Birds of a Feather

"Ah, sorry man, I don't know what's gotten into him – down Akamaru!" Kiba dragged his full-sized dog off the elder man, grinning sheepishly. "I, um, think he likes you?"

"I'm used to it." Sirius said, sighing. "I have a bit of a… canine streak to me." He explained.

Kiba listened to Akamaru's muttered growls, then sniffed the air. "No offence, but you smell like a dog." At Sirius's look, he hurriedly continued "Don't worry, I do too! I can even transform into a half-dog, sometimes."

"You're an animagus?" Sirius looked at the young boy in surprise.

"Nope, a shinobi. What's an ani-animaggie?"

"Animagus. It means that you can transform into an animal." Sirius looked at Kiba with new interest. "But I thought I was the only dog one around."

"You can turn into a dog too?" Akamaru eyes Sirius's leg with longing. "A very large, handsome dog who is probably hung like – Akamaru, shut up!" Kiba flushed bright pink, which clashed horribly with his tattoos.

"Yeah," Sirius kept Akamaru at bay with his foot. "but it means you get stuff like this happening all the time. The combination of human and dog seems to send most mutts absolutely nuts. And… well… there have been one or two incidents where the dog brain…"

"Did one or two things that resulted in puppies?" Kiba finished his sentence with a grimace. "Trust me, it's happened. Well, with me I just jumped my team-mate, but part of me wishes I'd gone after my sister's dog instead. At least the next day would have been easier."

"Do you get the doggy-hangover as well?" Sirius asked, as they walked further into the forest.

"Where I still think like a dog for hours afterwards? Hell yeah." Kiba sighed, kicking at a rock. "Shino, he's my other team-mate and keeps trying to act like the leader, says it's just me returning to my true form. Like he's one to talk, the bug boy."

"But we have the best survival skills." Sirius reminded Kiba. "Dogs can go where almost no other animal can. That's what's kept me alive these past few years." Pack instinct was already well on the way to making these two best friends.

"Yeah," Kiba grinned, "screw a few side effects, dogs are still the best." He patted Akamaru.

Sirius smiled, and was about the say something when his foot caught on a stick, kicking it down the path. For one moment Kiba, Akamaru and Sirius froze in place. Then…

"MINE!"