Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Frankly, I don't want to believe in disclaimers, because it's common sense that any franchise isn't free and already has their company's name plastered on a prominent part of its façade. But since disclaimers are free, I might as well do one to satisfy a few disgruntled people (not the real owners) that are in the look out for unguarded fiction. Ownership is relative, anyway.

Summary: Kiba and Sasuke are best friends from long ago. When Sasuke left for another city, Kiba was left alone to fend for himself without him. Now, eleven years after, Sasuke returns to Konoha; but this time, returning with someone else. Jealousy, and unguarded affections for a friend run through Kiba's veins, but will this be enough?

Pairings: SasuKiba? Pairings will be revealed in due time. I don't think so. I'll be dropping hints here and there, but everything'll reveal itself in due time.

It's Just Complicated

The afternoon bell of the academy pierced the sky with its shrill banshee-like scream.

Doors exploded open, multitudes of students burst out of its halls. Chatter filled the corridors; unsynchronized steps pummeled the floors that had lain witness to the dozen generations that had come and go.

Amongst them, the loudest and most hyper of them all was Inuzuka Kiba.

He was too rowdy for his own good; his voice was discernible amongst the masses. On hot afternoons like these, the spiky-haired boy would be the only one running and skipping down the hallways, as if his system was jam-packed with unspent sugar and adrenaline.

Students, at this time and temperature, would have preferred to just slouch off walking to their lockers, snapping at anyone showing an itty-bitty sign of energy. But then again, if it were he, they would just roll their eyes and mutter incoherent questions as to the mystery of the boy's vigor.

But the answer was there. It was because HE was Kiba.

Just because he was Kiba. No questions asked.

The brunet was quite popular in school, though it couldn't be because he was a heartthrob. Kiba wasn't only known for his infinite energy, but he was also known for his obliviousness and naiveté.

And the fact that he was one of the few people allowed to have marks on his face only served to heighten his boyish charms and contrast his wild exterior.

"Is it really permanent?"

Kiba grimaced as he felt a lithe finger poking his cheek. More so at his face marks.

"YES! Goddamnit! Yes it is! For the few years I have to answer that question! Shino, you are such an ass." Kiba swatted the boy's hand, earning a snort of amusement from the taller boy. People passing by only shook their heads at the noise Kiba was making…or his random cussing.

Hinata, another friend, only made a face at Kiba. "Lighten up, Kiba-kun. You know Shino is only trying to irritate you." She laughed softly, finding their childish antics funny.

Kiba only glanced at her, before sighing rather audibly. "Haah…and it never fails to amaze me why I'm the only person he feels being an ass to." He growled once more when he felt the other boy's cool finger on his cheek.

"Oh, you know he treats you as his closest friend. He's only able to open up to you and to nobody else. If you talk to him and your name isn't Kiba-kun, it'd be just the same as talking to a wall." Hinata waggled a terse finger at him.

"Reeeallly, Shino-kun? You really think I'm special?" He whined with languid effect. Shino nodded, though his face was masked with indelibility..

"Then GODDAMNIT, treat me like one! " Kiba lumped his fist and delivered a knuckle straight on the boy's head. Shino ducked in pain, tendering his head, though no groan was heard from him.

-

"Oi! Oi! Sasuke-kun!"

Said boy turned around, a smile suddenly lighting up his face.

"Kiba-chan!" He smiled, waving enthusiastically at the boy nearing him.

The boy ran towards him, and upon reaching, bent over and panted as if on cue. Little Kiba's knees buckled in weakness at once, gasping as he did not expect it.

He was going to fall face-flat on to the ground.

Surprisingly, the ground felt softer the last time he planted his face upon Mother Earth. And it did not smell of familiar cologne either.

"Kiba-chan, you ass…"

The boy looked up from Sasuke's lap, his cheeks tinted with red. Sasuke managed to stop his fall by using his legs as a cushion for Kiba's head.

"Can't you even take care of yourself without me?" Sasuke chided, standing up to help Kiba, who felt a little wobbly.

"S…Sasuke…uwa…I can't feel my legs! Help me…" Kiba whimpered, slapping his legs. Waves of numbing pain shot instantaneously, making him buckle once more.

Sasuke hushed him, supporting Kiba to stand up and limp towards the waiting shed. Kiba was already crying, mumbling things like doctors cutting his legs off and feeding it to the sharks, and how he will spend his life in crutches or a wheelchair.

Somehow, Kiba managed to stop crying when he felt a new sensation on his legs. Partly opening his eyes, he saw where it was coming from.

Sasuke gently smiled at him, his hands busy massaging his turning-blue legs.

"Kiba-chan is going to be alright. Kiba-chan is gonna be just fine…"

Kiba managed to smile at those words, as if anything Sasuke would say is true. He kept quiet for the whole while, somehow silenced by the sensation of pain disappearing.

"Kiba likes this?" Sasuke offered a smile at the boy. Kiba nodded in accordance.

"Kiba-chan should remember never to run with something heavy on his back again, okay? Kiba's legs are still weak, Kiba might hurt himself if he's not careful." Sasuke patted the hem of Kiba's shorts before he let the boy sit for himself.

That thought of concern brought Kiba's fangy grin back. Sasuke only speaks like that when he knows Kiba is hurt.

It wasn't evening yet, so Sasuke stood up, offering his hand to the boy.

"Kiba wants some ice cream, na?"

The boy grinned, exposing his small fangs.

"Un!" He nodded appreciatingly. "Sasuke-kun would like some ice cream too?"

The boy chuckled. "Kiba-chan forgets, Sasuke-kun doesn't like sweets very much."

Kiba frowned.

"Kiba doesn't understand why Sasuke don't like ice cream…" He pouted childishly.

Sasuke only smiled and tugged him towards an ice cream cart. The man gave each of them a vanilla cone, complete with its milky swirls and sharp peaks, chocolate syrup and rainbow sprinkles on the side.

Kiba immediately munched in, halfway through his ice cream. He only noticed Sasuke smiling at him, his one hand still holding his untouched treat.

"Kiba thought Sas-kun don't like ice cream?" He licked at his treat mores slowly this time. Sasuke still held on to his ice cream, his attention on Kiba.

"Kiba-chan looked sad Sasuke doesn't like ice cream." He spoke softly, experimentally licking the frozen treat before making a face. "Sasuke wants Kiba-chan to be happy."

Kiba frowned even more. "But Kiba is not happy if Sas'ke is not happy too."

Sasuke motioned for them to walk, Kiba still licking at his ice cream, but at the same time, giving his attention to Sasuke.

"Does Kiba-chan want to say how Sasuke and Kiba-chan can be happy at the same time?" He asked in a brotherly tone.

"What if Sasuke gives Kiba his ice cream? Kiba likes ice cream and Sasuke doesn't; Sasuke will be happy and Kiba will also be happy!" The boy grinned despite himself, now starting to nibble on his cone.

"But Sasuke won't be happy." He explained. "Sasuke gave an equal share to Kiba-chan, and Kiba-chan would be selfish if he also takes Sasuke's share."

The boy beside him muttered. "Kiba is not selfish. Kiba sorry."

Sasuke smiled at that, and ruffled the younger boy's hair. Kiba grinned once more, admitting that he did like Sasuke doing that to his hair.

"Someday, Kiba-chan…Sasuke will ask that question one more time…"

-

Kiba only sighed at his ice cream, mechanically licking it. His pink tongue darted at the white stuff, a red tint gracing his cheek once more.

Memories are a hard thing to let go…

"Kiba-kun…" Hinata turned around, her ice-lolly still on her mouth, "…I really just wonder why is it every time you eat ice cream (she wanted to add the term 'vanilla'), you always turn red…do you remember something special?"

"Uh…" Kiba stared stupidly at both Hinata and Shino. Even the stoic-boy-to-others-but-not-to-Kiba managed to raise his eyebrows past his weird sunglasses. His gaze lingered back to his ice cream; syrup and milk dripping down as it dangerously melted.

Stupidity: 1 Smarts: 0

He sighed deeply this time, lips in a straight line. Hinata raised an eyebrow, and Shino rolled his eyes behind said sunglasses. Kiba sighing meant that he didn't want to talk about it, with an implied meaning of 'some other time'.

"We understand." Hinata returned to her treat at hand, Shino just shook his head. Over small talks like these, the energetic boy suddenly degenerated into a sloth. He always reduced himself to frowning; his sights dazed and unfocused, his mind and spirit elsewhere.

Ten minutes of walking led them to Konoha downtown; Kiba was almost surprised when they'd arrived. He broke into a smile when he heard a familiar, stampeding sound.

"Hey! Puppy boy Kiba!" A rash, female voice emanated from someone running towards them at top speed. A slightly-visible vein twitched above Kiba's eye before he returned the greeting.

"Hey yourself! Potty-mouth-princess Tayuya!" Kiba stamped out. And before anybody registered the awkward way the two greeted each other, both were tumbling on the ground in a large mass of dust, squabbling over their routine scuffle.

"So…" Tayuya tugged at Kiba's ear." Ready to be pummeled into the ground…AGAIN?"

Kiba ferally grinned. "I smell a Para Para challenge! Is that a Para Para challenge?"

Tayuya smirked. Kiba smirked back.

Both ran towards the nearest mall, eyes furrowed in competitive spirit. Shino and Hinata could only do nothing but follow inside.

-

"So, Kiba-chan wants to try this game?"

Sasuke perused a strange looking game machine that was a bit wider than conventional arcade game machine standards. It was emitting too much loud music, which was starting to drum in on his ears. Kiba merely nodded and jumped in place.

Sighing and shaking his head in mock annoyance, Sasuke dropped a few coins on the intended slot and waited for the machine to tell them what to do. Sasuke brought the boy before the machine, who began selecting a song immediately.

"Kiba is ready, yes?" Sasuke smiled at him

Kiba smiled back, enthusiastically showing his fangs.

"Nu-uh!"

Sasuke stopped smiling and raised his eyebrows.

"Kiba-chan doesn't know how to play?"

"Nooooope!"

If Sasuke had less self-control, his jaw would have dropped straight onto the floor.

"You're telling me that you want this game, yet you don't know how to play it?" Sasuke's mouth was set in a grim line.

"Yep!" Kiba grinned a toothy grin. Sasuke merely noted the small canines that were slowly growing in on the gaps.

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. Kiba was way to hard to understand sometimes…

The screen shifted to one that flooded the whole area in a plethora of colors. A 3d figure appeared and arrows suddenly appeared in the screen. Sasuke had the idea of imitating what the 3d guy was doing, and he was set in concentration in trying to beat the game.

After a few minutes, and a lot of swearing not normal for a seven year old kid, Sasuke managed to get a grade A in the game's scoring system. Kiba was enjoying himself immensely at the way Sasuke fumbled with his arms just to reach a lone arrow or almost tripping on his feet when he got his legs intertwined.

"Hey…" Sasuke panted, managing to get his earlier composure back. He hadn't meant those swear words he cussed a while ago. " That was…kind of fun…"

Kiba's smile was replaced with a frown, and he tugged his lips to a pout.

"Oi, oi! I wanna try playing too!" He tugged at Sasuke's shirt.

"Kiba can't play this game yet." Sasuke half-heartedly explained. " Kiba is still to short to reach the screen." He said, pointing to the scanner attached below.

"But…it's not fair! Kiba was the one who told Sasuke this game!"

A teenager approached the two.

"And Kiba is quite right, ne Sasuke-kun?" Itachi appeared behind the startled Kiba.

"But this is fun, aniki! I still want to play and become better!" Sasuke dropped his mature façade in front of his older brother.

Itachi rolled his eyes and poked his brother on his forehead ("Aniki!"). The older Uchiha selected a hard beat on the machine. Both boys only gaped in awe as Itachi gyrated to the techno-beat, arms and hips swaying. A few onlookers and pedestrians stopped to observe.

"Oh wow…Grade S." Sasuke finally snapped out of his reverie as Itachi stepped away from the machine, only sweating slightly. Kiba only managed to nod, his mind still registering the somewhat god-like moves he had seen from Itachi-san..

"Sasuke forgets that I'm good at Para Para dancing." Itachi grinned, and walked away. Sasuke stared, wide-eye, at his brother's retreating form.

"That's it! I'm gonna be as good as aniki!" Sasuke dramatically clenched his little knuckles. "Probably even better!"

Kiba nodded in agreement, liking that soothing feeling that emanated from the older boy when he grew excited.

"Kiba believes Sasuke-kun can be better than Itachi-san!" Kiba threw in his comment, somehow infected by Sasuke's positive air.

Sasuke smiled at him, and ruffled Kiba's hair.

"Kiba-chan will help Sasuke, na?"

-

A/N: Revision 2. Surprise, surprise! I finally touched this fic after two years! I'm much more satisfied with this piece now.

On to Chapter 2!