A Pack's Story:
Ever since he had started working with the nin-dogs, Kakashi had always thought in terms of the pack.
Training with the hounds meant becoming one with them, in the mind. It was sophisticated and yet simple and believe it or not, there were certain rules.
Kakashi had tried explaining this to sensei, but just got a laugh in return.
He didn't mind though, because sensei was the Alpha of the human pack. He always was. Even on a mission with the great sanin Jiraiya, sensei had still been the one to lead. The Alpha.
Hence it confused the hound in him, when sensei welcomed two new, relatively ordinary members into their pack. It bewildered and infuriated him more, when Obito spoke in his loud voice and forced them to do things his way. Follow his rules.
Kakashi fought back for dominance, because he was Beta in the pack dynamics not this weird kid with goggles. Half way through the fight, he abruptly realized that at some point he had accepted Obito as a pack-mate now.
He ignored team practices for a week after that realization.
Rin, he easily accepted. Kind and gentle Rin, she lived to take care of the pack. She was the last of the pack, the Omega, but never seemed to complain, even though she was a genius in her own right.
So now the pack was of four. Sensei led, as always, Kakashi and Obito fought but followed, and Rin healed them and tagged along.
Kakashi was somewhat pleased, because now, the pack was strong.
.
Out of nowhere, Uzumaki Kushina stumbled into their lives.
She immediately became the Alpha female of the pack. She growled at sensei and subdued Obito. She giggled with Rin and pushed Kakashi into the pond or off a cliff, whichever happened to be nearer.
She was perfect.
Yet, the pack changed because of her. Because, with her came the war, and it fucked up everything.
Obito died, leaving him with a red eye and a lifetime of guilt. He died honourably as well, protecting Kakashi and Rin-protecting the pack.
It slit opened his heart and he was sure, the wound would never heal.
Kakashi was suddenly alone, unsure of his place in the pack, unsure of everything. He had nobody to fight with. He was sure, Rin felt alone too, with nobody to compliment her and make her laugh.
Sensei still led the pack, but he was always sad. Kakashi couldn't take it anymore.
So he nursed the broken Rin, and amused his sensei with excuses for his lateness.
He became a little of Obito.
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As the Alpha pair, Minato-sensei and Kushina-sama decided to have children.
Kakashi approved. It was good for the pack to have new pups.
Obito had died without having any.
Rin was in a fierce feminist phase, and wouldn't want any.
And Kakashi?
He was just content to sit back and chuckle with Rin, while Minato-sensei ran around for ramen at odd hours, to feed his rapidly growing pregnant wife.
.
Fittingly, they decided to name the kid Naruto.
Now, Naruto was not even born, but he was everything to them. Their future and their hope was Naruto.
Kakashi's heart jumped with joy, whenever he felt the kid kick. Rin's dead eyes lit up with a new determination, a new happiness. Minato-sensei couldn't stop smiling and Kushina-sama was glowing.
Hence the kid had four people ready to die to protect him. Four people who loved him. Four people who were his parents now.
Kakashi wasn't surprised because Naruto was family. Naruto was pack.
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The child finally arrived, bringing the kyubi with him.
Minato-sensei stood between the monster and the village, proud and powerful. He fought and bound the kyubi but died, in a flurry of fire and gold, taking Kushina-sama with him.
They died most honourably, protecting the cub. Protecting the village.
But Rin-Rin gave up and rapidly faded away and suddenly she just disappeared.
He couldn't protect her, he failed the pack. The pack was no more.
He was all alone now; he gave in to despair and howled in anguish.
.
They placed the baby in his arms on the tenth day and the first thought he has is how soft its neck is and how easy it would be to snap it.
Jolted out of his pain by this fearful thought, Kakashi dropped the baby into the Sandaime's arms and disappeared behind an ANBU mask.
He was unfit to be Alpha.
And at least this way the last of his pack will be safe.
.
A decade passed in mindless killings. A decade passed in loneliness. He was famous now, a legend. But he was nothing because he had lost his pack.
He felt nothing.
And then one night he broke. The hound in him demanded to bring back the pup. He had to see the Naruto right now.
He flew through the buildings and quickly found the child's apartment. And then, Kakashi stared.
He couldn't help but notice how small and vulnerable the sleeping child was. He couldn't help observing the blonde hair and whisker marks. It was like kneeling in the rain for the first time after years of dying in thirst.
He couldn't stop looking.
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Unsurprisingly, Naruto was a lot like Minato-sensei. He was a true Alpha.
Kakashi didn't even bother thinking about fighting for dominance. Naruto was already strong enough to lead. Few friends he had made followed him willingly, trusted him without a care, and loved him without effort. The child was quick to forgive and forget.
Kakashi was proud…the child was his cub after all.
He ended up watching the child from the shadows for the next ten days in a row.
He watched how the child loved ramen like Kushina-sama, how he couldn't do a bunshin jutsu like Rin, and how he wore goggles like Obito.
On the eleventh day, he resigned from the ANBU.
.
The child was no longer weak now. He fought and learnt. And whenever someone pushed him back, he got up and fought some more.
Kakashi observed everything keenly.
Hope was surging through him. His pack was not dead yet.
His duty called to him to guide the child and protect him. He had planned to do many many things, but courage always fled him whenever he had to approach the kid. He returned home every night with tail between his legs.
He hated the kind Iruka sensei and his easy relation with Naruto. Can't he see Naruto was not a toddler and to not treat him like a gaki? Can't he know that Iruka's indulgence was giving a false sense of security, making the child disinclined to work harder?
He was irritated by Uchiha Sasuke's indifference to Naruto. Didn't he know how strong the child would get in a few years? And how he would fight to protect him?
In the end, he accepted the painful truth that maybe Naruto didn't need Kakashi's pack. He had one of his own.
Kakashi was miserable. He couldn't eat or sleep. Only one thought occupied his mind, the last of his pack and the fact that Kakashi had missed his chance of forming any relation with him.
Few days or months later, there was a knock on the door and the Sandaime entered holding a form and a caring expression.
His cub was a genin now. He needed to be taught how to hunt.
Kakashi smiled for the first time in years as he signed the agreement which made him the jounin sensei for team 7.
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Author's note:
please review, dear reader.
it makes me happy :)