Over the next few weeks, Kiba attempted to talk to Naruto, but the blond always left, or went in the other direction.
Kiba had never felt so alone, except for back when his mother was always working while he was growing up. As Naruto wouldn't talk to him, Kiba grew quieter, his friends noticed, but Shikamaru knew better than to try to talk to him.

A month had passed since he broke Uchiha's nose. Zaku and Kiddomaru were heckling him as he sat under a tree, studying.

"What's wrong dog breath?" Zaku taunted, ten feet away.

"Come on bitch boy," Kiddomaru smirked, only five feet from the brunette.

Kiba put his pencil down and placed his books to the side, standing and fixing the taller boy with a glare to match Hidan's, the theology teacher.

Kiddomaru grinned, a sick twisted grin. "Come on."

Kiba launched himself at the older boy, taking him to the ground, one hard punch knocking his jaw from it's place as he jumped off of him, as Zaku aimed a kick at where he had been. Kiddomaru was laying where Kiba left him, clutching his jaw.
Zaku paid no mind to him, he just slowly circled the brunette. Kiba followed him with his eyes, adjusting his stance so he would be ready to leap aside when Zaku lunged. Zaku circled around behind the taller boy, jumping at him, hoping to get on his back and in a headlock. Kiba spun around with a high kick. It connected with Zaku's rib cage, he flew back, rolling to a stop.

Kiba looked over at Kiddomaru, he was staggering up, no condition to fight. Zaku was holding his ribs, glaring at Kiba.
"Leave me alone," Kiba told them coldly before getting his things and going to the library to finish his work.

- Naruto / Two days later -

He heard about Kiba beating up Kiddomaru and Zaku. He didn't understand it. Why was Kiba beating guys up again? It saddened him to know that his vow had meant so little to the other boy. But, it was Kiddomaru and Zaku, Kiddomaru wasn't exactly stable and was going to be a professional fighter, Zaku was just a hothead. So maybe Kiba was defending himself, although he did break Kiddomaru's jaw and cracked three of Zaku's ribs.
The blond held onto that thought as he went about the last few weeks of school.

- Three weeks Later -

It was exam week. Finals for the year. Naruto was confident of passing all his exams. They had two a day.
His first two were Science and English.

About five hours after he got up and had breakfast, he was back in the cafeteria, sitting with Choji, Gaara, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Kin. They were eating lunch and joking around, happy that exams were over for the day.

Grinning, Choji raised his strawberry milk carton, and said, "I propose a toast, to the first day of exams end!"
Everyone grinning and laughing, raised their cartons, even Gaara, and toasted, drinking to Choji's toast.

Still grinning as lunch ended and people began going to their rooms or to hang in the rec room for a while, Naruto got up to throw his trash away.

"Naruto," Gaara said in his soft yet compelling voice.

"Yeah?" the blond asked, looking at the redhead in slight surprise.

"Would you like to hang out with me?" the red head asked slightly nervous, something Gaara never was.

Grinning Naruto said, "Yeah sure thing sandman." He slung an arm around the redhead's slim shoulders, laughing.

A faintly blushing Gaara simply nodded and started walking to his room, Naruto in tow.

Gaara placed his messenger bag on the floor beside his nightstand, motioning for Naruto to do the same and sit. Naruto obliged and sat on the bed.

The red head drew a sketchpad from his bag. Naruto peered over interestedly.

"I have never shown another person my sketches," he said, looking over at the blond.

"Oh..., does that mean I can't see?" the blond asked, disappointment dripping into his voice.

Gaara thought for a moment then mumbled, "You can see them, just tell no others of what you see."

"I won't!" Naruto grinned happily.

Gaara opened the pad, the first picture was of his brother, Kankuro, without all his facepaint, wearing skinny black jeans and a sleeveless shirt.
Naruto stared in wonder at the detail. Gaara flipped the page, the next was one of Tenten, she was bent over something in metal shop. The third was of Kiba, he was laying in the grass with his puppy Akamaru on his stomach. Kiba's happiness was evident. Gaara flipped the page again, this was one of Naruto. He was wearing his plain light blue jeans and a dark orange shirt, earbuds in, his normally bright blue eyes darkened by sadness. Naruto stared at the sketch, he remembered that day.

Sasuke had been particularly cruel that day and Naruto went to walk around the campus.

"You're an amazing artist," Naruto said softly.

"Thank you," Gaara mumbled, closing the pad.

"Are you and art major?" Naruto asked.

The red head nodded and the blond grinned, "Awesome."

Again Gaara blushed, his cheeks turning a light pink.

For the next week, after exams, blond and red head were together. Naruto taught him to play different video games and Gaara taught Naruto the basics of drawing people. Naruto even began to forget about Kiba, when he did think of him, he pushed those thoughts from his mind and focused on Gaara. Although the older boy was slender, he wasn't weak, as Naruto found out one evening when he had tried to tackle the other boy onto the couch in the rec room.

Naruto jumped at Gaara, who had just stood up from looking at the movies on the small table. Naruto was completely caught by surprise when the red head caught him. Gaara stood akwardly holding the blond. Both were a bright shade of pink.
Then Naruto had another fantastic idea, he leaned closer, and hesitantly pressed his lips to the red heads. Given no initial reaction he started to pull away and apologize but he felt the other boy press his pale lips to his own tan. Starting to grin, the blond pressed his lips to the other boy's harder, Gaara returned the pressure and Naruto broke the kiss smiling. Gaara turned a brighter pink.