Dirt on my hands and knees

Dirt on my hands and knees
By eternalshiva

Disclaimer –
I do not own Naruto nor do I make any monies off this Fanfiction. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Perverseness is mine and inspired by Perpetual159.

AN – Wee! Almost done!

Thank you, Jolly Green and Perpetual159, for the beta. I appreciate it.

Chapter 3
Fizzle, dazzle, burn

“Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me
You gave my life direction, a game show love connection we can't deny.
Train – Hey Soul Sister


Things hadn’t gone well after dinner.

Ino shifted on the hard wooden bench outside of Naruto’s office, several days after this particular night in question. The heat was unbearable once again and she was left to her own devices after a sudden summoning. Her mind wandered over the events again and she couldn’t help but sigh.

It had been a wonderful dinner. Kiba was charming, she was almost pleasant and they ate like starving idiots. The conversation was more sophisticated than she would have ever pegged him to be able to sustain; who knew Kiba could say words longer than four syllables? He had invited her for a walk after dinner – under the watchful eye of the moon – and she had accepted without a second thought.

‘I should have kept my guard up,’ she thought, groaning audibly in the empty hallway. The second she decided that Kiba was an okay guy that she could allow past her defences, he pulled this stunt out of the blue. This complete and utter bullshit that fell out of his mouth, dripping like poison and shattering everything she believed in about her and Kiba; it made her boil!

The worst part was... it hurt.

She had been deceived by not only him, but Naruto as well. Hinata was on her shit list, too; she was just as guilty for convincing the Hokage to go ahead with this ridiculous plan to watch over her. She pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead to wipe at the sweat tickling her skin. She was getting tired of thinking about this problem – she'd barely slept.

She was one of the best kunoichi in Konoha, and she had worked hard – damn it. They undermined her ability, they... didn’t believe in her. She was heart-broken, and the look on Kiba’s face the moment she cracked showed her he knew they were done – there was nothing between them after this.

Each pang of emotion that twisted inside her chest reminded her that her training wasn’t complete, it had fallen out of her grasp - her emotions were raw again. Years of training had gone up in smoke the second she laid her eyes on the ANBU that kept her company. Kiba had managed to uproot her personality and scatter it to the four winds to her horror and his glee.

She hated the fact that he'd gotten under her radar, snuck in under her preserved defences. Her hot anger hadn't even made him flinch when he told her he'd been watching her for a long time. Her initial reaction had been one of shock, then complete and utter rage.

She was sure he didn't regret telling her, considering he had allowed the beating she gave him at the training grounds. His voice still pleaded with her, whispered painfully “Hate me all you want Ino, I’m not going anywhere,” and she complied with his request. She let her emotions flow out, unlocked from the insides and they poured out like a waterfall.

Ugh! That word again: emotions.

“That damned idiot!” she suddenly growled out-loud, the echo of her own voice against the walls of the corridor startled her out of her irritation for several seconds, allowing her to calm down before continuing her quiet brooding.

It really pissed her off how Sakura had given her shit for beating the ANBU within an inch of his life; trying to guilt trip her on how she had spent most of her day putting him back together. He looked fine when she caught a glimpse him the following morning. Despite her warnings from the previous night, he spotted her and bee-lined in her direction. She discovered later that she should've beaten him harder since it didn't stop him from continuing his rendition of his vigilant watch over her since they were teenagers and how he knew everything there was to know about her.

That's when she realised that there were no secrets hidden from him; she was completely exposed and there was nothing she could do or say about it.

Her fists clenched at the memory.

She couldn't put her finger on what exactly she wanted to do to the idiotic ninja that dared claim that Yamanaka Ino needed anyone's protection. His expression when she had stood up, her eyes dangerously flashing while words continued to fall out of his mouth like a waterfall – admitting his obsession with keeping her safe, keeping her from completely disconnecting herself from the rest of humanity – had entirely enraged her.

Not only had she felt completely infuriated, she had felt humiliated. She had screamed at him, losing her composure steadily as his fingers found her wrists and pulled her to him. She had kicked him, yelled at him, but he had taken it all while smiling some sort of satisfied grin as she lost her control. She accused him of many things and he had agreed on every single claim. He didn't refute any of them, even added some of his own and admitted his guilt.

When the details of his agreement with Naruto had come to light, she had laughed in disbelief. All these years... She had been fooled by two good friends, people she trusted with her life. She had spat words at him and pushed him away, but he still clung to her wrists; only letting go for a moment to wrap his arms around her shoulders and crush her petite form against his chest. Her angry muffled words dripped into the night, but he only continued to ask for forgiveness.

She had whispered how much she hated him and against all reason he had pressed his chin against her temple and nodded. She cried when he said he didn't blame her if she never spoke to him again, that she wouldn't see him again unless she had to.

True to his word – she hadn't seen him since. She hadn't heard a whisper of his name. Like a shadow, he had disappeared from her life as she had requested. The man had frustrated her beyond reason.

Besides that night, Kiba had managed to uncover a lot of things she had forgotten about herself: he had made her laugh, made her... feel.

He had made her honest with herself.

Had he always been like that? She could only really recall all the times he had pissed her off or made her stomp off in a rage. But even though he was irritating, loud-mouthed and crass, he’d always made her connect with that part of herself she had wanted to desperately keep disconnected. Now she wasn't so sure if she wanted to continue striving to be the perfect kunoichi.

She sighed, confused once more.

Admittedly, he was different from before. The transition from adolescence to adulthood had somehow slipped between their fingers, skipped over them and their priorities – more or less their training to a certain extent – and had forced them to go in different directions. Her opinion was changing... despite what she told him a few nights ago, she didn't really mean it. She didn't really want to be separated... even if he'd always infuriate her.

She noticed that lately her focus was solely on him; his lips, his eyes, and the feel of his hands on her – the memory imprinted wherever he touched. She couldn't get the velvety sound of his voice out of her mind; it resonated in her mind and she couldn’t forget it.

What the hell was wrong with her?

This was Kiba – and she was pissed at him, certainly not supposed to be feeling guilty!

“The Hokage will see you now.”

Ino blinked and looked in the direction where the voice had come from to find Konohamaru. She felt unsettled, but pushed all thoughts of Kiba out of her mind. She nodded to the assistant and followed him into the office. The door clicked softly behind her and she stood at ease before her boss.

Naruto eyed her strangely. “You ready for another mission?” he asked, causing her to arch a brow in wonder.

“Are you asking me?” That was a little strange, even for him.

“Yeah, you seem a little out of it,” she blinked, “that’s why I’m asking. I don’t want my best kunoichi blowing her cover if she’s not up to it.”

She felt hot rage bubble up, quicker than usual. She hadn't discussed anything with him yet in regards to the deal they had to "protect" her. Ignorant of why she was volatile, Naruto kept his expression stoic, ignoring her quiet outburst.

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you.” Naruto rolled his eyes openly before handing her a scroll. She unfurled it and read carefully; the mission was difficult and would require all the skills in her arsenal. She tried not to fidget as Kiba's face crossed her mind.

“Kiba will shadow you during the mission,” Naruto added offhandedly as she rose to leave. A heavy weight landed square in her stomach, her eyes squeezed shut despite herself and she repressed the urge to gag.

What was this... feeling?

There mere thought of knowing Kiba was going to be there in the shadows had her flustered – guilt ridden after their unsettled argument. She didn't want him to be there while she lied and fucked her way through enemy secrets.

“Can you find someone else?” She didn’t dare look at Naruto.

She heard him lean back into his chair and said nothing for a few minutes.

“He’s my best tracker and he knows how you operate. He knows what to expect from your missions and when to come if you’re in trouble.” His tone of voice left no room for argument. “Something happened that I need to know about?”

She stiffened, annoyed that she was so transparent even Naruto clued in that there was something wrong. What was she supposed to say to him?

“No, nothing’s happening that concerns you, Hokage-sama." She brought her chin up defiantly. He brought up a scroll to hide his face, pretending to read the finer details of the mission. It took everything in him not to openly snicker, so he settled on a very wide smirk.

The type of smirk that would make his Hinata frown with worry since it meant his inner prankster was out and willing to cause havoc.

“It’s not something I can do, Ino," he continued from behind his shield of paper. She became suspicious almost instantly when she heard a soft snort. "He’s the best suited as your partner for this.” He peered over the edge of his document, still strategically hiding his impish grin. He caught a strange emotion in her eyes and it made him drop all notions of some juvenile prank when he recognized worry in her.

He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but the momentary flash of emotion was gone from her delicate features, replaced with some strange stoic expression he recognized as her usual self. He was a bit torn at pressing her for more detail on what was bothering her – particularly on what was making her questions Kiba's ability – but there was one thing for sure: Kiba had gotten under her skin.

She waved good-bye and disappeared behind the door. He listened to her gradually disappearing footsteps before moving on to the next scroll.

"Konohamaru, get Kiba," Naruto shouted as his assistant passed by his office door, "he's got a mission with Ino."

"Sure thing, Boss."

The sudden shout of victory bellowing out of the office slowed the assistant for mere milliseconds, but he didn't falter – it wasn't a secret that Naruto was strange and this was no different than any other day.

* * *

The mission had nearly failed, to Ino's dismay, after months of careful infiltration.

Her cover was blown, but only after she’d managed to get the information she needed from the target. Her momentary lapse in her mission persona had destroyed her careful plan; Kiba’s face had crossed her mind and all the insecurity and regret flooded her while she was seducing her patron. She had decided right then and there that she would no longer do these missions until she had Kiba out of her mind and out of her system.

She was going to have to resort to drastic measures to get out of this thing alive despite the fact that she had been prepared to die, but her target’s claim on her insignificant life had been interrupted. Frozen in place, above her in his naked glory, she had felt something wet hit her face – blood, had she idly thought – later to be accompanied by the gargled sounds as he crashed down to meet the goddess of death.

She blinked. Kiba. She was suddenly very grateful that Naruto had refused her request to change her guardian. Her eyes searched the darkness, but were met with the shadow of trees. She knew that her own shadow stood guard, watching, waiting for her to move.

Ino heard the low sound of a growl from Akamaru and understood immediately – Now or Never.

She had fled, not one to waste an opportunity. She found a bundle of clothes waiting for her outside the window, and an array of dead guards that created a path for her to follow. Without pause, she had leaped over the wall of the compound. As her feet touched the ground, the cold steel of a blade had brushed between the clavicles of her shoulders causing her to stiffen – her turquoise eyes had narrowed dangerously. She didn’t get the chance to react; Kiba had swooped down from the heavens and killed her assailant before she could take in a calming breath.

She repressed the urge to shudder in fear as she recalled the fierce battle that ensued. Their bodies had touched in passing for a mere instant before Kiba had disappeared from her view, a blur into the night only exposed by the clang of weapons and the low rumble of Akamaru’s warnings. She saw him, for an instant, like twin stars in the moon’s wide orb as Akamaru henged himself into Kiba for their attacks and swooped down again, swiftly moving to slaughter those that threatened to interrupt Kiba's carefully laid plans of her escape.

Right then she found him unbelievably beautiful and something inside her squeezed - the need for his forgiveness was overwhelming.

With his back to her, his grey plated armour glinted under the brightness of the moon light. The swords he carried cut through their enemies, the reflection of metal warning the enemy for a brief instant before he brought them above his head and sliced his foes with an ease that comforted her. She caught herself watching him, breathless at his beauty, and a fierce emotion of pride swept through her.

She recalled how the blood danced through the midnight air and fell like thirsty rain drops on the desert floor. Life had stained his mask, but it was breathtaking. She had felt his attention on her, his calculating gaze watching her as she picked up a blade on the ground and killed her way through to him. Despite the distance between them, she had been able to see his muscles flex under the strain of his desperate survival, how his hair had fought the breeze and how she could have sworn that she heard him breathe despite the chaos surrounding them.

The night had blurred from there on, and the memories jumbled as she fled and fought. Her mind had repressed most of the violence and she couldn't remember how she had managed to return to the designated hideout - but there she had been, safe, warm and alone.

The trip back to Konoha had been strange, to say the least. She kept looking back over her shoulder - whispering his name desperately, whispering her apologies and her need to see him after they reported to Naruto. The silence had been deafening, her regret drowning out the world. She couldn't see him, but she could feel him there; his presence had embedded in her senses: never too far, but never close enough for her to catch a glimpse of him. A constant comfort she knew she could no longer go without. Her mind had battled desires, indecision and self-discovery on the enigma of Kiba over several days after waking in the hideout. She was haunted by the fact that she could recall every detail, every syllable he had spoken to her; the sound of his voice was intoxicating.

She had the powerful and urgent need to dig her fingers in his flesh had taste the deepest and darkest parts of him. She did not deny it was an obsession that had steadily grown over the last few months while on this mission, his constant presence and distraction had instigated something deep within herself.

She dismissed the strange energy seeping out into the night as she slowly made her way through the village. The air was thick, humid and flowing with something that was tickling her skin, cackling into the night. She sighed, scrunched up her face and rubbed it trying to clear the slow irritating itch caused by dirt and sweat. It clung to her like a second skin. She caught her reflection briefly in a puddle on the street and groaned. Her clothes were still torn from her escape and she looked a complete mess.

When the Hokage tower came into view, her mind pushed aside the confusion of her deep rooted concern of her sanity. The high probability of seeing Kiba at the debriefing made her heart flutter strangely, her feet felt lighter and she hadn't noticed the increase in speed as she jogged to the tower. Her legs climbed the stairs two by two and her fingers latched on to the rail as though her life depended on it. She clenched her jaw nervously; she couldn't understand why every time she blinked she could see him behind her lids.

That mask, his intense gaze burning through her soul under the spectral light of the moon – protecting her. She nearly lost her balance when heat in her belly pooled and weakened her knees; she bit her lip, hard; copper flooded her mouth as she finally understood what she was suffering from.

Lust.

An uncontrollable lust for Kiba.

He'd gotten under her skin – slowly but surely – imbedded in her pores, her mind drunk with thoughts of what Kiba was doing to her. Like an addict, the need to hear his voice was compulsory, the sheer want of him licked at the back of her skull and she couldn't get enough.

Dear god, she'd gone insane.

Her petite fist hit the wooden panes of the Hokage door, Naruto's voice was muffled, as she walked in and saw he was alone. She hid her disappointment, but it was clear on her face when she sat across from the Hokage. He raised a brow, curious at her behaviour, but dismissed it almost immediately.

"Welcome home, Ino." Naruto grinned, and she smiled in return, happy to see him after such a long absence.

"Thank you." The nervous energy returned, plaguing her as she delved into details of her mission, eager to be done and start the waiting game for Kiba to arrive. She wouldn't have to wait long, since she was still explaining how she found the target. The sound of feet against the wooden panes of the floor distracted her momentarily; the gentle knock rang loudly in her ears.

"Sorry, I'm late."

There, the sound of Kiba's voice slammed into her, tickled her ears and sent a delicious shiver down her back. Months of repressed want came back full force as she tried to look indifferent in front of Naruto and the man that inflicted her with foreign sensations. She confirmed the feeling she couldn't ignore, the feeling of lust, the need to fuck with raw animal thirst again and again.

"Ino?" Naruto's voice cut through, interrupting her thoughts. She blinked, confused as to why Naruto had interrupted her report and continued on, trying to ignore Kiba. Unfortunately, like a moth to a flame, she couldn't stop. She caught his movement, turned her head slightly towards him and watched as he walked towards her. She noted, absent-mindedly, that his mask no longer held the evidence of his battle and wondered why he was still wearing it, missing his face.

His presence invaded the room, suffocating and leaving her gasping for air. Her gaze followed each torturous slow step, mesmerized by the way his body leaned from side to side as he walked slowly towards them. His hand rose to his face, and her breath hitched when he lifted the mask; she was hit with a sense of déjà-vu.

Kiba glanced at Ino; there was something strange about her. Her jaw was clenched as though she was fighting the urge to run. She shifted from one foot to the next and she kept fidgeting. He frowned slightly, absent-mindedly wiped at his sideburn, sweat had beaded and slipped down his neck and was making its way down under his plated armour. It wasn’t as hot as before, but the rushed journey home had left him sweaty and from what he could see, so was Ino.

He caught Ino licking her lips quickly and biting the lower lip before looking away from him. He raised a brow, not sure how he should take that particular reaction. He grabbed onto his mask and slipped it under an armpit, still eyeing the blonde woman. His nose twitched, still charged with chakra as he tracked down Ino through the forest on their way home.

His nose twitched again, she looked away and focused on the window. He couldn't see her face just then, but she was struggling to keep down a blush. Ino was well aware of what the twitch of his nose meant. She wouldn't be able to hide the smell of her arousal for much longer.

She tried to cross her legs to control the pulse there as she sat down. It took everything in her to keep from groaning when she heard his sharp intake of breath as her legs split for a second to cross them. Against her will, a shiver went down her spine and strange goose bumps prickled her arms when she glanced his way.

Her breath locked itself inside her chest from what she saw. There was no denying it - the heat in his eyes almost burned her skin. It lasted for maybe a second, maybe less, just before he turned and focused on Naruto, relaying his report of events.

He couldn't concentrate.

Every time Ino moved he cursed his heightened sense of smell. Her arousal slammed into him again and again – he could hear her breathing and the soft sound of her licking her lips. He needed to dissipate the chakra, but he couldn't convince himself to. She smelled exquisite and there was no mistaking the heavy sexual tension between them, he wasn't misreading her intentions or her want.

Kiba could feel her eyes on his back as he spoke; he shifted under the feel of it. He almost lost composure when she sighed and started to fan herself to cool off. He could smell the feminine sweat seeping through her skin from the heat, and his senses went reeling.

She shifted again – he glanced her way – her chest was moving slowly and he followed a drip of sweat rolling down in-between the valley of her breast and disappeared under the violet fabric of her ninja garb.

Fuck.

How long was this damned report going to be? Naruto was toying with them, he could tell. Naruto’s eyes twinkled, the smirk, the unusual long interrogation and questions on useless details from their mission. Ino’s sighs were distracting, the sound of her humming in agreement, the flick of her hair and god damn it, the smell of her arousal was making it hard to be thankful for his ANBU plates.

“You’re dismissed, Ino.” Naruto interrupted Kiba before he could finish. Her disappointment wasn’t hard to miss when Naruto spoke the words. She had expected to stay and listen to the remaining portion of their mission but it seemed Naruto had different plans. Kiba didn’t turn to look at her – he was having trouble controlling the quickly firing synapses in his brain screaming to grab her and strip her clean of the sweat drenched clothing.

She stared at his back and bit her lip slightly thinking about the ripples of muscles carefully hidden under the armour. She wondered what they would feel like under her finger tips as she passed behind him, her eyes lowered and lingered on the well defined rump and without thinking she bumped her hip into his ass, throwing him off balance a moment, forcing him to look at her.

“Oh! Sorry, Kiba,” she mumbled, slightly embarrassed at her distraction. She blushed when their eyes met for a moment before he focused on Naruto once more.

“It’s fine, Ino.” She heard it, in his voice – the promise of something. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly but his tone was low, husky and dangerous.

She didn’t look back as she strolled out the door, hips swaying slightly more than usual and she knew without a doubt that Kiba was watching her every move.

Naruto raised a brow, rested his chin on his right hand before pursing his lips. These guys were so easy to read, even for him. Once he knew Ino was out of earshot, he cleared his throat, catching Kiba’s attention away from the door.

“What?” Kiba was irritated at the strange behaviour of his friend. Ino’s arousal still lingered in the office and it was making him a little nutty. Naruto shrugged, eyes twinkling. Kiba groaned – he needed to get the hell out of there fast.

“I was about to ask if you wanted me to leave, but then I realised this was my office and I didn’t want my two best shinobi fucking on, say, my desk for example; you might break something valuable.”

Kiba growled out a threat and Naruto laughed, throwing his hands up in the air before calling a truce.

“Okay, okay – don’t get your panties in a knot.” Ignoring his friend’s comment, Kiba turned to leave, increasing the chakra in his nose to track down Ino before she managed to get to her home.

He was confused. Ino had made it clear that night that she didn’t want to have anything to do with him and he’d spent a lot of time and effort to stay out of her sight. Her reaction to him in the office had nearly knocked him on his ass.

“Just one thing,” Naruto chuckled when Kiba focused on him, “I don’t want to find out you two destroyed half the village in the throes of lust – it will come out of your pay check otherwise.”

Kiba was speechless.

Naruto couldn’t help but laugh when the ANBU glared at him before disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Akamaru growled at the Hokage, who nervously gulped before the animal turned tail and followed his master. Sighing in relief, he smirked.

* * *

TBC - R & R
One to two chapters left!