Rough Collie and Shikoku

Kankuro could not believe what he was hearing, but one look at Kiba's face made him realise that the younger man was deadly serious.

"Kiba," he said, "do you realise what you're saying? You'll be leaving your family behind, and your team mates, and the rest of your clan, and your mates. You'll be living with me in the desert. You'll have to deal with people giving you shit for being gay. It's a whole new world in Suna, Kiba, it's not like Konoha, and you know it. You're...you're not thinking straight."

"Of course I'm fucking thinking straight," Kiba said angrily. "Gods, Kankuro. I thought you'd be happy."

"It's not that I'm not happy!" Kankuro protested. "It's just...you're too impulsive, Kiba. You say this now, but what if you decide you hate Suna and you want to go back to Konoha? What if it doesn't work out after all?"

"You're saying we don't have a future?"

"No, I am not bloody saying that," Kankuro said, and realised his voice was getting louder. He tried to speak quietly. "Don't put words in my mouth. I'm saying that you're so impulsive, I'm worried you'll change your mind."

"I won't, Kankuro," said Kiba earnestly. "I swear to Inari I won't. I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't believe it."

"And you know what else?" Kankuro said, a horrible realisation dawning on him.

"What?"

"You're going to have to tell your mum."

Kiba paled, but then the obstinate look on his face returned. "So?"

Kankuro sighed. "She's not going to like this, and you know it."

"Kankuro-kun," Kiba said, taking Kankuro's hand in his, "right now, you come first. Mum has Hana and Shikoku and the grandkids. She'll survive." He looked appealingly at Kankuro. "Please, Kankuro, believe me. I know I want to do this. For you. I love you. I love you more than Konoha."

Kankuro gave in, and pulled Kiba towards him. The two men clung to each other, trying not to think about the inevitable reactions of certain Konoha shinobi.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

They decided to confront Tsume that evening, and caught her while she was feeding Kuromaru.

"Mum," Kiba said, "Kankuro and I have something to tell you."

"This isn't a good time," Tsume said tersely. "I've got an appointment with Shikaku in half an hour. Recon or something. So make it quick."

"Maybe we should tell her another time," Kankuro began, but Kiba interrupted him. "No, we need to get this over with. You said it yourself. Mum, Kankuro's going back to Suna. And I'm going with him."

"Did you just say what I think you did?" asked Tsume, and Kankuro felt as though his stomach had just circumvented the laws of biology and dropped into his knees.

Kuromaru's ears pricked up. Kiba noticed that he was softly growling. Akamaru's ears, meanwhile, were flat against his head, and he whined. They were very perceptive, the Inuzuka dogs, and knew a bad atmosphere when they felt one.

"What did you think I said, Mum?" asked Kiba, unaware that he had just been given a large amount of rope.

"Something about you going to Suna with Kankuro," said his mother. "Or did I hear that wrong? I hope I heard that wrong."

Kiba, Kankuro thought, for the love of Benten, don't say anything. Your mum looks like she's about to rip your face off. If the dog doesn't first, that is.

"No, you didn't, Mum," said Kiba. "I want to move to Suna to live with Kankuro. I've decided. When he goes back, I'm going with him."

Shit, thought Kankuro. Shit. Shit. Shit. He glanced at Tsume. Right now, her fangs were bared, her nails were digging into her palms, and he could have sworn he heard her growl. She wasn't quite as frightening a prospect as an angry Shikaku – or worse, an angry Chouza – but she came pretty damn close, and she had that big dog with her...

...Before Kiba knew what was happening, Tsume's hand zipped past his face, he felt a searing pain, and something hot and wet slowly trickling down his cheek. Kankuro was next, and Tsume etched an even wider gash upon his face, and for good measure, Kuromaru sank his teeth into Kankuro's calf. Kankuro's face contorted in pain. He forced himself not to scream, for the big wolf-dog had attacked one of his war wounds, and a white hot pain burned through his leg.

"Mum!" Kiba cried. "Why?"

But Tsume said nothing. She turned round abruptly and left, Kuromaru behind her.

Kankuro collapsed to his hands and knees, his leg no longer able to support him, and Kiba buried his head in his hands. The two men were silent, both in shock at Tsume's savagery.

"Bitch," said Kankuro at last.

"Don't call my mum a bitch," growled Kiba.

"Why not? She calls herself one," Kankuro snapped back. "And she didn't have to set her dog on me. Why can't she be happy for us? Fuck sake, we're ninja, we're jounin, we're not kids."

"I guess it's a shock for her," said Kiba. "She'll get used to it, right?" He smiled wanly. "Hey, you know any good dog breeders in Suna? Akamaru needs some bitches to mate with. Maybe I can train up some more dogs and have a pack of them like Kakashi did."

Kankuro did not reply. He sat on the bed, lost in thought. Then he asked, "What about Hana?"

"I'll deal with her," said Kiba. "You'd better go on and tell your sister, don't you think?"

Kankuro's brow furrowed. Lost in thought, he absent-mindedly scratched his head, and then said, "Yeah, balls to it. I'll tell her and Shikamaru. You talk to Hana." He kissed Kiba on the forehead. "Good luck, mate. Try not to get mauled." Kiba could not help but laugh.

While Kankuro limped off to the Nara compound, Kiba went to the part of the Inuzuka compound where Hana, Shikoku, their four children, the Haimaru Sankyodai and Fujiko, Shikoku's dog, lived. He banged on the door, and it opened of its own volition, or so he thought until he noticed a scruffy little blond kid staring up at him. It was Kishu, Hana and Shikoku's oldest son.

"Hello, Kishu-kun," said Kiba, ruffling his nephew's hair. "Where's your mum?"

"She's feedin' the doggies," said the child, and pointed towards the kitchen-cum-living room, where Hana was kneeling on the floor, surrounded by the Haimaru Sankyodai. "Onee-chan," Kiba called, "it's me."

"Come on in," Hana called back. Kiba walked out of the dark hallway and into the main room, where the fluorescent light bulb illuminated his bleeding face.

"What in the name of Inari-sama have you done to your face?" exclaimed Hana. "What happened? Is Akamaru acting up?"

"Mum happened," said Kiba gloomily, shoving his hands into his pockets. "She's pissed off."

"Why?"

"I told her we're moving to Suna," said Kiba. "She didn't like it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," exclaimed Hana, holding up her hands. "Hold on a minute. You what?" The childrens' ears pricked up, and Kishu and Shouza instinctively flocked to Kiba's side.

"KankuroandmearemovingtoSuna," mumbled Kiba. "Pleasedon'tscratchme."

Hana said nothing. She had her hand on the head of one of the grey dogs, and was absent-mindedly scratching him behind the ear. Then she picked herself up, and said, "For how long?"

"Dunno," said Kiba. He steeled himself. "If you're going to hurt me, go ahead. Just wait 'til the kids are in bed, please?"

Shouza clung to Kiba's leg, and Kishu growled, "Leave Uncle Kiba alone."

"I'm not going to maul you, Kiba," said Hana. She held out her arms. "Come here." The Inuzuka siblings hugged each other as the two little boys continued to cling to Kiba's legs. Kiba looked down at Shouza's earnest little face and ruffled his dark brown hair, thinking with a pang about how much he resembled his mother.

"You're not angry?"

"I'll miss you loads, little brother," Hana said, "but you're not a kid anymore. You've got your own life to lead. And Mum's still got me, and Shikoku, and the babies. Just...remember to stay in touch, yeah?"

Kiba felt a lump rising in his throat. He wanted to cry, but the sight of the kids made him hold his tears back. He bared his fangs, picked Shouza up and tickled him – making the little boy squeal with laughter - and said, "'Course I'll stay in touch. And thanks for not ripping my face off or anything, onee-chan."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Over at the Nara compound, Temari and Shikamaru had taken Kankuro's news surprisingly well. In a way, Kankuro was disappointed; he'd half expected Temari to yell at him and knee him in the balls, and for Shikamaru to give him a stern lecture about letting down one's village, but both of them had seemed happy enough, and congratulated him and Kiba; Shikamaru had commented that Kiba was finally getting out of his 'rookie mindset', Temari had said, "Well, good luck. I'll miss you, but I know you've got the Puppet Squad and everything else to go back to. And Gaara will be happy," and Shikamaru had then added, "You'll stay in touch, right?"

Kankuro had said that of course he'd stay in touch; child hater though he was, he did make an exception for Shikane and Taki. OK, so Shikane was a pain in the arse when he cried – but weren't all babies? - and Taki was a surprisingly moody child, pushing her greens around her plate until a death glare from Temari had sent her hurriedly scooping mouthfuls of spinach into her mouth, but they were still his blood relatives, the daughter of his sister and Shikamaru, and he could not help but laugh at Taki's similarities to her father and grandfather. An old woman in the body of a small child. She knew how to play shougi, and when he'd come over to see Temari, more than once he had found Shikamaru sitting outside with his daughter in his lap, watching the clouds. Shikane, meanwhile, was Temari's child all over. If his babbling was anything to go by, once he gained the power of proper speech, he was going to be as loud as his mother.

While Shikaku - having come home earlier after being relieved by Hiashi - was bathing his grandchildren and putting them to bed, Temari said to Kankuro, "Come on outside. Shikamaru and me've got something to show you."

"Oo-er, missus," said Kankuro mockingly, and Temari rolled her eyes. "So mature, my little brother," she said to Shikamaru. "Are there any balloons left?"

"I think so," said Shikamaru. "Let me go check." He dashed upstairs, and came back a couple of minutes later with a yellow balloon in his hand. Kankuro snorted. "What the bloody hell are you going to do with that? You got some helium knocking around or something?"

"Stop talking bollocks and come outside," ordered Temari. Kankuro knew it was best to obey his sister when she spoke in that tone of voice, so he followed her, wondering what in the world she and Shikamaru were up to.

In the Nara garden, Temari told the two men to wait until she gave Shikamaru his cue, and stood with her back to them. Kankuro tried to peer over her shoulder, but she brushed him aside with an abrupt "I told you to wait, didn't I?" Sighing, Kankuro stepped back and observed Temari from behind.

She stood, slightly hunched over, her arms bent as though she was clasping something small and precious in her hands. One of her arms appeared to be moving back and forth, as if she were kneading a piece of dough.

It was a spring evening, and the air was warm, and Kankuro tilted his head back and let the breeze blow on his face...hey, wait a minute, he thought. There's something weird about this wind...where is it coming from? It seems to be coming from all around me...

The grass around Temari's feet began to rustle in the wind, which was growing stronger and seemed almost visible, as though it were an entity that Kankuro could reach out and grasp in his hand. As if it were a living being with chakra.

Chakra?

Kankuro's glance moved to Shikamaru, who was toying with the balloon in his hand, stretching its neck. He did not seem at all fazed by the fact that his wife seemed to be drawing the winds – for it seemed to Kankuro as though there was more than one wind – towards her and holding them in her hands. Of course, Kankuro knew that his sister had wind chakra, but he'd only ever seen her use it with the aid of her fan.

An inkling of a thought was burrowing into the back of his mind, but he dismissed it.

Temari nodded. Shikamaru nodded back, took a deep breath, and began to blow up the balloon. Kankuro wondered what the hell his brother-in-law was doing, and whether Temari was going to use it for target practice. "Almost there!" Temari, called, and Shikamaru blew until the balloon was at full capacity, tied a knot in its neck, held it out in front of him, and waited – until, without warning, Temari whipped round, her loose hair flying about her face, shouted, "Rasengan!" and rammed the small vibrating ball of wind in her hand into the balloon as Shikamaru tossed it at her, ripping it to shreds.

Kankuro slapped himself round the head. He could not believe what he had just seen. "Where," he managed to say after recovering from his initial surprise, "did you learn to do that?" He did not need to ask why she had learned a close-range attack. The reason hung in the air, unspoken.

"From the Hokage himself," said Temari with a triumphant smile. "I want to be able to defend myself in close combat, I have wind chakra, it makes perfect sense. I asked him to train me, and he said he would. He was more than happy to help. It did take a while for me to get to grips with it, but I can do it."

"I knew you'd be able to pull it off," said Shikamaru, gazing adoringly at his wife. "Rasengan, Kamatari, the fan...it's a formidable moveset, indeed."

"But...but...he's the Hokage," Kankuro protested. "Why would he help you of all people? And don't look at me like that, you two. You know what I mean. He's a busy man."

"Oh, like he's going to turn down the sister of his mate the Kazekage," Temari scoffed. "Anyway, what do you think?"

"You're the same gobby cow you always were," Kankuro said, but he was smiling now. "Seriously, well done."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Kankuro, Tenten and Chouji came as a group from the Academy. Kiba waved to them from the table where he and Hinata were already sitting. Lee was next to arrive, and Ino came shortly after, and Kankuro and Chouji shifted another table to provide extra seating space.

Ino was the first to ask, "What's going on? What have you invited us all here for? And how come you invited Chouji and me, and not Shikamaru?"

Someone can't switch off, Kankuro thought, unreasonably. Chouji was asking if someone else had died, and he wondered for a second what Chouji was talking about until he remembered the occasion of which they were not allowed to speak, and said, "No, although we came close, ha ha."

"Do elaborate, old chap," said Lee, confused. "Has a contract been placed upon your heads?"

"Why would anyone want to kill Kankuro?" Ino asked, and Kankuro replied, "I dunno, 'cos I'm the Kazekage's brother? Anyway, no, it's got nothing to with death."

Ino folded her arms. "You still haven't answered my question. Why have you invited Chouji and me, and not Shikamaru?"

"And come to think of it," Tenten chimed in, "where are Shino and Neji?"

"I'm right here," said a voice. Shino was standing at the edge of the table with a glass in his hand. "I'm sorry I'm late. What's going on?"

"Yes, what is going on?" echoed Lee. The little group began to bombard Kankuro with questions, and Kankuro found himself submerged under a sea of noise, until Chouji decided the atmosphere was too reminiscent of his classroom and roared, "Quiet!"

Heads turned, silence fell throughout the bar, and glasses, plates and cutlery were laid down on tables as the other customers stopped whatever they were doing and stared at the group, wondering what was going on. One man muttered, "Bloody ninjas. Think they own the place." Chouji overheard, and his face turned the same colour as his jacket, but Kankuro smiled gratefully at him.

"It's alright, everyone," he said loudly, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Don't mind us bloody ninjas." Kiba snorted.

"Right, then," Chouji said, when it appeared that things had calmed down. "Tell us what this is all about, will you?"

"Kankuro's moving back to Suna," Kiba explained, "and I'm going with him."

There was a stunned silence. Then Lee broke it.

"Well," he said. And again: "Well."

"Fuck off, Kiba," said Tenten in disbelief. "That's not funny."

"Do we look like we're joking?" snapped Kankuro. Kiba, meanwhile, noticed Hinata's eyes were filling with tears, and it was all he could do not to vault over the table and hug her tightly and tell her that everything was going to be alright, that he wouldn't be gone forever.

"But what of Kiba's family?" asked Lee. "Do they object?"

"Mum did," said Kiba with a shrug. Understatement of the century, Kankuro thought. His face and leg were still smarting. "Hana was cool with it, though."

"I don't suppose you've told the Sixth yet," Ino said, and Kankuro shook his head. "We've not really had time."

"You do realise you're going to have to tell him," Shino pointed out. "Since you are moving to a foreign country and everything."

"And possibly changing alliances," added Lee, to which Kankuro replied irritably, "Are we balls. Konoha and Suna are allies and I don't think my bro-I mean, the Kazekage is going to send Kiba home."

"I hope not!" enthused Kiba. "I mean, I'm going to be living in a desert, and there'll be wild dogs to hang out with Akamaru...I'm sure Suna could benefit from having another tracker, and maybe I'll get to find a bitch for Akamaru and breed some ninja puppies. An' it'll be sunny all the time, an' I can come home and visit, I mean, it's not like Kankuro doesn't visit his family, and Hana can always come out to Suna if she wants...and I'll be with the man I love." Ino and Chouji made finger-down-the-throat gestures, but Kankuro knew they were only joking.

"I never realised you were such a fan of hot climes," said Shino dryly. "You weren't exactly happy that time we went to Yugakure. You kept complaining about how you were, and I quote, 'sweating your tits off'." I can hear the italics, Kankuro thought.

"Oh, come on, mate," laughed Kiba. "I was a genin then. I've grown up a bit, innit. I'll get used to the heat."

Kankuro noticed Chouji was looking at him, and when Kankuro returned his gaze, Chouji merely raised an eyebrow and nodded at Kiba, who was – of course, thought Kankuro, rather rudely – totally oblivious. It was at times like these that Kankuro wondered how his lover had become a jounin. As much as he loved Kiba, and admired his incredible nose and tracking skills and innate ability to communicate with dogs, Kankuro had to admit that he was not the brightest candle in the shrine, and sometimes missed things that were going on right under that incredible nose.

He knew, somehow, that Chouji was thinking the exact same thing he was, and as Kiba continued to rabbit on and field questions from Ino and Lee, he knew that both he and Chouji were right. Kiba was overcompensating.

He heard Hinata say, "Well, I can't deny I'll miss you loads, my old team mate. But I want you to be happy. Both of you." She was smiling, but her smile was strained, and Kankuro wanted to kick himself for feeling so thoroughly ashamed for tearing Kiba and Hinata apart. He knew how close they were, and that Kiba had comforted Hinata after the war and been like a brother to her, cheering her up when she'd been on the receiving end of yet another stern scolding from Hiashi, training alongside her, goofing around at training to make her laugh and Shino roll his eyes behind his ever-present sunglasses. Although Shino was ANBU and Hinata had a family of her own, Kiba still kept in touch with both of them. He and Shino had never been that close, aloof as Shino was, but Hinata...that was another matter. And she was pretty vulnerable still.

He's a big boy, he told himself. And she'll get over it, won't she? I mean, it's not like he's dying for fuck's sake.

Now Lee was raising his mug of tea, and proposing a toast. "To Kiba and Kankuro, what!" he cried, holding the mug aloft.

"To Kiba and Kankuro," echoed the other shinobi.

For the briefest of moments, Kiba's smile faded, and only Kankuro noticed.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Two days later, Kankuro and Kiba were eating dinner with the rest of Kiba's family. Tsume seemed to have forgotten the quarrel of a few nights before, and she was friendly enough, but Kankuro noticed something ever so slightly detached about her manner. Shikoku was away on a mission, so Kiba was helping Hana feed the twins, and he was playing some kind of game with Akita's spoon that involved him pretending it was a hawk. Akita squealed and clapped his tiny hands as Kiba waved the spoon in front of his face. The usually taciturn Kishu was playing with Fujiko, giggling as the big brown dog licked his face, while Hana kept a watchful eye on Shouza, who was trying to work out how he could feed his vegetables to the dogs without anyone noticing.

It was quite unlike any of the restrained, tense mealtimes Kankuro had spent with Gaara and Temari when the three of them were children, and Temari and Kankuro had been on edge, as though they were walking on explosive tags. The slighest glance or noise or throwaway comment could set Gaara off. If Kiba and Akamaru had been eating tea with them, they would have been dead in seconds.

But Gaara isn't like that now.

"So." Kankuro broke the silence, when the two of them were upstairs. "You looking forward to leaving?"

Kiba grinned wolfishly, and said, "Hell yeah. I can't wait to go to Suna."

Kankuro stared at him with an expression of displeasure. "Kiba Inuzuka," he said, "you are a fucking terrible liar. So don't bother. Any fool can see you're unhappy about leaving Konoha."

Kiba was shocked. He thought he'd got away with fooling Kankuro.

"I can act with the best of them," Kankuro said, as if reading his thoughts, "and I can tell an actor when I see one."

"I want to go to Suna," was all Kiba would say. "I want to go to Suna."

"Do you balls."

"I want to go to Suna."

"You fucking don't."

"I do! Honest to Inari-sama, I do! It's just...oh, it's hard to explain, Kankuro. I've lived here all my life. I went to the Academy here, I trained here, I became a genin here, I grew up here. I'll be leaving my mum and my sister and Shikoku and the boys and the dogs and the rest of the clan, and Hinata, and Shino, and Chouji, Lee, Naruto, everyone else. I'll have to adjust to a whole new set of people, a whole new set of customs, 'cause you do stuff a bit differently over there, don't you? Even your food's different. And I'll have to get a totally new uniform and I'll be the only person out there who fights with dogs. And it takes three days to get back to Konoha. And it's so hot in the desert. No trees and all that fucking sand." He laughed half-heartedly.

Little did Kankuro or Kiba know that Tsume was listening in on their conversation. Hana noticed her mother eavesdropping outside the bedroom door and said quietly, "Mum, leave it."

All Tsume said in reply was, "Look after the dogs," and left before Hana could say anything back. Hana was suspicious, and wondered just exactly what her mother was playing at.

Angry though she was, Tsume knew she had to do something to help her son and his lover. She left Kuromaru at home and went to the Hokage's building. She didn't need to ask permission or state her purpose; as head of the Inuzuka clan, she would be allowed in without question. There were a certain two men she needed to speak to before the night was out.

Tsume strode into the Hokage's building, sniffing the air, and wandered the corridors until she picked up a familiar scent. She knocked on the door of one of the admin rooms and called, "Chouza, it's me."

Shikamaru opened the door. He was in civvies, rather than his normal shinobi uniform, and he was carrying an immense folder. Chouza appeared to be sorting through a stack of papers, and he was chewing on something, as per usual. He looked up and saw his ex-girlfriend standing over him, and said, "Oh, hi, Tsume. How'd you know I was in here?"

"I'd recognise that smell anywhere," Tsume said. "Don't underestimate my nose. What are you two doing there, anyway?"

Chouza grunted and pointed at the papers on his desk. He hated desk work with a passion, and had never understood why Shikamaru preferred it to missions and combat. Then again, he did have two small children, and the Nara, unlike the Akimichi, had always been good at the administrative side of things.

"Dossier prep," yawned Shikamaru. "It's another missing-nin from Suna, a renegade Takano woman called Atsutane, and Tenji-sama" - referring to the head of the Takano clan of Sunagakure - "and Gaara had the intel sent to us so we're prepared if they need any backup. Plus Chouza-sama's got some as well from his contacts." He turned to the older man. "Mind if I knock off now? I'd better go home and check on Shikane." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, wiped his glasses on his sweater, and put them back on.

"Could you hang on a minute?" Tsume interjected. "I need to talk to you both."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"It's about my son."

"And?" Chouza asked.

"Kankuro."

"What about them?"

Tsume sat down on the edge of the desk, swinging her legs. This wasn't going to be easy.

"What about them?" Chouza repeated. "I'm a busy man, Tsume, and so is Shikamaru. If you've come in here to waste our time, then leave."

Tsume was silent.

"I'm waiting."

"Alright, then," snapped Tsume, "I'll tell you what I want." She adjusted her sitting position on Shikamaru's desk, and outlined her proposal. When she had finished speaking, the two men stared at her.

"Well," said Shikamaru. "Well."

"Is that all you have to say?" Tsume demanded.

"It's certainly the first time anyone's suggested it," Shikamaru said, absently stroking his chin. "We'd need to discuss it with the Kazekage, of course. And the Puppet Squad. But it could definitely strengthen ties between us. Temari did a good job when she was Suna's liaison for Konoha, and if we have some kind of dual liaison where Kiba and Kankuro spend half a year here and half a year there, and report back to their respective Kages...what do you think, Chouza-sama?"

"I think you're bloody mad, Tsume," came the reply. "And I don't know what Suna are going to think. The Puppet Squad could object, as could the Academy there." He paused, and inclined his head to one side, toying with his headband. Then he continued, "But Shikamaru has a point. His marriage to Temari's helped to strengthen diplomatic relations, with her as the Kazekage's sister and him as the Hokage's advisor. Kiba has no position here, but Kankuro's pretty highly regarded in Suna, yes? Though I hope to Izanagi-sama that Gaara and Naruto don't fall out and declare war on each other."

"That will never happen," said Shikamaru sternly. "Gaara owes Naruto a great debt and speaks very highly of him. And I know Naruto would do anything for Gaara. Temari told me how upset he was when Gaara was murdered by Akatsuki. And he's considered doing some kind of exchange with Suna and Konoha shinobi, so that we can learn from each other and, again, strengthen ties. They scratch our backs and we scratch theirs, so to speak."

"So is that a yes or no from you two?" Tsume asked. Shikamaru merely nodded, and Chouza said, "A reluctant yes from me, if only because I'm not entirely sure how it's going to work. But, well, good luck to them."

Shikamaru passed Chouza the folder and said, "Could you put those notes in there, please?"

Chouza took the papers out of the folder, rifled through them and checked Shikamaru's table of contents, until he found the section where the notes were supposed to go, and inserted them.

"Thanks, Chouza-sama," Shikamaru said, his relief audible. "Couldn't have done this without you. Your contacts really came up with the goods this time."

"You can drop the sama, Shikamaru," Chouza laughed, pushing back his headband. "You've known me long enough." Shikamaru blushed, and smiled. He looks so humble and dignified, Tsume thought. The antithesis of my son...but then it takes all sorts to make a world. She wondered what Kiba and Kankuro were going to think.

As if to make a point as to why Shikamaru should 'drop the sama', Chouza blew a big bubble with the gum in his mouth. He blew until it was as wide as his broad shoulders, and without thinking, Tsume poked her finger into it. "And pop goes your dignity too, Chouza," said Shikamaru with a wry smile.

"I was practising my Fuusen Gamu no Jutsu earlier," Chouza explained, very briefly giving Tsume the finger. He peeled the sticky mess off his face, rolled it into a ball, popped it back into his mouth, and continued, "So. What do you want we should do? You want we should go talk to Naruto about this?"

"You've nailed it," said Tsume. "You're his advisors. Shikamaru, you're his main advisor, as a matter of fact, and his mate, and the son of a Jounin Commander. Chouza, you're the other Jounin Commander. Actually, I think my son once said you reminded Naruto-sama of Jiriaya."

"What, because I have red hair?"

Tsume laughed through her nose. "Not that Jiraiya, you big galoot. The other Jiraiya. The one who wrote those porno books you read."

"Little Jiraiya's hair is more pink, anyway," said Shikamaru pedantically.

Chouza grimaced. "Your point, Tsume?"

"My point is that Naruto will listen to you two. Especially if you play the Gaara angle. I came to you because one, you're more approachable than Shibi or the Hyuuga, and two, you have a connection with Kiba and Kankuro. Shikamaru, they're both friends of yours, and Kankuro is your brother-in-law. Chouza, your son and Kankuro have been working together at the Academy, and as I understand it, they're good friends, am I right?"

"Indeed." Tsume could barely see the Akimichi clan head's eyes; they were narrowed so much they looked like knife cuts. He was clearly thinking very hard.

"And before either of you ask," Tsume added, "I know Hinata is Kiba's team mate and they're extremely close, but I didn't want to ask Hiashi because he's not exactly keen on the idea of two men being in love."

You can say that again, thought Chouza. Shikamaru said, "Alright, we'll all go and talk to Naruto. You tell him what you've told us, and me and Chouza will back you up. But I really can't stay for long."

"Don't worry about Shikane," Chouza reassured him. "If Temari's tired, then your dad'll look after him. I know you're anxious, but he's in good hands."

Shikamaru opened the door, and Chouza heaved himself up. "Right then," said Shikamaru briskly. "To the Hokage."

"This is going to be a piece of piss," Tsume muttered in Chouza's ear.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Elsewhere in the Hokage's building, Sakura had come back from hospital duty and was looking over some notes she had received from Shizune when she heard a knock on her door, and Neji calling, "Sakura-sama, are you in there? I've got someone here to see you."

Sakura got up, relieved to have an excuse to get a break from her paperwork, and opened the door to find that the 'someone' Neji was referring to was Hinata. Almost instantly, Sakura realised something was wrong. Hinata was smiling, but her expression seemed forced, and she looked pale and washed out, although Sakura put it down to the kids keeping her busy.

"I'll leave you two to it," said Neji, and sped off to the roof of the building, where he was due to join his uncle on sentry duty.

"Come on in," Sakura said. "How's it going? I've not seen much of you lately."

"Hiyori and Hiroshi," Hinata offered by way of explanation. She twirled a strand of her long black hair around her finger. "Where's Jiraiya?"

"He's over at the Nara place," said Sakura. "Shikaku and Yoshino offered to babysit so I could get on with my stuff. " She smiled. Hinata smiled weakly back.

"Come into the bedroom," Sakura said, gesturing towards the bedroom door. "Come and sit down. We need to catch up."

The two women went into the bedroom and sat on the bed, and without warning, Hinata covered her face with her hands and broke down in a frenzy of violent sobbing. Her shoulders shook, she twisted stray strands of hair in her fingers, and tears streamed down her face, plopping onto her knees. Aghast, Sakura drew Hinata towards her and stroked her back, saying, "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?"

Hinata buried her head in Sakura's shoulder and continued to cry, as Sakura sat there, feeling stupid and awkward and not knowing what to do. She hoped it was nothing to do with her and Naruto. After all, Hinata was married, she had her own family. It was a bit too late to be jealous, surely?

Hinata wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and said, "Sorry. I don't know what came over me." She tried to laugh. "All those hormones, I guess. I've been all over the place lately"

"Anything you want to tell me about?" Sakura asked.

The answer was barely audible.

"Sorry?"

"It's Kiba," said Hinata miserably. "He's going back to Suna with Kankuro."

Sakura stared. "I never realised you two were so close."

Hinata explained as best she could. Although she liked Shino well enough, it was Kiba who she was really close to. He'd been like an older brother to her, always looking out for her on dangerous missions, letting her cuddle Akamaru when she was upset, consoling her whenever Hiashi had been particularly cruel. He'd been furious at Neji's cruel treatment of her the first time she fought in the Chuunin Exams, declaring that if Naruto didn't get revenge for her, he would, and he had supported her through the Chuunin Exams the second time. OK, so he was a big kid and had a bit of a temper, but he was so kind, he'd always been in her corner, she was the first person he'd told that he was gay, and he'd come to visit her in the hospital when Hiyori and then Hiroshi had been born, and he'd been so kind to her when the post-natal depression set in. Back when they were genin, she'd been embarrassed to talk to him about the situation at home, because it was so painful, it was like reopening a deep wound, but he'd known something was up, he wasn't as stupid as people think he is, and he'd listened, and he'd told her that her dad was an arsehole and she deserved better and why couldn't Kurenai-sensei officially adopt her? And they'd bonded over the birth of little Koutei and they'd all gone out to celebrate with Shikamaru after, and then there was one time when she had come off a shift of the volunteer work she did – along with Zakuro Akimichi, Temari and others – counselling rape survivors, and it had all gotten too much and she'd broken down and wandered around Konoha and bumped into Kiba and he'd been so nice, and oh gods Sakura-sama, why am I telling you this, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you must think I'm a total idiot.

"Don't be silly," said Sakura gently. "You're not an idiot. Look, I know I'm busy, but if you want to talk about anything in future, you can come here. Bring Hiyori if you want, she and Jiraiya get on well enough. And I think you're very brave, doing the counselling. You're using your own trauma to help others. Be proud of yourself, Hinata. You've come a long way."

"Do...do you think so?"

"'Course," affirmed Sakura. "Look at the way you're mentoring those kids, and the counselling, and the fact you're down for promotion – whoops, sorry. Don't tell anyone I told you that, by the way. Anyway, the old Hinata couldn't have done half the stuff you do. And you do such a good job with Hiyori and Hiroshi. Or maybe it's just the inbuilt Hyuuga politeness."

Hinata reddened, and then tensed. She could hear footsteps.

"Don't worry," Sakura said. "That sounds like Chouza out there, and I think Shikamaru as well – when you get used to these blokes being around all the time, you get to know whose footstep is whose. They're not coming in here. Chouza might be one of my bodyguards, but he's not going to come barging in uninvited and neither is Shikamaru. They're probably off to see Naruto about something."

"Let's hope it's not for me," laughed Hinata. "Gods, this place must be a madhouse. I don't know how you and Jiraiya put up with it. Thanks, Sakura-ch...I mean, Sakura-sama. You've been great."

"Hinata," said Sakura, "you don't need to be formal with me. I know, I know, you're a Hyuuga. It's in your bones."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Shikamaru, Tsume and Chouza climbed the stairs to the top floor where Naruto's office was based. Shikamaru knew he was in there, as he also had paperwork to catch up on. As Naruto hated paperwork even more than Chouza did, Shikamaru reckoned he would be grateful for the interruption. He knocked on the door and said, "Naruto, it's me, can I come in?"

"Alright," Naruto bellowed from the other side of the door. "Oh, hi, Tsume," he said as the three jounin entered the room. "How's the prep going?"

"It's all sorted now," said Shikamaru. "Chouza and I have compiled the dossier on Atsutane Takano, as requested. Just tell me how many copies you need, and I'll get them done." He glanced over at Tsume. "By the way, Naruto, if you don't mind, Inuzuka-sama has a request to make of you."

"Go on," said Naruto, leaning forward.

"It's like this," Tsume stated. She paused, then continued, "As you're probably aware, Naruto-sama, my son is in a relationship with the Kazekage's brother, who's living with us at the moment as he ran into some problems back home."

"Moreover," Chouza added, "he's been teaching in the Academy, as – again - I'm sure you're aware, shadowing my s-I mean, Chouji Akimichi and Tenten."

Shikamaru took up the thread. "He's been imparting some of his own knowledge, as well as taking basic classes – teaching about poisons, traps, and so on and so forth."

"And received some good reports, so Iruka says," mused Naruto. "But this isn't about his teaching, is it? There's more to it, right?"

"There is, Naruto-sama," said Tsume. "Kankuro has decided to return to Suna."

"Can't say I blame him," said the Hokage. "He's bound to be keen to see Gaara again, I'm sure."

"That's not it, though," Tsume continued doggedly. "My son wishes to go with him."

Naruto frowned. "He does, does he? For how long?"

"Permanently," said Shikamaru. "Quite unusual, I know. But Inuzuka-san has an idea." He nodded towards Tsume. "I'll let her tell you."

"Naruto-sama," Tsume said, "I have a proposal. And the proposal is this: that my son and Kankuro are made shinobi of both villages. Shikamaru, your wife used to be liaison, didn't she?" Shikamaru nodded. "And I was thinking," Tsume continued breathlessly, "that Kiba and Kankuro could do something like that. Spend, I dunno, half a year in Suna and half a year here, report back and forth, go on any missions that need to be carried out. Kiba could train dogs in Suna, do tracking for them, maybe, Kankuro could maybe teach some of his skills to people here...or he could fight in tandem with taijutsu users. Sakura-sama fought in tandem with a puppeteer once, if I recall, and they had a great arrangement going. Plus, from a political viewpoint, it might help relations between us, having a pair of joint shinobi."

Naruto's eyes were squeezed shut. To a casual observer, he looked as though he had fallen asleep, but the trio of jounin knew he was thinking hard.

"Of course," Chouza said, breaking the silence, "you'd have to get the Kazekage's consent. But I can't see it being an issue, given that Suna are our allies. As long as you and Gaara-sama are in charge, I can't see the alliance failing."

"And while there's an alliance," Tsume added, "surely the idea of joint nationality or whatever you'd call it for two shinobi is possible? I know I'm asking a lot of you, Naruto-sama, but I'm not just saying this as a mum, I'm saying this as a clan head and a shinobi of Konoha."

Naruto's eyes snapped open.

"Alright."

Tsume stared. "You wha...I mean, excuse me?"

"Alright, I said," Naruto repeated himself. "That's a good idea what you've got there." Shikamaru winced at the terrible grammar. "I'll run it by Gaara. I'm sure he won't have no objections. 'Course, we'll have to give it a trial run, and Kiba's gonna be missed round here, but it could work Shikamaru and Temari's marriage apparently went down well over in Suna, love knows no borders and that, so it's definitely worth considering. Yeah. How about they come over in spring and go back in September? I bet Kiba and Kankuro would want to get away from the heat. And Suna's always in need of trackers."

"I'm ever so grateful, Naruto-sama," said Tsume, bowing. "Thank you."

"Hey, no probs," said Naruto with a grin. "I'm always happy to help Gaara out. By the way, Chouza-ji," he added as an afterthought, "you've got something in your hair. Been practising that weird jutsu again? You Akimichi, eh. You would find a way to work food into your jutsu."

Without a word in response, Chouza obediently lowered his head, and allowed Naruto to carefully draw out a strand of bubble gum that had become stuck in his hair.

"Dismissed," said the Hokage. "And thanks, Tsume. Send Kiba to me tomorrow so I can tell him."

The three jounin bowed, left Naruto to finish the hated paperwork, and walked back downstairs to the small office. Tsume was jubilant. "See? See?" she crowed. "I told you, Akimichi-kun. Naruto'll do anything for his friend over in Suna."

"Erm...I don't think you should be saying that, Inuzuka-sama," said Shikamaru nervously. Chouza snorted. "Why not? She's only telling the truth, Shikamaru. Not that it's a bad thing, our alliance with Suna. But Naruto-sama does see Gaara as his mate rather than another politician. And if we can exploit that friendship to get our little arrangement going, then great."

"You old ones," sighed Shikamaru. "You have no shame."

"All part of the territory, kid," said Chouza, patting him on the shoulder. "All part of the territory."

Tsume sniffed the air. "I recognise that scent," she said. "There's someone in this building who's going to be very happy to hear the news...and I think she's coming closer right now." Shikamaru and Chouza did not need to ask Tsume who she was referring to, as Hinata and Sakura came down the staircase. Hinata's eyes were red and swollen, and she looked drained. Tsume poked her head round the door and called, "Hinata? That you?"

Hinata quickened her pace, and stopped when she saw Kiba's mother leaning on the doorframe, her arms folded. "Tsume-sama?" she asked. "Where's Kuromaru?"

"At home," replied Tsume matter-of-factly. "Also, I've got some news for you. It's not much...just that, oh, you know, your team mate's been granted dual citizenship by the Sixth and will be coming back in the spring to spend half the year in Konoha."

Hinata's large pale eyes widened, and Sakura patted her on the back and said, "Just what you needed to hear, innit?"

"Thank you, Tsume-sama," said Hinata breathlessly. "Thank you so much." The two women hugged each other, while Sakura looked on, relieved that Hinata had been given some consolation, at least.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Oi, you three," bellowed Naruto. "Come in."

As he followed Kiba and Akamaru into the Hokage's office, Kankuro wondered if there would ever come a day when Gaara would greet fellow shinobi by shouting, "Oi, you" at them. He also wondered why the Hokage had requested an audience with them. Had Gaara been in touch?

He soon got his answer when Naruto told him and Kiba that they had hereby been granted dual nationality, that they were now both shinobi of Sunagakure and Konoha; and that they would be reporting back and forth between villages, spending half a year in each. "Since I thought you'd want to spend your birthday with your family, Kiba," Naruto explained, "I thought you two could come here in the spring and summer months."

Kiba sank to his knees and kissed the ground in gratitude, while Akamaru barked joyfully and wagged his huge tail. "I'll be making an offering to Inari-sama tonight," he said. "If you weren't a married man, Naruto, I'd vault over the table and kiss you." Sakura gave him a death glare, but he didn't care. It was all Kankuro could do not to pick Kiba up and swing him around, such was his delight in seeing his lover so jubilant, but one of them had to act with dignity, so instead, he bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Naruto-sama," Kankuro offered. "I...I don't know what to say. Thank you. Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"Ah, don't worry about it," said Naruto dismissively. "And it's Tsume, Chouza-ji and Shikamaru you should be thanking as well, it was their idea."

Kankuro, Akamaru and Kiba turned to go, but Naruto held up a hand to stop them. "I'm not finished," he said. "I've got a request for both of you from Tsume. Kiba, you're to spend the day with Hana and the kids, and Kankuro, you're to speak to the Jounin Commander – the big one - and Shikamaru."

"I don't think Chouza's going to appreciate you calling him 'the big one'," remarked Sakura. "As for where they are...any minute now..." Kankuro followed her glance to the window, and shortly after, the window glowed orange, and he could just make out what appeared to be a fireball in the sky.

"They're practising their Katon jutsu," Sakura offered by way of explanation to Kiba, who was gaping and pointing at the window, much to Kankuro's embarassment. She grinned, and turned to Naruto. "I think Shikamaru's winning."

"Dismissed," said Naruto. "Have fun." Kiba and Kankuro bowed, and took their leave.

"When the fuck," asked Kiba when he and Kankuro were at the bottom of the stairs, "has Chouza fucking Akimichi of all people been able to do Katon?"

"When Naruto-sama started asking everyone to learn elemental jutsu, you twonk," sighed Kankuro. "Which some people haven't started doing yet. Although I admit I haven't done much in the way of Doton jutsu" - for, having finally taken the chakra element test, Kankuro had discovered that, like his brother, he had an affinity towards the element of Earth - so I can't talk. Now come here." He held Kiba close, and the younger man buried his face in Kankuro's shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent. Kankuro murmured in his ear, "Wish me luck."

"Hope you don't get barbecued," said Kiba, and Kankuro burst out laughing.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Katon! Gokakyuu no Jutsu!"

"Katon! Choukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The sight of two great fireballs, one bigger than the other, greeted Kankuro as he emerged onto the roof of the Hokage building. He heard Shikamaru say, "Phew, that was close. Maybe I should take my glasses off," and Chouza say, "Yeah, that might be an idea." Channelling chakra into his feet, he took a giant leap towards where the other two jounin were training.

"Oh, it's you," said Shikamaru. "Hello."

"Is that any way to greet your beloved brother-in-law?" Kankuro laughed. He glanced at Chouza, who was leaning against one of the chimneys. The wandering ronin climbs to the top of the mountain, where lies the king's fortress, to speak with the old master and his companion, the wise young sage, Kankuro thought, going into his theatrical mode. He owes them a great debt, for it is by their machinations that he was able to carry the handsome prince of the tribe of dogs away to his country...

A huge hand was rapidly moving up and down in front of his face. "Hey. Anyone in there?" Chouza asked.

"Sorry, Akimichi-sama," said Kankuro. "Miles away." He cringed inwardly as he felt his face burning up.

"Which one of us have you come to see?"

"Both of you, actually," said Kankuro. "I guess you know why I've come." He got down on his knees, assumed the pose of supplication, and continued, "I want to thank you both. You've...you've really helped me and Kiba. I know it was probably hard for you, Chouza, since you probably don't approve, but thank you..."

"Excuse me?" Chouza interrupted. "Are you saying I have some kind of problem with gay people?"

"Yeah," Kankuro said, undaunted. "Since you're older and..." He broke off when he realised both men were staring at him, and picked himself up, brushing his legs down.

"Kankuro," Chouza said, with more than a hint of annoyance in his voice, "don't flatter yourself. I don't care. I'm an Elder and one of the two Jounin Commanders. I have better things to worry about than what you do in the bedroom."

"We're not like those idiots in Suna," added Shikamaru sternly. "We value your skills, Kankuro. If people have a problem with you or Tenten teaching their children, tough. It's intelligence and skill that matters first and foremost in this job. You know that yourself."

"Anyway," Chouza said, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got some chuunin to brief. Don't forget to thank Tsume, Kankuro. She's the one who started it, Izanagi love her." He grasped Kankuro's hand in his and shook it, nearly crushing the younger shinobi's fingers, and disappeared back into the building.

"C'mon, you," Shikamaru said, as Kankuro nursed his throbbing hand. "You're a Doton type, aren't you? Like my dad. Fancy coming to do some elemental training with me? I need an opponent who isn't Dad for a change. If I can get hold of Chouji or Ino, so much the better. Chouji's got his Fuuton jutsu nailed, but Ino's still getting to grips with her Suiton jutsu."

"Let me pick up my puppets first," Kankuro said, "and then I'll come down to your place."

"See you later, mate," said Shikamaru, waving briefly, before turning back to his Katon practice.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

When Kankuro finally got back to the Inuzuka compound after training with Shikamaru, he found Kiba sitting anxiously on the front step. He jumped up and exclaimed, "Where the hell have you been?"

"I went off to see Shikamaru and Chouza, and then I got caught up training with Shikamaru," Kankuro explained. "And I stopped off to buy a few...things. Apparently your mum's behind all this malarkey."

"Yeah," said Kiba. He smiled. "Those kids are mad. They're like a handful of puppies. I'm gonna miss them."

"She's a strange woman, your mum," sighed Kankuro, scratching his forehead. "But at least she's not scratching and biting me. Gods, she's worse than my sister."

"I dunno," said Kiba, "your sister has to be pretty fierce if she married Shikamaru. He's totally her bitch. I think it runs in the family."

"In our side, too," said Kankuro. He attached chakra strings to Kiba's arm. "I think this calls for a celebration."

Upstairs.

"Close your eyes," instructed Kankuro, and he fished around in the bag he normally used for ninja supplies, until he found what he was looking for: a small black box. "Alright, you can look now."

Kiba opened his eyes to find the older jounin kneeling down before him, his face upturned, his expression a mixture of solemnity and hope and love and nervousness, holding out an open box with a plain gold band embedded in it. Kiba's eyes opened wide.

Is he...

"Kiba Inuzuka, will you marry me?"

Kiba said something inaudible.

"What?"

"Yes!"

Kankuro placed the box on Kiba's desk, knelt down once again, and took Kiba's hand in his. He brushed it against his face and neck, and then rested his head against Kiba's chest, his chin on his lover's knees. Kiba stroked Kankuro's neck and hair.

I don't want this moment to end, he thought. If I could freeze time right now, I would. If only just so I could hold him for longer. His body against mine. Oh, Kankuro, my lovely Kankuro. Thank you...thank you...

Aloud, he said, "While you're down there..." and Kankuro lowered his head, took Kiba's erect cock in his mouth, and began to suck it gently, flicking his tongue around the tip.