Kiba Shino and Hinata both grew strong in the years to come. With the confidence and trust that Kiba provided to the shy kind hearted Hyuga heiress made her able to come up for her self and grow strong in both strength and confidence in her own skills.

Kiba remained Hinatas best friend and helped her in any kind of way he could.

Helping her train being her shoulder to cry on when her father had been mean to her, even listening to her when she was talking about Naruto even encouraging her to tell him her feelings but when Naruto suddenly disappeared, going to train with one of the legendary sannins Jiraiya,Hinatas chances of telling Naruto became less then zero, Kiba thought it to be his chance to get even closer to his shy team-mate and tried his very best to make her forget about the loud reckless blond fox boy.

One eurly moring Kiba together with his dog Akamaru that had growing up a lot lately and was no longer the small puppy that could hide away in Kibas pocket but almost had grown big enough for Kiba to ride, on stood waiting near team eights meeting place. close to the hospital, and near a huge oak tree. Kiba and his dog stood waiting for Hinata and there teacher Kurenai to go on a 3 day mission

But Kiba being the inpatient boy that he was, kept glancing at the east side of town, regretting it to just pick Hinata up at her house like he had been doing for so many years all ready, but lately Hinata had been living more and more with Kurenai because the fights with her father had became worse.

This made Kiba mad by all ready thinking about it and made him glad to see their teacher become such a close friend to his team-mate.

That he had decided to jsut wait at their usual meeting spot and today. and with Shino away on a mission with his father which Kiba didnt really mind. He still hadnt really become friends with Shino all they did was arguing over who was to be take the decisions whenever they went on a mission with the whole team. No Kiba was happy to go on a mission with just Hinata and his teacher for a change.

''Its pretty hot out what you think buddy?'' Kiba asks his dog who had lay himself down under the shades that the tree provided,his eyes closed but always alert whenever his master needed his help.

The middle sized dog barked in agreement while yawing slightly.

''Dont act so lazy Akamaru. I am sure they will be here any second now'' Akamaru stood up from his place underneath the tree and gave a soft whine, before he made his way over to his master and stood waiting besides him.

Shuffling feet could be heard cutting rapidly across the long grass, and a moment later an incredibly flustered Hyuuga girl came into view. She waved a little at Kiba before coming to a stop before him and Akamaru, then bent over to slow her catching breath. They waited patiently for her irregular breathing to even out so that she could finally speak.

"K-Kiba-kun, did I keep you waiting long?? I know you don't like to stand around doing nothing, and I slept in this morning since my alarm didn't go off, and Kurenai-sensei isn't exactly an early riser so she didn't wake me up and-" Hinata stopped suddenly and sucked in a huge breath of air in an effort to calm herself, much to the amusement of her teammate. Despite maturing over the years, Hinata was still easily flustered, something that Kiba loved to take advantage of. Hinata knew his teasing was only light-hearted though and didn't mind when he got her worked up over the smallest things. She half expected him to chastise her for being a poor ninja due to her uncharacteristic tardiness on this particular morning and smiled at the thought. He was such a jokester, but Hinata could count on him for anything no matter what the situation. She opened her mouth to say something more, but Kurenai's voice calling out to them snapped them both to attention.

"Have you two been prepped with all the necessary details for this mission?" she asked once she had made her way over, earning a swift nod from her students. A fierce determination surfaced in Hinata's eyes as she focused on the task at hand; all of her training and determination to improve had finally paid off despite her previous anixeties several years prior. She was now a strong kunoichi who could handle herself in battle and had the honed skills of an experienced fighter. Though she was not at her cousin Neji's level, Hinata had mastered a large portion of her Byakugan technique, making her an extremelly useful asset to team 8. At last she could finally feel like she was on the same level as her teammates, who had also grown strong. They could depend on each other in every aspect and had complete trust in the capabilities of each other.

"Well," Kurenai started, her voice falling into its informal mode of speech that she tended to use around them. "We should be leaving then; I'll guide the way."

In a flash the three shinobi and nin-dog were off, darting through the trees at a pace that was halfway between swift and leisurely.

Kiba and Akamaru swiftly jumped besides Hinata and their teacher Kurenai. The Inuzuka boy was wondering about the mission and hoped it to be a challenge for once. All they had been doing this last couple of months were ether c ore low d ranked missions and with Shino being away so much lately made their team missing a member which made them do only the lowest of missions. Kiba was a little sick of it and decided to argue about it some more if they were having another low ranked mission.

He glances over at Hinata and gave her a soft smile.

He knew that Kurenai-sensei was doing this for her sake but Hinata had improved so much lately Did''nt Kurenai-sensei see that he was ready for some action. ''Kurenai-sensei can you please give us some more information about the mission you still didnt said much about it but that we were to be heading to the hidden grass village'' and waited for his teacher to respond back.

Kurenai rolled her eyes discretely before glancing back at the boy. He could be so impatient whenever he got his mind set to do something, but it guaranteed that he'd put his full effort into the mission. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to go over the plan once more and make sure that everyone was on the same page.

"Our team has been called in since it excels in tracking skills; as you know, this is a C rank mission due to our lack of Shino as a fourth team member-" Akamaru barked sharply, and Kurenai sighed. "Sorry, make that fifth member. Anyway, one of the sons from a noble family within a clan of the hidden grass village has gone missing. We're not sure if it's a runaway or a kidnapping case. We speculate it's the first option, since there is a lot of pressure put on the sons and daughters of nobles within ninja clans, as I'm sure you both know." Hinata cringed inwardly at the statement, unbeknownst to the others. "In which case, we are to do everything we can to track him down."

"So it's just a matter of tracing him from the last location he was seen?" Hinata piped up quietly.

"Maybe," Kurenai replied, sounding uneasy. "But we have to consider the latter option as well. It isn't uncommon for noble families to be in competition with each other. It could be that this noble's son was kidnapped with a political motive for power and money. We have to do some sifting through the local clans for information. I must stress this to the both of you: If we get any indication whatsoever that there has been a kidnapping, we are to report to the Hokage immediately. Such a scenario would be classified as an A rank mission and would require our immediate withdrawal; a qualified team would then be sent in to replace us. No matter what, do not try to solve a situation that you are not experienced enough to handle."

The two students nodded in consent as they continued to leap through the thick foliage of the surrounding brush, now completely focused on accomplishing their goal.

Kiba thought about the mission while they kept on traveling to the hidden grass village and hoped for the rather.

The kid getting kidnapped would mean some long last action for the Inuzuka boy no matter if that would mean it was going to be very risky and classified as a A rank mission. If they could finish the job them selfs there was no need to worry. With that last thought in mind made Kiba confident to complete the mission with ease.

He moved to were Hinata was following him a little further up ahead and went to talk to her.

''Ói Hina-chan what do you think of this mission?'' do you think the kid might be kidnapped?''

He moved a lttle bit closer more and whispered in her ear. ''I hope he is. You know how much i long for some action neh Hinata?'' and chuckled when he saw her bewildered face. ''No need to worry Me and Akamaru protect you like we always do right buddy?'' and the loud bark of the white dog was to be heard who totally agreed with his master.

Hinata's eyes grew wide as her mind registered what he said and turned to look at him carefully.

"Thank you, Kiba-kun -- but if he really has been kidnapped, won't it be dangerous? W-What if one of us gets hurt??" Even though she knew they were a strong, well-coordiated team, Hinata's habit of worrying excessively was something she had not managed to grow out of. While the idea of such a situation only riled Kiba's anticipation up further, to Hinata it meant that there would be risk involved. It wouldn't be like recent missions that were low-profile and sugar-coated; they would have to get out of their comfort zones. They could probably handle the mission if that happened, but she felt the need to worry none the less.

Expecting a serious answer back from her friend, she was instead taken aback when a low chuckle came from Kiba's direction, causing Hinata's signature characteristic of becoming flustered at the most inopportune of times to violently kick in. Her right foot snagged a stray branch, her coordination was thrown off balance, and Hinata dove face-forward off of the tree. With a startled yelp the girl flew downwards and was followed by a loud thud a moment later, causing a pile of dust and dirt to spill into the air.

Kiba saw her fall and yelled loudly.. '''Hinata!!! before he jumped down after her. Always the one to be very worried about the well being of his close friend and team-mate made him react directly when she fell down below. When he managed to get to her she lay in a strange position and wasnt moving. Quickly he knelt down besides the injured girl and shook her gently. ''Hinata eeh are you all right?'' He grew very worried when she didnt responded and called for his Sensei who had all ready arrived by then. ''Sensei Hinata won't react i think she fell down really hard cann you help her?'' and he sounded really afraid by now. Akamaru whimpered silently and lay down besides the unconscious girl.

Kurenai examined the comatose girl in his arms with a troubled expression, then decided to check her responsiveness. The kunoichi could only do a partial examination with her limited medical skills and only had basic skills. It was no suprise when she couldn't detect what the problem was.

"It's times like these that we could really use Hinata's Byakugan..." she whispered softly while lifting the girl's wrist to check her pulse. A second later she returned the girl's arm to the ground. "I can't know what's going on internally. Even having something like Ino's jutsu would be useful here, but..." Kurenai glanced at Hinata sadly; a slight stir in the younger girl brought Kurenai from her gloom, and she hovered over the girl's face anxiously. "Hinata-chan?!"

"Huh...?" Hinata's eyes cracked open slightly, then carried up to glance at the surroundings about her. With a hazy expression she glanced at Kurenai slowly. "Who are....." The lavender eyes switched suddenly before they landed solidly on Kiba. "...you...?"

Kiba blinked his eyes in confusing. ''Whats wrong Hina-chan dont you regonice your best friend anymore. Its me Kiba your team-mate dont tell me you cant remember me anymore please'''and gently held the girl in her arms while all kind of thoughts ran to his head. what if with hitting her head this hard lost her memories and needed to regain them all once again.

When she didnt responded made Kiba look at his teacher with a panicked expression upon his face.

''Noo this cant happen Kurenai-sensei please dont tell me Hinata has amnesia'' He focused his attention back at Hinata again and shook her gently ''Hinata come on please tell me you regonice us please'' and gave her a very sad look. while Akamaru licked the girls cheek and gave a soft bark.

"I...I don't know!" she said with a slightly panicked tone while shrinking away from the others. "W-What happened, where am I?!"

"Hinata," Kurenai finally spoke, leaning down on one knee while placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "You're with your teammates, we're on a mission. You remember that you are a kunoichi, right?" The nervous girl paused a minute before nodding. "Do you recognize us?" Kurenai continued. A troubled fog clouded Hinata's eyes as she thought in silence while a feeling of dread hovered about the other members of team 8. After what felt like an hour, she shook her head.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere, but the memories are foggy and distant. I can't recall them..." Her quiet words faded into silence as she examined each face around her while looking terribly sad. It paled in comparison to the sadness she saw in each of their faces, however.

"You've known us all for a very long time..." Kurenai explained as clearly as she could, but it was evident that she was struggling to keep her voice steady. An expression of shock followed by grief appeared on Hinata's face.

"Oh no...I-I'm so sorry! I'll try very very hard to remember! I'll be able to get those memories back, right?!"

Everyone waited for an answer, looking expectantly at Kurenai, who seem hesitant to reply. Hinata's hopeful smile faltered, and tears began to compile in the corner of her eyes. A sympathetic hand touched her shoulder, and she glanced up at the Inuzuka boy who tried to give her a toothy smirk.

"You think I will be able to remember them Kiba-ku---oh!" her hand flew to her mouth and she gasped at the sudden recollection of his name, then began to smile wildly. "I've already remembered one thing! Maybe I haven't forgotten everything after all!!"

Kiba gently petted her shoulder and nodded slightly still not really sure of what to expect. he really was a little shaken with what just happend but tried to hide it by acting a little bit more tougher then he normally did when he was around Hinata, and looked back to her face. ''Are you sure you remember me Hinata-chan?'' I think we need to take a little break before we continue on with the mission I dont really trust your condition just yet and waited for Kurenai to agree with him.

He knelt down on his knees besides the girl and watched her with a concerned expression still playing on his face. Akamaru hadnt left Hinatas said at all and tried to make her feel better by pushing his snout in her hands and licked her fingers lightly.

"I think that's probably a good idea, since you still look a bit dazed Hinata-chan," Kurenai replied while standing up. With Kiba's help she lifted Hinata to her feet, who smiled gratefully.

"I'm sorry to burden everyone like this," Hinata spoke while trying to balance on her wobbling legs, grasping onto their hands for support, while Akamaru was able to use his head to keep her from falling backwards. "My mind is still a little foggy, and it's a struggle for me to remember stuff right now. I may not be able to help out much on this mission..." As she spoke, Hinata's face visibly fell with disappointment.

"Don't say that, Hinata-chan." Kurenai patted her head affectionately. "You're plenty useful, we all think so. Just take things easy for now, ok?"

"Ok..." she agreed timidly, reverting back to her usual habit of blushing when flustered. "Sorry for making you both worry. I should be able to travel again by tomorrow since my head should feel better by then. I-Is that ok with everyone?" Hinata seemed troubled to be asking them such a thing, even though the request was not unreasonable. Akamaru bumped his head up against her arm, which finally broke her worried frown into a beautiful smile. She reciprocated with a gentle scratch along the crease of his ear. The air that had felt heavy only moments ago finally lifted and was replaced with a serene atmosphere that seemed to put their worries at ease.

Kiba gave her a soft smile and nodded. ''Dont worry Hina-chan We just take it easy for the time being until you are fully recovered. and looked around him. the forest seemed to be full of unfamiliar scents that Kiba neither Akamaru regoniced but that wasnt all that weird because most of there missions seemed to be close by ore even didnt needed them to travel at all Kiba and Akamaru knew the forest that lay close to there home village like the back of their hands but this part they still hadnt any chance to explore yet so it made them really excited and happy to finally have this chance to do so. he looked back at his dog who barked happily. ''You know what i mean huh buddy?'' Kiba asks his dog and laughed a little before he turned his attention back to his sensei and to Hinata. ''Kurenai-sensei is it ok for me and Akamaru to look around for a little while?'' Hinata needs to rest and i thought it be a good idea to go explore for a while can we?'''and waited for his teacher to agree with him.

Kurenai nodded shortly at his request as her way of giving him permission to leave, at which he grinned brightly. If there was anyone suited to scoping out the area, it was the two of them. "Just be sure you're back here before it gets too dark; we're heading out as early as we can tomorrow. Hinata and I will start setting up camp while you're gone." She started to turn away, but stopped and looked back at Kiba again. "I know it's an unfamiliar area, but keep an eye open for anything fishy or unusual for a forest. Report any sightings of people."

She fell silent for a minute, knowing that this was unfamiliar territory in a land that was plagued with family rivalries. Being alone in a forest like this was potentially dangerous if they were mistaken for spies. But she knew that Kiba also knew this and decided to leave it at that. Before they took off, she handed a small piece of paper over to Kiba; sketched on it was the face of a young man, probably in his mid to late teens. "This is the noble's son that we are searching for. It's possible that he's hiding somewhere in here if he really did run away. If you find him, I expect you to bring him back here using any means necessary, as long as he remains unharmed." She exhaled quickly before smiling at the boy and nin-dog. "Don't have too much fun now."

Kiba grinned before he gave a quick nod. ''Sure thing Sensei and looked back at his dog who gave his answer in a loud bark and his tail whipping happily. ''We will watch out for anything suspicious you have our word'' he said before the two of them ran into the woods. bot laughing lively.

Happy to go explore this part of the woods made Kiba really excited and hyper as he run which also affected his dog who barked loudly as he ran ahead of his master stopping everytime he smelled a different scent. a scent he did not recognised at all.

Kiba paused his running and looked up at the sky while taking the fresh air in by inhaling deeply. he took a deep breath and strolled through the nature made paths while Akamaru trailed far behind to busy sniffing still.

His teacher had told them about reporting anything that didnt looked good so he decided to go search for any trail ore scent that might belong to the young noble they had to return back to his family.

It was still brigth enough to see clearly but when he arrived at a much darker part of the forest and his eyes failed to help him his nose took over. sniffing the area around him and after a bit of walking he detected a strange kind of scent a scent that reminded him of a perfume his sister wore everytime she went out with someone and which made his nose and that of their nin-dogs ace everytime she walked by. wriggling his nose Kiba carried on.