A/N: So here's the new chapter! To be honest, I finished it some time ago but I was still fine-tuning the last part and had been deleting an rewriting a lot of what was originally already finished. Hence the delay for which I am terribly sorry after raising your hopes – hopefully the extra long update compensates a little for my poor scheduling!

My tardiness aside – thanks to all those who favor and follow, you really lift my mood and I think I never would have gotten this far without you!

A special thanks goes to Be-Mindful who has been a great help as my beta. Once things have calmed down and you're not as busy, I would feel really honored if you'd agree to edit again – this chapter I dedicate to you! I can't say how much I appreciate your support :)

So please overlook any mistakes, typos or curious phrases... Please enjoy!

Music: While writing the last part I was listening to "The Present In The Past (Blossom Remix)" by Nik Laker.

- Chapter 10 -

A new Ally

How to create perfect chaos?

Well, first take a four year old girl who's unfamiliar with animals; then add a bowl of dog treats and dash them together with a pack of ninken who have been neglected by their summoner for almost two months — hence pots of pent-up energy.

With the given ingredients all kinds of scenarios were possible. Especially when there were so many unknown variables that could spice things up...

From his position on the patio behind the house, the summoner in question caught himself just standing and staring at the outcome of the first meeting between his ward and the ninja hounds.

Whatever Kakashi had expected… this was so very far from it.

Giggles.

A fit of bubbly, carefree, squeaky, little giggles.

How this could fit the picture of the screaming child from just mere seconds ago demanded for a solution that none of the scenarios in Kakashi's head could possibly provide. At some point the aloof copy ninja had stopped counting just how many times his ward had managed to surprise him.

'Mocking my worries' the jonin thought wryly, allowing one corner of his mouth to turn up as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him.

Buried in the greenish sea of swaying grass struggled the source of the happy cackling.

Apparently the ninken had chased Fuu through the thickets of the once well-kept garden before cornering her in front of the elevated patio. Now, with sticks and leaves in the curly mess of her hair, Fuu put up a futile struggle to avoid the curious muzzles of the ninja hounds.

"I real-hihi-ly don't have more of -" yet a wet tongue quickly smeared the rest of the words across her face, adding more style to the strands of hair which were already sticking up in every possible direction.

Maybe it was the fading aftereffects of the shock but for the very first time since Kakashi had met the girl, Fuu seemed so very alive. No shyness nor any hint of that almost intimidating politeness; not even the slightest bit of restraint. Just a free little spirit with eyes, green and bright, shining in contrast to her unruly dark mane.

"I have no mo-ooore! Pleashh-" Fuu's flailing hands tried to push away the giant head of Bull who added some more glistening slobber to the other side of her face.

Though the girl looked quite troubled for a moment, the others nuzzled her sides until she dissolved into helpless giggles once again. The eyes of the canines were sparkling with joy while they jumped around her, challenging the child with the determination and energy of puppies.

Even Urushi, who would usually gruffly decline to join such activities, was participating — although he and Akino always tried to calm the others before they could get too carried away.

"Judging by the sounds of it, I imagined the girl to be eaten alive… well, I guess it's not that far from it" Asuma noted nonchalantly as he stepped next to Kakashi, flipping his cigarette package open.

After the Sarutobi had finally given in to his curiosity by following Kakashi to the backyard, even he could not help but marvel at the sight in front of him.

"Yo boss!"

A surprisingly smug Pakkun jumped in front of his master's feet, completely oblivious to the sudden knot forming between Kakashi's brows. Not that he had ever payed much attention to human facial expressions — usually he simply took a sniff to determine the mood of the silver furred.

"What's up?" Pakkun inquired, sitting himself down in front of Kakashi's feet with a content grumble, "You're making the exact same face like the time you've eaten a cookie from that spandex wearing two-leg."

Since the usually grumpy pug was rather content after frolicking around, he thought himself to be generous enough to listen to his master's human problems.

Asuma, however, who had just lit up his cigarette, snorted openly with laughter, breathing the smoke out through his nose, "Gai's cookies? Sounds devastating."

"Actually… I am pretty sure that the jar must be still somewhere in the kitchen" Kakashi wondered aloud; his implicit offer sure to squeeze any hint of amusement out of Asuma's face until he looked like he had taken a bite from a lemon.

Pakkun on the other hand finally caught up on the mood of his summoner, eying him almost accusingly, "My, someone's on edge."

"My, I wonder?"

The rhetorical origin of this question was completely disregarded by the small canine despite Kakashi having cheerfully drawn out those three words.

"Don't ask me. You're the one with a foul mood" Pakkun reasoned scratching himself behind the ear with his hind leg, annoyed that this nice afternoon was so easily ruined. "And here I thought we've done a decent job in keeping the pub entertained. You always have something to bicker about."

"The pup?"

"Yeah... the p—u—p" Pakkun repeated himself loud and clear, sounding like he was talking to someone retarded.

Of course his master showed his appreciation to this little touch by raising one silver brow in a silent warning.

Yet again ignoring the subtle message, Pakkun added, "Well, I don't see you producing any pups on your own with that attitude of yours, so for now we've got this young one to play with. Not our fault that you're unable to find a halfway decent female and let me tell you, it's been sooome time since I last smelled one on you!"

Kakashi's sole eye rewarded the insolent pug with a nicely measured death glare while he tried to ignore Asuma's coughing fit.

Pakkun had always been annoyingly hard to silence. This however was above the normal level of testing his boundaries and the summoner's anger mixed with a pang of guilt. He had not only shunned his human comrades — time had passed so quickly that he had even pushed his four-footed team to the edge of his conscious. On missions the silver haired shinobi had been relying mostly on himself.

Despite the sinking feeling in his stomach, Kakashi was still capable of glaring down at the ninken, who in return showed his well rehearsed version of a gloating human grin. He was quite used to the silent treatment and knew that this would only tick his master off even further.

"Fuu is not your playmate. Though if you're that desperate for someone to entertain you, Pakkun, I'll gladly place a permanent cat-henge on you to have you swap places with that unfortunate creature of Madam Shijimi that goes by the name Tora. I am sure you'll enjoy the smothering affections. Especially once I've personally made sure that you wouldn't be able to escape."

"You're bluffing" the pug interjected strongly, his eyes as big as saucers — no pet deserved more pity than the newest addition to the household of the Fire Daimyo's wife.

"Try me."

The halfhearted gnarl was enough for Kakashi to know that he had at least a minute's rest before the small ninken would start nagging again.

"So, you might as well tell me, Pakkun, who's the brain behind this" Kakashi offered while pointing at the wild bunch jumping around and about.

"Well, it's very important to introduce her to the pack" the pug explained, this time catching the reprimanding intonation in time to avoid boasting that this indeed had been his own idea.

"And you thought attacking her the second she exits the house is the proper way to achieve this?"

"You're such a spoilsport, boss! I am positive that the pup's enjoying this. Being with you all the time can be deadly boring so she could surely use some cheering up!"

Kakashi's narrowed eye clashed with stubborn pout of the pug, before both of them shifted their attention to the little girl who still alternated between giggling and muffled pleas to please let her go.

Of course Pakkun disregarded the last bit in his analyses of the situation.

"She's making this somewhat melodic choking human sounds that indicate that she's happy" the small ninken produced proudly, pleased with himself to remember such a detail of this weird behavior. "I think you called it giggling once, describes that odd gurgling just fine, I believe."

"Do you want to experience some odd gurgling yourself by any chance?"

To this the pug coughed slightly, almost as if dismissing his master's attitude as some strange whim. Trying to make his grumpy voice sound reasonable enough, he placed one paw on top of the silver furred's foot for good measure, "Don't get your bra in a twist, Boss."

"…"

"Yeah, Hatake! Don't get your bra in a — oww!" Asuma's attempt to lighten up the mood was immediately rewarded with a well-aimed punch against his shoulder. Though the bruise was an acceptable prize for being able to know how to wind Kakashi up on future occasions. Oh, this was gold! If he'd known that visiting the Hatake household could be this entertaining…

However the Sarutobi's intervention allowed Pakkun to catch up with the situation at hand.

"Oh right! Bras are those things your human females wear beneath their top layer of compensational fur! I bet that's why you're in such a foul mood 'cause it's been a long time since you last got your hands on one of those-" before Pakkun could finish, Kakashi interrupted him by perching down in front him — close enough to smother the pug with his anger — all this while keeping a completely unimpressed face, "Alright, Pakkun! A cat-henge it is."

Before even closing his mouth, the pug disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a reasonable amount of unresolved tension. While Kakashi managed to hide his disgruntled temper neatly behind his unfazed expression, Asuma was shaking uncontrollably to keep his boisterous laughter at bay.

Accepting with a sigh that the bearded shinobi would need some time, and maybe another smoke to calm down, Kakashi decided that he might as well vent his irritation on the other members of the pack. They too deserved a small punishment for their foolish actions.

So he approached the oblivious dogs who where still competing for Fuu's attention.

"My, having fun aren't we?"

The remaining seven pairs of ears picked up on the underlying threat in their master's voice, though Kakashi made sure to make it painfully obvious by rising the pressure of his chakra. Turning around, the mixed group, Fuu included, found itself confronted with the squatting figure of their guardian. The crinkles around the eyes suggested that he was smiling. A sickly sweet smile.

They all quietly agreed that this indeed was his scary smile and although they had been squabbling with one another just a mere moment ago, they now inched intuitively closer to each other for support at the sight of foreboding doom.

To the eyes of an outsider it might have been amusing to see a disheveled girl and some tough canines cowering before the dark eye of the silver haired jonin. While low whines escaped the throats of the younger ones, Bull made an awkward attempt to hide behind Fuu who got knocked over in the process.

Kakashi caught her easily before she hit the ground and immediately his hands were covered in slobber and mud.

As a dog summoner he was actually used to it, yet he was still careful when lifting Fuu's body since she was also quite slippery. Once the jonin was sure to have secured her, he quickly scanned her body for any other injuries. To his surprise the girl kept her face hidden behind the mess of curls, even though he stared at her intently.

'She's not speechless with fear, is she?' Kakashi silently questioned, before he decided with a low grumble to steady her. It was only then that he realized how her trembling intensified drastically.

Quickly Kakashi scoured his brain for something to prevent the outburst that was bound to overrun any rational reasoning.

But it was already too late.

"I am so sorry, Hatake-sama! It's all my fault!"

Before the copy ninja could even think about how to stop the spate of excuses that would inevitably follow, Fuu had already switched to her serious guilt mode. Her face scrunched up to fight against the tears forming in her eyes while her limp body quivered in his hands.

"I… I know I was supposed to just bring the bowl outside but I couldn't… I trie-hied to save some but I am afraid they're all gone! … See?" Sniffling the last word, Fuu produced the bowl which had once contained the treats for the pack.

Only then did Kakashi realize that all this time his ward had handicapped herself by holding onto it, despite the fact that it was already empty. Every other kid would have abandoned it in favor of running away.

But to make things worse, Fuu threw herself to his feet awaiting his judgment. This silenced even the last whimpers of the ninken as they peered down at the girl; curious why she would behave like that. On the patio behind them Asuma swallowed around the lump in his throat and was quite thankful for the quick movement with which Kakashi swooped the child up.

'What the heck did the Uchiha do with this girl' Kakashi thought — anger and sympathy rising to mix in his chest.

It was true that Fuu had always been able to fulfill the tasks he had given her. As much as Kurenai accused him of taking advantage of Fuu's desire to be of help, all of this had actually been for the most comfortable adjustment to her new situation. Now Kakashi was thankful for being cautious enough to never ask too much of her, allowing for his notion to prevent something like this from happening before.

Surrendering to the deep sigh that had constricted his chest, the copy ninja placed his ward back down again. It still confused him that her emotions could prompt him to touch and console her so easily, but he'd have to solve this one later.

First of all he would need to address those tears shining brightly in her green eyes. Up until now Kakashi had been able to work around the problematic topics; years of experience of how to deal with the quirks of enemies, sharpening his senses as well as his precautionary measures.

Seeing just how quickly this had escalated, Kakashi was however at a loss. Having the kid around was one thing, but dealing with her issues on top on his own was honestly tiring. Not to mention, frustrating, considering her obviously messed up background.

In her flurry Fuu kneaded the mask that still pooled around her neck, looking at her feet while waiting for the punishment. She knew that an unaccomplished assignment would always entail some sort of penalty. The memories that flooded her mind were suddenly so overwhelming that she needed some time to notice the sensation on her scalp.

Something, or rather someone, was carefully tugging at her hair.

"Do you know what, Fuu?" The voice of her guardian was soft, almost gentle in its own way as he pulled out some of the sticks and leaves.

Taken by surprise, Fuu raised her head to meet the attentive gaze of Kakashi's sole eye. Something about the calmness of the dark grey color was captivating.

"Wha-what, Hatake-sama?"

After taking a shy step towards her guardian, Fuu watched as his hand moved towards her forehead. Expecting one of his flicks, she pressed her lips together — refusing to break eye contact. To her surprise she was able to witness how the hidden part of her guardian's face moved, before she was rewarded with his sincere crinkling smile — the reaching hand landing heavily on top of her head.

With a hum to his words Kakashi mused, "I actually had different plans for today but how about you play some more with the guys? Of course only if you'd like. They're not all that bad... Sure, they might have scared you but I can guarantee you that they were really looking forward to meeting you. I am sure they would try their best to make up for the fright."

The last sentence was at the same time a suggestion for the ninja hounds.

Fuu thought a moment about this before she turned around to send a shy glance over her shoulder. The ninken, who sensed that their master had calmed considerably after the little girl's outburst, welcomed her consideration with low gutturals while sheepishly waging their tails.

Shiba slowly approached Fuu before nudging her hand with his muzzle. His pleading eyes seemed to stir something inside the girl, because she resistantly decided to touch his head. A content mixture of soft growls and muffled yelps indicated the spots that the ninken wanted to be scratched and Fuu seemed happy to oblige.

The next one to make his way towards her was Bull. Seeing him approach, Fuu only hesitated for a second. Following her intuition, the girl raised herself to the tips of her toes and started scratching the dark giant behind his ears as soon as he lowered himself to her height. The following low groan allowed for her sunny smile to resurface.

It didn't take the others much longer to realize what was going on and they all started to demand the attention of Fuu's hands and their turn for a scratch. It was almost amusing to watch how smitten the warrior dogs were beneath the gentle hands of the four year old girl. The awkward tension lifted as Fuu soon disappeared behind a wall of fur and wagging tails.

Kakashi watched them with mixed feelings.

He knew that time was not on their side, yet… how could he just forget this morning's incident? The burns, the strong front Fuu had been putting up to ease both his as well as Kurenai's worries…

Despite all of the parties that now breathed down his neck, the copy ninja decided that allowing his ward to once act like a child her age, was perfectly fine. It had been a stressful day for both of them. So straightening his posture, the jonin watched his charge for a second longer before returning to Asuma who had just finished another cigarette.

"A little girl has been teaching me a bit about hospitality" Kakashi started lamely, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "So… how about a cup of tea?"

Passing a mug to the smoking shinobi, Kakashi cleared his throat, "I take it that your visit is not merely for the sake of appeasing Kurenai's worry?"

Asuma carefully dumped the cigarette butt in the ashtray Kakashi kept for him outside on his veranda. At least that was what the Sarutobi tried to convince himself of. It was far more likely that his friend had only forgotten about it or was simply too lazy move it around because of his infrequent visits.

Shifting in his stance the dark haired shinobi raised the mug to his lips as he blew the steam off the hot liquid.

"You expected her on your doorstep but let me tell you... Kurenai feels too guilty about what happened to pester you again on the same day."

"… I know. I will talk to her about it" Kakashi assured the man to his left, not necessarily in need of further explanation. Kurenai's distress had been painfully obvious in the hospital but he too had been desperate for some silence to sort things out.

"Thanks."

"Sure."

Asuma sipped from his cup, enjoying the moment of comfortable silence between them. Both were different in many ways and yet it were those moments of silent understanding that made them what they were. Friends. As much as Kakashi would like to deny it sometimes.

They watched as Fuu tried to avoid Bull who came at her like a battering ram.

After some quality cuddling and scratching time, the remaining ninken had decided to train with Fuu. Since they missed their most talkative member, they communicated mostly by vague sounds. It seemed to work just fine.

Fuu still was unbelievably clumsy to the eyes of the two trained shinobi, yet they could tell that this small amount of time already made a difference — not only when it came to the number of scratches. Slowly but surely the girl came to realize the advantages of her height when the ninken would jump at her. She tried to duck and jump with grim determination, even though she met with the muddy ground more times than actually succeeding.

"Why are you training her anyway? I thought your first priority was to get into contact with… her guardian spirit?"

"First I thought about simply asking Fuu to introduce me to her. But then again it would trouble her if she could not help me" Kakashi hummed thoughtfully, nothing about his intonation betrayed the blank expression on his face. "I will tell you something crazy now."

"I thought you just did."

From his perspective it was difficult to tell but the Sarutobi could have sworn that the copy ninja rolled his eyes at him. Of course this was a serious conversation, but with Kakashi it was sometimes hard to tell and this whole spirit business was something Asuma had no use for.

Scratching with his foot at some lichen on the wooden beams of the patio, Asuma added, "I don't believe in things I don't see."

"You're friends with a genjutsu expert" Kakashi reminded him sounding almost incredulous.

Asuma did not miss the emphasis on the friends part. Despite his calm nature he chocked on his own spit, quickly covering it up by clearing his throat.

Damn that idiot elite ninja.

"I never would have guessed that you're a fan of ghost stories. So… have you met her? If she's hot you gotta introduce her to me. Once you get to pull her out of the little girl's nose, that is."

Kakashi remembered, albeit grudgingly, how Futaba's silhouette had moved against the moonlight. Despite her height, Fuu's guardian spirit had chosen poorly when picking her clothing. Neither could they hide that she was no more than a sack of bones nor had it seemed practical.

'Something that she had chosen on a whim and rather because of its dark colors than its practical use. It had to be something that could blend with the night, which means that she must have criss-crossed through town to reach the hospital; making the camouflage necessary... and this in return does indicate that Futaba indeed stays close to Fuu' Kakashi's mind produced, adding another note to the big puzzle in his head. 'But how does this work? Where does she come from? Is she really sealed inside the girl to be triggered in dangerous situations?'

Glancing up, Kakashi was reminded of the setting. The ninken, Fuu who turned to him with a blazing smile after managing to remain on her feet, Asuma who still expected an answer…

" … She was actually too scrawny for your tastes, I believe. Considering your favorite type."

A growl erupted from somewhere deep inside Asuma chest as he turned to Kakashi, "Enough of those innuendos. Do you really believe that you saw her or is this some twisted kind of joke?"

This got Kakashi thinking for a long moment. He no longer paid any attention to the shinobi next to him, who was running his hand over his mouth. To agitate his friend and divert his thoughts — it only needed a few hints which pointed in the direction of a certain red eyed kunoichi.

"Fuu's convinced that Futaba came to my rescue last night" Kakashi said, chewing on the words.

A small smile tucked at Asuma's lips as he stared down in the cup in his hands. It was neither happy nor sad, just another form of his resignation. In his opinion things would be so much easier, if Kakashi were to give their suggestions as much value as the ideas of this little girl.

"Leaving all this spirit stuff aside… have you trained a kid before?"

Turning his drooping eye to Asuma, he answered, "No, at least none that starts at zero. The first thing I'd try is actually teasing out a spark of chakra from her."

"How?"

Bothered with the prompt query, Kakashi shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. He knew that his patience with others wasn't very long-lived.

"Dunno, probably with the exercises from the academy… you know, starting with Leaf Concentration."

Asuma chuckled deeply, "Makes you kinda nostalgic."

To his side Kakashi tensed as his own thoughts headed in a direction he did not like. For him nostalgia was something he would not allow himself so he cleared his throat. The sweet notion was not something that he could stomach so easily.

"Asuma… when do you plan on leaving?"

For a second Asuma actually wanted to snap at Kakashi's impolite request to leave him alone but then he understood that the question did not refer to him visiting the Hatake residence.

"Sharp as always" Asuma mumbled while trying to avoid eye contact by staring down inside his empty mug. It was indeed true that he had decided to share his intentions with Kakashi sooner or later. But somehow he had never found the right time and place. "I plan to leave in a few weeks."

"Any idea where you will go?"

"Some. But I haven't decided yet" Asuma admitted and for a moment they settled once again in silence, before the Sarutobi caught a side glance.

"Actually… I think I could do with some tea as well, want some more?"

"Sure."

Kakashi put the mugs in the sink, rinsing them with water before putting them aside — along with his thoughts.

For some time now it had been evident to him that Asuma wore himself off due to the tension between him and his father. While Kakashi respected the Third, his friend too did deserve some recognition — only that he would inevitably belie either his own expectations or those of his father in the very near future.

Slowly but surely this underlying conflict had surfaced and Kakashi did not know how to consult in such a case. But he was able to listen and sometimes that was enough to help someone sort out things out.

'I am getting involved again' he silently scolded himself as he made his way back to the veranda.

Some time ago the noise of the dogs had faded to the birds greeting the early evening. Stepping outside Kakashi stopped in his tracks to take in the scene that unfolded in front of him.

Piled up and snoring, his summons lay around the little girl in their center. Bull acted as a backrest for Fuu who looked peaceful beneath the dirt, dog salvia and scratches on her face. The others snuggled to her sides with similar content expressions. Every so often a twitch of a paw or a flinching muzzle burst the bubble of calmness.

It was a heartwarming sight, but Kakashi realized that whatever he tried in order to get closer to Fuu's mystery came to nothing. This time however his frustration was not paired with anger. Looking at the happy bundle, Kakashi came to realize just how well Fuu blended in with them... and surprisingly with him. However, it was this kind of harmony, one that Kurenai would love to achieve, that he feared.

It was dangerous.

Asuma had not moved from his spot on the edge of the patio, blowing smoke into the golden air filled with flying insects that glittered like precious jewelry. By stepping next to him, Kakashi brought the Sarutobi back to the here and now.

"I thought about your plans for the next days and I've been wondering…" Asuma stopped to take another drag of his cigarette. "Why not ask for support? I mean, just this once. It's not like you're the only one who takes an interest in the outcome of this and it won't hurt you. At least not physically."

The image of Fuu's burns flashed in front of Kakashi's eyes. Suddenly the range of evening colors staining the horizon seemed to approach faster, darkening his vision.

'Does this mean this will happen more often from now on?'

The aftertaste of his own words were bitter enough to contract his mouth and clench his stomach. Now his own composure from earlier this day seemed laughable to him.

'A mere no won't stop the possibility from happening.'

Hopping down from the patio, Kakashi massaged his right shoulder, moving it in circles. He was still sore from the mission as well as from whatever had happened during the night with that damn guardian spirit. Even now he wasn't sure if it had been the right choice to not tell anyone about it, regardless of how this might affect Fuu's status.

"I am serious. As you so nicely accredited to Kurenai earlier, she's pretty crafty with genjutsu. If it's a stamina test, you might ask Gai. He's been sulking ever since you've been too busy with Fuu and declined all contests."

Since Kakashi could hardly deny the last part, he decided to counter with questioning back, "You don't want to offer your abilities to solve the girl's mystery?"

"I could blow her off the Hokage Monument if it helps" the bearded shinobi offered, scratching the stubbles on his chin. "Though I wouldn't want to anger Kurenai any more than this. You've been stretching the teasing for some time now."

The last statement actually got a snort from Kakashi, who had taken a few careful steps towards the sleeping pile of bodies. By looking at Fuu's exhausted heart shaped face, he once again realized just how much he was mired in this mess. It was too late to turn his back, right?

"What" Asuma questioned, sensing immediately that the silver head was up to something.

"It's already late. Fuu still needs a bath to get all the grime off her, not to forget about the thicket on her head…"

Putting his hands on his knees, Asuma was ready to get up, "Well, then… "

"Thank you… I guess" Kakashi picked up on the line his friend had dropped.

"You're welcome, I guess?"

Kakashi raised his hands to his head, fiddling with something before he turned to Asuma who was surprised to see the forehead protector back in place.

"I'll be back in half an hour. Just make sure that Fuu doesn't fall asleep while she's in the tub — oh! And no foam bath. No matter how much she loves it" Kakashi instructed, crinkles visible around his eye.

"Wha-Wait!"

With a puff of smoke the copy ninja left the speechless Sarutobi alone with the snoring charge in front of him.

"He's gotta be kidding me! ... Foam bath?!"

Kakashi chose the tree in front of the examination room which he had left only a few hours ago. The lights were turned off, so his eye sought the next available light source which happened to be a cramped office right above the dark windows.

Surrounded by high shelves full of filing folders, Kakashi recognized the familiar face of the old medic who had treated Fuu this forenoon.

His face hidden in the shadows of a small desk lamp, he scribbled inside the clinical record of a patient, turning papers while scratching his nose. Despite the unaltered picture, Kakashi could tell that something about the air of the old man was different now.

Suddenly stiffening, the medic looked up to meet Kakashi's gaze. In his eyes the copy ninja found not what he was looking for.

This man had been expecting him.

Casually taking out his pipe the iryo stuffed it with some tobacco, before he walked over to the window.

"Might as well come in" he called out in the open, the pipe already bobbing up and down in the corner of his mouth as he spoke.

Kakashi followed the invitation, even though he was no longer sure with whom he was actually dealing here. This morning he had been paying attention to everything around him — the ANBU, the Root woman, Fuu's injuries… all of the people passing down in the street and down the corridor of the second floor hospital room. But somehow the copy ninja had missed to give this man a complete check over.

"What are you planning to do with the child?" The old iryo leant against the open frame of the window, blocking Kakashi's exit.

They were alone in the office room, the noises of the hospital oddly distant. To Kakashi who was still trying to figure out the motives of his opposite, it felt like a bubble, allowing a sense of privacy.

'Curious jutsu' the shinobi part of Kakashi noted, but he felt no need to point it out. If the old man wanted to test him, he would wait for a cue on his intentions.

Actually, at some point during Fuu's examination, Kakashi had started to entertain the suspicion that the Third had somehow arranged for this certain medic to tend to his ward.

This man was just too peculiar to be an ordinary hospital employee.

However, despite that eccentric air, Kakashi did not doubt his professional qualification — insecure people tended to be arrogant or prone to idle chatter, but this shell of intimidating asperity needed age and knowledge.

'Why not ask for support? I mean, just this once.'

Asuma's words had been floating around Kakashi's head until that moment he finally accepted defeat. Of course the Sarutobi had expected that the silver head would turn to his friends for advice, but at that moment he had remembered the lecture the iryo had given him and Kurenai before allowing them to finally leave the hospital.

'You're just groping in the dark since there's no way you'd know what to do with her.'

This man was a skilled medic with years of experience, so maybe he could provide Kakashi some clue on where to start with his ward.

With a deep chuckle the medic finally added, "I am curious. You were not what I expected for a guardian."

Listening to the crackling of embers eating away at the tobacco, the younger male tried to hide his sudden uneasiness. He knew without further verifying it that the old man was powerful, yet something akin to curiosity held the ninja back from making an excuse to flee.

"I was asked to watch over her" Kakashi offered, keeping his voice unconcerned with maybe a tinge of annoyance.

"Certainly" agreed the old man, disregarding the hospital rules by blowing the smoke inside the room. "Truly admirable for such a highly esteemed ninja to take it upon himself to look after a four year old girl that managed to skyrocket the suspicion scale last night… Is this an official mission?"

"In any case, it's confidential."

The iryo raised his hand out of the pockets of his white coat to support the pipe. The upturned corner of his mouth suggested that he was enjoying the sight of a troubled Kakashi, "Ah, of course. Would expect nothing less with such a twee little disaster, walking on her two stumbling feet."

Of course this man knew more than letting on.

Suddenly Kakashi felt the urge to swallow — his tongue strangely dry but at the same time... it wasn't. He raised his previously lowered head to meet the dark eyes with his own. This was a ridiculous amount of adrenaline rushing through Kakashi's veins for a situation that did not pose an immediate threat and he definitely wasn't one for sweaty hands.

The same moment realization dawned on him, amusement lit up the lined features of the old man.

"Why the genjutsu?"

Now his annoyance was not only for appearance. Such underhanded methods always spiked his chakra, especially if their usage was of so little avail and only aimed to piss him off.

"Why so shy? Right now you could ask me about my personal opinion, boy, yet you prefer to worry unnecessarily; missing the forest for the trees." His teeth bit down at the mouth piece with a definite click, "Quite amateurish if I dare say."

To this statement Kakashi bristled. On any other day the provocations might have simply roll off his shoulders, just not with this setting. This was definitely a bad day for pushing his buttons.

Yet Kakashi had to at least accredit this man a perfect two-faced personality. The rational voice of his mind warned him that all of this was partly an act, so there was no need to get so worked up. Both, the old grumpy medic as well as the smooth talk of this provocateur, were only two sides of this man's personality. Surely he could present some more, if necessary.

"Gee… it's such a shame, you know? I saw your file, Hatake-boy" the old medic breathed as if this was all too troublesome to even think about. "And if someone — let's say… a dear old friend — would tell me that a shinobi with a serious case of PTSD hit on the idea of accepting the guardianship of a little girl, I would congratulate him to the best joke I've heard in ages."

At this point the iryo waited for Kakashi to give him some kind of response.

'He expects me to throw a fit or pull back. Guess I should have expected a check-up on my condition. It was careless to go in here unprepared' Kakashi scolded himself, deciding to take a different approach.

Shifting in his stance, the copy ninja was willing to humor the other male, even if only for the sake of appearances, "I did not believe that you were one for jokes, iryo-san."

The moment Kakashi closed his mouth, he knew that this had been the right way to react. The lines in the face of the old shinobi moved like ripples on the surface of water, his eyes blazing with something akin to acknowledgment.

From previous experience of questionings about his mental affairs, Kakashi knew that at this point the manual suggested that he would react with anger or denial.

"Oh, I am definitely not on the humorous side. I prefer serious situations and I believe we've got quite a lovely one at hand. So tell me… what are your plans concerning this girl?"

By stressing his last words, the old man made quite clear that he would not repeat himself. There was a change in the contours of his face when it lost some of its depth.

It was hard to believe that this was the same man, who had put up with a child's attics not that long ago. Because right now Kakashi found himself face to face with an old stager of the Konoha Intelligence Division — supposedly a medic who dealt with the questionable shinobi inside the Leaf.

'So I've crossed a line and alarmed the internal investigation team' Kakashi realized, his mind strangely calm as it came to terms with this new development. 'I already have the council, Root and Kurenai dogging me, why not add some more fun people to the party?'

Inclining his head slightly, Kakashi reached up to scratch his cheek through the mask, "I want to find out which role she has been allotted in this whole scheme."

"Even though you are barely able to pull yourself together?"

"Maah, so you find it strange that an… emotionally crippled shinobi who seeks killing and violence as a valve for his ongoing depression, accepts a four year old girl as his ward? Here I thought you might appreciate the effort since we both know what my file says — as you see, I do so by heart."

For a moment the old man hid his face in the shadow his desk lamp created.

Kakashi had declared his hand, now it was the turn of the representative of the Intelligence Division. It wasn't as easy to turn the tables when playing against someone with so much experience.

However Kakashi sensed that this man wasn't out to harm Fuu or himself. There was something about him that resembled killing intent, but he definitely wasn't someone Kakashi would easily underestimate.

Suddenly, after a long moment of silence, the previously convincing iryo, snorted with laughter, "I guess I'll loose my bet then. However you can't convince me that you're not in denial, Hatake. You might be on the way to realize just how poorly you've been dealing with your problems up until now, but as soon as you'll get the chance you'll return to your old ways — the road is already paved."

"May I know your name?"

The interruption seemingly caught the other man off guard, even if it were only his hands that betrayed him. They let go off the window frame he still leant on.

"Sato."

"Well, Sato-san, I now have an idea why you were the one to treat my ward today. For that I want to thank you again" Kakashi spoke honestly. "But I am curious… why did you expect me back in the evening?"

"You're seeking advice since you don't want to have last night's events repeating themselves."

Thinking about the figure of Futaba, Kakashi clenched his jaw though he remained calm. The iryo wasn't talking about the walking guardian spirit, but Fuu's burns.

However, before Kakashi could even open his mouth, the old man gave in.

"No, actually that's not quite it" Sato admitted knocking his pipe against the narrow windowsill to empty the ashes onto the backyard. "I gave you a ninety-ten chance."

"What for?"

"What were you thinking on your way to the hospital? And I am not talking about the moment during in which you decided to come looking for me." He paused to show an unsympathetic smile. "So before you landed on that branch here" the shinobi waved his hand in the direction of the rustling tree, "what were your thoughts? If even for a mere second. Tell me."

A part of Kakashi wanted to deny that Sato had touched on a raw nerve. He had tried to silence the idea which had cut through his mind scape so suddenly and without prior warning. Now there was no chance he could get away with lying.

"For a moment I entertained the idea of asking you to take care of Fuu's affair, if you were cooperative, that is."

Kakashi even remembered the exact moment the idea had lifted the spell off him — this strange notion to get involved, to prove that he indeed could help someone without hurting them in the process. Wasn't it easier to push it away before it was too late?

During those few seconds, right before the pang of guilt had turned his stomach upside down, Kakashi had felt free and there was no way that he could overplay that now.

As if this indeed was nothing new to him Sato nodded, "Why did you change your mind?"

"I want to help her. That didn't change. I… was dubious about my own chances of success."

"And?"

Pausing, the younger shinobi decided that this man's attitude was tiring. His annoying questions came quick; they tucked at his thoughts before they made him talk. He was good.

"It's to prove something to yourself, or am I wrong, boy?" prompted the deep voice quietly.

This following statement was accompanied by one of Kakashi's fake smiles, "You're right, Sato-san."

Since the younger shinobi was ready to betray his character by ignoring his irritation, as well as the sickening feeling of being cornered, the much older medic found himself irked enough to raise one single bushy brow.

"How boring" he grunted with a humorless snort. "Stop playing along... Of course I am right" the iryo's voice cracked as if he was out of breath, "But you gotta tell me, boy. Which one is it? The girl walking free or yourself capable of protecting someone?"

"Both. I can't achieve only one, I want both" Kakashi said, feeling as his words left his mouth that this was the absolute truth.

It was then that the clapping of hands caught the copy ninja completely off guard, making him almost flinch as his eye searched the face of the old medic. The broad grin that Kakashi recognized upon his old face was even more surprising since it was absolutely sincere.

Pushing himself of the window frame, Sato said, "Now that you've finally come to terms with yourself, I'll lend you a hand."

"Wait" Kakashi said, furrowing his brows as he tried for a moment to ignore the mixed signals this man had been sending him. Sato was already about to leave the room but turned around again.

So many questions still called for an answer, so many things had been purposely left in the dark. Yet somehow only the following words found their way outside were, "What about the other ten percent? I take it that you believed I would give up."

"These ten percent you've just earned, Hatake. Give my regards to the girls."

It was some time after the old man had left him alone, Kakashi still stared at the now closed door of the office room, wondering how he had gotten himself such a complicated ally.

The meaning of Sato's words hit Kakashi not until he blinked for the first time, "Did he just say 'girls'?"

So the grumpy old medic is not what he first appeared to be! :) In the next chapter Kakashi and his friends will face a race against time – so it remains to be seen if Fuu ends up in the hands of the Interrogation Squad or not...

BabySealLover: I've been struggling with the first part since I really wanted to include some input of Futaba. I guess I've been hopping from one idea to another before I settled with this 'simple' approach :) She's going to take action at some point and I really don't want her to fade into the background. So I am really glad that you liked it!

Writing the interaction between Kakashi and Fuu is way too much fun. I always have to stop myself so that I am still able to squeeze in some development for the overall storyline. But you're quite right about their problematic situation. With this chapter I tried to show some more of the internal struggles Kakashi has been facing though he appeared to enjoy being around Fuu so far.

Oh and I am glad that girls duo isn't too overwhelming :D Thanks so much for your great review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Kiara97: Ich nehme mir mal die Freiheit, dir auf Deutsch zu antworten! Es kommt mir beinahe schon so vor, als wenn wir uns eine Ewigkeit kennen würden und dabei ist es erst "ein Kapitel her" :D Auf jeden Fall möchte ich mich noch mal ganz herzlich für dein tolles, ausführliches Review bedanken, ich habe mich wirklich so darüber gefreut!

Kann auf jeden Fall versprechen, dass die Schleifen an einem späteren Zeitpunkt nochmal als Druckmittel benutzt werden! xD Ich hoffe auch, dass dir dieses Kapitel gefällt, es hat ja auch sehr lange gedauert, bis ich es endlich geschafft habe es zu posten... wirklich sehr lange.

Also vielen Dank noch mal und ich bin gespannt auf deine Meinung! :)

NoBirdWithintheCage: You're completely right, the situation could always get worse but I am going to mobilize some helpers for Kakashi. Oh, he'll surely love to get involved some more with the others, since he's so sociable and it's so easy for him to ask for help... Again I feel so very evil to push him to his limits but I am sure he'll be able to operate just fine. It's not like he's got a chance now anymore. Kurenai would definitely skin him alive, if he were to give up.

You saying that you've liked the tiny bits of Futaba so far makes me really happy! I've taken a long time to slowly adjust her and the already existing storyline but finally it's reaching its peak. Now I am really looking forward to it! :)

The Hokage himself is walking on thin ice by siding with Kakashi and his ward. I wanted to portray the trust in his ANBU captain as well as the readiness to follow the necessary procedure once they reach their deadline. But I completely agree with you that instant trust is simply taking the easy route while missing a lot of interesting parts and development.

I hope that I was able to not loose to temptation - I've used Pakkun's traits to my hearts content; I just thought that there was no way a dog would know how to use idioms :D

I hope you enjoyed this chapter; took me looong enough! And thanks as always for your amazing review :)

Amegakure no Kunoichi: Let me tell you that you review has been one of the most flattering ones I've received so far. Seriously, you made my day and I can't tell you how much I appreciated it! If you'd like to share your theories on a later date, I'd love to hear them :) Thanks so much again, I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

/ ... / Thanks for reading the chapter! :) And of course I would love to hear you opinion, your critics, what you've liked and disliked, what you've had for lunch today... I appreciate all kinds of input!