Legacy [ Naruto Reader-Insert ]

原点 - Genten - Origin pt 3

A soft yip from below eye-level snaps your gaze to the ground. Akamaru pads up to you, his nails tapping against the gravel. His approach barely audible from the noise that's going around, his tail up and wagging at you with his tongue out. You crouch down, careful with the box in your arms to give him a quick scratch behind his ear.

After a while, you stand up and brush the front of your clothes down to make yourself look neat and presentable. Your image represents you and the Yamanaka clan in all public affairs, and thus something you need to keep track of. Your image is your shield against the eyes of the rest of the Konoha population that aren't in the know.

"Hey to you too Akamaru," You say, lips curving into a gentle smile as the small, white ninken plops on his haunches and gives you a soft bark in response, "Where's Kiba?"

Akamaru barks then gets up, pointing his snout forward into the crowd. You blink down at the white dog who seems to be directing your gaze amongst the throng of people.

Soon enough, a figure with red triangles painted on his face and his hood pulled all the way up slips through the crowd looking like he's about to wreck some shit up. The corners of his lips pulled back in a slight but feral snarl, his pupils thinning into vertical slits that glints under the harsh afternoon light.

He, in short, doesn't look very happy to see you.

Kiba's behaviour at this point stumps you. Wouldn't getting a bento from a girl, especially on a special occasion make any boy happy? Is your train of thought wrong? Is there something missing from the equation?

"Akamaru, c'mere." Kiba gestures for Akamaru to come over to him.

The tiny ninken whimpers, then paced his paws on the ground and planted his butt down, turning his snout away with a huff.

"Akamaru. Come. Here. Now." Kiba's tone staggers into a curt staccato as he gives Akamaru a firm stare.

Another soft whine escapes from his snout. Akamaru walks around your feet in circles, giving Kiba a small pitiful stare every now and then from the corners of his eyes with his tail in between his legs, as if he doesn't want to. You would have found it really adorable if not for how much Akamaru's actions seem to spark Kiba's anger even more.

You don't how to react in a situation like this. You simply don't.

Your shoulders start to tense with anticipation. Kiba makes his way closer to you. With each step he's taking, the deep ridges between his eyebrows is starting to come into focus. He is pissed. An understatement even. He is extremely upset and you don't know why.

Kiba stops right in front of you, heat radiating off his body in waves. He's so close that you can smell his musk, and his anger. If you moved any more forward, your fingers will graze the front of his zipped up hoodie. It's one of those times where you feel that you're severely disadvantaged by your height.

"Kiba, did you grow a couple of centimeters?" You blink up at him in the most innocent way you can and a slight tilt of your head, "You seem much, much taller than I last remember."

The gap between his eyebrows start to narrow even more than before as he stares you down. Akamaru looks up at the two of you almost with worry in his rounded puppy dog eyes.

Kiba's gaze wanders from your face to the rest of your body, taking in your general appearance before resting on the patch of stiff cloth over your left eye. "I'm the last to hear about your mission and I'm the last to know about this." His fingers hover over your cheek, grazing over the eyepatch before he forcefully lets his arm drop to his side. Kiba's jaw shifts, his muscles tensing up, as if he's holding himself back from saying any more.