Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

I apologize for the long delay in updating this chapter it was a little hard to write. I would also like to apologize in advance for any and all further delays.

Please read and review, any comments or suggestions are appreciated.


Hatake Kakashi and his team were headed home. They had just finished a B rank mission; which really should have been no more than a C, considering the Land of Storm was populated exclusively by humans. The team had been sent in to recover a scroll that the Storm Lord had discovered on an excavation trip to the Dark Land; even though the mission itself wasn't dangerous, the scroll had the potential to bring about great destruction if it were to fall into the hands of the vampires. The alpha had been concerned that the vampire lord Orochimaru would get his hands on the scroll when news that it had been found spread. Trying to cut off Orochimaru the alpha sent Kakashi and his team (Genma, Raidou, and Asuma) to recover the scroll first.

With the scroll safely stored and the team already within Konohagakure's borders, they decided to set up camp for the night. Kakashi and Asuma went to check out the perimeter, while Genma and Raidou headed out to gather firewood.

Kakashi headed east to check that the team hadn't been followed and to take care of anyone that had managed to keep up with the group. He jumped from branch to branch shifting into his wolf form as he went. The silver wolf dropped down gracefully heading further away from their makeshift camp. When he got closer to the edge of the forest the wolf picked up a new scent, causing him to slow his pace. It was a scent that didn't belong in the forest. Quietly the silver wolf approached the clearing where the scent was strongest. As the wolf got closer he heard quiet movement coming from one of the trees up ahead. The wolf looked up to see a young boy, sitting on a branch looking upset. The wolf studied the boy, trying to figure out if the boy belonged to the Land of Storm; if he had been sent by the village to recover the scroll. The wolf continued to watch silently for any sign that the boy was going to move from the tree branch and head toward the forest; yet the boy remained still looking toward the sky. Sensing that he was been watched the boy looked down but couldn't see any threats; the wolf looked up to see a tan face with a pale scar across the boy's nose from cheek to cheek. The boy suddenly stood up and gazed away from where the wolf was hiding, with an audible sigh he headed away from the wolf toward the other side of the forest.

Kakashi contemplated following the boy to find out what the boy was doing so far from the human village; before he had the chance to follow Asuma appeared next to him.

"All's clear on the west side it doesn't look like we were followed"

"Ok, thanks Asuma, let's head back before those two burn the forest down."

The two wolves headed back to the clearing where camp was setup. Genma and Raidou were already there waiting on the other two.

"Find anything, anyone follow us from Storm?" Genma inquired.

"Asuma and I didn't find any sign, Genma, it looks like we lost the guards a while back."

"We still need to take turns keeping guard," Raidou said, "just in case they stumble this way."

"Don't worry about it," Kakashi said as he walked to the edge of the clearing, "I'll keep watch tonight. I doubt I'll be able to sleep anyway."

After a few minutes of arguing against Kakashi staying up all night, he walked back into the forest letting the others get comfortable. He shook his head and smiled as he noticed Raidou cuddle into Genma. Kakashi began walking the perimeter of the camp his mind wandering back to the young boy he had seen. He couldn't remember ever seeing someone so young look like he had the whole world on his shoulders. For a second there he had wanted to take the young boy into his arms and reassure him that everything would work out fine, but the boy had left and the opportunity was lost.

In the early hours of the morning, Kakashi climbed a tree, stretched out his legs on the limb and leaned back. He knew the others would start stirring any moment and they would need to start moving, but he wanted just a moment of peace before he had to walk back into the village. He closed his eyes for a second and not for the first time wondered what it would have been like to be born human. He saw the humans and sometimes envied their freedom. He was about to jump down from his perch when he felt the whole world shake like an earthquake but yet it felt like something more. The rumbling only lasted a few seconds but it had felt like the earth had realigned itself with the stars.

2 YEARS LATER

Kakashi pulled his headband further down the left side of his face partly to make it easier to control his sharingan, but mostly because no matter how often the people around him protested he knew that not everybody in village was comfortable around him since he had taken possession of his sharingan. He didn't really blame his people, there were days when even he couldn't look at himself, but there were times when he couldn't take their stares and whispers anymore. And it was during this time that he would wonder into the forest, he wasn't sure what he was looking for but he knew that the forest pulled at him called him.

Kakashi moved deep into the forest before he sat down and leaned against an ancient tree. A quick scan and he pulled out a book from his back pocket. Skimming through the book he found his spot and settled down to read his favorite chapter.

"If you keep reading that crap, you're brain is going to turn to mush."

Kakashi jumped up at the voice behind him. "Alpha, my apologies, I didn't hear you coming."

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and waved away the apology, "Don't worry, son, I know how engrossing that book can be." Kakashi felt his cheeks heat up as he stuffed Ichi Ichi Paradise back into his back pocket. "However," the old Alpha continued, "you should never let your guard down especially not if you plan on following me as alpha."

Kakashi nodded trying to find a way to let his Alpha and mentor know that the last thing he wanted to do was follow in his footsteps. Not that he had any choice in the matter. For as long as he could remember people kept telling him that he smelled like an Alpha, and for as long as he could remember he had been training to step into his mentor's shoes when the time came. Before he got his sharingan there had been no question of him becoming Alpha of the Hidden Leaf Wolves, but lately he could hear the whispers that maybe he needed more time and that Tsunade would be a great Alpha until he was more prepared. He tried not to let the whispers bother him, but it was getting harder to ignore the sideway glances and the halted conversations.

"You can always tell me what's wrong," the aging Alpha said as he began walking back toward the village.

Kakashi fell into step with his mentor, "There's nothing wrong," he started, looking away from the Alpha.

"You can keep things to yourself if you wish, but I do have eyes and ears, son. I, too, hear the whispers and they bother me. I can talk to them," Kakashi started shaking his head even before the Alpha finished speaking. "Fine, I will keep it to myself, but Kakashi remember that you will become the next Alpha of this clan whether they like it or not and I'm sorry to say it really doesn't matter whether you like it or not."

The young wolf turned toward his Alpha, "It's not that I don't want to become Alpha, someday, but it might be better for Tsunade to follow you and then once they get used to this," Kakashi gestured toward his left eye where his sharingan was covered by his headband.

Sarutobi was already shaking his head, "You know I would do anything for you, Kakashi, but this is the one thing that is completely out of my powers. It is your destiny to become the next Alpha not Tsunade's her destiny lies elsewhere. And the people of this village will learn to appreciate you and your unique abilities. You are the future of this clan. It's best you learn that being a leader is not about making those below you happy, but about doing the best for as many of them as you can."

****Years later******

Kakashi left the old Alpha's room, closing the door quietly behind him. He wasn't sure why he bothered the Alpha had been dead for almost two hours so it wasn't like the sound would bother the old wolf anymore. The hallway had been full of wolves when Kakashi had first walked in, but now the only person waiting for him was Tsunade.

"They are all gathered outside," she said as she took his hand in hers. "They are waiting to hear from you. You are the new Alpha."

Kakashi nodded as he walked toward the front of the house. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the bright sunlight and looked around at the gathered clan. He closed his eyes and willed the tears away, he had just lost the only father he'd ever had and now he was supposed to secede him as leader. He pulled the headband off his head, opened his eyes so that all those around him could clearly see his sharingan before he threw his head back and howled. Only a few seconds later Tsuande's howl behind him joined his and several seconds after that the whole village joined them.

Genma and Raidou walked hand in hand through the forest searching for their new Alpha. "Are you sure he came into the forest?" Genma asked his mate.

Raidou nodded, "He's always walking into the forest by himself and even more so after the old Alpha died. I don't blame him, but he needs to be more a part of the clan if he expects the wolves to follow him into battle."

"Battle?"

"Yes, there's one coming. Can't you feel it?" At Genma's head shake, Raidou continued, "The vampires are organizing. Rumor has it that Orochimaru is calling back all his soldiers; even Sasuke."

They spotted their leader sitting underneath a tree ahead of them reading a book. "Are you sure about a battle, Raidou?" Kakashi asked without looking up from his reading material.

"Yes, Alpha," both men saw their old friend flinch at the use of the title, "our sources have seen vampires coming back from all over in the last couple of weeks."

"Why wasn't I told?"

Genma looked at his mate his eyebrow shooting up questioningly, "We wanted to make sure we were dealing with facts and not rumors before we bothered you with the information."

"We? Who exactly is we, Raidou?" Kakashi asked as he stood up.

"Tsunade and I, Alpha, it was decided that you had enough on your plate without having to worry about something that might not really be anything."

"But it is something, isn't it, Raidou?" Kakashi asked slowly as he walked up to the two men. "If you or Tsuande ever keep anything from me again, I will take it as a challenge to my authority. Is that understood?" Kakashi didn't wait for an answer before he walked away from the two men and further into the forest.

"Don't you think that was a bit over the top?" Asuma asked as he melted away from the trees and walked besides his friend and Alpha.

"Are you taking his side? Do you think he and Tsunade were right to keep something like this from me?"

"I didn't say that, Kakashi. All I'm saying is you were a bit harsh and both Raidou and Tsunade were only trying to keep you from worrying about something that might not be anything."

Kakashi stopped walking all of a sudden, his right eye glazed over as he looked out toward the endless forest. The sounds of the forest disappeared so did Asuma's voice next to him. Everything had faded away to nothing except for a sharp ache at the center of his chest. He felt the world around him tremble slightly and whispered, "He's here."