[Many thanks all for reading the first chapter of my first story here on FanFic! Again, this story is shonen-ai, male/male relationships, and I do not own "Naruto."]

Kankuro was nervous. He knew Crow's pieces by heart, but for some reason he kept fumbling with its reassembly. Unwittingly, he had started to talk aloud, treating Crow much more like a patient than a carefully crafted wooden weapon.

"No… that's not right. Sorry."

…

"Hmm, this part may need some work…"

…

"There, that should feel better."

…

"Hmmm. This really won't take that long. Maybe I should clean up a bit before tonight." Kankuro looked himself over. "Yeah, at least I should take a shower."

… Crow faithfully said nothing.

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"Kankuro!" bang, bang, bang.

"Arf! Arf!"

Damn it, Kiba. Kankuro was drying his hair, fresh out of the bath. Towel still around his shoulders, he went to let Kiba in.

"Hey…. Oh." Kiba smiled, but suddenly looked awkward, his cheeks red.

"What?" Kankuro looked down at himself. He was wearing his regular black clothes. Simple, clean, but rather ordinary.

Maybe Kiba forgot to tell me to dress formal or something?

"Ha ha, for a second I thought I had the wrong house. You're not wearing your make-up." Kiba was back to grinning like an idiot.

"Oh…" Kankuro didn't wear his face-paint all the time in Suna, but he hadn't been so informal here in Kanoha before. Probably not many people would recognize him without it. "Its face-paint." He added, trying to brush it off.

"You look nice." Kiba seemed to realize he had made Kankuro self-conscious.

"Come on in. I'm nearly ready." Kankuro stepped aside.

"Sit boy." Kiba gestured to his companion.

"Arf! Arf!"

"Uh… where's everyone else?" Kankuro asked.

"Oh… well, Hinata said she had something tonight already." Kiba looked sheepish. Kankuro didn't fail to notice the lack of an excuse for Shino's absence. He didn't press the subject.

"Okay. Well, you want to try some other time?" Kankuro wasn't sure what to say.

"Nah. We can go together." Kiba again wore his winning smile. "Besides, I bet you need a night out."

Kankuro couldn't disagree, but wasn't sure if he liked the fact that Kiba had noticed his habit for seclusion. He also wasn't sure how to react to the good news that Shino was going to be absent without seeming rude.

"Sure… alright." Kankuro put on his sandals, but when he reached for his hat and face-paint Kiba intervened.

"Hey, no worries, it's just us. Lets just go." Kiba smiled and headed for the door. Perhaps patience wasn't his strong point.

"Arf!" Akamaru looked happy that his wait was short at least.

"Come on boy! Lets show Kankuro here Ichiraku's best, kay?" Kiba ruffled Akamaru's ears.

"Arf! Arf!" Akamaru looked pleased.

"Ichiraku's?" Kankuro was lost.

"It's the best ramen shop in town!"

Kankuro locked the apartment's door behind him and the threesome headed on down the street. Kiba wasn't quiet for a second.

"During training Akamaru and I beat Hinata in locating Shino out in practice field twelve where there's this huge drop off that…

Kankuro only half listened.

"And then there was this huge tree that we hid behind for a while waiting for the right moment to strike…"

"Arf!"

"Oh that's right… by this time Hinata had moved further into the trees to try and shake us off, but then…"

Kankuro had no idea what Akamaru had said. Instead of asking, he looked at the shops and people they passed on their way. Kiba seems to talk a lot.

"Hey Kiba!" said a large ninja as they passed by.

"Oh, Chouji! Hey Shikamaru!" Kiba walked over to his friends just outside a BBQ shop. Kankuro reluctantly followed.

"What brings you out here? I thought Hinata's big thing was tonight." Shikamaru looked bored or slightly cross as usual. Kiba didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah… well she's uh… I mean, I decided not to go. Hey, Kankuro's here in town!" Kiba looked flustered.

"Hey." Kankuro waved to the two ninja's he hardly knew. Temari would be jealous if I spent time with Shikamaru…

"Kankuro?" Chouji looked confused.

"He's not wearing his make-up, Chouji." Shikamaru pointed out.

Kankuro had forgotten this fact, but automatically corrected Shikamaru anyway. "It's face-paint."

"Oh! Hi!" Chouji seemed to have recovered. "You look so different. So what are you doing here?"

"I'm just a sub for Suna's ambassador."

"We're off to Ichiraku, wanna come?" Kiba interrupted.

"Nah… we just ate." Shikamaru answered.

"Whatever. I could go for seconds." Chouji patted his large stomach.

"Chouji… uh, lets just head out. Hinata will have food at her party." Shikamaru pulled his friend away.

"Bye Kiba!" Chouji called.

"Arf! Arf!"

"Cya Akamaru! Bye Kankuro!" Shikamaru just kept tugging Chouji away.

"Let's go, it's just over there." Kiba pointed across the street. Why is he quiet all the sudden? Why is he here with me if his teammate is having a party?

Kankuro decided not to push for answers until later, afraid that he had ruined Kiba's evening by accepting his offer. Perhaps he forgot about Hinata's and didn't want to be rude to me?

"Hey! Welcome to Ichiraku!"

"Hey!" Kiba took charge, and seemed back to normal, smile and all. "We'll have two specials!"

Kankuro wasn't sure how he felt about Kiba ordering for him so casually. But it wasn't like he would know what to get in any case. Damn it… I forgot my wallet!

"Uh… Kiba? I forgot something. I'll be right back…" Kankuro felt foolish as he got up to leave.

"Huh? Oh, no sweat. Its on me!" Kiba pulled him back down. His rough and callused hand was warm, almost hot against the skin of Kankuro's arm.

Kiba quickly let go and blushed. Kankuro wasn't sure what to say.

"Thanks… uh, you really don't have to."

"Next time you pick up the check and we'll call it even." Kiba flashed his smile again.

"So… what's up at Hinata's?"

"Nothing. Her family holds a party about this time every year; it's some formal thing. I've been before, it's not very exciting." Kiba didn't meet Kankuro's gaze when he spoke. It wasn't hard to tell he wasn't being completely truthful.

"Okay. Just so I'm not keeping you from anything." Kankuro mumbled.

Kankuro hadn't noticed before but Kiba seemed to be wearing a new coat, and his hair was combed flat everywhere except the front, which stuck up. He really looked quite nice. Maybe he's planning on heading to the party after all. Its not like eating dinner is going to take up the whole evening.

"Arf!" Akamaru was just outside the shop chasing a cricket.

"He he he. Aw, let it go boy!" Kiba giggled.

"Arf!" Akamaru ignored his master and happily kept up the chase.

Kankuro liked how easily Kiba could smile. They waited for their ramen together in comfortable silence, just watching Akamaru.

"Two specials! Hot and ready!"

"Hey! Thanks!" Kiba whisked around to face the table again and grabbed some chopsticks. "Just wait, this stuff is great, Kankuro."

Kankuro dug in. Wow, he wasn't kidding, this stuff tastes amazing.

"Mmmmm." Kiba slurped.

He's a noisy eater too. Kankuro smiled. Kiba was just happy. Kind of like how a dog wags his tail, Kiba just talked, slurped, or smiled to let it out.

"This is good, Kiba. Thanks!" Kankuro wasn't used to being so free and sincere about how he was feeling. Kiba was refreshing.

"Arf!"

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Once they finished their ramen and had finally convinced Akamaru to leave his very frightened cricket friend behind, they all headed back the way they came.

"Hmmm. I'm full. I have no idea how Naruto can eat so much at Ichiraku." Kiba held his stomach and smiled sleepily as they walked slowly down the road.

"Naruto?" Kankuro hadn't seen the orange ninja during his stay either. One of the few ninja of the leaf he did know.

"Yeah, Ichiraku is Naruto's favorite. When he came back from training with Jiraiya he had like nine bowls!"

"How is he?" Kankuro asked.

Kiba looked a little sad. "Well, he's off training with his new team. They finally got a replacement for, you know, uh, Sasuke… but they are having a hard time working together."

That's probably an understatement, knowing Naruto. But it's good to know more about him. Gaara will want details later…

"Well, we are nearly back. You can go now if you'd like. I know my way at least this far." Kankuro tried to sound casual.

"Oh… right." Kiba looked a little embarrassed, cheeks flushed. "…Hey, why don't we go to the summit?" Kiba pointed at the Hokage monument.

"Why?" Kankuro had assumed Kiba wanted to head back to Hinata's.

Kiba smiled and put a finger to his lips. "Come with me and find out!"

Kankuro thought about it for a second before nodding. "Okay…"

[Awww. Poor Kankuro is still clueless. Please, please review!]