Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Wow, I've been very pleased with the reviews I've been getting. And I agree with whoever said that the past two chapters weren't very strong—transitioning is hard. Hopefully I will be able to pick it up from here.

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"Do you always have to be so damned angsty all of the time?"

It was their third fight that week. This time it was over the fact that Kiba had been summoned to the Inuzuka household.

"It isn't that I'm angsty…I just don't want you to break from you clan for me! I'm not worth it, Kiba. The boy who almost killed you isn't worth you breaking hundreds of years of tradition. I'm just asking for you to not be so rash!"

"Rash? For god's sake, I love you! Doing what I need to do to be with you is not acting rash!"

"That's just it—I don't think you should need to do this." Sasuke turned away—he hated looking at Kiba when the boy was this angry. Kiba's face softened and he walked over to his boyfriend. Placing a hand around Sasuke's waist, Kiba pulled him close, nuzzling his neck.

"Sasu…I know you still feel guilt. You'll probably feel it forever—though you shouldn't—and I understand what you are saying. But please listen to me. You are worth it. You are worth losing my family. If I had to stop being a ninja for you, I would. I would do anything to keep you, to love you. So don't tell me to give you up just because you seem to not know how much I love you—that is unacceptable."

Sasuke slumped in Kiba's arms, defeated. He leaned back, resting his head on the other boy's strong shoulders. It would be a lie for him to say he wasn't happy—how could he not be after that? But he was still distressed. He didn't know if he could handle the guilt of their past as well as the guilt of breaking up a powerful clan. Sighing, Sasuke didn't think there would ever be a solution to his problems.

"Now what are you sighing about?"

"I think you should go and talk to your family and at least hear what they have to say. Go for me, please?"

"I will go for you. Besides, if I am to break from the clan, I will need to speak with them about going to Tsunade. What is it that Shikamaru always says?"

"Troublesome?"

"Yeah! This whole thing is so troublesome."

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Sasuke was edgy. Because everything was happening in a whirlwind fashion, he was disoriented. Having spent his entire life cool and calm, with plans and goals, this new situation had him completely thrown. Kiba was gone, and Sasuke hoped it was going well. It hurt him that he could only see a double-edged sword—if Kiba were to stay with his clan, Sasuke thought the loss of his love might drive him insane. But if Kiba stayed with him, Sasuke would have the end of a clan on his hands. Both outcomes seemed overwhelming and unavoidable to him.

It was time to get organized. He would never know how to handle the future if he couldn't gain control of his life. Besides, although Kiba had been joking, it hurt Sasuke to think that the other boy might think he was too full of angst and depressed all of the time.

Where to start was an interesting question—Sasuke wasn't used to having so many thoughts to sort through. He went and got a piece of paper and a pen. After he had them, he sat down on his couch and closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

The first thing he wrote down was that he loved Kiba. Seeing the words on paper filled him with joy, so he knew that was an irrefutable fact. From that sentence he drew two lines—one for all the good things that came from his love and one for all the bad. Sasuke decided to do the good side first because, though it made him sad to admit it, it was harder.

Number one: I am happy, really happy, for the first time in years. I am also in love for the first time ever.

Number Two: Naruto approves. With his and Kiba's acceptance, other ninjas won't see me as a monster anymore.

That was as far as he could get. He moved to the bad side.

Number one: I am farther from my goal of killing Itachi.

Number two: Kiba could get hurt by Itachi.

Number three: I could hurt and kill Kiba by accident.

Number four: If I don't kill Itachi, my destiny as the Avenger will go unfulfilled.

Numberfive: Kiba and I cannot have children, so I cannot revive my clan with him.

The last one hit at his heart. He hadn't even thought of that before, but there it was, scrawled out on the paper. He couldn't revive his clan. And the other four…no matter how in love he was, Sasuke could never give up his goal of revenging his clan. If he stayed with Kiba, he couldn't see how revenge would be possible. Kiba would be…holding him back. Sasuke's heart was breaking for what felt like the millionth time. As much as he wanted to disagree, to refuse…he couldn't deny the list. It was organized and now that he had control over his thoughts, he realized that he could never be happy until Itachi was gone. He didn't deserve to be happy until he had put is brother in a grave.

And Kiba was gone, about to throw away his title and family for a relationship that couldn't be. Panicked, Sasuke threw his list in his pocket and ran out the door. He had to get to the Inuzuka household before Kiba made the biggest mistake of his life.

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Out of breath, Sasuke pounded on the front door. He was scared of the reaction he would get, but it was more important he save Kiba than worry about his own safety.

No one was answering. They were probably all in a conference room, Kiba's parents crying, his sister angry and Kiba unaware of the mistake he had made, all over Sasuke. This image gave Sasuke courage, and he opened the door, entering the Inuzuka household.

"Hello?" There was no one he could see in the hallway.

Jogging, Sasuke looked in rooms as he moved through the house. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

The only thing he could hear was his own voice and the sound of his sandals on the tiled floor. Searching his memory, Sasuke remembered a large room they had passed on the other side of the household when they picked up Akamaru. Sprinting, Sasuke prayed he would make it there in time.

When he arrived, the huge oak doors were shut. Pressing his ear against the door, he listened. There was a murmur of voices but Sasuke couldn't tell the tone. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he burst through the doors.

"Kiba, don't break from your clan!"

A host of feral eyes turned to him. The room was huge and there were easily thirty adults sitting around, all with their eyes on Sasuke. Kiba was to his left, looking startled but not quite so shocked as the rest of his family. Sasuke ran over and knelt before his beautiful boyfriend, saying it again, softer. "Kiba, don't break from your clan… please."

"Ok."

The word hit Sasuke like a hammer. Although it was what he had come there to hear, something inside of him had hoped for more of a fight. Kiba had just agreed so nonchalantly, causing Sasuke's insides to twist with grief.

"W-what?"

"OK, I won't break from my clan."

By this time, Sasuke's face was white as a sheet. He felt as if all of his blood was leaking out him onto the rug he was kneeling on and he would die of a broken heart.

"Oh…ok." Steeling himself, he prepared to stand up and leave, but Kiba caught his wrist.

"Where are you going, baka?"

"Well, uh… you are staying with your family, so…I should leave."

Instead of letting him go, Kiba pulled Sasuke into him, hard, hugging the boy. They fell onto the floor and Sasuke could hear Kiba's deep roaring laugh in his ears. It was then, as he was struggling to get some balance, to push away from the strong arms encircled around him, that he heard other laughs, too. Kiba's family were all laughing.

Breaking away from the Inuzuka's embrace, Sasuke looked around. Instead of seeing faces twisted with hate, he saw loving and compassionate smiles.

"W-what's going on?"

Kiba stood up, slipping an arm around Sasuke's waist, facing the boy. He looked intensely into Sasuke's dark onyx orbs.

"Sasu—did you think I would give you up so easily after all I said to you?"

"But you just said you were staying—"

"Because I am staying with my clan."

"But then how are you going to be—"

"Because they accept you. They accept us."

Sasuke was floored, unable to move. His eyes moved from his lover's sweeping the room. Kiba hadn't been lying—in every face he saw, he saw acceptance. It was Kiba's sister who spoke then.

"My little brother has explained what happened. I will admit, it is still hard to know you almost killed him, but…it wasn't him you were killing. It was your brother. Everyone here knows at least a little of what Itachi did, and so your hate for your brother is perfectly understandable. And if Kiba trusts you enough to be with you so completely, then we have to trust Kiba's decision. After all, he has incredible animal instinct." She winked after this last statement.

Mouth slightly open from shock, Sasuke couldn't say anything. But as he stood there, each aunt and uncle of Kiba's family stood up, walked over and hugged him before they left the room, literally showing him just how accepting they were. They were welcoming him into the clan.

Kiba's mother was last. She hugged him and paused to whisper in his ear.

"Now that I know, I am honored to have an Uchiha join our clan. Treat my son well, I beg you."

She kissed his cheek and left, leaving him standing, still paralyzed with shock.

"So, Uchiha…what were you running in here all panicked for?"

Sasuke turned to Kiba. His emotions were welling up—he hadn't felt so loved in a long time, and he had to fight to remain his calm, normal self. But he wasn't fooling Kiba's sharp eyes.

"Hey, Sasuke, what is the matter?"

"I…I don't know what to say…"

"Say you are happy. Say this is what you want."

"I am happy…and I do want this, but—"

"No. No 'buts.' You are happy and you want this, and so do I. That is enough."

Sasuke embraced Kiba, kissing him hard. The torment in him raged and he took it out on his lover's mouth, brutally lashing his tongue and teeth. The kiss was urgent and painful, and Kiba succumbed to it, allowing his lips to be accosted. As they became more heated, Sasuke began to move his hands, touching Kiba's body, forcing the boy to break off the kiss.

Panting, Kiba stared lustfully into Sasuke's eyes.

"Sasu, remember where we are. Let's take this home. To our home."

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Fingertips dragged lazily over skin after the one of the hardest, roughest fucks Kiba could remember. Sasuke had been like an animal, needy and desperate. He had taken Kiba twice, long and fast, crying out Kiba's name the whole time. And while the sex had been good…hell, it had been incredible, Kiba was worried about what fueled the groping and rough Sasuke.

"Sasuke, why did you come to the clan household?"

Rolling over to face his boyfriend, Sasuke's face was in a grimace. Kiba filled with worry.

"I was going to tell you not to break from the clan."

"No kidding. I mean why did you want me to not break so desperately?"

Sasuke reached a hand out and stroked Kiba's cheek. The boy hadn't shaved in a couple of days and the Uchiha enjoyed the rough feeling on his palm. The caress was filled with love, but Kiba knew the sadness behind it.

"I…came to…" But he couldn't finish the sentence. Sasuke looked away.

"To break up with me."

As per usual, Kiba hit the nail on the head. The boy always seemed to know exactly what Sasuke was thinking.

"Yes."

Kiba pulled away from Sasuke's touch and rolled on to his back, staring at the ceiling.

"Kiba?"

But Kiba didn't say anything, so Sasuke scooted closer. Propping his head on one hand, he stared down at his boyfriend's beautiful face.

"Kiba."

"Sasuke…I need to know how many times we are going to go through this song and dance. How many times are we going to have this talk, where you aren't sure and I remind you that I am not leaving, and then we resolve things until you decide you aren't sure again. I mean, what makes you doubt me so much? What can I do to prove myself to you?"

"Oh Kiba…you don't have to prove yourself to me. I don't doubt you at all."

"Then why the hell do you keep doing this?" Kiba sat up, pulling his knees into his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

Sasuke sat up, too, facing his distressed lover.

"This is hard for me too, you know—"

"Then stop fucking trying to break up with me!"

"But we have to, Kiba."

"For fuck's sake, WHY? You said you were happy and that you wanted this! What could possibly be more important than that?"

"Vengeance."

Kiba stared at Sasuke, studying the boy's face. The Uchiha was dead serious.

"Vengeance…Itachi?" It was barely a whisper as Kiba fought back his tears.

"Hai. It is my destiny to kill my brother. And any happiness, any love I find…is only secondary and getting in my way. I can't have love or happiness until I fulfill my fate—until Itachi is dead."

"Or until you are dead."

"If that is the way it is meant to be."

"And you don't think we are meant to be? Something has brought us together, and you know it! We were never in the same groups, never had contact—there is no reason we should be in love and together, and yet here we are!"

"Kiba…please don't make this any harder than it already is. I don't know if fate brought us together. But I know that my future is with Itachi, and I can't have you getting hurt…or holding me back."

Kiba recoiled as if he had been punched. He might has well have been. Those words had cut him, causing him to bleed inside. He loved Sasuke so much and couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Is vengeance so important, so necessary to you?"

Sasuke stared at him in horror. How could Kiba say such a thing?

"Of course it is? You weren't there! You don't know what it has been like for me! I knew it… I knew you could never understand it…there is so much pain and sorrow and…and hate. You can't understand why I need to do this so much."

"Then show me so I can understand, because I need to know if I am going to let this happen."

Sasuke looked away, rubbing his face with his hands. Why couldn't Kiba let it go? Why was he making this so much harder than it already was?

"I can't show you the pain…"

"Yes, you can."

Sasuke looked at the Inuzuka incredulously.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The Mangekyou."

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A/N: Done! Again, just a first draft. I think I will probably go back and clean things up after I finish the story. Hope the mistakes don't bother anyone too much. Anyway, thanks again to everyone reading my fic, and I hope you are still enjoying it!