2- Back me Up

Kankuro slapped his forehead, dropping his head. 'What an idiot…'

The rouge ninja blinked from shock, turning and facing the lightly tanned teen with wide dark gray eyes, blood staining his face, reeking from the stench of blood. The brunette frowned, lifting the scrolls at his feet, tossing them back over his shoulder at Kankuro, leaping at the dark haired man, his eyes dull as he grinned, fangs showing as he reached a hand out, easily grasping around the clawed hand Kiba possessed, making him scowl, swinging his left leg at the pale form, whacking him in the side, making him jump back.

Sighing, Kankuro rolled out his scrolls, summoning Crow, Kuroari, the black ant, and the Salamander, walking in calmly as Kiba was punched in the gut, sent flying back. Gasping, Kankuro flung one of his hands to the side, Kuroari rushing over and catching the coughing form as he bit his lower lip.

“Dammit.” he cursed. “I got careless,” He looked over at the taller teen, “be careful! He saw through my moves!!”

“You’re too direct.” Kankuro frowned, having Kuroari set the dog down, disappearing as Crow and Salamander chased him into the bellows of the black ant, Kankuro throwing his arms to the side of the original. “The art of the Iron Maiden!!” With that, Crow disassembled, shooting into the holes within Kuroari as there was no screaming, which made both blink, Kiba then sniffing the air and pulling Kankuro’s right wrist, yanking him in his direction, a bomb kunai flying past and the young Inuzuka’s eyes widening as he shut his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his face, the bomb going off in a huge flash of light, making him loose his footing and stumbling back as Kankuro had his puppets protect him, having Crow reassemble and grab onto the mutt before he crashed to the ground. “Where the hell is he now?!”

The youth looked around swiftly, sniffing around carefully, but coughing, the smoke covering everything, covering his mouth as he coughed, shutting his eyes. “I can’t get his scent with all this smoke emitting from that damn bomb!” he shouted, coughing as he opened his right eye, gasping as a fist flew in his direction. “Shit!” he cried, hastily lifting his right hand and blocking the blow, digging his claws into the pale flesh. “Get rid of the smoke so I can see!!”

“I would if I cou-“

“Kankuro?!” he cried, realizing the hand that was once in his possession was gone, hearing something fall against the ground. Crow releasing Kiba as he rushed over to the scent he could barely pick up, stopping once he saw Kankuro laying on the ground, an arm wrapped around his stomach. “What happened?!”

“I don’t know…something just hit me…” he breathed, gasping for air as Kiba bent down next to him.

“Try to clear the smoke away, I’ll take ‘im down then.” he said as the dark haired teenager slowly lifted himself up. “Hey…sorry I couldn’t help you before he got you.”

“Shut up with that ‘I’m sorry’ crap, it was my fault, I forgot to be alert, I didn’t expect him to…” He winced, blood dripping from his lower lip. “…get past Kuroari and Salamander that easily.”

“He got past Crow too.” Kiba added, looking up. “I was lucky to see him in time as well.”

'Heh, seems he’s more useful than I thought...'

“Alright, cover your mouth with this,” The puppet-master handed the young Inuzuka a gasmask, placing one over his mouth as well, “I’m gonna poison him.”

The youth nodded, strapping the mask on, bending down to Kankuro’s level. “You think it’ll work?” he asked, not so sure about the poisoning process. “I’ve never seen someone use this tactic before…much less survive with a gasmask alone.”

“These masks were created by me, since I know these poison bombs better than anyone,” he growled, “so of course you’ll live.”

He pulled his pointer and ring finger towards him, popping open Crow’s mouth, shooting out a purple smoke bomb, spreading rapidly once it collided with the ground. Kiba’s eyes wide as he watched the man zoom through it swiftly, finally standing and bolting at the form with a kunai in hand, leaving Kankuro by himself, tackling the man down, stabbing the kunai into his throat with a deep frown.

Blood dripped slowly, letting Kiba know the dark gray eyed man was dead, the eyes going lifeless. Slowly standing, he looked over at the clearing smoke, seeing that Kankuro had fainted, seeming as he was jabbed in the gut pretty damn hard. Sighing, Kiba scratched the back of his neck, looking over at the dissolving puppets, the scrolls rolling themselves back up. Walking over to them, he gathered them up and shoved them into their pouch, hoisting it over his back while traveling over to the sleeping form, lifting him up after removing their masks, shoving them into the pack as well, hoisting the surprisingly light form onto his back with a groan.

'I’m sick of these missions where I gotta kill someone.'

“Kankuro, you all right?” he questioned, looking at the figure on his back, seeing his eyebrows twitch.

“Ughn…” he moaned, his eyes slowly opening. “…yeah, I guess.”

“Well, I’m carrying you to Suna, then I’m going home.” he sighed, dropping his head. “I made sure to grab the scrolls, and put them in the pouch on my back…as you can feel.”

“Tch, you could of put them in front, my freakin’ cr-“

“Let’s not go there…” Kiba stuttered, a soft tinge on his face. “I’m sorry they’re bothering you, but I don’t wanna stop to readjust them, alright?”

Kankuro reluctantly nodded, shifting himself into a better position, his hot breath brushing against Kiba’s neck, causing him to have a disgusted expression on his handsome features.

“Hey, Kiba,”

“Hn?”

“Nice fighting back there, sorry I couldn’t kill ‘im for you.”

“Tch, I’m used to it, don’t worry about it, I’m just gonna worry about getting you home.”

They looked up and almost saw Suna, but Kankuro got off the mutt’s back, standing and grabbing the boy’s shoulders, turning him violently so he tripped and fell against him. Snapping his head up, Kiba growled.

“What the fuck, Kankuro!?!” he howled, pushing himself away. “I help you, carry you, and now you pull this crap…what the hell’s your problem?!!”

“I just wanted to thank you before we went through the gates, it’s almost nightfall after all.” he growled, pointing up at the darkening sky. “You’ll fall asleep outside and be robbed, beaten, kidnapped, or worse. I won’t let that happen, got it?”

“I didn’t ask for you too! And you don’t need too! I’m old enough to take care of myself!!”

“You may be a Jonin, but my skills outrank yours.”

“You’re so-called ‘skills’ were the ones that made you faint! So don’t give me that bull-“

“Would you just shut the hell up and take my offer, you stupid mutt?!” he shouted angrily, seeing those canine eyes widen. “I fucking sick of you not taking any offers for shelter! You’ll die alone possibly if you keep that up! Or even worse, lose your home!!”

The brunette looked away shamefully. “I just…”

“Kiba,” Kankuro sighed, placing his hands on his shoulders, “you need to open up to people more, allow them to get to know you more, the other you.”

“I just…don’t want too.” Kiba frowned, brushing the hands off his body. “…I’ll be fine, I don’t need help.”

“Did you bring money for a hotel room for one night?”

“No, how could I?!” he snapped. “You dragged me outta Kono-“

He covered Kiba’s mouth with his hand. “Chill, I know, and I’m sorry, I just wanted to get that mission over with.” he sighed, removing his hand to see Kiba’s intense eyes slowly soften. “To make up for it, how about I let you stay at my place?”

“What?!” he cried, his eyes widening. “W…wouldn’t it be crowded. I mean…Gaara, Temari…and your puppets?!”

Kankuro just laughed, shaking his head. “I live alone, idiot.” Hearing that made the boy’s panic level lower as he looked down on the sand beneath their sandaled feet. “It won’t bother me to have another roommate, at least you talk.”

“So…it gets pretty lonely?” Kiba asked, his voice low, full of concern as Kankuro stopped laughing, staring at him with a quirked brow. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”

'I live in a family. My mother, father, sister…Akamaru…and everyone else…so…I wouldn’t know how lonely someone would feel if they had no one to talk to.' He sighed then nodded, looking at Kankuro with narrowed determined eyes.

“Fine, I’ll stay at your place.” he complied, stepping back from the older teen. “But…I can’t stay too long.”

“I figured that much,” Kankuro frowned, taking his summoning scrolls off Kiba’s back, both bolting to the puppet-master’s place.

888

“Lord Kankuro has returned, Lord Gaara.”

The redhead turned, nodding. “You are dismissed Kinokai.” he replied, seeing the man nod as he disappeared in a poof of smoke. Gazing out the window, he watched both the dark haired teen and the brunette dart across rooftops that were safe, heading toward the taller teen’s home. “Hmm…this could be interesting.”

He turned to see his blonde sister.

“Welcome back from your mission, Temari.” he complimented as she grinned, nodding.