All were asleep inside the incomplete castle. All except for Inuko. As tired as she was, she would remain unable to sleep until the sun rose. Her fatigue did not negate her excitedness. A boy had asked her out, and she was going with him! And for once, she knew it wasn’t that sort of boy. No, this one was a keeper, and he’d stick around for a long time. Who cared if he seemed a little rough around the edges? Kiba showed interest in her, and she’d show it back!

The sun had risen an hour ago, and Kiba was still scrambling. The last thing he needed to do was hide his pinup of Inuko. She might be more than a little freaked out if she saw it. Taking down the poster, he jerked his head around looking for the ideal hiding spot. Finally finding it, he stashed away his prize. Content at last, Kiba headed to the deepest part of the cave to get some sleep.

Underneath the midday sun, Okuri slept at the base of a giant pine tree. His face appeared calm, but on the inside, he was still dealing with the Seven Tailed Wolf demon, the powerful bijuu that could overwhelm even the Nine Tails as long as it was north of the main continent. Here, in the Land of Snow, it gave Okuri access to unlimited wind chakra…….but only at night. Attacks during the day convinced Okuri he needed to become stronger, and the Seven Tails warped his body and soul into that of the half demon he had become. Kiba and Akamaru, who had been given a cup of Okuri’s human blood, changed into half demons as a reaction to Okuri’s chakra. But this Inuko….she had never received a drop of Okuri’s blood or his chakra. Another bijuu with another jiinchuriki could have done it, but that meant she’d have turned out a different creature altogether. She was a mystery, this girl…..