Had to up the rating because of Kiba's foul mouth, haha :)

Anyways, turns out this chapter gave me lots of difficulties. I finished a few drafts half-way before finding it unsatisfying and scrapping it. It was hard getting down Kiba's personality, since he always sounded like a jerk or too Naruto-like. It took awhile, but here comes the one I found the most satisfying.

I don't own anything.

"You have a choice. Let the dog live and forfeit the girl's life, or kill the dog and save the girl's life. Pick now, boy, for time is running short."

Shit, shit, shit!

How the hell had he let this happen! Shino had trusted him! Trusted him to get Hinata away from here! And, and…

Kiba's eyes quickly flitted back and forth between Hinata who was in the enemy's grimy hands and Akamaru who was whining softly at his feet.

Fuck.

What the hell was he going to do?

Hinata… or Akamaru?

Kiba felt his eyes start to burn slightly. Fuck no, was he going to cry, not here, not now, not when his teammates were on the very verge of death. Fuck, one was on the verge of death by his own hands.

Kiba caught himself and shook his head before staring harshly at the enemy.

Not teammates, friends.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I am not, Kiba. Shino is the most qualified to be team captain for this mission," stated his sensei calmly.

Kiba snarled. "What the hell? I'm most likely the strongest here physically! Why the hell is Shino being made captain!"

Kurenai-sensei sent him a hard glare. "You will follow any commands Shino deems fit to give you because he has the most level head of you three. You will not question me on this manner. Am I clear, Kiba?"

Cowed by his sensei's almost threatening glare, Kiba nodded, knowing the results of arguing back to older, temperamental women.

"Good," said Kurenai-sensei icily. She gave the team a parting smile and spoke, "Now good luck on your first mission. I'm so sorry that I cannot complete this very important mission with you, but the Hokage has need of me on a special class mission. For now, I'll say good bye. Have fun," she said with a mysterious smile.

With that, Kurenai-sensei disappeared in a hazy fog.

Just what… did she mean by that?

Kiba exchanged curious glances with his teammates, almost smiling when he saw the cutely confused look on Hinata's face, mixed with an underlying look of worry. He started to crack a joke with Shino, but narrowed his eyes and shut his mouth when he realized that Shino was team captain, a position he should've had.

Shino's dark sunglasses glinted in the sunlight as he spoke. "Our first mission is a simple D-rank. In the academy we were told that these consisted of simple chores for the village. Our mission today is to..." He glanced down at the paper in his hand before sighing. "We have to capture a… cat called Tora."

Kiba gagged. "W-what the hell? No way! Sick, man, sick! Cats are disgusting, vile creatures who like to piss in our food wares and leave their sickening hairs all over the place and-UGH!" Kiba shuddered and breathed in self-righteously.

He looked around and saw his two teammates staring at him, disturbed looks on their faces. An awkward silence settled in the area.

Kiba coughed into his hand. "Right… well… let's go, ha ha… C'mon, Akamaru!"

He strided down the crowded street, Akamaru barking teasingly at his heels. "You don't like cats either, Akamaru, so don't act so smug," he muttered under his breath. He heard the tell-tale sounds of two pairs of sandals following behind him.

Great. Now off to find this damn cat.

"Fang to Sunny and Bug-boy, target is in the alleyway, talking up another cat. Disgusting creatures, they think they're so suave and co-"

"My code name is not Bug-boy, Kiba. And do not crowd the wireless set with your nonsense about cats. You have your own opinions, and we have ours, so do not sp-"

"I got it, I got it. Sheesh, Shino, you're team captain, so don't 'crowd the wireless set with your nonsense', why don't you?"

The ear piece buzzed on the other end, for some strange reason. A crackling in the ear piece distracted him from his thoughts and a familiar soft voice broke through the static.

"P-please be nice to each o-other, Fang-kun, Abu-kun."

"…my name is not Abu-kun, either."

Kiba snickered into his hand.

"S-sorry... Ah! Target s-spotted, five meters from you, Fang-kun!"

"On it!"

Kiba sprinted towards the disgustingly familiar scent on the other side of the alleyway, grinning ferociously when he pounced on the dreaded cat, locking it in a death-hold.

"Gotcha now, you furball!"

Immediately following his announcement, two bodies landed next to him; Kiba instantly recognized his two teammates' scent.

"Caught it. I guess this mean's mission's accompli-OUCH!"

The cat, who had been limp in his arms for a few seconds now, started struggling against his hold, clawing desperately, its sharp nails scratching through his thick jacket sleeves.

Kiba growled menacingly, Akamaru, at his side, did the same. This cat was a smart cat and it instantly cowered in fear. Its glowing eyes glared reproachfully back, though, as if promising to get him back.

They took turns holding the unrestrainable cat on the way back to the feline's owner. The cat didn't dare make a move when it was in his arms, and it was surprisingly docile in Hinata's adoring arms, but… to his amusement and slight pity, it seemed to fight viciously when in Shino's arms.

When Kiba saw the way Shino's sunglasses glinted dangerously even without the sun's shine on it, he honestly thought the cat wouldn't be making it home today.

It'd be a shame to fail our first mission, thought Kiba in amusement, but then again, it'd be an even bigger shame for it to be our team captain's fault.

He smirked when he heard Shino utter a low curse as the cat meowled loudly as it swatted its tail towards Shino's sunglasses and dug deeply into his arm, leaving deep holes in the guy's jacket.

"Tora-chan! You're back home!" yelled the daimyo's wife. "Mommy's missed you!" she squealed as she squeezed the cat close to her rather large bosom.

His team walked down the long pathway to the main road back to Konohagakure's market area. Kiba sent side-long glances at Shino's torn up jacket, snickering sometimes, grinning other times. Shino ignored him and set about to issuing his last orders for the day.

"Let's get some dinner before going home."

His stomach growling, he nodded, Hinata and Akamaru both doing the same.

It was just as the three bowls of ramen were set in front of them that a blue blur came flying through their ramen bowls, a familiar bushy tail swiping the air, with two frustrated chuunin at its heels.

"I hate cats," he heard Shino mutter. There was an imperceptible shift of air as Hinata nodded her head in agreement.

Kiba's eyes widened in shock.

F-f-friends?

I won't let this happen!

Kiba reached into his kunai pouch, a plan formulating in his mind. He breathed in, going through the plan, once, twice, thrice, and stared ahead resolutely.

"Akamaru... I'm sorry!"

Throwing two kunai at Akamaru, the dog dodged it, conveniently landing near the guy that was holding Hinata.

"So you've chosen to spare the girl's life. Smart choice," sneered the enemy.

Kiba ignored him and sent three more kunai at Akamaru, adding a soldier pill along with it. Akamaru smelled it and barked knowingly. He jumped up at a twisted angle to grab the pill in his mouth, dodging all the kunai.

Kiba grinned and settled himself into a crouching position as Akamaru's fur started to turn red.

"Juujin Bunshin no jutsu!" he growled out. "Go, Akamaru!"

Like hell he was going to let them make him choose who to kill, who to save.

Cause there was no way in the heavens above or hell below that he was going to let anyone kill his teammates... his friends.

There was just. No. Fucking. Way.