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Kakashi was excited, so much it was difficult for him to not jump on his feet, but he maintained himself in control because he was not a child anymore. No, he was almost five and already started at the Academy, so he had to be serious now.“Are you ready, pup?” his father asked, messing up his hair.“Dad! I’m not a pup anymore!”“You still have your pup’s teeth, therefore you still are a pup.”Frustrated, Kakashi crossed his arms in front of his chest and huffed. He was not pouting behind his mask. He was not.“Are we going to do it, or no?” he demanded. “You promised it would be today!”“Hai, hai… You’re just as impatient as your mother was.”This time the young Hatake didn’t say anything; his father didn’t often talk about her mother, and he could not remember her very well, so he treasured every bit of information he could get.They were at home, sitting in the main room after having had lunch together and cleaned everything up. That day was an special one. That day, Kakashi would sign the summon contract with a ninken, getting then his first dog companion. He had been waiting for that moment since he could remember, thinking about it every time his father or mother summoned one of their ninken to watch him or just for pleasure. They said that, even though they were ninja dogs, they also had to spend normal time together because they were a pack. Kakashi liked that idea.“Ok, pup, step back for a moment.”He did as his father instructed, moving backwards and observing in awe how his father performed a quick series of seals. A moment later, a small cloud of smoke brought with it a big blue and white scroll that his father extended on the floor. Kakashi approached it with curiosity, reading the names that were visible, among which he only recognized those of his parents.“What do I have to do?” he said, trying to not sound too eager.“First, use your fangs to nick your thumb and use the blood to write your name in the scroll.”His dad sounded completely serious, so Kakashi nodded solemnly and brought his finger to his mouth. He didn’t wear the mask at home because he was comfortable with his father, the cloth hanging around his neck. All his teeth were extremely sharp, which often led him to have small wounds on his lips and tongue, so he didn’t have any problem drawing some blood from his thumb. At almost five his writing and reading abilities were at the top of his class, and he wrote his name perfectly. Nobody could’ve said ‘a kid’ had done it.“Now?”“Touch the rest of your fingertips with the thumb and press them under your name, as you see in the others.”Another nod, and Kakashi did just as instructed, his fingerprints painting themselves on the scroll.“Very good” Sakumo said, starting to roll it again. “We’re almost there.”The contract disappeared with another cloud of smoke and his father patted the floor in front of him so Kakashi would come, which he obediently did, sitting on his knees.“Now, this is very important, Kakashi” his voice was serious, so he straightened his position to show he was listening and paying attention. “A ninken is not a normal dog. They are warriors, just like us, and they deserve our respect. You won’t own your ninken, you’ll start a pack with them, understood?”“Hai!”“Good” Sakumo said with a smile. “I’m going to show you the seals now, and once you have the sequence memorized, pressed the hand you bit on the floor.”Kakashi already knew all the seals and was able to replicate them, but not at the same speed as the adults did. He still had to practice more, he knew. Observing his father, he repeated the seals: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey and Ram a few times until he was comfortable changing from one to another.“You’re ready, pup. Time to meet your ninken companion.”He nodded with enthusiasm and went over the seals one more time before pressing his hand against the floor in front of him, putting chakra through it.“Kuchiyose No Jutsu!”A cloud of smoke, and then… Nothing? No, that could not be right! Kakashi was very good at ninjutsu, he had never failed to learn a new jutsu!“Yo!”“Uh?”He looked down. There was something in front of him. Something small and of the same brown color as the floor, except for some darker spots.“Are you my summoner?”“I was supposed to summon a ninken.”“Kakashi!” his father exclaimed in the tone he used whenever he wanted to slap a hand over his mouth.“I am a ninken” the —apparently— dog said. “I’m just a pup, like you are!”“I’m not a pup!”“Whatever you say, boss” the animal shook his body and then sat in front of him, looking up. “My name is Pakkun. Yours is Kakashi?”“Uh… Yeah” he sent a glance towards his father, hoping he would explain whatever had happened there, but he was just looking at them with a satisfied smile. It was up to Kakashi, then. “Why are you so small?”“I told you, boss, I’m a pup.”“So… You will grow up?”“A little, yes” Pakkun answered, scratching an ear. “My folks are not very big, though, so I’m not getting my hopes up.”“But you’re a ninken! Ninken are supposed to be big!” he complained, lifting his arms.Sakumo laughed softly, as if he knew something Kakashi didn’t, and that frustrated him more.“Who told you that, boss?” the dog barked, apparently a little irritated now. “Ninken can come in all sizes. Do you have a problem with mine? You’re not very tall yourself!”He opened his mouth to complain, but a look at his father —who was lifting an eyebrow at him— made him close it. The truth was, Kakashi didn’t have a problem with Pakkun. He just… had expected something else. Something bigger, like the wolf-like dogs his parents summoned! Not… Whatever Pakkun was.“Being small can be an advantage, you know?” the dog continued. “I can fit in places that other ninken can’t, and it’s easier for me to follow an enemy without them noticing. Also, I come from a well-known family of hounds, so my nose is superior to most of the others. How does that sounds, eh?”It… Actually sounded cool.“I’m sorry” he said, because he was not above recognizing when he had done a mistake. “I shouldn’t have disregarded you just because of your size. Will you still accept to be my ninken?”Pakkun looked him up and down for a few seconds before sneezing to release the tension.“Sure” he said. “You seem to be an smart pup, so I suppose it’ll be fine.”Kakashi smiled under the mask, happy for the acceptance and the compliment. In front of him, Sakumo nodded when he looked at him with a silent question.“Great” the young Hatake added. “Would you like to stay the rest of the afternoon? We can train and then have dinner.”“Sounds about right” Pakkun answered, his tail wagging a bit. “Where do we go?”“To the garden! We can even go to the forest from there!”Excited, Kakashi stood up and started to walk towards the door giving access outside, his ninken following after him.“Don’t go too far” Sakumo indicated as they ran. “And be back before nightfall!”“Yes, dad!”He barely waved a hand to his father as he laughed at the way Pakkun jumped by his side. Even if he was small —barely bigger than his foot—, he was fast and could keep up perfectly with him. In the forest, he witnessed how well his sense of smell was, leading them to a group of deer grazing under a small hill. Overall, Kakashi considered Pakkun a great ninken to start his pack with, even if he didn’t look at all like his father’s summons.By the time the sky started to turn dark, he was smiling on his way back home with the small dog resting on top of his head, the wagging tail tingling against his hair.
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Running through a forest under the rain was one of the activities Kakashi found more pleasant against what everybody else preferred. Not that he cared about what other people thought of him. The only acceptance he needed came from his own pack, and Pakkun seemed perfectly fine jumping from one branch to another by his side. It was only Kakashi and him now, but that was alright.He was on his way back to Konoha after fulfilling a B-rank mission in a nearby town. The Hokage had sent him alone with a deadline of a week, and the Hatake still had four days left because the enemy nin had been stupid enough to underestimate him only for his age. Now they were dead and he was enjoying a nice run under the rain.Suddenly, his ears caught a small noise in the background and he came to a halt in the next branch. Pakkun stopped, too, jumping back to his side and looking at him curiously. Kakashi lifted a hand to signal for silence, but after a couple of minutes he didn’t hear anything again. He was sure he had not imagined it, though, so he sniffed the air instead. There was a faint but perceptible smell there; a mix of blood, wet fur and hormones normally released when in fear. Of course, the first two could be associated to him and Pakkun, but he was able to separate those smells perfectly, and what he had sniffed was something completely different.“Can you smell that?” he asked to his ninken.The dog obliged, pointing his snout up and taking a sniff.“Not really” Pakkun answered. “Did you catch something?”His sense of smell was just a bit better than his companion’s, and the rain could confuse anyone, so for a second he thought about letting it be. Then, the same noise that made him stop —some kind of whine— was heard again and he saw Pakkun’s ears lifting up.“Should we check, boss?”Kakashi considered it for a minute. Following logic, they should head back to Konoha, but there were still some days left for the mission and the Hokage hadn’t ordered him to come straight back once he finished it so, in theory, he wouldn’t be breaking any rule.“Let’s go.”He jumped to the left —the direction from where the sound came— while he removed the top of his mask to better follow the trail. It took them about fifteen minutes to find what had caught his attention, his eyes widening at the image even from far away. There, hanging from a tree, a slender figure trembled under the rain. He pushed stronger on the next branch, jumping faster while Pakkun went ahead with the same urgency.The whines became weaker as he approximated and fury ran through Kakashi’s body. When his feet came to a stop next to the trunk, he cut the wire with a simple movement of his tanto and caught the body that fell as a consequence. The dog was crying softly after being hanged from his neck for who knew how long, blood running down his body. The line around his flesh had caused a deep and thick wound, of about four fingers wide, and Kakashi could only imagine the amount of pain he was in.“It’s ok” he said, softly passing a hand over his fur. “We’re going to help you, hold still.”Only small whines kept coming out of the dog as he trembled and looked at him with fearful eyes, as if wondering what kind of torture the Hatake would make him go through. Not wanting to scare more the animal, Kakashi bit down the anger he felt towards whoever had caused him so much suffering and adjusted better his hold around him. It was a difficult fit, since the dog was almost as big as his own chest, but he was a shinobi and could carry him even if it was uncomfortable and tiring.“Do you have the scent, Pakkun?”“Yes, boss, I won’t forget it” his ninken said, just as angry as him. “We passed a cave on our way here, should we go there?”He nodded, following the dog as he ran and leaving behind the scene of a cruel and gruesome crime.Fortunately, the cavern was close and big enough for the three of them, and Kakashi laid the dog down carefully on his side, but even with that he kept whining. Knowing he had to act fast, the Hatake removed the bag hanging from his back and took out the necessary material for starting a fire. He had been able to detect the rain before it started thanks to his nose and collected enough wood in anticipation, so with a small Katon he was able to create a flame. He took out his medical kit as well, glad of having it complete since the small wounds he had received had been attended to at the town.“I’m going to help you, now” he said out loud, even though he doubted the dog could understand him. “It’ll hurt, I’m sorry.”With the light of the fire he was able to see better what kind of dog he was. Way bigger than Pakkun, he had almost the same size that his father ninken had had, although more slim and with short fur. He was obviously malnourished, his ribs and other bones visible against the skin, and the brown and white color of his hair was tinted with the red of the blood coming from his neck.“Pakkun, stand guard.”“Yes, boss!”While his ninken sat in front of the cave’s entrance, Kakashi opened the medical kit and took out the scissors. Thankfully, first aid for shinobi included tools prepared to cut through snares and cables of any kind, and so slicing the wire around the dog’s neck was relatively easy. The next part was way more complicated, though. He removed the snare as carefully as he could, but the dog still whined and tried to incorporate.“It’s almost there. Hold on a little bit more” Kakashi muttered, pushing him down softly.Once he took the cable completely off, the Hatake let out a relief sigh when seeing that the laceration hadn’t started to bleed even more, indicating the wire had not being tamponing a deeper wound. Surprisingly, once that was done the dog remained still as he proceeded to move his body, turning him on his belly and with the head resting on top of Kakashi’s stretched leg so his neck wouldn’t be brushing against the dirty ground.“I’m not a healer or a vet, but I’ll do my best until I can take you to one, ok?” he said, petting his head. “You can bite me if it hurts a lot.”Disinfecting the bloody flesh was a long process accompanied by more whines and complains, but the dog didn’t move too much or even try to attack him. The Hatake went almost through all his medical kit, using the whole bottle of chlorhexidine and half of the healing cream until the dog’s neck was almost white with it. Then, he took all the bandages he had and wrapped them around his head for protection and hold.The whole ordeal took him more than an hour, and it was only a mediocre patch work, but at least the wound was not bleeding that much anymore and the animal had stopped whining all the time.“Good boy” he told him, fingers brushing the space in between his eyes and down his snout. “You did very well. Good boy.”Kakashi’s eyes opened wide when he saw the slight wagging of the dog’s tail while his lids close and his body relaxed. He was unable to contain a few tears at the reaction, wondering how anyone could do something so cruel to such a magnificent animal.“Pakkun” he called to his ninken. “Come, is dinner time.”His companion was there in a second, sitting next to him and sniffing softly at the other dog, although giving him some space.“How is he?”“Better” the Hatake said. “Tomorrow we’ll go back to the town to take him to the vet.”Going again through his bag, he took out his soldier pills and an apple together with a can of dog food, a bottle of water and a bowl. Well organized, the items needed to take care of Pakkun barely occupied any space, so he didn’t care about taking them everywhere even when other shinobi said it was stupid. Obviously, they didn’t know what having a pack meant.“There is only one can left” he pointed out to his ninken. “Do you mind sharing?”Pakkun shook his head, so he opened the tin and with his fingers left half of the wet food on the ground for him to eat. Then, he filled the bowl with water and brought it in front of the other dog, who was still resting his head on top of Kakashi’s leg.“Come on” he said, lifting him carefully and leaving the bowl in between his front paws. “You must be thirsty.”The animal whined at the slight movement, his muzzle not even pointing towards the water. Kakashi had expected some kind of rejection since the wound around his neck was deep and thus swallowing must’ve been painful, but he needed him to eat and drink to survive.“Just a bit” he pushed, wetting his fingers and brushing them over the dog’s mouth. “You can do it, come on.”The drops of water over his lips seemed to be what the animal needed to react, licking them and leaning his head forward to start drinking slowly, still supported by the Hatake’s hand. He kept him in place until he seemed to be satisfied and then moved the bowl back to Pakkun so he could take his turn, taking the rest of the can in exchange.“Here” he continued, this time with a small amount of food on the tip of his fingers, “I promise you it’s good, I tried it.”The dog risked a small taste with his tongue and then softly bit the raw and bland meat. He chewed at it for a long time, mouth opened and allowing Kakashi to see that at least his teeth were not in bad condition. When he finally swallowed the gesture was accompanied by a small whine, but his tongue ended up licking his fingers, so he offered him more food. Slowly and patiently, they finished the can.“Good boy” the Hatake repeated. “You can rest now. I won’t let anybody hurt you again, I’ll protect you, I swear.”He stayed awake that night, too scared of closing his eyes and waking up hours later to find the dog dead on his lap. Instead, he stood guard, petting the animal as softly as he could while Pakkun pressed his body against the bigger dog, joining in the reassurance.
The next morning, back in the town where he had stayed while completing his mission, Kakashi visited the veterinarian. The clinic was rather small, situated in a corner of a building and didn’t seem like a lot, but it was his best option. He entered while carrying the dog, Pakkun walking at his side and ignoring the dirty looks of the other clients as he approached the main desk.“I need help” he said. “Yesterday I found this dog hanging from a tree. I applied first aid measures, but he needs better treatment.”Fortunately, the young receptionist seemed to quickly realize that his case was far more urgent than any of the other three people waiting and stood up to make him pass into a side room immediately. There was an examination table inside, so Kakashi let the dog rest on it and kept petting him. He had survived the night alright and was clearly more alert, but his bandages were full of blood and he still was incredibly thin.About five minutes later, a big man on his thirties appeared through another door of the room, wearing a green medical pajama and a frown on his face. That expression, however, changed as soon as he saw Kakashi.“Who are you?” he demanded. “I know you’re not the owner of this dog.”“I’m the one that rescued him” the Hatake spatted back. “Do you have a problem with it?”The man chuckled, the moustache on his face moving with his facial expression.“Not at all” he said. “I’m sorry for sounding so aggressive, but I know the person that owned this animal and have been waiting for someone to take him for a long time.”“If you knew the owner was hurting him, why didn’t you intervene?”How could anybody see a dog in such a state and not do anything?“I tried, but he’s a shinobi and I’m not” the man defended himself. “Anyway, you brought him here, so let’s help him now.”A shinobi? Kakashi stepped back to let the vet do his job while he frowned. A shinobi? That could not be right. Ninjas very rarely had pets, so if that dog truly belonged to a shinobi…“He’s a ninken?” the Hatake asked.“Has to be” the vet answered, carefully removing the bandages around the animal’s neck. “Couldn’t have survived the things I saw him pulling through, otherwise. Do you know what happened with his owner?”“No.”He didn’t, but he knew what would happen to him. Pakkun had his scent, so they would hunt him later and make him pay for this.“Hope he is dead” Kakashi didn’t, he wanted to be the one killing him. “You did a good job cleaning and covering the wound, he will be alright with time. Did he eat and drink anything?”“Yes, yesterday night, but he seemed to be in pain while doing it.”“That’s normal, I’ll give him something for the pain. He needs to put on a lot of weight to be healthy again.”The Hatake nodded, observing as the man cleaned and disinfected the wounds on the dog’s neck again. Then, his hand covered with green light and he started to take care of the red and pink flesh, which started to close slowly.“I thought you were not a shinobi.”“And I’m not” the vet said. “I only know some medical ninjutsu, and it’s not even enough to close a wound like this, but at least it’ll help a little.”True to his word, when the chakra disappeared the tissue had closed a bit and the injury was not so deep anymore, but it was far away to be healed. After applying a white cream all around it, the man put a few gauzes on top and then proceeded to bandage the head again with much more precision than Kakashi was able to. Then, he took a pill out of a package and daubed it in some kind of sauce before offering it to the dog.“Here, can you eat it? It’ll make the pain go away a bit.”The animal smelled the offering for a few seconds before taking it with his front teeth and then swallow it.“Good boy” the vet praised, earning a small tail wag. He lifted his gaze to the Hatake a moment later. “Are you going to take care of him, or should he stay here?”The question took Kakashi by surprise. The truth was, he hadn’t thought so far. First, because if he was a common dog there was no way he could take care of him. And second, because up to that moment he hadn’t thought about getting another ninken. Besides, shouldn’t they be asking that to the poor animal that had survived torture?He approached the table where the dog was still laying down and squatted so their faces were at the same height. A soft tongue came to lick his nose over the mask.“What do you want to do?” he asked him.The dog opened his mouth slowly and Kakashi half expected another whine, but instead words came out of it.“I don’t want… to stay here” he said in a strained voice.So, he was a ninken, after all.“Then, you’re coming with me” the Hatake declared, petting softly his head. He looked back at the vet. “What will I need to take care of him?”The man nodded with a small smile, crossing his arms in front of him.“I’ll prepare a bag with bandages and other things that you’ll need, together with some instructions” he indicated. “You can go back to the hall and I’ll bring it to you.”“Thank you.”He realized then that he didn’t even know the name of the man, but he thought it was a little bit late for asking. Instead, he took the dog back in his arms and held him as best as he could to not move his neck a lot. It was still difficult due to Kakashi’s height, but he did his best and the ninken didn’t protest.At the entrance of the clinic, he let him down on the ground for a bit as he talked with the receptionist, Pakkun checking that the other animals in the room didn’t get too close.“How much do I have to pay you?”Taking out his wallet, he checked the price of the consult, cure and medicine before giving up the money. It was a lot, and it probably meant Kakashi was going to have to eat only his food pills for a few days until he got his next payment, but he didn’t complain. Once he had paid and the vet had given him the bag with the things he needed, he put it in his backpack and picked the dog back up, walking outside.Reaching Konoha while carrying the ninken would take him almost the three days left of the mission, so he started walking immediately, Pakkun still keeping his company. They were almost out of the city when someone appeared in front of them, finger pointing at Kakashi.“YOU! Where do you think you’re going with my dog?!”It was a man about twice as tall as the Hatake, fat and bald, that carried what looked like a half-empty bottle of alcohol in the hand that was not pointing at him. Kakashi doubted very much he was a shinobi anymore, since he could not see a uniform or a hitai-ate, but even if retired —or demoted— he knew summon contracts could still stand.“I saved this ninken from an agonizing death” he barked back. “As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t belong to anybody, especially not to somebody that would hurt him like that.”“HA! Don’t be stupid kid, and give me back my dog” the man laughed. “If he’s still alive, I can put him to use, I’m sure.”Kakashi’s arms closed protectively around the ninken, pressing him against his chest while Pakkun growled at his side.“Tsk. Very well, then. Uhei, come here!”The dog shifted uncomfortably against the Hatake’s hold and he looked down, confused at him. It was evident that the animal was scared, not wanting to follow the instructions, but it was as if something was pulling him.“You don’t have to go” Kakashi said. “I’ll accompany you to your realm so you can break the contract with him, don’t worry.”“NOW, UHEI!”The ninken whined and kicked him to be free, falling to the ground the second after. With trembling legs, he stood up and slowly started to walk towards the other man.“Why?” the Hatake muttered, confused. “Why is he going back?”At his feet, Pakkun whined, too. Then, he saw Uhei’s summoner take a scroll out, thin and completely red.“Want an advice, kid? Find one of these for your summons” the man said. “That way you’ll make sure they cannot betray you, like the mutt here.”The dog had almost reached him, even as his whole body shook and small whines escaped his mouth. Suddenly, Pakkun started to bark aggressively.“He has a loyalty contract! Those were forbidden long ago!” he accused, running forwards. “TRAITOR!”Before Kakashi was able to react, his ninken had jumped on the other man, biting the hand that held the scroll and forcing him to release it. The next moment, Uhei fell to the floor, panting and crying. When his owner hit his hand against the ground and started to try pulling Pakkun off by punching him, the Hatake saw red.Taking the handle of his tanto, he ran towards the other man and sliced it down at the same time as his arm did. The amount of chakra he infused on the blade was enough to cut through meat and bone, the hand that intended to hit his ninken falling to the floor. The man needed a second to assimilate what was happening before start screaming, his knees slamming against the ground. Pakkun —who was unharmed—, released him the next second, running then to the red scroll and taking it in his mouth.“Burn this, boss” he said, living it at Kakashi’s feet. “It’s the only way to free Uhei.”He didn’t even need to know why. A ball of fire incinerated the object the next moment.“NO!” the man screamed. “You had not right! He’s mine! MINE!”The Hatake kicked his face, broke his nose and then pressed his tanto against his neck.“HE’S NOT YOURS!” he barked, letting the blade draw some blood against the skin. “I should make you go through the same pain as he did.”“W-Wait” a soft voice came from behind him. “Don’t… kill him.”Kakashi turned his head back, anger tears in his eyes as he looked at Uhei.“Why do you defend him? After everything he did to you!”“He wasn’t… Always like this” the dog said, still laying down and uncapable of moving. “Life treated him badly, and he paid it with me, but he was a good man before. Forgive him… please.”Tears falling down his cheeks, the Hatake let out a growl as he pushed the man against the floor —hard— and got up, containing his desire of cutting his neck.“I’m reporting you” he barked. “Here and when I’m back in Konoha. You won’t get away with this.”Kicking him one last time, Kakashi turned around while the man bled, groaned and cried, his amputated hand losing color at his feet. He hoped nobody could reattach it.Then, the Hatake walked back to Uhei and kneeled at his side. His body was still shaking from the effort caused by the steps he had been forced to take, but he was not whining that much. He pet him carefully.“Let me take you to Konoha” he asked the ninken. “They’ll be able to take better care of you there. You don’t have to stay with me after if you don’t want to, ok?”Uhei’s eyes shined with tears and his head moved only so slightly in a nod. Kakashi lifted him up again, hugging the dog and starting the way back home.
They didn’t stop until night, sheltered in yet another cave that they found while following the mountains towards Konoha. The Hatake had ignored his own hunger and tiredness to reduce the time it would take them to reach the village, and so far he was doing well. By the time he let Uhei rest against the ground his arms were stiffed and tingled a bit, but it was nothing a good night of sleep wouldn’t improve.“How are you doing?” he asked to the ninken. “Is it ok if I do the cures now?”“I feel better” Uhei answered, his voice less strained but still timid. “I’m sorry you have to carry me, maybe tomorrow I can start walking.”“It’s not a problem” Kakashi assured, petting his head carefully. “Let’s take a look at those wounds, ok? Pakkun, do you mind keeping guard?”“Right away, boss!”The small ninken left his side to sit in front of the cave entrance. This one was way bigger than the one they occupied the day before, so the Hatake risked a bigger fire to help warming Uhei up. As he changes the gauzes and applied some cream, he was able to see some improvement already, the skin more pink than red, even if the injury was still gruesome.“There you go” he said as he placed the bandages back in place. “All good.”The ninken wagged his tail softly, and Kakashi smiled at him. Then, he took his backpack once again to take out his soldier pills and a can of food for the dogs. At the beginning he hadn’t realized it, but apparently the vet at the town had added some tins as a gift to the bag without his knowledge, since he was sure of not having paid for them.“It’s dinner time, Pakkun” he called.His ninken barely needed a few seconds to be in front of him, tail moving happily as he waited for him to leave the food on the ground. As the night before, he helped Uhei to eat, too, and soon enough the can was completely clean. His stomach rumbling a bit, Kakashi licked his own fingers to taste part of the mix of boar and duck before taking a food pill.“We should share the next can, boss” Pakkun said. “You need to eat more.”“I’ll be fine” he said, smiling at him while petting his head.The dog seemed to want to say something else, but ended up closing his eyes and enjoying the hand scratching him instead. A moment later, the Hatake felt a small pressure on his thigh and crossed eyes with Uhei, who had attempted to rest his head on it.“I-I’m sorry” he said.“It’s alright, you can come closer, if you want.”The ninken doubted for a moment before pressuring his body more against Kakashi and letting his head fall on his leg. With his free hand, the Hatake started to pet him, too.“Can I ask you something?” he said to none of the dogs in specific. “What is a loyalty contract?”Next to him, Uhei trembled a bit.“It’s a type of summoning contract that was forbidden the same year we met” Pakkun said. “My father told me about it. It’s something some summoners demanded for their summons to accept in order to prove how loyal they were. It kept the summons from going back to their realm unless their owner allowed it, and also held some kind of power over them. It’s cruel.”Kakashi suppressed a shiver at the idea. That explained why Uhei had walked earlier that day even when he obviously lacked the strength to do so, or why he had stayed for so long with someone that evidently was not worthy of him.“I was a small pup when I signed it” the other dog said in a low voice a moment after. “He was still a good man back then and I just wanted to be by his side, so it seemed like a good idea. He said he would never use it against me. But, then… He lost his wife and daughter to the war. He started gambling and lost his money. After that, he turned to me. He made me race against other dogs for prizes, and hit me when I lost.”Uhei whined a bit and Kakashi stopped his pets to brush away the tears coming from the ninken’s eyes.“Two days ago there was another race. And I tried. I tried…” the dog cried. “He told me I was useless and didn’t deserve to live anymore, so he… He…”The Hatake lifted him up again and hugged him tightly, not trying to contain his own tears anymore.“That man won’t put a hand on you again, I promise” he said against Uhei’s fur. “I’ll protect you.”“We will” Pakkun added, coming closer to brush his face against the other ninken’s side. “You’re safe now.”Kakashi felt Uhei’s tail hitting his leg as he wagged it, and his body relaxing against his chest.“You said before…” the dog started, doubting. “You said I don’t have to stay with you, but… Can I? I’m not very useful anymore, but I promise I’ll do good when I’m better. I can be very fast, and I’m good at hunting, and also at following trails, and, and…”“Shh, Uhei, it’s ok” Kakashi reassured, brushing his nose over the fur of the ninken’s ear. “We would be happy to welcome you into the pack. You don’t need to be the best at anything. Now your only task is to get better.”“Thank you” the dog said, moving his head up to lick the Hatake’s face. “You’re kind and protect your friends. I’m lucky to have met you. Thank you.”Kakashi thought it was curious, how his ninken were able to talk like that about him, when any other shinobi hated him because of —according to them— his attitude. That was why he preferred animals over people. Not because the former would praise him, but because they were able to understand each other. He was not capable of feeling that bond with humans.And that is ok, he thought, while hugging Uhei and feeling Pakkun climb onto his lap, too. They are all I need.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kakashi acted submissive as he was thrown inside of an underground cell. The space was small and smelled like urine, which made him grimace. The man that had pushed him inside entered behind to attach one of his ankles to a chain coming from the wall, the iron heavy and cold against his skin.“I hope you don’t die too son” the guy said as he left the cell. “I would like to have a turn with you tonight.”The Hatake shivered to fulfill his interpretation of an scared nine years old child and the man laughed before leaving. As soon as he was out of sight, Kakahi rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. Even though the comment had been disgusting it was not the first one of the kind he had received; as a young chunnin —soon to be jounin as he would do the exams in a few months— he was often sent to missions like that. Infiltration work in which people underestimated children thinking they could not be other thing than a victim. Not that Kakashi was a child anymore, obviously.Getting close to the metal bars of the cell, he saw that at the other side of the corridor there were more prisoners, just as predicted. Guards were less numerous than expected, though, only four; two at each door of the long gallery.He moved to the other walls after. The one he was attached to and the one in front of that were made of plain rock, possibly easy to destroy with a Doton. The last one, however, was not solid but instead had more bars and another door. There was not enough light for him to see what was at the other side, but his nose told him that whatever took place in there was not good; it smelled like blood.He sat himself close to the corridor to keep a visual on the guards, memorizing their movements and patterns. They were sloppy, the four of them turning their backs sometimes at the same time or simply leaving their post. As far as Kakashi knew, there were only children in that part of the prison underground —which agreed with the mission’s info—, so he guessed the guards didn’t normally have problem to keep them under control.About two hours later, light illuminated the room on the opposite side of his cell. It was some kind of arena, and apparently all the other chambers had access to it, too. The Hatake was not able to see clearly what was at the other side of the fighting ground, but the sounds coming from there were not human. On the higher part of the arena, rows and rows of seats were filled with fat and ugly men. There were some women, too, but judging by their appearance they were most likely their prostitutes.“Gentlemen, welcome!” a deep voice said after a bit, quieting down the place. Kakashi could not see the man talking, but he guessed he was the head of the organization. “For those of you who are new here, I’ll explain the rules. First, you’ll be invited to bet on our glorious fights, fun guaranteed! During the combats you may be free to put a request on whoever catches your attention and, should they survive, you’ll be able to have their service for about an hour. Now, let’s begin!”The stands burst in roars and screams, making the Hatake grimace again. He knew the world was broken, but there was something especially disgusting in adult men wanting to use children as prostitutes and being so excited about it.One of the cells at the other side of the arena opened and something big and dark came out of it, walking slowly and heavily.“Say hello to our star! The unbeatable winner! The Black Terror!” the same voice as before shouted. “Today, he shall face death once again in three different combats. Let’s see his first opponent and place the bets!”Obviously, those men couldn’t be only into children abuse, they also had to use animals in their games. Of course. Kakashi growled, frustration reaching a new level.The dark animal continued walking around the arena completely calm, and when it was close enough for the Hatake to properly see it, he opened his eyes in surprise. From afar, he thought it was some kind of deformed bear or something, but it was a dog. Big —way bigger than anything Kakashi had seen before— and filled with wrinkles. His whole fur was black and short, but scars could be seen here and there, as well as fresh wounds that probably were caused the day before. The animal seemed to be walking in automatic, his eyes showing nothing as he passed in front of the Hatake’s cell. He guessed they had drugged him somehow, though he wasn’t sure of what kind of drug could make a dog like that so calm.That theory went to shit the next second.Another cell opened and this time a real bear came out, bigger than the black dog and clearly angry. As it ran towards the Black Terror with a growl and long claws hitting the ground, Kakashi thought about how he was going to end up covered in dog blood.It didn’t happen.The dog needed about a second of looking at the bear before start moving, running also towards it and jumping high to avoid a claw before turning in the air and bite hard on the other animal’s neck. His eyes were now wild and from his throat came a deep growl. Suddenly, the Hatake understood why he had been given his name.The fight still lasted a bit, since a bear was a bear, but the dog ended up killing it without receiving more than a superficial slash on his side, which he didn’t even lick once the combat was finish. Maybe because he knew what was coming next, as a second cell opened and a lynx jumped out of it.The roars and laughs coming from the disgusting men remembered Kakashi he had a mission. While the dog fought the new animal —and later another—, he looked for more guards on the stands, counting them and memorizing their position. There were more than expected, but nothing the team waiting outside could not deal with.For good measure, he waited a little longer before putting his plan in motion, making sure the patterns of the guards didn’t change. When the Black Terror was sent back to his cell —he entered voluntarily, walking as calm as he had come out—, another two opened. This time, two children stepped out, one from each prison, of about seven and nine years old. They had been given a kunai and were supposed to fight to death. How original.Having had enough, Kakashi turned back to the corridor. Just as expected, the guards had left their post to see the show, so nobody was able to see him as he passed one hand to the other side of the bars and summoned Pakkun.“Boss?” the ninken asked, leaning his head to one side. “Do you need help?”“I’m good” he said. “You have to send a message to the team outside, they’ll take care of the rest. There may be some guards on your way out, but you should be fine.”“Of course, boss.”He liked that Pakkun didn’t question his decisions. The ninken knew Kakashi would never put him in an unnecessary risk and followed instructions without sending him dirty looks. His pack was way better than any shinobi team he had to collaborate with.Passing on the message to the dog, he observed how he left the corridor under the surprised expressions of the other children. When no fighting noise was heard once Pakkun went through the first door, he breathed more easily. In the background, the kids at the arena were crying and screaming, surely trying to stab the other without much luck. They were not shinobi, after all. Sighing, Kakashi sat against the rock wall he was connected to and took out the hair pin hidden in his mouth. As soon as the first signal of his team’s intervention was heard, he would be on the move.
Four days later, they still were in the same place. Well, not exactly, having ended the children-trafficking network and captured most of the people involved in it, but still in the perimeter. That place was barely four hours away from Konoha, which was even more traumatizing and the reason why the Hokage had made of it an urgent mission to complete.The team he was in —five chunnin, three jounin— had lifted camp in the forest and every day they would spread in different directions searching for the men that had escaped from the underground arena. They were not a lot, but the Hokage’s instructions had been clear: no loose ends, no survivors. They could not risk for the crimes to start once again.At the moment, Kakashi was jumping from one branch to the next one, mask down around his nose to better detect the smells around him in hopes to find the scent of one of the men to stab him. So far, he was not having luck. According to their count, there should only be three more left, so finding them could be a little difficult. At least the Hatake was not wearing ragged clothes anymore, but his normal uniform. Also, the separation of the group for the search allowed him some solitude, and that he appreciated.Suddenly, his nose caught a sniff of something familiar. The stink of those men mixed with blood. He changed course immediately, following the scent as fast as he could. Speed that was unnecessary, since the source of the smell walked slowly at ground level, a big black spot leaving drops of blood on the grass at it advanced.It was not one of the men, but the Black Terror. Kakashi had no idea of how that dog had survived the explosive his team had planted on the underground arena, but it seemed to be ok. Still injured from the last combats and probably the escape, but otherwise looked normal.Sniffing the air to check the scent was really coming from there and not from another man he was forgetting about, he decided to follow the animal just for a bit over the trees. Soon enough he had to stop as the branches came to an end in a small clear leading to a stone wall. There was a cave at its feet and the Black Terror walked straight to it, plopping on the ground a moment later. It came to Kakashi’s mind that the space was quite similar to the cell in which they had been kept as prisoners, and maybe that was why the dog had gone there.His next moves could’ve been considered stupid, if not because he was a highly qualified shinobi and could possibly kill that animal in a blink of an eye.The Hatake jumped to the ground.The Black Terror lifted his head from the ground to look at him for a couple of seconds and then returned to his previous position. Uh. Not as aggressive as Kakashi had expected. He didn’t tempt his luck much, however, choosing to only get a few steps closer to get a better view. The dog had some fresh wounds still bleeding, although so far they didn’t look infected. He was also a little bit malnourished, but being the star of the underground arena, those men probably gave him more food than to the children. Through all his observation, the Black Terror remained still, looking towards the forest with his gigantic head over his paws, breathing calmly. It was amazing, that somebody so deadly could also look that peaceful.
The next day, Kakashi returned to the same spot after his rounds. The dog was still there, as if waiting for something to happen. The Hatake got closer this time, until he was in front of the animal but out of the cave, and squatted in front of him. The Black Terror didn’t even look at him.Opening the pouch on his back, he took out his ration of food from that morning, opened it and let it on the floor in front of the dog. The smell was strong, enough for the animal to turn his head towards it, but then his eyes settled on Kakashi and he put the head over his paws again.“You should eat” the Hatake said, because he hadn’t given up his food for nothing.The dog didn’t move, so he sighed and stepped back to the tree line. He supposed he couldn’t blame him. That animal had probably not known any other life that one in which he had to fight for his life every day and then go back to his cave. He was most likely waiting for his owners to appear and take him again, hidden in his self-imposed prison and unable to leave it even for eating. It was sad, and for a moment Kakashi even contemplated if it would be better to kill him and end his suffering.Then, he heard some movement behind him. Turning, he saw the Black Terror getting up and looking at both sides before taking one tentative step out of the cave and then another. A couple of minutes later, his big head and front paws where under the sun and he was eating the food quickly. He went back the moment he finished, but the fact that he had moved gave Kakashi hope.
Three days later, the captain of the mission —Namikaze Minato— appeared with the bodies of the three missing men. He declared their duty fulfilled, having all the criminals been eliminated and the victims sent back to their homes, and so they would go back to Konoha the next morning.That night Kakashi slipped out of his sleeping bag unnoticed and went back to the cave. His last days’ efforts had helped him to gain some of the Black Terror’s trust, the animal now even leaving the mountain to get the food from his hand. Still, it was not enough for him to make the dog follow, and his injuries had started to show some signs of infection.The Hatake knew it was not his responsibility; he didn’t own the dog and neither owed him anything. And still, he couldn’t leave him back. The animal had fought all his life for survival and triumph. It would be unfair to let him die there just because the people that were supposed to care for him had no honor. So, Kakashi had a few hours to come up with a plan.Sometime later, when a branch broke at the end of the forest, he sent a kunai flying towards the sound. It hit the trunk of one tree, a tall person coming from behind it a second after. The Hatake opened his eyes in surprise.“I’m sorry, Minato-sensei” he said. “I didn’t sense it was you.”The captain was different from most shinobi Kakashi knew; calm, composed and smiley. He also treated him with the respect no other comrades showed due to his age, and listened to his suggestions and plans. The man even asked him if he was ok once he escaped from his cell a few days before, as if he cared for him. On top of all that, Namikaze Minato was also an incredible shinobi, fast and deadly, pupil of a Sannin and, according to rumors, possible future Hokage. Oh, and he had also been his sensei during his genin days. Since he ascended to chunnin they hadn’t worked together that much, but the Hatake still looked up to him with respect.“Don’t worry, Kakashi, I should have announced my presence” the blond man said, stepping into the clear and under the moonlight. “That’s… a dog?”He was pointing at the Black Terror, who was lying asleep with half his body out of the cave, next to the Hatake’s seated form.“Yes, it was also a victim from the underground fights” he said with a nod. “I found him a few days ago.”“I see. Are you taking him back to Konoha?”Kakashi liked that he didn’t comment anything about his wounds, or asked if he was aggressive or should be put down. Still, the painful truth remained.“I don’t think so” the Hatake admitted. “He won’t follow me, and he’s too big to carry. Putting him on a leash wouldn’t be a great idea, either, I have seen him killing a bear.”Minato chuckled, but after the glance he sent to the blond man he realized Kakashi was not joking and his expression changed into one more serious.“Well, that’s… surprising” he said. “Does he allow to be touched?”The Hatake nodded, moving a hand to rest on top of the Black Terror’s head. He didn’t even react. The first time Kakashi attempted to do it, he had guessed the probabilities of losing his hand were fifty-fifty, but turned out the dog let himself being touched, pocked or whatever without moving.Tentative, Minato kept approaching and squatted at the other side of the animal, laying a big hand on top of his side and scratching him a bit. No reaction.“I believe I could take him with my Hiraishin” were the next words coming out from the blond man. “I have several marks through the forest, so I can make the necessary stops and if I take him now then Inuzuka Kindra-san could start patching him up.”Kakashi frowned, a little confused about the proposition.“Are you sure, Minato-sensei? To leave your position for something like this…”Is against the rules, he thought.“It’ll barely take me a few minutes” the captain said completely serious before offering him a smile. “He is also a victim, right? And our mission’s orders say to take all the victims back home.”The Hatake was pretty sure the Hokage was referring to the human victims, not some random dog, but since it was not specified…“Of course, Minato-sensei” he nodded. “Just, tell Kindra-san that he seems to have bad reaction towards other animals, in case any of his dogs are close.”“Good to know, Kakashi, thank you” the blond said. “See you in a bit.”Then, the man moved to get a hold on the Black Terror, who once again remained put, and both of them disappeared in a flash. The Hatake counted five minutes until the captain came back, most of that time probably used on reaching the Inuzuka district and give indications to its leader before leaving.“Kindra-san said he would take care of him” Minato informed when appearing at his side. “You’ll be able to visit tomorrow after your checks.”“Thank you, Minato-sensei.”“You’re welcome, Kakashi” the man said with a smile. “Now, let’s go back to the camp.”
Next morning, the Hatake ran after his captain towards Konoha. Once back, Minato told the team he would take care of the report, so they were free to scatter unless they needed to pass through the hospital. Kakashi had, even if he was not injured. After relating his part of the mission to his sensei so he could add it to the report, the man had instructed he went through both medical and psychological evaluation once back. Common procedure in these kind of missions, he said. Which was a lie, because the Hatake had acted as a slave or even a prostitute on other assignments and nobody made him go through the hospital due to it, but he decided to not contradict the man.After answering the questions of the doctors —no, he was not traumatized; no, he hadn’t let anybody lay a hand on him—, he was finally free to walk towards the Inuzuka district.The place was mostly a big part of the village’s forest surrounded by a white wall, with houses similar to the Hatake’s scattered everywhere, dogs running around with or without their human companions. He liked it, but as he was not a member of the Clan, Kakashi didn’t spend a lot of time inside unless he had a reason or was invited.This time, he was not sure of why he was going in. Sure, to check on the dog would be nice, at least to see he was being well-treated after so much suffering, but that much was redundant considering he was under the Inuzuka’s protection now. Also, he was just a dog, so the Hatake could not take responsibility of him; the best option was to leave him there so he could find a family with enough space for him.“You’re here” Kindra said when he knocked on his door. “Come on in, your dog is in the back with Tsume.”He intended to correct him, but the man turned around before he was able to. The idea of seeing his daughter didn’t bring any excitement to Kakashi, who knew the girl from his Academy days and remembered her as rather crazy and violent. At least she liked dogs.Several ninken looked at him as he walked through the house and into the back garden, where the Black Terror was lying on the ground, covered in bandages here and there and with Inuzuka Tsume seated at his side, a small dog on her lap.“He’ll be fine” the man said once Kakashi stood next to him. “I patched him up well and his wounds need little care before closing. He’ll have some more scars, but his fur will probably grow over them in time.”“Thank you, Kindra-san.”The Inuzuka’s leader huffed.“Yeah, well, the animal had already suffered enough” he commented. “He’s a mutt, so his owners just thought about taking advantage of the fact.”At that, the Hatake frowned.“A mutt? He looks like a fancy pure breed.”“I’m not referring to his breed, boy, but to his blood” Kindra said, as if not believing he had to explain that to him. “He’s half ninken, half common dog. That’s why he cannot talk, but understands us just fine.”“I didn’t know ninken mix with common dogs.”“They don’t, as a general rule. This case is possible a result of a forced pair to get a dog big enough and with ninken abilities.”That was just wrong, Kakashi thought. He had never been in the ninken’s realm, but he had seen a fair amount of them and knew it was rare they grew to be as big as that. Which didn’t mean they were less deadly. To force a breeding just to get an animal like that… Disgusting.“Will you be taking him home?” Kindra asked next. “He had been asking about the child that fed him a couple of times. Our ninken understand him, so with yours you should be able to communicate just fine.”“He doesn’t attack them? During the mission I saw him fighting any animal that got too close to him.”“He’s a mutt, boy, but not stupid” the man said with a low growl. “When I brought Tenra to him he just asked if they were meant to fight, and when I said ‘no’, he went back to rest.”The Hatake fought a reaction. He didn’t like Kindra’s attitude towards him, but then again it was the way that man behaved with everybody. In fact, it was just the general behavior of any Inuzuka.“I’ll take him if he wants to come” he finally said. “What do I need to take care of his wounds?”“Disinfectant and healing cream, you can use the ones you should have in your medical kit. Bring him here next week for a checkup.”Kakashi nodded, walking then towards the Black Terror.“You’re taking him, Hatake?” Tsume asked, standing up with the small dog on her arms.“If he wants to come” he answered, looking at the black animal.A moment later the Black Terror got up on his four paws and walked towards him. There was no pleasant movement that indicated he was happy to tag along, but then again it was possible he didn’t even know how to behave around humans that treated him nicely.Together, they walked back home.
He had yet to save enough money to be able to rent an apartment at the chunnin barricades, so for the time being the Hatake had to remain living in his childhood house. He had stopped saying ‘tadaima’ some time ago, now simply opening the front door and going through it to the main room. As always, he avoided the invisible spot in which his father had laid while choosing dishonor, not wanting anything of that man rubbing on him.“You can explore, if you want” he told the Black Terror while he walked to the kitchen. “I don’t know if they fed you there, so I’ll open a can for you now. Tomorrow after shopping I’ll be able to prepare something better.”Behind him, the dog just plopped down on the ground. Kakashi shrugged, taking two of the tins with dog food from the counter and opening them over a big plate, since Uhei’s and Pakkun’s bowls would be too small. Then, he filled a salad bowl with water and left both things in front of the dog. He devoured the canned food in a few seconds and almost finished the water after.The Hatake made a mental note to double the amount of everything he would be buying the next day. The doctors had ordered him a one-week leave ‘to come to terms with the mission’, whatever that meant, so he had more than enough time to figure out how to fit the Black Terror in his life. For that, however, he would need some help.“I’m going to summon a couple of friends” he said, squatting next to the dog. “They are ninken, but not coming to fight, just to assist with communication and spend some time together. So, don’t try to kill them, ok?”The animal looked up to him for a few seconds before resting the head against the floor again. He decided to take that as a ‘yes’. A moment later, Pakkun and Uhei appeared behind a cloud of smoke. The latest was fully healed after eight months with him, but had decided to keep wearing the bandages to cover the big scar around his neck, to which the Hatake hadn’t offered any complain. The three of them were a tight pack and he was happy to say that Uhei fully trusted him by then.“Hello, boss!” Pakkun said, lifting a paw. “Oh, and hello… who are you exactly?”He had turned his head towards the Black Terror, just as Uhei did. The black dog huffed what Kakashi guessed was an answer and Uhei sneezed and took a step back.“Black Terror?” he commented. “What kind of name is that?”Another huff, this one longer and accompanied by a movement of his gigantic head.“Oh” Uhei said, looking apologetic.“What did he say?” the Hatake asked.“We could leave it in that his previous owner was a piece of shit” Pakkun offered.Kakashi just looked back at the slender ninken for a truthful answer. Uhei lowered his head and whined softly.“He said that’s the name his handler used to call him most, but he also responds to ‘beast’, ‘useless dog’ and ‘stupid mutt’.”Kami, the Hatake didn’t know who had killed the leader of the organization, but he hoped his death had been slow and painful.“That’s wrong” he declared, crossing his arms over the chest. “You’re not a beast or a mutt, you’re a dog, an a half-ninken, for that matter! Neither are you stupid or a ‘terror’. Maybe it’s time for a name change, something that fits you better. Any idea, guys?”Pakkun and Uhei looked at him a little bit confused.“Well, boss, ninken don’t usually go around giving names to other beings, unless they’re our pups, and we’re still too young for that, so…” the small pug commented.Right. Kakashi had never done anything similar before, either.“Ok, let’s think about your qualities” he said. “You’re black, and big, and…”The new dog lifted his head and huffed louder this time.“He says he’s also strong” Uhei translated.“Yeah, if you had horns, you could pass for a bull…” Pakkun barked.“That’s it!” the Hatake exclaimed. “What about ‘Bull’, then?”“Seriously, boss? Just a few seconds ago you were complaining about him being named after something he was not, and now…”This time, a new huff was followed by a sneeze.“Yeah, bulls are really strong” Uhei answered the ninken while moving his tail. “I think it could suit you.”Another bark and Pakkun let out a sigh.“If you really like it…”“Bull it is, then!” Kakashi declared, a smile under the mask. “Now, these are Uhei and Pakkun, my ninken.”The dogs moved their heads as he presented them. Bull just leaned his to one side.“A ninken is a ninja dog” the small pug answered his silent question. “Kakashi call us when he needs help on a mission, sometimes for things like this, too.”The low growl that the black dog let out was not aggressive, but surely indicated that his next words were more serious. Uhei sneezed and shook his head.“It’s not like that” he said. “We don’t fight for Kakashi because he orders us to, but because we want to protect him and because we are shinobi from Konoha. That’s what this hitai-ate means, see?” he shifted his body to make the metal plate move around. “He treats us well and cares about how we are. He saved me, you know?”When Bull huffed and growled again, Pakkun was the one to respond to his next words.“Oh, boy, this one is going to need some time” he commented, turning to Kakashi. “He just asked if now he will have to fight for you, since you saved him. Seriously, boss, where was he before?”The Hatake didn’t think it was very polite to talk about the dog as if he was not there and could understand what they said, but he understood his ninken’s frustration.“He was kept in the arena underground on my last mission. Inuzuka Kindra said they probably bred him for fighting and has being doing so all his life” he explained, turning after to Bull. “But you don’t have to do that anymore. You’re half ninken, but I’m sure if you want I could take you back to the Inuzuka district and they would find you a nice house where you won’t have to fight ever again.”It would take time, sure, because he was a pretty big dog, but surely someone would want him. And, in the meantime, the Clan would give him everything he needed. With another huff, Bull seemed to ask something straight to Uhei, who moved a bit around before answering.“Well, it’s fun” he said. “We spend most of our time in the ninken realm and when the boss call us, we come. Sometimes it’s for fighting, but mostly to follow the trail of an enemy or deliver a message, if we’re on a mission. He also call us here, to his house, so we can train and play together, or just lay under the sun. It’s good. He’s good.”Kakashi felt his cheeks reddening, but his mask hid it well. He knew Uhei was thankful to him, but he had never expressed it in such way.“Training is like preparing for battle” Pakkun said next, apparently answering another question from Bull. “Like fighting, but not serious. And playing is… similar but fun? You have to experience it to understand what I mean. But Uhei is right, Kakashi is a good pup. You’ll be fine if you choose to stay.”The black dog shifted to look at the Hatake then, releasing a deep and short bark. His other two ninken wagged their tails.“What did he say now?”“He literally said ‘Bull will stay and protect the boss’” Uhei answered.“That’s good” Kakashi said, smiling under the mask and reaching with his hands to scratch his new companion behind the ears. “You’re good. Good dog.”A loud ‘clonk’ echoed in the room, and Bull turned to see his tail hitting the water bowl still on the ground. He tilted his head.“That’s normal” Pakkun explained. “Your tail wags when you’re happy. It’ll happen often now.”Bull barked again on a higher note, something that didn’t need translation, and his tail continued hitting the bowl slowly as Kakashi kept petting him.
As the week advanced, the Hatake discovered that having a big, black dog full of scars and bandages worked perfectly to make the people stay away from you. Sure, Obito and Gai still kept appearing from time to time to annoy him, but otherwise the rest maintained their distance.Every day he would summon Uhei and Pakkun to help him with Bull. Even though he was half ninken and could understand what he said, Kakashi couldn’t, and this dog also lacked the sharp mind of a pure ninken, needing more time to comprehend his intentions. So, it was a work in progress.By the fifth day together, Bull’s wounds were looking much better and he was not so alert, neither was he asking if every person they met was an enemy to fight. He did throw himself on Gai the first time he jumped on Kakashi asking for a challenge in his presence, but luckily after a quick ‘no’ Bull let him go with nothing more than a teeth mark. The Hatake had to hold himself to not reward him, since he did manage to scare Gai away ‘until his new dog was more civilized’.If the Hatake had to find a negative part of the situation, he would say it was the amount of money he was leaving on food, and how loudly Bull snored. Other than that, he was fine. The black dog was easy to live with, normally choosing to nap in the garden, in a corner of the room or on the blankets Kakashi one day took out of the wardrobe to make him a bed. He didn’t complain when the Hatake cured him, even if he knew it hurt, and neither reacted badly at other animals or people, didn’t matter if they were invasive with him or made a lot of noise. And that was more than Kakashi could say about himself.Another important event that took place during those first five days was the visit of Bull to the ninken realm, accompanied by Uhei and Pakkun, since Kakashi was still not allowed there because ‘he was a human pup’, whatever that meant. The important thing was that Bull obtained recognition as a ninken and accepted a link to Kakashi’s contract, officially becoming a member of his pack. That had happened on their third day together, and the four of them had celebrated with a banquet and a run in the forest under the moon.However, the Hatake didn’t let him participate in his first training until the seventh day, when Inuzuka Kindra did a checkup and declared he was mostly healed; Bull only needed to keep eating a healthy diet to be in perfect shape.Up until then, the black dog had remained at one side while Uhei, Pakkun and him trained together, normally fighting against his own clones or working on some Doton jutsu, which the ninken were learning rather well. Bull had participated in the play-time, though, and after a couple of corrections he seemed to get the hang of it, following the other ninken to pick up a trail or simply jumping around. He also enjoyed to chew on toys and biters, as well as to lay on top of Kakashi until he had to ask for air.That day, however, the whole pack would start training together. The Hatake’s official leave was over, which meant he would most likely be sent to another mission soon, so he wanted to be prepared.“We’re going to see how well you compenetrate” he told his ninken. “Coordination must be good under any circumstances, so I want to see if the three of you can hold a fight together against me, ok?”The dogs nodded, acquiring a ready position as he summoned a bō as a weapon. It was not something he normally used for battle, but he needed something blunt to avoid hurting his dogs in a first try and it was also good for him to practice new things. The moment the large stick appeared in his hand, he saw Uhei and Bull flinching. In another situation he would’ve reassured them, but that was training and they had to be ready to face any weapon, even if it scared them, because Kakashi could not have them dying on him.“Pin me to the ground and you win” he stablished. “Come on!”He launched forwards in a jump, bō over the head and ready to hit the ninkens. Uhei and Pakkun scattered, but Bull remained in place and the Hatake barely had time to stop the movement of his weapon before it reached the dog on the back as the animal shrank with an almost inaudible whine.“Bull!” he called, adrenaline running high and weapon still in position. “Why didn’t you move?! I could’ve hurt you!”This time, his whimper was easy to hear and Kakashi threw the bō away.“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have screamed.”“He’s saying he’s sorry, too” Pakkun translated behind him, voice rough. “He didn’t know he was supposed to avoid the hit if it was coming from you.”Kakashi had to contain a frustrated groan. He was not angry at Bull; it was not his fault. No, he just wanted to revive, torture and then kill again the man that had abused him so often that the black dog now just awaited for the hit to land without trying to defend himself.Going down on his knees, the Hatake took the ninken’s big head in between his hands and looked straight at him, completely serious.“Listen to me, Bull. Nobody can hurt you now, not even me” he explained. “If anybody attacks you, human or animal, you defend yourself. During training you can show some restrain, but never let the hit land if you can avoid it. And if one day I start to hurt you for no reason, your orders are the same as the others’: you bite me, as hard as you can, and protect yourself, understood? You’re more important.”Bull’s tongue came out of his mouth and licked his whole face.“He said…” Uhei started.“I know” Kakashi cut him with a smile, scratching the black dog’s ears. “I love you too, Bull.”
The next time the Hatake tried to hit his ninkens, all of them avoided the bō and, soon enough, their coordination together showed him that adding Bull to the pack had been a great decision. Barely ten minutes later he was pinned to the ground, the black dog growling on top of him, Uhei and Pakkun grabbing a hand and a foot. When Kakashi congratulated them and began laughing, their tails wagged and they started licking him until he was completely covered in drool.
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Kakashi let out a frustrated sigh, hand coming up to cover his left eye over the hitai-ate. Even a year after he was still getting used to the Sharingan. It drained his chakra at an incredible speed, which was compensated by the abilities it gave to him, but it tired him anyways. The Hatake wouldn’t give up, though, having promised himself to master the gift Obito had given him before dying. He owed the Uchiha that much.Around him, his three ninken were resting, too, after a long training session together in the forest. Just as during the last few months they had focused on the Sharingan, the dogs moving fast around him to see if he was able to follow and predict his movements. It was similar to what he did with Gai, whenever he accepted a challenge, always under the condition of it being a battle and the taijutsu master using The Gates to increase his speed to its maximum. So far it was going well, but he would be lying if saying he didn’t need more. He couldn’t count on Gai always, and only three ninken were not enough to challenge him anymore.Kakashi had been contemplating the idea for quite a while, truth been told. His pack could benefit from an increase in numbers, since being only three was a little bit short for an ambush attack, and if sometimes he needed them to follow different trails it could happen there were more scents than dogs. On top of that, more ninken —fast ones— could help him with the training, and he also didn’t mind the responsibility. The only down point he could see was that his room in the jounin barracks was not very big, but he could make it work.“What do you think about going to the Inuzuka’s district to check on the other ninken?” he asked to his pack. “Maybe see if we find a good fit for us?”As he was still laying down, his dogs moved to stand up next to his body, their panting faces occupying all his visual. Pakkun was actually sitting over his chest, looking at him with a judgmental expression.“We’re not enough for you anymore, boss?” he said.“You know it’s not that” he huffed, poking the pug’s chest. “We need a bigger and stronger pack.”“And you think the Inuzuka’s are our best option?”Bull let out a low growl followed by a sneeze, most likely agreeing with Pakkun.“He’s right, boss” Uhei said. “We have already visited them a couple of times and never found other ninken that was a good fit.”They did have a point. The Inuzuka Clan specialized in big dogs with a wolf-like appearance most of the time, their behavior being dominant and sometimes proud. His pack was not like that at all. They were more like a group of misfits, and Kakashi liked it that way.“What do you propose, then?” he asked. “I don’t know of any other place where we can find more ninken.”“Really? What do you think our realm is for?” Pakkun grumbled.Frowning, the Hatake incorporated, the pug sliding down his chest and falling on to his lap while the other two dogs stepped back.“Last time I asked, you said I couldn’t go yet” he pointed out.“Well, last time you were a pup, now you’re not anymore” Pakkun said, as if it was obvious. “There shouldn’t be any problem with us doing a reverse summoning jutsu.”“But, why?” he pushed.The pug rolled his eyes, but Uhei seemed to take pity on him.“It’s because your pup teeth have already finished changing” he explained. “Now is when the rest of the changes leading you to adulthood start, so according to ninken law you can be considered old enough to visit our realm.”Kakashi was close to open his mouth and comment about how that was stupid, but contained himself. Sure, from his point of view that measure of time —or maturity, or whatever— didn’t have much sense, but by insulting it he might lose his new acquired right to visit the ninken realm, and he was not stupid enough to blow the opportunity.“Ok” he said instead. “So, I can go now? How do we do it?”“Well” Pakkun jumped down to the ground, “first, we have to return to the realm and then summon you from there, it won’t take long. So, just wait here.”The Hatake nodded and stayed put as his ninken disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He wasn’t sure of what to expect while being summoned, but it turned out to be quite similar to a shunshin, just with a lesser feeling of his own body movement.When he opened his eyes once again, he was sitting on the grass in the middle of a forest, which could have led him to the thought of the summoning jutsu not working, if not for the sensation of being in a completely different place. Wilder.“Hello again, boss” Pakkun said. “How was the trip? Did we bring you in one piece?”Just for good measure, Kakashi looked at himself to check that, in fact, he had all his members attached to his body.“Everything’s alright” he confirmed, getting up. “So, this is your home?”Taking a better look, he realized his ninken were not the only ones around, but several others walked and ran among the trees and bushes. Those acted as dens, too, apparently, and from a couple of them puppies came out to explore. Further away the forest seemed to open to a field with lakes, while at their backs several tall mountains stood up, snow covering their tops. It was a mixed ecosystem, with more than enough space for all the ninken and adapted to what they needed.“Well, this is our realm” Uhei pointed out. “Our home is in this direction, come.”Kakashi followed his dogs as soon as they started moving, trying to not stay behind as he observed the different ninken they passed next to. Some of them greeted him, others hid or just ignored his presence. The Hatake wondered how often people visited their realm.After a few minutes, they had reached the stone wall of one of the mountains, where several openings created dens from which more ninken came out. His three dogs went up a small natural ramp before stopping in front of an entrance and turning to him.“This is our house, pup” Pakkun said. “Come inside, we’ll show you.”Fortunately, the space was tall enough for him to fit without having to crawl, but if he kept growing up as he was doing, that would change soon enough. The den was simple enough, all rock on the walls and ground, but with a lot more space than what his dogs could need, even if counting Bull. There were three different beds made of blankets —each one with a size adapted to one of the dogs—, but just in case that was not enough their pawprints were painted on the rock over them as a sign. After observing them for a couple of seconds, Kakashi realized those blankets seemed familiar because they belonged to him. He smiled.There was little more inside the den, just what looked like a small water current running down the mountain and that they probably used to drink in case they didn’t want to walk down to the lakes. Overall, the ‘house’ might not seem like a lot, but he guessed it was everything a ninken could need to live.“It looks nice” he nodded. “I don’t see any food, though, what do you eat when you’re here?”“We hunt, boss, obviously” Uhei said. “There are a lot of prey here, so we just go out as a pack and search for our own food.”Uh, that made sense.Suddenly, Bull moved to climb on his bed and started to shift the blankets around a bit, which for a moment made the Hatake think he might lay down for a nap, but then he took something out in his mouth.“Oh, it’s true, Bull, thank you for the reminder” Pakkun said while looking at Kakashi. “Do you think you could help us to put this up, boss?”He retrieved what the biggest ninken had in his mouth, a long scroll from which he had to clean the drool before opening it. Again, he recognized the item as one he had had for a long time in the old Hatake’s house, but he didn’t comment on it. Unfolded, the scroll transformed into a decorative flag, with the background dark green and the symbol of Konoha in white in the middle. It came with a rope to attach it to the wall, but without hands and the correct tools, it was evident why his ninken hadn’t put it up.“Won’t this bring you problems?” he curiously wondered. “In case other ninken have contracts with shinobi from enemy countries, I mean.”Dogs could not shrug, but the movement Pakkun did was the closest thing to that.“Other ninken shouldn’t be entering our den without permission” he said. “And, in any case, we already know some that have an alliance with other lands. You don’t see us fighting, though, right? If things are tense we sometimes have a confrontation, but mostly we keep away from each other and if not we never reach the fangs, so it’s ok.”That was… Well, Kakashi didn’t know how to call it. In one hand, it seemed to be polite and intelligent, but in the other as a shinobi he could not avoid thinking how useful it could be if his pack could fight other ninken and steal enemy information from other countries while in that realm. A second after the thought came to his mind, he grimaced. That would be completely wrong, starting because he would be forcing his dogs to do something they didn’t want to do. The Hatake might not be able to see a shinobi from Iwagakure and not kill him, but that didn’t mean his ninken had to be the same.“Where do you want it?” he asked, taking out a kunai.“In the back, next to the water current!” Uhei indicated, wagging his tail.Kakashi nodded, following their instructions of the exact position in which they wanted the banner before attaching it to the wall with a strong hold of the kunai.“There you go, it shouldn’t fall like this” he said, cleaning his hands. “Something else you want me to hang up, or should we go checking on the other ninken?”He had not forgotten about the real reason why he had been summoned to that realm, after all.“We can go” Pakkun answered. “Though we may not have to look around much… We have a couple of suggestions already, if you’re interested?”“Really?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow. “And why didn’t you tell me sooner? Will they be a good fit?”“We think so” Uhei nodded, stepping out of the den. “But they are… a little bit peculiar. You’ll see.”The Hatake held the comment that being peculiar probably made them perfect for the pack. So far, he preferred to follow his ninken as they sniffed the air in search for the scent of the candidates.“I got them” the small pug said shortly after they left the mountain. “This direction.”They entered the forest again, although this time reaching a more dense part where no ninken were visible, neither dens among the bushes or under big roots. In fact, if you paid attention it was possible to hear other kind of animals making noise, or even see rabbits running around. It was obvious they had reached some short of hunting ground.As they advanced in complete silence other sounds started to become louder, especially a series of growls that made Kakashi stay alert, just in case. However, once they passed through a thick barrier of bushes and into a tiny clearing, he realized he didn’t have to worry about anybody attacking him. They had just stepped in which clearly looked like an unfair battle between two ninken that had more similarities with wolves than anything else, and two small dogs just a bit bigger than Pakkun.One had cinnamon fur, with the long ears and end of the paws a little darker, but what draw attention of him were the dark circles around his eyes and the kanji ‘shinobi’ on his forehead in black, like some kind of tattoo. The other ninken, slightly taller and with longer legs, was of a similar color, only his ears different with a chocolate shade and a big white spot all over his muzzle.“This is your last warning, mutts, leave now unless you want us to cut you in half” one of the wolf-like ninken growled, lips tense.“You don’t scare us” the one with the tattoo barked, voice high. “We won’t go anywhere until you give us our prey!”Kakashi realized then that there was a dead rabbit laying in between the two big dogs, brown fur covered in blood.“Very well, then, your death.”One of the wolf-like dogs jumped forwards, teeth out, and the small ones leaped away. The Hatake moved, too, feeling the need to avoid what could only become a bloodbath, but Uhei blocked him to avoid his intervention.“Look now, pup” Pakkun said in a low voice. “These are the ninken we were talking about.”“Those bullies?”“Of course not!” Uhei complained. “The other ones! They are called Biscuit and Guruko.”Well, Kakashi would be glad to meet them if they didn’t die in the next few minutes.Obviously, he judged too quickly. The small dogs were pretty fast, almost as much as Uhei, and they were not scared of getting too close to the other ones. A second after they scattered, one appeared behind the wolf-like ninken that had stayed back and bit his tail hard, making him turn with a pained whine. The other one seemed to have disappeared, but his head came out from the ground in between the back legs of the ninken that attacked first, and bit one of them. Just like that, a kind of dance started.The wolf-like ninken would try to bite off the heads of the other two whenever they got too close, but they always managed to avoid the attack and sneak their teeth around one extremity. Sure, their bites where not strong or big enough to cause a deep wound —that didn’t seem to be their intention, anyways—, but after a few minutes they managed to get what they wanted.“That’s enough!” one of the big dogs angrily barked. “This rabbit is not worth the pain of dealing with you.”He huffed, showing his teeth to the other two ninken who had finally come to a stop not too far from them, a proud smile on their faces.“Yeah, go away” the one with the white nose laughed.“And don’t forget to tell your friends that a couple of tiny mutts bit your butt!” the other one added.“Laugh now, but watch your back” the big ninken warned. “One day we’ll come for you.”The smaller dogs didn’t show any sign of fear, but Kakashi’s pack decided that moment to walk towards them, Bull growling lowly while fixing his gaze on the wolf-like ninken. That was enough to send them out, tails down and mouth shut.“Oh, hey, guys!” the ninken with the tattoo greeted. “We caught a rabbit, want to share?”“No need, Biscuit, we ate with our summoner before” Pakkun said, turning his head to the Hatake.Assuming that was his signal to approach, Kakashi walked tranquil towards them, although a small smile showed under his mask.“Yo” he said. “I’m Kakashi, nice to meet you.”“Ah, yes! The Konohan pup these guys signed a contract with. They say you’re a nice human” the ninken with the white snout commented. “I’m Guruko.”He nodded and, since all the dogs had seated in a circle, he did the same. Biscuit had brought the rabbit to the center, and the two smaller dogs started to devour it without a second to spare. They did seem a little slender, but otherwise they were fine. As for the scene itself, Kakashi didn’t care. He had done and seen things way more gore than two dogs eating a raw rabbit.“So!” Biscuit said while swallowing what looked like the liver. “What are you all doing in here? Need help with something?”His companions looked towards him, so he shrugged and started talking.“We were looking for more ninken to add to our pack” he said, looking towards the place where the wolf-like dogs had run. “And I think we found them, right, guys?”The other ninken nodded in agreement.“Those guys?” Guruko said then, huffing. “I mean, sure, their size will be useful to you, but they are not the cleverer ones in the bunch, you can find others as big as them and with some more brain.”“Not them” Kakashi laughed, “but you two.”The small dogs lifted their heads from the rabbit and looked at each other before directing their eyes towards him and tilt their faces to the same side. There was so much coordination between them that it was funny.“Us?” Biscuit asked, as if needing to check. “You sure? Those other ninken may be stupid, but our reputation is way worse.”“He’s right” Guruko continued. “You’ve heard them; we’re mutts, not pure breeds like the rest of your pack or the majority of the ninken here. Also small and snarky, which tends to annoy everyone. You’d get tired of us eventually.”Kakashi rolled his eyes, resting his weight on his arms as he laid back.“I don’t care about your breed, I always thought it was something rather stupid to consider” he said, shrugging. “What I care about is that you were brave enough to face and defeat two ninken way bigger than you by using your brains and speed. Also some Doton, right? It’s like, the perfect fit for this pack.”Guruko and Biscuit looked at each other again, obviously still a little bit insecure about the proposition. Their eyes settled then on the other three dogs in the circle.“Are you also sure about this, guys?” Biscuit asked. “You have a good reputation here, so we entering the pack may mess up with that.”“As if we care about it” Pakkun huffed. “Let them say whatever they want, we can always go chasing them after.”Bull and Uhei nodded at that, completely serious.“There you have it, we all would like for you to join the pack” Kakashi said, straightening up to look at the other two dogs. “However, I want you both to know what a contract with me would imply, just in case it changes anything. I’m a jounin from Konoha and we’re at war, so sometimes I’ll have to call you into battle and your life will be at risk.”Guruko and Biscuit just shrugged.“We’re ninken, boy, we have literally been raised for fighting” the first one said. “We are ok with all that.”“Yeah!” the other one barked. “What we want to know is if the other bit that these guys told us about is true! Do you also call them just to play around or spend time together? Like normal dogs?”Their tails were wagging, and the Hatake could not avoid chuckling.“Sure, although I mostly call them for training and from there it drifts to the rest” he said. “Do you agree to join the pack, then?”The two dogs exchanged a glance before nodding and jumping onto him, their whole butts moving while they licked his face over the mask.“YES!” they barked.Kakashi laughed like he hadn’t done in quite some time, gathering them in his arms and scratching their heads.“Good” Pakkun said, wagging his tail and getting closer, too. “We can go formalizing the contract later, and you guys can move in to our den if you want, we have more than enough space.”“Well, in that case pass through my house first to steal a few more blankets” the Hatake commented with a smirk. “It is only fair.”The other three ninken at least had the decency to look ashamed, their tails timidly wagging while they looked at him with shiny eyes.“We’re sorry?” Uhei offered. “But we wanted something that smelt like you and you have a lot of blankets, so…”It was true; he had too many of them, even now in his small jounin studio. And he didn’t mind, either, he just wanted to mess up with them.“Yeah, yeah… Next time just ask for them, ok?” he smiled, reaching to pet Uhei on the head. “You know I won’t say ‘no’.”The ninken nodded, and soon he was drowning in a mix of drool and fur. Sure, Obito was dead, the world was at war and sometimes it was difficult to think of a future, but having his pack close always made him feel better. That night, back in Konoha, the six of them ran together through the forest, barking at the full moon and enjoying each other’s company.
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Chances were against Kakashi. His whole ANBU team was dead and a full-attack would be send on the castle the next morning. Their enemies had given him and anyone who was not the daimyo’s daughter the opportunity to leave; escape during the night to save their own lives and don’t look back. They promised to let them pass as long as they didn’t try to sneak out the girl.The Hatake kicked a wooden chair across the room, channeling his frustration through the hit. There was no chance of him leaving; he would die trying to fulfill the mission just as his comrades had done. However, the rest of the people there… The next morning would be a massacre, he was sure. If the servants remained, they would be slaughtered once the attack was launched, but there was nothing assuring them that the rogue-nins hired to kill the daimyo’s daughter would keep their word and let them go safely. For all Kakashi knew, they could be waiting for the servants to leave just to kill them.“I’m sorry, Hound-san, but… What are we going to do?” the head of the help asked him. “Do you… Do you have a plan?”He didn’t. At that moment, Kakashi was close to start banging his head against a wall to see if an idea came to his mind.“I don’t” he admitted. “I need time to think.”“And what about… Their proposition?” a woman asked.He could not blame her. As loyal as they were to the daimyo, staying there and die for nothing didn’t make a lot of sense. Especially considering that once the time came, the Hatake would not be able to protect them because he would be focusing all his efforts on keeping the daimyo’s daughter alive.“You’re free to choose what you see more convenient” he replied with a neutral voice. “They may kill you tonight while you escape, but I’m sure they’ll do so tomorrow when they attack. Your lives are not worthy for them, so they won’t hesitate during the assault.”That was the harsh truth, and Kakashi didn’t spare a moment to comfort any of the servants as they gasped and looked at each other in panic. Instead, he started to move through the mansion, opening each door to see if inspiration hit him with a plan.The situation was fatalistic. The house where they had been sieged was on top of a cliff, so escaping through the back was virtually impossible, the ocean too wild in that corner for him to attempt an extraction with a suiton technique. The front and the sides of the place were surrounded by a plain garden —which at least gave them the possibility of seeing the enemies approximating—, but at the end of it a big and dense forest started, and that was where the problem laid. All the rogue-nins were hidden there, waiting for the assault, and so going through it would be suicidal since his Shunshin was not fast enough to avoid weapons, especially while carrying a child.His efforts to ask for help had been stopped, all the hawks available at the house shot down shortly after approximating the forest. Of course, Kakashi had considered sending another message by using one of his dogs, but finally changed his mind. It was winter, which meant the temperature was low and the landscape covered by snow. None of his dogs were used to that kind of cold, making them slower and not suitable for the job. If he summoned them, the Hatake knew they would try to fulfil the task anyways, and precisely that was why he hadn’t done it. He would not kill his pack without having hope that the plan could work. Kakashi was not the ‘Friend-Killer’ or ‘Cold Blooded Shinobi’ everybody thought he was. Well, almost everybody.He was already in the basement of the palace when inspiration finally hit him. Or at least some kind of strategy, if he had not been imagining certain things for the last few days. There, in the middle of the big, cold room, a sled rested half-covered by a sheet, the symbol of Konoha at the back of it. The transport seemed to be intact, and when pulling out the cover he saw that the harnesses for five dogs where still there. Which meant that most likely he had not been hallucinating the ninken walking around the palace.Just in case, the Hatake made his way back to the kitchen, where several servants were still arguing about what to do. So far, it sounded like the idea of escaping during the night was winning. Good for them, it was their best chance.“Takumi-san, I need to speak to you” Kakashi called to the head of the servants.The man abandoned the circle in which he had been participating to approach him with a lowered head, moving to a corner of the kitchen.“We’re still considering the options, Hound-san, we want to be sure that…”“I’m not here to talk about that” he cut the man. “With all due respect, my mission is to take the daimyo’s daughter safely out of here. That’s my priority and in which I’ll put all my efforts. I’m coming up with a plan for it, and only if it goes well I’ll be able to think about helping you.”The head of the servants looked at him with a worried and scared expression, but Kakashi didn’t change his. It was not that he didn’t care about the lives of the rest of the people at the palace —around thirty women, men and teenagers—, but he had to be realistic. Most of them would die between that night and the next morning, and their lives were not the ones the Hatake had to protect. It was cruel, and precisely for that the mission had been assigned to an ANBU team after the jounin failed to complete it. In order to success, they needed someone who wouldn’t hesitate to finish the task, as hard as it was. Now that the rest of his team was dead, it was Kakashi’s responsibility.“I… I understand” Takumi mumbled. “Just… You said leaving tonight was the best option?”“It is, assuming the rogues don’t break their promise” he confirmed. “They’ll kill you tomorrow if you stay here. I won’t be able to protect you, so it’s best if you take this chance. It’ll make my job easier, too.”“I-I see” the man nodded. “I’ll tell the rest, then… Is there something that I, or… or we can do for you?”“Maybe, but first I need you to answer one question” Kakashi said. “Whose are the ninken living in here?”“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re referring to, Hound-san…”“Ninja dogs, I’ve seen at least three during my time here.”“Dogs?” Takumi repeated, frowning. “There shouldn’t be any in here; the daimyo is allergic, so he’s very strict about it. Though, I suppose… The shinobi that came before you, one of them had dogs. Brought a sled and everything, I think we put it in the basement after he was… killed. I thought his dogs suffered the same fate, we haven’t seen any of them in here.”Most likely they hadn’t noticed them, but now Kakashi was sure he had not been hallucinating the presence of those animals. And that meant he might had a plan.“Thank you for the information, Takumi-san” he said. “I have to go now, but I’ll come back soon. Don’t leave yet, your best option is when it’s fully dark outside. If they break their promise at least the night will help to hide you, and then some may survive.”The Hatake barely stayed a second more in the room, seeing how the head of the servants nodded while slightly trembling at his harsh words.
There was a small back garden that separated the house from the cliffs, a semicircular patch of grass and flowers hugged by the tall walls. Kakashi had visited the place on his first day, following a trail that had caught his attention but disappeared as soon as he got to the border, the salt of the ocean messing up with his nose. This time, however, he would not be fooled.He jumped over the border.His legs hit the small rock coming out of the stone wall and from there he kept moving down and to the left until he reached a small cavern. It was dangerously close to the water, waves hitting just underneath it and making the ground so slippery that without chakra a person would most likely fall.The space was not big, just tall enough for him and narrow, but deep. The smell of wet dog was strong inside and increased as he advanced, guided only by his nose as the light entering in that part of the cave was minimal. When low growls started to echo on the walls, he stopped.“I’m here to ask for your help” he said, maintaining a calm posture. “I’m a Konohan shinobi and I know you were, too.”“We still are” a high voice came from his right. “Our loyalty should not be taken lightly.”“Of course” Kakashi quickly corrected, “I apologize.”“How did you find us?” another voice asked in front of him, this one lower.“I have a very good sense of smell” he explained, risking to add afterwards: “And I think you wanted to be found, too. You’re ninken, I doubt it was an accident that I saw you several times, am I wrong?”To his left, a low growl indicated him he was correct.“Why do you want our help?” the new voice questioned. “We know about your situation; there is no escape if you want to take the daimyo’s daughter with you.”Kakashi huffed at the assumption.“I have a plan, but I’ll need your help” he said. “There is only three of you left, right? Would you still be able to pull the sled you came with by yourselves?”The Hatake was able to sense and see the shadows of the three dogs moving around, circling as if inspecting him from all sides. If they wanted, they could possibly pin him to the ground before he was able to react.“We are not running away” the first voice said. “We stayed here to get revenge, and that’s what we’ll do. You can escape, but we’ll wait until they come tomorrow and then kill as many of them as we can.”That was stupid. And not only that, but also…“You’ll die” he declared, ignoring the aggressive growls that followed the statement. “I’m not underestimating you, just pointing out the evident. There is too many of them and only three of you. It’s suicide.”“Then, we’ll die fighting” another ninken said, closer to him. “We’re not scared of death. Even less if it’s to make justice.”“You really think that’s what your summoner would’ve wanted for you? To die trying to avenge them, without accomplish anything?”“Don’t you dare to speak as if you knew our summoner!” one of the dogs barked, his teeth making a loud noise dangerously close to Kakashi’s right leg. “She and the other two members of our pack gave their lives for this mission. We are not going anywhere without avenging them.”The Hatake fisted his hands, taking a deep breath before releasing the air. He understood how they felt. He really did. But he also needed their collaboration in order to have a plan.“If they died for the mission, then the best way to avenge them is to complete it” he tried to reason. “Look, we can do it if we work together. The sled is big enough to hide the daimyo’s daughter and at least have a chance to leave, but I need you for that. You don’t have to die pointlessly.”Low grumbles filled the cave, as well as the sound of fur brushing against fur and other noises that indicated Kakashi the ninken were communicating using signals that he was not able to interpretate in the dark.“If we reach the town twenty-five miles away from here, the group of shinobi dispatched there will be able to assist us against the enemy” the Hatake added. “Once the daimyo’s daughter is safe, we’ll hunt the rogues down and you’ll be able to get your revenge.”The noises continued for a bit.“We’ll help you to the town” the highest voice finally said. “After that, we’ll come back to find the leader and kill him. He was the one that attacked our pack from behind when we tried to negotiate. He’s ours.”Relief washed over Kakashi, even if he still didn’t think the ninken were being reasonable about vengeance. For the moment, however, that was more than enough. He had a strategy and the mission could still be completed.
Driving the sled would be something for what he needed help with, or at least a few indications. He could deduce the basics just by looking at it, but he had no idea of how to change the position of the harnesses to fit three dogs instead of five, or rather he didn’t know how to do it correctly.“You’re doing it wrong” a voice behind him said.The Hatake had felt them approaching, but chosen to acknowledge them only once the ninken did. Slowly, he turned around to face the group of three dogs. They were slightly smaller than what he had imagined, but still taller and bulkier than Uhei. One of them had grey and white fur, with a pointy mohawk on the head in a darker color, his aspect reminding Kakashi to his father’s ninken. The bigger one, fur of sand and white colors, had a shorter muzzle and thicker mandible. Finally, the last one had the same body as the first, but the fur similar to the second, with the particular detail of a small pair of sunglasses covering his eyes.Overall, they seemed like the kind of ninken fitted for the job he needed to get done, hair long and adapted to the cold, as well as a good size to be able to pull the sled, even if they were three and not five.“I would appreciate your assistance” he said after a couple of seconds. “Everything needs to be ready for tonight.”The three dogs looked at each other, and the gray one stepped forwards.“About that…” his voice was high, easy to recognize, “your plan is bad. The possibilities of escaping today are low considering the rogues know us. As soon as they see the sled they’ll attack, we are sure of that. It’s true that going with the servants will offer us some coverage, but it won’t be enough.”Kakashi changed his weight from one leg to the other.“If you think my plan is suicidal, why did you accept to help with it, then?”“Because you were right when saying that a good way of getting revenge for our comrades was by finishing the mission” the ninken with the thick jaw said. “However, we have been talking for the last hour, and we have a better idea.”The Hatake lifted an eyebrow, but nodded.“I’m all ears.”“We saw you using Doton during the first fight with the enemy, back when your team was alive” the dog continued. “Do you know how to make an horizontal platform coming from a wall?”“I… guess” he said, frowning. “I mean, I never had to, but it should be as easy as a vertical one. Why?”The ninken with the sunglasses stepped forwards, then.“Trying to escape through the grasslands is suicidal, as we said” he explained. “Therefore, our best option is the cliff. By making a path against its wall, we’ll be able to reach the other side of the rogues’ line of attack without them noticing.”“That’s about fifteen miles on slippery ground” he pointed out, imagining the scenario. “And it would imply postponing the escape until dawn, that’s if I leave now to start the path. It’s too risky.”The ninken with the strong jaw growled.“It’s a plan with better outcome than yours” he said. “You shouldn’t worry about the wet ground, as we’re able to infuse our paws with chakra to avoid slipping, and you should be able to do the same through the sled. As for the time, it’s better to leave when they’re in the movement instead that when all their eyes are on the people escaping. All of us here know that the possibilities of the rogues killing whoever leaves tonight are high.”Kakashi bit his lip. He didn’t like having to change his plan, but the ninken were making a great point and their idea was better. Sure, they might fall into the ocean if just the smaller thing went wrong, but…“Fine” he finally said. “We’ll continue with your plan, but I need you to protect the daimyo’s daughter while I’m away. Can I trust you with that?”“We’ll take care of her with our lives” the grey dog assured.The Hatake nodded.“Good. Then help me now to get the sled ready for dawn.”The ninken indicated him how to detangle the ropes and the harnesses, modifying the disposition so it could be pulled by only three dogs —a pair and a guide— and making sure everything was in its correct place. Once finished, Kakashi observed the dogs looking first to the harnesses they would be wearing and then to the other two that had been thrown into the sled. All of them had some letters written on, and the Hatake realized then they were their names.“So” he said, moving his head towards them, “Akino, Urushi and Shiba, right?”The dogs nodded silently as he gestured to each one of them.“Great. You can call me Hound.”
Dawn was starting to paint the sky in soft colors by the time Kakashi made it back to the palace, silence welcoming him in. All the servants had abandoned the palace at the same time as he had, hoping for a safe escape without luck. While the Hatake had travelled through the cliff, ocean water soaking him and feet staying on the rocks only thanks to chakra, the others had walked through the grasslands to the beginning of the forest just to be slaughtered there.The enemies must have been prepared, as he hadn’t heard a lot of screams, the servants’ deaths probably quick as the rogues attacked them with precision. It was sad and all that, but Kakashi knew there was nothing he could have done to protect all of them. Either trying an escape or staying back at the house, their lives had a signed end date. The most cynical part of him was glad they had died that night, because now he didn’t have to think about them as he tried to extract the daimyo’s daughter. No distractions.The combination of Doton technique and chakra infused into his feet to avoid falling into the ocean had left him almost depleted, so he hoped the enemies were really busy launching an attack over the mansion to avoid checking the cliffs and finding them while they ran.The Hatake was welcomed by three low growls as he entered the kitchen. The ninken relaxed as soon as he came into view, but the eight years old hidden behind them was still shaking as he approached.“Kimura-sama, it’s time to go” he said. “I’ll need you to stay hidden inside the sled as we have talked, do you understand?”The girl was small, blond curls falling over his shoulders and skinny body hidden under layers of clothes to avoid her from suffering hypothermia during the trip. Still, she nodded quietly and moved to the sled that Kakashi had brought up from the basement the night before. He guessed the girl would suffer some kind of trauma if she survived, but at least she wouldn’t be dead. That was more than anyone besides them could said when referring to the mission.Once the daimyo’s daughter was safely hidden under some blankets attached to the sides of the sled, the Hatake helped the dogs to put on their harnesses. Shiba would be the one leading the team, as it seemed he had the best orientation and fastest reflexes of the group. That was good, because they would definitely need those in order to escape through the cliffs.“Remember to fuse chakra into the sled” Urushi said as he finished attaching him. “And don’t step on the brakes unless we tell you.”He nodded, moving on and pushing the sled to start its motion, the ninken quickly pulling afterwards to bring it out to the back garden. Kakashi had built a ramp down from one of the corners and to about a quarter under the cliff’s wall to ensure the enemies wouldn’t be able to see them, so that was the direction he turned the transport to.He took a moment to breathe, checking everything was in place. Kimura was hidden, all his weapons were on him and the sled had been prepared to survive the trip. Snow was starting to fall on top of them, melting when it reached his naked shoulders. ANBU clothes were not fitted for cold environments, but the whole unit underwent rigorous training to put up with all kind of situations, so even if the weather made Kakashi sick, he would be able to continue with the mission. He put his feet on the wooden structure and his hands around the horizontal handlebar.“Let’s go!”The ninken started to run immediately at top seed, the cliff coming closer and closer as seconds passed.“Press the brakes a bit and lean your body towards the wall!” Urushi barked. “Once we’re going down, keep your foot on the break until we reach even level!”He did as instructed, observing how the sled followed smoothly the curve leading to the ramp and then slid down. Seeing the speed was too much, he put more pressure on the brakes, giving the dogs distance to keep moving without the sled hitting them. Once the ramp came to an end, he let go and grabbed tightly to avoid falling as they advanced.The sky started to turn bluer while the ocean hit aggressively against the rock wall, waves not quite reaching them but making the ground tremble and small pieces of the Doton platform fall. The only reason they didn’t follow the same fate in a couple of occasions was because of Shiba’s quick reflexes, guiding the sled to one side or the other.About half of their way there —the Hatake had marked the wall the night before—, he started to hear the shouts of the rogue nins as they advanced towards the palace. If they were lucky, they would be too busy looking for them inside to consider the cliffs.Another strong wave hit the stone wall just underneath them and the floor below Akino’s paws disappeared. Kakashi’s eyes opened widely as he saw the dog falling into the ocean just to stay hanging by his harness, the other two ninken clawing the ground to avoid suffering the same fate. Reacting quickly, the Hatake brought up spikes of rock to hold the sled in place as he abandoned his position and reached for the dog line. Akino was whining softly as he moved his paws against the surface he was able to touch, but his efforts were not enough to climb back up.“I secured the sled” Kakashi said, rolling the roped around his hands. “Let’s pull together, now!”Gravity was against them and the other two ninken didn’t have a lot of space to maneuver around, but their combined efforts were enough to bring Akino slowly back up, the dog clawing at the floor as soon as it was within reach. Once safe, the Hatake let himself flop onto his butt, slightly panting under the porcelain mask.“Are you ok?” he asked.“Y-Yes” the ninken nodded, shaking his fur. “I’m good. We can continue.”A quick visual check confirmed what he was saying, so Kakashi put the dog line back in place and moved back to the sled, taking a moment to check under the blankets where Kimura was laying down in fetal position, eyes closed.“We’re going to continue now, ok?” he said as softly as he could manage. “You’re doing great.”The girl nodded slightly, and that was good enough for him to bring down the rock spikes and indicate the ninken to start pulling again.Maybe it was luck, or the fact that nobody would think them stupid enough to make their own way through the cliff, but they managed to come to the end of it and into the forest without more incidents than some slips.Of course, to ask for everything to continue like such was too much.They got about five more minutes of calm through the trees, the sled moving smoothly over the snow and the landscape even beautiful around them before the first kunai was thrown. Another one cut his shoulder just a few miles before they were within the visual of the nearest guard’s tower. A blade inserted itself in his upper back, dangerously close to the neck. Kakashi groaned and saw the ninken turning their heads towards him.“Keep going!” he shouted. “You must reach the village. GO!”The Hatake jumped off the sled and rolled over the snow until his body collided against a tree. The fall caused the kunai on his back to detach, so at least he didn’t have to pull it out by himself. He drew out the katana and took position in front of the enemy. The chakra signature confirmed his suspicions; it was only one person, the leader of the rogue nins. He couldn’t know if he had stayed hidden there while his subordinates fought, or had discovered their plans and chased them down, but little mattered then. All Kakashi had to worry about was buying the ninken enough time.“You won’t survive, kid” a voice among the trees called. “I can do this quickly if you don’t fight.”The Hatake charged chakra in his hand, lightning coming out of it as the Chidori grew.“Remember, it was your choice” the rogue nin said before launching forwards.
The Hatake knew he was going to die. He was not being pessimistic, just realistic. Two Chidori had been used already and he had only chakra for one more before his reserves were down to zero and he became an easy target. On top of that, he was out of weapons and more enemies were running towards him so, even if he did manage to kill their leader, the others would end him.At least the mission is completed, he thought, looking at the grey sky, they should have reached the town by now.Rolling to one side to avoid the shuriken threw in his direction, Kakashi moved onto his feet and tried to come up with an strategy. The other man still had most of his chakra and was faster than him at the moment, so to pin him down in order to kill him with his last Chidori would be difficult. If that was going to be his end, then his best option was a frontal attack. Sure, that would also give the enemy the perfect opportunity to impale him with whichever weapon he wanted to use, but at least he would defeat him. Bring some peace to the ninken he had met, too.It was possible the man detected his desperation, as he appeared a few meters away from him, smiling and with a kunai in each hand. He swirled them around as Kakashi summoned the little chakra he had left into his hand for a final Chidori.“I will join you soon” he muttered to his loved ones before launching forwards.As he blinked, the Sharingan brought to his mind images of his last killings, as if knowing this would be the last one. He lifted his elbow and brought it back to increase the momentum of the attack. The rogue nin’s arms came up as he prepared to stab him in the sides, also running towards him.A beat later, the Chidori screamed high and the Hatake’s hand went through the man’s chest as only one kunai inserted itself in his side, the pain barely noticeable as Kakashi tried to process what had just happened. The enemy had his eyes widened in surprise, just as he did. It was not possible that he had been fast enough to surpass the other man, he knew it and, still, that seemed to be the case.When the lighting disappeared and he removed his arm from the broken chest, the answer to his question became clear. Two dogs were coming out from the ground, each one biting on one of the man’s legs, as the third one had reached for the arm whose kunai hadn’t stabbed Kakashi, pulling it down. Once the body stopped moving, the ninken let go of it, Akino and Shiba jumping out of the holes they were in.“Amazing” the Hatake smiled as his eyes closed and the world turned black.
When Kakashi woke up there were three dogs laying down on the bed next to his, some of their paws covered in bandages. He breathed in and out before incorporating, his body complaining at the movement but not fighting it. His chest, sides and right shoulder injuries had been evidently treated, but they still remained bandaged. Furthermore than that, he could only feel the high level of exhaustion normally associated with chakra depletion.In a chair next to the bed his clothes and weapons awaited, although his undershirt with the mask had been put on him, covering his face.“You’re awake” Shiba said, lifting his head from the mattress. “It took you two days, we thought for a moment that you were gone when you fell unconscious.”“You’re not getting rid of me so easily” he tried to joke, his voice rasp from the lack of use. Slowly, he reached for a glass of water in the nightstand next to his bed. “The mission?”“Completed” Urushi answered, trying to scratch his ear with a bandaged paw and looking after at it as if uncomfortable. “The town’s patrol took Kimura as soon as we entered and she’s already back with his father.”“And the rogue shinobi?”“Dead or captured” the ninken continued. “Konoha had sent reinforcements after not receiving notice from your team, so them and the shinobi already at the village went out to hunt those who remained.”The Hatake nodded, satisfied with the information.“So, mission and revenge done, no?” he hummed.The ninken pronounced different words of confirmation at the statement, but as expected they looked a little lost. Once they had fulfilled their goal, what were they supposed to do? The Hatake understood well the feeling, as it was the same thing he felt every time he finished a mission. The answer for him was easy: keep living until the next task came. Train. Prepare. Sharpen your weapons. Just be ready.“Thank you for coming back” he said after a while. “I would be dead if you hadn’t pinned him down when you did.”“Thank you for killing him” Akino responded with a huff.Kakashi nodded.“What are you going to do now?” he asked. “Back to Konoha?”“Yes” Urushi answered, moving up to sit. “We’ll look for another summoner, maybe in the Inuzuka Clan. Do you have any suggestion?”“A few, but the first coming to mind would be me.”He already had five dogs. He knew that increasing the number by three would be nothing short of crazy. And yet, he could not avoid feeling like it would be a perfect fit. His pack needed bigger dogs prepared for colder weathers, and they needed a summoner. Why would the universe put them in each other’s way if not for that conclusion?“You have a contract with other ninken?” Shiba wondered, lifting his head, too.“Five, to be exact” he chuckled, ignoring the pain on his side at the gesture. “You may know them.
They’re Pakkun, Uhei, Bull, Guruko and Biscuit, their den is in the mountains.”The three dogs shifted quickly, looking at each other and passing their tongues over their lips in a nervous signal.“That means… You’re Hatake Kakashi?” Akino asked. “Kakashi of the Sharingan?”Ah, so they had heard about him… That explained their reactions.“Yes” he said. “I guess you know about my other nicknames, too, then.”“We have heard them” Urushi admitted, although there was no judgment in his voice, “but your pack is rather adamant on the other ninken not paying attention to them. They say they’re only names people don’t know you like to use. Our summoner didn’t believe it, either.”Kakashi didn’t know the kunoichi, nor did he care about other people’s opinions on him, but learning that somebody outside his friends —if he could still call them that, after so much avoidance— didn’t think of him as a friend-killer, was nice to hear.“Will you think about it, then?”“Why do you want us in your pack?” Akino responded.“Because I have seen you in action, and I believe you’d be a good fit” he explained, full honesty in his voice. “Your abilities and loyalty are difficult things to find, which is the reason why up until now I hadn’t thought about making more contracts.”“And what about your pack?” Shiba pushed. “We have seen them in our realm. They’re a tight group, will they accept us just because you signed a contract with us?”“They’re professionals, the same as you” the Hatake pointed out, feeling the need to defend his ninken. “Even if the beginning would be difficult, and there is no reason for me to believe so, you’ll be able to work as a team soon enough.”At that, the dogs looked at each other again while exchanging small gestures and movements that indicated Kakashi they were considered the option as a group rather than individually.“We’ll think about it” Urushi spoke at the end. “Once we’re back in Konoha and you have enough chakra, we would like to talk with your pack, too, before taking a definitive decision.”“That’s understandable. Thank you.”The ninken nodded and, seeing that silence had stablished once again in the room, the Hatake slid back down into the bed, feeling tiredness pulling him to sleep.
Two days later and back in Konoha, Kakashi summoned his whole pack to discuss his latest idea with the other three dogs. They knew each other well enough and soon agreed that it’d be fine to increase the number of the pack, leading to him signing three new contracts in one afternoon while his tiny apartment filled with dog fur.It was an adaptation in many aspects, from the amount of chakra he needed to summon all of them to the modification of joined techniques so they’d fit eight ninken. Mistakes were made and more than once fights ensued, growls and bites leading to the Hatake having to intervene several times. And yet, with time they became better. They became a pack. A big one.His second year in ANBU started with nobody questioning if at fifteen he was too young to be there, or if ‘Hound’ was a good code name for him. Soon enough, other rumors started to surround that nickname, although the ANBU secret prevented them to be linked to Hatake Kakashi. No. Instead, as Hound everybody learnt to keep their distance because not only he was able to protect himself, but he had his own pack of bloodhounds ready to jump at any throat he pointed to. Together, they fulfilled hundreds of assassination missions, their formation becoming something to be terrified of.What few people knew, though, was the other side of that reality. The family dinners in a small apartment, wagging tails hitting Kakashi’s legs. The afternoon games in a far forest of the village, treats hidden among the trees and bushes so the dogs could enjoy some surprises as they played around. The long nights in which he called his pack to accompany him, only them managing to make him fall asleep without nightmares under eight warm bodies.And, more intimately, the individual calls on his free time, when the Hatake would bring only one of his ninken to spend time with and strengthen their bond.He would summon Pakkun for a walk on the forest at the back of his old house, remembering their pup days.He would call Uhei for petting on his bed, ensuring him he was a great dog and only deserved to be loved.He would let Bull lick his whole face as he traced the scars hidden under his fur, promising him to never let him suffer again like that.He would bring Guruko to chase squirrels at the park and bark at other dogs until their owners started to look badly at them, moment in which they would go away while laughing.He would take Biscuit to see the few challenges he accepted from Gai, knowing the small dog had some kind of special appreciation for the guy, even if he didn’t understand why.He would race with Shiba through the forest, trying each time to beat him to the higher tree of one of the hills without success, the grey dog always mocking him before jumping and ask for pets as reward.He would nap with Akino in places where the sun didn’t shine directly on them so the sensitive dog’s eyes wouldn’t suffer.He would play ‘fight’ with Urushi on his bed, laughing every time his hand ended up inside the ninken’s mouth and he would push it out with his tongue, making faces of disgust at him.And, above all, he would love them, as they were the only family the Hatake knew. Those who, even after learning each despicable thing he had done in his life, stayed by his side.His dogs.His ninken.His pack.
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Kakashi was gasping as he jumped from one branch to the next, his enemies quickly approaching. He knew the nearest town was close, but doubted he would make it in time. His mind was blurry due to chakra depletion and his side burned for what felt like a fractured rib. Breathing was difficult and it was only a matter of time before his feet slipped and he fell to the ground, an easy target for those who chased him.With a groan he looked over to the ninken, all moving in a circle around his figure as if in a protective arrangement even when they themselves were hurt, too. The Hatake coughed and his left foot gave up. He was barely able to turn his body in time to hit the ground with his back instead of the face, his limbs unresponsive a moment after. The dogs were by his side in the split of a second, Pakkun approaching to sniff him while barking orders at the others to hold their position.It was Kakashi’s fault. He had been careless, using too much chakra when he didn’t know how many enemies were there. After realizing the mission was not a B-rank but and S-class he should have turned back and ask for support. He was on duty as a jounin, not as ANBU, and therefore it would’ve been easy to get the assistance, he knew it. But no, he had tried to deal with the situation alone because… well, because he had already lost too many people. He was not going to lose them, too. He preferred to sacrifice his own life.The chakra of too many enemies flared up high on the trees above him, but his body didn’t respond to any order.“Keep your positions, hounds!” Pakkun barked. “Don’t let them get to the boss!”No.He shouldn’t have summoned them, either. Kakashi knew from the beginning that it was a risky movement, but at least the ninken were able to just go back to their realm if in danger. That was what they were supposed to do.“Leave…” he groaned, lifting his head as much as he could.“Shut up, pup, we’re not going anywhere” the pug said with a growl.“Go back” the Hatake repeated, trying to sound authoritarian. “That’s… an order.”His eyes were starting to close, his mind blurring and consciousness slipping away. He got to see Uhei’s head turning towards him with kind eyes before everything went black.“Don’t worry, boss, we’ll take care of you.”
There was a taste of dirt in his mouth as he awoke, eyes blinking slowly as he managed to incorporate over his knees. One hand covering the Sharingan to better focus on the surroundings, he had to contain a scream.Something started to press against his chest, cutting off his breath and forcing him to open his mouth in order to take air in. It was too much. That could not be real, just another nightmare. His dogs. His ninken. His pack. All laying around him, blood under their bodies and no movement coming from them.But there were people, too. Enemy shinobi clearly dead all over the place, bloody weapons in their hands. Blood that belonged to his hounds.Kakashi tried to shift forwards and reach for Pakkun, but his legs gave up and he fell on his ass, knees retracting a moment later to press against his chest. That didn’t help him to breathe, but he didn’t want to, either. He wanted for everything to stop. He wanted to die. Tears fell down his cheeks as he pushed his face against the legs, arms hugging them while clawing at his own skin until he felt blood coming out.“Hey… pup” a raspy voice called for him. “You’re… ok.”His breaths became even shorter as he lifted his head up to look at Pakkun, who had opened his eyes and had them settled on him as his tail wagged just so slightly. Kakashi wanted to die.“I… I… I…” he sobbed.“It’s… ok” the dog weakly breathed. “You were… a good… boss.”As his eyes started to slowly close, something snapped inside the Hatake.No.“No” he shouted. “NO!”They were not dying. They were not dying.He forced his body to move until he was crawling in all fours towards the pug. Putting his finger on the ninken’s pulse point, he was able to catch it while he inspected the rest of his injuries. They were bad. Too much blood loss, at least a broken leg. But he would not die. Kakashi wouldn’t let him.A plan.He needed a plan.The nearest town was not far, maybe fifteen minutes away by walking. They could do it. There was a shinobi hospital there, so the ninken would be attended to and fine. Yes, that was what he had to do.First, he checked with trembling hands each one of the dogs. They were all breathing, even if with a weak pulse, Bull the only one still conscious and wagging his tail as he approached him, tears in his eyes.“You did good” he said to him as he checked his wounds. “You were good boys, all of you.”He could not lose them. He couldn’t.His heart started to beat slower after confirming they were all still alive, some clarity reaching finally his mind. The time he had been out had allowed his own body to recover a bit, wounds still there but chakra slowly coming back. Enough to create two Kage Bunshin and keep moving. That was all he needed, and that was what he would do, even if the effort killed him. He would take his dogs to safety.The Hatake and his clones moved slowly, taking the ninken up carefully to avoid causing them more pain. Each one of them held one of the smallest ones inside their tactical vest, the garment keeping them in place as they picked up the other dogs, Kakashi choosing to take Uhei under one arm and Shiba on the other. Their blood fell down on his skin due to the position, but it was the best he could do for them, no chakra left for another clone.Approaching to Bull one more time, tears came to his eyes again.“I’m sorry, boy, but I need you to walk” he said, managing to avoid a sob. “I cannot carry you. I know it hurts, I’m sorry.”The big black dog whimpered a bit, his legs trembling as he tried to get up just to fail. Kakashi blinked his tears away.“Come on, Bull” he pleaded. “I won’t leave you behind, come on. I know I said you wouldn’t have to do anything you didn’t want as long as you were with me, but I need you to do this, now. Get up, Bull, please.”The ninken whined as he moved, standing up on three legs as one of the back was too injured to put weight on. It was evident he was in a lot of pain, but he still managed to give a step forwards to lick Kakashi’s face, muffling another of his sobs.“Good boy” he praised as they started to walk a moment later. He bended his neck down to kiss Pakkun’s head coming out of his vest. “You’re all good boys. And you will make it.”
They were close to the city when he caught up two presences approximating. His body tensed and he tried to move faster, but he knew there was no chance against an enemy at that point.“Rival!”The Hatake’s feet stopped. He turned around with wide eyes to find Gai and Asuma running towards him, their expression of complete shock.“What the hell happened, Kakashi?” the Sarutobi asked once he was close enough.“None important” he said. “We need to reach the city, my ninken… They need help.”He knew for their expressions that was not enough for the other two men, but they didn’t complain further, instead moving to take the dogs from his clones so he could stop using chakra. Gai, being as he was and having grown more than the other two during the last year, took Shiba also from under Kakashi’s right arm. Their clothes staining with blood, the group continued his silent advance towards the small village.The hospital was not very big, but nobody seemed to be waiting their turn to be attended and in general the place looked empty, so they walked straight to the admission desk. Bull plopped on the ground a second after, droplets of blood coming from his side and staining the white tiles.“My ninken need urgent care” the Hatake declared, managing to avoid any trembling in his voice.“I need their identification number” the young woman behind the table said, looking at him up and down.“Their shinobi number is engraved in their hitai-ate, you can check them while they receive care” he pushed, readjusting his hold on Uhei. “They need help now.”“Shinobi number’s stopped being enough for any summon during the last war” the administrative recited in complete calm. “Without them no summon will be attended to avoid wasting medical resources that could be needed for humans.”Kakashi didn’t know what she was talking about and neither he cared. Moving slow and carefully, he left Uhei on the floor and made sure than Pakkun was safely held against his chest. The Hatake could feel Gai’s and Asuma’s looks on him, but he was too fast for them to stop him as he grabbed the woman by the neck with one hand and took out a kunai with the other, pressing it against her soft skin.“Kakashi!”“Rival!”“I don’t care how many rules you have to break, but you’re going to attend my dogs or I’ll carve your vocal cords out.”Eyes wide, panic appeared all over the woman’s body and expression, her form trembling as he increased the pressure of the weapon.“What is going on in here?!” a voice demanded coming from the corridor behind the desk. “Hatake, let the medic-nin go, right now.”It was Inuzuka Indra, growling at him while approaching with heavy steps. Kakashi had grew quite a bit in the last few years, but he was still far from reaching the man’s size, and even if he knew taking him down on a fight could be possible, that was not in his interest at the moment.“I’m not letting her go until she admits my ninken in” he repeated. “They need help.”Indra looked around at the dogs, as if realizing for the first time the cause of that commotion, and his expression changed. It didn’t soften at all, but something was different.“Release her” he ordered. “Your dogs will be attended.”“But, sir, they don’t have…” the woman managed to mumble.“They are with me” the Inuzuka said.“B-But…”“They are with me” he repeated, teeth out and a low growl in his voice.Finally, the medic-nin closed his eyes and nodded, Kakashi releasing her the next moment and picking Uhei back up, caressing his fur with the thumbs while looking at his other ninken. They were safe now. They were going to make it. That, he knew. Because if not, he wouldn’t, either.
Several hours later, the Hatake was sitting on the ground, back against the wall under the window of the small room where his dogs were resting in different sized beds, four at each side of him. They were alive, all of them. For now.Beeping machines were connected to Pakkun, Shiba and Biscuit, who had sustained major internal injuries and had to be under strict supervision to make sure they survived the night. Thus, why Kakashi was staying there while it was dark outside and his teammates had gone to the closest pension for some rest. He could not sleep. Wouldn’t. Because if any of his dogs… If they… He wouldn’t. He had to stay there. Awake. Making sure they kept breathing.Feeling his stomach roar, the Hatake pushed his knees closer to the chest so the feeling of hunger would decrease. That was the position Indra found him in when the door of the small room opened, the big man walking straight to him. He extended some papers towards Kakashi, whose eyes kept fixed on the floor.“Take the documents, Hatake” the Inuzuka demanded. “You have to fill them, one for each ninken, so if this happens again no medic-nin has to be threatened.”Only then did he lift his gaze, moving his hand to take the papers and the pen attached to them. He started to read immediately, frowning at the words that blurred due to the tears that kept coming from his eyes. That was just another way in which he had failed his dogs. What if Indra wouldn’t have been there? Sure, Kakashi would have done anything to have them admitted at the hospital, but what if it would’ve taken too long? Maybe a member of his pack would be… He had to swallow a sob.“It was a new law established a few years ago, before Minato became Hokage” the man in front of him explained, as if reading his thoughts. “As you know, not all summons belonging to Konohan shinobi wear a hitai-ate, which during the last war was used as an opportunity for infiltration from the enemy. They would send summons saying they needed help because their summoner was dead, and since nobody questioned if the animal was truly a Konoha ally or not, accidents happened. That was when it was decided that each summon allied to the village had to have their own identification number and be registered.”Kakashi rumpled the fabric of his trousers, trying to hold the frustration inside.“I didn’t know” he let out in almost a whisper.“A lot of people don’t, even today” Kindra said as if it was not of importance. “Most hospitals don’t even ask for it anymore, since the war is over and the paranoia decreased. The rule should be taken down, or a general reminder sent to every shinobi so they can be prepared. I guess Sandaime-sama is busy with other things.”The Hatake just nodded, still processing the words. He still could not understand how such an important decision had been made without informing all shinobi. How many summons had died during and even after the war just because of a rule that had not been correctly passed? His ninken had just been lucky that during the war he had been too focused on the Sharingan and avoided calling them that much unless it was for tracking enemies. And afterwards he had entered ANBU, which had its own medical system and never denied attendance to his dogs. All pure luck.He felt angry and guilty at the same time.“They are strong ninken, Hatake” Kindra continued as he walked back to the room’s door. “Have faith in them” he looked back at him for a moment, his expression somehow softer. “You’re a good summoner. Not all dogs would stay back to protect their partner as they did. That says something of how you treat them.”“They are my pack” Kakashi said, because there were no other words he could pronounce.The Inuzuka patriarch nodded, opening the door and leaving him there, documents in hand. His brain needed a few more seconds before reacting, hands moving to start filling the necessary information on the papers while making sure no tears stained them. As he finished, he left the forms on the floor so the next nurse that came could take them, since he didn’t have intentions of leaving the room any time soon.Alone with his thoughts and with nothing to do once again, he brought his knees back up to his chest and rested the arms on top of them, chin over so he could look at his dogs breathing. New sobs escaped him as he observed the slow ups-and-downs of the ninken’s chests. Closing his eyes for a second, he tried to push away the intrusive thoughts telling him to find relief in the blade. He wouldn’t do that, not when he had to be alert for his dogs. Once they were completely safe he could do whatever his brain whispered to him, but not before.“I’m sorry” he cried. “I-I… I’m so sorry. I don’t deserve you. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m…”“H-Hey, boss” a soft voice called next to him.Kakashi blinked his tears away to look at Uhei, who seemed to have woken up to his voice. He had half of his body covered in bandages and one broken leg, but his tail was still wagging against the sheets even if he could not move more.“You… You don’t have to… apologize” the dog reassured, voice rasp. “W-We stayed because… we wanted… to protect you. I’ll never regret it, boss. I… I love you.”The Hatake almost drowned in between a sob and a gasp, crawling next to Uhei’s bed to carefully pet him on the unharmed muzzle with a finger. A soft tongue came out to lick him.“You’ve… protected us… a lot of times” the ninken breathed, his eyes closing again. “It’s only fair… we do it too…, sometimes.”As he fell asleep once again, Kakashi kept caring him, managing to recover part of his serenity as he moved from one dog to another, whispering apologies and love words to each one of them. Promising treats and naps under the sun if they all pulled through. Reminding them that they were a pack, and he needed all of them because they were a family. His family.
A couple of weeks after, the Hatake came back home with eight hitai-ate properly marked with both the shinobi and identification numbers of his ninken. His companions were resting on his bed, bandages still wrapped around their bodies but overall in a better state and fully out of risk.“Boss!” Guruko happily barked upon seeing him, his tail wagging. “You took too long! Did you bring any good treat?”Kakashi chuckled while shaking his head, his hands leaving the materials he was carrying over the desk before start petting the dogs.“You know what Kindra-san said” he remembered them, “no treats until your treatment is finished in a week.”“You’re not fun, pup” Pakkun huffed, limping towards the table and sniffing at the objects over there. “What is all this, then?”The hitai-ate were not the only things the Hatake had brought back home, another bag filled with blue fabric and sewing materials resting just next to them. The idea had come to him while walking and remembering the last week’s events, and so he had entered the first shop he had found before even wondering if his ninken would agree to it.“Well,” he started, standing back up and taking out the materials to play with them in his hands, “I know you have your hitai-ate for identification and it should be ok now, but… I thought about maybe adding something else to the uniform? Like a jacket with Konoha’s symbol over it and your number embroidered underneath.”Pakkun huffed, eyes rolling in his small head.“You want us to wear clothes?” he spatted. “Must I remember you we’re ninken and not common dogs, boss?”His oldest friend was right, of course. Something like that could restrain their movements if it wasn’t well done, and truly there was no need for them to wear clothes, but… Kakashi felt like he needed to do more. Just more. To make sure that all of them were correctly identified at all times so, should something happen, there was no way the hospital would deny them any help.The Hatake didn’t realize his hands were playing with the blue fabric until he noticed Uhei’s tongue licking them, neck stretched over the bed to reach him.“I would like one” the hound said, wagging softly his tail, “but maybe with another symbol? We already wear Konoha’s mark on the hitai-ate, why not something that link us to you, boss? Like your family’s crest.”Surprised at the participation of the ninken, he smiled softly before considering the proposition. Certainly, with his reputation anybody would think twice before messing with any of the ninken if they were wearing something indicating they belonged to his family. However…“The Hatake’s crest is not used anymore” Kakashi pointed out, “but if what you want is something that links you to me… Why not a Henohenomoheji?”At the suggestion, Pakkun’s ears lifted up in interest once again.“Hmm… That would mark us as a pack no matter who see us, for sure…” he meditated. “It’s not a bad idea, pup. But it has to be comfortable.”“Of course” he agreed, smiling under the mask. “No sleeves, open underneath and not reaching your back legs, would that be ok?”The ninken exchanged a few words about it, a mix of curiosity and insecurity in the air, but ultimately ended up nodding. Kakashi started working immediately. He was careful while taking the dogs’ measurements, making sure to not move them in a painful way or putting too much pressure in his gestures.By the time the moon was high in the sky and only its light together with the stars’ illuminated the night, he was finished. Eight ninken rested on his bed, blue jackets covering their upper bodies and a handmade Henohenomoheji decorating the top over a white circle to make it more noticeable. Evidently, the Hatake had embroidered the symbol as well on his own jounin clothes —the ANBU ones were forbidden to be marked—, and so now all his pack was physically linked. Everybody would know that they belonged to each other, and that to mess up with one was to have all of them behind.A family.One he had found by himself.The best one.
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Kakashi opened his eyes at the feeling of fur brushing against his skin. Gai’s place on the bed seemed to be currently occupied by most of his ninken, as it had become tradition once the dogs started to live full-time under the Hatake-Maito household.See, they were old now. All of them. Kakashi was fifty-five, Gai fifty-six and their summons close to that age. And, somehow, they had survived so far.As years started to show on them, most had decided to lead a tranquil life, training less often and mostly helping others to become better shinobi or just laying around on the grass and enjoying the peace and calm. And by most the Hatake meant everybody but his husband. Of course, Gai kept waking up at dawn for his training routine, thus giving the ninken —now also retired— the perfect opportunity to enter their bedroom and claim the bed while Kakashi was still in it.That was how he found himself in that position, with Bull pressed against one of his sides while Uhei and Shiba occupied the other. Pakkun, Guruko and Biscuit had somehow managed to fit all at the same time over his chest and belly, while Urushi and Akino rested their heads over his thigs. Like that, the Hatake was warm and comfortable.He kept his eyes closed as he stirred as much as he could, humming happily when he felt the tails wagging around him, some hitting his body. Managing to free his arms so he could start petting his dogs, Kakashi released a content sigh when several tongues came out to lick him.“I love you, guys.”“We love you too, boss.”