Joint mission in the Land of Rivers. Team Leaf and Team Sand have set up camp in enemy territory after tracking rogue shinobi. The night is tense, with distant sounds of potential attackers. Kiba and Kankuro are on edge, already clashing from earlier in the day.

Kiba leans against a tree, arms crossed, eyes locked on Kankuro across the campfire. Akamaru lies at his feet, tail thudding irritably every time Karasu twitches nearby.

Kiba: "Tell your freaky puppet to stop lookin' at Akamaru like that. He doesn't like it." Kankuro without looking up: "It's a puppet, not a perv. You sure your mutt isn't just being dramatic—like his owner?"

Akamaru growls. Karasu's head tilts with a creak. The tension is electric—and it only spikes when a Suna kunoichi flops down next to Kankuro and leans on his shoulder.

Kunoichi: "You were amazing out there today, Kankuro. I saw how you nailed that chakra trap like it was nothing."

Kiba's eye twitches. He doesn't even try to hide the snarl. Kiba loudly: "Yeah, wow, real impressive. Controlling a puppet from fifty feet away. Super manly." He storms off into the forest. Akamaru barks once before following him.

Kankuro watches him go, jaw tight.

Later that night, chaos erupts when their camp is ambushed. Explosions rip through the trees. A rogue shinobi targets Kankuro, who's too slow to dodge the first hit.

Kiba appears out of nowhere, intercepting the enemy mid-attack with a brutal fang-over-fang that slams the assailant into a tree.

Kiba panting, bloodied: "I leave for five minutes and you're already getting your ass handed to you?! What the hell would you do without me, huh?!"

Kankuro, coughing but alive, stares up at him, stunned. Kankuro quiet: "...I don't know."

Kiba lifts him to his feet roughly, one arm around his waist. His voice drops low.

Kiba: "Don't scare me like that again."

They stumble back toward the firelight. Kiba is still holding Kankuro, knuckles white. Neither speaks—until Kankuro reaches up and grabs Kiba's jacket collar.

Kankuro: "...You jealous earlier?" Kiba (bristling): "What? No. I just—shut up."

Kankuro: "Thought so."

And then, without warning, he yanks Kiba down and kisses him—hard, messy, full of adrenaline and everything they haven't said.

Kiba freezes for half a second, then kisses back fiercely, pulling him closer like they're still fighting.

When they break apart, breathless, Kiba smirks. Kiba: "...You fight dirty." Kankuro: "You like it."

Akamaru barks in protest. Karasu's head turns slowly toward them.

They both groan. Kiba: "Oh for fu—our pets are worse than we are."