Yay! A new chapter! Appologies for such a long wait but school drove me crazy and I couldn't write. But now I can! Enjoy.

Chapter 4 Alone

"Trust me Uncle Kashi. This color is perfect for you"

"Uhh Inoko? I don't think-"

"No Daddy. She's right. This is definitely your color." Hoshi grabbed one of her father's ungloved hands and sat him on her bed while Inoko opened the bottle of Perfectly Pink Nail Polish. This is what he gets for checking in on them during a sleepover.

Sure, it was raining and yeah, Inoko was doing a great job distracting Hoshi from that fact but, being a good father and all he thought it was important to see how they were doing. Of course it was just his luck that he should show up bringing popcorn for the pair the moment they finished painting each others' nails. Of course they would decide that he had probably never had a manicure in his life and it was now or never. And, of course being the good father that he was, he consented to let the girls paint his nails pink.

Pink. That color still conjured up small pangs in his heart.

"There. See Uncle Kashi? You look wonderful now!" Inoko and Hoshi beamed up at him.

"They're right Kakashi." Pakkun, lying on Hoshi's pillow, snickered at him. "Pink really is your color." Kakashi glared at him halfheartedly with his open eye before turning to the girls.

"Thank you ladies. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do." Kakashi thought of the boring reports he had to write as he made a hasty exit out the door. He rarely accepted high ranked missions now since he had Hoshi to look after. Border patrol kept the income coming but it sure wasn't anything like writhing about an infiltration or assassination. At least it wasn't gate duty.

The jonin flopped onto the couch beside Raiden whose nose was stuck in a book and stared unhappily at the papers littering the coffee table in front of him. How he wished he could whip out his favorite book from his favorite series and disappear into a fantasy world like the boy beside him, but no, this was not to be. His job right now was to write up a report about how the squirrel population had exploded. It was ridiculous how many he seemed to almost trip over in one day doing their little 'I don't know which way I want to go' dance. With a sigh, he rubbed his forehead to rid himself of the tickling sensation of his bangs brushing against his skin and set to work.

A knock at the door set the dogs barking and snapped Kakashi and Raiden out of their own worlds. Getting up, Kakashi prepared himself for who was most likely a green jumpsuit clad man ready to bet he could splash in the most puddles, and shushed his dogs. But there wasn't a green jumpsuit clad man smiling widely at him. It was a chunnin, soaking wet and doubled over panting to regain his breath.

"You're wanted pant, pant at the hospital pant, pant right away pant, pant. It's urgent pant pant. And pant, pant bring him pant, pant."

Kakashi turned to look at Raiden who was glancing evenly from the drenched chunnin to the silver hared man himself. "We'll be right there," he stated and shut the door.

Raiden watched as the older man strode swiftly out the room, his usual slouch gone and lazy eye focused.

"Hoshi, Inoko, Raiden and I will be right back. The dogs are here if you need anything," Kakashi said as he poked his head in Hoshi's room. The girls voiced their okays but hardly paid attention to him as they had pinned Pakkun down and were attempting to paint his nails blue. Kakashi barely had time to grin at this before he was slipping on his headband, gloves, and vest. Swinging by the closet at the end of the hallway, he grabbed his poncho and Hoshi's to give to Raiden and towed the boy out the door.

Outside, the heavens had opened up and torrents of rain were pouring down from above. Their pants legs were drenched in three seconds flat and the massive puddles were no help, but Kakashi kept up a steady pace causing Raiden to jog to keep up with him.

In the deserted hospital lobby, the secretary on duty glanced up and reached immediately for a card Her face had pity written all over it and Kakashi dreaded what they would find upstairs. The jonin swiped the card from her hands and steered Raiden down the hall. His steps were slower now but still brisk.

Raiden shifted nervously in the large, empty elevator. It was too late to visit his mother; she should be sleeping. Why were they going now?

When the doors slid open and Kakashi stepped out, he slowed his pace even further. Raiden suddenly felt queasy and his hands shook slightly. He stuffed them in his pockets. His mother would not see him like this. She would only see his bravery.

When Kakashi strode past his mother's door without pausing, Raiden knew something was up. They had moved her. That wasn't good was it? He had never been in a hospital before but they wouldn't change someone's room just to give them a change of scenery would they? The stark white walls now seemed to be closing in on him as he moved past the familiar door and the queasiness grew worse.

Kakashi pushed through the two thick double doors at the end of the hallway but Raiden paused. Looking up at the sign, he read CRITICAL CONDITION. The boy swallowed, took a deep breath trying to stop the shaking that had snuck up on him and followed Kakashi through the doors. The silver haired man was waiting for Raiden down the hall. As soon as the boy caught up, Kakashi glanced down at him to find him staring determinately ahead. Taking a deep silent breath of his own, he swiped the card and opened the door.

"Kakashi, thank Kami you're here." Shizune was standing beside the hospital bed, sleeves rolled up and hands hovering over the woman's chest. Green chakra radiated from them glowing around the bite marks scaring her pale skin. She immediately stopped as she heard Raiden cry out.

"Mommy!" All resolve to be brave flew out the window as he saw his mother. Her skin was so sallow and colorless, almost translucent. Her arms resting on top of the blanket had kanji written up and down them, the red contrasting sharply with the pale white of her skin. Her labored breaths were short and shallow and sweat glistened on her forehead.

Kakashi could only watch as the little boy, choking back a sob, ran over to the bed and through his tears, gingerly pick up the woman's hand holding it close to his face.

"Don't cry baby, don't cry," was all Kakashi heard before he was thrown suddenly and viciously back two years.

Kakashi was walking purposefully through the doors to the hospital, happy to leave the rain behind and knowing the little bundle in his arms was too. The bundle squirmed and a small silver head looked up at him.

"We're going to see Mommy right? A'cause Mommy works at the hospital." Her small voice wavered, and clear green eyes stared uncertainly up at him.

"That's right kiddo. We're gonna go see her right now." Hoshi nodded but didn't take her eyes off of him as he shook out his umbrella and left it by the door….

The woman at the desk looked up "Kakashi-san. Oh, I'm so sorry. I heard what happened and-"

He silenced her with a shake of his head and a glance at his daughter. Her eyes opened wide she nodded unhappily. Hoshi didn't know yet….

He was striding purposefully down a sparsely populated hallway. A few doctors and several nurses nodded, or waved, or called out a greeting to him and his daughter, some with sad faces, some almost crying. He nodded or waved or called back but he didn't stop. There was no time to talk….

The elevator had not been an option and he walked right past it. He couldn't stop moving. If he did, the terror he locked away would catch up to him, over take him, devour him. Not in front of Hoshi, not in front of his daughter….

The stairs were empty and the he took them one step at a time. He heard Hoshi counting them out loud. Her little girl voice echoed in the empty space around them mixing with the sound of the rain from outside. "One, two, three, four… ten, eleven, twelve… What comes next Daddy?"

"Thirteen," he said and helped her count the rest, glad for any sort of distraction. "Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen" …

He was back in the hallway now and there were doors on either side of him and her door was getting closer. His heart beat was loud in his ears and knew what he would find when he went through the door that was now in front of him. Sakura, bandaged and broken and tired and… He couldn't think anymore, couldn't take it. He hugged the little girl in his arms tightly and kissed her head while she squirmed uncomfortably. Then, after a deep, shaky breath, his gloved hands pushed the door open and he walked in.

A sudden jolt twisted his vision and Hoshi was no longer the small child cringing in her father's arms. Now it was Kakashi himself carried in the arms of his father into the room his mother would ultimately breathe her last breath in, leaving him forever. These visions were fewer now and fuzzy. Dusty from years in the farthest corners of his mind but still haunting.

"…Kakashi. Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Shizune. What were you saying?" Shizune gave him a look but kept talking. "One of our interns will take Raiden downstairs." Kakashi watched as a young woman of about sixteen escorted a tearful Raiden out the door and Tsunade walked in as soon as they left. "And I can debrief you on her situation."

Kakashi blinked. It was going to be a long night.

"You what?"

...................................

"I lost him"

'Damn interns.' Kakashi thought as his grey glared down at the young woman sputtering an apology at him. He had left the dying woman and made his way downstairs to the waiting room to find Raiden gone and the intern smiling widely at a young man with his arm in a sling. Of all the things that could go wrong tonight she just had to lose Raiden.

"You were flirting with that patent when you should have been watch-" A puff of smoke appeared suddenly at his feet cutting off his accusation and startling the guilty young woman causing her to jump back.

"Hey," Pakkun's voice floated through the dissipating smoke. In seconds he was completely visible. "Raiden just showed up. Smells like trouble." Kakashi didn't know who was more relieved, himself or the intern who was trying to sneak away now that angry jonin was distracted.

"I'm sorry Hatake-san." One of the nurses at the desk had hurried up to them when she saw Pakkun appear. "We don't allow animals in here."

"We were just leaving." Kakashi nodded to the woman who went back to her desk but she didn't take her eyes off of them. He turned back to the intern. "Your supervisor will be hearing about this." She cringed, having hoped to get away with her mistake.

"Yes Hatake-san." The last Kakashi saw of her before he disappeared was her head hanging low in defeat.

Kakashi reappeared seconds later in front of the door to his apartment and immediately reached for his keys but stopped. The door was open. Raiden stood a few feet away, his back turned towards the jonin in the open door. Hoshi stood in front of the boy facing him and Inoko was peering out from around the corner of the hallway slightly behind Hoshi.

"You don't understand!" Raiden screamed. A sob broke out of his chest. "My mother is gone and there's nothing you can do about it. Just leave me alone!" He shoved his arms away from his body and into Hoshi's chest and she fell back hard. Hurt and confusion filled her eyes along with shimmering tears. Inoko, whose hands had flown to her mouth, rushed to help her friend up, a reprimand on the tip of her tongue and the dogs in the apartment stood, hackles raised, about to let a snarl rip but Kakashi beat them all to it.

"Raiden!" Everyone froze at the loud angry voice and Raiden spun around to see Kakashi, taller than he had ever been before and giving a look in his only visible, cold, hard, grey eye, a glaring death look. It was all too much for the boy and he ran sobbing past the scary man and out the door.

Kakashi went over to his daughter, fuming as he pushed through the crowd of dogs. Some boy had touched his precious daughter, his little girl, his shining star, and that boy was going to pay.

"Look at me Hoshi. Did he hurt you?" His daughter shook her head. Her green eyes shown with her unshed tears.

"Daddy," she whispered. "His mommy's gone. Just like mine." And the tears spilled over as she clung to her father's jonin vest.

The anger leaked out of him at her words. The boy had caused her pain and all she could think of was his pain. His selfless young daughter was becoming more her mother every day. Now he was just tired. Hoshi wrapped her arms around his neck and he stood and carried her to his room. One of the dogs brought in her scarecrow doll and Bull, the large bulldog, took his place on the bed. Once Hoshi was reluctantly transferred to the bed with the dogs, Kakashi turned to Inoko who had followed them.

"Sorry honey," Kakashi said to her, noting her tear filled eyes. "Sleepover's over." The blond girl nodded and sniffled a bit then took his hand and they walked down the short hallway and out the door.

Thankfully it had stopped raining and dozens of frogs could be heard croaking as they checked out the new puddles. Kakashi and Inoko traveled in silence but as they approached her house, Inoko spoke up.

"Uncle Kashi? What will happen to Raiden?"

"I'm not so sure," he answered slowly, then mostly to himself he said, "One step at a time. First we get you home safely."

A disheveled Sai opened the door in his boxers. His normally neat hair was mused and his pale face pink.

"Kakashi? What happened?" Now that he was better with emotions, he looked genuinely concerned. Inoko let go of Kakashi's hands and ran into her father's arms.

"I'm sorry I had to bring her back. We've got a little situation going on. Nothing to really worry about."

Sai studied him. "Ino's not going to be very happy."

"I know, I'm sorry I'll –"

"Sai, honey, who is it?" Ino's impatient voice called out and she appeared behind Sai clutching at her bathrobe. Her face was as red as her husband's and her long blond hair twice as tangled "Kakashi? What the-"

"I'm very sorry Ino. I'll have to explain later. I have to go." And with that he made a hasty retreat.

Back on the street, Kakashi summoned a dog and with just a glance from his master, the dog howled long and loud. After a few seconds, another howl answered, shorter but just as powerful. Together, Kakashi and his companion took off down the dark, wet streets.

..............................

Wet, confused, miserable, and exhausted, Raiden slowed his steps and looked around, trying to get his bearings. It was no use. He had no idea where he was or how to get back to Kakashi-san and Hoshi's place. Not that he could go back.

He sat on a bench under an awning in front of a tea shop. The awning had kept the bench dry and for that, he was thankful. The only sound in the quiet night was his own ragged breathing as he gasped for breath. The silence only served as a reminder to how absolutely alone he was. His mother was gone and he made the only other person he knew mad by shoving the man's daughter. He couldn't go back now. He didn't mean it though. He didn't mean to be mean to Hoshimi. It was just that, she couldn't understand how he just wanted to be alone. But now that he was alone, he didn't want to be anymore. Kakashi-san hated him now and by tomorrow, everyone would know what he had done. It would be just like back home. Hokage-sama would probably send someone after him, like the bad men that had come after him and his mother before they came here, except this time his mother wasn't with him. There was no one on his side. He was alone. The thought made him quiver.

A long howl from the distance made him start and the quivers turned to full blown shivers. Almost immediately after, a barking howl, much closer to him made him cry out and he slipped off the bench and into the corner between the bench and the shop wall. A doglike figure skirted the light from the lamp and crossed the street towards him silent and stealthy like a shadow. Raiden watched petrified. They were looking for him already. He curled himself into a ball and hid his face in his hands. Maybe the dog wouldn't see him. Maybe it would just walk by.

A wet probing nudge made Raiden cringe and he tried not to scream. But a warm tongue flickered across his hands and the boy peaked through them to see a white dog with black fuzz on its head and a long tongue hanging out of its widely smiling mouth. The dog licked him again and forgetting who was after him, Raiden wrapped his arms around the animal whimpering and sniffling and glad for another body to keep him from being alone.

After a while, the dog let out a rough bark and stood up, wagging his tail slowly. Raiden looked up to see a single man walking towards him, another dog at his heals.

"I found him boss. I kept him safe for you." The dog was clearly pleased with himself.

"Good boy." Kakashi gave him a pat and the dog went to stand with his pack mate.

"I-I-I'm sorry," Raiden managed to get out once he recognized the man. "I didn't mean to – to… please don't hurt me." And he stopped, unable to continue.

Kakashi crouched down to the boy's level. "Why would I do that?" His voice was gentle and patent now, not the angry voice Raiden had heard earlier.

"Because I pushed Hoshimi… and you were really mad and… and… that's what those other men did." Raiden was looking down at his hands but he felt his face pulled up and he was staring into Kakashi's gaurded, dark grey eye.

"No one here is going to hurt you. I promise." The man smiled. "Now let's get back to Hoshi. I think she's missing us right about now."

Raiden nodded and choked back a sob that was working its way out and quiet unexpectedly, Kakashi reached out and hugged him. Raiden couldn't help himself. He cried. He wasn't alone anymore. Kakashi stood up, taking the boy with him and set off towards his apartment, the two dogs flanking him and Raiden crying softly into his shoulder.

Back at home, Kakashi set Raiden down and sent him into the bathroom with a fresh towel to clean up. After he heard the water running, he quietly opened the door to his room and peaked in on Hoshi. She sat up immediately and thankfully, there were no traces of tears.

"Is Raiden okay?" was the first thing out of her mouth. "Is he here? Did you find him?"

"He's okay," Kakashi answered. "He's in the bathroom now." Hoshi nodded and climbed into her father's lap as he sat on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, stroking her silver hair. She leaned against his chest and fiddled quietly with her necklace.

"Daddy?" Hoshi's voice broke the silence.

"Hum?"

"What's going to happen to Raiden?"

"I don't know yet sweetheart."

"Can he stay here?" Kakashi looked down at his daughter with surprise. Her clear green eyes stared up at him.

"You want him to stay here?"

"Yes. He doesn't have anywhere else to go."

"We'll see," he said. They sat in silence until Kakashi heard the water shut off in the bathroom and not long after, Raiden appeared in the doorway. His dark red hair was damp and his eyes looked down toward his feet.

"Um, Hoshimi," he started and fidgeted a little. His voice was low but Hoshi turned to face him anyway. "I'm sorry I was so mean to you. Will you forgive me?" His eyes looked up at last, dark and uncertain, lonely and pleading. Kakashi could sympathize. The boy was alone in the world and he was reaching out, groping in the darkness, searching for a light.

Hoshi stirred and Kakashi released her. She went up to Raiden and grasped his hand.

"I forgive you," her voice was solemn. "Daddy says you can stay with us, right Daddy?" She turned her eyes on him and Kakashi looked from her to Raiden who was staring at him now, still pleading with is dark eyes.

"That's right," and he give the pair a small smile. A look of relief graced Raiden's features and Kakashi couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of relief also. Everyone was back home, safe and sound… well, almost sound.

Hoshi lead Raiden to the bed and he waited for her to get up and look at him expectantly before hesitantly following.

Kakashi got up to change, pulling off his damp clothes and leaving them in a pile on the floor, not bothering to pick them up. He felt too tired. Then he donned on something more comfortable and dry. By the time he was done, the two children had fallen asleep, their hands clasped together on the pillow they shared. Kakashi joined them, making Hoshi in the middle and was out as soon as his eyes were closed.