Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Thanks to everyone for being patient with me as I re-work this story. This bit is all new and completely different from before, so if you catch any glaring mistakes, please let me know.

His nose itched and he could feel the warmth of sunlight on his skin. Slowly, Kiba opened his eyes, squinting from the brightness. The softness surrounding him made him suddenly aware that he did not know where he was. His ninja instincts caused him to shoot up in bed and take a quick survey of the room. It was his room, in his house, and though he was momentarily relieved he couldn't remember getting here. In fact…

Sasuke. The last thing he could remember was Sasuke being the typical ass he always was. So how did he go from being on the road to being tucked in (he glanced under the covers—he was in his pajamas! And clean!) and changed in his house? And, he had to admit, well rested, which meant he had been there for a while.

A knock at the door and a low growl brought him instantly back from his fronts. He knew that growl anywhere!

"Come in!"

The door opened and Akamaru bounded in and up on to his bed, covering his face with generous dog kisses. Kiba laughed hard and hugged his companion, burying his face in the clean and soft-scented fur. He realized then how much he had missed his dog, and regretted ever sending him away in the first place.

"K-Kiba?" Hinata stood in the doorway, hovering and waiting for an invitation in. Because of the pressures of the Hyuuga household, both Shino and Kiba had given her a key to their respective apartments. In return for their giving her a place to escape, she helped them keep their places clean and occasionally cooked them dinner.

"Come in, Hinata! I was so tired after the mission and dropping you off at home that I must have sleep-walked here. I don't remember any of the walk home or getting cleaned up!" Kiba was still joyfully scratching Akamaru behind the ears and playfully rolling the dog around on the bed—though Aka was big and this was no easy playing.

"W-w-well, a-actually…" Hinata was a bright red and looking at her shoes.

"I mean, I know I exchanged some words…"

"You d-didn't…he c-carried…"

"with that asshole…"

"Sasuke c-carr…"

At this point, Sasuke stepped into the room behind Hinata, causing Kiba's eyes to go wide.

"SASUKE?"

The other boy smirked at Kiba. He leaned on the doorframe and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you doing in my home?" Kiba was furious.

"I-I tried to t-tell you…" Hinata was taking her time spitting this out, and looking at what must have been a fascinating spot on the floor.

"This 'asshole,' as you say, carried your heavy ass all the way home after you so gracefully passed out in the middle of our, uh,'discussion'. If I had known that it was going to be too much for you, I would have left you alone. Instead, you dropped like a genin in his first battle and since I felt responsible, I carried you here, cleaned you up and stuck you in bed." Sasuke looked so damned pleased with himself, the glow in his eyes. Kiba hated the way the boy could keep his face impassionate and cold, yet let the dog boy know exactly what he was feeling.

It was a hard lump of information to digest. The mortification Kiba felt at passing out in front of the cold boy alone was enough to send him into missing-nin status for weeks, but more than that, it was that Sasuke had been in his home. In his room. Oh God, in his bathroom, helping him…to bathe? Sasuke. Sasuke had seen him naked. Had undressed him. Had washed his body. Sasuke had undressed him and seen him naked and oh my god. Kiba's face began to burn in shame. Sasuke had bathed him like an infant, and tucked him into bed, and now Kiba's wound from when he stabbed himself throbbed with a hint that Kiba might should have died when he stabbed himself years ago rather than go through being babied by that pompous jerk. Kiba suddenly found it hard to breathe and realized he was shaking.

"So… what are you doing here now, pervert? Come back to molest me in my sleep?" It was a cheap shot and he knew it, but he needed to gain some control in the situation—he couldn't let Sasuke have it all. Besides, the image of Sasuke stooped over his naked body in the tub was still playing over and over in his mind, and it made him feel terribly uncomfortable. Hinata's jaw dropped at Kiba's retort and her face flushed.

"Pervert? I would never molest you in a million years, dog boy. " Sasuke smirked at Kiba, but inside he was full of anger. How dare Kiba accuse him of something so…disgusting!

Kiba glanced at Hinata—poor girl, she looked so intimidated and out of place. Her hunched body looked like she was trying to disappear into the wall. For a moment, he wished he could join her.

"You would, too, Uchiha. After all, you obviously washed me while I was unconscious. How am I to know what you did and didn't do? I feel violated!"

"Baka, I didn't do anything except try and help you out. Obviously days without your dog have left you sexually unsatisfied and thinking crazy perverted thoughts. Don't think the village doesn't know what goes on in the Inuzuka clan with their pets. You dare to call me a pervert?"

No one in the room spoke. No one could believe Sasuke had gone there. It was true that there was a small joke around Konoha involving the 'closeness' of the Inuzuka clan with their pets, but no one actually thought it was serious. And no one ever said it to an Inuzuka'a face.

"I don't know what you are talking about Sasuke, but you just crossed a line, and I think it is time for us to take this outside." Kiba was seething with rage—he did not like arguing with Sasuke, but he was used to it. However, when anyone threw insults at Akamaru, Kiba's mind went a little crazy. No one insulted his dog and got away with it.

"Fine with me, though you may want to change out of your 'jammies' first. I'll be waiting." Sasuke turned and left.

Without a moment to lose, Kiba jerked off his pajamas, forgetting Hinata was in the room. She stared at his naked body for a second before covering her eyes, her face so red it looked like it might explode. Kiba didn't notice, just jerked on the first clothes he found. They were his mission clothes, and they stunk so much his eyes watered, but he was too angry to care. Once dressed, he rushed outside to meet Sasuke.

Outside, Kiba and Akamaru stood facing the Uchiha. Sasuke had his hands in his pockets. He was angry and looking forward to the sparring with Kiba.

Akamaru attacked Sasuke. The dog had grown, and his huge body moved fast. Sasuke dodged, and dodged again, but the attacks kept coming. He became so focused on Akamaru that he didn't notice Kiba moving to flank him. It wasn't until Sasuke turned and saw Kiba that he realized his guard was down. Kiba punched Sasuke in the face, sending the boy flying.

"You used chakra in your hand, Kiba! What the fuck is wrong with you?" The blow had surprised Sasuke. He knew Kiba was angry at him, but they were fellow shinobi. He thought they were just sparring, but the chakra punch was serious—Kiba was fighting.

"You take back what you said about Aka and me. To even imply we would do something…so awful…and you insulted my entire clan."

"Take back calling me perverted, then, asshole."

"I won't apologize! And it isn't fair, Sasuke, you insulting my clan—you don't even have a family I can insult!"

Sasuke's face was blank, but inside he went cold. He had been joking when he said the comment about the Inuzuka's, but he couldn't believe Kiba would bring up the Uchiha clan. The subject was taboo in Konoha for a reason, and the memories caused by Kiba's insult caused Sasuke to burn with pain and anger.

"How dare you bring up my family."

"Why, are you going to use it as a pity card? Should I go easy on you? God forbid I accidentally hurt the last 'special' Uchiha!"

It was too much. Disregarding the people around them that had come to watch the fight, Sasuke began to collect chakra at the bottoms of his feet. He used the energy, pulling it up and filling his hand with it. A chirping sound filled the air, like hundreds of birds. Sasuke was making the chidori.

Kiba's eyes went wide with fear. He had only seen chidori once, in the chuunin exam, but he knew that it could, and probably would, kill him. Instantly he wished he could take it all back, everything. He should have just thanked Sasuke for getting him home and being kind enough to clean him up. It was just the surprise and shame of finding out that the great Sasuke had helped him like he was an infant caught him off guard. Kiba had to think fast, or his life was about to end over a real stupid argument. Quickly, he reached in his pocket, just as Sasuke began to charge him.

Sasuke ran at Kiba, his eyes focused on the other boy's heart. He was almost there when an explosion went off, sending him flying backwards, the chidori still in his hand. He landed hard, so hard he could no longer control the chakra in his hand, and it exploded as well. A large, sweeping sphere of energy boomed out.

And then it was quiet.

When he woke up, Sasuke panicked. The impact of Kiba's exploding tag and his own chakra had demolished two nearby buildings. More importantly, Kiba could hear the groans of villagers as they too, woke up, recovering from the impact. Some of the groans were full of pain, and Sasuke knew citizens had been injured. He looked quickly around and realized Kiba and Akamaru had vanished.

Sasuke got up and began to run to the Hokage as members of ANBU began to show up to investigate.