A/N: Sorry this is out later in the day. I try to post Thursday mornings but life occasionally gets in the way. This chapter and the next few chapters are difficult for me. Though they are difficult for different reasons. Please review if you like this so I can get an idea if I should be working on this or going on to one of my other fest fics.


Some time later, plan firmly established in his mind, Gai slipped into bed. For a while he just watched Kakashi sleep and in the peace and quiet Gai knew that he would do anything to protect Kakashi and their unborn offspring. Snuggling close, Gai whispered softly. "I would do anything to protect you both. Hopefully I can figure out what is chaining your mother and father to that house or what they are fighting. Until I do I have to keep you away. You have to be safe." Kissing Kakashi lightly on the forehead, Gai shifted on the bed again before falling into a troubled sleep.

Kakashi woke strangely early, he didn't want to get up, but he couldn't really sleep. So he decided, he would just get up and look for something delicious to eat. And sweet. However, once he was dressed, and standing in the kitchen, he quickly decided searching the house was too hard. Turning around he went back to the bedroom, and lightly pushed on Gai's shoulder, "Get up." he said softly, as he sat heavily on the bed beside the man.

"I'm going to go in town and meet Kurenai for lunch." he didn't bother to mention that these weren't plans, merely a random event he'd decided to use as an excuse to go in town. "Happens that I'm going right past Goro's place. If either of them is there, which I doubt because Goro is, as far as I know, still an active ANBU,, I want you there so I don't have to talk to them." The marriage to Gai, Kakashi realized, was a great way to buffer himself from people he didn't like, but Gai didn't mind.

Not interested in getting up yet, Gai rolled over and took Kakashi with him back into the bed. Snuggling softly, Gai grumbled, "Do I have to?" Snuggling under Kakashi's chin Gai nibbled softly at his neck with the barest hint of interest. Gai had quickly learned that Kakashi was slow in the mornings and if Gai acted quickly he could get some play time in before their day started.

When his mind finally got off his libido momentarily Gai realized that what Kakashi had said fit in with his plans for the day.

"I guess you don't have to," Kakashi muttered threading his fingers though Gai's hair, and forcefully tilting the other man's head back so he could look into his eyes, "It'd be nice Gai." he said letting go of the other mans hair.

Disentangling himself from Gai with some difficulty, Kakashi shook his head at the other man as he stood up. "I feel sick." he said slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'll be back this afternoon though," Kakashi offered, grinning under the mask, before shrugging casually, "So, we'll see then."

Kakashi knew the strangeness he felt inside had nothing to do with his pregnancy. It had to do with the visit to the house yesterday, "I have to stop by to see Tsunade-sama as well. You know, resign, and all that crap." he seemed agitated by this, but fell silent, waving slightly at Gai, "I'll see you later?" he asked.

"I'm up." Gai grumbled jumping out of bed. "I'm coming too damn it. Why didn't you say you weren't feeling well in the first place." Throwing on clothes Gai jumped to his next point. "You and I both know you aren't resigning. You are just being put on inactive duty." Going in the bathroom to splash his face with water Gai sighed dramatically. It looked like his day was going to be starting earlier than he planned.

Walking back into their bedroom Gai wrapped his arms around Kakashi and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before hustling into the kitchen. Grabbing a rice ball, Gai went back into the entryway and munched on his snack. He had a protein shake in a glass that he downed before calling to Kakashi, "Ready whenever you are."

Kakashi chuckled at Gai, "Actually." he said as he walked out to the front door, pausing to pull on his sandals, "I meant ANBU." he said grinning at Gai, "Not work." he didn't have to bother saying that if either of them were to resign, for whatever reason, it wouldn't be him.

Kakashi didn't say anything as they walked into town, but he thought of his mother. Though he didn't know why, and much to his surprise, he thought of his father.

As they approached Goro's house Kakashi scowled as he looked up at the window, "I'll see you later." he said patting Gai's arm softly, "When asking about Sakumo... tread lightly, Gai." Kakashi said as he patted Gai's arm gently, before raising his hand in a farewell, and walking away.

Just as Kakashi walked away the door to the house burst open and two teens, a couple years older than Lee took off down the street, almost running into Gai as they skidded around him. Kakashi paused to look back at Gai, shrugging, "Weird." he said pointedly.

"To each his own." Gai sighed. Straightening his shoulders, Gai sent out a flare of chakra to announce his presence before he began the onerous task of entering the home of Goro. Twenty minutes later found Gai sweaty and panting lightly as he flopped next to Goro.

"You must have something pressing on your mind to take the long way in." Goro's gravelly voice boomed as he quietly examined Gai. "Married life at least agrees with you. I know why you are here. You want the details. Things that I only told one man dead."

"Well if you already know why I am here..." Gai trailed off sitting up and regarding the other man quietly.

Goro moved away from Gai and sat across from him taking out a scroll and placing it in Gai's lap.

"When the boy I consider my son was put on your team I knew he would survive. Isn't it sad? You with your taijutsu would keep my son safe. Not depending on chakra should be a weakness but to you it is your greatest strength. Tell me Gai why exactly do you want to stir up the dead?"

As Gai relayed what he had experienced in the house Goro grew strangely still. Goro looked far into the distance his eyes almost opaque in their searching for something Gai could not see. Smoking on a pipe, Goro stood and walked a few paces around the room before sitting down.

"Those two died for nothing. It is still active and there." Goro exhaled smoke. Looking at Gai Goro went through hand signals. "When you wake up you will know all that I do about the events of the Hatake home. Take heart Gai, it is not a tale that many should ever know." Those words were all Gai heard before he lost consciousness and was sucked into the jutsu.


Kakashi hadn't expected his day with Kurenai to last so long, but it had rolled over past lunch into shopping trips. And then him walking her home, carrying all of her things for the baby she was expecting, that he shouldn't tell anyone about. He almost laughed, but quickly went on his way once she was finished with him.

He was surprised to see Hiro in town, and relieved that the other man ignored him (he made a mental note to tell Gai how... normal Hiro seemed now that he was out of ANBU. On a date and everything). Kakashi stopped to get a sweet on his way to Goro's expecting to find Gai there still, as Goro was quite the douche, in his opinion.

Once he got there, however, he was startled to find Gai out front. Unconscious. Kakashi sensed no chakra in the house, so he knew none of the Akitori's were home. Agitated he went to Gai and knelt beside him. Gai seemed to be in a sort of jutsu induced sleep. Releasing him from it, Kakashi hissed out 'Kai', mad that Goro had done this.

This was a nightmare. Gai fully realized the horrors that were war but this was madness on a completely different scale. The jutsu had taken him and put him in Goro's place. He watched the special brand of insane that appeared to be Kakashi's mother's specialty on the days leading up to her death. Goro knew why she disappeared and Gai now knew.

The night she had come back had been something so harrowing that Gai swore that when he could tell Kakashi what was happening he would leave out his mother's frantic conversation with Sakumo. He would also leave out the fact that Kakashi would have had a brother.

Blood, seemed to sprout from the walls themselves and for the first time the blackness entered the Hatake home. Speeding forward in time Gai sat in a tree outside watching as Sakumo did the only thing he could do to protect his son and his village. The lines of the seal work ran deep and faded as soon as Sakumo's life faded away. In the eyes of Goro, Gai could still see the ghost of Kakashi's mother standing on one side of the room until it was done. Sakumo appeared on the other side of the room and both could only watch Sakumo's body cool.

Goro had sat in the tree and done as he was bid until the very end. He watched and he knew. The seal that bound his tongue would kill him before anything else did but it was the least he could do for those he had considered his dearest friends.

Waking up with a start, Gai stared at Kakashi and heedless of who was watching hugged him close, tears in his eyes. Letting him go Gai shook his head and tried to figure out what to say to Kakashi if anything. Then Gai looked at the house and knew that Goro was gone.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, his voice flat, cold. Too ANBU to be considered Kakashi, and too Kakashi to be considered ANBU. "Did he hurt you?" Kakashi was evidently mad. He rarely showed his anger.

Goro, though strange, was one of the only people Kakashi had thought he could actually trust. And to believe he would do this to Gai... it was unfathomable. Kakashi took Gai's hand gently, as he stood up slowly, dragging Gai up to his feet.

'What did he tell you?' Kakashi tongue was burning to ask the question, but he knew he wouldn't. Couldn't. He couldn't let Gai know he was interested, couldn't let Gai know that his father, only one week before he'd taken his own life, had held his son to his chest, and promised never to leave him.

He couldn't let Gai know he'd always, deep inside, hoped it hadn't been his father's intentions to blatantly lie to him.

"Did you get what you wanted?" he tried to sound bored. But he still sounded angry, and he knew Gai would just be Gai. Too nice to care.

"Goro is dead." Gai staggered away from the house not even caring for the moment how he was going to explain that one. Never in his life had he ever been so conflicted. Trying to make sense of what was in his own mind, Gai shuffled into the nearest shop and sat down.

He knew he was going to have to fill out the paperwork but how do you explain something like this. What he'd felt. Then Gai realized why Goro was dead and felt his chakra lash out briefly before he reigned it in. The seal on his tongue had activated once he had put Gai in the jutsu. Putting his head on the table Gai yanked on his hair. Hearing the clink of china sitting on the table, Gai glanced over as the waitress put another cup down before making herself scarce. Gai could tell it was tea and for a time Gai held the cup to get warmth back into his fingers.

Gai's words startled him, Goro was dead? That was ridiculous. The man was resilient. Nothing killed him. He had been an ANBU since he was twenty years old, if that didn't kill him... what had? Kakashi sat with Gai after a moment, feeling awkward, and unsure of the situation.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked hesitantly, knowing full well Gai probably wouldn't tell him. Or perhaps he didn't know.

"His seal activated. He put me in a genjutsu to show me what happened. Goro knew he was going to die if he told but...he still..." Gai murmured running his hands over the enamel cup. "If you knew something about me that would change my life would you tell me?" Not sure what impulse prompted him to ask that particular question Gai sat up. He watched Kakashi's body language intently. Gai did not really want to go into his reasons for asking but it would never hurt to get a baseline answer.

Kakashi was caught off guard by Gai's question, which forced him to answer honestly, "I think," Kakashi said softly as he looked down, trying to figure out what Gai meant by 'his seal activated', "It would depend on how it would change your life."

He would likely, he realized for the first time, try to hide it from Gai if it would hurt him. How awkward friendship felt... or was this something else? Something stronger?

Kakashi pushed the thoughts away, and focused on Gai.

For once Kakashi had told him the unabashed truth and Gai sincerely wished that he had lied. Knowing that the odds of what he said being received well would be slim to none and even less likely that he would be believed Gai clasped his hands and thought hard. Looking up at Kakashi, Gai spoke calmly.

"I love you, Kakashi and one day you are going to need to remember that. There is something that I have to do but I will be home soon." Grasping Kakashi's hand briefly Gai dropped some money on the table before jutsuing off to alert the Hokage of certain events.

Kakashi scowled, Gai was acting strangely. Standing up slowly, confused, Kakashi began the long walk home, he passed Kaela on his way home, and almost stopped her, but thought better of it. Let her hear of her husbands death from someone else, Goro wasn't his cross to bare.

Kakashi made it home relatively quickly, and sat down with the dogs in a sunspot, noticing Pakkuns absence once again, he grew slightly irritated, but quickly settled it reading, drifting off within the hour.

When Gai came out of the Hokage's office, Gai felt like he wanted to be done for the day. Knowing that he wouldn't get any real relief until he went by the Hatake compound and took a quick look around Gai hustled over. Approaching the house, Gai felt the subtle sense of off as he reached the door. Going in Gai let his feet carry him to the different spots where he knew the tags keeping the darkness in the house were.

At each location Gai sent a little of his chakra in order to restore what damage had been done since the houses occupancy. Shifting around with his chakra Gai sensed a small animal in the same room where he could feel the darkness strongest. Intent on getting away before the darkness started looking for him, the sudden appearance of Sakumo made Gai blink.

Then there was a bark and Gai knew that he was going in the tea room whether he wanted to or not. Taking a deep breath and mentally bracing himself Gai shifted towards the doorway conscious of Sakumo watching him. Slowly Gai opened the door a bit to see what was causing the disturbance.

The house was strangely cold, colder than it had been the day before. Though the chill in the house couldn't really be explained as it was rather warm outside, as per usual. Pakkun had only come to the house because Gai's words had made him curious.

He didn't remember ever actually being there before, but he found himself there without really trying to find the place, and as odd as that was it was nothing compared to what he found when he went inside the house.

It was a nice house, he had to give Sakumo that. But as he stood in the living room, wishing he'd known ahead of time that the house was this cold, he heard a whimpering coming from the tea room. He approached the door cautiously and listened, he wasn't sure how long he'd stood there before he heard a deep howl come from the room.

The howl, Pakkun thought, seemed to come from the very depths of hell. But it didn't deter him. Though he knew the howl was one from a dog who'd passed away a long time ago, he scratched at the door until it slid open, and he could slide into the room.

It wasn't long before he noticed, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness around him, an astral wolf sitting beside the stain on the floor of the tearoom. Pakkun knew instantly that the stain was from Sakumo's blood. He sat silently, looking at the wolf, wishing it would tell him why it was here. Why this house was... haunted.

"What happened?" Pakkun asked the wolf, in her own language, but she laid on the floor, and cried, mourning the loss of Sakumo. After a moment Pakkun heard someone enter the house. He recognized the chakra as Gai's, he stayed where he was, until he heard Gai getting closer, rising to his feet he was about to move when the window slid open, and an ANBU leapt inside, Pakkun, startled he hadn't noticed them approaching, let out a bark, shocked to see the ANBU evaporate, as if he hadn't been there to begin with.

"Pakkun." Gai whispered and blinked at the wolf he could clearly see. "What are you doing here?" Sliding the door completely open, Gai kneeled and regarded the dog for a moment. Then looking at the wolf, Gai could only stare. When the wolf looked at him, Gai got the impression that he was being weighed for something important and with a swirl of leaves she was gone.

While he waited for Pakkun to respond, Gai began a search for the seals and realized that they likely couldn't be called without a signal of some sort. Slightly weary of trying to figure out what the trigger would be for the seals to show themselves Gai contemplated the deep blood stain on the floor.

In Goro's memories it had been much bigger but age seemed to have shrunken the stain. Shifting Gai resolved to look into the matter a bit more when he was home and least likely to be killed.

Pakkun slowly looked up at Gai, away from the spot where he'd seen the wolf only a moment before. What was Gai even doing here, he wondered as he slowly padded over to the man. "Why are you here?" he answered Gai's question with a question, though he fully intended to answer.

"I was bored." Pakkun lied as he sat in front of Gai, "Decided to come look around. See where Kakashi grew up." he spoke as if it were the most normal thing in the word to do. Though it was actually a little insane.

"Hhhhmmm," Gai hadn't expected to get a straight answer from Pakkun but for the moment he had bigger concerns. One of which was he was feeling that weird prickling sensation. Deciding that if what he thought may be the case was correct with the blood stain, Gai would at least have a witness to what had happened to him, Gai took bit his thumb and dribbled blood over a spot on the floor.

For a moment nothing happened and he seemed strangely disappointed. Shifting to stand, Gai turned to answer Pakkun's question but a gale of wind sent Gai crashing back off his feet flying into the wall. Gai saw the darkness take form and rush him. Then there were two white forms, one of them Gai could see was Kakashi's mother and Sakumo. Blood dripped into Gai's sight and he thought he heard Pakkun. As his vision faded Gai resolved to research more before leaping into something like this ever again. Then he blacked out.

Pakkun winced and lowered himself to the floor as the wind rushed in and hit Gai. Where had it come from, he wondered. He stayed low to the ground for several moments before crawling toward Gai, hesitantly, once he saw Gai was unconscious he wondered whether he should stay until the man awoke, or go for help.

Help seemed more logical, so hesitantly Pakkun turned and rushed out of the room, and out the front door. He didn't want to go get Kakashi, knowing full well the man was likely not feeling well, so he went to town, which lucky for him was only a couple of blocks away. After searching the crowd he finally found someone he knew, pausing by Hiro, who was leaving a restaurant, Pakkun bit his ankle.

Hiro flinched, almost kicking Pakkun away before he recognized him, gritting his teeth he squatted down and dragged the dog off of his leg, "What?" he hissed

"Gai needs your help." Pakkun growled, disliking Hiro as much, if not more than, Kakashi.

Hiro set the dog down, and though he hated the dog, he trusted it, "Show me." Hiro commanded, and followed Pakkun back to Sakumo's house. Hiro hesitated at the threshold, before forcing himself to follow the dog into the tea room.

Kneeling beside Gai Hiro slapped his cheek lightly, he didn't enjoy being in this room, and he had no idea why Gai was even in the house. "Gai?" he said softly giving the man a slight shake, not wanting to startle him.

Blinking his eyes slowly, Gai began to regain consciousness to see the image of Sakumo staring at him and pointing to a tanto. With a start Gai recalled that tanto was Kakashi's weapon and likely the key he needed but what...Coming awake with a start, Gai noticed Hiro and Pakkun. Then he saw the rapidly moving black mass.

Not thinking Gai performed a maneuver that sent Hiro into the ground and grabbed Pakkun as the room shook and seemed to rock.

"Let's get out of here." Gai felt his voice shake slightly and saw what he could only describe as claw's form out of the blackness. "Move." Swearing Gai tried to shift Pakkun and Hiro but the claw hit both and blood sprayed.

Hiro was startled to see claws in the darkness. Shadows. It made him think of his own ninjutsu. But he couldn't use his jutsu, he realized as he performed the signs to no avail. Was this how people felt when he came out of the shadows to kill them?

Hiro did a kip up as Gai gathered Pakkun under his arm, he might not have any sort of control over his chakra (and just why was that?) but if there was one thing he knew, it was that darkness didn't mix well with light.

Grabbing the window Hiro threw it open, and grabbed Gai's arm as light poured into the room, "Get out, now!" he said pushing Gai toward the window. Never before had he seen a cloud of darkness like this one.

And though he was fascinated with it, he knew it wasn't something he should toy with.

Throwing himself through the window with a slightly bleeding Pakkun under one arm, Gai turned around to see the darkness shifting out of the room.

Swearing furiously, Gai made sure Hiro was behind him and ran for it. When the very ground the ran on shifted and shook, Gai tried to use some chakra to stabilize himself but quickly realized his folly as the blackness shot towards him. The knowledge that while he had chakra he wouldn't be able to use it made Gai thankful for his taijutsu as he hustled to get away a thought striking him.

"That mass can sense chakra!" Feeling like he was learning too much at once and none of it was good, Gai hustled watching the shadows extend to try to get to him and Hiro.

Hiro scowled, surprised by Gai's observation. He was right, it, whatever it was, could. "I have a very simple suggestion," Hiro said as he ran alongside Gai, they had to get away. And the only way he'd ever been able to get away may not help Gai, but he knew it would help him.

"I don't think," Pakkun said casually, "The two of you are very well equipped to deal with this." he sounded mad, Hiro ignored him.

"Why don't you ask Kakashi about it?" Hiro suggested awkwardly, leaping up into a tree, and higher into the branches, motioning Gai to come with him, "Or to see the Hokage? Surely she'd be interested to know of this... whatever it is." Hiro called back over his shoulder, landing in a shadow, cast by a tree.

Hiro felt a strange wave of eagerness wash over him, almost as if he were being drawn to the evil of the house, and maybe, he mused, he was.

"I have an even better idea." Gai panted yanking Hiro out of the tree just as claws descended and chopped the top off the tree. "You stay out of the damn shadows and we may make it home." The last part was said just shy of bellowing as they ran harder. "We can have the who should be told conversation afterwards."

When they were almost at the gate Gai felt the pickup of darkness and an oppressive power coming up. Ducking his head, Gai managed to power through it and ended up on his ass outside of the gates. Realizing he had chakra again, Gai set up two sets of wards and sat down.

"Well that was informative." Putting his head down Gai sighed unhappily.

Hiro landed awkwardly beside Gai, up one knee, and panting he rested his elbow on his knee, and leaned down trying to steady his breathing. "What the hell was that?" Hiro asked after a moment, wondering why no one else had run from it.

"Why were we the only ones running?" he asked as he stood on shaky legs, the adrenaline pumping through his system, causing his hands to tremble as he wiped his palms against the tan vest he was wearing.

"...what were you doing there?" Hiro asked after a moment, raising his hands to smooth his hair back, holding the two thick braids that framed either side of his face, back. "I thought Kakashi had that place sealed up." Hiro commented as he let his hands drop, slipping them into his pockets, he eyed Gai strangely, almost as if he didn't trust the other man suddenly.

"Remember how I told you one day how ghosts are real and you said you would believe it when you saw it?" Gai winced slightly, knowing that the odds of him and Hiro remaining friends for the foreseeable future relied on his ability to explain something that he didn't understand completely himself.

"I got some information from Goro, your mentor earlier today before he passed away. "Initially I just wanted to explore a bit and figure out why I got this feeling of just...I don't know. Kakashi isn't keen on being around here and I could tell that whatever is in the house isn't normal so I came to look." Remembering the scroll Goro had given him, Gai handed it over. "Goro gave me this as well and I think it belongs to you. It explains some things and tells you about as much as I know."

Hiro physically flinched at the mention of his beloved mentor's passing, taking the scroll slowly, Hiro blanched, looking down at it he stood silently for a moment. "Goro senpai is dead?" he asked in a strangely monotone voice.

That didn't seem right.

Hiro had never expected to live to see his mentor die. He'd known the idea of immortality was completely preposterous, but just the thought of Goro dying before him... That was wrong.

'He didn't die before you, Hiroki' Hiro thought as he turned the scroll over in his hands slowly, 'You died a long time ago.'

"What the hell." Hiro snapped as he tightened his fingers around the scroll, "What happened? Was he sick?" Hiro furrowed his brow as he looked up at Gai, he realized it would sound strange, being the closest to the man and not knowing of his health.

"No." Gai wanted to hide but he owed Hiro the truth. "Goro had been protecting a secret and had been sealed to never reveal the information but he had it in that scroll and a jutsu he used for the purpose of telling the tale. Whatever that darkness is it attacked the Hatakes and they managed to keep it confined. Goro knew the whole story but not how to fix it." Rubbing his head and smearing the blood Gai looked at it and watched a cut on the side of his finger welled up in the crevice between his fingers before dripping through.

Imagining the blood stain, Gai realized that death was the only way to keep whatever it was at bay. Blood was essential for sealing. Whatever this darkness was it could only be sealed by blood and it seemed to simultaneously feed on it. Too tired to figure out those ramifications, Gai let his head lull for a moment, he was too exhausted all of sudden to move.

"So," Hiro so at length, as he looked down at the scroll again, trembling again, but out of anger this time, "Let me try to understand this," he said as he slowly slid the scroll into his back pouch, "The man I considered a father died to help you do something for... Kakashi?" Hiro hadn't expected to feel this tightness in his chest. Hadn't expected to feel as if he couldn't breathe. Hadn't expected his eyes to burn with tears he couldn't, wouldn't, shed. "For Kakashi." he repeated, as if in disbelief.

"I can't believe this." Hiro muttered, as he rubbed his eyes. The same man who wouldn't even be bothered to come to his graduation, the same man who didn't come to his celebratory dinner when he'd made Jounin, the same man who hadn't spared him a second look when he'd announced he'd made ANBU...

Had died to protect, and help, Hatake Kakashi.

Hiro was embarrassed to realize he'd started crying, lifting a trembling hand Hiro wiped his eyes, forcing a laugh, "I'm so embarrassed." he admitted as he drew his hand back and looked at the damp spot on his gloves.

He didn't understand why he was crying over a man who hadn't cared if he lived or died. A man he hadn't cared for (it was harder to admit to himself, now that Goro was dead, that he'd loved his that man like a father this whole time).

"I would be a fool to think it was for Kakashi. Goro did it for Sakumo." Shifting closer to Hiro, Gai was careful not to touch him but to offer the closeness if Hiro wanted it. "Remember how Goro was great friends with Sakumo? Well..." Drifting off Gai tried to figure out how to explain it. "Sakumo has been trapped in the compound this whole time with whomever or whatever that darkness is. Do you know that Goro could only watch his cell mate and best friend die?"

Shaking his head, Gai continued, "This is bigger than Kakashi. Whatever tried to be awakened in the village years ago was trapped in the Hatake compound and your mentor spent years trying to stop it from spreading. I know he wasn't the greatest person but...he was...a good man."

Hiro clenched his fists as Gai came closer, "Goro," Hiro stopped himself from continuing. He couldn't say anything he might regret. Anything that might come back on him.

"...Of course he did it for Sakumo." Hiro finally said as he folded his arms over his chest, closing his eyes, and inhaling deeply to calm himself. "I'll help you, Gai." Hiro said after a moments hesitation, "I'll help you figure out what's going on there."

Hiro raised his hand again to wipe his eyes, "I bet," he said looking at Gai, "That thing is just after the Hatakes." he said huffily, 'Or Kakashi,' he thought. "So maybe if you find Kakashi's family records... we can figure out which family member did it. And probably how to stop it."

Hiro wasn't sure if Gai knew of it, but he remembered when the Hatake's had a clan. A clan that had been wiped out in the last war. He'd only been to the compound once as a child, only a year old, he wasn't even sure how he could remember it (but he assumed it had something to do with all of the comments his father had received about his strange blue eyes.).

"I would appreciate all the help I can get. If it had just been after the Hatakes..." Gai trailed off and pointed at where Hiro's vest had been shredded. "It wouldn't have come after you. Whatever that thing is is bad news. Really bad and if possible I would rather not have this become common knowledge. As it stands you can see ghosts now because of this and I imagine it will take some getting use to." Rubbing the bridge of his nose and realizing that he was still bleeding, Gai wrapped bandages around his head before looking down at Pakkun.

"Are you going to tell Kakashi?" Gai asked sternly.

Hiro sighed, wondering if that was true, "Might just be hungry." he commented, thinking about it. "It might just need some blood..." Hiro paused shaking his head,

Pakkun looked up at Gai lazily, obviously bored with Hiro and Gai's conversation, "Of course I will." He answered honestly, not understanding how Gai could have thought he wouldn't.

"I'll..." Hiro didn't know what to say. 'See you later' sounded so stupid. He knew he wouldn't see Gai later, and Gai knew that too. "Uh, I'll send you information on the funeral service." Hiro said awkwardly, knowing full well it would be one of the smallest funeral services for an ANBU member of Goro's caliber.

"Meanwhile," Hiro added rubbing his eyes awkwardly, "I'll look into the information on that house. Might be something there to help us."

"I appreciate your assistance." Gai bowed to Hiro before regarding Pakkun with a sigh. "Tell him if you want but if any harm comes to him or my child, I'll make sure it isn't possible to summon you or your brethren if it is the last thing I do." Feeling more deadly intent towards the small dog then he had felt towards most marks, Gai jutsued away. He fully intended to stay away from Kakashi if only to keep the other man from finding out more than Gai was ready to tell.

Hiro waited until Gai was gone, and wouldn't see or hear him, before he let out a cry of anger, and whirled around, focusing his strength he drew back his fist an hit the tree in front of him as hard as he could, he hit it several more times before sinking to his knees, clutching his left hand to his chest, he could tell he'd broken a bone, but he didn't care about that.

Hiro laughed breathlessly before shifting forward into the shadows. He had to see his mother, now.

Pakkun looked up at Gai blankly, knowing full well there was nothing he could do to erase the dog summoning from existence, wiggling free of Gai's grasp Pakkun hit the floor, and started scurrying off, calling to Kakashi as he ran off, hoping Gai didn't chase him.

Going to a bolt hole that he rarely used anymore Gai cleaned himself up and took out the mask that had made him infamous. Shifting it onto his face he went to the one person he knew he would have to tell no matter what. Explaining to Ibiki the entire tale had been difficult at best but when he was done he was given leave to go to the place of Kakashi's mother's last mission and see what he could find out. The years had passed but Gai felt in his bones that something was still there for him to find.

Between Ibiki and the Hokage they managed to seal the Hatake compound up tighter than before and Gai left for his mission with one thing firmly in mind. He would protect his family no matter what it took.

Kakashi had been annoyed when he learned that Gai had left for a mission he himself had no idea Gai'd had on the back burner. Something about the information he'd been given made his head spin, but he tried not to think too much of it.

Instead he spent his time fishing, purely out of boredom (always releasing the fish), and visiting the memorial stone (when he wasn't eating).

And when he got an invitation to attend Goro's funeral, he hesitated, before finally decided to go in Gai's stead. He saw Hiro, but they didn't talk. After the service he wandered through the grave yard until he found the grave marker, that marked an empty grave. And beside it a grave that bore a simple stone, with the words 'Hatake Sakumo, Konohagakure's White Fang' carved into it.

But Kakashi knew better. It wasn't White Fang in that grave. It was Sakumo.


The next few chapters are going to be hard on me because I have to do some reconstructing of things and I would like a beta if anyone has the time to help whip this bad boy into shape.