Believe it or not, that's how it began.

The next week was mostly interrogations for both of them - for Kiba, it was how and why he ended up in Root in the first place.

Not that he was in trouble, but damned if the village was cocky enough to be embarrassed that a chunnin infiltrated their greatest secret.

For Neji, it was the same question - only with more severe consequences for a wrong answer.

It ended up being some kind of extreme misunderstanding between Hiashi and Root - apparently, they had been told that Hyuuga Neji was planning on assassinating the Hokage. A sad and sorry excuse, as well as a nearly impossible reason for any orginazation to act out on their own without ANBU captain support.

But when asked about this, Neji shook his head - stating that he would never kill the Hokage. He had, in fact, threatened his own uncle that morning; if it was any consolation and NOT his own Hokage. "Funny how you might hear this foolishness from someone who wanted the position so very badly, isn't it?"

When Ibiki realized that he wasn't being taken seriously, he sent the Hyuuga home.

Neji never went home, of course.

He wanted retaliation for this humiliation - and there was one very easy way to get it, without getting himself into more trouble

-------

"...You want to do what, now?"

Kiba was dumbstruck, standing with one hand on the frame of his apartment door for support.

Neji had come right out with it.

"I would like to explore the relationship we discovered, in the tunnel."

".....You want to do what, now?"

"I shouldn't have to repeat myself, Inuzuka."

Kiba laughed, more a nervous chuckle than anything.

"So let me get this straight - you want me to....beat the shit out of you?"

"No no, Inuzuka - I want you to," he paused to clear his throat. "I would like for you to come on to me."

Kiba died a little. Right then.

His skin turned three shades of red, and he choked on nothing in particular.

"Are you even gay?!"

"That's not really the point here. This has nothing to do with you and I."

"Actually I think it has a LOT to do with us. I think it has everything to do with us!"

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"I am trying to make this as painless as possible."

Kiba shrugged, turning to face his door frame again. Painless as possible? The fucker was acting like this was some kind of chore. "Go ahead."

Again, Neji cleared his throat.

"Our families would never be caught dead associating with each other."

"Yeah, I guess - you're family's kinda- "

"Anyway. Right now, I would like nothing more than to, well." He was digging for the right words.

Kiba decided to help.

"Embarrass the living shit out of your uncle for what happened to you? And you figure there's no better way than to fuck someone he thinks is dirt. Right, asshole?"

Neji smiled. "Precisely."

There was an uneasy silence, which lasted about 5 seconds before Kiba turned sideways and extended an arm. "Step into my office, Neji."

-----------

It went on like that for about a month.

And true to Neji's plan, Hiashi even had a hard time passing by the Inuzuka compound without cringing anymore.

What with his brother's only son walking between the two clans smelling like dead animal,

and covered with secondhand face-paint. It was just disgraceful!

Not to mention one of the most disgusting things he had ever seen.

And Neji wouldn't have had it any other way. To tell the truth, neither would Kiba - Neji was nothing like he had expected.

No no, he had expected a self righteous, prissy little son of a bitch with a tight ass and a big fucking mouth.

He did have a big fucking mouth, but behind closed doors Neji was more delicate than anything. Maybe that had something to do with Kiba's constant need to be near him.

Neji had expected a mindless, bull-headed animal in man's clothing - and was pleasantly surprised when Kiba turned out to be more down to Earth (if not a little more stubborn) than he had thought.

Nobody else knew about their plan; not that suspicions weren't abundant. Most of Konoha had caught onto Neji's scorn, but for Kiba to participate seemed too farfetched for most everybody who knew him.

Kiba, above anything else, hated being anybody's lap dog.

Things became especially hard for Kiba's friendship with Shino - who had no particular problem with Neji,

but hated the idea that the Hyuuga might be using his team mate.

Not to mention the way he had humiliated Hinata during the Chuunin exams.

"Aint you ever gonna let that go, Shino?"

"Have you, Kiba?"

"Well...no actually, not really. But it's not like he's our enemy - he's shinobi, just like the rest of us."

Shino was quiet.

"Kiba....what's going on? This isn't like you."

And Kiba smiled, because secrets were kinda fun when you played 'em right. "You have no idea, Shino. No idea."

In reality, Kiba was more in control of the whole mess than even Neji wanted to admit.

And to prove it, he decided it was time to take Neji out with a group of old friends.