A/N: Hi guys, this is Paan speaking here, and I'd like to present something that I've been thinking of writing for a long time. Kiba has always been a painfully underrated character for me, and the story popped up in my head when I was reading (and getting annoyed) at the most recent chapters about the great disastrous war thing that's been going on for who knows long. Yeah, it's great that Naruto's all awesome with all the tailed-beasts and we're getting to know Obito and Madara and all the Hokages and all the different attack names and modes, but I really miss those times when the adventures in the village with the Rookie nine (and the left over three) was the main story ._.

English isn't my first language so if you're going to criticise the grammar or the flow of the story, just don't comment because I know already. In fact, it'd be lovely if people who don't have nice things to say not to comment at all - if you don't like it, then turn back! I have an antique glass heart that shatters every time I read the puniest criticisms ;A;

WARNINGS: Major spoilers for shinobi war arc, may contain male-male pairings later on, may contain some Kiba OOCness, may be slightly AU in comparison to the manga plot (but I'll try my best to go non-AU)

DISCLAIMER: What I would do if I was the owner of Naruto...

Prologue - Nine-tails

Kiba could only stare blankly at the mass of bodies before him. He could only stare blankly at the faces of his dead teammates, teachers, friends, family... The limp body of his companion, Akamaru, in a pool of caking blood in front of him.

No movement. Only silence.

He could only hear his shallow breath as he looked up, and saw what remained of the flower of the ten-tails, the root ripped apart, and the stem and the bud sprawling by its side. He knew that Naruto and Sasuke's body lay among its ruins, their determination etched into their still faces from their last clash with that one-eyed bastard Obito.

But what use was their determination when they're dead?

He looked down to his hands and watched numbly as he slowly flexed his blood-stained fingers.

He was the only moving thing in the entire continent, and it was a fact because he had spent the last four days checking each and one of the bodies sprawled on the battlefield for a hint of warmth, a hint of breath, a hint of movement, a hint that he wasn't

the only one alive.

He choked back a hoarse sob as he dropped to the ground on his knees, his eyes settling at his dead Akamaru, his blood-matted body almost comically sprawled on the ground.

Every one of his enhanced senses had told him that the dog was dead the moment he had woken up a day after the final clash, but he had denied it. He had to deny it. He forced himself not to dwell on it as he laboriously worked his way through the battlefield, settling his fingers on each cold neck to check for a hint of a pulse. Hoping, maybe, by the time he got to the dog, he wouldn't be so alone.

But he was alone. Everyone was dead.

He took a half-gripped kunai from a nearby body and drew it up to his neck, his eye settling on the horror that was the almost-full-moon, its ghastly white surface casting a disgusting pale light onto the battleground in all its twisted glory.

"Fuck all this, I ain't gonna be the last one." He whispered.

And he plunged the kunai into his neck.

...

...ka brat!

Inuzuka brat!

Kiba woke with a start, his trained arms instantly reaching to grab a kunai to defend himself. When he realised a split second later that he didn't have his weapon pouch on him, he quickly took up a loose defensive position, crouching down to protect his upper-body.

"Who's there?" he shouted, wincing slightly as his voice rang through a dark, piped corridor.

…Quiet, mutt. I do not have enough strength to shout over you.

Kiba's head snapped towards the source of the noise and his eyes widened a fraction at the familiar, crimson body slumped against a wall of a cage, the huge iron doors flung wide open as the nine-tailed beast pried open an eye to glare at him.

"The Kyuubi? What the hell? Why are you here? I thought you died!" Kiba said stupidly, instinctively taking a step back as a low growl ripped from the Kyuubi's throat.

I am living off the last of my chakra, and I will soon fade from existence when my reservoir depletes.

"When you run out of chakra? So you're not gonna live for long, huh..." He murmured, feeling his rush of adrenaline ebb away and straightening up from his defensive position. The dying beast could gut him and take him along with him for all he would care. "Why did you bring me here?"

The Kyuubi bared its teeth in a feral snarl.

You are here to aid me. I will have you know that I will not allow this to be the end of things – I, the great Nine-tailed demon will not fall like this.

"And how are you gonna do that? You hardly look like you're in condition to change history, Nine-tails." Kiba muttered tiredly, wanting no more than peaceful rest as his memories started to clear up from his foggy mind. "And I thought I just killed myself as well."

He reached up tentatively to his neck, and frowned as he felt smooth skin under his fingertips. "Unless I'm dead already and this is some underworld?" Kiba glanced at his murky surroundings. "It sure looks like I'm underneath something..."

This is not some underworld, mutt… And as hard as it is to admit, you are right, I am in no condition to change history.

The Kyuubi opened its other eye to glare at him.

But I do have enough power to send you back – to prevent this final war.

Kiba's eyes widened a fraction. "What?! You can do that?" His eyes suddenly glimmered with hope. "You can rewind time?"

The Kyuubi rolled its eyes. I cannot rewind time – if that was possible, I would have freed myself from captivity every time I was captured. No, I have merely the power to send back one mortal back a few decades at most. The beast paused. One -living- mortal to be precise, hence why I was forced to send for you, even if you may be pitifully weak in comparison to the options I used to have.

"Hey!" Kiba instinctively bristled at the wound in his ego. "I'm not weak, you fox bastard!"

He paused as memories of the battle suddenly swept through his mind. The power Naruto and Sasuke had displayed, and how useless he had been in comparison.

"…Not that weak." He added, subdued from his outburst. "Anyway, you can't expect me to be as strong as people like Naruto and Sasuke. They're… pretty special." He grudgingly admitted.

Stop making excuses, mutt. You make yourself seem even more pitiful. The Kyuubi's voice was condescending, and Kiba could feel his cheeks colour at the mocking tone.

And it is not even that your lineage is any less than those of the Uchihas or the Uzumakis. The Kyuubi snorted. Your ancestors would turn in their graves if they found out that their legacy was being carried by a half-baked, pitiful little pup who cannot even control his own powers.

Kiba felt a growl rip from his throat at the insult. "What do you mean half-baked?" He said through gritted teeth. "And what about my lineage?"

The Kyuubi suddenly fell silent, a calculating look flashing through its face. How much do you know about the history of your clan, mutt?

"And why the fuck should I answer that? I asked you a question first!" Kiba said defiantly.

You're hardly in a place to order me around, mutt! Do you know the true history of your clan or not?! The Kyuubi snarled, impatience colouring his voice.

Kiba was unaware that he had taken up an attacking stance instinctively. "If you must know, yeah, of course I know everything about my clan's history –" He glared at the fox. "I'm the heir to my clan, you know."

The Kyuubi raised an eyebrow.

You know everything? Then are you aware that once, your clan was a mighty clan that was created along with the Uchiha and the Senju? The Kyuubi made a low grumbling sound that Kiba assumed was laughter.

Are you aware that your clan never used to use mutts as their source of power? In fact, I am more than sure that your ancestors would feel offended if anyone dared to make such a connection.

Kiba's wolfish eyes narrowed as the Kyuubi continued to laugh, torn between feeling completely offended or completely curious at the beast's words. "Don't you dare insult my clan, monster fox."

You do not even know of the Inuzuka clan I am talking about, mutt. You are much, much too young to tell me to be quiet. The Kyuubi leered, shifting slightly to turn its great head toward the brunette.

Kiba paused at the taunting words and sighed in resignation as curiosity won over anger. "Fine… What did my clan use if they didn't use our ninja dogs? Did we specialise in something else? If what you're saying is true… I guess I don't really know the history of our clan, no." He ran his fingers through his wild brown locks. "And why is this even relevant to the war-prevention thing anyway?"

Because you are weak. The Kyuubi stated. It would be pointless sending you back in time with the same amount of power you possess. And I detest wasting chakra – especially to pitifully weak mutts like you.

Kiba opened his mouth to protest, but was cut short as the Kyuubi raised a claw to let him continue speaking.

But you do possess a certain… lineage that if polished right, could turn things to your favour.

"…And what kind of lineage is that?"

The Kyuubi suddenly grinned, revealing a row of huge, yellow canines. That, you'll find out later. The only thing I feel like telling you now is that I am going to do you a great service that I would normally never perform for a mortal…

Kiba only had time to widen his eyes as the Kyuubi completed a rapid set of hand seals and smashed both of its palms against the floor. Black seal patterns instantly circled around both the fox and the dog-nin, crimson chakra pulsing rapidly along the lines of the seal. Six orbs of different colours suddenly rose around Kiba, blinding him temporarily at their colourful brightness.

"Wha-"

You better not waste my last piece of chakra, mutt...

A/N: There you have it! Kiibaaa *_*