OK two things I don't own Naruto and this fic is based off of two things one is a story I just read from Princess Tyler Beliefs and the other is my own fic now this is not slash because I don't do that it's purely a friendship fic

about three years before Iruka "died"

"it's a tough one Wolf I might not come back" said Iruka

"Dolphin promise me you'll come back you're the best partner I ever had" said Kakashi

"sorry Wolf no promise"

"than how about this I keep on the light in my house until you get home safely and you do the same for me that ways we can always find our way home because even if all the village lights are out there's one still on to lead us home"

"and it has the added bonus of letting each other know we're safe"

"exactly because once the other is home the light will be turned off"

well time passes and the system works of course when they had missions together they didn't bother with the light system and then came the disastrous mission to mist where the entire ANBU squad was supposedly killed including Dolphin (though he was really alive but no one could know that and initially even the Hokage thought him dead)

"Wolf you need to turn the light off" said Raven

"no Raven the lights staying on until I feel like it it's my bill"

"but Wolf"

Viper steps in "no Raven let Wolf have the light on it's been that way for a while now actually now that I think about it Dolphins light is on too when you're out on a mission but Wolf it's been five months now"

"that doesn't mean a thing Viper and you know it Dolphin told me before he left that the mission could last up to a year if things are the way they think they are besides it's only at night"

just then the Hokage came in with grave news (he was going to each house to personally tell all the ANBU officers)

"ah Raven, Viper you're here as well that means I don't have to go to your houses I have some news you need to hear it's about the group that went to mist five months ago...they're dead all of them"

"that's not possible it can't be" replied Wolf in disbelief

"unfortunately it is they were reporting on a regular basis and then a week ago they didn't report in and we haven't heard anything either way so they could have been found out and killed and we just don't have their bodies yet"

the Hokage leaves them to think about it

"that's it than they're truly dead I'll turn the light off for you Wolf" said Viper

"if you touch that light you'll regret it the light stays on and that's final"

"but Wolf the Hokage said..."

"we promised each other Raven we promised the light is on so that we can find our way home if its not electrical it's a candle it's our way of letting the other know that they're home safe and sound that no one is going to attack them"

well the two ANBU leave

"I'll keep the light on until you come home Dolphin"

a month later Iruka came home and reported directly to the Hokage first because he had vital information for him but then he was going straight to Wolf's if not for the Hokage pulling rank and then telling him in the hospital that he was to be a Chunnin and teach at the academy. He didn't explain why but every night for several months he saw Wolf's house being lit and he knew why though it would never happen again a year after Wolf got the news at night in his home

"Wolf you're no longer ANBU full time and it's been a year since Dolphins death please turn off the light"

"no Raven I already told you the light stays on until he comes home"

"Wolf you know that the retrieval squad found the bodies"

"yes they found the bodies of the entire team except Dolphins he could still be alive I know it"

"Wolf please Raven is right Dolphin's dead just accept the facts and move on"

"no guys Dolphin isn't dead he isn't"

Wolf goes nuts then having been in denial for so long and finally he just stays on his knees sobbing one of the rare times people see some kind of emotion from him

"he's not dead he promised he'd be home"

but finally after a year of denial Wolf accepted the fact that Dolphin was dead and wouldn't be coming back and turned off the light

"goodbye Dolphin and sorry"

the light is turned off and Wolf goes to bed years later he finds out the truth and starts up the promise again only breaking it when he saw Dolphin fall and they finally retired the vow once both of them retired from old age