Broken

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Kiss

Naruto and Sai were on their way home to meet up with Kiba and Sasuke when they spotted Ayame in the distance. Naruto ran over to give her a welcome hug. She was noticeably tense and skittish. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" he asked.

She nervously looked behind her before responding, "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing, but I thought I was being followed. There is no one there." She gave a self-depreciating chuckle and said, "I'm just being silly." The truth was she had been frightened by the barking of a rather vicious looking dog and didn't want to say anything about it.

"Where's your dad, Ayame? Are you home alone?"

"We are having issues with our suppliers, so he went to the Land of Tea to talk with them. He won't be back until tomorrow or the next day."

"Oh. Do you want me to stay and protect you?"

Her heart warmed at the boy's earnest pledge. "I'm fine honey bear, thank you anyway."

"We are going right past your place anyways. Can we at least walk with you?"

"If you would like to."

The boys walked with her to her street, then watched her enter her house. Naruto frowned at Sai, "I don't know...I don't feel right about this. I don't think she should be all alone in that house. Girls get scared when they're by themselves sometimes."

"Anko-mother doesn't. She can scare anybody."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but Anko is a kunoichi and Ayame isn't."

"So what do you intend to do about it?"

"I don't know. I'm going to talk to my dad."

"But we're all staying at Kiba's house tonight."

"I know don't worry, I'm still coming. I'll meet you there." Naruto waved goodbye to the other boy then squatted down to the dog next to him. "Shiba, is my dad back in the village yet?"

The dog sniffed the air. "Almost."

**BREAK**

Naruto was waiting at the gate when Kakashi tiredly entered Konoha. As usual, the boy had a huge welcoming smile for him. He didn't mind when the boy leaped on him for a hug. Carrying him on his back, the continued on together towards the tower to report his mission's success.

Kakashi set him down at the steps and said, "It is getting dark and there is a storm coming. Didn't you tell me that you were staying at Kiba's house tonight?"

"I am, but I wanted to see if you can please go check up on Ayame. She looked a little scared and old man Teuchi is gone."

"Alright, you go on with Shiba and I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded to the hound, "You are dismissed after Naruto gets there safely."

**BREAK**

The dog hadn't moved.

Crouched down at the back stairs, Ayame squinted toward the far side of the crawl space beneath the porch. Every now and then, in the flashes of lightning that lit the darkness, she could see the reflection from the dog's eyes, her only indication that the animal was still there. Worry trickled through her and she shivered, pulling up the collar of her coat closer around her ears.

She tried using the lure of kibble, but the dog refused to come out of hiding. Refused, too, to eat from the bowl Ayame had shoved as far in as she dared in the cramped space. She might have blamed fear of the storm on the dog's behavior except it had holed up before the lightning and rain had begun.