Little red riding hood strolled down the sunny path happily. She wasn't a child anymore though, now she was eighteen and strong. Her short pink hair floated about her head with the warm summer breeze that ruffled her signature red cloak. She was so well known for her hooded red cloak she hardly went anywhere without it anymore.
Even now as she was supposed to be delivering baked goods to her aging grandmother who lived alone on the outskirts of their village, Konoha. Her mother had told her to use the main road and stay out of the woods, but she liked the woods, so she had ignored her mother's wishes and was now strolling down the forest path.
However that path wasn't as sunny anymore. The foliage above her head was denser now and the sun only peeked through holes in the canopy above. She ignored the feeling of being watched, there were plenty of animals in the woods, it was only natural for her to feel that way, and she kept going down her path.
Then her senses went on high alert as she heard a twig snap to her left, then a rustling of leaves. She stood frozen on the path. Then as the forest went eerily still, she strained to hear anything, but even the birds were silent now. Without hesitating a moment longer little red broke into a run, her red cape flapping behind her as she ran blindly down the path. The wind rushing past her ears blocked her from hearing anything, and she dared not turn around for what might be there, but she knew something was following her.
Then she broke into the sunlight relieved, but her relief was quickly washed away as she realized she was utterly lost, and she was in a glade, she wasn't out of the woods yet. She spun around to face the area she had just come out of, her frantic emerald eyes scanning the shadows for something, anything.
"W-who's there?" she asked.
Minutes passed by, but the forest remained silent. She was very aware of her legs cramping up and her trembling hands, and of the sweat beading on her wide forehead.
Then, a particularly large slinky shadow split from the darkness, and a lumbering wolf emerged from the dense foliage. She gasped at the size of it, should it stand on its hind legs it would have easily been twice her height. Although the silver fur was what caught her eyes, and the jagged scar that ran down the left eye of the wolf stood out as the only sign of battle it had seen. However she could tell by the way it silently moved from the shadows that the glossy fur concealed thick, toned muscles. The wolf did not snap or snarl, he just stood there his mismatched eyes interested in the frail looking girl before him. Then little red noticed the most remarkable thing about this wolf, his eyes, for he was most assuredly a male wolf, his eyes were different colors. One was deep black, and the other was scarlet, almost the color of blood.
"What are you?" she asked quietly, almost in disbelief.
Then to amaze her further the wolf got up on his hind legs and was enveloped in swirling leaves and smoke, as they dissipated the figure of a man emerged.
"A wolf," he replied.
Little red riding hood felt herself blushing, she was shocked and confused, and so many other emotions coursed through her that she could hardly comprehend what had happened, much less the fact that he was clad in black pants and nothing else save a black mask, concealing the bottom half of his face. His eyes were the same, and now she could see the toned muscles, and the spiky silver hair.
"And who, are you?" the strange wolf man continued.
"M-my name is Haruno Sakura…but people call me little red riding hood…" she answered after a moment of hesitation. Somehow the fear that she knew she should be feeling just wasn't there anymore. Now she was just confused at the situation.
"It suits you," the man said stepping forward. He may look like a man, but he still seemed like a wolf to her.
Her brain screamed at her to run away, but her feet held her firmly in place, refusing to move as he lazily approached her and began to circle her ever so slowly.
"So where are you off to, little Sakura?" he asked as she twisted around to always keep him in sight.
"I-I'm visiting my grandmother…" she managed to say. Her heart was thumping so loudly she thought the whole forest could hear it.
"That's sweet, but you should know-" he said, and in a flash he was in front of her leaning down so that his mismatched eyes gazed into hers, "-that the forest is full of dangerous animals."
Sakura gulped and tried to step back, but her feet were, once again, uncooperative. She could feel his warm breath through the mask that hid his nose and mouth from her.
"Who are you?" she asked leaning back slightly, but never breaking eye contact.
"I am the son of the white fang, I am Hatake Kakashi," the man said. His lithe fingers casually played with a lock of her pink hair, and yet she stood there. She intrigued him, she did not flinch or cower, or try to run; she simply remained there before him. "Hm, how often do you dye your hair to keep it like this?" he asked no longer looking into her eyes.
"I don't dye my hair!" Sakura replied indignantly, her hands on her hips.
The man, Kakashi, chuckled, causing shivers to run down her spine.
She was vividly aware of their closeness, of his piercing eyes, of the tips of his gravity defying hair tickling the crown of her head, and with each breath she breathed in the airy smell of the forest radiated off of him.
"I-I should probably go-" she began averting her eyes and trying to step around his lean frame.
When he didn't try to stop her she felt somewhat disappointed, and it shocked her. She knew that she was supposed to be terrified of this strange man, but somehow she felt calm.
"Goodbye Kakashi-san," she said quietly and continued the way she had originally been headed.
"Goodbye Sakura-chan," he whispered when she was out of hearing.
Kakashi shook his head; his thoughts had been so clouded since he had first laid eyes on the girl. He ran his fingers through his spiky hair and then he walked back out of the clearing, transforming back into a wolf.
Sakura was shaken from her experience from Kakashi. She let her feet guide her back to the path and towards her grandmother's house. A cool breeze ruffled her clothes and brought her back to her senses. She knew where she was, but now that same fear as before was over taking her mind. The forest was silent again, her heart thumped wildly in her chest, and she thought for a brief moment that it might just be Kakashi again.
"Kakashi-san?" she asked the quiet forest.
"Eh? Oh lookie there, it's a girl," came a gruff voice from the right.
Sakura spun to face the voice. It was a woodsman, which much was obvious from the large axe and the hairy appearance.
"Oh, sorry I thought you were someone else," she said disappointed.
"Not too many people out here, was it a friend of yours?" he asked stepping onto the path from the tree line.
"No, well yes, but he's not with me," she said. The man's question made her think, what was Kakashi to her? They had just met after all, and he was a wolf, but he was also human, and he hadn't hurt her, he had been…almost nice really.
"Well a pretty young thing like you shouldn't be out in the forest all alone, lots of scary monsters out here," he said.
Suddenly Sakura caught the glint in the woodsman's eyes, it made her cringe back, and she eyed him nervously.
"I-I should get going," she said hastily trying to side step him.
"Aw come on now, let's have some fun eh? Just the two of us out here, anything could happen," he said leering down at her body.
Sakura drew her red cape around her body, trying to conceal herself from the older man as she weighed her options. She could try to fight, or she could run. Both options seemed pretty grim. Then she gasped as he grabbed her roughly by the arm, trying to pull her closer.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her voice rising.
"Come on sweetie, let's have some fun," he said with an ugly grin.
"No! Let go of me!" she yelled beginning to struggle.
"Shout all you want little girl, no one's gonna hear you," he said.
Before she could do anything he was tugging at the straps of her white summer dress and pulling her against him.
"No! Get away from me!" she screamed. "HELP!" she shouted over and over desperately, but she knew no one could hear her.
"Stop squirming. There we go- AH! What the hell?" the woodsman shouted as a large shadow sprang from behind Sakura tackling the man who was forced to let go of Sakura.
"Kakashi!" Sakura cried out happily. She had collapsed on her knees and was too relieved to do anything other then just watch as her wolf man hero pinned the woodsman to the forest floor.
Kakashi clamped his mouth around the man's arm and dragged him kicking and shouting into the underbrush. Sakura waited, and then all protests ceased, and Kakashi came back out. Blood dripped from his claws as he wiped them off on a bush, the disgust evident on his furry face.
Kakashi licked the blood off his muzzle and walked over to Sakura, shifting back into his human form as he kneeled beside her.
"Are you alright Sakura-chan?" he asked pulling her dress back up as she blushed, realizing that her bra had been showing.
"Y-yes, thank you so much Kakashi-san!" she cried tears coming to her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, as her tears of shock and fear finally came, and she clung to him desperately, not wanting to think of what might have happened had he not come along.
Kakashi was shocked, to say the least, at Sakura's words and actions. He was at a bit of a loss on what to do as she cried against him. So he did what his instincts told him.
Kakashi pulled her away from him just enough to tilt her face up to his. Then he gently wiped away her tears smiling down at her from under his mask.
"Please don't cry Sakura-chan, everything's alright, don't worry, I'm here," he said circling his bare arms about her small waist. He held her so tenderly, almost as if she was about to break in his arms. Then he surprised both of them, and pulled down his mask so that it hung about his neck, and he swooped down and captured her pink lips in a soft, awkward kiss.
For a moment neither knew what to do, but when Sakura felt herself responding to the kiss she knew what he said was true. Everything was alright, no, better, everything was perfect right then.
Kakashi pulled back for air and smirked down at her as she blushed madly and gazed at his now revealed face. "I promise I won't let anything happen to my little red riding hood," he said with a wolfish grin.
And so, the wolf fell for little red riding hood and she for him.