Author's note: Not mine. No profit is being made. Thanks for all the feedback!

Enjoy.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Kiba was panting, sweat gleaming on his chest and arms as he stared at Naruto. Swallowing, he moved back, putting a little space between him and the smirking blonde in front of him. He moved a little to the left, but Naruto moved with him, not giving him any room.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Deciding to take a chance, Kiba twisted, slipped past Naruto and tried to line up a shot.

"Hah! Nice try!" Grinning, Naruto batted the basketball out of Kiba's hands and ran towards the middle of the court. Kiba ran after him, cursing under his breath. Before he could reach the blonde, Naruto had already aimed and fired from half-court.

The ball made a clean pass through the net.

"Five to zero, Dog Boy," Naruto catcalled. Kiba scowled as he retrieved the ball.

"Don't get cocky, Fox Face. I can still catch up," he stated, moving to half court so that he could check the ball to Naruto. When the ball was tossed back to him, he pinned Naruto with a dark glare. "You're too overconfident, Oh Mighty King of the Jocks."

"Overconfident? How else could I get the title?" Naruto grinned as he mirrored Kiba's movements. "I'll squash your mortal ass to the ground."

Kiba snorted. "We'll see." When Naruto's eyes flickered away, Kiba faked to the left, launched himself past Naruto's right and made for the net. Smirking, he prepared for a lay-up...

"Oi! Hinata! Over here!"

"Oh! H-Hello, Naruto. Kiba."

Hinata?

Distracted, Kiba's head swung towards the girl standing beside the court.

BANG!

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"...Ooo, that had to hurt."

Kiba stared at the stars wheeling about his vision, wondering why he was suddenly lying on his back and why his head and chest hurt like a mother. Soft footsteps ran over to him, and Hinata's concerned face appeared before him.

"Kiba! Are you all right?"

He blinked up at her in confusion before it finally dawned on him that he'd just run smack into the pole and knocked himself out. In front of her.

Dammit... Blushing, Kiba sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"I-I'm fine, Hinata. Really."

Naruto walked over and picked up the basketball, resting it on his hip. He tipped his head to the side, an expression torn between concern and amusement on his face.

"You know, I've never seen someone run full force into a basketball pole before." His lips twitched. "You ok?"

"I'm fine," he ground out, rising to his feet and brushing himself off. "I just got distracted."

Coughing into his palm to hide his laughter, Naruto turned to Hinata. "So, Hinata, what've you been up to, lately? I haven't seen you around much."

Kiba frowned as the girl immediately blushed and stuttered under the blonde's gaze. His mood soured.

Dammit, Naruto, why do you have to get her, too? Turning away, he slipped his hands into his pockets and glowered at the blacktop. For as long as he could remember, Hinata'd had a crush on Naruto.

And, for as long as he could remember, Naruto had ignored it.

He wondered if part of it was because Naruto knew how Kiba felt about the girl, or if the real reason was that Naruto had simply chosen not to notice her feelings. Either was entirely possible. Kiba scowled. But still! He never discourages her, so every time I see her, she always goes right up to him.

Lost in his thoughts, Kiba didn't notice Naruto leaning forward and whispering in Hinata's ear.

I wonder what it'll take to get her to notice me... Kiba mused. I'm not exactly a weight-lifting kind of guy, so that's out...

"Um, Kiba?"

"Huh?" Blinking, he glanced up at the girl before him. A light blush on her cheeks, she twiddled her fingers.

"Naruto said that I should check up on your injuries." She gazed at him. "Are you hurt?"

A light blush on his cheeks, Kiba glanced over at Naruto. The blonde grinned at him and flashed him a thumbs up, mouthing the words, "Go for it!"

"...Well, I guess I do hurt a little..." Kiba conceded, turning back to Hinata.

Smiling, Hinata took his arm. "Then we should get you patched up."

As she led him away, Kiba glanced back at Naruto, who was walking away while whistling to himself. After a moment, Kiba smirked.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Thanks.

Deciding it was far too nice a day out to go inside (or go to class, for that matter), Naruto picked a quiet hill within sight of the court and lay down in the grass, arms folded under his head. He closed his eyes, basking in the sun and listening to the birds that chirped in nearby trees.

Yup. Waaay too nice out for class.

As he lay there, he started dozing off. The cool grass was soothing against his still-sweaty skin, and a nice little breeze decided to come play with his hair.

Just before he managed to fall asleep, he felt someone approach him and come to a stop beside him. Naruto peeled one blue eye open.

"...Neji?" Blinking, Naruto stared up at the boy's solemn face. "What are you doing here?"

The boy hesitated. "May I sit down?"

Naruto sat up. "Yeah, sure." He stared at Neji's troubled face as the boy took a seat beside him. "I'm guessing you came to talk to me about Monday?"

Neji was quiet for a long moment. "...Did I offend you?"

"The last time I answered that, you jumped me."

Neji winced lightly. "I'm...sorry. I was only hearing what I wanted to hear." The proud Hyuuga steadfastly stared straight ahead. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

Naruto sighed. "Look, Neji...it's not that I don't find you attractive or anything, but I just...I've never seen you that way. You've always been a buddy to me." He smirked. "Well, first you were an asshole, then you were a buddy."

Neji finally turned to look at him. "Is a friend all that I can be to you?"

"...I'd prefer it that way." Naruto watched with a light frown on his face as Neji turned to stare off into the distance. I hate to do this, but I can't have him thinking that there's a chance between us.

After a long silence, Neji spoke. "Before the concert, you said that you owed me a favor." He glanced at Naruto, his face unreadable. "Do you remember?"

"...Yes..." Naruto replied slowly. "What about it?"

"I've thought of a way for you to repay it." Neji gave a small smile at the wary look that immediately sprung onto Naruto's face. "Relax, I'm not going to ask for anything drastic."

Naruto tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowed. "Then what do you want?"

"A chance."

"...Huh?"

Neji kept his small smile. "I want a chance to convince you that there could be something between us." At the mildly blank expression Naruto gave him, Neji continued in a lightly amused voice, "I want to court you, Naruto."

Naruto frowned. "But I already told you—"

"That you don't see me that way. All I want is the chance to make you see me in a new light." He looked away, his expression tensing. "I don't think I can give up on you without a fight."

Naruto glanced away, his frown increasing. "That sounds like I'll be leading you on."

"It would be leading me on if I didn't know your position in the matter. I already know I'll be fighting an uphill battle." He returned his intense gaze to the blonde beside him. "Can you really blame me for wanting to try?"

Naruto snorted. "I'd be a hypocrite if I did." He hesitated, then sighed. "I really think it's a bad idea, Neji."

"Please, humor me." The slight smile returned. "You do owe me that favor, after all."

Naruto gave him a sour look for that. Like I knew that this would be the outcome when I said it. He grimaced. Urg, Sasuke's going to kill me for this...

"Alright, fine," he grudgingly agreed. When Neji's face began to brighten, he lifted a finger. "But with two conditions."

Neji lifted an eyebrow. "And they are?"

"No kissing me unless I start it, and when I say you're done, you stop trying to ask me out. Deal?"

Neji relaxed, his expression thoughtful. "Deal."

Satisfied that Neji wouldn't try anything, Naruto leaned back on the grass. "I wouldn't get my hopes up, though, Neji. I'm a tough nut to crack."

"Is that so?" Neji gave him a small smirk. "I happen to be up to the task."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "Just try it, Eye Boy."

Neji huffed lightly, looking away. "Don't call me that."

"Whatcha gonna do about it?" Hooking his thumbs in the corners of his mouth, Naruto made a face. "Eye boy!"

Neji narrowed his eyes at him. "I said, don't call me that."

"Eye boy! Eye boy!"

A few minutes later, Naruto was struggling to get out of a headlock, laughter haltingly escaping from his lips.

"Dammit...Leggo!" He clawed at Neji's arm, aware that he was being watched with a mildly triumphant expression. "Let go of me, Eye Boy!"

The arm tightened. "What was that?"

Choking, Naruto managed to squeeze out another "Eye...Boy!"

Tsk-ing lightly, Neji managed to flip Naruto onto his back and pin him to the ground, arms held over his head. Naruto blinked up at him, then smirked.

"I didn't know you liked wrestling, Neji."

"I didn't know you liked to lose, Uzumaki."

"Hey! Take that back!" Growling at the smug look Neji gave him, Naruto kicked his legs out and scissored them, flipping the two of them over. He mimicked Neji's earlier hold on him, smirking. "Take it back."

Neji simply gave him a cool look. "Only if you take back the 'Eye' comment."

"No way! In case you haven't noticed," he stuck his tongue out, "I happen to be on top."

"Mm. That's true." Twisting his wrists, Neji managed to slip his arms free, wrap them about Naruto's shoulders, and throw the boy down to the ground beside him. He slid one leg over Naruto's and hooked it underneath, successfully pinning him to the ground.

"Now you're not."

"Dammit!"

Determined to win (it was always bad when Naruto's competitive streak was activated), Naruto squirmed in Neji's hold. He managed to slip partly free, snagged Neji's collar, and pulled the other boy's face into the dirt.

"How d'ya like that, Neji?"

In response, Neji pried his head free and smirked at Naruto.

"Of course, you know," he stated in a deadly serious voice, "this means war."

Mildly wondering if the sunlight blaring down on him was going to give him a sunburn, Sasuke made his way over the fields in the middle of campus to cut down on his time between classes. He passed Hinata and Kiba, sparing them a mild glance. They were chatting animatedly while the girl wrapped some gauze about Kiba's elbow.

Watching the two of them made him think about his upcoming weekend with Naruto. Wondering vaguely if it would sport any occasions like the one he'd just witnessed (hopefully without the bandages), Sasuke walked across the basketball court. A few people cutting across the fields in the opposite direction passed him, but one person caught his eye.

"Gaara." The name passed from his lips before he was even aware of it, distaste coloring his voice. The redhead came to a stop beside him, his gaze impassive.

"Uchiha." He stared for a long moment before a vague look of curiosity crossed his face. "Did you need something, or did you just feel the need to say my name?"

Sasuke frowned. "I have nothing to say to you, Gaara."

"Then don't say my name." With that, he started to walk past Sasuke, but he paused. "You saw us at the ice cream parlor."

Sasuke stared at him, caught off guard. "...Yes, I did."

Gaara turned to face him, a dark smile on his face. "You were jealous, weren't you?"

It wasn't a question.

Sasuke resisted the urge to smack that smile off Gaara's face, instead planting one on his own.

"No, because he told me himself that it wasn't a date. I'd say you struck out." Relishing the way Gaara's smile melted into a frown, Sasuke added, "And besides, I'm going home with him this weekend. Why on earth would I be jealous of you?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "I told you to stay away from him, Uchiha."

"I told you not to give me orders."

Gaara's shoulders tensed, but just as he seemed to be ready to make a move, his eyes flickered to the far right. His entire body stiffened, and his eyes darkened to a level even Sasuke had never seen before. Confused, Sasuke warily turned to see what the redhead was looking at.

Over on a hill not too far away from the court he was standing on, Naruto and Neji were tangled in a heap of limbs. They appeared to be wrestling...or something similar to it...but regardless, it meant that Neji currently had his hands all over HIS Naruto...again.

Their feud forgotten, both Gaara and Sasuke stormed towards the pair.

Before they got there, Naruto kicked Neji off him, said something about having to go (did he say "Eye Boy"?), and trotted off in the opposite direction. An amused smirk on his face, Neji picked himself up off the ground.

That's when the two fuming boys reached him.

His eye twitching lightly, Sasuke stepped up to him.

"What...the fuck were you doing with him?"

Neji turned to look at them, mildly surprised to see both Gaara and Sasuke glaring at him with fire dancing in their eyes. He smirked.

"Just having a little tumble." His smile grew at the looks on their faces. "Something wrong with that?"

"Nothing at all." With that, Sasuke stepped forward and gripped Neji's shirt in his fist, pushing his face close to the slightly taller Hyuuga's. "Don't. Touch. Him. Again."

"I believe that's up to Naruto, not you." He replied calmly. His gaze flickered over to the redhead, who until now had remained silent. Frankly, that made him more uneasy than the bristling Uchiha in front of him.

"Why you..." Sasuke ground out. "If you come near him again, Hyuuga, I'll—"

"He's right."

Both of them turned to blink in surprise at Gaara, who suddenly looked suspiciously calm, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"It is up to Naruto who he chooses." He paused for a long moment as the other two stared at him. "That said, I propose a wager."

Hesitantly, Sasuke released Neji's shirt and stepped away, turning to face Gaara.

"What kind of wager?"

"A test to see who Naruto truly has feelings for." A small, enigmatic smirk settled onto his face. "It occurs to me that even if we beat the crap out of each other, which I wouldn't mind, it will not guarantee the boy's affection."

Even Neji's interest was caught. "Your point?"

"If we are going to vie for his affection, I suggest a rule. No one is allowed to kiss him." At the surprised blinks they gave him, Gaara's smirk twitched. "The first person he kisses of his own accord wins. The other two have to back off."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What's your motivation in this? I don't buy the idea that you're only looking out for Naruto's best interest."

"No." Gaara's reply came easily, and the boy's face melted into a mask of disgust and hatred. "But I won't stand for either of you sticking your tongues down his throat anymore."

They both started.

"You—"

"How did you—"

Gaara's nose wrinkled lightly, his eyes burning. "You just confirmed my suspicions. So, to prevent turning Naruto into a whore," he ignored the outraged looks on the other two boys' faces, "I suggest that we stick to the wager. Otherwise..."

His expression darkened, bloodlust painted clearly upon his features.

"I will hunt you both down and kill you in your sleep."

The other two stared at Gaara for a long moment, then glanced at each other. Their thoughts paralleled each other.

Well, I guess so long as he doesn't get to touch him...

"Alright," Neji agreed. "We'll see who can get Naruto to kiss him first."

Reluctantly, Sasuke agreed as well. That makes this weekend even more important. If I can get Naruto to kiss me, I can be permanently assured that these two will stay away from him. He smirked. I'll get him to kiss me if it's the last thing I do.

Unbeknownst to him, Neji was thanking his good fortune. Since he already had a no-kissing stipulation placed on him, having the other two under similar restrictions definitely worked out to his advantage. Because of this, Neji smiled.

Gaara glared at the two of them. "Then we're agreed. No one touches Naruto. And if one of you does, the other two of us are free to destroy you."

Sasuke folded his arms over his chest and lifted an eyebrow. "You make it sound like you're entirely trustworthy. Are you accusing us of possibly breaking the wager?"

The redhead let out a very un-Gaara-like snort. "Do you really think I trust either of you to hold to it?"

Sasuke smirked. "That goes for me as well."

Neji smirked as well. "I suggest we swear on it. Regardless of anything else, we are men of our word."

With daunting glares all around, the three rivals swore on the wager.

Cue the dramatic music and lightning.

As if sensing the evil auras rising from the three boys, Kiba glanced over his shoulder at the grassy hill they were standing on. He frowned at them, the sudden image of three snarling, foaming-at-the-mouth Dobermans crossing his mind.

"Kiba? Is something the matter?"

After a moment's hesitation, he turned back to the girl in front of him and smiled.

"No, nothing. Just a bad feeling." Kiba suppressed a shudder at the second image of the three Dobermans pulling Naruto apart.

"...Yeah. Just a feeling."

In his late afternoon class, Naruto snored softly, his head on his desk and a small stream of drool pooling on his notebook. He normally just took a light nap in this class (economics. Boooooriiiiing.), but this time he'd fallen soundly asleep...

Naruto suddenly found himself surrounded by darkness, the howls of wild animals echoing about him. Frowning, he looked around.

"How the hell did I get here?" he wondered aloud. Taking a few steps forward (which didn't make any real change so far as he could tell), Naruto tried to get his bearings.

"Ok, dark, creepy place, odd noises around me." He glowered at his feet and the unseen ground he was standing upon. "Next should be the chilling mist."

As if waiting for the invitation, freezing cold mist wafted up and curled about his ankles, obscuring his view even further. Naruto sighed.

"Yup. I'm dreaming." A glower on his face, he folded his arms over his chest. "Well, then, let's get this over with."

"Narutooooo..."

He lifted a brow at the low voice that hissed his name. Turning to his left, he saw a pair of blood-red eyes appear above him. Slightly unnerved, he took a step back.

"Naruto."

Another voice sounded behind him, sharp and clear. Spinning around, he saw a pair of pale, white eyes appear before him.

"Ok, getting creeped out now..." Lifting his hands and keeping both pairs of eyes in sight, he started to step back.

"Narrrruto."

That one was a definite growl. Swallowing, the blonde glanced over his shoulder at the pair of blue eyes that appeared behind him. He smiled weakly.

"Um, yes?"

The three eyes moved forward, revealing the creatures they belonged to: a tremendous black snake, an off-white hawk, and a red and tan badger. Their gazes locked on him, all three moved closer.

Naruto chuckled weakly, looking around for an escape route. "Hey, look, not that this isn't charming and all, but I think I'll just leave you guys alone. Later!"

Just as he tried to make a run for it, the three struck.

Naruto cried out as he found himself on his back, snake fangs digging into his left shoulder, talons digging into his right, and badger teeth enclosed firmly about his ankles. Pain shot through him as all three tugged violently.

"Stop! Stop it!" he gasped, struggling to free himself. "That hurts! Stop it!"

None of them listened to him.

As they continued to fight over him, a sudden wave of anger shot through him. Why the hell don't I have any say in this? Who said they could just fight over me, huh? I sure as hell didn't!

Scowling, he tugged harder at their hold on him. "I said, let go!" They still didn't listen. "Get off me!"

Nothing.

Shaking angrily, Naruto's eyes turned red and his pupils became slitted.

"I...said...OFF!"

With those words, a monstrous red fox with nine tails appeared above him. The snake, hawk and badger immediately released him and backed up, staring in fear at the new beast, but it was too late. Letting out a roar of fury, the fox let loose with its nine tails...

...And pummeled them into oblivion.

Naruto jumped awake, sitting straight up in class. His eyes were wide as saucers.

That was, without a doubt, the strangest dream I've ever had. He frowned worriedly. I wonder what it meant...

Opening his notebook, Naruto began relating the details of his dream. Once he finished, he sat back.

It looks like I'm going to have to kick someone's ass eventually. He mulled that over for a long moment, an uneasy frown on his face.

He closed his notebook and leaned forward, his eyebrows furrowing. His mind wandered off again as the teacher spoke, the dream's imagery circling in his thoughts.

"I just hope..." he mumbled, making a fist and looking at it.

"I just hope it doesn't happen soon."

Author's note: Next up, Homeward Bound. And fyi, Sasuke and Gaara are 5'11", Neji is 6', and Naruto is 6'2". Sasuke isn't a small guy, but compared to Naruto he is. ^_^ Criticism kudasai!