Damn it, that sound again! My tail fluffed up in fright, but this time, it was Kiba grinning, barring his fangs, 
 "Not a dog person, huh? Nice to know you react like that every time. Now I know what to do if you're not trustworthy," He chuckled as he waved off my response and turned back to the animal, "It's alright, Akamaru, nothin' wrong with a little research. A lot like our abilities, huh?"
 Akamaru relaxed once his owner gave the okay and sat back down, but his eyes didn't leave me. 
 

   It was hard to focus with the stare of the animal. I wanted to see a dog, that was true. It was difficult to be this close to one, nevertheless. I had been hoping to speak more to the master first before facing a trained canine. A part of me knew he wasn't a normal dog and wouldn't just maim me right away, but the other part couldn't pull myself away from my upbringing. The same teachings that made me leave my clan were the same that made me want to keep my distance. 
 Something flickered in Kiba's eyes as he seemingly caught on to something. Shifting between me and Akamaru, he finally stood up, brushing non-existent dust off his pants, then looked down my way, offering a hand,
 "Well, get up, will ya'? You said you wanted to see a dog; you can meet him."
Meet him? Like, get up close, and it'll be okay? 
  Excitement and thrill bubbled up in my stomach, as though I were about to do something forbidden. I wasn't in my clan anymore, but still... A dog!
 I accepted his hand, feeling the chill right away. Was his hand cold, or did I run warmer? We were about the same age, but I couldn't help but notice how much smaller my palm was compared to Kiba's as well. It was like the closer I got to someone outside of my clan, the more I noticed just how odd I really was. Who would I have been if I weren't born in my clan? Would my hand be the same size? When would I have seen my first dog instead?
 He helped me to my feet, although I didn't necessarily need the help. The offer was kind, though. 
  Akamaru's ears perked up as he pushed himself back to his feet. His fluffy white tail wagged slowly behind him, excited for the attention but noticeably restrained and careful. I couldn't read the dog's body language very well, but I could somewhat understand the tail, although it was more like trying to translate a broken language with how dogs used theirs differently. Kiba continued to guide me closer, and while I walked behind, my heart drummed in my chest, my breathing coming out shakily. 
Horrible thoughts flashed in my mind. What they could do, what I was told growing up; the potential for anything to go wrong. 
I squeezed his hand tighter, but feeling my claws start burrowing into his skin, I nearly recoiled back to relax again. I could merely feel my tail defensively puffed up, and yet I kept walking closer. 
  Kiba turned down to Akamaru with a smile, then flicked back to me, 
"He's my bud'. Sure we ain't exactly like your clan, but my clan has our abilities too. Akamaru is basically like my second half. We're a part of each other."
 Right...
 I carefully scooted closer, my shoes dragging along the ground. I didn't release his hand for a moment, but with my free hand, I began to reach out, trembling, as though my body were trying to resist. 
 I got closer, but I finally couldn't push forward anymore. My hand hung in the air, unable to touch the canine. My breathing was much deeper now, each exhale shallow through my lips. 
 "Hey, you good?" Kiba tried to offer concern, but I couldn't respond. My ears continued twitching rapidly, and the dog cocked his head, making a whining sound.
Before I could respond, Akamaru suddenly moved forward, closing the distance as he pressed his head against my hand. I wasn't sure what sound I made just then, but it was something mixed with surprise and fear that was better suited for a mouse.
 

  I almost jerked backward, but before I did, the feeling of his fur on my hand caught my attention. It was soft and coarse. My fingers were able to smoothly brush through it, and he wasn't hurting me. My body was still tense and frozen, but after a moment, I didn't feel like I wanted to back away.
 I exhaled, releasing a heavy breath I had been holding deep in my stomach. With that, a light smile spread over my lips, and I managed to release his hand. 
 I was touching a dog... A real dog. He was so soft and warm. Before I knew it, I had both hands around his head, scratching my claws behind his ears. The total cats in my clan liked this, so why wouldn't a dog like it, too?
 It was different than what I expected it to feel like. Akamaru's fur was thick, like a protective blanket over his body. A cat's fur was silky and sensitive, but he didn't look bothered at all when I scratched without care for the direction his fur moved. 
  I finally pulled away, but my skin still tingled with the sensation. I never felt fur like that before, and he was so big, I felt small by comparison. 
 Still, a warm smile made its way to my lips as I looked to Kiba, who had his arms crossed as he watched.
 The ninja looked to be thinking about something and quickly blinked, shaking his thoughts to come back to reality, 
"Y'know, I can't help but wonder what type of clan would ban dogs like that. I dunno what I'd do without Akamaru. Not any place I want to go. Sounds sucky."
  He said that now, but he didn't grow up there. I left, but I still loved my family. I could only scoff it off, 
"It was a great home, and I love my family. I just didn't like all the rules, and I wanted to see more of the world. I haven't left the Land of Fire yet, but one day I want to travel everywhere and live free to see anything I want, whenever."
  That was the dream; the reason I left. It was the most painful thing I ever had to do, slipping out in the middle of the night, but I knew I'd never get to live my life if I stayed restricted to the territory. 
 I couldn't resist looking out beyond the border, just through the trees. I was so close to leaving if I crossed the path. I could've seen a dog anytime out there, but I chose right now instead. I shook it off, pulling my eyes back to Akamaru.
  The ninja hummed, a hint of frustration in his tone. He nodded slowly, still clearly disagreeing with the notion. Yet, he didn't bother arguing. After a moment, he perked up again,
 "So those are like, actually real. A kekkei genkai that doesn't need to be activated first is pretty rare. So you're pretty strong in a fight?"
 Was I? I wouldn't consider myself a fighter. I thought it over, then shrugged,
"I'm not sure. I know I have good agility, but I've never tried to push myself. Sounds like a lot of extra effort."
 Now that I thought about it, I never saw anyone in my clan fighting. Did we even have fighters? People bickered sometimes, but it was usually resolved with them walking away after talking big and immediately forgetting about it. Kiba internalized my words, clearly growing more confused with each passing second. 
 Finally, he piped up once more, curiosity lingering in his face, 
"Can I uh, touch them?" The question came off awkward, to which he quickly backpedaled to rephrase, "The ears, they're totally legit, I'm just curious."

  Was he now? Surely Kiba had seen a cat before, right? Still, if it wasn't someone in my clan, I was probably the first with these attributes. It was a little strange to consider accepting any form of being touched, especially my ears. They were delicate and could be easily injured; it was simply common sense to keep hands away from the ears back home. Nevertheless, it didn't sound all that bad to try. 
  After thinking it over, I nodded,
 "Just be careful, they heal weird if they get hurt."
The ninja practically scoffed, 
"What kinda guy do you think I am, huh?! I'll be careful, you don't need to tell me the obvious."
 For as much as he complained, once he reached out and actually brushed a finger against the light fur, Kiba was surprisingly gentle about it. His eyes shone with deep inquisitiveness,
 "Damn, they feel just like an actual cat," He concluded as he felt the thin skin at the very tip, "I'm kinda jealous. Imagine the things you could hear with these abilities."
 "I don't need to imagine it," I retorted quickly, although playful in my tone, "My hearing is perfect."

Chapter Text

 "Walk, you can do that, can't you?"
 The shinobi pushed, causing the smaller villager to stumble. She failed to catch herself, dropping down to a knee as she breathed heavily.
  "Hey!" A guy turned back, pulling against the chains he was locked in, "We're moving, relax! Can't you see she's tired?"
The woman quickly shook her head to try calming the man down, but he pulled again, causing the shinobi leading him to harshly tug him away, 
 "Let's go, it's a long way back."
Pulling her back to her feet, the shinobi moved head to guide her with the lead instead without a word. She was clearly with child, but they didn't have time to waste for her to slow them down. The trail of other villagers behind them marched in line, each one bearing the same animalistic traits. 
 The woman kept her eyes to the ground, her tail low and flat against her body, twitching with sadness every few moments. 
"I don't want to fight." She finally muttered, but the shinobi didn't respond. Still, she kept speaking, "We're not fighters. We don't use our kekkei genkai for battle."
 "It's a waste, then." He shot back shortly, "You'll put it to use for us. You don't understand how valuable a clan like yours is, do you? Being able to use special abilities from the get-go without any chakra is an army that can fight for days."
 "We don't use ninjitsu." She continued on, not once tearing her eyes from the ground, "We don't know how to use our chakra."
"You will."
He tugged again, forcing her to pick up pace as the chains dug into her wrist. It was no use; the mist ninjas had made up their minds. The dense forest was slowly beginning to thin out, and the scent of the valley beyond was drawing closer. The rest of the felidae clan could smell it too. Ears perked up, eyes shifted nervously, each one after the other becoming restless as they were being led out of the Land of Fire. 
   A younger man suddenly pulled harshly against his chains in the back, desperately trying to dig his feet in the ground, 
 "No, the forest is our home! We're citizens of the Land of Fire!"
 At first, there was silence, then progressively, more of the felidae rose their voices, 
 "We belong here!" A tiger girl stopped walking as well.
 "We don't fight!" Another with a linx tail argued. 
 Progressively, the clan was resisting in their protest at the edge of the border, making far too much noise for the ninja's liking. The glint of kunai being pulled out hushed the meekest ones quickly,
 "Keep moving!" The leader of the movement pushed on, "Doubletime!"

  The restless felidae continued barking their opposition, only to all suddenly hush on alert. It wasn't their mist catnappers who had silenced them, but without warning, the clan caught wind of something the normal ninjas didn't. Through their silence, the shinobi's unease set in.
 "What's up with them?" One man whispered nervously, "They all just shut up."
The forest fell still, and suddenly, one of the mist ninjas jolted, 
 "In the trees!"
There was barely enough time for a reaction when a swift attack was launched, and the mist ninjas were collapsing one by one. The woman shut her eyes tightly, her body tense. The smell of an opposing village had surrounded them after the noise they were making. Were they going to be friend or foe? It was hard to believe another hidden village would save them just to let them go. If she had learned anything, it was that you couldn't trust ninjas not to be out for themselves.
 She braced herself, prepared for an attack to hit her, but when the last mist ninja fell still, the strangers dropped from the trees,
"Invaders in the Land of Fire, I can't believe this!" One of the leaf ninjas muttered with anger as he looked around. 
 Some others started releasing the chains, but the distrust on the felidae's faces extended even to their saviors. 
  As a lion boy was freed, he didn't wait to run into the trees and vanish. Progressively, each one was released and ran. One of the ninjas finally approached the woman and worked at her chains. She met his eyes, unable to hide her sadness, 
 "You saved us?"
"Of course," He grinned back as he worked, "You're citizens of this land."
 He tried to offer support, but it didn't lift her spirits as she tore her eyes away, 
"I learned today... It's not safe for a clan like mine to be citizens anywhere. As long as the world knows about us, there will be people who want to use us for our kekkei genkai."
  The man paused as the realization of her words dawned on him. Then he slowly began to release the chains once more, finally dropping them to the ground to free her, 
 "I understand."

  The night air began to grow colder as Kiba watched the stranger rest. Curled up in his blankets like they owned it, but he didn't care at the moment. He wasn't going to be getting any sleep anyway. His mind continued to grapple with everything he learned in such a short time. A secret felidae clan right under their noses. Or rather, the higher-ups knew about them all along. The Hokage never even hinted at the possibility of their existence. From everything (Y/N) had been saying, though, it sounded like there was never any intention for them to ever be seen again. 
 So why did this one leave? Was it really as simple as just wanting to see a dog? 
He sighed, his finger brushing against his microphone. Maybe they should be reported to the team, but what would happen if even more people started learning about the clan? Going through all that effort of hiding just for their existence to spread because he was craving to talk about it... Well, that was just shitty, no matter how he looked at it!
 Then again, they were his team; it wasn't right to keep things from them. 
 "Damn it," The ninja grumbled, turning to Akamaru, "Don't 'spose you know what I should do right now?"
   His partner cocked his head, giving a short, quiet whine that Kiba could only chuckle at,
"Just kidding."
  He leaned back against the tree as he tried to relax, his eyes drifting to the sky above. What was his team doing now? They probably found a comfortable spot to rest and relax, and there was no way they were dealing with something like this. The stars twinkled high in the sky, reminding him of when he first made contact. Even if they were still human enough, the shining eyes of a feline that was watching him in the trees... Yeah, they kinda looked like stars too, didn't they? He never really liked how a cat's eyes shone like that in the darkness; it made him feel all eerie about it, but... Man... Looking at (Y/N) sound asleep right now, for a moment, Kiba thought that maybe, if the felidae clan hadn't gone into hiding, they could've been friends. How strange of a thought, too; friends with cats?
  Yet, it made sense in his head. 
With a heavy sigh, he rested his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. He couldn't fully fall asleep with (Y/N)'s presence, but if he could just rest a little bit, maybe he wouldn't feel the exhaustion tomorrow. 

  Kiba's breathing evened out to a relaxed rest, but nearby was nothing but twitching and growing discomfort. I shivered, my tail coiling around my arm, but it brought no warmth. My cheek nuzzled against the blanket, but my chest tightened. I usually prepared a place to sleep ahead of time for warmth, but I couldn't go back right now. If I left for my shelter, I could lose track of this guy or be tracked by something else without the help of a skilled ninja to back me up. It just wasn't safe to travel that far in the night.
  I would have to deal with the cold tonight, but saying it was much easier than doing so. It nipped at my ears and finally became too bothersome to handle. I would never get any rest like this, and sleeping on the ground to use the blanket on top was simply out of the question. 
 As I lifted my head, my gaze lingered on Akamaru. He was still awake, skillfully watching out into the forest. It was nice to know he no longer considered me a threat, but I could also say the same for him. Dogs weren't as bloodthirsty as I was led to believe. 
  Kiba sat a little way off, entirely unbothered by the cold. How lucky...
 Well, I did notice when I held his hand that I ran warmer than he did as well. 
  Slowly, I began to stand up and slide the blanket off the ground. Akamaru turned to look back my way, but he was quiet; more so staring with curiosity than suspicion. I used to sleep like this with my clan when I was younger.
  I kept as silent as I could, so as not to wake Kiba up when I laid the blanket out next to him and sat down on it once more. He was a total stranger right now; I couldn't deny it was a bit odd, but a part of me wanted to trust that it would be okay. I leaned closer, only barely letting my ears brush his jacket to keep the tips warm, and pulled my legs up to my chest. My arms were still cold, prompting my tail to brush along my skin in an attempt to warm up a bit more. 
  Without fully touching Kiba, sitting here would only do so much, but the idea of attempting anything that looked like affection to someone outside of my clan made me feel a seed of disgust. It wasn't affection; I just needed this right now, that was all, and being vulnerable beside Akamaru instead still brought discomfort. 
 The dog's eyes lingered a few moments more, but once I closed my eyes and tried to relax, I could feel him looking away to continue monitoring the forest. 

  I couldn't fully fall asleep. Even when I felt I was resting, the night nagged on, as though I never fell asleep at all. All my senses were on a constant alert, draining me faster than rest could keep up. The air began to warm ever so slightly as it grew closer to morning. I could hear Kiba begin to move, but I didn't care to respond to it. As long as he stayed lying down, I was fine. 
  He sat up, shifting lightly to move his hands over himself. It sounded like he was attempting to tidy himself up, but that was a bit weird, wasn't it? From his shaggy hair alone, a guy like this didn't give much attention to his looks. Was he trying to procrastinate? As he moved around, his jacket shifted away, then moved back, brushing my ears and causing a twitch as I instinctively tried to flick the weird tickle away.
  Couldn't he just stay still a little while longer? Did ninjas always have to be on the move like this?
Suddenly, he started to pull himself up, and all at once, I was jolted up faster than I planned to move. Kiba reeled back in surprise before exhaling, attempting to calm his heart after the scare,
 "Jeez, don't jump like that! What are you doing over here anyway? You already took my blanket."
He sure was talkative in the morning... I stretched my arms as I started to sit up as well,
"I wanted this spot too. You were just sitting under the best tree."
 
  My response only made him frown, a sharp tooth poking from his lips, 
"Uh uh. Y'know, things like that are why I was never really a cat person."

 Whatever; he was a ninja, he probably knew I was there all night and never tried to push me off. He was probably just complaining for the sake of complaining. 
 I took my time standing and stretching out before I finally swept up the blanket. Kiba watched, his arms crossed, until I was done, 
"What are you still doing here anyway? Figured you'd be gone by morning since you got to see that dog you wanted. I got a mission to get back to, y'know."
  A mission... That's right. I remembered overhearing that when I was following him.
A grin spread over my lips as I held the blanket close, 
 "I don't have anywhere else to be. Why don't I come along? Two noses are better than one, right?"
Akamaru huffed from behind, quickly making me wave it off and correct myself,
 "Ah, three noses."

  Kiba's expression shifted with hesitance, averting his eyes as he thought,
"Eh, I'm not sure about that. I believe you, so I won't turn you in or anythin', but my team is out here too. It would be a real pain trying to hide your clan if I'm around, showing you to other people. It's better if you just go home or wherever else someone like you goes."
 Someone like me?! I was fond of Kiba, but no way I'd let that slide!
 I tried to simply gasp, but I couldn't stop my ears from pulling back as irritation bubbled,
"I can handle myself! If I were so worried about my clan's secrecy, I wouldn't be showing myself at all, would I?" I didn't let him get a word in before I continued, hiding my frustration with pride, "And even if you said no, I'd just follow you anyway. You might be a trained ninja, but even you couldn't keep up with the agility from my kekkei genkai if I felt like tracking you again."
  His face fell with annoyance, glaring me down sharply before turning to his dog, 
"You hearin' this, bud? I think we're being challenged."
  He yipped a response, forcing my freeze response again, but Kiba didn't acknowledge it as his attention focused my way,
"Look, this is a mission I was assigned to, and I'm not gonna have some cat person screw it up for me," The scolding tone in his voice made my excitement drop in my stomach, and then he continued, "So if you're gonna try following, I'd rather keep my eye on you. I'm gonna be moving fast, so you better keep up, got that?"
 Wait, was that a yes?
All right!
 All at once, my ears perked up as my excitement returned, 
"Of course! I can be fast and keep up just fine."
  A grin made its way to his face, and he whistled, calling Akamaru to his side, 
"Put that in my bag, why don't ya? And fold it up first."
Kiba nodded to the blanket in my arms, encouraging me to look down. Ah, right. 
I'd never folded something before, but it couldn't be that hard. While I was busy with the blanket, Kiba and Akamaru were a little ways away, sharing a snack he had brought with him. My stomach rumbled as I watched, but I shook it off. I wasn't hungry enough to ask for food yet; he had no reason to share his rations with me. 
 The blanket wasn't perfect, but I pushed it down enough to get it stuffed in the bag without breaking the zipper, so that was a win for me. 
By the time we were moving, I found it more comfortable traveling in parallel than on the ground. Kiba ran along the forest floor as I jumped between the branches, making full use of my stamina and agility. Also, perhaps I was showing off... Just a little. 
  "So, (Y/N), lemmie ask ya'!" The ninja called up from below, "What's up with your abilities anyway? How can you keep up when you've never trained at all?"
 That was a good question, but one I couldn't entirely answer. I couldn't resist an awkward smile, 
"I'm not sure! I've just always been able to use them without thinking. Must be a cat thing,"
  I teased right back, the lingering comment about cats earlier still on my mind. Sure, I wasn't a full cat, but I was offended for the parts of me that were. 
 He rolled his eyes dismissively, 
"We're going the long way around the border. Hope you're up for that. You can peace out any time."
"And leave you defenseless out here?" Picking up on his playful retort, I matched the energy. Obviously, he could handle himself. If anything, I'd be the one in trouble if anything happened. I was fast, but I couldn't fight when it mattered. My training consisted of roughhousing when I was a kitten, and no true enemy would be patient for me to get close enough to bite. 
  Kiba picked up on that as well, as he snorted mockingly, 
"Oh, please, the day I need a kitty to help me is a sad day for my clan."

Chapter Text

Rain could wash away the scents that melted through the secret clearing. I scanned the small room, but turned away. There was nothing I could bring with me that would make this any less difficult. I didn't need anything that reminded me of home. 
  I began to reach for the door, then stopped. My ears flicked with attention as I heard my mother's soft breathing in the other room. No, she would hear that. 
 I moved to the window instead and slowly pulled the curtain inside. It was a tight fit, but once I managed to squeeze through, I could relax the breath I had been holding. 
 The rain pelted against my frame, soaking my clothes in barely a few moments. My tail uncomfortably stuck to my leg, and I shivered. When I sniffed, all I could smell was the chilling rain washing away my clan's existence in the forest. Everyone else was holed up inside, keeping themselves warm and dry, but this was the only day I could slip away. I'd been planning it for a while, so I just... Had an opportunity now. 
 I couldn't say goodbye, but it would be painful if I did anyway. I loved them, I always would, but I didn't... I didn't want to be hidden away anymore. 
 I wanted to see the world, I wanted to see a dog for the first time, and I wanted to feel connection that was more than just... Family. I'd miss my family, but I needed this. It would be the only way I'd be free. I still remember the smell of the visitor, the way Hana's scent was a story in itself. I was growing a headache with the constant, unchanging smell of the clan. 
 I didn't look back when I left, but for a moment as I got closer to the edge of the territory, my eyes lingered on the seals around the trees. Each one protected the clan's secret. They were like a cage, locking our scent in place and preventing anyone from finding us.
 Once I stepped out, my smell would trail behind me. I could be putting my clan in danger...
I nearly turned back, but I finally shook my head, erasing the thoughts. How many others would find us by smell alone? I would just have to hope it felt raining until I was far away. 
  Once I stepped beyond the seals, there was no celebration. I didn't feel any different; everything looked exactly the same. Yet, I finally turned around. The forest-made homes that used to be so easy to see blended into the forest seamlessly from the outside of the seals. They were more than just scent barriers? Not even I was able to see my clan's presence now. 
  I wouldn't be able to find my way back now if I kept going.

 It was just a sacrifice I'd have to make. 

  My tail brushed the dirt where I saw, my ears twitching as I watched the river. Kiba shook his head from the droplets as he popped out from the stream again. I sniffed the air and tried to hide my irritation. Wasn't Kiba the one saying he was going to be moving fast? Why did he stop to take a bath in the river? Above that, the water was also washing off the scent on him that I had liked. 
  I gave another sigh as my eyes flicked to his clothes on the shore next to me. 
Hm...
 Looking to Kiba once more, he was distracted. 
Back to the clothes, I quickly picked up the headband sitting on top, sweeping it up in a quick moment and setting it on my lap so he couldn't see I had it. I couldn't help it, I never saw one up close before. All ninjas wore something like this, didn't they?
 Tapping a claw against it, the metal leaf symbol made a weird sound, and feeling the fabric, it felt good quality too. This really was the real deal. I never got to hold one before, let alone see it this up close. It felt odd, almost heavy. 
  
  A splash came from the river, prompting me to quickly put it back before I was caught with it and turned back to the guy in the river while Akamaru was paddling around, enjoying the water. I couldn't resist a huff,
 "Hey, what was that about being fast, again? Shouldn't you hurry up?"
Kiba almost looked to sink in the water as he grumbled something and looked back my way,
"We got plenty of time. It's hot and I feel gross, 'aight?" After a moment, he pushed himself closer to the shore, grabbing hold of the bank as he grinned, "You could come in too, or are you one of the ones scared of water?"
  Scared? I wasn't scared. I didn't need to take a dip right now, and the sun was plenty warm for me to bask in instead of dunking into the cold river. I couldn't turn my nose up at the idea enough,
 "I'd rather not. And I'm still mostly human too, I'm not 'scared' of water."
Kiba offered a short pout, running a hand through his wet hair, 
 "Yeah, yeah, obviously. I was just joking. But no idea when we'll run into any water again for a while, might as well get clean now while you can."
  He had a point, but I saw more downsides to the river instead. 
I took too long to answer though, and Kiba smiled again, suddenly splashing some water my way.
 "Hey!"
My voice rang up with a snap, but he instead began laughing as he pushed off the bank,
"C'mon, it's boring if I'm the only one in here!"

  I wasn't sure what to do right now. This was way out of my scope of any type of interaction I'd had before. If anything, the only possible bond I've had outside of my clan, ever. My clan certainly never taunted or spoke like this to each other before. 
 My tail swayed and twitched with various mixed emotions. 
I didn't want to get in the water, but I did want to join him. I wanted that closeness, even if I didn't want to say so outloud. 
Confusion, frustration, curiosity, excitement, and the idea of something new. 
  It took a minute, but I finally decided to try. 
I piled my clothes next to Kiba's before slipping into the water, the surges immediately rushing up to my shoulders. 
I could barely feel my tail with the weight of the waves, but if I could, it would be prickling with stress the more I walked towards Kiba and Akamaru. 
With a sharp inhale, I couldn't help but hug myself tightly. It was colder than I expected, and my ears flattened low with questioning myself. Why did I do this again? 
  The ninja swam up beside me, floating lower in the water as he fully enjoyed himself, going weightless and swimming without worry,
"You can swim, can't you?"
He questioned curiously, a mix of worry in his voice. Was he actually concerned? I might've been touched if I weren't covered in goosebumps. 
 I exhaled heavily as I nodded, 
"Ye-Yeah," I did my best not to shiver, but my teeth chattered before I could stop it, "It's just... Cold."

  He lingered as he examined me, raising an eyebrow with a frown, 
"It would've been fine if you didn't actually come in, you know? Now you got me feeling all bad for teasing you," Kiba sighed, standing up fully as he crossed his arms, "I noticed you were pretty warm last night. Like, more than normal. Guess you actually run at a different body heat than I do. There's more to your clan abilities than just ears and a tail, ain't there?"
  So he noticed that too, did he? I thought Kiba was colder at first, but to think it was me who was out of the ordinary? I wanted to answer, but it was hard to think of a witty response. 
 He abruptly set a hand on my shoulder, lightly pushing to nudge me back to the shore. That was something I was more than happy to obey. 
   The moment I was within reach, my claws shot out to dig the ground and I crawled up more like a wet rat than anyone with dignity. 

He jumped out with me, opening the bag to pull out the blanket I had sloppily put in earlier. I didn't complain as it was wrapped around me, and I pulled it closer looking up to him, 
 "Th... Thanks. I guess my comfort temperature is different than yours."
"Well, that's obvious," The ninja grumbled dismissively as he began to get dressed, "But you already knew it was cold for you, why even come in? You could've just told me off."

  Yeah, he was right...
I could feel how cold it was when he splashed me, and I still jumped in. I pulled my knees up to my chest, making myself even smaller as I warmed,
"I'm not really sure," I finally had to admit, which was true. 
I had an idea in my mind, but I couldn't be sure if it was real or not. 
  I watched as he got dressed again, but something told me to quickly look away instead. How weird... I didn't feel flustered when I saw him get in. Shouldn't I have been feeling this when he took them off instead? I didn't understand myself at all right now. 
  I waited until Kiba was done before I finished drying off and reached for my clothes as well with a shaky hand. No way...
I didn't want to believe it at first, but after jumping into the water as I did, something happened to me out of nowhere just now. It couldn't be...!
  I shook it off quickly with a desperate attempt to shut it down. I refused to feel that; I wasn't ready to consider feelings like those. 

  When I finished getting dressed, Kiba whistled out to the river, 
"C'mon Akamaru, lets get a move on!"

  The dog perked up and began to paddle back to shore, playfully panting as he crawled up. 
I barely had time to react and hold the blanket in front of myself as a shield when he aggressively shook and spread water in every direction. 
  That could've been bad...
When I was in the clear, I offered Kiba the blanket back to put away again. Right as he took it and kneeled down, the low sound of a buzz caught my attention, causing an ear flick. 
 Kiba pressed a finger to his ear, where he activated some type of communication, 
"'Sup?" The ninja started. 
It was a bit difficult to hear the other end, but thanks to my heightened senses, I managed to make it out, albeit rather quiet, 
"My path has been clear," A boy spoke from the other end, "Status report for the first twenty-four hours."
 "It's been okay," A girl muttered first, "It's quiet for me as well. I'm... About a quarter way there."

Kiba's face showed stress, but he collected himself when the boy called his name over the speaker, 
 "Oh, yeah. Uh..." He looked my way, but why? What was he thinking? Our eyes met, but he suddenly turned away, looking to the ground to start folding up the blanket instead, "All good here. We're at the river."
 "The river? Why are you at the river, Kiba?" The boy practically scolded, "You should have passed that hours ago."
"Yeah, is everything alright?" The girl added on, "We can fall back if you want to regroup for a new plan."
 "Nah, I'm good," The ninja quickly waved it off, zipping up the backpack and pulling it over his shoulder, "Still gonna get there before both of ya', so I'd figured I'd take the scenic route."
 "Scenic route? Since when do you-?"
"Gotta go, Akamaru wants to show me something!" Kiba quickly cut off his teammate with an awkward laugh before shutting off the speaker. 
That was... Weird. 
 I wasn't sure what just happened, but an unease hung heavy in the air. I wanted to ask, but something told me to be quiet for now. Kiba's eyebrows furrowed, his eyes shifting with irritation to the ground. After what felt like forever, he sighed and pulled himself back up, 
 "I guess I have been slacking, haven't I? Well, can't be helped, I've been bringing someone else with me, so obviously I'm not at my top speed."
 What? Didn't he warn me about keeping up? My current stamina was just fine, and I haven't had any problems keeping up. There was no way he had to slow down for me, especially by hours!
Kiba didn't let me get a word in, though, before he looked my way,
 "Look, I don't really like lying to my team like that. We tell eachother everything, so I feel gross about it. But whatever secrets your clan has, it was enough for the Hokage and even my own sister to not tell me, so it's probably outta my scope to expose right now."
  Akamaru's tail swung slowly, looking between Kiba and myself before the ninja suddenly cleared his throat, 
"Well, let's get going. It ain't getting any brighter out. 
 "Okay..."
  I fell in line to follow after, but I still felt off. I never had a team or people I trusted with everything, but if I did, would I lie to them, too? Why didn't he trust them with my clan? I never said he couldn't tell them. 

  I had a sinking feeling in my chest that made me drag my feet behind me with little desire to jump through the trees like before. I didn't want him lying to the people he trusted on my behalf. 
  Then again, I almost felt a bit of pride in it. Kiba chose to lie to protect me. What did that mean for me, or rather, for this bond that was beginning to brew between us?
  The sadness in my gut slowly began to dissolve as a smile made its way to my lips. I picked up the pace to walk beside him instead. Kiba's eyes flicked my way for a moment, then he sighed, scratching the back of his head, still damp from his swim. 

 "Hey, you haven't eaten yet, have you? What do you normally eat anyway?"

 "I hunt," it was simple enough to answer casually, "Usually with traps. I can make a few basic ones, so I can catch young rabbits. I don't like using my claws to kill."
  "Seriously?" The Ninja practically grumbled, "Man... Here." He dug around in his jacket pocket to pull out an item and offer it my way, 
"It's my only candy bar. Was gonna eat it after the mission was over, so just take it 'fore I change my mind."
  Candy...? It wasn't any candy I'd seen before, but it was probably alright if he was going to eat it himself. The wrapper wrinkled in my hand when I took it, feeling the soft snack inside. 

 "Thank you..."

 I wasn't... Quite sure what to say right now. Just saying thank you didn't feel like enough. I'd have to return the favor when I could; it was the only way I'd be able to eat this without worry. 
 It smelled sweet when I opened it in a way that immediately got my nose twitching, but in a good way. So this was what someone in the Hidden Leaf Village ate? It smelled amazing!
 In a single bite, it melted in my mouth. I could barely control my tail behind me, swaying and spasming. Kiba gave a chuckle as he watched me eat,
  "It's chocolate. Since you're not a full cat, it's probably fine to eat."
 Chocolate... It was really good, and he let me just have this? I nearly wanted to eat it all myself right away,  but I couldn't bring myself to do that. Tearing the full wrapper off, I ripped the candy in two and gave him the other half,
  "We share." I was insisting and refused to accept no. Although he looked like he was about to turn it down, our eyes met for a moment more, and Kiba eventually relented and took the other half.
  "You know, you're kinda weird."

   Yeah, he was probably right. In more ways than he realized. Sharing food wasn't a thing back home during low resources, especially if it was a gift. Yet in that moment, I just thought it was the right thing to do. It was too tasty to enjoy alone; I would've felt guilty eating it all, even if he expected I would. Was this the connection I was hoping to find when I left? Someone outside the family was challenging what I thought I was taught about the world, but I was finding that it was more... Complicated than that. Feelings and thoughts that I couldn't understand. They questioned what I thought I knew, but it didn't feel bad or foreign to me either.
  My half was gone much quicker, but the taste still lingered on my tongue, craving more. 
I couldn't resist sneaking a look to my side and seeing him eating. I don't regret sharing, but I also really wanted the rest too...
No, that was his; I gave it to him.
  I shook my head to rid myself of the wishes for more chocolate and pulled my eyes forward again. Nevertheless, the sweet scent surrounded my nose.
When Kiba finished, he licked his fingers clean of some melted chocolate. I'm not sure what compelled me, but when he lowered his hand again, I guided a bit closer until my tail could reach. It felt weird to hold his hand casually, but I was fond of him enough to want to brush my tail against his arm. If he was alright with it, maybe I could hold his hand after all?
 Before I could touch, a short gruff came from behind. Akamaru's grumble quickly made me pull away as Kiba looked back,
 "What's up, bud?"
He spoke to the dog like it spoke English, or rather, like he spoke dog. Akamaru whined in response, to which Kiba chuckled, 
"What are you talkin' about? We're just walking."

Chapter Text

"Hey there, kitten," The woman kneeled down to meet the small child's height. He sniffed, attempting to rub his eyes dry but failing. His ears fell flat, his tail stiff with distress. She reached out and gently set her hand on his head, ruffling his messy hair with a grin. 
  The elders watched intensely from the doorway, rigid and uneasy, but remained still and quiet. The child sniffed back once more, suddenly pausing as a scent crossed his nose. 
 His sadness shifted to curiosity as he looked up to meet her eyes,
 "Your smell..."
The woman chuckled as she pulled back again, 
 "Yup, you probably don't get to smell dogs very often, do you? The seals keep out other smells too, right?"
He didn't answer, his eyes twinkling in wonder before an elder stepped closer, 
"Dogs are banned here, Hana, as you're well aware. Don't make them any more curious."
"Of course," She nodded with a painfully fake smile as she focused her attention back on the child, "Now, let's see what I can do for you."
 "I got hurt!" His attitude quickly shifted as he held out his arm, showing the claw marks in his skin, "My sister and I were playing, and she didn't retract, and she was supposed to retract, and then she scratched my arm really badly, and then- Then-" He choked a sob again, as though recalling it made it suddenly hurt again. 
 Hana couldn't help a soft chuckle, 
 "Hey, it's alright, we'll get you all cleaned up. It looks like your sister is really strong."
"I guess..." He pouted, not wanting to admit it as Hana began to clean up the wounds, "It's not fair. She's a leopard, I'm just a cat. She's younger than me, but her claws are sharp."
 "Oh, I see," Hana kept focused on the wound, wrapping a cloth around it before looking up to his eyes again, "But you could be strong too. There are some things a cat can do that even a king can't. I'm sure you'll discover that for yourself one day."

 
  I sat across from Akamaru, looking into his eyes as he stared back at me. Kiba stepped away to get some firewood, leaving us together, and it was more awkward than I anticipated. It wasn't as scary as before, but the fact that he had interrupted my attempt for affection had been bothering me for a few hours now. 
  Did he do it on purpose? 
I frowned, but Akamaru didn't react. He just continued lying on the ground as he watched me. My tail swept across the dirt, ears twitching as I felt the incoming night chill.
 "This is weird for me too, you know," I began speaking, although I had no way of knowing if Akamaru could actually understand, "I don't know what I'm doing, so cut me some slack here, would you?"
  Akamaru kept staring at me, only slightly cocking his head as he listened. With a sigh, I turned back to the forest to make sure Kiba wasn't close,
 "I've never even talked to a ninja before, but I really want to wear one of those headbands, too. I'm still trying to find a place I really belong, and I think that might be with the Leaf?"
  The dog offered a short whine as his ears shifted, as though he truly were listening. For a moment, it made me wonder if he truly did understand. I wasn't like Kiba that way; I couldn't understand animals, especially not dogs, but I felt like I could grow a connection as well. 
 "Anyway, I don't even know if he feels the same. I don't really want to be feeling like this either, but..."
Yeah, I did really like him in a way I couldn't fully verbalize; not even to Akamaru. Just thinking about saying it, I felt this pressure in my chest that made me inhale sharply before pressing a hand where I could feel my heart. These affections weren't going to go away just because I willed them to. Acting on them, refusing them, either way, I could feel the struggle already. 

   I picked up the sound of approaching footsteps and heard the scraping of shoes against the forest floor. I sniffed the air, but I couldn't smell anything. Ah, it was just Kiba coming back with the firewood. He washed his scent off earlier, so it would take a while for it to come back. 
  The ninja grunted as he returned, carrying the heavy stack of various sticks and short branches. Well... It wasn't going to be as strong as firewood, but the kindling would last long enough to get some sleep. Last night wouldn't need to be repeated. 
  He dropped the wood in the pit Akamaru had dug up earlier and wiped his nose before kneeling down to start flicking a lighter down. 
It was like he had never started a fire before.
 I hopped up to hurry to the fire, practically excited for the correction with a smile, 
"Wait, don't light it yet. Without firewood, that'll burn fast. We should add some dry leaves too!"
   The ninja appeared a little annoyed, but he didn't argue with the logic.
 "Fine, I guess I'll get some too."
   Kiba started to get up until I held out my hand instead, 
"You got the sticks, I can be useful too. Just don't go ditching me while I'm gone, alright?"
  He laughed it off, practically rolling his eyes, 
"What kinda guy d'you think I am? Plus, I already got the sticks, I'm not about to waste the effort."
  I didn't think he would actually run off while I was gone, but hearing him say it aloud brought me some comfort and reassurance. Even if I was a rogue, a shinobi from a hidden village accepting my company was just...
 Well, it brought warmth to my heart.
I only gave a short wave before it was my turn to do some collecting. It would be better if I traveled a little farther into the trees for the leaves. At the edge of the forest, there weren't as many loose ones on the ground as opposed to the thicker growth deeper inside. Why pluck when I could scoop?
  I couldn't smell Kiba at all, but I kept within range of Akamaru's nose as I began to gather. 
Only the sounds of the night surrounded me in a peaceful calmness I was so used to. The gentle breeze and scuffling of small nocturnal animals starting to wake up and move reminded me just how alive the forest was. 
  Leaves scraped easily into my arms, although I needed to adjust my shirt to use it as a pouch. My tail swayed behind me, and my nose twitched every few seconds. 
 The scent of Akamaru stayed within my senses, but very faint as I got farther away. As long as I could smell him, I knew he could smell me. For a moment, another scent caught in my crossfire. It smelled like the forest, but it was moving. An animal? No, all animals had a distinct scent, but this was nothing more than moss and root. How odd.
  With a deep inhale, I could pinpoint the location and attempted to mentally map a visual. It wasn't just odd, it was entirely bizarre. My nose pinned it for a moving blob in the trees. It was moving quickly, but even the shape was off. 
 What in the world...?
No, that didn't matter; it was quickly closing in distance. I needed to run away and hide-! Wait, I couldn't do that. What if it went after Kiba?
 I dropped the leaves quickly as I began to stiffen up. I couldn't fight and protect them; I could barely protect myself. If it went after me, I'd die for sure. I'd get traced back to my hideout and attacked without a second thought. I could run back to Kiba, but what would happen if I led an enemy right to him? At best, he might think I was betraying him, and at worst, he might die too.
Damn it!
  In my hesitation, I lingered too long. The blob rapidly approached, and from the trees, the shadow lurched towards me. I caught sight of a glint from a weapon, but that wasn't the first time I saw one, was it? It was one of those kunai. I saw that same thing when I met Kiba!
  The attacker brought the blade down, but it clashed against something else instead. 
The tingling ran down my fingers, making my teeth hurt too. I moved? When did I move?
I could feel it... The blade pressing against my claws. I raised my hand?
 I didn't realize I was pushing back until my strength began to falter, and I was pushed back against a tree. No, I didn't want to die!
 I grit my teeth as I attempted to force back, despite the strength of the attacker. Looking at them now, it suddenly made sense why my nose had betrayed me. Covered in mud and various other plants on their clothes, the ninja had used the forest itself as camouflage. It was supposed to trick sight, but something like that tricked my nose!
 Damn it, this hurt! My fingers were straining already. Although my claws were thick and strong, even they could crack or break at any moment with this force. 
 "This ain't personal," The man grunted with a quiet voice, "So just die already and get it over with."

  What do I do? 
We didn't fight; my clan was never trained to fight at all. Even when I was on my own, I wouldn't hunt with my claws. There was never a rule for it strictly, but the idea of a felidae fighting was just...
   Well, I didn't have a choice! My claws were holding the weapon back for now, but his strength was going to make them give out any moment. I had to do something now!
   I still had one free hand...
My tail couldn't calm down. It was bristling and spasming while my ears flattened low. I didn't want to fight; I never wanted to hurt anyone at all, but being attacked like this was really getting on my nerves. I may have moved without thinking the first time, but when I raised my other hand, it was very deliberate. I swiped, and my claws sliced through something material. I wasn't sure where I was hitting, but I kept swiping in a desperate hope he would give in and leave. The material sliced open each time, and it didn't take long for something warm to touch my fingers. Blood... I was hurting him!
  It was a horrible feeling, even if he was still holding out, but until he went away, I had to keep going. That was the thought until he grabbed my wrist with a tight, painful grip that made me cry out. Obviously, he had another hand too!
   So was this it then? That was all I had to use. What a pathetic kekkei genkai I had in the end. Cats couldn't do anything. 

   I was ready to relax my hand and let his kunai close in. That was what I was about to do before something swiftly cut through the air. 
    The object was enough for the attacker to jump back and temporarily free me. The moment the kunai left my claws, I felt the straining pain of the pressure they had been holding back.
 "Da-Damn it-" It not only spread down to my fingers, but across my whole arm. My muscles really tensed up, and I didn't even notice until it was gone. Still, I could deal with that when I was safe. 
  It was useless to ask what the interference was, because I was told rather quickly with the flash of white fur jumping through the trees. The growling dog jumped in front of me, using himself as a shield. More than that, Kiba sat on his back and looked back at me with a prideful grin, almost like he was excited for this, 
  "Can't leave you alone for a few minutes, can I? Guess it's up to me to protect the kitty, so just watch what we can do and sit right there."

   What was this feeling right now? Relief for sure, but something deeper I couldn't quite grasp. I couldn't find the will to be angry at his tease after what I had just been thinking about myself. When did I get so... Pathetic?!
  Akamaru seemed so much bigger with the ninja on his back, and yet I felt safest I had been yet. It was a little ironic that a dog came to my help, wasn't it?
 I was saved, but my body still hurt, and my heart was aching with fear. Akamaru's tail swept the air as they moved towards the attacker, leaving me to collapse to my knees from behind. 
  I wanted to watch Kiba fight, but the feeling of blood on my hands still unnerved me. The salty taste of a tear touched my lips, but I dared not touch my face to wipe it. I could hear them fighting, but once I began to cry, I had to shut my eyes tightly. I didn't want to see anyone hurt, even if he had attacked me!
  Blades clashed into blades, and Akamaru's growling echoed through the trees like a thunderous roar. I heard them fighting, but even until the last second, I couldn't watch. 
 
  I heard him quickly give up and start to flee. The scent of the attacker bolted away, deeper into the trees, but the ninja followed after. 
I could've run away back to safety, but leaving now felt like an impossible task. The sounds might've softened, but my quiet crying choking into a sob might've been worse to hear. I knew ninjas fought; who didn't? 
  I didn't know it would be so terrifying to be in the presence of.
It was quiet, but I could still hear the distant chase. Even when I was crying, my ears wouldn't relax with the twitching as they involuntarily picked up the subtle sounds. It took a moment, but I could hear Akamaru circling the attacker and progressively guiding his run. No, that wasn't quite right. Rather, he was being herded and forced to turn around and run back to the border. It was an impressive tactic to force him out rather than killing him, but then again, I never saw Kiba as the killing type either. 
 

  It felt like I was sitting there for an eternity, and yet it was likely merely minutes. Even when I was no longer afraid, my tears were too stubborn to stop. The fear quickly gave way to frustration. Why couldn't I just stop crying? I was going to be alright, so just stop already!
  When sound faded, only smell remained, and I could smell Akamaru hitting the border of the Land of Fire ever so lightly. Kiba and the attacker were both too muted to trace by comparison, especially being such a distance away. 
  Finally, the approach returned with the soft steps of paws against the forest floor. 
Kiba hopped off Akamaru's back, relaxed and grinning, 
 "Man, they just never learn! The guy was a bandit. Probably trying to thin out manpower at the border for a larger group to get a path in, but that's why we gotta do these patrol missions," He sounded so carefree as he laughed off the attack like it was nothing. To Kiba, it probably wasn't. Border attacks were fairly common anywhere, even I knew that. Yet I... 
  If I hadn't frozen up, maybe I wouldn't have been pinned like that. 
My clan's teachings rang in my head like alarm bells. The felidae clan didn't fight. I did try to fight when my life needed me to, and I still failed so horribly! It didn't come naturally, unlike a shinobi's instincts. Akamaru probably smelled the attacker just like I did, and the speed they arrived; how they instantly knew something was wrong-!
  Kiba hummed curiously as his eyes dropped to me, 
"Hey, (Y/N), you're okay now, y'know? We got it covered, chased the dude off."

  I moved, about to wipe my face, but quickly stopped as I was reminded of the blood on my fingers. I sniffed back to turn my head away instead, 
 "I know it was easy for you to handle, I should've just run to you as soon as I sensed them. I've never felt so much danger before, though."
I wanted to mention the ache in my arm after pushing back against the kunai as I did, but I also didn't want to unload all my feelings at once. Even speaking now, my emotions weren't so accessible to me. Through all the fear, anger, and sadness I was feeling, my voice left my lips emotionless and nullified, as though protecting my heart from anyone getting through my walls while I was already weakened. 
  Kiba was quiet as he thought, then hummed with a hint of annoyance. He scratched the back of his head with a lingering discomfort before kneeling down to my level. 
It looked like he wanted to say something important, but instead, the ninja's arms wrapped around me in a careful strength. My whole body tensed up, with my tail jerking and on edge. I could feel his strength being restrained, and clearly felt that if Kiba put his full power into the hug, he could've crushed me flat. Despite that, I needed this right now.
  It hadn't been very long, and yet I trusted Kiba already. 
When I finally began to relax, my heart returned to my control. The beats slowed down, and yet, the power in each thump was stronger than before. I would've hugged back if I didn't care about getting his clothes stained. 

Chapter Text

A tail coiled along my arm as the felidae slinked up to my side, a devious grin across their face,
 "Hey, (Y/N), you know what I was thinking?"
Ah, them again. The cheetah was a distant cousin of my father's side, and they drove me crazy. Always too nosy or too annoying. If there was a visual for the definition of a bad influence, they would be it. I never wanted to talk to them, and I certainly didn't want to accept any affections from someone like them, and yet I always found myself caught when I was trying to be sneaky. 
 Nevertheless, the tail tightened on my skin as their grin grew wider, 
"My parents are hunting on the north end. Which means the south side is totally unguarded."
"And?"
 If I knew the cheetah at all, I knew this only meant something bad. They hummed playfully, only excited to continue, 
  "Don't you want to see the seals? Our elders put them up a few generations ago, but we don't know much about them, do we? They barrier us from anything outside our territory. I want to smell something new, (Y/N), won't you come along? It'll be scary all by myself."
 
   Sneaking out to wander outside the seals?! Not that it wasn't appealing to leave, but with them?! No way. 
I merely laughed it off, tearing my arm away from their tail,
 "And get hunted down by our parents? They'll trace our scent right away!"

  I moved to walk away, but the cheetah was in front of me in an instant to block the path,
"That's what they want you to think," They teased, arms crossed, "But if we can't smell anything from the outside, I bet our smell doesn't reach the outside either. They'd never know if we stepped outside of the barrier for just a few minutes."
  I never thought about it, but as much as I hated to admit it, they had a point as well. The seals probably blocked our existence both ways. Still, teaming up with my annoying cousin was out of the question. 
 I snorted as I moved around them,
 "And if we could leave, other things could come in if they could smell our scent outside the barrier, too."
My cousin rumbled a weak rumble from their throat, dripping with frustration, 
 "What's with you?"! They suddenly snapped, stopping me in my tracks. Since when did they yell like that? "I'm so tired of smelling the same smells! It's gotta be overpowering for you too, right? I feel like my nose is broken half the time! Did you know there's a whole world out there and we've never seen a dog?! You've heard what Hana has told us too; dogs are common! I want to be out there, just for a minute!"
  I tried to resist it, but my tail was bristling up as well. Enough with the damn yelling!
I turned back, expecting to see anger, but their eyes prickled with tears they were fighting back,
 "I want to learn how to fight," My cousin, who got on my nerves so often, exposed deep vulnerability in their voice as it softened, "I'm a cheetah, but I move so slowly. For the cats and lions, it's okay for them, but it's so uncomfortable for me. I keep saying I'm part of the felidae clan, but a part of myself keeps correcting it to cat clan. I don't fit in here, (Y/N)... But I'm not brave enough to just leave on my own. I want to know what I'm capable of, and be able to choose whether or not I want to fight, without being forced into the default!"
 

  I clung tighter, finally finding my nerve to coil my tail around the ninja's wrist. It felt better to hug him after cleaning my hands, and the warm crackling of the fire made this even better. 
 Akamaru returned once more, dropping more leaves into the fire to keep it going. I felt bad that I wasn't able to get the leaves, but I was trying to turn my thoughts off.
  No thinking about that, just try to relax.
My chest was tight with a type of breathing I couldn't control. This type of breathing only happened when I was truly happy. It shouldn't be natural to feel happy after being attacked, but being able to hold onto Kiba more than made up for it. Perhaps I was simply too easy to catch feelings for people, even if I was too stubborn to admit it. 
 My cheek nuzzled against his scratchy shirt as he hummed thoughtfully, one hand on my back, and the other propping himself up where he sat, 
  "Kinda weird you're able to purr," The ninja muttered, sounding a little confused, and yet waving it off casually, "Dunno how I feel about that. Never actually been 'round cats long enough to get any purring."
 It had been a while since I had done it as well. The last time had to have been... Maybe that day I caught a really juicy rabbit that lasted me a few days. That was a really good hunt. 

  The silence continued until Kiba gave a yawn, prompting me to finally sit up,
 "Oh, sorry. I guess it got pretty late. I'm okay now."
  "Awesome," He gave a thumbs up with a forced smile. I hadn't even realized how tired he actually looked until now. He hadn't actually had the best sleep for a couple of days, had he? That was... Partially my fault as well. Great, now I felt guilty. 
 Instead of standing up to lay somewhere else, Kiba relaxed to lay back on the ground, using his arms as pillows. The ninja examined the stars above for a long minute before he shifted his attention to me, 
 "Alright, I've been playing polite for a bit. I wanna ask now, but stop me if it's some junk you don't talk about, got it?" Although Kiba paused, he barely waited a second before he kept going, not allowing me time to respond, "I wanna actually know about this secret clan of yours. All I really picked up is that you all have this kekkei genkai and hate dogs. Which sounds awful to me, but I guess if you're born half cat, it's pretty normal for you?"
  Ah, so he's been curious this whole time after all? Well, I didn't mind talking about it, especially after he saved my life. I made myself comfortable lying next to him on my stomach, lazily resting my cheek in the crook of my arm,
 "There's not much to tell aside from that. We lived pretty normally, from what I understand. But the whole territory is surrounded with sensorial seals."
 "Uhh..." The ninja raised an eyebrow with puzzled confusion, "What's that?"
 My surprise that he had never heard of them was quickly replaced with the reminder that my clan elders created them,
"They're how my clan has stayed hidden for so long. They block the senses traveling between the seal line. It's never been against the rules to leave the clan, but the elders are scared of outsiders. If someone leaves, the line makes it hard to find the clan again because you can't see, hear, or smell them from the outside."
   I could see his mind working as Kiba tried to grasp the concept. A fang poked through his lips as he frowned, then turned his head back up to the sky above again, 
 "Can't tell if I should call that smart or tragic. I mean, something like that in the wrong hands could be damned trouble, but the fact they gotta exist at all sucks. I mean, didn't you say we're allies? If you're citizens in the Land of Fire, you shouldn't gotta be hiding like that."

  He was right; I couldn't argue with that, but a response like that could only get an airy chuckle out of me. The ninja stated the obvious, but the obvious wasn't the most logical. I only knew the stories of why we hid, and I left, so that was my response to the customs there. 
  Akamaru returned again with another batch of leaves gently scooped in his mouth, and dropped them into the fire. Finally, he called it done and laid down next to the heat of the flames to relax as well.
 My tail swayed out carefully before I allowed it to relax on Kiba's arm. Partially for the affection, and for Akamaru's reaction. I could see him looking, but he didn't stop me this time. Thank goodness...
Kiba didn't react to my movement, as his mind was on something else, until he suddenly groaned out with annoyance, 
 "Damn it, I got caught up in all that shit. I need to update my team about that guy. Man..."
    Kiba was clearly exhausted, but found the will to push himself up anyway, grumbling under his breath as he did, 
"I'll be right back. I forgot to report it and somethin' like that can't wait for tomorrow."
  I didn't argue it, but I was already sad about him stepping away, and he hadn't even started the report yet. Kiba moved to a nearby tree, too far for my hearing to pick up the other end like I could last time. While Kiba was busy, I moved to smile towards the dog, 
  "Thanks, by the way. It's because you smelled the other guy, too, right? He was wearing earth on his clothes, so I didn't catch on right away. Guess you would, though, being trained and all."
  Anyone else in my clan would've been appalled to be saved by a dog, but he was growing on me. For such a large animal, he was pretty cute. 
My tail flicked, and I pushed up to stretch. My muscles were still killing me. Even after trying to stretch my back and arms. My claes dug into the dirt, but I couldn't help a wince when one hand pressed into the soil. The hand that blocked the kunai was still painfully sensitive, especially at the tips of my claws. I barely lasted a couple of seconds before I retracted my claws again and dragged up to a sit. Ninjas felt pain like this all the time, didn't they? Maybe not this specific situation, but they often got hurt, and they just had to live with it and keep fighting. 
  I shifted my attention to Kiba just as he was making his way back and dropped next to me with a sigh, 
 "Man, now we all have to be on alert. It was an easy fight n'all, but it's a real pain to move quickly while expecting another border skirmish."
   I wouldn't have said it was easy for me, but when Kiba fought, it was over rather fast. 
I carefully scooted closer until our shoulders brushed together and tried to offer a smile,
 "I can help too. It's my fault your sleep hasn't been the best. Let me take up watch for a while, and the two of you can sleep."
Kiba protected me; I wanted to protect him, too. Keeping watch was the least I could do after he saved my life. Despite that, he looked uneasy about the idea. His eyebrows furrowed with hesitation, 
 "I dunno. It's a nice offer and stuff, but you're not trained like we are. Me n' Akamaru normally take turns on shifts."
"You had a fight today." As much as I tried not to be pushy about it, I couldn't stop my ears from flattening. "Who knows if someone will try coming in again? You need your rest. I can't fight, so I'll be useless if something happens. You should be at your best."

   Kiba nervously shifted his eyes to Akamaru, who simply gave a small whine. 
Finally, the ninja sighed, 
 "Fine, I guess you're right. I could use some more sleep anyway."
Good, I was glad to hear he would let me do this. I wanted to be helpful at all.
 I didn't realize I was even messing with my hand until Kiba frowned, shifting down to my lap, 
"What, you get hurt or something?"
  After the adrenaline calmed down, the pain really began to grow bothersome. I found myself messing with my fingers and massaging my wrist, but I hadn't planned on telling him. It was embarrassing how I was downed so easily. Still, if anyone would know injury, it would be a shinobi.
 My hand lingered with a pause as I found my words, eventually looking up to meet his eyes, 
"Kinda... Pressure pain, mostly. My arm is sore."
 "Ah, muscles, huh?"
The ninja suddenly took my hand, not even worried about it. Holding me like this so suddenly though-! I swallowed back to keep my nerves calm, trying to remain relaxed while he was touching my hand so gently, but my twitching tail was betraying me. 
  Kiba's thumb pressed into my palm as he was checking something, and I felt my nerves shoot down to my claws, almost tingling along the way.
"Makes sense," He finally concluded, "Feels like you don't have much muscle built up. You got all tense when he had you pinned, and your muscles are still tight. Pretty impressive you managed to push him back with these scrawny arms though!"
   Kiba let go again as he laughed it off.
When I flexed my hand, I could still feel that pain, but even more now, the lingering touch on my hand. He wasn't holding it anymore, but I could still feel it as though he were. It was a little odd how Kiba was so comfortable just touching me like that. I truly couldn't tell if he had strong feelings for me or none at all. 
 

  While I was still contemplating, the ninja lay down again, getting settled in next to the fire. Akamaru moved his spot to cuddle up against his master's side and curl up comfortably. The two of them... They really were something else. 
 With Kiba trying to get some rest, it was finally my time to be useful and keep watch. It wasn't anything I hadn't done before while I was on my own; I was just looking after someone else now. 
   He looked comfortable, and it didn't take long for his breathing to slow as the exhaustion crept up. Only a fool wouldn't have seen how tired he was. It was so tempting to curl up beside them as well, but it was a better idea to move away. I'd be more alert if I weren't by the warm fire and hearing the soft snores. 
 The fire wasn't big, but as soon as I stepped away, I could feel the biting night air contrasting with the warmth. My ears tuned into the trees with my nose on high alert. I couldn't let an attack like that happen again... I wouldn't!
  I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary at all. The rustling of leaves, the scuttering of small wildlife, and the soft popping of the nearby flames. Now that the attacker was chased off, it was... Quite peaceful. 
 What about smell?
I took in my surroundings with a deep inhale, but it was just as normal. 
 Fresh air and a thick, earthy smell of the forest. There were faint traces of the attacker still, as his smell was still attached to the air, but it was far growing stale now. 
 I tried to tune it away, but my nose kept picking up on Akamaru and Kiba close by. Kiba's original smell hadn't fully returned yet, but it was starting to get there. I could smell traces of myself off him, which only made my thoughts become hazy. Could I think about anything else right now?!
 I liked him, so what? My task was more important right now!
   I shook it off and moved even further away, closer to the trees, as I attempted to collect my bearings. 
 
   Even at the edge of the forest, I couldn't help thinking back to the last time I was standing like this. My tail swayed against the cold air, my ears twitching with intent focus. 
 There were no seals on these trees, and yet, I kept looking back, as though I expected those two to vanish in an instant. I could cross this line and still know I could come back again. Yet, I felt the urge to back away again and keep close by. 
 I wanted to explore the world one day, but for this moment, I had no desire to stray far from this ninja. 
A soft sigh left my lips as I began to circle the clearing, keeping my senses tuned high every passing moment. The high awareness made me progressively tired, but this wasn't anything I couldn't handle. 
 The fire eventually fizzled out, casting the clearing into darkness. I paced around the circle, as though I were guarding the spot as my own territory. 
  The moon was high when I heard shuffling and turned back to see Akamaru rising to his feet, shaking the dirt from his fur.

  His head turned my way, but his eyes remained dark, offering no shine that my clan had in their eyes at night. 
Akamaru was slow in his approach, but his tail swayed in a gentle wag. I wasn't quite sure how to read the dog's body language, but Kiba's words hung in my head. 
 "Are you changing watch shifts?"
I finally asked, trying to offer a smile. To that, his head picked up more as his tail sped up. Was that possibly a yes? I was uneasy if I got it wrong, but as I made my way back to Kiba, Akamaru didn't make any moves to stop me, so it seemed like I got it right. Sleep sounded great right now, but most of all...
  I was careful to lie down quietly and curl up against the ninja as he slept. My tail brushed my arm until I adjusted and found more comfort in letting it rest on his leg. 
  I honestly had no idea if it was okay for me to lie so close to him like this. It felt different than last night against the tree. I couldn't explain how, but it was. My heart drummed quicker, forcing my breathing to become shallower. It was out of my control, and embarrassing had Kiba been awake. As long as he still slept quietly, I allowed myself to drift off as the purr rumbled in my chest.

Chapter Text

 "Hey, you have a kekkei genkai, right?"
  Hinata perked up curiously as Kiba suddenly spoke up, pulling her eyes from her book. She nervously fidgeted, averting her gaze as though hiding her eyes,
 "Yes..." Her voice came out soft and nervous, but Kiba didn't respond to her unease as he sat up from the tree into a comfortable criss-cross, 
"Okay, so like, what's it like, anyway? Bet it's easier to practice when your whole family has the same thing, huh?"
   Her expression shifted to surprise before she relaxed, trying to offer a light smile, 
 "Well... Not exactly. I know more about it, but it's more like..." She considered her words carefully, fully shutting her book as she leaned into the question, "We all experience it differently. And... With mine, I ca-can't turn it off."
  She quickly cleared her throat, trying to shake off her anxiety melting in as her voice cracked, 
"I'd like for it to go away sometimes, but I was born with it always visible. I don't really like the attention, though. Neji has his pride, but... Well, my kekkei genkai is powerful, so... There are a lot of people who want to use it. I do want to be stronger, but I always have to remind myself that I could be in danger from people who want to take my eyes, or... Just me entirely..."
  That's right... Hinata was kidnapped once for her eyes when she was younger. Kiba had almost forgotten about that. Everyone in his clan had dogs, but that was more of a tradition than kekkei genkai. Damn, people always seemed scared of a kekkei genkai trait or wanted to hurt others to get it. It made him even more grateful that he didn't need to ever worry about something like that.
 And then... There was Shino, sitting nearby and spaced out on his own. 
Kiba couldn't resist a shiver. Who would want to try taking a guy like that? It was barely a kekkei genkai; they were implanted shortly after he was born, but to Kiba, there wasn't much of a difference between kekkei genkai or hijutsu. Even if it wasn't, those bugs... Yeah, his teammate was definitely safe. 

The ninja stretched before returning to crossing his arms, humming quietly to himself. As he frowned, a fang poked through his lips. 
  He didn't look at me as he walked, but even Akamaru was watching his master with what could've been a nervous expression if dogs could show expressions at all.
 Finally, after an eternity had passed, Kiba sighed, 
"I dunno," was his answer after making me wait for so long. After all that time-! He kept speaking before I responded, "Like, I kinda thought I picked up on it, but you also have your own kitty customs, and I figured it was just that. I don't know all that much about cats."
 That was... True. Admittedly, a lot of it was those parts of me slipping through, but I barely did anything at all to hint I liked him, so... What else was he picking up on?!
  My ears flicked before I shook it off, 
"Well, I don't know much about dogs either..." I shifted to look at him, but Kiba wasn't even looking my way anymore. For a moment, I thought he was looking at Akamaru until I saw a flash of a warm shade on his face. No... Was he shy right now?
  A powerful ninja being shy?
He was startled when he got up in the morning, but I had assumed it was more about the surprise that I had been there, only to be suddenly hit with this conversation after we set off again. 
  My tail twitched as I searched my mind for what to say now. Kiba was much more confident than I was, so why was I having to speak up?!
I pulled my eyes forward, a smile pulling on my lips, 
 "My kekkei genkai makes me a partial cat, but I'm still a human. And you're a human too, even if you're starting to smell like a dog again. Instead of thinking... Cat or dog, can you just see the parts of me that are human?"
   I looked to have taken Kiba off guard as he turned back, surprised, but playfulness on his face,  
"Just human, huh? Well, if you were just human, I never would'a given you a chance to speak."
 He wasn't wrong; I never would've met Hana if I hadn't been in my clan, so we never would've recognized each other's scent. Still, I was more than just my kekkei genkai. I moved a bit closer as we walked, smiling brighter. Kiba's eyebrows furrowed as he huffed, looking away again, 
 "Damn it, I'm awful at this stuff. Never even had anyone into before, 'nd I keep thinking I'm gonna say something dumb and screw it up or get slapped for it." He adjusted himself before finally looking my way again after having collected myself better, "And don't go thinking I'm weak for worrying about that either! It's just new for me, and some of my buds have some scary partners when they get mad."
  Really?
A guy like Kiba never having anyone interested in him was quite surprising. If there was anyone I could think of who would catch attention, it was him. 
 "I've never been interested in anyone either," I admitted with an awkward chuckle, "But then again, you're the only person outside of my family I've ever talked to. I never even spoke to your sister when she visited. I just smelled when she came in."
  

  Kiba hummed thoughtfully once more before suddenly grinning brightly, 
 "You met me first?"
Was that the only thing that he thought of? Akamaru gave a small whine, which Kiba brushed off as he cleared his throat.
 "Anyway, I still dunno. Not that it's against you, really. But like, it would be hard to bring you into the village and keep your clan a secret. It feels tricky."
 "Right..." He did have a point about that. Once people see my kekkei genkai, keeping the details private wouldn't be easy. Nevertheless, I wouldn't let them restrict me even when I was gone from them now. An idea struck me, prompting me to meet Kiba's eyes, "Well... What about just opening the secret? I'm not the only one who wanted freedom from the strict rules there, so maybe..."
 "You wanna expose your clan?" He shifted with shock, then quickly laughed it off, "Man, that's pretty brutal! But hey, I think the world is a bit different than when they went into hiding, maybe it's for the best."
 The ninja fell quiet, his eyes drifting away, then down. Without warning, he grabbed my hand quickly. It was with some strength, quite a bit less soft than the last time, but I could feel a subtle shake in his fingertips. For all his bravado, he really was anxious right now, wasn't he? He might've been able to hide that from most people, but my senses were far more sensitive. 
  I attempted to squeeze back, although I couldn't move my fingers very well. Eventually, I chose to wrap my tail around his wrist instead. I wouldn't ask him to relax his grip yet... Mostly hoping he would realize it on his own, with time, that it was rather strong for my power difference. 
  Suddenly, the ninja laughed, using his other hand to brush through his already messy brown hair.
"Yup, this feels really weird. Still can't decide if I should be flattered or not! It's only been a few days, but it feels like I know you pretty well, don't it?"
Now that he mentioned it, I could feel that way as well. Perhaps it was just the fact that he was the first person I'd spoken to outside of my clan, or the familiar scents, as though I were assigning things to him because I wanted to see them there. It would've been easy to do, considering how desperate for connection I had been.
  Although I didn't think it was that. 
It seemed like more! I couldn't explain exactly what it was, but it was new, yet safe. 
  I offered a short, curt nod, the smile never leaving my lips. Kiba could've brushed it off this morning and refused to reciprocate at all, but it was nice that he was trying to consider it. 
While Kiba looked ahead, my attention focused on Akamaru walking beside us. He was relaxed and unbothered, no longer weary of me attempting closeness. He hadn't barked recently, had he? Even during the fight, it was just growling.
 Was I looking too much into it, or was Akamaru aware I froze up with the sound? 
   Interrupting my thoughts, Kiba perked up and turned my way.
"Hey, I was just thinking that we're moving pretty slowly again. With both our noses, we could probably pick up the pace while patrolling the border. You wanna ride?"
 The ninja pointed to Akamaru as he released my hand again, never catching on that he was squeezing too tightly. At least it wasn't the hand that was still sore. 
 

  I had heard people rode horses and sometimes camels, but riding a dog...
Kiba jumped on Akamaru's back seamlessly before waving me to join him. Akamaru looked alright, and he was likely trained for it already, but was it going to be alright? Oh, if he was inviting me, it was probably fine!
   My nerves were just getting the better of me. I was fond of Akamaru, but wasn't comfortable being super up close yet. 
When I took his hand, Kiba pulled me up to sit behind him. Even with both our weights combined, Akamaru didn't have any problems carrying us.
 "It's about a two-day walk to the meetup, but this is gonna make it go much faster. We'll probably get there by tomorrow morning!" The ninja grinned brightly before tapping on the earpiece he was wearing. 
 I heard a short buzz before Kiba began talking, 
"Yo, just hit the quarter point. S'all good here."
 "He probably fell back to regroup," Another boy could be heard softly from the other end, "But our patrol will cycle to a new team once we're complete. We will simply need to report the attack. Nothing we can do right now."
 "True..." A girl spoke next, "We haven't seen anything here either. It's been peaceful."
"We?" Kiba paused before he was hit with a realization, "Oh, you guys already crossed paths, huh? No biggie, I'll still reach the meeting point first. See you guys there?"
 "Of course." The other male confirmed, but Kiba's finger lingered over the button. He hesitated for a long moment before finally sighing, 
"By the way, somethin' I wanna tell you guys when you get there. I'll save it for then, though, 'kay?"
 "Oh, yes, of course." The girl sounded nervous, yet curious. 
 The ninja hit the button to end communications, but didn't turn back to me as his hands scruffed the thick fur around Akamaru's neck.
 "If you plan to let everyone know about the clan, then telling my team is the first step, got it?"
 "Of course," I nodded back, although he didn't see it. It only made sense when he lied for me so far already. 
Kiba held onto Akamaru, but where could I hold? I reached down to feel the fur beneath me, but it was shorter than his head fur and wouldn't offer any grip. Then, I didn't have a choice, but I didn't mind that. As my hands fell against KIba's back, I felt him tense up nervously, but he clicked his tongue as he tried to hide it, 
 "Y'know, I don't mind you holding onto me, but you have claws, don't you? You mind not diggin' those things into my back?"
Was I doing that? 
  Ah, now I saw it. My claws weren't out right now, but I'd have to do that to hold on like this. 
 Well then...
   I didn't argue against that, instead letting my arms snake around him. This was more comfortable, but above all, it was easy to feel my chest tighten as I began to purr. My tail flicked with heightened emotion, being able to cling to Kiba like this.
  He didn't respond to my closeness but rather gave a short whistle for Akamaru to start running. 

  Riding another animal wasn't like anything I'd ever experienced before. I was never able to do this with the cats in my clan; they were far too small, obviously. It was a lot like jumping through the trees with feeling the wind around me, but there was a different weight to it. The freedom of it, plus the connection of trust while on Akamaru's back was so enchanting! 
  As I clung tighter, my fingers burrowed into his clothes with secure handfuls of the fabric, and I raised my head to watch the forest around me. I was agile, sure, but this speed... 
 I couldn't help a soft laugh,
"You were slowing down for me, weren't you?"
  Kiba snorted playfully,
"What can I say? Couldn't leave the kitty behind after all."

  That's what he thought. As though I'd let him leave me behind. My cheek fell against his back once more, and I shut my eyes to embrace the feel of the ride and the rapidly shifting scents of the forest all around me. I was trying to keep up with the sounds and smells to help watch the border, but I found myself distracted with the strongest scent in front of me. 
  Kiba didn't smell mixed with just Akamaru anymore. I could smell myself on his clothes as well. I wouldn't say it was a true claim, as though he fully accepted my feelings, but it made me believe he could at least be trusted to know about them. 
   I was so closely cuddled up last night, it would've been impossible to believe I felt anything else. I might've been too forward to sleep right against him, but I did it without thinking, and he woke up with the surprise of proximity. 
  I didn't mean to tell him at all, but for my actions to give it away... Well, what happened, happened, and I wouldn't deny anything!
     The sun began to set, the shadows between the trees growing dark and heavy, but Akamaru kept running, appearing not to be out of breath at all. 
 Once the night fell upon the forest, the dog finally had to slow down to a brisk walk.

 "Too dark," The ninja muttered his explanation, "It's difficult to see the trees and watch the border. We'll take it slow until sunrise."
Was it? I picked my head up to look, but it seemed fine to me. It was darker, but I could've easily navigated the area. Thinking that, an idea struck me. That moment with Akamaru last night... His eyes didn't glow. Did dogs have limited vision in the dark?
 I relaxed my grip on Kiba to crane my neck and peek around his shoulder.
 "I can see. I can take the lead and guide Akamaru."
 Kiba's expression shifted to surprise before he gave a chuckle, 
"Damn, I keep forgetting your kekkei genkai is more than just how you look. You really do have some neat abilities, huh?"
  There was a long pause from Kiba was he looked down and muttered something under his breath. He probably didn't intend for me to hear, but with a flick of my ears, I could hear him quite clearly as he hushed a 'no wonder people were after your clan' before he swiftly cleared his throat, giving Akamaru a playful scratch behind his ear, "What do you think, boy? You up for a kitty to guide us?"
   

  Akamaru offered something between a gruff and a whine, to which Kiba chuckled.
"Aw, don't be like that, it'll help us with the mission, won't it?"
  With another whine, Akamaru sounded more nervous than reluctant, but Kiba simply offered another pet. They shared a conversation between each other without words that I couldn't understand. It was a bond that I might've even found myself jealous of a little bit. What was it like to have such a close connection like that? 
  With a quick wave from Kiba, I hopped down and moved to the front instead. Kiba scooted back to give me some more room and reached his arms down past my sides to hold Akamaru once again. Being a trained ninja, he likely didn't need to hold on the same why I did, but still... He could've pretended he wasn't that much more advanced. 
 Nevertheless, they were relying on me now! 
  My eyes peered into the darkness, the shadows posing no problems in seeing a decent way ahead. It was more like seeing through fog. Not impossible, and many things stood out easily, but after a certain point, it was too hard to make anything out. It wouldn't be a problem, though. I could see enough to navigate. 
 "We're heading northwest," The ninja confirmed from behind, "There's this big rock at the border we're meeting at."
 "Got it," I turned back to offer a smile and a confident nod. I wanted to keep being helpful!
   I took hold of Akamaru's neck like I saw Kiba had done and swallowed back my nerves as best I could. Going from riding on a dog's back to guiding one... 
  What would my clan say if they saw me now?
"Okay," I began, directing to Akamaru himself, "I'll be your eyes for a little while. You can keep going now. I'll navigate for you."

Chapter Text

  A soft trilling meow echoed from the elder's house, prompting me to pull my attention in her direction quickly. The cat brushed against the wall, scent-marking herself along the rock before she turned my way.
  A sociable grin pulled at my lips as I bounded up and kneeled to give her scratches. Cats were all over the clan, but when they made sounds that cute, how could I resist giving them pets?
  "Hey there, girlie!" 
Her tabby fur bristled in response to my touch as she rumbled with a low purr. 
 "The elders are gone right now. They're helping with some hunts today, you got that? But did you know we're going to have a visitor soon? I heard Hana is finally coming back." The cat had no response to what I was saying, but she was relaxed into the pets, unbothered by my conversation. "I've never actually talked to her, you know? I haven't really gotten sick or injured, so I don't need any medicine. But I like it when she comes; she has a really fun scent. Do you like it too?"
  The cat's ears flattened back before she pulled away from my touch. Was it something I said? Not everyone liked the smell of dog, but that was a little harsh, wasn't it?
 The cat looked back, though, squeaking shortly and inviting me to follow. Ah, of course! Did she have something to show me? 
  I followed the girl around the elder's home and into the backyard. Some other cats lazed around, looking my way curiously before flopping back once more, their tails twitching some with annoyance at being woken up over nothing. 
 I had never actually been back here before. It was a little rude to walk on their lawn at all. They might've been my great-grandparents, but they were still the clan elders. 
   They'd understand if I were following one of the cats, though!
She eventually stopped at their back wall and sat down with a welcoming trill. This was it?
  I looked up at what she was showing me, but all I saw were some simple paintings, appearing hand-painted along the rock. Sitting down beside her, I cocked my head to get a better look at them,
  "They're big cats," I explained to the cat, "Lions and tigers, it looks like. We're the cat- Felidae- clan, so we'd have stuff like this. We're all still human, but our kekkei genkai put us in danger. I heard the elders wanted us to lean more into our cat side after we went into hiding."
  She flicked her ear as she listened to me, then stood up once more. 
Where was she going now? Here we go again...
  I dragged myself back up to follow after, but this time, she crouched and jumped into one of the open windows of the elder's house. 
"Hey!" I tried to call back, "I can't follow you in there!"
 No response... 
 Man, the yard was one thing, but sneaking into their house?!
   I looked around carefully to make sure nobody was watching before eventually giving in and crawling through the opening. 
It smelled stuffy right away, clearly from the lack of attention to the room. I couldn't think about that now. Where was she? 
 From the corner of my eye, her tail slipped through the doorway, and I quickly hurried into the hall after her. 
The cat left the bedroom only to head towards the study, where the elders did all their work. I had come here before for dinners and playing when I was younger, but I was never allowed inside that room...
  Well, if I were caught, I was going to be in trouble anyway. 
With a sigh, I dragged myself after and into the study. I expected to find more books and maybe some boring paperwork, but... What was this?
  These paintings, they...!
 

 Kiba tossed his backpack aside and dropped down with a deep exhale of relief, 
"Never letting you drive again," He sounded exhausted, but still retained some play in his tone. I merely scoffed it off,
 "Got you here before sunrise, though, ahead of your schedule. It's just harder to steer than I realized."
The ninja clicked his tongue, but didn't argue back as he lazily leaned back against the rock, 
 "Well, gives us time to get some rest. I'm hungry too, but I can't be bothered to dig through my pack right now. You chill waiting to eat breakfast until morning?"
 "Oh, yeah, sure." I had actually forgotten I hadn't eaten in a little while. With everything happening recently, food wasn't on my mind. Kiba stretched, giving a yawn, but sighed, 
 "Well, guess it's my turn to take first watch."
Really? I looked him up and down, taking in how he was clearly wanting to sleep. I wouldn't mind doing watch again. 
 "Are you sure? You look more tired than I am."
 "Yeah, yeah," Kiba waved it off, "Been my turn for a while anyway. You guys get some sleep while we still have some night left."

  Well, if he was sure...
Akamaru bounded up to his side and curled up against Kiba to sleep. As tempting as it was to do the same, if Kiba needed to move quickly, we shouldn't sandwich down the night guard. 
 I shook off the desires on my mind as my attention shifted to the trees, 
"I haven't slept in the branches for a while. It's a good perch, I think I'll do that tonight."

  The ninja shrugged off my choice as he shortly nodded, resting his arms behind his head as he settled in. With his skills, he probably didn't even need to walk around like I did last night. 
 Checking the biggest one in the area, I hopped up to one of the stronger supporting branches and settled in on my stomach, letting my arm lazily sway out below me. 
 A position like this was vulnerable, the attack still on my mind as well, but if Kiba was on watch, I just knew I'd be alright. Still, even as I drifted off to sleep, a part of my mind stayed awake and alert, like my alarm system wouldn't take a break at all.  
 I didn't dream as I was acutely aware of my own body. I could feel my weight, although moving felt out of the question. My tail lulled down to hang quietly, the night air nipping against the fur. It was chilly, but not as bad as the first night outside of my hideout. 
  When the sun began to filter through the leaves, my rest only deepened with the introduction of the warmth. I picked up on some muttering and the shifting of Akamaru waking next for his turn to take watch. It had barely been a couple of hours, please let me get more sleep than this...
  Damn these ears not filtering any details out. How was I supposed to sleep if I could hear something as small as those two changing their positions from below?

  I pulled my body closer and draped my arm above my head to attempt muffling the noise as I got a little more rest. With the sun rising higher, it was easier to relax and drift in and out of a hazy sleep. 
  It was better than nothing, but a waste of sleeping on such a perfect branch. 
Despite my attempts to mute sound, I was awoken by the sound of a buzzing down below. That was familiar. Wasn't that Kiba's microphone? 
  "What'd I say, huh?" Kiba chuckled as he sounded like he was still waking up, "Still here before you. Guess you gotta take that comment at the river back now."
 I couldn't hear the other side from this distance, but after a pause, the ninja sighed, 
 "Man, you're no fun. Well, whatever. I still get to gloat. Where are you anyway? Don't tell me you traveled all night? ... Seriously? I've been stopping at night, that's gotta be cheating. I even have the longest travel distance! Well, I'll be around when you get here, too. Don't take too long."
  The speaker buzzed off, but it seemed like his team would be a little while. I could trust that Kiba wouldn't run off, so it should be fine to sleep more while he got himself breakfast and relaxed a bit more. I wasn't hungry enough to find it worth getting up right now. I attempted to tune out his movements to fall back asleep once more. The warmth of the day hit its peak, and it was ever so comfortable; I couldn't imagine wanting to get up for anything.
 Well, except for the sound of distant shuffling and a new wave of scents hitting my nose. Intruders? Were they treacherous?
 Almost right away, I was jolted up and looked down, ready to warn Kiba, but he was already looking out to the trees, a toothy grin on his face,
 "Took you long enough!" His voice echoed out.
    His team? Now that I was more awake and not as startled, they weren't moving in a dangerous way.
"We had to walk." That voice... That was the boy who was on the radio for sure. "And we were carefully patrolling the border. I'm assuming you rushed it, as always."
   Two people stepped out of the trees, and I found myself crouching down low. I knew I shouldn't be afraid, but it felt like instinct to draw back and hide while I examined them. With Kiba, it was different. He smelled familiar; it was just easier to approach! These people were entirely new. The boy was cast in a protective jacket, hiding nearly all his features. With his hands in his pockets, his nose was the only visible part.
  The girl walking beside him looked more timid, with long dark hair and shining bright eyes. 
Kiba shot a sharp look towards the other boy, 
 "Uh, I still fought off an intruder, didn't I? Bet you didn't do that. I did just fine, for your information."

   I couldn't keep my tail still as it fluffed and twitched rapidly with all the information I was getting from these two at once. As much as I tried to hold still, my body wasn't obeying me. For half a moment, Akamaru caught my stare, and he shortly yipped towards Kiba. That sound again!
  Just like the other times, my body froze in an instant, but Kiba merely laughed it off, giving the dog a relaxed pet. 
Akamaru... Did he notice I was struggling just now? Smart dog...  
   I felt like a lurker again as I stared through the trees, but it wasn't time to reveal myself yet. Kiba should bring it up first, and if I were caught beforehand, they'd attack for sure. 
  "This time." The boy brushed off his remark, only for the girl to clear her throat, 
 "Well... Now that we're all here, what is it you wanted to tell us? We've been really curious since you brought it up..."
  "You're not the secretive type," The boy bluntly observed as he jumped in again, "What is it?"
This was it. I just needed to reveal myself once he explained my existence. Kiba looked to Akamaru for what seemed like support and readied to speak before he was cut off, no words leaving his mouth yet. 
  The first boy perked up harshly, his dark glasses glinting as they caught sunlight, 
 "Hold it."
 

  This feeling...
Oh-!
  I barely had time to react before something shot at me. I didn't dodge as much as I fell out of the tree in my attempt to avoid it. As agile as I usually was, it was so sudden, not even I was able to land on my feet quickly enough. I hit the ground with a painful thud and a grunt as the wind was knocked out of my lungs. 
 "We have an audience." The voice muttered from behind as movement closed in. Damn it, he was too quick. Was I going to be attacked?! If he had just waited for the explanation, I...!
  
As I began to scramble back to my feet, a shadow fell over me, halting me still until I caught a safe scent from above and looked up to Kiba standing in front of me, practically guarding me from his own teammates, 
 "Hey, hey, hold on just a minute! It's not an intruder, got it? This is what I was about to tell you about!"
   My heart was beating out of my chest, my tail almost as puffed up as it was during the last attack. When my ear flicked, I heard a short gasp come from the girl as her eyes widened. The boy didn't look as surprised, but rather his eyebrows furrowed with confusion.
 "Alright..." His stance relaxed a bit more, his guard lowering as his teammate vouched for me, but he was clearly still on edge. I could say the same for me as well... Could ninjas stop pulling out knives as soon as they saw me?!
  Kiba exhaled with relief before turning back to me with a smile and offering a hand to help me to my feet, which I was glad to accept, 
 "Alright, we're all good now, 'ight? Everyone's chill?"
   The boy didn't respond, but the girl nodded shortly, her arms pulled closely against her body. She wouldn't stop staring at me, but she kept intently quiet. 
  With that, Kiba continued, 
"Kinda jumped the gun on the big introduction, but we can all sit down and get a little meeting goin', yeah?"
   He gave a soft tap against my arm, as though prompting me to move forward. As the team turned around to return back to the rock, I carefully began to move and listen to his request to join the group. It was a shocking start, but if they were Kiba's teammates, they were okay too, weren't they? 
 

  Akamaru remained waiting at the rock patiently, his tag wagging and scraping the dirt when the small group returned, weapons lowered. 
I was still trying to unfluff my tail from the scare, but as I had it in my hands and was smoothing down the fur, it wasn't quite ready to relax again just yet. 
  The girl and Kiba had no problems sitting down by the dog, but the other boy rested back against the rock, arms crossed as he continued to stare. Intimidating...
  I sat down close to Kiba, as though sitting nearby would keep me safe. They probably weren't going to attack me now, but I couldn't shake the nervousness of these new people. 
 I sniffed at the air, but their scents didn't tell me much. The girl almost smelled like nothing at all. She didn't carry any strong smells naturally, but rather had subtle hints of things she picked up along the way. Seeing what their mission was, the various forest smells on her made sense. 
 The boy, on the other hand... He smelled overwhelmingly powerful, and yet told me nothing. The smell was pungent and circled around him like a bubble, and I had to inhale again just to be sure I got it right. 
 He was the total opposite direction, as he had so much coming naturally to him that no other smells were able to latch on. The scent of insects circled him like a dark aura. 
  With a short exhale to shake the mix of smells out of my nostrils, I looked to Kiba, who simply looked confused and unsure how to start. This was clearly out of his element as he scratched his neck nervously, looking for his words. 
 Would it be better for me to start? I didn't feel as comfortable as I did meeting KIba for the first time, but he appeared even more uncertain than I felt. 
 I shifted my position, ready to speak before he took the lead first, quickly finding himself and pulling back the confidence he so often had,
 "So yeah!" The ninja boasted suddenly, "This is (Y/N), and..." 
 With that, he was unsure once more. Kiba crossed his arms in thought, then nodded shortly, 
 "Well, this is (Y/N)."
 
  The other boy let a frown pull at his lips as he sighed, 
"Insightful."

  A little annoying, but amusing too. So there were things ninjas could be bad at as well, huh? 
The other boy might've been frowning, but I couldn't help smiling instead. The girl gave a soft chuckle, her voice meek and gentle, 
 "You're not an intruder, right? I'm Hinata, and that's Shino over there."
  She looked to the boy against the rock, who ever so slightly looked up as though giving acknowledgement to his name.  
Shino and Hinata... Got it. These other people were teammates of Kiba and the ones speaking over the radio. I still felt safer near Kiba rather than speaking to them, but if I planned to reveal the rest of my clan, telling these two was like... Practice! Training, even? I could be strong and do it. I already told one person, I could easily do it again. Once they were no longer forced to hide away and could reunite with the rest of the Land of Fire, maybe they could be free again. I could smell and hear the rest of the world while they were trapped in a bubble.
  My cousin's words rang in my head like a reminder of what it was all for. It wasn't betrayal, it was tearing down those walls that didn't need to exist anymore. We were allies, not ghosts. 
  I swallowed back as I returned an awkwardly warm grin, 
"It's nice to meet you! I'm not an enemy, I promise!" 

Chapter Text

"We'll never forget who we are."
  The long fingers dipped into the ink and ran across the walls with shaky balance. From behind, some younger children watched with wonder in their eyes, 
 "What's that?!" 
The woman weakly chuckled, the wrinkles on her face giving a gentle beauty to her age. She pulled the bowl closer to ensure the children wouldn't knock over the ink as she kept painting, 
 "Our kekkei genkai developed many generations ago. The details are lost to history with our ancestors, but this gift they've shared with the family will continue far after we're gone. Beast and man as one, our strength is a precious gift."
  She pulled her hand back to allow the children to look upon the painting of a tiger on the wall. Some children grinned, while others looked confused. Another child sat up to get a better look,
 "Those are real, right? Will we ever see one?"
 The group nodded with whispers of agreement to the question. The woman wiped her fingers on her dirty apron before she turned around. All around her, the younger generation watched with anticipation. Various ears and tails of all types of felidae sit around her as one collective family.
 "Of course, one day maybe you all will get to meet your inner spirit."
 Another child suddenly shot up, 
 "But my dad doesn't have ears like me! I want him to meet his spirit, too! Why can't my dad have them like me?"
 She couldn't help a grimace at the question as memories flashed across her mind. She tried to shake them off, nevertheless, and force a smile for the sake of the children, 
 "Well... He married your mom from the outside. Your special ears come from your mom's side. You're very lucky; it's hard for people like him to find our clan at all. You love your dad very much, don't you?"
  The child nodded, his tail flicking as he spoke,
 "Yeah! He's funny, and he makes the best dinners. And he takes me into the forest sometimes to hunt for bugs. He can't move as fast as me, though. When I go too fast for him, he uses this... Uh... Ca... Ch..."
 "Chakra," The woman finished for the child, clearly having difficulty saying the word. Many of the children looked confused, looking to each other for an answer. Right... They were still young; they wouldn't remember the clan going into hiding like the older ones did. Even if she was one of the ones being taken so long ago, they were still so innocent... "Our ancestors used it too. It's inside each and every one of you. But we don't use it anymore. Your father does because he doesn't have our blood."
  Right away, the group began complaining with various 'whys' and 'but I want to!', eventually prompting the woman to raise a hand to silence them, 
 "Calm yourself. Chakra is too dangerous for us. Ninjas use it to fight, and we don't fight, do you understand? You're all perfect just how you are. As long as you stay behind the line, you'll never need to use it."

  "This is..." Hinata listened with captured interest, latching onto every word like a sponge. She fidgeted with her fingers as she walked, a smile pulling on her lips. Shino remained quiet, but he didn't interrupt as I unveiled every detail. 
  Kiba was riding on Akamaru's back, but I made the choice to walk this time instead. I enjoyed the last ride, but it felt awkward to join him while around his team. Still, I couldn't resist catching glances, like I was looking to him for emotional support to keep talking. 
  Once I was finally done, Shino's hands slid out of his pockets,
 "There's a portion of the forest the Hokage doesn't allow us to enter. The third and fifth alike."
 "Hey, that's right!" Kiba nodded with a flash of realization, "They always said something like 'oh that area is fine' or 'I have someone else checking that area' or whatever. But ain't it a pretty big chunk of the forest?"
 That sounded like our territory, alright. I didn't know exactly where to pinpoint it on a map, but it was large enough for us to hunt while staying within the barrier. 
 "I guess the Hokage would be told classified information like that. Especially if there was an agreement with the felidae clan to keep them hidden..." Hinata muttered aloud, more talking to herself than us. 
The group was quiet for a long minute as everyone was unsure what to say next. I told my story, but I couldn't help feeling like it was almost too easy. Now that I did it, what came next? The whole village would need to know about the clan before the elder even considered tearing down the seals. Worst case, they'd migrate somewhere else off-grid, and I'd never find them again. 
 How was I going to bring my clan and the village together again if my clan didn't trust anyone at all?
    I pondered my thoughts over and over, but I kept coming back to the same conclusion that I needed to go back. 
"Would you be able to point out the closed-off area?" I looked around the team, where Kiba nodded shortly,
 "Yeah, 'course. Got a plan?"
 My ears flicked with a nod,
 "Something like that. I think I need to go back to the clan. If I reveal them to the whole village and only make the reveal one-sided, my clan might try to vanish completely."
 The team went quiet once more, but even in the silence, I could tell they were all thinking carefully. When Akamaru whined, his owner hummed curiously, 
 "What's up, boy?"
There he went again, having a conversation that I couldn't make sense of at all. Would there ever come a point when I could have something like that, too? The dog grumbled, to which the ninja nodded again,
 "Yeah. I'm on board too. We gotta flip patrols though. No way we can move freely if we're still on a mission."
 

  Shino cleared his throat, directing attention to him, albeit even that was still rather quiet,
"When you were telling your story just now... Was that Hana you mentioned?"
 "My big sis," Kiba confirmed for me, "Yeah. She's a vet, and the clan is all partial animal, so she had some special permissions, I guess. She never told me nothin' though."
 The quiet ninja exhaled, sounding almost bothered as he had to clarify himself, 
 "(Y/N) isn't the only bridge, then. Someone from Kohana has physically been there with a foundation of trust. It would be wise to have her on our side."
 Hana... I'd get to see Hana again? The thought made me a little excited. As I tried to hide it, my twitching tail betrayed me. 
 Oh, that reminded me...
   I reached up to touch my ears, as though trying to flatten them against my head. Hinata must've noticed what I was thinking as she cocked her head curiously,
 "They're really real... They should be hidden when we step into the village, right?"
"Probably," Shino replied bluntly, "The stares would give (Y/N) away instantly. Word would get around fast."
 They had a point. Being tactful would be useless if my appearance revealed my kekkei genkai right away. It might be uncomfortable, but I could tuck my tail into my clothes for a little while. As for my ears...
  Pretending they were a costume wasn't going to work. I'd never been inside the village before, I could expect a lot of new sounds that would make my ears twitch involuntarily. 
 Kiba clicked his tongue as he rolled his shoulders, 
 "Man, I guess it makes sense. Still kinda pisses me off having to do that though. Maybe the felidae clan won't even know word is getting around? We'd be fine."
 "Can't take the risk," Shino reached into his pocket to pull something out, "You heard what (Y/N) said. The clan might flee before we get the chance. If the higher-ups know about the clan already, which we know they do, someone might report (Y/N)'s reveal to them before we get there."
 

   I didn't like it much either. I'd always been proud of who I was. But it was only temporary until we can form that communication bridge. The ninja offered the object my way, and I unfolded a long cloth. Something to tie my ears down, right? It didn't look comfortable, and I wasn't one for hair ribbons either. Well, I'd just have to get it over with!
 Hinata held her hand my way, quietly prompting for the cloth. It took a moment before I realized she was offering to tie them down for me, and I passed it off to her instead. 
   With that, the group slowed for her to get behind me and gently begin to tighten the cloth over my head, tying it in a way that looked more like an accessory. 
  "So what's the game plan?" Kiba questioned while we were paused, "We seeing Hana or Lady Hokage first?"
 "You go to Hana," Shino turned his teammate's way, "And bring (Y/N) with you. Hinata and I will turn in our patrol report to the Hokage. We can't yet trust that she won't send a reporting scout to the clan. She assisted in their concealment, after all."

   The Hokage... What kind of person was she?
Cutting right through the forest was faster than walking the border with Kiba the whole time. Traveling as a group slowed things down, but as the sunset encroached along the sky, the walls peeked into view beyond the trees. They were... Massive. Taller than any tree I had ever climbed. The scent of the village was overpowering, prompting a cough before I gathered myself. So many scents and sounds all at once. I had smelled it in the distance before, but I had never been bold enough to just walk up to them. Kiba suddenly pulled Akamaru to a stop, dragging the team's movements to a crawl,
 "Hey, I was just thinkin'," He began curiously, "The guards are probably gonna question you when you come in and make a report to Tsunade."
From the silence of the rest of the team, something told me he was right. How was I going to get through the gate then?
 Hinata abruptly perked up,
 "Oh!" Her voice squeaked before she began to untie her headband, "They probably wouldn't remember every name and face in the village. You could pretend to be unconscious and wear this..."
 "Oh yeah!" Kiba gave a toothy grin, "We could totally say we're heading to the hospital and walk right by!"
"Be quick, then." Shino tacked on, sounding more unsure about it, "Don't pause and let them see (Y/N)."
  Hinata handed her headband my way with a weak smile,
 "Yeah... They might be keeping track of who left the village recently..."
"No problem!" Kiba jumped in as he began to boast, "(Y/N) can ride Akamaru with me when we go in. I could pretend to hold on like they got hurt and you guys can give whatever story sounds legit! I'm not good with all that makin' up stories n' junk."

  It sure sounded like a solid plan. I accepted the headband with a short thanks, but taking it now, it was different than when I held Kiba's back at the river. It didn't feel as heavy this time, as though the weight itself was the distance I was feeling in my heart. Not just being allowed to wear it, but asked to... 
 Well, there's no way to go but forward, right?
I tied it around my head quickly, careful not to mess up the cloth covering my ears, before Kiba helped me onto Akamaru's back.
 "So... How does someone look when they're unconscious?" I tried to laugh it off with a playful tone, but being this close to him right now, when he knew how I felt, was making my chest feel tight. 
  "Just lie back and make yourself all limp," The ninja pulled me close with one arm, and in a moment's notice, I was being held tight against him. Right... Just be limp... Try not to think about who's holding me. I can do this. 
 I relaxed my muscles, and his arm supported my head.
"It'll pass if they don't look too close." Shino confirmed, "Walk in front of us. Get through the gates first."

  

   We kept walking, but all I could focus on was the sound of his heartbeat against my head. It was muffled by the cloth, but I could not only hear it, but also feel it. It was beating heavily and quickly, as though he had just been through a rigorous run. My fingers trembled before I shifted, holding my hands over each other and tucked low to keep them under a limited view. 
 My tail was tucked under my clothes, but it was twitching, nearly tickling my back. The closer we got to the gates, the more I could detect from within. My eyes might've been closed, but I could see so much. 
 Good smells of baking pie, and the bad smells of a burned lunch. The sounds of laughing and of an argument. 
The twisted mesh of a collective village hit heavy, and yet, it was so much more fascinating than my clan, which had become stagnant to the senses. This place always seemed to be on the move. 
 "Well, if it isn't the old Team Kurenai!" A man's voice called from afar, but I kept myself still. Akamaru slowed down, but didn't come to a full stop as though even he was trying to sneak by.
  "Good afternoon, you two," Hinata piped up warmly, "We're just coming back from patrol now.'
"There was an incident at the border. Just reporting to Lady Hokage." Shino added on, stopping at the welcome desk.
 "Ah," One of the men hummed in understanding. "That the incident?"
 With that, Akamaru stopped. I felt Kiba tighten his grip around me, his frame shaking as he laughed it off, 
 "Oh somethin' like that! Not a big deal, just ran into another one of ours a little hurt. Gotta take em' to the hospital."
  "That so?" Another man curiously sat up.

 Please don't look closer... Getting caught so quickly would be a big problem!

 "Well, don't let me stop you." He finally sat back down after a moment, "Go ahead, Kiba, but stop by, will you? I never see you around anymore."
 "Course!" I could physically feel him relax in relief, and Akamaru hurried to keep walking again, picking up the pace into a trot.
Kiba kept a tight hold around me for a little while longer before finally relaxing with a deep sigh like he was releasing a breath he had been holding,
 "Sweet, we're out of the major roads now."
Thank goodness... It was starting to get so quiet, I wasn't sure I would've been able to stop myself from squirming for much longer with the proximity. 
 My eyes opened, but rather than looking at Kiba, I pulled myself up to a sit and examined the scene around me. Tall houses and quiet residential streets with much less activity. My senses were still picking up quite a lot, but it wasn't as bustling as the front gates. Some children kicked a ball around, and an elderly couple played a board game on their porch. 
  One woman lazily leaned out of her window, humming to herself, only to stop and perk up upon seeing us pass by, 
 "Hey, Kiba!" She waved happily, a bright smile on her face, "Back from your mission already, huh?"
 "Yo Ino, yup!" With a thumbs up, he acknowledged her call, "Just a patrol, easy junk. I'm heading home now. You know if Hana is around?"
    The girl pondered for a moment, brushing some of her long blonde hair from her face, 
 "I think I did see her, yeah. Is Akamaru sick?"
 "Only in moves," The ninja complimented his dog with a playful scratch behind the ear, "But nah, just wanna say hey to my sis."
 
   I could feel Ino looking at me curiously, but she decided not to say anything about it as she shrugged,
 "Well, good luck with that. That woman is always busy with one thing or another. I'm waiting for someone, so I'll hang around here for a little bit."
 "Sai?"
 Kiba snickered with a tease, quickly prompting her cheeks to turn a few shades red,
"What? No, don't even joke like that! Obviously not!" She averted her eyes and began to fidget with her fingers anxiously. Yeah, obviously, Sai. Ino quickly cleared her throat as she composed herself, "Anyway, I'll get back to waiting, just wanted to say hey. I don't need you hanging out at my front door if... Whoever shows up."

  They said their goodbyes, and we kept moving. Only when she was out of earshot did I look back to Kiba sitting behind me,
 "Friend of yours?"
"Somethin' like that," The ninja shrugged to my question, "She's from another team, but we've kinda known each other since we were kids. I could introduce you more later, but we gotta meet up with Hana before anything else. Sounds good?" 

Chapter Text

"Come on..." I held my hands together, trying to focus all my attention on this. I read this in the scroll, so why wasn't it working?! "Come on!"
  I could feel something, but it was so far away. Chakra... I'd never even considered such a thing before, but if there was even a chance-!
 The elder's teachings kept ringing in my head on repeat. We don't fight; chakra was just for fighting. 
  Still... Even still, could I really use it?!
The scroll lay out in front of me, giving the most clear directions in the world, and yet, I still couldn't understand it!
  My ears perked up as I heard someone approaching, and as fast as lightning, the scroll was scooped up and shoved in my pocket. Did I wrinkle it? Probably, but it was better than having it shredded for being caught with it or something.
   From the corner of my eye, my father approached, his tired eyes sagging low when he spotted me, 
 "Finally... There you are," He gave a low sigh, "I've been looking for you everywhere. It's inconvenient to keep going into the forest to find you, you know?"
 "Sorry," Although I awkwardly laughed it off, my father clearly wasn't amused. He kept talking, acting like I hadn't said anything at all,
 "Elders called a clan meeting. You mind at least coming back for that?"
A meeting? It sure has been a long time since they did one of those. 
 "Sure," Still, my ears lowered in nervousness. "Any idea what it's about?"

"You brought them here?!" Hana's hand whipped around, grabbing a tight handful of her younger brother's shirt as though scruffing a kitten. She was more gentle than this the last time I saw her, right? Was this a family thing?
  The multiple dogs surrounded where I sat and sniffed as I remained tense, my fully revealed ears twitching as I kept quiet. 
"What else was I 'spose to do?!" The boy grumbled as he attempted to wiggle out of her grasp, only for Hana to pull him closer, 
 "Not this! This clan is a highly kept secret, not even the Anbu fully know the details. This is a big deal! Did anyone see them?"
   She looked my way, not with anger, but fear in her eyes. 
She looked exactly like I remembered her... I tried to smile, but she clearly wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. 
"No!" Kiba huffed it off, almost offended she would even ask, "I'm not a dumbass like that!"
   The girl grumbled, swiftly pulling him under her arm to catch her brother in a headlock, 
 "There's a lot I could call you a dumbass for right now!"

 Another woman stepped into the dining room from the back of the house. Her sharp eyes instantly locked onto the siblings. Just based on her messy brown hair and mature pose, she had the vibes of a parent. 
  The woman moved without thinking, grabbing the two and ripping them away from each other, 
 "Both of you shut up! Some of us are trying to get an afternoon nap in! What is with all this damn yelling?"

 Hana pulled from her mother's hold and wordlessly gestured my way for her to look to where I was sitting. 
The moment her eyes locked on me, I could feel this looming, powerful energy. Not even my own mother had such an authority to her, but I wanted to bow my head in respect right away, had I not fully frozen up from nerves alone. She was able to grab them like it was nothing!
  The woman's lips pulled into a frown as her eyes narrowed. She sniffed the air, then wiped her nose, as though cleaning the scent off again, 
 "Smells like a cat. Who is this?"
"(Y/N), they-"
 "They're from the felidae clan, mom," Hana interrupted her brother as she crossed her arms, "That clan I used to visit as a medic, remember? Kiba decided to just bring one of them home and risk showing their highly classified kekkei genkai to the entire village."
   The woman thought a moment longer, giving a sigh, and then, without warning, she moved, pulling Kiba back into another headlock, 
"What were you thinking?!"
"That's what I was saying!" His sister scoffed again. Kiba made an irritated sound that was a mix of a groan and a growl, struggling against his mom's grip, 
 "Damn, at least let me explain first, will ya'?!"
 

  She latched on for a minute more before finally letting him go and stepping away to drop down on one of the chairs across from me at the table, but she didn't look at me at all. With everyone staring at Kiba, he crossed his arms, clearing his throat as he gathered himself again,
 "I know this looks bad, but it's the only place we could go, yeah? Could actually use your help," He looked to Hana, but she might as well have rolled her eyes with the stare she was giving her brother.
  They were both glaring him down like hawks, ready to get him in trouble. Even being grown up and a trained ninja, one couldn't escape family, could they? I guess that was the same for me as well, in some way. 
I could tell just from their expressions that they weren't yet on board with everything. This might've been the time to step in now. Kiba could handle it with his teammates, but his family had a different structure altogether. 
  "It's not his fault," I piped up before anyone could interrupt me first, "I needed to come here. I'm trying to free my clan."
 When the two women looked at me, I knew it was time to fully explain everything. So I did. 
 I started from the beginning with the clan going into hiding and why. I detailed my escape, the bans and various rules, how I ran into Kiba, and everything leading up to why and how I wanted to free my clan from the bubble they had been living in for so long. 
  Everyone sat quietly as I spoke, even the dogs, not making a sound.
By the time I was done, the older woman pulled her gaze away and slowly pushed herself up,
 "It's time to start dinner,"
 "Mom!" Hana suddenly interjected her complaint, "You won't even say anything? This is serious!"
    She shot a glare back, a toothy frown poking out her daughter's way, 
 "I'm makin' dinner first, got that? We'll talk over a meal."
 With that, she waved it off and made her way around the table. When the woman was behind me, I felt a hand fall upon my shoulder ever so softly. Compared to the brute force she just gave her kids, this was much more gentle, 
 "(Y/N), was it? Just call me Tsume. Don't think I haven't heard your stomach growlin' for a while now. My son better have been takin' care of you while you were out there."
  

  A family of beast trainers, and a house of dogs... Growing up, I never would've imagined I'd find myself here. The woman I looked up to and was inspired by sat right beside me at the dinner table, and a hot meal was in front of me in no time. The smell of cooked meat... Finally, warm food!
   I almost brought myself to chow down, but tried to remember my manners and kept my restraint. Yet, from the looks of it, I was the only one who did. The rest of the family was ripping into the food like it was nothing, no manners to be seen.
 Well... If it was okay...?
I followed after and devoured my meal like I had never eaten a day in my life. My tail swayed out, my ears pulling back as the hot food filled my stomach. What I expected to be a talk over dinner might've been a talk after dinner instead, because I wasn't going to get a word out with my mouth full. 
 Before long, my plate was empty and I was wiping my face clean with a few napkins,
 "Th-Thank you, Tsume!" I was truly grateful, but that was a beyond embarrassing display of eating that was only acceptable because of the people I was sitting around. I shouldn't let myself get too comfortable doing that regularly. "It was very good."
  "Well, look at that, kitty knows good food when they see it," She chuckled, leaning back in her chair as she finished up her meal. "You're very welcome. But let's get to business."
  Hana and Kiba swallowed the mouthfuls they were on and looked to their mother, not yet finishing their plates but still compelled to listen in. 
 The woman pushed her plate out of the way so she could drop her chair back down, resting her elbows on the table with a serious look on her face,
 "This plan you got goin' for ya, it's a good one, I'll give ya that. But it's risky, and even more so, you're challenging the Hokage and your own elders going behind their backs like that. I can't say I approve, but I like your guts." She scolded, and yet she was grinning, "But there's one thing you forgot to consider."
 "Huh?" Kiba nearly couldn't resist interrupting, "It's a solid plan though, ain't it?"
 "Oh yeah, you got it all worked out," Tsume nodded his way, but her tone sounded mocking, "Except for afterwards. You're right to think the world is different than when they went into hiding. It was around the second ninja war, wasn't it? They'd be safer, but not invulnerable."
 I took in what she was saying, digesting every word carefully until I finally caught what she was trying to say, 
"You're right. They'll come out of hiding again and just have a target on them by someone else. We need to make sure they can protect themselves, too. I can't imagine they'd want to leave one wall and walk into another one. My clan would never merge with the village."
  "So we teach 'em to fight, so what?" Kiba interjected with a shrug, only for Hana to shake her head at the prospect,
 "The Felidae clan refuses to fight. They forgot how to use their chakra generations ago."
"So just make them unforget!" It sounded dumb to hear it out loud, but Kiba was onto something...
   
   My ears twitched as I looked around the family,
 "No... They don't refuse to fight. We were just taught not to. There are some of us who want to learn. Even the elders won't be able to make a strong case to stay hidden if the whole clan knew how to use Jitsu."
  My cousin instantly came to mind as I spoke. If it was one, I was sure there were more who felt the same way. 

   Tsume offered a nod of understanding before pulling herself up, 
 "Think on it for a bit. If you wanna make a case, you're gonna need some fighters to show your clan's stuff before tearing that wall down. You ain't able to do it, huh?"
   I couldn't deny it. As much as I was ready to act, I still didn't know my own chakra yet either. To my silence, she huffed, almost amused, 
 "Didn't think so. So you'll need some trained shinobi to go back with you when you've got this plan smoothed out."
Hana huffed playfully, nudging her brother as she continued eating, 
 "Sounds like a you thing. Would love to see you try training a buncha' cats."
He almost looked offended and annoyed, but kept quiet as he ate. It was oddly unlike Kiba from what I knew of him so far to just take that. Unless a part of him was actually considering it?
 Tsume didn't wait to hear the discussion as she stretched and started back towards the hall,
 "You guys clean up. I'm going back to sleep, and you better not wake me up like that again."
 "Yes, mom," Hana and Kiba were in perfect sync with their call. Just before Tsume left, she suddenly stopped and turned back to look my way, 
 "Oh yeah, and (Y/N), take the couch if you want. I won't kick you out, but keep yourself covered if you go outside."
I gave a short nod of understanding, to which Tsume grinned and vanished back to her room once more. 
 When she was gone, Kiba sighed as Hana stood up, taking the empty plates in a pile, 
 "You have no room to be sounding like that, you know. She's lucky she wasn't harsher with you, but she likes (Y/N). That's the only reason you didn't get it more."
  His frown was evident while he watched his sister take the plates to the sink, 
 "Ah, I don't needa' hear it from you. We came for your help, y'know? We actually need a map of the forest. The perception seals make it a real pain to try finding to get in."
 "Of course," Hana didn't sound shocked about that in the slightest, "It's tricky to find the barrier unless you know exactly where you're going. Even I needed to be escorted through when I made my visits."
  Escorted... 
"You mean they left the barrier before?" I couldn't resist my surprise, to which Hana chuckled, 
 "Yeah, it happens from time to time, actually. Crossing the barrier isn't as forbidden as you might've been told. They only tell that to the clan itself, so you don't think about stepping outside the seals."
 Well, it was obvious when she said it out loud. There was marriage with outsiders and occasional trade for goods, but outsiders staying within the village typically didn't show their faces outside the home, so they were forgotten about or ignored. How did I forget so easily? My own father was an outsider, but how often did I really think about him?
  With a glance to Kiba, I took note of his lack of animal traits once more. I still recalled my disappointment the first time I noticed he wasn't actually a partial animal like I was, but with another look, I found myself admiring him for it instead. 
 I liked my ears and tail, but I liked him without them too. Or rather, I just liked Kiba in general, with or without. 

  Hana washed up as Kiba pulled himself up with a minimal goodnight. Akamaru stood up from where he had been lying nearby and began to follow the ninja to his room.
  I remained at the table until she was done and flicked her hands dry of water, 
 "Anyway, I'll get you both that map tomorrow. Just get some sleep tonight. And it was nice to meet you."
    Her smile stayed in my mind as she walked away, and after a moment to hold it in my thoughts, I was smiling as well. They were a little rough around the edges, but I liked this family a lot. 
  I listened carefully until I couldn't hear movement in the bedrooms anymore and knew they had lain down before I got up to head for the couch as well, leaving Hinata's headband at the table first. Sleeping with that on wouldn't have been comfortable. The dogs picked up their heads to watch me, but none of them moved or showed any sign that I wasn't trusted. They were all like Akamaru, weren't they? Trained ninja hounds with a close bond to their master, but these ones stayed out here rather than sleeping in the bedrooms?
 Perhaps that was just because I was here tonight. 

  Nevertheless, I flopped down on the couch and found a comfortable position to curl up. When I closed my eyes, my thoughts picked up and began to run wild. Everything I was planning to do next, everything I had already done, and my thoughts about all of it. It didn't take long for those thoughts to move into personal feelings as well. 
 Specifically, feelings about Kiba and the lingering desires that had been on my mind. There was no way to excuse the feeling in my heart every time he got close. He knew how I felt, but when would I know for sure if he would accept it or not? A part of me began to question my own doubts about it. Was he trying to act like he didn't know? Was he even thinking about it at all? 
  The scent of the couch caught my nose. It was an old one, used by the family quite often. I could smell the days of movement passing around the room and the various meals shared. Just like the village itself, the house was always on the move, never growing stagnant. 
 My tail curled around my arm in an attempt to self-soothe and help me get some sleep. It was easier to let my guard down here, even with the dogs in the room, and yet, with my belly full and my safety assured, my mind wasn't cooperative. 
I could hear movement deeper within the house, but I didn't think anything of it until the floorboards creaked in the hallway. My ears flicked, and I raised my head, sniffing the air for whoever had just left their room. It was too difficult to entirely make out though, with everyone's mingled family scent all together. 
 Only my eyes could be trusted in that moment when the frame of Kiba stepped into the living room, his feet shuffling quietly against the wooden flooring.
  "Kiba?" I questioned, but he remained quiet as he moved into the living room. Finally, the ninja sighed, dropping down to a sit against the couch. He pulled a knee against his chest to lazily rest an arm on, not looking back at me, 
 "Yo," Despite the dismissiveness in his voice, he was almost whispering. No doubt his family had some higher sensory as well. "I couldn't sleep."
  

   I pushed myself up to sit on the couch, criss-cross, as I was directly behind him. My tail brushed the cushions behind me, but it wasn't my main focus. 
 "Are you troubled?"
 "Pft," He snorted, shaking his head, "Nah, just a lot on my mind. Now that I'm done with my mission n' all, I got time to chill and think. I wasn't really tryin' to sleep anyway, I just wanted those two to go to bed so I could come have a chat with you first. You still think it's a good idea to reveal your clan? Could just stay in the village. If anyone tried comin' after ya, I'd just beat 'em to a pulp anyway."
  I think that was a kind sentiment? I'd take it as one, at least. A smile snuck onto my face, although he couldn't see it, 
"I appreciate it, but... I can't. Even if I said yes to that, if any of the higher-ups aren't on our side, my being here would get reported. I have no idea what would happen to my clan, or me within the walls right now. I'm not entirely free yet either."
 It was something on my mind when I first met Hana and revealed my ears to her. As long as my clan itself was forbidden knowledge, I could never be unshackled from that.
 "Man..." He grumbled, scratching his nails through his messy hair with frustration, "Hate that you're right. Still, I just-"
   Kiba suddenly stopped, entirely cutting himself off and tensing up as he lowered his arm. What was this sudden mood shift? It captured my attention in an instant, but I kept quiet. He had something to say, I didn't want to cut him off and never get the chance to hear it.
  He shifted nervously, then grumbled a sigh, 
 "Damn it, I just want you to hang around a bit longer, alright?"

Chapter Text

  "Congratulations, Kiba," A headband was lowered down to him with a warm smile from his teacher, "You graduated. You're a real shinobi now."
Really?
 He actually had no idea he'd even get this far. He was so used to slacking off that this just seemed like pity, but still!
KIba couldn't stop a grin spreading over his face, showing off his sharp teeth as he snatched it up quickly with a laugh
 "Alright! I'm a ninja now! Does that mean I can go on missions now?"
"Well, when you're assigned them, of course," The teacher chuckled, reaching out to pet Akamaru sitting atop his head, the little puppy wagging its tail in excitement as well, "But you know, it's not all fun out there. Don't go rushing in without thinking anymore; you have a team now."
  He couldn't help but to wave off the statement, 
 "I've always had a team! Akamaru is the only one I need to get the job done. You've seen how good I can fight!"
The teacher's eyes softened, his smile growing forced as he sighed, 
 "How did I end up with all the reckless ones in my class...? You know, you really shouldn't make me worry about this. You're a good fighter, and I know you'll get even stronger, but sometimes you'll have to put your faith in others, too. There are some things in life you won't be able to do on your own."
 "Oh yeah, like what?"
He was barely listening as he was busy tying his new headband on his head, clearly checked out of the conversation already. The teacher waited until he was done to lean down to the genin's level,
 "You may have to do things that are scary or... Maybe against the will of your sensei or even the Hokage. Like, showing mercy to an enemy, for example. Do you think you'd be ready to make choices like that without a team you trust with your life?"
 Kiba's eyebrows furrowed with confusion, like the question was nothing but a ridiculous fantasy,
 "I'd never go against the village! Got that? An enemy's an enemy, I'd do anything to protect Kohana!"
It was no use; he was too young to understand right now. The teacher sighed a weak chuckle as he pulled himself back up, 
 "Ah, never mind. You'll understand what I mean one day, I'm sure. For now, be sure to meet your new sensei with a smile and make us proud, alright?"

  A little bit longer... I wanted nothing more than that. Being with Kiba sounded perfect, actually. I carefully leaned forward, brushing my cheek against his head. The ninja didn't stop me, but I could hear the subtle prick of his breathing pause.
 " I want that too..." I chose my words carefully as I tried not to get too close if he didn't want to accept my feelings yet. I could feel the dogs watching curiously, but I paid them no mind. 
 When he finally released his breath, Kiba's heart was clearly beating heavily. He gritted his teeth, tensing up, 
"Why do you gotta nuzzle all cat-like like that? I'm tryin' to figure out how to say something, but I can't focus."
  Oh, maybe I made a mistake! I just moved without thinking. Although when I pulled back quickly, Kiba pushed himself off the ground, only to sit on the couch beside me instead, 
 "I know how you feel, so I guess it's awkward or whatever. I dunno, I'm still bad at this stuff, alright? I haven't really known you for very long, but I'm still helping you out."
 I wanted to respond, but I was admittedly getting very mixed signals right now. I couldn't tell if I was being scolded, praised, or if this was some attempt to talk about our feelings, if there were any. 
 In my silence, the ninja suddenly groaned, his head falling into his hands, 
"Damn it! Just give me a second to figure out what I'm tryin' to say."
Despite his anger, it was hard not to find it a little cute as well. A part of me wanted to reach out and hope I was reading the situation well, but the other half held back in fear that I wasn't. 
 I didn't touch, but I scooted closer, craning my neck around to peek at Kiba. He kept his position a minute more, finally dropping his hands with a sigh,
 "It's no use, I can't do any of that insightful stuff. I know what I wanna say, but the words just don't sound right."
 

  I planned to be patient, but perhaps this was something he genuinely couldn't do. From everything I learned about Kiba, he wasn't the emotionally vulnerable type. Did that mean he was trying to be emotional, then?
 "It... Must be really important, then?"
 My tail flicked as it brushed against his side, to which Kiba chuckled, frustration still dripping through, 
"Eh, depends what you'd consider important. I guess it is."
  He trailed off once more, his eyes flicking from my face to the top of my head. As the ninja began to move, I fell entirely still. 
His hand rested on my head, running along my ears as he flattened then against my head, almost as though he were petting a normal cat. I was still mostly human, but who could complain about this? It felt nice. 
  Despite his strength, Kiba was carefully gentle, and I felt a purr strike my throat. I would've been happy to keep receiving pets for a while longer, but his hand moved down instead, and I swiftly found myself looking into his eyes as the ninja's thumb brushed against my cheek.
  He didn't say anything, or rather, he couldn't, and yet I felt like I understood everything in that moment. A single glimpse, a simple touch, and I read everything like a second language. 
  He moved before I did, but I wasn't far behind to close the space either. It felt so natural, as though I'd been waiting my whole life to kiss someone like him. 
  Despite all his confidence, Kiba still moved with hesitance, unsure of himself. I did my best to restrain my purring, but it was utterly impossible. 
 As close as we were, I could smell every little thing on him. His old smell was starting to come back again, but the scent markers between us were too close to tell them apart any longer. Did I smell like dog, or did he smell like cat?
  I only pulled away because I had to for the sake of breathing, but I didn't wait to cuddle myself against the ninja and burrow my face against his chest. 
 I wasn't sure I ever purred this much in my life. It rumbled like thunder as an arm pulled me closer against him.
  Kiba's hands trembled; I wouldn't force him to speak, or rather, I didn't even have to. For all the words he couldn't bring himself to say, he told it all through the vulnerability in his body language. 

  So that... It was a kiss; my first one, even. The act itself wasn't all that amazing, but because of who it was with, my lips continued to tingle softly. 
 One of the dogs whimpered from the dining room where he was lying down, and I couldn't help smiling at that,
 "I'm not sure they like me very much."
 "He's just embarrassed," Kiba muttered, teasing in his voice, "That's my mom's partner; he basically watched me grow up."
   Ever so lightly, I lifted my head to look to the dog, staring us down with one eye. The other appeared covered by an eyepatch, but his fur had layers of grey hues, reminding me more of a wolf than a dog. That seemed just about right for a dog belonging to someone like Tsume. To my stare, the dog gruffed... Or was it a huff? He turned away and laid his head back down again with a clear intent of attempting to ignore us. 
 It was strange to know that at all, wasn't it? I was starting to understand the language of the canines better.
When I set my head back down against the ninja, I felt comfortable enough to close my eyes and relax. He was colder than I was, and yet I felt like I was getting warmer. 
 It would've been so easy to fall asleep right now, but would that be alright? I was happy to see my feelings were accepted, but wouldn't it be... Too fast?
  Not that would've been the first time I was cuddled against him to sleep, but with this new context now, would it be awkward?
 

  I felt Kiba's hand move, his nails scraping against my shirt as he gently closed his hand as he began to tense up, 
   "Don't expect me to get all emotional or anything, I'm not into that gushy stuff. This is a thing, and so what?" He sounded almost desperate to try waving off any feelings, even as I was cuddling against his chest. I could understand it somewhat; a lot of people in my clan were the same way. Feelings were awkward sometimes; not everyone wanted to sit down and wear their heart on their sleeve. He didn't need to, though, especially not while he was still holding me close. 
 "Anyway..." Kiba continued carefully, "There really shouldn't be any time to waste going back to your clan, right? Longer you're here, the more likely someone will see ya', so we should get you our pretty quickly and find the rest of 'em."
  He was right. I couldn't hide forever inside such a busy village. The headband and cloth would only get me so far before I get eyes on me. 
Yeah, Kiba was right, leaving tomorrow was the best choice, and yet, it felt too soon, too. I was ready to do this, but thinking about it was so much easier than doing it.
As I adjusted my position, my tail coiled up, wrapping around his wrist while his hand pressed into my back,
 "I guess there's no better time to do it. Do you think Hana will come with?"
"Nah, probably not," He barely hesitated in his response at all, "She has her own work to do. Plus, it would be way too obvious if she only ever goes there when she's summoned. The map'll help enough."

  With that, there wasn't much I could say. I could've tried to argue against it for a little while, but it would only be against my own interests. 
The ninja settled back against the couch cushion and pulled me in with him, half in his lap as he moved. My nerves abruptly took over, and I began to pull back, only for his grip to tighten, 
 "If I was bothered 'bout it, I wouldn't have moved, 'ight?" He grumbled as he understood, almost sounding annoyed that I was nervous about the position. I wanted to be close to him, but still, wasn't it too quick for him, having just accepted? I thought about the closeness for a while already, but he didn't have as much time as I did. 
 "Okay..." If he didn't mind it, then I could just enjoy it, couldn't I? What should I do now that I was here? 
  I nearly began to question Kiba on what he wanted to do, but before I could speak, I picked up on the subtle sound of his breathing shifting. So that was it, was it?
  He wasn't fully asleep yet; that probably would've been some miracle, but he was trying to relax and doze off. This was comfortable for him?  
Above that, how was Kiba okay just falling asleep right here?!
  Well...
Why would I complain about something I was enjoying? As I relaxed, my cheek burrowed against his shirt, and I closed my eyes as well. It wasn't the most comfortable in the world, but I could easily sleep like this for a while. 

   I found that despite Kiba's overwise loud personality, he was actually rather quiet when he slept. No snoring or brazen movements aside from the occasional twitch. It made me remember what kind of person Kiba was. Above all, he was still a trained ninja who most likely practiced keeping silent at all times during those important missions. 
  I had noticed he didn't snore at all while in the forest, but it wasn't something I entirely absorbed until now. It made it easy to share the space when I was such a light sleeper myself.  
  I fell into a deeper sleep at some point during the night, but it didn't last for very long when I grew a more hazy consciousness with the first beams of sunlight. Hana had closed the curtains when I first revealed my ears, but that didn't entirely stop the darkness from being interrupted with early morning. 
  Kiba was limp in sleep, his arm still around me, but no grasping to keep me still if I so desired to move. 
It was best if I let him sleep, and I could do the packing for the trip instead. 
 I was careful as I began to wiggle free, doing my best not to wake him. He might've been a ninja, but I didn't know of anyone in the world who was a lighter sleeper than someone from my clan. When I was free, his arm rested on his leg and he turned his head, revising his sit now that he was alone on the couch.
 
  Alright... I would need rations to last the journey, clothes, maybe a few weapons... 
What did ninjas pack anyway?
 
  The one-eyed dog sat up to watch as I moved around, his stance still with suspicion, prompting me to offer a smile his way, 
"He wants to leave when he wakes up. I'm trying to pack for the trip. Do you know what I should get?"
   I wasn't even sure if he understood, but the canine dragged himself up, allowing for a slow stretch before trudging off down the hallway. Was he answering me, or did I bother him? 

   After a moment, the dog returned with Akamaru trotting behind him, an empty backpack hanging from his mouth. He understood, what a relief...
 "Thank you," I offered a grin as it was offered up to me. 
The older dog sat back down, but Akamaru began to move, heading back into the bedroom. What was it now? I could've kept packing on my own, but curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn't help waiting to see what he would return with. 
 Eventually, Akamaru came back with an article of clothing in his mouth this time. Like the first, he offered it up, and I gave thanks and put it in the backpack,
 "Right, Kiba would want to pack his clothes. I can pack food if you would get those, please? I don't know what he would prefer to wear during missions; you would know better."
  Akamaru's tail wagged lightly as he walked off once again, back towards the hallway. While he was gone, I set the backpack on the ground, so Akamaru had an easier time putting things inside, and I made my way to the fridge. 
  What I found inside was nothing extraordinary, but the various smells of food were pulling me in all directions. Different meats, but they wouldn't survive in a warm backpack. Better not to get something that needed careful storing. 
 When I pulled open a drawer, I was presented with some different types of fruits and veggies. Perfect! 
Carrots, oranges, potatoes, apples, all of it filled my arms and was dumped into the backpack. 
 By the time we were both done, the backpack was nearly ready. Still, I felt like I was forgetting something. What was it... 
I surely needed something else, didn't I? 
  I looked to Akamaru, who gave a quiet whine of response,
 "We need more than this, won't we?" I questioned quietly, so as not to wake Kiba up, "What else does he bring on missions?"
 
  Akamaru's tail moved slowly, as though he were thinking as well, and soon enough, he backed away to the hall once more. 
 I couldn't think of anything else, so I'd have to leave it to Akamaru. Kiba's weapons would be best to wait until he got them himself. It would've been bad if I packed the wrong things or didn't get something important. A trained ninja would know the right tools for the job better than I would. 

  When Akamaru came back, he was dragging a small blanket behind him. Oh, of course! It was nice to have one back in the forest, I should bring another one. Even the dog picked up on that, did he? 
  "That's perfect, thank you again," I accepted the object, only to awkwardly fumble trying to fold it to fit in. 
 Damn it, I still couldn't get it right. It wasn't going to fit if I couldn't figure it out.

  As I was messing about with it, the flash of a figure stepping in caught my attention from the corner of my eye. Hana offered a sleepy smile when we made eye contact before she looked at what I was trying to do,
 "Up early and working, hm?" She playfully scoffed, merely offering for me to give the messy blanket her way, "Alright, hand it over."
Right... I was embarrassed at my fumbling, but how could I refuse the help I needed?
   

 Hana sat down at the table as she began to fold, giving a glimpse into the bag as well. The woman only gave an amused snort, 
  "Oh wow, are you sure you've ever packed a bag before?"
She didn't wait to answer as she dragged it towards her as well. Once the blanket was folded, she began to pull out the clothes Akamaru had dropped in to begin folding them as well.
 "From the looks of it, you've made up your mind, right?"
"Yeah..." Sitting down at the table, I watched her work, folding them seamlessly and putting them back into the bag. "It's better if I leave sooner before anyone else sees my kekkei genkai."
  "It's a solid plan," Hana approved with a nod, looking up to see Kiba sleeping before returning back to her folding, "My brother... He's a bit of a knucklehead, but he has a good heart. He's a part of this family, after all. He's loyal. You'll need someone like that for this, but that goes without saying. Kiba would probably follow you there anyway, even if you didn't ask him to. He likes you a lot... We all do. It's a bit funny, actually, seeing how you smell like cat."
  I didn't interrupt her mutterings, watching her take piece after piece and organize the bag until it zipped up seamlessly, still offering space inside for more. Incredible... I wouldn't have been able to pack it so perfectly. It was nice to hear her say it aloud. Kiba was somewhat reckless, but I could always tell he was someone I could trust, even from the beginning. That was why I approached him, after all. That being said, I also knew my clan. Would he be safe going? Akamaru staying behind was out of the question, so we'd be coming back with a dog in tow. I knew what I needed to do, but hesitance still crept in. 
  "You've been to my clan before..." I chose my words carefully, speaking rather slowly as I met her eyes. I felt like I already knew the answer, but a part of me just needed to hear it aloud, "I lived my whole childhood there, but I feel like I never understood them at all. There's so much I'm discovering and I just... Well, I want to know if I'm doing the right thing. What was it like when you were there?"

  She appeared confused about the question, her eyes wavering to answer. Slowly, she pulled a map from her coat and slid the folded paper into the side pocket of the backpack, 
 "It was restricted for me quite a lot, actually. I was escorted by guards everywhere I went," She was replying, but the tone in her voice told me that she didn't like speaking about it, "A lot of the rules were to keep the family inside, rather than outsiders staying out. The elders were afraid of anyone leaving and bringing back someone who could destroy the clan's secrecy."
  Hana paused for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, shaking her head as she seemed to realize something. She didn't need to say it either, because once the words left her lips, it instantly struck me as well just how ironic that was. At least I was trying to do it for a good cause? Well, it was all I needed. I just had to remind myself about the restrictions. Everyone there was still living in their bubble, I had to free them too. 
  We may have been too loud, because Kiba began to stir. He woke up with an annoyed groan and pushed himself up, scratching through his messy hair,
 "Can't a guy get some rest over here? What are you talkin' about so early in the morning?"

Chapter Text

  "Steady..."
The arrow glinted as it primed its target of an unsuspecting deer. The caracal locked on, utterly still and ready as he slowly pulled back the bow. His breathing evened out, and he was ready to shoot. A meal like that would've fed his family for weeks, and with the others of the hunting party watching eagerly, he wasn't about to back down from showing off. 
  Although something felt... Strange. He couldn't explain what, but there were more birds around, weren't there?
A bird or two flying by was normal, but there were quite a lot, as though they were fleeing something.
 His ears perked up as the others in his group also picked up on the same thing. 
"Stay on alert," A leopard woman muttered, crouching down lower. Nobody heard anything, but it was still something to observe. Nevertheless, the deer continued munching on the grass, and he released the arrow.
  
  It struck the deer perfectly and quickly began to charge away and flee. Alright, maybe it wasn't the perfect killshot, but he had no problem giving chase. It was injured and leaving a trail, this was easy!
  He bolted after the deer, caring not if it spotted him anymore. 
The deer was running for the barrier line, and he followed it outside without a care. As soon as he did, something hit him at once. The smell of something rapidly approaching and a jolting sound that made him want to recoil, but he couldn't move. What was this?! The barrier blocked their close distance completely. He had no idea something was approaching so fast!
 So then, the birds were running from this, but he couldn't move!
 The deer skittered to a stop and swiftly bolted in another direction before it was sandwiched, but the approaching animals were snaring towards him quickly.
  His tail puffed up three times its size, despite its already short length, a deep rumbling growl from his throat, but he couldn't move at all.
 
   Without warning, something grabbed him, dragging him back into the other side of the barrier. 
 "Get moving!" The leopard woman snapped, "Hunting dogs! We smell like small animals, they're going to cross the barrier following your encroachment now!"
  Right... Right!
The sound of that barking seemed to freeze him up like a stun, but he had a moment to flee now that he couldn't hear them! The caracal followed her up the closest tree and nestled in the branches to hide away. The rest of his hunting party had already run away at least, but they were about to enter their territory!
   Right on cue, the group of dogs flew into the barrier, but abruptly stopped. Ears and tails perked up with confusion at the muddled scents as they looked around with perplexity. The cat smell they had just been tracking instantly exploded into a thick mask of more scent flooding their noses, enclosed within the seal barrier. 
 Their confusion switched to fear, as though the dogs caught on that they were significantly outnumbered and didn't wait to turn tail and run back to their master once again.
 When they were gone, the caracal sighed with relief, finally able to relax again,
"Dogs... I've always hated those things."
"They're not safe, you know." The woman shot back with annoyance, "They're dumb animals. Did you see how they ignored the deer to go after you? Animals like that follow their noses. Cats are smaller than deer, so they probably thought you would be easier to track when they got your scent. At least the hunter was farther back, but those things would've taken your head if they had the chance."
 Yeah... And he lost his dinner! Those dogs were going to get it instead, but he got the shot! Dumb and selfish.
"I agree. Dogs crossing the barrier is risky for all of us. They hate cats already; we don't need them anywhere near the clan. We also have pride, unlike them."

  "I got these things too."  Kiba pulled a sie from his hip pouch as he showed off what he packed while sitting on Akamaru's back with me, "Y'know, I don't think I've ever even used these. Why do I got these things?"
  He put it back in and pulled out a small kunai next,
"Man, this one is all dented up, what the hell? I didn't even see that when I packed it."
   Perhaps I was in the wrong for thinking Kiba would've been able to pack his own weapons. It seemed more like he grabbed whatever was close by as soon as he woke up... Which is probably exactly what happened. At least he had a few things, though, in case they were needed.
 When he put the kunai back in, I leaned back until my head tapped his chest and looked up, offering a grin, 
  "You're looking at the map, right?"
 "Yeah, obviously," The ninja scoffed it off matter-of-factly while looking down at me, "East for a bit. I got this, 'ight? Once we're inside the barrier, it'll be easy-peasy to find our way from there."
  He pat the side of the backpack where the map was secured and raised his head to examine the forest around them,
 "Still, I gotta say it's impressive we never noticed the barrier for so long. It's a pretty good part of the forest. When we go on missions n' patrols, our assigned path just always skips over it. But if someone walked in accidentally, they probably wouldn't notice at first. Good thing we got our noses."
 With a sharp gleam, Kiba tapped his nose with pride, 
 "Nothin' gets past this! I'll smell it right away when we get there."
 
   He clearly meant Akamaru when he said we, and I could've reminded him that I had my smell as well, but it was cute how prideful he was about his skills. My tail flicked with tease when I sat back up, keeping my hold tight on Akamaru's fur to steady myself as I sat, 
 "I can't imagine they'll be happy at all with you both there, but if they just see that you wouldn't cause any harm, it might help."
As for the training... Well, my cousin came to mind right away, and if they wanted to learn how to fight, there was a good chance I could convince more of them as well. 
  In my pocket, the headband shifted around as we moved. I felt guilty for taking it with me; it would've been better to return it to Hinata first, but something compelled me to grab it before we left. I wanted somewhere to belong, and from the first time I touched one of the headbands, I thought about wearing one. Now that I have, I felt... Well, nothing at all about it, really. I thought it would feel more impactful, but it didn't. 
 The only conclusion I could come to was that I hadn't earned it yet. The ninjas got theirs after years of training and risking their lives to save others, but I'd never gone through that. If I freed my clan, would that qualify me to wear it? 
 I had to know for sure, so I wanted to put it on once I convinced them. 
   Kiba hummed quietly, deep in thought, with some irritation slipping through,
"Dunno 'bout that, honestly. Hana couldn't bring hers in, so something tells me Akamaru won't exactly be welcomed, but nothin' we can do but roll with it along the way. That's how I normally do it anyway. If they try to fight, then we'll just have to fight right back!"
 "Well..." He was surely confident, but that wouldn't offer much grace when trying to convince them, "They'd probably try to avoid fighting as long as possible. We're going in for peace, though."
 "Right..." The ninja pondered a moment before sighing, "Y'know, I don't get this clan anyway. What am I supposed to expect?"
    

  That was a good question, and I was surprised he hadn't asked before. What was the best place to start? 
I began talking, but after a certain point, I found that I wasn't answering Kiba anymore, but rather speaking for myself. I began to miss my clan, but that didn't last long when the seed of anger set in. The restrictions, the rules, the static nothingness of nothing ever changing. 
  I missed the bonds, mostly. I never stopped loving my family. I loved my parents, the elders, and even my cousin, who annoyed me so much growing up, but that love wasn't worth it. 
 I told him about the seal barrier and the dog ban again, but also how quiet it often was. Cats weren't social, and even if I craved connection, it wasn't uncommon to be turned away when trying to form a bond. Why talk when one could simply watch or take a nap in their porch chair, after all?
 He didn't interrupt my speech, even as I was word-vomiting things he already knew about. By the time I was done, Kiba heavily exhaled and scratched his neck, 
 "Yeah, somethin' tells me you didn't just leave because you wanted to see a dog. I would've gone crazy growing up somewhere like that."
 He was so blunt about it, I couldn't resist a chuckle, 
 "Maybe. I really did want to see one, too, but I also wanted to see the world. Something like that was hard to explain when we first met. I'd love to travel everywhere one day, but I still want a place I can go back to and call home. Somewhere I feel like I belong. Is that cheesy?"
 "Nah," He shook it off casually, "It's mushy, but you got a dream."
 If it could be chalked up to simply having a dream, sure. He was pretty good at breaking down complicated feelings into something simple like that, wasn't he? I wasn't sure if I was ready to say that the place I was thinking of might be Kohana. Not because I didn't want it to be, but if I gave myself a hope like that, how much would it hurt if I failed this mission and couldn't go back there? 
 Hana said the family liked me, but it was an understatement of how much I liked them as well. The whole family, and the rest of Team Kurenai as well!
  My motivation to succeed deep within my soul came from those new connections, but I didn't want to jinx myself by speaking it. 
 My silence lingered on my thoughts a few seconds too long, and as though he already seemed to understand, Kiba released his hold on Akamaru's fur to pull me closer against him in a comforting hug, which prompted the rumbling of a purr within my chest. Kiba gave an airy chuckle against my neck, and I couldn't help a shiver before he began to speak again, 
 "It feels weird when you do that, but guess that's a cat thing. I don't totally hate it."
Akamaru whined as he overheard our conversation, but continued to walk and carry us through the forest. 
 

  Every so often, Kiba would check the map, and we ate without stopping. The rising sun we started with faded to oranges and reds, the warmth through the trees progressively beginning to fizzle away.
 A part of me questioned if we'd make it before night, but the markings of the territory line on the map told me that even if we didn't make it to the clan itself, it wouldn't be long before we hit the barrier line. 
  I nearly drifted off for a map until Kiba's arm around me tightened as his body tensed up. The ninja picked up his head and sniffed the air.
"Hey, you smell it too, right, Akamaru?"
  The dog snorted in response, his floppy ears perking up as well. 
I sniffed as well, but I couldn't smell anything at all. It was just forest. There was no way we crossed the line.
 "What do you smell?"
Perhaps it was just me missing it because I wasn't as trained as he was, but Kiba frowned when I looked back,
 "It's what I don't smell," His eyes focused ahead with intensity, "You said those seals block senses, huh? Well, I don't smell nothin' up ahead. It's like it totally cuts off and don't even exist."
Now that he mentioned it...
 I sniffed again, focusing my sights forward rather than the general smell of our surroundings. Kiba was right about that, which meant we must be nearly on top of the barrier. 
  My ears flicked as I picked up on the rustling of leaves, but adjusting the angle, the sound abruptly vanished. There was no mistaking it, that was absolutely the barrier line. An isolated world within a bubble. I hadn't been back here since the day I left, but I remembered the moment of crossing it with perfect clarity. Akamaru slowed down ever so slightly, but as I sat on his back, there was no chance for me to stop and hesitate. Even still, as we came up to the line, I held my breath, 
 

  And then...

 It was like a rush. The scents of the forest and subtle hints of small creatures were entirely overwhelmed by the sharp smell of my clan. The line was more like a shield, really. No scents came in or out, so the buildup of the felidae's scent presence over time piled up for one strong collective presence. Those two must've been hit by it was well, because Akamaru gave a whimpered whine and Kiba huffed, as though attempting to restrain a cough. I used to live with this scent every day, and even I was uncomfortable with it. Any smell of the forest was marked over.
  It wasn't only the smell, but the sounds too. The leaves continued to rustle with a breeze, but it was quieter. Forest wildlife was scarce. Small mammals seemed to have avoided it entirely, which made sense with the smell of their predators in the area. Only birds sounded nearby, and their songs were quiet. 
It was much emptier than the last time I was here, wasn't it? I picked up on the occasional stray deer who had been feeling a bit bold, but overall, the area entirely belonged to my clan. 
 "Yeah, they're here." The ninja sniffled in an attempt to clear his nose. Yeah, I tried that a long time ago too... Feeling like your nose was broken was quite common within the barrier. 
  "We should-"
 I began offering a plan, but was swiftly cut off by a pair of shining eyes behind a tree. Akamaru's fur ruffled, and he lowered down defensively without growling, but was clearly on edge. Even I couldn't help my tail puffing up anxiously before the full head popped out. 
 "Are you (Y/N)?" The voice hushed, tail flicking with excitement behind them. 
"This good or bad?" The ninja muttered, but I couldn't be sure just yet either. When I couldn't find a proper answer, I pulled away to hop down, 
 "I always am." Bad joke, but the tension direly needed to be lifted. Still, my cousin grinned as they perked up, 
"I smelled you right away! You're really, finally back! You-!" The cheetah's excitement was stifled when their eyes fell upon Akamaru behind me, "You brought... A dog?"
  Their eyes flashed with fear, then abrupt anger, ears pulling back as they locked onto me, 
 "What were you thinking, bringing that here?!"
The scolding began, and yet, Kiba snickered. He tried to hide it, but not from these ears. Laugh it up... His family did the same thing while I watched, too. 
 "Don't be so loud, will you? I'll explain soon. Why are you out in the forest anyway?"
They frowned shortly, averting their gaze with their attention pulled away, 
 "You'd better, and it's a long story. They don't know I'm out here right now..." Their tail swayed with the chilly air before they found their words again, "The smell of dog will probably bring someone around eventually though. Still, I've never seen a real one before. I guess things are changing a lot, aren't they?"
 "Changing?" Kiba questioned before I could. He hopped off Akamaru's back next to approach, causing my cousin's nose to twitch as they sniffed, smelling the air becoming mingled with the curious scent of dog. 
 My cousin looked to him, then back to me. They shifted with unease, hesitant to answer the stranger. Their eyes pulled to the ground before they swallowed back, fingers trembling ever so lightly, 
 "Things haven't been going very well. Something happened with the elders, and there's been this big fight, and..."
 What? Did something happen with our grandparents?!
 "What's going on?! Are they okay?"
Perhaps I was a little too brash when I lunged forward to grab their shoulders with a sense of sternness, but my concern took over before I could stop it. Their eyes widened, ears perked up, 
 "Yeah! They're fine. But I don't know what to do-!" Suddenly, they sniffed, attempting to hold back tears. Reaching into their pocket, the cheetah pulled out a crumbled roll of a scroll, "I went into their private room and took this and... They don't know who did it, but they know it's missing, and I caused a real mess."
 

   I needed a moment to register what I just heard. Did they just admit to breaking into the elder's room? My fears quickly evaporated into anger as I let go once more,
 "Seriously?! You're always so nosy! What were you even thinking?"
"I wasn't!" They rebutted swiftly, "But just look at it!" 

 As they offered us the scroll, Kiba decided to take it first to unravel and read. While he was examining it, I released my cousin just to sigh,
  "I came back for something really important, you know? I don't have time to fix your mistakes like when we were kids-"
 "Hold up, (Y/N)," The ninja interrupted as he turned my way, "This looks pretty damn important too. I think this is what your clan's Jitsu technique used to be." 

Chapter Text

"Okay, slow down and explain exactly what's going on, would you?"
  My cousin continued to flick back between both of us anxiously. They clearly wanted to speak, but the continued intimidation of the dog remained at the forefront of their attention. I took a few steps to the side to refocus their attention back to me, and not Akamaru behind me.
  Their ears pulled back as they twiddled with their fingers, 
"Okay, look, I stole the scroll, but I didn't really think about it in the moment. This cat wanted me to follow her, so I-"
 "You followed a cat?" Kiba questioned with perlextion as he interrupted, unable to hide his disbelief. My cousin huffed as their eyes diverted to him with a mocking expression, 
 "You're an outsider, and you have a dog, you wouldn't understand. Cats are sacred, they're wiser than any of us."
 "We can read them, like you can read Akamaru," I continued on their behalf before my cousin was entirely rude to the guy I had feelings for, "When a cat wants to speak with you, you're supposed to listen. It's a custom."
   He still looked a bit confused, but the answer seemed to be enough as he nodded shortly. I never considered it all that odd, but for an outsider, it might've seemed so, wouldn't it? Did I have confusion when I first saw him communicate with Akamaru as well? With that, my cousin sighed and began to continue once again,
 "Yeah, so I followed her, and she wanted me to go to the elder's house. I saw all the old paintings, but these scrolls were in the office space. I was curious and just started reading them. But when I saw what was on that one, I just grabbed it. I wasn't thinking clearly, I had all these confused thoughts and I couldn't ask them because I'd get in big trouble for going in there, so I just don't know what to do, alright?"
   
   I rolled the scroll open, finally allowing myself to look it over carefully after my cousin's explanation. We had a kekkei genkai, but was this technique that special? There were some odd drawings and writing that had faded and smudged with age, but it was still fairly readable. Yet, I couldn't quite figure out the finer details. It was using words I had never seen before.
 Seemingly noticing my confusion, Kiba reached over to point, tapping a long nail on the paper, 
  "It's a shinobi scroll of technique; it looks like it was written by Kohana. I recognize some of these symbols, but they're pretty damn old. Guess we gave it to your elders when you guys went into hiding or somethin'? Makes sense the ANBU would've tried to keep track of any skills that existed in the Land of Fire."
  "Guess that's why I can't understand it," I gave no attempt to hide my irritation. I would like to understand the world of ninjas better soon. "I get some of it here, but it's using a lot of words I don't know."
  "Your technique," He continued with a tease, "It's talkin about how your clan used to show your stuff. You guys were adept in some kinda transformation Jitsu. Pretty common, I guess, but it was your specialty."
  "Jitsu..." My cousin's eyes sparkled as they listened in, practically buzzing with excitement, "Yeah, that's why I was out here! I don't understand most of it either, but it has some instructions, so I've been trying to fill in the blanks and figure it out. We used to fight! We don't anymore, but we used to! You can read it, so could you explain it? I'm already so close, I can feel it, I just need a little bit more time!"
 Their attention was now fully on Kiba, but I was sure to cut in before he had a chance to speak, 
 "Yeah, we'll help." It was part of why we were here anyway. Teaching them how to fight, that was. This just happened to line up with that goal, "But first, we're here for something important, remember? Where are the elders?"
  The cheetah gave a pout, but shifted their eyes deeper into the forest, 
 "Back at home, probably. Things kinda went south after I took the scroll. They seem really mad."
 
  Great... 
I pondered my thoughts for a long moment, then eventually moaned, 
 "Not a good time to bring a dog there, then. It might be a better idea to talk to them myself."
 "Yeah?" The ninja crossed his arms with reluctance, "What are we gonna do then? Just hang around and catch up on sleep? Don't think I came all this way just for a stroll."  
"Use the scroll and work on the other part of the plan, of course." With a soft chuckle, I flicked my tail against his arm, to which my cousin quickly perked up upon seeing it. It looked like they wanted to say something, but chose against it instead. Wise, considering how nosy and loud they usually were. I didn't want to talk about this new development right now anyway, when I had more important things on my mind.  
  Kiba looked back at Akamaru, sharing some type of silent exchange, then sighed and took the scroll as I offered it to him, 
 "Fine, I guess. Really wanted to get a look at the kitty village, though. If they're really that close, I'll catch up to you pretty quickly."
  My cousin clapped their hands excitedly, their nerves about the dog slipping from their thoughts, 
 "I am, I've gotten a part of the way there already. I can already feel my chakra!"
    I almost felt bad leaving him with the cheetah, but with Kiba's bold attitude, I believe he'd be just fine. Nevertheless, I did feel bad that he helped me come all this way and couldn't even see the area right away, but it was for the best right now. I just needed to talk to her first before Kiba entered the clan area, and it shouldn't be too long. With the elders already mad, they wouldn't hear me out at all if I led a dog inside right off the bat. 
  "Just don't stay in one place too long," I sniffed, taking careful note of his scent in the air, "Our smell is strong enough to mask it for a little while, but you should move when yours starts to linger. Find a new spot after I leave."
 "Yeah, yeah," The ninja still grumbled, to which my cousin snickered, 
"I get to see a dog, I'll keep alert too. I don't want the dog to leave while I'm still training."
   Well, if they had it handled, the only thing for me to do was actually go do it. Alright... I could do this!
 With a deep breath, I began to step away towards the clan, only for a hand to suddenly grab my arm, 
 "Hey, hold on just a minute!" Kiba tightened his grip, prompting me to look back at his frown, a fang ever so slightly poking from his lips, "You're not gonna just walk away and peace out, are ya? I'll help em' train, but I also came along to help you too, y'know?"
  "But you shouldn't-"
 I began to try explaining the current situation with the elders again, but was swiftly cut off as I was pulled forward and wrapped in a tight hug. For just a moment, it felt like Kiba forgot his own strength, knocking the wind from my lungs, before he relaxed.
 Kiba...
 When my arms snaked around him in turn, I found myself tensing up, my claws burrowing into his jacket, but he didn't seem to care.
  "You got this?" He whispered, trying to be quiet about it, but the cheetah's ears flicked in acknowledgement nearby. Whatever, I wasn't trying to hide it anyway. Especially not when I got to cling to him like this.
 "Yeah..." I did my best not to purr in front of my cousin, nevertheless. Not that purring was seen as anything all that weird, but it was a bit rude to do in front of others it wasn't for, "There's something I want to tell you later, so I gotta do it. Catch up quickly, my cousin knows the way."
  His grip tightened carefully before he fully let go with an irritated sigh,
 "Fine, I'll hold you to it, 'cause now I'm curious."
 
   My cousin flicked their tail, impatiently grumbling as they attempted to mask their awkwardness,
 "C'mon already, that dog smell is already starting to spread. I wanna learn the last bit."
Right... I'd need to remind them of their manners later, but they were right. 
  With a short goodbye and a wave, I left them in the forest and began to make my way towards the collective area. It was already getting dark, and the thick smell in the air was making it difficult to find my way, but my memory wouldn't betray me. It had been quite a while, but once I found my bearings, the long-forgotten map in my mind resurfaced. I could remember the tree with the crooked trunk, and the tall stone that grew moss between the cracks.  
 Still, it didn't quite feel like home either. It was more like a bad dream. A place I could never forget, but I would try so dearly to distance from. Once my clan was freed, I wanted to see the world-
  No... Once my clan was freed, I wanted to go back home. My new home, that was. I'd rest, have a warm meal, and cuddle on the couch again. I could travel the world later after I set down roots. 

  As I remembered my kittenhood, I felt dragged down, almost compelled to follow the rules and listen to the elders again, but my motivations were clear, plus with Kiba being here too, my heart beat stronger, and I felt perseverance rippling down to my fingertips. 
  Through the trees, I eventually found my way to the arrangement. A small world all its own, isolated from absolutely everyone. I began to make out the shapes of other Felidae resting in the trees, napping and relaxing with their tails lazily swinging out behind them. I recognized some of them as distant aunts and uncles, but nobody I was particularly close to. A few picked up their heads with curiosity as I walked passed, and although I could hear whispering, I didn't give them my focus right then. 
 "Is that (Y/N)?" The hush of a cougar questioned, "They smell different."
 "It looks like it. Didn't they run away?"
 "I didn't know it was possible to find the wall again once you run away. Are the seals broken?"
 "No, our scent is still hidden. It must've been something else."
 "Don't you notice it? They smell like a dog."
 "A dog... (Y/N) smells like a dog. They used a predator to find us again."
 
  Their gossip rang in my ears, practically forcing me to shut out the sound as I walked beneath the trees. Even as I ignored them, it didn't make it any easier to hear. They didn't know anything just yet; I couldn't fault them for the elder's teachings. 
  A younger kitten pulled herself up from the branch she had been resting on, 
"That's the smell of dog?" She called down to me with more bravery than the others. Perhaps it was more ignorance than bravery, though. She still seemed too young to understand the teachings. "But you look like a cat, too. Why do you smell wrong?"
  Wrong?
I understood what she meant, how my scent didn't match the clan, but even still, that word... Wrong. It wasn't wrong. I pulled away and kept walking without answering her question. It was too complicated to explain to a kitten right now. I wouldn't let myself internalize that and walk in with self-doubt. 
  By the time I made it to the camp, the sky had entirely grown dark, and I could see the glowing eyes of other felidae twinkling from inside. 
 The small houses looked the same as I remembered them, as though I were walking back into my memories somewhere far from reality itself. I clenched my fists to feel my claws dig into my palms in an attempt to ground myself. Carved from rock and wood and covered with leaves, they were carefully nestled away and could've been easily missed by someone traveling above. I never thought much about it before, but the low roofs blended against the forest ground. The elders even considered someone breaking the agreement and traveling through the seals anyway, didn't they? All this effort to stay hidden, but they didn't need to anymore! I've already seen the Land of Fire and some of the people in it. They'd- No, we- Would be okay. 

  My clan lazily rested, showing no concern for themselves. The ones who never considered trying to fight or were too timid to even try thinking of a world outside of themselves.
  For the cats, I could understand. I was a simple housecat type as well, after all, resting and conserving energy felt better than anything... But for the tigers and jaguars, it seemed more unnatural now. My cousin mentioned that once before, didn't they?
  Seeing a leopard's tail sweep the ground as they napped in a chair made me almost sad. Those were the ones who should be excited to explore, not nap their life away because there was nothing else to do. 
  Eyes continued to pry me down, but unlike the ones in the trees, the ones around their homes couldn't be bothered to say anything. I could feel their stares and confusion, but not the same hostility. The smell within the heart of the clan was at its strongest as it overrode the scent of the ninja and his hound on me. It was faint at first, but with the powerful odor in the air, I nearly felt the outside world being ripped from my body as I blended in as just another felidae. Did they even care I had been gone for so long?
  With nobody to stop me, I continued down the path to the elder's house. It was the largest one, made from stone and built on top of the original foundation. A long time ago, the first elder painted a mural, and her daughter built that house on top. We knew about the paintings; everyone had at least heard of them, but once they put a fence around the house, the backyard was off-limits. 
  I didn't think anything of it at the time; I had still been young, but after seeing that scroll, there was no mistaking it... They were trying to wash away the pride of our kekkei genkai!

  My tail began to twitch, but I took a few breaths, attempting to calm myself. I wouldn't want anyone to see me approaching the elders with hostility across my body. Some cats lingered around the doors of the elders, chirping and jittering amongst themselves. They always liked to hang around the elders, didn't they?
  Ever since I was a kitten, they were always so attached to the elders, like their own personal little family. We never brought the cats here; they would just show up on their own. 
I captured their attention when I approached, tails flicking and pupils large with curiosity. Their soft meows squeaked, and some of them bounded up, requesting pets and scratches. 
 "Hello, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Although I smiled, the cats didn't offer much of a response. They didn't have much to say today, did they?
  No, that wasn't quite right. They were speaking every moment I was kneeling in front of them. Perked ears, active tails, rumbling purrs, everything to tell me they were happy, but I was struggling to translate each piece by itself. I may have been rusty on my communication with cats. Why couldn't I hear them as well as I was used to?
   As I was thinking it over, the front door opened before I even had a chance to knock. No doubt she must've heard me outside.
 I raised my head, not yet standing to my feet, as though I were bowing to her simply as an automatic response. She was just as I remembered her, but age had creased over her features. 
  Her long hair glistened silver under the moonlight, where it cast around her frail body like a cloak, with her fluffy ears twitching and alert. A white lion... The only one in the clan who was. 
 Her eyes stared me down as though scolding me with just a look, but her silence spoke more than words ever could. I wanted to drop my head again, but I held strong, meeting her sharp eyes. I met Tsume, but I had respect for Kiba's mom with awe. The elder scared me, but I couldn't explain why! She was cuddly and loving growing up, like the elder should be. 
  "(Y/N)," She finally muttered, crossing her arms. 
As the elder spoke, the small gathering of cats spread out and bounded away, as though even they knew not to linger. 
 "Hey, Grandma,"
I grinned, but she didn't share the same amusement. Her frown deepened, 
 "Seems your time outside has loosened your tongue with disrespect. Grandmother." She corrected, but I could only try not to laugh it off. She was always so serious, even when I was a kitten. I suppose I had picked up a bit of Kiba's speech along the way. 
 I finally picked myself up, allowing the elder to look me over. She sniffed the air, her tail swaying low, the tip flicking with signs of irritation, 
 "And you smell of dog. Why did you come back?"
"It's not against the rules," I shot back, refusing to let her cut me down, "I found the barrier again, so I came in. We were never actually forbidden from leaving, right?"
  Grandmother's eyes darkened, but she pulled away, refusing to meet my stare, 
"I would never force you to stay, but returning risks being followed in; I thought you'd know this. I expected you to die on the outside, though. You know how the world feels about our kekkei genkai."
 How long had it been since she'd even seen the outside? Has she ever?
  "The world isn't the same," I stepped forward, prompting grandma to meet my gaze again, "I've been outside for a long time now. There are good people out there. I found someone I love, and-!"
 "(Y/N)." Her words cut through the air quickly, hushing me as my voice began to echo. I felt some felidae staring from a distance, curiosity growing as they attempted to tune into the talk like nosy flies on a wall. "You can face whatever risks you'd like to on the outside, but you shouldn't have come back. If you were followed in, we're not prepared to fight."

  So that was it? No hug? No welcome back? Was she not happy I survived and found happiness outside? She used to be so kind when I was growing up. Was it all an act?
  I inhaled, trying to calm myself again, but it wasn't working. With each deep breath, my anger only increased. I desperately attempted to relax, but my tail prickled as it began to fluff up, and my ears pulled back. 
  Some more hushed whispers rose up with shock as they picked up on my hostility towards the elder. I was doing my best to keep myself calm, but she was making it really hard!
"We don't fight because you don't let us!" I took a step forward again, but grandmother tensed up, standing her ground as her tail began to prickle as well. She was much more restrained than I was, though, as I kept yelling, "We're not the cat clan, we're the felidae clan, this life doesn't work for everyone. Some of us want to fight! It's in our nature! We could be powerful, we have a strong chance to live a normal life in the world and not in this smelly bubble!"
 "We don't fight because we're in danger if we do," Her stern tone grumbled with a mix of the low growl, "The stronger we are, the more shinobi want to use us. We are invisible and safe, and the 'bubble' is better than death in a war we never asked for. You don't understand the world yet, (Y/N). You've been outside, but you haven't seen the darkness in shinobi's hearts."
   The whispered continued louder, and grandmother finally moved forward. She strolled around me, her weak frame hobbling, circling me like a predator to prey. Her tail danced along my waist as though she were mocking me without ever uttering a word against me. 
 "My mother, your great-grandmother," The lion continued, loud enough only for my ears, "She was taken by ninjas while I was still in the womb. They would've forced her to fight while with child, all because our kekkei genkai is always present without needing chakra." 
 
  I wanted to speak, but feeling her presence so close made me freeze up. I suddenly found myself at a loss for words. I knew my own resolve; her words wouldn't shake what I was here for, but her mere presence shut down my fighting will like a hypnosis in my mind. I tried to swallow back, but not even that would listen to me. A part of me still wanted to submit and cave into the elder's words, as I had done when I was a kitten being scolded. 
  When she set a hand on my shoulder, her claws dug into my shirt. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to continue threatening me in her own passive, timid way. Her fingers were bony and thin, but her claws were as razor-sharp as ever.
 "You said you love someone, right? They're a ninja, aren't they? Only a ninja would look at those ears and still accept you. This world fears bloodline traits, and the ones who don't only want to use them. How long before you're forced to fight, too? Is it even real?"
   That... That was too far! Of course it was, I knew I wasn't being manipulated! I wouldn't let her plant doubt in my love for Kiba! At a moment's notice, I snapped out of my fear and opened my mouth, about ready to snap back with my cruelest words yet, when a sudden scream rang out from behind, 
 "Dog! It-It's a dog!"

Chapter Text

  I turned around quickly, panic slicing through the air. Dog? Why?! I wasn't done talking to grandmother yet, they were going to freak out!
In the darkness, I could see the four-legged animal slowly entering the village with the rider sitting on its back. The scent of dog drifted through the air, clearly telling me it was Kiba, even with the smell of the clan so pungent. 
  I smelled cat moving on him, but that was expected in a place like this.

 No, wait. I was mistaken about that. 

 As he got closer, Kiba's outline came in clearly, but that wasn't Akamaru. It was smaller and scrawnier, with... 
  Akamaru's ears hung low and floppy, but those ears were rounded, a lot like... No way! I wasn't sure at first, but large eyes glistened like stars through the darkness. 

  Other clan members began dropping to a knee, bowing their heads to the cheetah as Kiba nervously clung to their scruff, as he did when riding Akamaru.
 "You're too small, damn it, I can't get a good hold. Just walk straight, 'ight?"
 He grumbled, to which my cousin snorted, 
"Just don't fall off, or it'll make you look dumb." They teased and held their head with pride, but I couldn't help staring. That was my annoying cousin?!
  So that was the transformation Jitsu... Have we always been able to do that?!
I looked to my grandmother, but her face was mixed with shock and fear, failing to hide her mixed emotions as she usually managed. That almost made me want to give the biggest smug grin ever. Even she could crack, huh?
  As they got closer, Kiba perked up with a toothy grin, 
 "Hey, (Y/N), we figured it out! They really were already close to figuring it out with their chakra. Just had to get the hand signals, and check it!"
  "Chakra." The elder's cold voice snapped through the air as she recoposed herself, glaring Kiba down with a death stare if looks could kill. Her eyes lingered on the cheetah a moment longer before snapping back to me, pulling her tail away as though she were simply disgusted with me, "You come here, bringing a trainer with you from that shinobi clan, teaching my grandchild Jitsu."
  Her words dripped with venom, somehow discounting me as a grandchild as she mentioned my cousin. I couldn't help my heart dropping with her tone. 
  "That clan?" Kiba grumbled before I could respond. His offense masked with swift anger, brushing his hand through his hair before hopping off their back, "What's that supposed to mean, huh?"

  Grandma's tail flicked, her hands rested gently inside her sleeves as her arms softly crossed,
"The clan of dog trainers. The ones who may as well be dogs themselves." She practically turned up her nose at him, "Slobering mutts who only know how to hunt and kill. You're already partway there, aren't you? How many have you killed as a shinobi already?"
 She... Didn't even hold back! How could she say something like that with such a calm expression? I saw Kiba begin to bristle, about ready to explode already, and if he did, I wouldn't have blamed him at all. Still, it would be really bad if things went south this fast!
  "She's right, doesn't he smell horrible?" A distant voice spoke from the watching eyes.
 "He looks like a mutt, too. Look at how unkept his hair is. How could someone live like that?"
 "Don't look in his eyes. I can already sense murderous intent from him."
    My cousin lowered their head in sadness as Kiba gritted his teeth. He could clearly hear them as they weren't even trying to whisper. Even with the cheetah fully transformed, the others were uneasy about snapping back to the elder herself. I couldn't fault them, it was hard to talk back when she carried herself with such authority, even I froze momentarily. Still, I pulled myself away from standing beside my grandmother to quickly take his hand and stand at the ninja's side instead. I wasn't sure what I could say, but I wanted to be there for him. I could feel him squeeze back as he tried to calm himself, then relax and meet her eyes again as she flicked attention between the two of us. Kiba sighed, restraining himself with everything he had as he returned back a confident smile instead, 
 "I ain't a killer, got that? You can say all the trash you want 'bout me, but I ain't the one living in this stuffy bubble, and boy, does it smell like a whole lotta catbutt."

Not exactly my plan to calm the peace, but at least he was confident?
  The shocked silence didn't last for very long when some of the felidae began to give low, rumbling growls as they expressed their offense. Grandmother didn't calm them, as she usually would to keep the peace, and her ears flattened as well. As quiet as she was, the arrogance wasn't something she was used to facing, was it? Someone who couldn't be beaten down by snide remarks and wasn't controlled by the wish for diplomacy was just out of her scope. It was gratifying to finally see her hit a wall in her controlling attempts. Nevertheless, as much as I was happy, if a fight broke out, she would never agree to come out of hiding. I had to keep reminding myself of that, and Kiba's comment just now wasn't helping. 
 "You could step outside, too," I began to tack on, changing the subject, "Great grandma went into hiding during the second ninja war, but times are peaceful right now. You've never seen it. We're all citizens in the Land of Fire; we should rejoin them."
  The lion huffed, pulling back with apparent disapproval, still reeling from his remark,
"Oh yes, I see the types of ninja out there today. Cocky and arrogant, bearing his teeth at an old woman like myself."
 
  "Shut up!"
 The sudden yell didn't come from me, and looking to Kiba, he didn't yell it either. No, that call came from behind.
  My cousin picked up their head, their ears pulled back with anger, but their shining eyes glazed with sadness. No pride carried in their body as they stepped forward, meeting the elder directly, 
 "Look at me!" Their voice echoed through their fangs, "When I was little, you told me to be proud of who we are. Our kekkei genkai made us who we are. But you lied! You built your house on top of great grandma's mural and hid the scrolls of our technique! You were never proud of us, you were just scared, weren't you?! This is who we are, this is how we fight!"
  I couldn't help being proud of them deep down. As much as I called them annoying growing up, they really became someone strong, haven't they? They were always someone anxious and timid, but wanted so deeply to be braver. 
 A subtle shift began to spread across the felidae, but it didn't make me feel very comfortable. I found myself squeezing Kiba's hand tighter, and he returned it in kind. His skin still felt colder than mine, but the chilling feel of that lower temperature suddenly became a comfort. 
  Grandmother's ears twitched as she heard the whispers, prompting me to tune back in as well. 
"-Not sure-"
"They're really a full cheetah. Isn't that even more sacred than the cats?"
"Who do we listen to?"
"Is it true we could do that too?"
 
 "We don't fight." All at once, she was calm again, catching herself in an instant as her voice silenced the rest of the clan. "Your technique is useless, because it'll never be used. All you've done is prove you're a thief who can't be trusted with that form."

  The air was brewing with tension that I couldn't handle anymore. I didn't like the feeling I was getting. 
I moved to grab the ninja's arm tightly to hold him closer, 
 "I think we need to change the plan," I whispered, careful that my words only reached him. 
 "Yeah? What makes ya' say that?"
Kiba grumbled, but he followed my lead to take a few steps back, clearing the space between my cousin and grandmother. The cheetah gave a throaty growl, scratchy and broken from a big cat who couldn't roar. Their claws dug into the dirt as they lowered themselves in a defensive position, blatantly threatening the elder in front of the rest of the clan. 
  Her eyes never left the cheetah, not even for a moment. She frowned, clearly on edge, but held her ground. After a moment, she sighed, eyebrows furrowed, 
 "I never thought my own family would use this transformation against me. Very well."
Her hands slowly pulled from her sleeves as she pressed her fingers together. Her bony frame trembled as she moved, but there was a look of determination on her face. I couldn't be sure what she was doing, but Kiba suddenly pulled me closer, forcing us back even more as he seemed to understand more than I did. It happened so quickly, I barely knew what I had seen as the smoke spread across the ground and entirely blocked my grandmother behind it. After a second, or perhaps two, it faded once more, but my grandmother was gone. 
 In her place, a new beast stood, the massive strength ripping across her fur. Her old age made her scrawny, but that didn't take away from the clear power in her form. She barred her teeth with a growl, two sharp fangs longer than her own snout poking from her upper lip. 
  Gasps shook through the clan, and I found myself being one of them. There was no way... She knew how to do it the whole time?! That creature was different, though. Not a lion. That creature went extinct eons ago! 
 Grandmother wasn't a lion at all, that was...

 "A smilodon..." A non-blooded felidae was the only one capable of speaking right then. 
My clan began to drop to their knees, bowing heads with even more respect than before. My cousin also began to shrink back and rethink their defiance, but grandmother stepped forward, short legs carrying her to stand in front of the cheetah and look down on them with disgust. It looked like she wanted to say something, but finally pulled her gaze up to stare me down instead. I didn't kneel or bow to her, but Kiba had to keep his hold tight; otherwise, my legs would've turned to jelly from fear. 
  I might've been afraid, but Kiba's stance remained undeterred by her power. He had never been bound to the felidae clan, but even still, wasn't she terrifying to him? I peeled my eyes away to look up to the ninja, but it wasn't the expression of pride and determination I saw on his face. Despite all of Kiba's bravery, his eyebrows were low, eyes sharp, and sharp teeth bared in a near snarl. Even if I tried to squirm away from his hug, I couldn't when he was like this. I had never seen fear on his face like this before, and his long nails were curved to a fine point, as though he truly did have claws as well.
  Even now, I didn't feel afraid of KIba, but seeing him like this terrified me for him. A trained and experienced ninja being so scared also frightened me. Was it that bad? How big a threat was she actually being? Did she plan to hurt us, or was it just a fear tactic?
 I could hear Kiba's heart pounding heavily, making me want to say something to comfort him, but I was scared, too. 
   I darted back to my grandmother to see her eyes narrowed in disappointment,
"A long time ago, I allowed a dog trainer into my clan for healing. I see now that it was a mistake. If you allow one dog in, the pack will follow."
  A movement in the corner of my eye pulled my attention up to the top of the house. It took a moment to register in my mind, but the glowing eyes from the roof seemed familiar. 
  Despite my growing fear, with a short click and nod, I diverted Kiba's attention to look as well. There was no doubt about it. 
I had been wondering where the older elders were, and they were all transformed. 
 "So that's it, huh?" The ninja grumbled, "They might be old, but even I can't take all of 'em on. She's makin' sure a fight doesn't break out and expects us to back down."
  "We don't fight," Grandmother shot back a response to something that wasn't directed at her, "This is simply a precaution. Dogs can't be trusted."
 With that, her eyes dropped again to the cowering cheetah, trembling at her feet. A low gruff huffed within her chest as she raised a paw and dropped it on my cousin's fluffy head. She held them steady, not applying heavy pressure, but enough to press them against the ground, 
 "You can leave with them. How dare, using a transformation Jitsu against your-?"
  The woman began, only to pause. She lifted her head once more and sniffed as she picked up on something. It must've been faint, because I couldn't smell it right away. Did she have a better sense of smell in that form?
  I looked around to the clan, still kneeling, but watching with a wave of glowing eyes. 
A mix of felidae and humans, all as one clan. Their expressions felt different, but I couldn't explain it. They still held deep respect, but the sea of various expressions was difficult to make out. The cats that had previously scattered in front of her house were slowly coming out of hiding, waving their way through the legs of clan members with purrs and chirps. They had always clung to the elders before, didn't they? 
  "Why do you all know how to use transform...?" A young lion girl questioned softly, her voice cracking in fear of the elder, "If it was only grandmother... But even great auntie, too?"
  "They all know it but tell us not to use chakra." A leopard man carried much more anger in his voice.
 Hearing the careful shift from the felidae, I could feel Kiba relax as he also began to pick up on it. He perked up curiously, then suddenly grinned back at grandmother, 
 "Hey, ain't you gonna answer? If you guys really don't need to fight, you'd never need to learn your transformation Jitsu. Sounds to me like you were being pretty hypocritical."

   For a long moment, grandmother was silent as she gauged her own power in the moment. I could tell just by her expression across her cat features that she was having difficulty remaining calm. The paw was lifted from my cousin's head, allowing them to shrink back and quickly transform back with a sudden puff of smoke. They were breathing heavily from the anxiety and attempted to calm their breath before scrambling to their feet once more. 
 "Hey..." I began to call once I saw them shaking, but after getting a better look... No, it wasn't fear; they were furious. 
"I got this, (Y/N)," They huffed my way without taking their eyes off the elder, "All I ever wanted to do was learn how to fight. You wanted to see the world, right? Well, I'm not going to be left behind again. I have a dream I want to come true, too. I'm not some annoying kitten anymore."
  They...
Kiba snorted a chuckle with amusement, and I could understand as well. For such an anxious cheetah, they really had some guts, didn't they? 
  My cousin looked back at the other felidae, their ears low to their head, 
"I could do it, and you all can too! We've always been fighters, and I'm tired of living with rules that take away our pride because the elders are scared of a world that no longer exists. Our spirits are felidae, and a cat can have even more power than a king!"
 "You've never seen the world!" Grandmother quickly lost her composure, no longer making an attempt to remain calm. Her tail flicked wildly with fury as she took a step closer, "We learned only for precaution to keep the clan safe. Our kekkei genkai is powerful. The only way to keep ourselves invisible is to make sure we have no fighting skills to be exploited! That chakra of yours will get you captured or killed!"
 "I don't want to be invisible anymore. I want to fight back, not cower like a mouse," My cousin didn't waver in their words as they looked back to the elder, "I found just how easy it is when my chakra had been begging to be used for so long. It's as easy as focusing on your chakra flow,"
  They gleamed, holding their hands together with the same position my grandmother had made to transform,
"And just doing this hand sign. I didn't understand that second half at first, but that was because it was written by ninjas. You knew we were connected to shinobi, right?"
  "Enough!"
 The elder's snarl echoed across the clan, but my cousin had already spoken too much. It took a moment, but I realized at the last moment what they were actually doing. It wasn't arguing with grandmother at all, was it?
 With a short smirk my way, our eyes met, and I couldn't resist grinning back. That whole speech was to give the entire clan a quick lesson on how to do it, wasn't it?
  Yet, as proud as I was, things began to shift when the other elders slowly began to jump off the roof. The various tigers and panthers were slow and frail, but their claws and teeth were just as sharp as a young one. Kiba tightened his grip around me,
 "I think it's about time we high-tail outta here. I get the inkling we're not welcome anymore."
No kidding? He didn't need to say it out loud. I was already feeling like they were stalking us like we were mere prey,
 "Then we failed?"
"Not till we're dead," He shot back with tease in his tone, "We'll come up with somethin' else, but we ain't prepared to fight a whole group."
 

  I hated it, but Kiba was right. With the way things were turning, there was no chance to spin this back to a hopeful conversation. 
Still, I found myself reluctant until my cousin turned back my way again,
 "I told you, I got this. Get out of here, go be all mushy or cheesy or whatever. I'll make sure I find you again, even if I have to fight them all one by one."
 I practically wasn't allowed to argue as they spun back and put their hands together in that same sign, 
"Transformation!"
  With their voice ringing up and a cloud of smoke, they were back to the lithe cheetah once again. 
My heart was drumming heavily with fear. Even more than the border skirmish, because this time I was terrified for my whole family. 
 Kiba released me with one hand and gave an ear-piercing whistle that no doubt spread far into the forest. It was mere moments before someone cried out from behind, 
"Dog, move out of the way!"
   Akamaru ignored the fearful cries to charge up, and Kiba wasted no time to hop up and drag me on alongside him. Was it okay to just leave like this? What if something happened?!
 I wasn't sure what to tell my cousin, but I only had a few moments to figure it out before Kiba gave the command to run. I quickly yelled out the only thing I could think of in the moment, 
 "Don't you dare die, got it?! I'll bring you back to life to kill you myself if you die like this!"

Chapter Text

  My eyes were red from my hours of crying. I tried to sniff and wipe away the tears again, but they continued to fall and be replaced in an instant. 
  The hand on my back was a gentle comfort, but I couldn't stop myself from holding back all the feelings bundled up inside anymore. We failed with my clan, and now my cousin could even be dead. I couldn't even try to transform. I didn't even think about it until long after we left, but even if I did, what could I have done? They were massive, I was just a housecat!
  We came back to the village, but there was no point in hiding my identity anymore. The gate guards needed to report my visit to the Hokage, and now here we were, just sitting in the lobby and waiting. It didn't matter if she sent a scout anymore to warn of my arrival, because nothing could be worse than the fallout caused by just being there for a few hours. 
  I thought I had finally calmed down, but once I took a few breaths to relax, the choked sobs came back with full force. Kiba's hand moved from my back to snake around my shoulder and pull me against him. He had already tried to offer verbal support a while ago, but it didn't help at all. I didn't need to hear any 'it would be alright' or 'it'll get better'. Frankly, they only made me want to cry even more. 
 The only thing that felt like it was helping was the ninja just being here.

  How would the Hokage take all this news as well? It was agreed that talking with her was a coin flip of trust, and we had already snuck around behind her back to visit the clan. She had every right to be furious, but I wasn't sure I could take a scolding from her as well. 
  Akamaru whimpered, his cold nose bumping against my hand. I couldn't stop my crying, but I lifted my hand like it weighed a hundred pounds to scratch the top of his head. 
  
  The front door opened, and swift footsteps hurried to where I sat. I barely had time to glance up before a hand was on my hand, and I was looking at Tsume standing above me, 
 "Hey there, kitten, heard you came back! Wanted to see you before your meeting." She was grinning, her mood way too energetic for how I was feeling. I gave all my strength to try smiling, and I still failed. 
 "Hey, mom, lay off, will ya'?" Kiba piped up on my behalf, his arm pulling me closer, "Things really went to hell out there."
    The woman scoffed away her son's words as she plopped down on my other side, 
 "(Y/N), look at me."
  With such a stern voice, even I felt compelled to obey. Through my wet face and red eyes, I pushed my head up off his shoulder to meet her eyes. They were sharp and calculated, but carried a seriousness to them, 
 "You're gonna listen to me, alright?" She learned against the arm of the chair, her nose twitching as she unintentionally picked up my scent and huffed it off, "Clans like yours don't change that easily; it takes more than one mission to overturn years of conditioning. That doesn't mean you should give up and whimper like this. Where's all those guts you had, huh?"
  Tsume reached up, suddenly poking my forehead with a sharp nail, 
 "You got brains up there and massive guts to do what you did. You'd better find those 'fore you see the Hokage and show her how much that mission mattered to you."
 "Right..." My voice was nearly a croak as I moved to drop my head again, only for her to quickly reach out and grab my cheeks, forcing me to turn back to her. 
 Kiba jolted right away,
"Mom!"
  Nevertheless, she ignored him entirely, 
"I'm not gonna have any of that, you hear me? I don't give a damn if that kekkei genkai makes you a cat, you won't brush me off while you're hanging around my son."
 Scary... Really scary!
   For a moment, I entirely forgot about my fear and sadness, my eyes widening, 
"Ye-Yes ma'am!"
I was muffled as she pinched my cheeks, but seemingly liking my answer, Tsume grinned and let go once more, satisfied with my wakeup.
 "That's right! Now wipe your face and get up, this is no time to sulk."
  She pulled out a cloth and tossed it my way, making me jump to catch it before it fell on the ground. Every movement felt like it drew out all my energy, but I could tell Tsume was right. I had been crying plenty, I needed to get myself cleaned up before I saw the Hokage anyway! 
   As I wiped myself clean, the woman stood up again, wiping non-existent dirt off her clothes with a satisfied huff,
 "Alright, only came to say hey, so I'm heading back now. You will show her respect, you got that?"
 "Yes, mom," Kiba grumbled, almost rolling his eyes, but restrained himself. I had already seen how rough Tsume was willing to be, so it didn't take but a moment to pick up that Kiba also understood what might happen if he rolled his eyes at his mother. 

   He waited for her to leave again before groaning out a long sigh, 
 "Man... Sorry 'bout that. She's usually only that intense to us."
 "It's alright," I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't help a soft smile, "I can tell she's softer to me anyway. You think Hana was right about her liking me?"
  The ninja paused with a hint of surprise before he snorted playfully, 
"I mean, who wouldn't? For a kitty, you're nice to be around. Ain't that why I hang around you anyway?"
 Sure, that was the only reason. 
  I finished wiping my face clean and pocketed the cloth, but my hand stopped for a moment. My claw tapped against the metal headband in my pocket, and I waivered. I planned to wear it after I succeeded, but it was a failure. I wasn't worthy of even keeping it on hand. 
  As I slid it out, Kiba's eyes glistened with an unreadable expression. He offered his hand to take it, allowing me to drop it carefully. 
Once in his possession, the ninja sighed and set it on his lap, 
  "It's annoying to wear it sometimes, y'know? Not that I'm not proud or nothin', but it comes with a lot of responsibility that's more than just knowing how to fight. When I first got mine, my sensei told me something I laughed off at the time," He tapped a nail against the metal, letting it echo in the small lobby, "Told me I might gotta do things against the will of the Hokage. And the Hokage is the heart of the entire village, so I just thought he was messin' with me. Iruka-sensei was right, though. It ain't about who gives you orders, it's about knowing when your actions will hurt or help."
  My ears perked, listening to him intently, but I wasn't entirely sure what he was trying to say. Seeing my silent confusion, he clicked his tongue with a flicker of awkward irritation, 
 "Man, don't make me get all emotional. I'm still bad at that. Look, what I'm tryin' to say is if you wanna wear one, I think you've earned it with your heart. Once you learn how to fight, I don't think anyone would argue giving one of your own."

  Akamaru gruffed as he sat down, pulling attention to him. Kiba smiled, pocketing the headband instead, 
   "Yeah, I'll give it back to Hinata later. Leave it to me."
 With that, he turned back my way, and I just felt...
   
  Well, Kiba could say he wasn't very good at emotions, but just now, I almost wanted to tear up again. From happiness this time, instead. 
I didn't wait to wrap my arms around him, pulling him into a hug as I nuzzled against the crook of his neck. He still smelled strongly of dog, even after being in the forest of felidae, like it would always just cling to him naturally. 
 I couldn't deny the fact that I was still rather despairing about my clan and worried for my cousin, but I found myself comforted by this short happiness as well. There was no doubt in my mind anymore that this village was where I could find a home to return to, and if people like Kiba lived in it, I had a reason to put effort into fighting for them. 
  It wasn't all that long ago in the forest, I had said that pushing myself was a lot of effort. That part was still true. My cat part was already complaining about the extra effort, but my human half wanted to do more than nap in the sun and watch the days pass me by. 
  I couldn't bring myself to purr right now; my heart was too exhausted from the nerves, but I still knew this was happiness. 
 When I picked my head back up, I closed the space for a short kiss. It wasn't as passionate as the first time, but the comfort of it made up for the salty taste on my lips. 
  Kiba clung tightly, as though he didn't want me to pull away for even a moment. I wouldn't have either, had I not needed to breathe. 
My lips tingled when we separated, making it a far better feeling instead of tears on my face. 
   The ninja offered a soft chuckle with a smile just before the door on the other side opened with a woman stepping into the lobby. We weren't doing anything weird, but I still felt the need to pull away and stand up at the attention of one of the Hokage's advisors. 
  The woman had a soft expression and gentle features, and she offered a bright, welcoming smile, 
"Sorry about the wait, you two. Lady Tsunade got a bit busy. You can come in now."
   As Kiba stood up, Akamaru was also quick on his feet, ready to follow as we were led into the office. The woman separated to take a stand beside the Hokage, whom I examined with careful detail. 
 She didn't smell like anything all that special. A slight tingle of something sour, perhaps, but it was faint. Fermentation? No, it was sweeter than that. Alchohol? Her scent told me she hadn't had a sip in a while, but she was a drinker. 
  The woman herself was rather pretty, with long blonde hair and rounded eyes, but that didn't take away from the knowledge that she was still the Hokage. 
  My tail flicked from behind, exposing my nerves despite my attempts to hush it still. As much as I stared at her, she stared right back at me as well, analyzing me with deep consideration. Her eyebrows furrowed, a small frown pulling at her lips. 
 When she was done checking me out, Tsunade sighed, pushing her elbows off her desk to relax back in her chair, 
  "So it's true, huh? Never had a chance to see one for myself before."
 "It's not a big deal, right? It's just a kekkei genkai," Kiba shrugged it off, to which the Hokage snapped her attention on him, 
 "Hush, you are still in trouble. I'll decide on that in a minute. As for you..."
   The woman softened again when she looked back by way. Suddenly, she pulled herself up, arms crossed, with a sternness that came with her authority,
 "I heard from the guards that you entered the village, but I thought they were mistaken at first. You are from that clan after all."
  My nerves were spiking, and I felt myself trembling, but when I tuned my ears towards Kiba, his heart was still relaxed, and his breathing was calm even after being scolded. If he wasn't worried about her, was it okay for me to relax as well?
 With a slow inhale, I finally nodded, holding my hands in front of my body with respect, 
"Yes, that's right! I'm sorry we kept it hidden. Please don't be too angry."
  
  The brunette woman perked up with curiosity as she flicked her eyes to Tsunade, 
"Isn't this weird? I heard people from the felidae clan were proud and hated following orders. They have the spirits of cats, not humans."
  Tsunade's brows furrowed with even more thought as she took in her advisor's words, 
"That's right. The clan still lives in the Land of Fire, but they went into hiding during the war." She shortly nodded back to me, "So why did you come? After all this time in hiding."
  That was... A long story I wasn't sure I could explain while her eyes were peering into me. It felt different than explaining it to Kiba's team. She had an intimidating aura. Oh, that's right... Kiba was here. 
  I reached out to take his hand, as though showing it spoke better than my words could. The Hokage seemed to understand after a moment of consideration, dropping back down into her chair with a sigh, 
 "Honestly... Your whole family has always been too bold. But this..." She trailed off with a click of her tongue, "No, that sounds just like you."

  She looked to be thinking about something, but she made no attempt to say it out loud. What was on her mind? I couldn't be sure. Was it good or bad?
  As silence seeped into the office, Kiba cleared his throat, changing the topic,
 "Hey, so if you don't mind me askin', are you gonna make a report to the clan?"
The Hokage's head snapped up instantly with a puzzled expression, 
 "Just what are you talking about? Why would I make a report to the felidae?"
  What was that? 
She wasn't going to report on me?! I jumped up before Kiba could, pulling away to take a short skip forward, 
 "You really aren't going to tell them I'm here? Then why did you help keep my clan hidden?"
 "Yeah," The ninja nodded after me, "I mean, we would've come to you first right away, but we weren't sure if you'd rat (Y/N) out! We at least wanted to try getting their clan on board first before trying to reveal them over here."
  Tsunade fell quiet with shock, only interrupted by her advisor chuckling as she eased the tension, 
 "My lady, something tells me there might've been a misunderstanding. Do you still think he should be in trouble?"
  "Give me a bit to think about that," Tsunade waved her off shortly and turned her focus back to me, "It's only because I was asked to. The previous Hokages worked with the ANBU to hide your clan; it was just part of my duties. If you came here on your own, I have no reason to report anything of the sort."
That was such a relief... I couldn't hide it as I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding. Things couldn't get much worse with the state of my clan right now, but at least I could be sure the Hokage wasn't an enemy to my efforts. Even my tail felt weak with ease, slumping down limply with no involuntary flicks. 
 "Still," The woman carefully continued, prompting me to perk back up again, "I can't allow you to stay. If you left your clan, you should already know full well why they went into hiding. Your kekkei genkai is highly desired by other nations, isn't it?" 
 "But-!"
 "That's bull!" Kiba cut me off, expressing more rage than I possibly could at that, "Every kekkei genkai is the same, (Y/N)'s ain't any different! You wouldn't tell Hinata to go into hiding, but she was even kidnapped before, wasn't she? (Y/N) belongs here, they can be one of us!"
  I barely had told to argue when the ninja reached over, taking my hand quickly. I felt the strength in his squeeze, but I could only squeeze back weakly. Not from lack of willpower, but the weakness that came with my chest tightening, hearing him stand up for me. Could I really belong here... Be one of them? Hearing it said out loud made me suddenly want it more than anything. 
  "And if you still wanna complain 'bout it, I'll just make sure they become one of us anyway."
He was standing up to the Hokage herself for me, and I wasn't even one of the villagers yet! Already in trouble for going with me on my mission against orders, what punishment would he get for defying her with this, too? 
 Much to my surprise, she didn't look bad at all. Rather, a sly smile snuck upon her lips and she exhaled with a restrained chuckle,
  "You really are just..." The woman muttered under her breath, attempting to be quiet about it, but my ears tuned into her hushed voice. After a short time to think, she gave a wave, encouraging me to approach her desk. Despite the reluctance, Kiba released my hand so I could approach her desk as Tsunade got up from her chair.
 

  Once I was within arm's reach, she offered her hand instead. I wasn't quite sure what her intent was at first, but she wanted something, right? 
I couldn't deny my confusion trying to figure out what it was, but I didn't have anything I would give her. Was she wanting to take my hand? That seemed a bit weird, but I could try that. 
  Just as I began to raise my hand, the Hokage grabbed it, giving a tight squeeze as she held my smaller hand in her palm, 
 "You know, I've never seen someone from your village before. I was still young when the second ninja war began. I heard about it during my training, but never saw someone like you in person..."
  My ears twitched carefully, to which she huffed lightly with near amusement upon seeing it. Her hand was far larger than mine. My hand was small even when I held Kiba's, but she was older than both of us. Her thumb clung tightly as she examined my claws, careful thought dancing in her eyes, 
 "Looks like you have some cracks. From a fight, right?"
My nails?
  I followed her gaze to my nails to see what she meant. The Hokage was right. This was the hand I held off the attacker with. My muscles felt better, but my nails still bore the damage I had sustained when I pushed him back. 
  "(Y/N) held someone off with one hand," Kiba grinned from behind, his voice filled with pride, "Betcha didn't expect that, huh? I keep hearing felidae don't fight or whatever, but they're pretty good at it when they actually do it. Maybe (Y/N) can even train and get all official?"
 "That's-" The brunette woman carried shock in her voice, "That's a bit sudden to consider, Kiba! They weren't even born within the village. That's a big decision, and we don't know if their kekkei genkai would make them a target on the battlefield-"

    Swiftly cutting her off, the door swung open,
 "Lady Hokage!" A ninja shouted from behind, prompting Tsunade to quickly release my hand and look back, 
  "How dare you charge in so rudely-?!"
 In almost an instant, her mood switched to a scolding that pulled my ears back in nervous withdrawal. Kiba's mother was loud and brazen, but she was a good mom. My grandmother was quiet and passive, but always spoke with hate. And Tsunade... When Tsunade got mad, it was like she shook the room!
  The ninja bowed his head apologetically, 
 "Please forgive me, but it's an emergency! There's something happening at the gates!"

Chapter Text

 I thought I was mistaken when I peeked through the office windows, but there was no doubt about it! I was the first one to charge out the door and scurry down the steps with all the speed my agility granted me. I might've almost slipped a few times coming down the steps, but it was simply a risk I'd have to take. 
  I heard Kiba call after, but I didn't have time to stop and wait up! This time, he would just have to keep up with me if he wanted to come along. 
  When the front door was thrown open, I couldn't be bothered to run down the second set of stairs. Instead, hopping the railing to the ground below and broke into a run back to the gates. I could smell it already, and the hours of fear and tears were washed away as I picked up on it.

  The commotion grew louder the closer I got, with some shouting of the guards warning to stay still and come in no further, but it was foolish to try.

 After all, cats weren't known to listen. 

   The crowd temporarily blocked my way, prompting me to wiggle through and push my way through. 
The moment I was in the clear, I lunged forward to wrap my arms around the furry head.
  The shocked whispers of the watching villagers started up, but I was more focused on the cheetah in front of me. 
 "You're alive! And... And you're here!"
  I could've cried with the relief. I should've stayed and worked with them. I wasn't a very good fighter, but I should've stood with my family instead of running away. I'd regret leaving them and being worried like this for a long time.
They hissed with some ache, but they didn't pull away with any severe pain, 
 "Yeah, we finally left the barrier. You're not special anymore either."
They could say that again... It wasn't just my cousin, but the massive herd of large cats pooling at the front gates might've given anyone a shock. I simply scoffed as I released again to kneel down in front of them, 
 "You had to come in the transformation Jitsu? You're scaring the village half to death!"
 The cheetah gave a simple snort, 
"We have the chakra to spare for a little while. Plus, we finally know how to do it. I don't want to go back to my regular form for a while. You know how amazing it feels to be in touch with our spirits? You should try it too."
  Transform like that, and be even smaller?
 "I'll think about it. I'm not a big cat like you, and I'm not really feelin' in the mood to be a tiny house kitty." I gave a teasing chuckle with my response, but my eyes fell to my cousin's leg, seeing it off the ground as they kept weight off it. I didn't see any immediate injuries just by looking, but...
 My heart sank when I met their eyes again, 
"What happened back there?"
  
  My cousin opened their mouth to respond, but a jaguar piped up from nearby. Was that one of my uncles? I recognized his voice, 
 "You should've seen it!" He gleamed with his fangs, "We all figured out our transform! The elders didn't even try to fight us after that!" 
"Well," My cousin took over once more with more clarification, "It began as a fight, and I got a bit hurt, but then everyone started to join me in transforming. The elders backed down, and we just left. They decided to stay behind."
  "Nothing we said made them want to leave," Someone else muttered with mourning. "They were all too afraid, so we left on our own."
 I wish I could say I was surprised, but grandmother refusing to leave the barrier even after the entire clan walked out sounded like her. She was afraid enough to bury our transformation specialty and build on top of the old mural. I couldn't even imagine her trying to step out of the forbidden zone. 

Many of the non-felidae who married into the clan sat upon the backs of the big cats, clearly having taken inspiration after seeing us ride away on Akamaru. They looked quite natural at it, too. Not too long ago, it was impossible to think my restrictive, lazy clan could look like they had this much power. 
 Nevertheless, the growing crowd of villagers looked terrified, and the ninja had their weapons out and standing defensively, as though at any moment, they were expecting to be attacked by a tiger. 
 

 "(Y/N)!" The call came from within the crowd, where the villagers parted to allow Kiba through. Seeing him charge up to the massive herd of predators looked to relax some that knew him well, but it didn't dispel the tensions. 
  Akamaru was close on his heels, and with that, many of my clan flinched back or crouched low nervously. It couldn't be helped that years of teaching didn't vanish right away... I know it took me some time as well, but it didn't feel as tense as when I was seeing grandma.
 My cousin offered a welcoming chirp. It was convincing enough that I could've truly believed they had no human in them at all.
  His hand fell on my shoulder with a light squeeze as he grinned down at the cheetah, 
 "Well, look who it is! You know, for being a buncha' cats, you're actually pretty good at leading a pack. So you brought 'em all here, huh?"
   They should've been happy, but their face fell softly. Pulling their eyes away, they hesitated with a flick of their spotted tail. After a long moment, they turned back with a puff of smoke. Some surprised gasps came from the watching villagers, but the trained ninja didn't falter in their defensive poses.
 "Look at that, it was a transformation Jitsu." A woman grabbed her husband's arm with awe, but he didn't sound as amazed,  
"But look at those ears and tails. Are they even fully human to begin with?"
 They didn't even know the half of it, but that was something for later. To imagine the clan would come here after leaving... I had assumed they wouldn't want to merge with the village at all; a part of me still didn't believe it, but why else would they come here? 
 "Almost all of them," My cousin averted their gaze as they awkwardly rubbed their arm with nerves. They might've stood up to the elders, but that cheetah anxiety still crept up, it appeared. "But it's for the best. The elders are... Trapped in the past, but time needs to keep moving forward."
 

  "Stand down," Tsunade's sudden command rang up as she, too, managed to catch up. The guard ninjas flashed with unease and surprise, turning back to the Hokage coming through, 
 "But, lady Hokage, they're-!"
 "They're citizens of the Land of Fire," She cut them off with sternness, but a proud smile on her face as she approached the herd without an ounce of fear on her face, "A bloodline yin transformation with Earth Style. It's about time the world remembers you."
  The shinobi hesitated, but they were compelled to obey the hokage and lowered their weapons.  
The cheetah perked up with a hopeful smile as I met Tsunade's eyes.
 We were citizens. Despite everything, we were always meant to belong in this nation; we weren't supposed to be hidden for this long. This whole thing... It never should've happened. 
  The other felidae appeared unsure how to greet the Hokage, eventually choosing to bow their heads with respect, but showed restraint after just leaving the forbidden zone. Bowing to a new ruler felt almost contradictory, but then again, this ruler accepted their beast souls while the elders tried to keep it for themselves. 
  Tsunade's grin widened as she saw their respect, her eyes scanning the herd, then she dropped back down to Kiba and me at the front of it, 
 "It really can't be helped, can it? With something like this, your clan staying in hiding is impossible."
He huffed, almost mockingly, 
 "You got no reason to say no now, do you?"
 A part of me couldn't help being afraid. The Hokage might've had a positive response to the clan's arrival, but what if she took it as trying to be strong-armed into letting them in?
  My fingers trembled when I reached out to take Kiba's arm, clinging to him as though he could protect me against someone like the Hokage herself. I could hear his heart pounding heavily, and Akamaru whimpered with a slow wag. Tsunade nearly glared through us before she crossed her arms, 
"Letting a whole clan of this size into the village like this...?" She tore her eyes down while she muttered to herself, "We could use the manpower, but they don't know how to fight like shinobi yet. Do we even have the space?"
 "Excuse me," My cousin piped up, taking a step forward. They limped on their left leg, but could still move as needed, "We don't need to live in the village, ma'am! In fact, it's better if we don't. We want to run and feel the fresh air. We couldn't do this before."
 Some other heads nodded in agreement, and a lion stood taller, 
"We could live outside the walls and defend the forest for Kohana."

  What was I supposed to say right now? Everything felt so beyond my power. Forces surpassing my own strength, even when my own clan was involved. I was a felidae, but I had long since left the clan. While they were family, this had nothing to do with me anymore. I wanted to stay inside the village, and they didn't. I would've loved to travel one day as well, but for now, all I was hoping for was staying with Kiba. It was odd how I used to have such big dreams, yet now that I could make them come true, I didn't want to go anywhere else. 
  I pulled up to look over his face, and Kiba shifted my way with a grin in turn. 
I didn't need to say much because in that short moment, I could feel a connection that didn't need any words to be shared. It was the same feeling I had that night when he returned my feelings. 
He pulled me closer while clearing his throat for the Hokage's attention, 
 "Yo, what about us, huh?" He carried no nervousness about diverting the topic back to our own situation, "This whole situation is neat n' all, but I still want (Y/N) in the village."
  Yeah... That was what I was thinking as well. If she agreed with my clan's request, would I get lumped in with them?
I scoured out to the villagers watching, seeing various humans out among them, then back to my clan, with cats big and small. Just then, something struck me that I hadn't thought about until now. 
 We weren't just felidae; we had already merged with the Land of Fire a long time ago, but they were so overlooked, they were never even acknowledged in the forbidden zone. The people sitting on their backs, not with ownership, but with the love of friendship and family. Like how Kiba rode Akamaru as a partner, people without our kekkei genkai were always part of us. 

  My chest tightened up with hope and nervousness. My ears flattened low with a flick of my tail, but despite my fear, a rumbling purr erupted from my throat that carried the happiness with that sense of hope and belonging, 
 "Please let me stay, Lady Tsunade," I practically begged, "I'll train and fight, I want to stay so much!"

 From behind, an arm suddenly draped over my shoulder, and I turned back to my cousin leaning over me. I could feel them trembling with pain, breathing heavily as they attempted to hold back. It hurt more to walk when they weren't transformed, didn't it? I wish I could help, but I knew nothing about healing. It was pretty amazing that they traveled here with three legs in that other form. Through their pain, they forced a smile, their other arm falling over the ninja's as they stood between us, 
 "You won't say no in front of all these people, will you?"
Just like how they stood up to grandmother, the cheetah had no fear in challenging the Hokage directly. 
 It didn't take her long to see what they were doing, her eyes narrowing with a short frown, but just as fast as her irritation hit, she relaxed again with a chuckle, dropping her arms from being crossed, 
 "I envy the younger generation. If kids like you keep cropping up, what'll be left for us to do?"
 Her eyes locked onto my cousin as she moved forward with her hands extended, waving them forward. Perhaps a bit rude of my cousin, but it was only expected of someone like them to push between Kiba and me to meet the Hokage halfway. Watching my cousin stumble forward on a weak leg, I was able to see the injury from behind that I couldn't before, looking like a bite. 
 How terrible... The elders claimed we didn't fight, but they were willing to bite a clan member with those long fangs they had? It didn't look deep at least, but I wanted to cringe back seeing the bite. Their tail swayed to keep their limping steady before meeting Tsunade and taking her hands, where she gave a squeeze, 
 "We'll teach your clan how to fight," The Hokage's voice rang stern, staring my cousin down, "And I'll heal you. But you better not do a public stunt like this again. We'll discuss the details of this arrangement when you're healed."

  I expected the cheetah to sulk, but they simply laughed like an awkward child. With that, Tsunade was putting her focus back on me, 
 "(Y/N), I'll allow it, but don't cause any trouble either. I won't take responsibility if you do, that'll fall on Kiba since he's the one who asked for it."
  Kiba flinched back, hearing her warning, but he waved it off just as fast,
"It's just one little kitty, I'm not worried at all! Even cats can have the will of fire, got that?"

 The will of fire? I never heard of that before. It sounded important. I nearly considered asking, but my attention focused on something else entirely.

The villagers were looking at us with renewed energy. After being accepted by the Hokage, their shock and fear were now wonder. Even as the clan stood before them with their transformation, I could tell my elders were wrong. 
  In this new world, these people didn't want to use us for our power. It was more like... They accepted us, so we wanted to fight for them. 
I still thought back to the fight at the border and how utterly helpless I felt. I hesitated because my only skills were running away, and I never wanted to feel like that again. This whole time, I was running towards something. 
  The smell of the village mingled with the scent of my clan, but the strongest smell to come through came from Kiba himself. My main focus that only made my purring stronger. 
 I could've teared up, and I didn't even care that we were in such a large crowd. I took the ninja's arm again and leaned close as pulled him in for a kiss. 

Chapter Text

"Why do you get to go on an adventure?" The boy grumbled under his breath, poking at his food as he slouched in the chair, "I had to go training and you revealed a whole hidden kekkei genkai..."
 "Oh, stop your sulking," Kiba took another bite, stuffing his mouth, and continued to talk between his sulking, "You get to do cool crap all the time, I got to have a turn too."
  
  I had already finished eating and scanned the group around me. I didn't feel like I fit in just yet, but my ears perked and twitched as I listened in. I was a bit confused about keeping up with everyone here, but I continued to listen in with careful consideration. I could feel some curious stares, but nobody was brave enough to bring up my ears right away. 
 Seeing how I was the first one done, I had to push down my embarrassment for scarfing down my food so quickly. It was a lingering habit from when I was hunting in the forest, but even Kiba slowed down his eating while around people outside of his own family. I hoped my impression on the group wasn't too terrible. 
  The boy continued muttering under his breath, practically seething with annoyance, 
"-Not fair- Someone like Kiba- I wanted to be a part of it too."
  I couldn't pick up all the words, but the blond's irritation was almost funny. Changing the topic, a familiar girl set down her fork. Her name was... It was Ino, right?
 "So, (Y/N)!" She perked up, "I've been doing some reading about your clan. The rest of your clan can transform, but I've never seen you do it. You can use your transformation Jitsu too, can't you?"
 Right, my Jitsu...
I looked to Kiba, but he couldn't answer the awkward question for me, and now the rest of the group was waiting for my answer as well. I finally cleared my throat, 
 "I... I can," I shifted my sit, avoiding any direct eye contact, "I'm just a normal housecat though. I feel better if I don't. I still have my claws and agility, so I can fight alright without needing to use it."
  "Aw, that's no fun!" The blond who had just been sulking was upright again with sudden disappointment, "Can we just see it for a second? Please? Please?"
 "Stop your damn beggin', Naruto," Kiba took his last bite and set the fork down as he swallowed, "They don't wanna do it. How would you feel if your Jitsu was just bein' cute and fluffy?"
 "Didn't you fight in the exams with a puppy?" He shot back just as fast defensively, "Besides, I like cats! Especially when I'm not havin' to find missing ones for that weird cat lady."

  They continued to talk and poke fun, but once the topic of using my Jitsu passed, I felt like I could relax again. I spent all day practicing, but the dinner was more than just hanging out. It was to celebrate earning my own headband. I had it tied around my neck loosely, like a collar of my own. Wearing it now, I didn't feel any weight to it at all. It wasn't heavy; rather, I barely felt it was there at all, like it just belonged there. 
  The sun was already setting when the meal was done, and I walked back home with Kiba. 
 Home...
 Well, it was my home now, just as much as it was his. I walked by people, but they no longer stared at my ears like I was some different entity anymore. I walked close to his side like a second shadow.
  As we walked, I continued to think back to my transformation. I had tried it a few times, and I know I can do it quite easily, but being so small and fluffy... Well, there wasn't much fighting I could do with it unless I was fighting a large rat or something.
  The transformation was just for private use; I could fight normally like any other ninja in the village without using it. 
By the time we made it back, the sky had grown dim. Akamaru hopped onto the couch to lie down as Kiba looked around the house, 
 "Ma'! We're back!" 
He called out, but there was no answer. All the dogs looked to be gone as well, including Hana's. After a minute or so of waiting, he clicked his tongue, 
 "Damn, guess they were called to a mission or somethin' while we were out. Good thing we got something to eat."
   He pulled off his coat to drop it on the table lazily and stretched his arms as though he was relaxing after a battle and not coming home from a day off. 
 Wasn't I supposed to be the one tired and worn out? I was the one practicing today!
   I looked to Akamaru for his opinion, but he was already flopped over and dozing off. Well, it couldn't be helped if the guys were tired already. I could go for a rest too. 
  Kiba made his way to his room down the hall, and I continued to follow after once I slipped my shoes off. It was my room as well, but there wasn't much I changed to make it mine. I didn't have any belongings aside from a few extra clothes, but I didn't need much either. My belly was full every day, and I had a safe place to sleep and go back to. Now that I had my headband, I could travel even farther and see the world when I went on missions with a team I could call my own. I couldn't be luckier about that. 

  The ninja flopped onto his back when he got to his bed and sighed, 
 "Man, today was boring. Good thing you passed your exam, but I didn't get to do nothin' all day. It's so dull, I'm itchin' for something exciting. Now that your clan is constantly traveling and patrolling the nation, we don't even gotta do our patrol missions anymore."
  "Isn't that a good thing?" I got what he meant, but I couldn't resist a tease either as I sat down on the bed beside him, "It's more peaceful. Rouges don't even try to fight when they see a tiger."
 "Yeah, I guess," His reply was a mix between a grumble and a sigh, "I kinda miss 'em though. I think one day we should just take a vacation and go hiking for a few weeks! Being in the forest with you was kinda nice, y'know?"
  I could say I felt the same way. I couldn't protest something like that. Leaning back, I dropped down to lie next to him, where Kiba rolled onto his side to pull me closer against him. 
  He was still cooler than I, but the warmth was enough to make me doze off quite easily. His breathing, heartbeat, even the light twitches as he settled in, everything lulled me into safety. His scent was something I had grown comfortable with now; I barely even noticed it anymore. 
 Perhaps it was because my own smell began to shift as well. I didn't smell much like a cat anymore; it was a mix of the household imprinting on me. 
 I closed my eyes as I hugged him back, my claws digging against his shirt as I began to purr.  
As I began to drift off, a kiss pressed against my temple caused a shiver and a twitch of my tail. Kiba chuckled at the response, and while he shared kisses quite often, it was embarrassing when I was trying to fall asleep like this. 
  This was the type of moment I chose to use my transformation for when we were alone, and I'd certainly only do it for Kiba unless my life depended on it. 
 Letting go and squirming away a bit to give some distance, my hands clasped together, and I was quick to activate the transformation. Using my chakra felt like second nature by now, but transforming shifted my senses all around, like I was scrambling my sense of reality. My vision sharpened, and my fur was sensitive to the touch, prickling to brush off even the feeling of air against my back.
 "Aw, come on, that's not fair!"
The ninja complained, rolling onto his back, his loud voice causing an ear twitch as it sounded far louder than when I was human. Nevertheless, I couldn't it was funny to deny him being cuddled if he would tease while I was trying to sleep. Still, I hopped onto his chest to lie down instead, as a normal cat would.
  I could understand the appeal after trying it down a few times before. Not just the warmth, but the feeling of his heart against my smaller body was soothing. 

  Seeing as I wouldn't change back, he sighed again, dropping his head onto the pillow, 
 "Fine then, be like that, I guess. Goes to show how much you hate me." 
What a drama queen, even if he was being playful about it. Extending my claws, I started to knead against him, rolling my paws in what people might call making biscuits, but he only continued to pout, 
 "No, no, don't even try to save it. I see how it is. You'll only cuddle me when you don't have hands; you totally hate me."
 
    While I was messing with him, a knock at the door perked us both up with curiosity. I hopped off to allow him to stand up as I transformed back. Kiba was out the door first, as I wasn't far behind. I could hear the movement of someone standing outside and waiting, but the smell wasn't anyone I was familiar with. A stranger?
 He opened the door to an unfamiliar ninja carrying a letter in his hand. Looking between both of us, though, it was offered to me. 
Me?
  I got a letter?
The ninja gave a nod once it was in my hands, 
 "Hello, (Y/N), this comes directly from the Hokage. Please respond when you can; it's urgent."
With that, he turned and left with a farewell wave, leaving me with the delivery. 
 
   "The hell?"
 Kiba's mutter as he shut the door again was exactly what I was thinking. Why was I getting a letter from Tsunade? I hadn't even been on any missions above D rank yet, and I was only just granted the position of genin. 
  Tearing the envelope, I pulled it out quickly and skimmed the details. 
 I could feel Kiba reading over my shoulder with equal curiosity, but my stomach churned the more details were revealed. 
When I was done, I found it difficult to take a breath. My inhale was shallow, and the following exhale was shaky. There was no way...
  "What the hell is she doing here?" His anger came through clearly as he growled through his teeth. It was only a letter, and he was already getting ruffled up, but I couldn't fault him. 
 I wanted to lash out as well, but I put all my effort into keeping myself composed,
 "Grandmother came to the village... But why? Why does she want to see me? I thought she'd never leave the forbidden zone."
 "Guess she got damned lonely," Kiba practically threw up his hands as he stepped away, trying to calm himself down, "She just can't leave ya' alone, huh?! Elders aren't done with you yet or somethin'? I should go down there and tell her to pound sand and get outta here."
  
   It was ever so tempting to let Kiba do that, but I looked back to the letter once again.
I didn't trust this at all, but the elder leaving the zone at all, let alone coming into the village, was brave for someone as cowardly and terrified as she was. 
  She was borrowing a room at the inn and had asked the Hokage to send for me to talk. Something about this felt... Strange. 
 I flicked my attention back to Kiba, still muttering to himself, 
  "No, I should talk to her. If she really left hiding and came into the outside, maybe she's willing to listen to reason now. She lost, there's nobody else she can control anymore."
  My response cast a wave of surprise of doubt on Kiba, but he exhaled, brushing through his messy hair,
 "Man... If that's what you wanna do, fine. But I'm comin' with!"

   That, I could agree to. I didn't want to see her by myself either. 
Akamaru pulled himself up to follow, but this time, Kiba refused,
 "Stay here, bud. We'll be okay, but she's lived her whole life afraid of dogs. Don't wanna freak her out 'soon as we get there."
He whined, but lay back down again to obey. 
  
  The whole walk to the inn, I felt a sense of dread. Why here? Why now? What did she want from me? Was it a trap? 
I had so much confusion circling in my head. I just became a genin. I was finally part of a community that gave me freedom and embraced what I was; there was no way I would let myself be dragged back into that stuffy, isolated forest behind the barrier. 
  Was it possible she even changed at all? 
Kiba kept quiet to let me think as we walked, but by the time we got to the inn, it still felt too soon. I was there, and yet I didn't feel ready yet. 
 I didn't have much of a choice, though. I couldn't procrastinate while she was on the other side of the door.
So I knocked. 

 

  She opened the door slowly, her eyes not even looking up to meet mine. Grandmother looked frail and meek, almost anxious. I could see her bony fingers trembling as she held the door, and her rounded ears flat against her head. 
  Kiba began to rumble with a growl, but managed to hold back.
The silence was thick with tension, neither one willing to speak first. I swallowed back, looking over her carefully.
 As I examined her, something cracked in my mind. A realization of mutual understanding that offered me a sense of peace. Finally, I allowed myself to release the breath I was holding, 
  "Hey, Grandma."
 The old felidae woman pulled her eyes up, eyebrows furrowed with sadness, but a forced, awkward smile pulling on her lips. She released the door and carefully stepped out, every move full of hesitant weariness. 
  If she wasn't going to do it first, then I would. 
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, and after a moment of nervousness, her arms pulled up to wrap around me as well.
 "I'm sorry," It was so soft, so gentle, I knew it was only for my ears. "My mother's fear became mine. I didn't want to hurt anyone in the beginning. I thought it was a necessary evil to prevent a worse ending. I didn't know what I was doing until I lost everyone because of it."
  She lifted her head, eyes locking onto Kiba, who watched her wearily until she let go to offer a hand to him as well,
"You're that dog- Dog trainer," Grandma was quick to correct herself, "Can you forgive a bad kitty for what I said to you?"
  I turned back to see his eyes wide and uneasy, but he stepped forward, allowing the old woman to pull him into the hug as well,
"My grandchild chose you; let me be proud to invite you into the clan."
  Her words were directed to Kiba, but I found my face burning up quickly instead. That seemed... Really fast to declare that! Not that I entirely hated the idea in any case. I wouldn't mind that at all, actually...
  When she finally let go, I swallowed back to restrain my shyness and met her eyes again, 
 "So you... Made it here. But why now? I thought you were scared of the outside world."
 "I am." She didn't waste a moment to hesitate, crossing her arms inside her long sleeves as her tail flicked behind her, "This world terrifies me, but what scared me more was seeing my family leave me behind because I couldn't be as brave as them. You found happiness in this world, so I... Would like to try as well. In kitten steps. Will you teach this old woman the new world?"
 
 So she really managed to change after all...
Or, she was trying to. 
  I managed to offer a smile, shifting to Kiba first before looking back her way,
"Alright. Tomorrow, let's get something to eat together. I'll show you that this world outside the wall is worth living in. I think you'll love chocolate."