This is something that I started frickin' AGES ago! It's been bouncing around in my head for months and months and I finally got the first part of it out of my head and onto the computer. I admit it's been a bit of a slog for me for various reasons but I have enjoyed every minute of this so far. I apologise if the start up is a little sluggish, but I had to start it somewhere and this is the place I chose, but either way I hope you like it.
Saph x
Warnings:
This fic is rated M for a reason, adult themes will come later in the story.
Oh... and Naruto doesn't belong to me.
Sensou no Inu
Chapter 1: Chasing a Demon
The sun blazed down on the dusty streets of the small community. A dry heat radiated from the dead ground as the haze furled skywards, distorting the view of the grassy hills in the distance.
The small town was made up of hand built cloth stalls supported by dried wooden beams, all huddled together along the dirt path. This place was famous throughout the world for being a pit stop for traders and shop merchants looking for a good deal or to sell wares in the hopes of a small profit before moving on to the next town or village. The market had no official name, merely known to those who attended as the Traders Union. Horses, chickens and many other profitable animals wandered through the crowd, some pulled on leashes, others escapees from poorly constructed pens.
The place reeked of manure, hay and musty clothing that had been in storage for years. Kakashi breathed the scent in deeply as he sauntered through the crowds, relishing in the putrid stench and the pleasant memories that accompanied it. Having spent the first years of his childhood on farmland, the sickly sweet fragrances of the market recalled romantic images of gazing along freshly tilled fields watching the rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon.
He was completely lost in thought when a sudden tug of his arm tossed him back into the present day.
"Look over there! A jewellery store!" an unusually high and feminine voice rang in his ears. Kakashi lazily turned his head towards the voice as he watched the holder scuttle over to one of the many stalls that littered the sandy street. Kakashi followed soon after, pulling at the loose silks wrapped around his head. He stepped up close to the stall, eyeing over the goods this particular trader had to offer.
The table, completely shrouded with an old embroidered tarp that had seen better days, was filled with jewellery. He glanced towards the hands of his partner as she reached towards a gold necklace set with the biggest uncut emerald he had ever seen.
Sakura picked up the necklace, obviously a custom piece, and played it in her hands. There was no way on this planet that either of them could afford such treasure - both of them knew this - but they were here for something other than shopping.
"See something?" Kakashi asked dully, shoving his hands into both pants pockets. He idly watched her smooth her fingers over the chunky metal before setting it back down on the table top. She shook her head with a small sigh and turned a little towards him.
"No, do you?" She replied solemnly. Her face was obscured by her silken scarf wrapped around her head, but he was certain that her expression mimicked the tone of her voice. Kakashi replied with a grunt and a small shake of his head.
Both of them had been traversing from stall to stall for hours now and still they had found nothing. With only a brief description of their target the pair of them were beginning to come to terms with the fact that this mission was going to be yet another fruitless one. Sometimes nothing was found on small missions like these. But with no target to take back to Konoha there came no money. This meant having to take the next measly D class mission that came along just to make ends meet.
Kakashi despised abduction missions, more often than not their target had long gone from the original sighting place and the mission (upon his return to the village to relay the bad news) would then be handed to someone else. He was more than confident that this was going to happen towards the end of the deadline for this one. With so many people milling about the area, and the little snippet of information they had received from the Hokage three days ago, it was next to impossible to tell if the person they were looking for was the one that had walked past them moments ago or hours ago. Every single member of this community was a suspect and that made this mission that little bit more frustrating.
The two ninja began to turn away as an ominous shape crept towards them from the shadows of the small store.
"If nothing on the table takes your interest, spare me a moment of your time and take a look at this. Your lady friend may find this little item most pleasing," an old, guttural voice grumbled from within the stall. Kakashi and Sakura both stopped in their tracks and looked towards the bowels of the make shift shop to see an old and withered man smiling slyly back at them. The man had his hands curled around each other as he rested them on the table top, possibly concealing this item of interest he spoke of. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at him momentarily before stepping back up to the table.
"I doubt you'll have anything that interests us, old man," Kakashi drawled, watching as the elderly merchants' smile widened a little.
"You village dwellers are all the same. Your dwindling faith in the market trader never fails to astound me," the old man tittered before emitting a low throaty chuckle. Kakashi felt Sakura stiffen at the side of him as the old man spoke.
"What do you mean?" She growled. The old man chortled at her as he straightened up a little, allowing the sunlight to illuminate his face. The man looked to be well into his seventies, with his stooped back and withered claw like hands it was difficult to suspect him to be of any other age. Liver spots covered the majority of skin that was visible beneath the thick brown woollen robes he wore, and a large wart protruded from the sagging flesh that hung just beneath his left eye.
"Now, now, pretty lady. There's no need to get angry, but I would like to give your gentleman friend a few words of advice." The man's smile widened some more, showing two rows of aged yellow teeth.
Kakashi felt himself frown before he replied, "Advice?"
The man's smile faded as he focused his eyes on him. "Oh yes, dear sir. You ought to be careful around these parts. An eye as rare as yours would bring any trader a tidy profit in the black market. We merchants have no qualms in slaughtering ninja to gain assets of value, even the ones as dangerous as you, Hatake Kakashi."
Kakashi felt his eyes widen dramatically as he took the information in not quite certain if what the man was saying was simple friendly advice or a serious threat.
Sakura lurched forward at that point, possibly to pound some sense into the withered trader but Kakashi got to her before she got the chance to connect. Grabbing her wrist, Sakura struggled against him momentarily before spinning her head around to glare at the merchant.
"Is that some kind of threat? Who the hell do you think you are?" She snarled. The old man chuckled again, leaning over the table a little as Kakashi watched his grin widened a little.
"I mean you no harm. I am merely stating fact, my dear. Not all the traders here are all that they seem." The group exchanged glances for a few moments before the trader pushed himself up from the table with a small grunt of effort.
"I was the one who called for your services. You are here for the thief, yes?" He asked curiously, eyeing them both over with one eye. Kakashi felt Sakura relax, if only a little before she gave a brief nod of her head. Releasing her, Kakashi straightened himself smoothing down the tassels that hung from his head scarf over his chest.
"Yes, what do you know about them? We were given only brief details of what we are supposed to be looking for and that information simply isn't enough." He droned flatly. The old man nodded as he turned his back slowly on the two ninja. He beckoned them with a raised hand as he spoke, "Come on through. Business is slow today and I could use a sit down. I have a few details that may be of some help to you, as well as the little trinket I wished to show you earlier."
The rear of the market stall wasn't much bigger than the stall itself. Constructed entirely of coarse fabrics, it offered little protection against weather or foe that chose to raid the elderly man. The floor was simply the dust of the streets outside and everything within was caked in a thin layer of dirt. It looked like this stall had been here for some time; although most stall keepers didn't stay in one spot for more than a week. These people made their money from impulse buyers and sticking around simply didn't pay.
Sakura placed herself gently into one of the battered wicker chairs parked around the borders of the makeshift home. Kakashi stood at the side of her visually probing at the tiny abode as he removed the scarf from his brow, allowing it to pool around his shoulders. The scarves were used for more than just concealing identities. Everybody wore them in these places, the heat of the sun belted down relentlessly and Kakashi's skin didn't cope well in such conditions. He didn't tan like most people, he just fried.
The old man looked far frailer in the lamp lit room than he did back in the store. Shrouded by shadows he had seemed a lot more imposing than he really was. The merchant shuffled over to a small tea stand that stood next to a futon lying on the floor.
"Please, Hatake-san. Take a seat." The old man quipped, holding out an offering hand to the chair next to Sakura. Kakashi turned towards it before shifting his eyes back to the merchant. "No thank you. I prefer to stand."
The old man grunted as he turned back to the table. "Hmpf, suit yourself," he grumbled irritably.
"Tell us, trader, how did you know we were ninja?" Sakura asked darkly, leaning forward in her seat as she folded her hands on her lap. Kakashi was thankful that she had gotten to the question quicker than he had; he doubted very much that he would have asked it as pleasantly as she did.
The old man slowly turned himself to face them, that same, yellow toothed smile spreading along his face.
"Well, my name is Kawasaki Satoshi of Lightening Country. Quite possibly you have never heard of me. I was a little before your time. But there's an old saying that fits this situation perfectly: It takes one to know one." He responded slyly.
Kakashi heard Sakura gasp in her seat, lurching forward from disbelief. The copy nin, however, wasn't all that surprised. It wasn't unusual for retired shinobi to find their feet in the marketing world. With contacts throughout the world and the knowhow of living rough from time to time it was an easy step to take. Kakashi was actually surprised he hadn't come across such people before now. If he had, their deception skills were honed a lot finer than his own.
"So, if you're ex-shinobi, Kawasaki-san, then why haven't you considered catching this thief yourself?" Kakashi drawled folding his arms across his chest as the old man began pouring hot tea into one of his many dirty cups. He turned around stirring what looked like a slither of broken wood into the tea before he slowly shuffled towards one of the wicker chairs and sat himself down.
"Please, Satoshi is fine. I am too old to be chasing petty criminals. My shinobi days ended a long time ago. Not that I would have chased after him under any other circumstances. Who knows what affiliates he has in other places? I have no interest in placing my business at risk," He grumbled between large slurps of his hot drink.
Sakura hummed dismissively, slumping back in her chair.
"What do you know? You said you had information that could help us. This thief must be causing some serious problems for you to call us in," Kakashi questioned. His patience was beginning to wear thin, the more time he and Sakura spent within the boundaries of the stall, the more chance there was of the criminal striking without them even knowing.
Satoshi waved his hand above his head while shooting the pair of them a disapproving look. "I know plenty. I know that you won't see him yet. The boy is from some military background. Everything he does is done to the clock. He enters the town at the exact same time every day, which tells me he is a stickler to routine. He hasn't stolen anything from me, mainly nit bits from the food court and thieves have this nasty habit of driving away the customers. But this isn't of that much importance."
Kakashi and Sakura stole a confused glance at each other as the elderly merchant reached over to the tea caddy and pulled a small object from the table. He played it in his fingers as he glanced up at the two in his company.
"I wish you to take a look at this item. The thief sold it to me the other day for a few ryos." Satoshi leaned forward in his seat as Kakashi stepped towards him and took the item out of the old man's hand. Running his thumb over the object, Kakashi inspected it closely. It was a gold ring set with a stone he couldn't recognise. It wasn't any precious stone he had ever seen before. Bright orange in colour the stone wasn't cut but simply polished over into a dome. Within the dome was an engraving of what looked like a peacock. Other than the large stone and the engraved bird, the ring itself wasn't particularly interesting.
"I don't see why this is important," Kakashi muttered as he handed the ring back to Satoshi. The old man smiled at him as he curled his bony fingers around the small treasure.
"Of course you wouldn't. You kids don't believe in fables nowadays," He deadpanned. Kakashi narrowed his eyes again as he heard Sakura lurch forward in her seat.
"What do you mean, fables? What has this got to do with the target?" She squalled, obviously losing what little grip she had on her fiery temper. The old man hummed at them as he continued to play with the ring in his fingers.
"This stone isn't found anywhere in the world. The legend calls it solicetite, or sun stone. It is told that the solicetite originates from a lost city in the far north called Civitas Solice. But with nothing to compare the stone to I am unable to tell if it's the real deal. In fact there is no real proof that the city ever existed."
Kakashi shifted his stance from one foot to the other before he responded, "And you have received other pieces that are supposedly from the same place?"
Satoshi glanced up at him with heavy eyes. "Aye, but it's all garbage, most of it anyway and there's no proof that this is a solicetite ring either. Usually the pieces are constructed from a nickel alloy, painted gold with orange plastic or glass beads for the stones. And the sellers have this habit of boasting about their finds." Holding the ring up to tiny beams of sunlight that streamed through the seams of his home, Satoshi examined the ring once more. "This ring isn't like anything I've ever seen before. The boy didn't tell me where he had found it. He just wanted a few measly ryos for it, quite possibly to feed himself. So I took it off his hands."
"Do you think he stole it from somewhere else?" Sakura piped up from behind. No one answered her, no one really needed to. It was likely that he had indeed stolen the ring from somewhere, but it was obvious that he hadn't stolen it from this store. Satoshi's stall was the only one that sold jewellery within the union, and he doubted that even a petty thief was stupid enough to sell an item he had stolen back to the person he had taken it from. Satoshi may be old, but he was far from senile.
"How much did you pay the boy for the ring?" Kakashi asked
"Two hundred Ryo. I expect to get a little profit from it though. The stone is questionable but the band is most definitely gold."
He didn't know why, but Kakashi had a hunch that there was far more to the ring than the old man was telling them. Perhaps he was keeping most of the facts close to his chest, he was a retired ninja after all, or maybe he genuinely didn't know anything else. He didn't see what the story of this lost city had to do with anything. They weren't there on an excavation mission; all they wanted was their target. But the ring had piqued the copy nin's interest.
Not wanting to raise any suspicion with the old man, Kakashi decided then to change the subject. "What do you know about the target? Do you know where we can find them?"
"I don't know where he resides at night. What I do know is that he is a chakra user, I can feel his signature each time he enters the town. It's rare that ninja pass through here; ninja have no use for the products we sell. However, the boy is no shinobi. If he is, then his sensei has a lot to answer for," the old man huffed as he sipped again at his dirty cup of tea.
"Wait! So this kid knows how to use chakra, but you're saying that he's had no training? How do you know that?" Sakura's voice rose in pitch with each word she spoke. Satoshi lowered his cup to his lap, eyes closed as he gave a heavy sigh.
"I never said that. He must have had some kind of training, but not a great deal of it, or the quality of his training was especially poor. His signature is sporadic, almost like he has no control over it. Let's just say that he has no idea how to use it effectively. You will see when you come across him."
Sakura arched a pink brow at the old merchant before she chose to answer, "And the target is definitely male?"
"Yes, he is very well spoken too. He certainly doesn't come from any village or town that I have ventured to over the years. His accent is quite strange to my ears. He usually enters the union around dinner time, just before the sun begins to set. I would say that you have about an hour left until he ventures here."
Upon leaving the small shack, back into the stifling heat, Kakashi wasted no time in replacing the silken scarf back around his head. If there was one thing he wanted to avoid, it was a burnt scalp.
"So what do we do now? I can't seriously believe that this guy would stick around the same area for as long as Satoshi says he has," Sakura murmured.
"Most people who know what they're doing don't. But by what the old man told us in there it seems that this boy is either stupid, or he doesn't really know what he's doing," Kakashi answered coolly. Either way, the copy nin knew that it would be a bad move to underestimate the target. At the end of the day, neither of them really knew what they were going up against and to think that the boy was going to be easy prey was a mistake that could cost them both the entire mission. The best thing they could do for now was bide their time. The elderly merchant was quite confident that the culprit would show his face again soon and Kakashi had no reason to distrust his word.
The pair strolled away from the jewellery stall and towards the far eastern entrance of the town. If they had to wait for an hour before the kid showed himself he saw no harm in making the most of the spare time and his stomach grumbled happily in response.
Having found a small spit of dried grass near the borders of the small town they ate the small rations of rice the young medic nin had packed that morning. With the beast in Kakashi's stomach sated if only for a little while his thoughts snaked back to the mission at hand.
Although the information the old merchant had given them had been informative in regards to the young thief, the visit had been mostly pointless. The old man's ramblings of legendary forgotten cities had confused the situation somewhat seeing as those details had nothing to do with the target or the mission they had been set. Kakashi was still a little baffled as to why the merchants hadn't gone about seizing the boy themselves if he was causing so much trouble. He assumed in the end it was due to keeping low profiles.
Most of the merchants here sold stolen goods; with other contacts in the black market they had been reluctant to stop the thief, fearing a reprisal from others in the area if ever the capture was found out. Calling for authorities to deal with him was by the book and so drew the attention away from the market traders and the responsibility lay solely with the ninja's involved.
As Sakura busied herself with packing away the small bento boxes that had contained their meagre meals, Kakashi recovered a small artefact from his pants pocket, examining it in the waning sunlight.
"Hey! Are you going to help me with these or ... what the ... What are you doing with that!" Her tone quickly changed from annoyance to astonishment, her eyes widening at the sight of the ring in Kakashi's hand. He felt himself grin beneath the fabric of his mask, flitting his dark eye towards her.
"If it takes one to know one, then Satoshi-san's skills died along with his career," Kakashi deadpanned, focusing on the stone sunk into the gold band. The orange rock was glittered with tiny flecks of yellow that glinted in the sunlight. There was no doubt in his mind that the stone was of natural formation, but he doubted it was precious and he had serious issues believing that it came from a city that no one had ever seen.
"You stole it? Are you crazy?" Sakura hissed her shoulders stiffening as she barred her teeth at him. Her green eyes burned with a hidden rage that Kakashi found quite attractive, there wasn't a single day that passed where he didn't do or say something to gain that out of her. He was a man of simple pleasures; annoying Sakura was just one of them.
He chuckled softly as he sat himself up on the grass. "He won't come looking for it if that's what you're worried about. He was stupid enough to show it to us in the first place, besides I didn't take it on a merit of value. Money doesn't interest me."
Sakura huffed irritably, shaking her head at him with a scornful expression on her face. "Okay, so you're not going to sell it, and I certainly don't think you're going to be wearing it. So why did you take it? We're here to catch a thief, not pilfer the shops!"
Kakashi thought about her question briefly before he chose his answer, "I'll be honest and say that I don't really know. But Satoshi's story got me thinking about this boy. He said the target seems to be from a military background. The only military I know of around here are those that work for the higher classes."
"You mean like the Lord of Fire?"
"Yes. It isn't uncommon for the children of these classes to be trained in armed combat from a young age, giving them this military status Satoshi spoke of. They are more like soldiers than they are ninja."
"You think this kid is from some kind of royalty?"
"It wouldn't surprise me, hence why he isn't moving on, it seems to me like he doesn't really know any different. Take a look at the ring." Kakashi leaned himself forward, passing Sakura the small piece of jewellery. She took it from him, cradling it in her hands as she peered at it.
"You see the engraving in the stone?"
She nodded slowly, pinching the ring in her fingers and holding it a little closer to her eyes.
"When I first saw it in the stall, I thought the bird was a peacock what with the tail feathers, but the more I examine it the more convinced I am that it's actually a phoenix."
"Yeah, it looks almost like a crest doesn't it?" She muttered as she smoothed her finger of the orange dome. The pink haired medic looked up suddenly, arching a brow at him. "You think this ring is the real deal, don't you?"
"I don't know about its authenticity. If Satoshi-san's little story is anything to go by then I highly doubt it. But something tells me that this ring wasn't crafted from novice hands. It wasn't made to be sold; it was made to be worn." Kakashi noted the look of scepticism in Sakura's eyes prompting him to look away. "But I'm no jeweller. I could be wrong," he muttered rubbing the back of his neck habitually as Sakura's attention was drawn back to the ring.
"I dunno, you could be on to something there, sensei," she said softly as she handed the ring back to him. Kakashi curled his fingers around the warm metal before dropping it back into his pocket.
He stole a glance over the dirt path of the market place. The sky was growing darker by the minute as the sun began to sink behind the horizon. People were still trawling the market. Places like this didn't usually empty out until after dark.
That was when his eyes locked. He saw their target before he even realised it; a tall being, completely shrouded by a royal blue cloak. He weaved through the crowd with an effortless grace while the people around him went about their business. It seemed that no one noticed him, or he was being ignored.
"Kakashi-sensei ... you see something?" Sakura all but whispered, spinning her body around on the grass to see what Kakashi found so interesting.
"Follow me," he growled, getting to his feet and walking slowly towards the mouth of the market. He was certain the cloaked individual was the boy they were after.
Sakura was still scanning the area around them as they wandered back through the market; obviously she hadn't spotted the shrouded character yet. Kakashi edged himself closer to her, to the point where their shoulders almost touched.
"Straight ahead, the robe. See it?" Kakashi breathed keeping his sights locked firmly forward. From the corner of his eye he saw Sakura give a brief nod of her head.
"That's the target," He continued. He saw her turn a little towards him. He couldn't see the expression on her face but he was certain that it would be a questioning one.
"What makes you say that? We can't just pounce not knowing," She murmured back at him, a tremor of cynicism hung in her voice. Kakashi felt himself almost smile before he answered dully, "I just know. Keep watching."
The distance between them and the shrouded individual closed in. With the setting sun threatening to plunge the world into darkness, the copy nin was unable to get a decent view of the boys face. The only information they had to go by was what Tsunade had given them in the mission scroll and the strange tale they had heard from the old merchant. And that wasn't a lot. All they knew for certain was he was constantly shrouded, walked with a slouch, yet was well spoken and swift on his feet.
As they got ever closer the slight glimpses he was able to catch of the young man through the crowd gave him more information than he needed. The robe he wore almost touched the ground and was made of heavy velvet, the only movements not from the breeze but from the kicks of his own feet as he walked. The material of the cloak suggested that it was of an expensive cut; small criminals of this magnitude had no money to speak of, the only way he could have acquired it was if he had stolen it, or Kakashi's assumptions of his royal heritage was correct.
Without seeing the body structure that was obscured by the shroud it was impossible to tell the age of the boy, the description had placed him between the ages of sixteen and twenty but the slight arc to his posture suggested he was much older than that.
Kakashi was almost certain the target had seen them. Lowering his gaze he purposely loosened the grip on the strap of his bag in the hopes that the boy would see him as a viable target. He waited mere moments until his assumptions were proved to be true.
Lifting his eyes once more, he saw the young man, but only for a second until he disappeared. A blur of dark blue shot towards them at an alarming speed that even took Kakashi by surprise. He was aware that this boy was quick, but not to this extent. Before either of them had the time to react Kakashi was struck from the right. A blow to his shoulder as strong as any well trained shinobi left his mind reeling as he desperately swivelled his eyes in their sockets to gain a better view of his attacker. All he was able to see at that point was the tip of a finely crafted blue velvet hood.
The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion as the copy nin was forced back into the heaving crowd before the bag was wrenched from his shoulder and the offender sped off into the bowels of the market. Neither he nor Sakura wasted any time at that moment, both of them spinning on their heels and bolting through the crowd. Kakashi could just make out the dark blue robe, its tails flying out behind its wearer. The people didn't seem to notice what was going on, simply stepping out of the way when they saw the boy rushing towards them.
"Did you get a good look at him!" Sakura hollered her sights trained forward as they sped through the market.
"No, but Satoshi was lying about his inability to use chakra!" Kakashi shouted back. The target swerved through the crowd with a cat like ease, the rabble closing around him and making it incredibly difficult for the two ninja to follow him.
The crowd continued to swamp the dirt path, closing in like a flood around them and making it almost impossible to move. After a few seconds of high speed chasing the boy was completely out of sight. Seemed that he knew what he was doing after all.
Both Kakashi and Sakura slowed to a complete stop in the centre of the track, there was no use trying to fight their way through the rabble to catch up with the boy, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Planting his hands on his hips, Kakashi cursed himself for letting him get away, he should have grabbed him when he had the chance but that burst of speed took him completely off guard. He had done the one thing he had warned himself not to; he had underestimated his opponent.
"This is just great! Not only does he take your satchel but he got away too!" Sakura whined as she stepped up to Kakashi's side. The copy nin wasn't overly concerned for the bag the youth had taken, when he got back to wherever he was hiding he would be quite disappointed to see that the satchel was actually empty. It just proved that this boy was an opportunist.
"The day isn't lost yet. I have one more trick up my sleeve," he replied as he grabbed Sakura by the waist and pulled her into the shadows of an alcove between two huts.
Reaching into a chest pocket on his shirt Kakashi pulled out a small scroll. He unfurled it, lifted his free hand to his mouth and sank his concealed teeth into the flesh of his thumb. Kakashi watched the bead of fresh blood pool to the surface before he smeared his thumb along the contract inked onto the fabric. Allowing the scroll to snap shut he slapped his hands together to complete the ritual.
Within seconds a distinctive pop filled his ears accompanied by a puff of white smoke. The smoke dispersed almost instantly to reveal a little disgruntled pug.
"You called?" Pakkun growled distastefully, looking up at his summoner with displeased eyes. It was quite clear that Kakashi had interrupted something. Needless to say that the copy ninja would be hearing all about it at some point.
"I need you to take the scent from this," Kakashi drawled, unfurling the head scarf from around his neck. The boy had connected with him when he had taken the bag from his shoulder; the scarf was the only thing that the boy had come into contact with. Despite the contact only being for a split second, Kakashi was certain that it would have been enough time for a scent to be transferred.
Kneeling down in front of his faithful friend, Kakashi held the scarf out to him. Pakkun eyed it over briefly before lowering his head and burying his nose into the folds of silken cloth. Kakashi felt the small dog sniff against his palm before he stopped suddenly and furrowed his brow. Pakkun drew his head away from the scarf and glared at it momentarily before looking up at Kakashi with the same distasteful look.
"Is there somethin' you're not telling me, Kakashi?" he grumbled.
Kakashi frowned at him, not entirely sure what he was talking about and slowly shook his head. "Like what? We're trying to track a thief..."
Pakkun eyed the copy nin over, narrowing his eyes in the process before stuffing his nose back into the scarf. He frowned again, pulling his head back a lot sharper the second time and wrinkling his nose up at the scarf.
"Pakkun, what's the matter?" Sakura asked softly, leaning over a little. Pakkun made a strange snuffling sound and eventually sneezed. He glared up at Kakashi again before shaking his head and letting out an irritated sigh.
"Nothing," he grumbled. "I have a scent I think I can follow."
Kakashi arched a brow at the small dog as he got back to his feet. "You think?" he questioned harshly not feeling particularly impressed with the way Pakkun was behaving. Pakkun glowered at him almost knowingly, before giving a brisk nod of his head and trotting off towards the crowd.
Sakura gave Kakashi a glance as they began to follow the little dog towards the edge of the union. "What's wrong with him?" she asked dully. Kakashi shook his head dismissively before he answered in an equally flat tone, "Your guess is as good as mine."
After weaving through the crowd the small group entered the woodland at the mouth of the dirt path. Pakkun was still acting strangely as he sniffed at the ground, constantly lifting his head seeming to take in his surroundings as he went. Kakashi frowned at his behaviour. It wasn't like the pug to be so confused like this; he was the best tracker amongst all the ninken so Kakashi couldn't understand why he was having so much trouble detecting a simple scent.
They wandered through the thickets for a while, passing tree after tree. Everything in the wood was beginning to look the same and before long the copy nin was beginning to wonder if Pakkun was leading them around in circles. Eventually the little dog stopped in his tracks and turned towards his silver haired summoner barring his sharp teeth at him. "Is this some kind of joke, Kakashi? Because I don't find it very funny."
Kakashi glared at him, completely at a loss as to why Pakkun would ask something so ... well ... dumb. He sighed irritably as he crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Do you need some help, Pakkun?" he bit out, feeling the annoyance bubbling in his gut.
Pakkun narrowed his eyes at him before stealing a quick glance at Sakura. He sniffed harshly before turning his back on them. "If you want to summon another ninken then be my guest."
It was more than clear to Kakashi that Pakkun had taken offence to his suggestion of aid. Perhaps it was a more gentle approach to the situation to actually question his old friend rather than put his nose out of joint, for want of a better term.
"What's going on, Pakkun?" Kakashi sighed eventually.
Pakkun turned his head a little before looking back towards the wood as he huffed out a small sigh. "The scent is too similar. It's confusing," He grunted.
Kakashi arched a brow at his response. "Too similar to what?"
"To yours, Kakashi. There is another scent here but yours seems to drown it out and I can't understand why." By the way Pakkun's voice dropped as he spoke it was more than clear that it hurt him to say it. He was a humble dog, but Pakkun took great pride in his tracking skills and it was at this moment that Kakashi could truly understand why he was acting so strangely.
"Well of course you can detect my scent, the thief connected with me and he took my satchel. Perhaps it's that you can smell." Kakashi soothed as he crouched beside his companion and rubbed him behind his ear.
Pakkun huffed in response as he turned his head and struck his summoner with a hostile glare. "I still think you're hiding something. The scent is too strong to be from your bag," he grumbled distastefully.
"Can you follow the other scent at all?" Sakura piped up from behind as she stepped a little closer to them.
Pakkun bowed his head momentarily before nodding and getting back to his feet. "I can, but it may take me a while..." He tapered off as Kakashi got to his feet. Chances were that the thief they were tracking wasn't moving around too much anyway, not if he was repeatedly visiting the market on a daily basis. The very notion seemed alien to him but it was the best that he could hope for if he and Sakura were going to complete this mission today.
Nightfall had long fallen upon them by the time the small team had cleared the woodland. Kakashi wasn't certain how long they had spent circling the thickets but he was sure it was more than a few hours. His feet ached a little and the crick in his back he had started to feel that afternoon was getting worse by the minute. Not that he felt the need to complain about it ... he was getting to old for these games of cat and mouse.
The ground quickly turned from moss to sand as the group walked closely behind Pakkun who was still sniffing at the ground. Straight ahead was a beach cradled by a huge expanse of water that lapped at the shore. It was no ocean by far - the nearest coast being several hundred miles away - but it was far too big to be a lake as it stretched as far as the eye could see. The breeze was heavenly on Kakashi's skin as opposed to the stifling heat he had been trapped in mere hours ago. He looked towards the heavens; dark velvet reached across the sky and glittered with a splattering of stars. Had he not a mission to complete, he felt he could stay here all night.
"The scent is much stronger here," a small yet gruff voice signalled from further up the beach, wrenching Kakashi from his daze. It wasn't like him to be caught off guard so easily, just goes to show how much sleep he had gained the night before. Looking a little to his left, he saw Pakkun and Sakura heading towards what looked at first like a collection of boulders near the edge of the shore. He followed after them as they approached an opening at the base of the pinnacle.
Sakura rested a hand on the edge of the dark stone and peered into the darkness.
"Whoever it is, they're in there... and by the smell of things, they aren't alone either," Pakkun sniffed as he tilted his head towards the cave entrance.
Kakashi had figured as much. Things like this were never simple and now it seemed that they would now have to prepare to take down two of these bastards, maybe even more before they could even think about returning home. The payment required that the target be taken back alive and uninjured; this was easier said than done a lot of time. His only hope was that the other members of this party weren't as skilled in chakra usage as the first guy they had come across back in the union.
"If that's all, I'd like to go back now. I was enjoying a hunt with the family before you called me in," the small ninken bit out. Kakashi looked towards him and nodded briefly at him. Pakkun had done what was asked of him, who was Kakashi to keep him away from his family if his skills were no longer needed. Within a matter of seconds and a puff of white smoke, Pakkun was gone, leaving only Sakura and the copy nin to deal with their target.
He could sense the chakra of the boy, but he was unable to detect anything else which set his mind at ease, if only a little. He sighed heavily before glancing towards Sakura who was looking back intently. She was already prepared to go in fists blazing; it was more than clear within the green pyres of her eyes. Even in this light, Kakashi was able to see that much.
She gave a brief nod of her head to signal that she was ready and waiting for her team leader to lead the way. Kakashi nodded back as he began to descend into the darkness, hoping that Satoshi had been right in one thing; that the boy wasn't as clued up about chakra as he seemed to be.
As they made their way down the pitch black stone corridor, Kakashi thought briefly of using the sharingan to gain some more visibility, that was until he saw a dim light reflecting from the glossy rocks in the near distance. As they drew closer, the narrow passage opened up into a small cavern, lit by a single candle that sat, melting into the sand that made up the floor. The light bounced from the glossy rocks that lined the walls, illuminating the natural room.
The target was in the centre, crouched over with his back to them. Kakashi was unable to see what he was doing but his arms moved sporadically and he could hear him muttering under his breath. If his chakra usage was worth its salt the boy would have been able to detect the intruders before they had even entered the cave. Obviously Satoshi had been right after all, this kid had received next to no training whatsoever.
"Okay, kid. That's about enough of that. Get to your feet." Sakura boomed. Her voice echoed through the cave as they watched the boy's shoulders stiffen suddenly. Kakashi plucked a kunai from his leg pouch and braced himself for attack. Fortunately, the chance to play on the offensive didn't come as the kid rose slowly to his feet and turned to face them. It was then that Kakashi saw the body of a small dark haired girl lying limply in the middle of the floor.
Dress in a cloak very similar to the boys, she looked very sick. Her skin was a deathly shade of white and she trembled a little as she drew her hands closer to her chest. Her mouth, the flesh around her lips dry and cracked, moved as if she was speaking but without any sound. By the looks of things she was suffering from severe dehydration.
The cloaked youth stood back from the young girl and bowed his head. Lifting his arms slowly he raised them above his head in defeat before he spoke in a strange, foreign accent, "Do what you want with me. Just help her..."
Kakashi felt himself wince at the boys tone; it sounded so ... alien. His accent was like nothing he had ever heard before, bordering on his own yet with a twang that he was unable to recognise. Kakashi was a well travelled man, and yet he had never come across anyone that spoke the way this young man did. Not that it really mattered right now but still, it was something that stirred his curiosity.
Still holding his offensive stance, Kakashi nodded towards the young girl as he glanced over at Sakura. She quickly jumped to attention as she scurried over to the small being while Kakashi began to walk cautiously towards his target.
"You're not very bright are you, boy? Anyone else in your position would have moved on by now. I guess that makes me the lucky one," he quipped as he drew closer to the young offender. Now he had the chance to gain a better viewing of him he could see that the velvet robe was tattered and old. Heavy watermarks stained the expensive fabric in patches and evidence of struggles was shown through the splodges of mud and grass smeared across the chest area. Heaven knows how long they had been living in here.
The boy lifted his head a little, but not enough for Kakashi to see his face, before he lowered it again and chose to stare at the floor. "I resent that you question my intelligence before you question my motives," he muttered in that same strange voice.
It seemed to Kakashi that the boy had given up any chance of escape, his body language reflected his defeat and it was quite obvious that he wasn't armed which set the copy nin at ease a little.
"It isn't for me to question the how's and why's. It's merely my job to get you back in one piece," Kakashi stated flatly as he stepped almost toe to toe with the youth. He glanced briefly towards Sakura who had now propped the young girl up against the stone wall of the cave. She was talking softly to her in an attempt to encourage her to drink from the water bottle the pink topped medic offered her.
"Who's the girl?" Kakashi questioned darkly.
The boy lifted his head a little, although not enough for him to show his face before he answered dully. "She's my sister..."
The boy was almost as tall as he was, even with his head lowered. By the pitch of his voice, Kakashi had already placed him at around seventeen years old but the way in which he spoke could place him much older than that. The only way to be sure was to take a look at his face.
Kakashi lifted a hand and grasped the tip of the dark blue hood. "I think it's about time we got to see who it is we are dealing with."
Kakashi wrenched the hood from the boys head as plumes of silver hair spilled from within. The boy lifted his head just then. His eyes, heavy lidded and deep brown in colour, locked with Kakashi's and burned with a sickening yet recognisable rage that sent his head spinning. The sensation that ran through him then was indescribable; looking at this boy was like looking into a mirror.
The air left his lungs like he had taken a huge blow to the gut and he struggled to gain his composure as he just stood there and stared at this young man.
Kakashi heard Sakura get to her feet slowly as she gasped behind him. "What the... Kakashi?" she breathed. It seemed that she was just as shocked by the young man's appearance as he was.
Still, his motor functions had gone into overdrive, he couldn't move, blink, breathe. This couldn't be real, there had to be another explanation for this, surely it was all just a coincidence? But what were the chances of bumping into a young man no older than eighteen years of age that was a perfect carbon copy of himself?
Kakashi was certain, deep down, that this boy was his son, but how could he have not known? Of all the women he had involved himself with over the years, which one had given birth to this child and kept him a secret for so many years, and more importantly, why?
He wanted to deny it, he didn't want to think that this petty criminal was the fruit of his own loins but he found it impossible to shake it from his being.
A shrill cry echoed through the room dragging Kakashi from within himself and turn towards the girl as she dragged herself to her feet. "Please, don't hurt him! Akuma's done nothing wrong, he was only trying to help me! Please, ninja!" she squealed as she tried to step towards the two men. Sakura managed to grab the girl around the waist before her legs gave way beneath her.
Turning back to the one the girl called Akuma, he saw a genuine look of sorrow on his face as he looked on at his sisters struggle for balance. He shifted his eyes quickly back to Kakashi and swallowed hard before he dropped his eyes to the floor.
"I'll repeat my first statement, ninja. Do what you want with me. Kill me if you have to, I don't care anymore. Just help my sister because I can't."
Note: Sensou no Inu translated means Dogs of War.
Thank you so much for reading this first installment, Saph xx