"Shit," he was breathing heavily, the sweat dripping into his eyes. He reached up with a tattered sleeve and wiped his brow. "Just how many of them are there?"

Neji told me ten! That, and he had anticipated having Sai by his side as well.

I'm gonna kill that fuckin' Hyuuga if he isn't already dead! his thoughts turned dark.

He glanced around him—the duo had managed to heavily maim or kill at least a half dozen of the Kumo-nin. But, there were still at least that many slowly edging toward him, hoping to take him by surprise. He hated surprises, and could feel himself becoming more impatient by the minute. And when he became impatient, he was not the most astute fighter. In fact, his mother and sister often told him that his easy provoke-ability was most likely going to be his downfall some day.

"You alright, buddy?" Kiba's breath was becoming less labored as he glanced at Akamaru. The nin-dog looked up at him, panting his own exhaustion.

Kiba knew that their battle was beginning to take its toll on the canine. Akamaru was limping, the pad of his foot already swelling from the splinter embedded in the soft, sensitive flesh. It had been a result of their last Dual Wolf Fang Technique. Suddenly, he caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye, but Akamaru was already growling at the brave challenger. Kiba kept his eyes on the remaining five.

Even though they had taken out only six of their opponents, there had actually been twice as many in the beginning—the rest being clones. Kiba had grown impatient with the ninjas hiding in the trees, sending their clones out to test the water. So, he thought it to both his and Akamaru's advantage to use Dual Wolf Fang. After a handful of attempts, they had managed to incapacitate half of their Kumo foes as well as clearing a large area of the gnarled thicket--giving them much more visibility than they had before.

Kiba shot another worried look at Akamaru. He knew the dog was too tired to attempt Dual Wolf Fang again. Besides, he had a feeling that the Kumo warriors were expecting the attack, and he wasn't entirely confident that he could anticipate their attacks with the same fervor. He hadn't actually given them time to illustrate their abilities, and he was kicking himself for allowing them to become so vulnerable.

"Ready?" he hissed through his fangs, eyeing their opponents. Akamaru brushed against his leg, a low growl signaling his understanding.

"Giyuu Ninpou, Shikyaku no jutsu!" Kiba barked, his hands flying through the seals in a half-assed manner. He was almost confident he didn't need the seals, as the attack was second nature to the duo, but, more out of comfort, he continued to use them. He dug his claws into the ground as he felt the chakra surge through his entire body, allowing him to travel on all four limbs. He felt invincible as the momentary confusion flashed across the faces of their enemies. It was obviously an unexpected maneuver.

"It's not over yet, boys," he snarled as he used his Jujin Bunshin. Where there once was man and dog now stood two, identical clones of Kiba.

"Let's go!" he roared as he hurtled toward the two closest shinobi with Akamaru following close behind.

He could smell the fear emanating from the two young ninjas—who were obviously prompted to go forth for the sole purpose of being the guinea pigs. He didn't care if the other four were studying him or not, they were next on his 'List of People to Shred'. Akamaru managed to take down the first ninja before he could unsheath his katana--barreling into the dark-skinned teen and slashing him with razor-sharp claws. As the Kumo-nin fell, another ninja leaped toward the boy as Akamaru's teeth tore through his victim's skin. Kiba heard the hidden shinobi movement before he saw it, instantly realizing that Akamaru wouldn't be able to dodge the intended blow. He veered off course, leaving his own opponent in order to protect Akamaru. He watched helplessly as the intruding shinobi swung his katana, the blade crackling with chakra.

"Move, Akamaru!" he hissed as he used his chakra-infused speed to knock the disguised dog-nin out of the attack's intended path. Akamaru was thrown aside, rolling bodily into the nearby brush with a feral growl. Kiba hadn't been so lucky, as he felt the searing pain of the blade cutting through his thigh. He landed on his shoulder, the impact popping his arm from the joint.

"Fuck!" he howled as the white hot pain blinded him.

He could sense that the cut had bisected all of his muscles in his thigh. He whimpered slightly as he tried to push himself to his feet before his attacker could strike a second blow. Akamaru wasted no time with an intended counter attack as he crouched on all fours, snarling at the older Kumogakure rebel. Kiba put his uninjured hand out to signal for Akamaru to halt his attack. The shinobi who had sliced Kiba took advantage of the momentary hesitation by dragging the younger Kumo-nin away from Kiba, his eyes never leaving the Leaf-nin's face.

"You'll pay for that," he warned as he left his young comrade against a nearby tree.

Kiba sneered at him. "Go to hell!"

He maintained the man's hate-filled gaze as he felt the satisfactory pop of his shoulder rotating back into place. He could feel the hot, sticky blood running down his leg as he leaned on his left foot. He pulled his forehead protector from his head, tying it tightly over the top of his injured thigh. He felt his stomach flutter at the sight of the dark blood--he could see the layers of muscle flapping from the gaping wound. He tried to walk, bearing most of his weight on the other leg. He had no intention of giving up, even with such an injury.

When his right foot lightly hit the ground as he limped backward a few steps, the unexpected searing pain ripped at his insides. Kiba lost all strength in his lame leg, quickly collapsing to the ground. Before he could react, the same shinobi lurched toward him, his sword still unsheathed.

"You're mine!" the Kumo rogue hissed as he took advantage of the situation. "Say goodnight, Mongrel!"

In a flurry of movement, Akamaru intercepted Kiba's attacker--closing his sharp fangs around the man's neck and dragging him to the ground. Kiba stared at the cloned dog in shock as the canine cast the Kumo-nin aside, snarling his warning. The wound wasn't as deep as it appeared, because the man was able to stand after the attack. He grasped his neck, trying to staunch the loss of blood from the puncture wounds. He stared his murderous intent at the humanoid clone as he pushed himself to his feet. Akamaru took advantage of the situation, charging at his injured opponent, his claws and fangs bared to do their worst.

Just as quickly as Akamaru had attacked, the man managed to put his katana up between the two, slashing defensively at the clone.

"NO!" Kiba howled, realizing the blood that sprayed across the ground was Akamaru's.

With another well-placed stab, the ninja threw the dog into a nearby tree. Akamaru yelped in pain as his body slid to the ground, smearing blood along the tree trunk. He whimpered as he laid on his side, the blood spreading around his body from the gaping wound in his neck and chest. The humanoid body was now replaced with Akamaru's own, his white fur contrasted against the dark blood.

Kiba instinctively tried to scramble to the dog's side, despite his injured leg. He ignored the pain as he tried to use his Four Legs Technique to his advantage--carrying himself on the three good limbs. But, he was too hasty in his reaction, ignoring the tiny detonators the dotted the area around him. He had no idea when they had managed to plant the detonators, but he could smell the trap before he saw it. The large electric barriers shot skyward, forcing Kiba to slide to a halt with a scream of fury.

"You bastards! Stupid motherfuckers!" he howled in anger, slamming his clawed fist into the ground as he paced angrily.

"How ironic, huh?" the Kumo-nin throatily gasped, his left hand covered with his own blood, and the front of his shirt littered with the spray of Akamaru's blood. His katana glistened with the dog's life force as it slowly dripped onto the ground, pooling at his feet.

Kiba could feel the terror and panic rising in his throat as realization hit him: he was trapped! The man shook his head in triumph, turning toward the whimpering dog, quickly flipping the hilt in his hand so that the blade pointed downward. Kiba immediately knew what the Kumogakure shinobi intended. His heart froze in terror.

"NO! Akamaru! Get up!" he screeched, forgetting the trap surrounding him. He could smell the stench of his skin burning as the electrical field seared the palms of his hands. The walls of electricity was impenetrable as long as the conductors were in place—and he had no one outside of Akamaru who could release him. He collapsed on the ground, staring helplessly at Akamaru. He had never felt so small in his entire life.

"Nonononono," he whimpered in defeat, staring in wide-eyed horror at his partner's perpetual last moments. He doesn't deserve this! Not Akamaru! I got him into this! he inwardly screamed as the blade descended toward its intended target.

"NOOOO!" he roared as he readied himself for another barrage on the electric walls of his prison.

But the blade continued to fall.

Kiba continued to feel helpless as the stench of his skin overwhelmed his senses, forcing tears to spring to his eyes. "AKAMARU!"

Hot blood splattered across the forest floor....

It had happened so quickly that even Kiba hadn't even registered the movement until it was over.

How had she....?

Perhaps it was the overwhelming stench of his own charred skin, the metallic scent of his blood, or the dense electrical charge of the barrier, because he hadn't been able to smell her.

"Tenten..."

Tenten stood behind the shinobi, her face shadowed by the hair that had fallen out of the two loose buns on her head as her eyes and face remained downcast. She wordlessly shook the blood from her blade. Kiba could hear each drop splatter on the ground in a unique harmony. Another sound followed, and he realized that the man's sword-dominant arm had been sliced off above the elbow. The dark-skinned shinobi's eyes bulged from his head, as he opened his mouth to speak.

But, the sound never carried.

Before he take a breath, Tenten had plunged the katana through his back, so that the blade emerged from his chest. She never turned to face her victim's back, instead swinging the deadly blade backward as she watched the the remaining Kumo-nins with a cold, satisfied expression on her face. With a twist of her wrist, the man's body collapsed into the blade. Only then did she take her eyes from her opponents, lithely pivoting on her left foot, lifting her right leg to push the man from the delicate blade.

Kiba knew that ANBU had extensive knowledge of the body's vital areas, hitting crucial points with amazing accuracy. The man's heart was stilled before his body hit the ground with a hollow thud, the light already gone from his eyes.

"Tenten!" Kiba weakly called again.

She didn't meet his gaze, instead staring down at Akamaru, who whimpered helplessly at her feet. The blood crept toward her toes, but she did not move to avoid it. Kiba could see a lone tear fall from her cheek, mingling with her ally's blood on the ground. In one fluid movement, the kunai shot from her hand, landing in the wall in front of him, its tag silently floating behind it.

"Stand back," she softly warned.

Kiba dragged himself backward on badly burned hands. Within seconds, the explosion tore through the barrier. Tenten was immediately by his side, sliding his arm over her shoulder. She helped support him as they leaped over to Akamaru. Upon reaching his partner's side, Kiba collapsed next to him.

Tenten handed him a tiny pill. "Here, take this, it'll numb the pain from that wound." She nodded toward the large gash in his thigh. Blood still oozed from the cut, but it was nothing that his body couldn't handle at the moment.

He silently took the pill, slipping it into his mouth as he stared at Akamaru. He reached out with a shaky hand, his fingers weaving through the shaggy white hair as Akamaru yelped his happiness that Kiba was safe.

"I have only prolonged his life by a few moments," Tenten whispered, her voice wavering ever so slightly. "Kiba....I'm sorry."

"He...he's gonna be OK," Kiba pulled himself toward the dog's head, so that Akamaru could lie his head in Kiba's lap. Tenten said nothing.

Akamaru rolled his eyes to look toward Kiba. His tail thumped against the ground a few times, as he recognized the familiar hands that were stroking his fur. Kiba could feel Tenten's hand on his shoulder before she stepped over the already-cold body of the shinobi, walking toward the remaining handful that watched the scene unfold with uncertainty.

"Akamaru?" Kiba whispered, as he felt the warm blood soak through his pants. His hands ran through the matted fur around the dog's neck. He warily eyed the wound in Akamaru's chest.

His fingers ran over Akamaru's ribs, as he silently counted, all the while praying for the stabbing to have been off. He counted once. Twice. A third time. There was no denying it. He had spent enough time with Hana in the veterinary clinic to know that there was nothing he could do for this wound.

Maybe if there had been a medic on hand....

Maybe if he had listened to his sister's prompting to study veterinary science more seriously....

The warm sensation of Akamaru's tongue on Kiba's hand brought his attention back to his friend. "I'm so sorry, Akamaru," he whispered, as his eyes filling with tears.

A few thumps of Akamaru's tail told him that his best friend did not blame him. He smiled weakly, the tears falling down his cheeks as he ran his hands through the wiry mane, each time his hands stinging from the severe burns on his palms. "You didn't have to save me, you know."

Another thump. A light, raspy whimper. Kiba ignored the fact that his hands were covered in Akamaru's blood, or that he was smearing it through the soft white mane.

"You must think I'm the worst dog owner in the world..." he muttered.

Another thump, followed by a reassuring lick. Of course Akamaru would think no such thing.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Kiba whispered, trying to maintain a brave face for his friend, despite the tears that glistened in the stained fur.

He couldn't be sure, but he thought that Akamaru understood everything he was saying. He could hear each breath become a struggle for Akamaru, as the dog's eyes slowly began to close.

"Don't close your eyes! Please.." he begged. But, each breath was too much of an effort for the dog. His eyes didn't open again.

Kiba knew that it was safe for his silent tears fall. Akamaru wouldn't see them. "You're my best friend. You always will be," he whispered as the tears flowed freely.

One more thump. One more breath.

"Thank you," his voice shook with emotion.

This time, Akamaru's tail didn't move. Neither did his chest. He had taken his last breath, Kiba knew. He leaned forward, burying his face in Akamaru's fur, his sobs silently being lost in the shaggy mane. Strangely enough, he felt no anger. There was no need for revenge. No, he only peace in that he could be at Akamaru's side in these last moments.

It was a death that was honorable for a dog-nin.

For his best friend.

***

***

Tenten looked over the remaining gaggle of Kumo-nin. They were young, even compared to her, but she would not underestimate them--no, that could be dangerous. The men returned her glare, their eyes full of mutual dislike. She understood how they felt, understood their murderous lust. They were nothing to be afraid of, merely a handful of useless foot-soldiers to serve the means of the higher-ups in the tiny band of rebels.

She caught a glimpse of a young man against a tree—large gashes were visible on his chest and arms, as well as a large chunk of tissue missing from his shoulder. His eyes were closed, his face paled from the loss of blood. He was not worth her time or effort, she supposed.

"So, is this what you do? Wait around like vultures?" she sneered as she wiped her katana on her pants. "How appropriate for the bunch of you—you are nothing but hyenas."

"Watch your mouth, bitch!" one of the men snapped as he brandished his two katanas. He crossed them over one another and a bolt of electricity jumped from one tip to another.

She raised an eyebrow. "Lighthing will be useless here," she mused.

Tenten risked casting a concerned glance over her shoulder. She could see Kiba hunched over the motionless body of Akamaru. She said a silent prayer for the loyal companion of Shino's teammate. A wave of nostalgia washed over her as she watched Kiba's back shudder with each sob. He was much too injured to continue fighting, and she was more than happy to take these goons off of his hands.

"So, four against one? Are you sure that's so fair?" she raised an eyebrow. "Or are you just afraid of a single kunoichi? Too much woman for you to handle?" she raised her katana in front of her face.

Three of the remaining four shinobi glanced cautiously at the one who had shouted at Tenten. He nodded, and the three began to spread out in different directions.

"Hmm, that's a good theory, but it still won't work," Tenten smiled grimly.

"Work?" the man echoed, feigning indifference.

"I'm well-versed in your battle tactics, you worthless piece of trash!" she snapped. "But you, I'm sure, know nothing about me."

She nimbly flipped the hilt of her katana throwing it in the air. As the hilt descended to shoulder-level, she spun before grabbing it and throwing it into the earth. She stared at the four, as they slowly took their respective positions. She had already predicted what technique they were planning to use, and was prepared to quickly disarm them. She had heard of this collaborative jutsus many times before—as it was considered one of the strongest of its type. She decided to halt this before it progressed any more. She didn't want to have to run more than she had to.

"You can thank the Sand for this one," she murmured as her hands flew through the signals.

Her sword glowed a bright white, as the chakra built around her hand as it rested on the hilt. Temari had helped her devise this technique after Tenten discovered that she was gifted in the elemental chakra. She had wanted the help of the strongest winder using kunoichi she knew. And who was better than the sister of the current Kazekage?

Her head shot up in time to see the lightning chakra spreading from each remaining Kumo warrior. "Fools!" she hissed, as she gathered the chakra from her sword into arms. "Wind Release: Dragon's Wrath!"

The large amount of wind pressure she had accumulated in that short period of time swirled around her, quickly shooting skyward and into the clouds. It gathered together into the shape of a dragon, snaking around before plunging toward Tenten. She forced her pursed palms outward from her body, commanding the giant wind form to attack the four Kumo-nin. The earth around her began to pick up and crumble into the air from the pure force of the attack and changes in the localized pressures.

The wind form roared as if it were alive, barreling toward Tenten's opponents with its mouth opened to engulf the unfortunate victims. Their swords were bared, and their lightning technique instantly dispelled from the loss of connection between the four ninjas. They attempted to barrier themselves with their elemental chakra, but it was no use: Tenten's was stronger.

Wind trumped Lightning. Tenten would be the victor.

Right before the dragon engulfed the four men, it split into hundreds of tiny replicas, slashing at the men and rushing into the forest behind them before disappearing completely. Suddenly everything became deathly silent, as Tenten stared at the ground, breathing heavily from the exertion. It was obviously a technique that took precise chakra control and, up until now, no one beside Neji and Temari had any idea that Tenten had mastered a Wind Release Technique.

"Hah!" the one man roared. "It did nothing!"

A dangerous smirk spread across Tenten's face, as if she were the only one who understood the silent joke. Suddenly, sprays of blood began to litter the air around them as their skin split from the invisible wind razors that had sliced them. As if on command, the trees behind them split, the thinner branches falling to the ground in unison—they, too, sliced from the sharp blast of pressurized wind.

"Hmph!" Tenten shrugged with little enthusiasm. "I need to work on that. It should have decapitated each of you."

The men's eyes widened in realization, as the tiny slices tore their skin. They screamed and writhed in pain, each of them dropping to the ground like rain drops. Tenten took no mercy on her victims, as she pulled the large scroll from her back, allowing it to fall open. She leaped into the air, the scroll swirling around her body. Overhead, hundreds of weapons awaited her command.

Kiba watched in silent confusion. "What happened, Tenten?" he asked himself, wiping the tears from his eyes. Did Akamaru's death bring this on? She had never been particularly close to the canine, but what else could cause that much anger and hate to shine in her eyes?

Tenten hovered over the writhing Kumo shinobi, a cruel smile spreading across her features. "Rain down,"she whispered as she glared down at the rebels.

With a wave of her hand, the weapons began to descend down their destructive path. At first, they moved slowly, but began to pick up speed as the came closer and closer to their targets. Soon, they were merely blurry images that followed Tenten's command. The men looked up in horror, realizing their demise. They attempted to move out of the way, to seek shelter, but Tenten held no mercy for the rebels.

When the rain of weapons had ceased, Tenten closed her scroll and tucked it neatly in its respective pocket. The men were still breathing, but she knew that soon, the loss of blood would be too great. The small clearing that Kiba had made was slowly becoming a lake of blood. Tenten dazedly walked through the group of men slowly unsheathing her katana in an attempt to deal the final blow to each of the rebels. She didn't care if Ibiki had his prisoners or not. It was the least of her concerns, at the moment.

No, all she cared about was satisfying the insatiable anger that stirred within her.

She approached the first man—the same one that had spoken out to her earlier. She grabbed him by the tight cap on his head, pulling him up from the ground.

"Who's the bitch now?" she hissed, holding the katana to his neck. "You're paralyzed. Your life is in my hands."

It had been an idea she gained from Sakura—to dip her weapons in a paralyzing agent that worked quickly on the nervous system. It was pure genius, a quick way to incapacitate her foes. She was too preoccupied with her victim to realize she had overlooked something.

Kiba's ears caught the movement, as he realized that the fifth shinobi—the one Akamaru had maimed—had managed to avoid Tenten's attacks. In a flash, the young ninja appeared behind Tenten, his sword in his hand.

"Tenten!" Kiba called, attempting to drag himself from next to the motionless body of Akamaru. His leg had long ago lost sensation and was growing cold. He ignored the pain and lack of control, using his remaining chakra for his Four Legs Technique. The smell of something familiar filled his nose. Shino!

Tenten's eyes flew open, as the man in front of her sneered. She could see the reflection in his eyes as well as sense the presence behind her. Before she could remove herself from between the two, she felt a second--more familiar--presence behind her. She released her victim, spinning to find Shino standing behind her, a katana blade plunged into his chest.

"SHINO!" the words left her mouth, but they sounded so foreign. She felt everything collapsing around her. First Neji. Not Shino, too!

Suddenly, another form appeared behind the young shinobi, holding a kunai to his neck. "I would drop that katana if I were you. Why? Because if you don't, I will be putting this through your carotid," he commanded, increasing the pressure on the man's artery.

The shinobi slowly released his grip on the katana and it slowly fell onto the ground, as Tenten realized what had just come to pass. The Shino closest to her---the one that had been stabbed--was merely a clone. She received her confirmation when the impaled form burst into a cloud of insects.

Tenten felt her rage build as she realized her error. How could she have underestimated the young Kumo-nin? Despite his injuries, he was obviously able to move quickly enough to deal a deadly blow. Tenten lifted her blade to the man's neck.

"Tenten." Shino spoke slowly. "What are you doing?"

Tenten's body screamed for her to cut the man's throat—to avenge her best friend. She glanced at Shino, before pushing the tip of the katana into the man's throat with greater pressure. Blood beaded around the blade.

"Tenten, put down the blade," Shino commanded, his voice soothing. He glanced past her, seeing the four men that were seriously injured. He was almost positive that at least one was dead.

"What have you done?" he whispered, his eyes growing larger behind his glasses.

"Neji's dead!" she screamed, tears filling her eyes. Her hand began to shake, and she readjusted her grip on the katana. The young Lightning-nin's eyes bulged from his head as he stared at the blade. Shino understood her anger and intent, but her actions were impulsive and dangerous. Especially for her.

"No, Tenten," he murmured, shaking his head softly," Neji is alive."

***

*****

A/N: I'm really sorry about Akamaru! Unfortunately, I can't have everything be a happy ending. Being a shinobi is a dangerous job, and death is a part of that job. I had originally planned to kill Neji, but he gained a reprieve.

I hope you don't hate me too much! I actually teared up while writing this--it's just as difficult for me to write as it is for your to read!

Trust me, I would love happy endings all around...

I hope I didn't overdo it on the action!

Please leave me a word of two (or more)! Let me know how the story's going!!What do you think?

Heck, tell me your favorite color or cake flavor!

I expected the FF to be a couple of chapters, at the most. But, I've since decided to dedicate many more chapters to an often under-represented couple!

This story has definitely grown since my first few plotted chapters! I don't want it to disappoint!

PS: I'm actually planning a series of oneshots about Izumo and Kotetsu--about their crazy stories as the Hokage's Assistants/Gate Keepers. It was actually inspired by Tosakuai's FF!