YAY! REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Thank you RockFox, apprentice assassin and ichigo for your encouragement and appreciation.
crazy-antman- Yes, my chapters can be rather short at times - well... what can I say? For me, inspiration comes in short bursts - and I only a few minutes in a day to write these things...
mangokirani- I can see you have hearts and stars in your eyes. It makes my heart swell... seriously... my head won't be able to fit through the internet cafe's door... hehehehe! Well... this is my homage to Kakashi and that means the best of skills put forward.
Jemiul- ahhhhh... well... don't beat me up but Lightning's Howl moves tothe back burner... that is to say, the way I planned this story was supposed to be longer - then I chickened out and decided to cut it short and then, what with all the reviews it's going to get a sequel... I think... so yes, Lightning's Howl will be back but just not fightingfor now.
Nanny-chan: (weeps) why?
The muse: I don't know why - you're the one who wrote it! Baka!
I sadly, do NOT own Naruto, or else I would have renamed it Kakashi! And all the previous claims are merely typo errors (my bad). It's just subconscious desires surfacing...
White Fang, Lightning's Howl: The Secret of the Hatake
Geez! Late Again?
The next three weeks were spent summoning Lightning's Howl again and again and again. As the time passed, Kakashi learned how to properly use his chakra and how to store it and how to tap into Lightning's fathomless well.
With time and exercise, the large wolf became more and more one with the silver-haired Jounin, often times apparating at night to sit close to his master.
"Kakashi," he said, one night, growling. "You cannot understand how happy I am that you were finally able to call me."
Kakashi, looking up from the fire raised his eyebrow. "Eh?"
"For the last two generations, there was has been a long silence between our clans - it warms my heart to know that the Hatake still have faith in our people."
"I'm sure it's the other way around," Kakashi said, quietly, thinking about his father's fears, his father's weaknesses and his father's regrets. "It's amazing you want to associate yourself with a dying shinobi clan like ours. With little memories of the past. With little hope for the future."
The large dog shifted, knocking down a large part of the underbrush.
"You are a Hatake!" the dog said, gruffily, almost chiding the depressed man. "You had potential and you have fulfilled it on your own - you make your own path much like your ancestors. Great power lies within you. Stop looking back at your fathers. You think I do not know? I know when you think of him."
Kakashi looked up into the dog's blue-grey eyes. So like his own.
The wolf grinned, his tongue hanging out.
"I do not think he would have wished for you to walk a path of regret."
Kakashi smiled and Lightning's Howl leaned down and gave the Jounin a huge lick, which lifted the shinobi off the ground several feet.
"Ugh!" Kakashi said, wringing out his shirt. "Now, look what you did! I smell like dog!"
"Wolf, Hatake, get it right."
"Whatever! I smell like I crawled out of a garbage can."
Lightning's Howl growled and yipped.
"I see. Is this your idea of a joke?"
Kakashi sighed.
"Yeah. Never mind."
"Well... little cub, you're part of the clan now, it's only right you should smell like family. Keep up your lip and I just might swallow this book of yours..."
"Hey! Give it back!"
"What? It's interesting!"
"It's mine! Give!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
Kakashi spent the whole night, tussling.
"Well, Lightning." Kakashi said. "I guess it's about time I started back."
"We haven't got a chance to fight together!"
"Don't worry," Kakashi smiled "I'll go straight to Tsunade and get an interesting mission for the both of us."
"I can hardly wait! A chance to finally exercise!"
"If we get a good mission - an S-rank or A-rank..." Kakashi said. "With my luck, I'll get a babysitting job or some sort of sentry duty."
"Stop being such a wet blanket, Kakashi! You truly are a ninja with no enthusiasm."
"That's what they say." Kakashi sighed, stifling that odd feeling he'd been feeling for several weeks now. "Lazy. Unmotivated. Silly. You take the pick!"
"Geez. We've got to work you over."
"Leave me alone."
"Heheheheh!"
"Stop licking me!"
The wolf kept on nuzzling the masked ninja.
"Go away and do whatever dogs do on their off time."
"Blah blah blah, can't hear you."
"This is ridiculous."
"You are ridiculous."
"Grrr.."
"Uh... gotta put more oomph in that growl, Kakashi. You truly are a cub."
"I AM NOT A CUB! STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
"Ahhh! Passion! Good good!"
"And stop patronizing me! Training time is over for now! I've got to go pack."
Kakashi stomped off to his tent - four feet away and went inside to pack.
He didn't feel all that great. Sure he had just completed a brilliant new jutsu but the odd feeling in his gut still wasn't going away.
Was something bad going to happen? Did he forget something important?
Kakashi sighed. Whatever it was, returning to Konoha meant a chance to shine.
He hoped.
With one week left to go, he packed up and began his trek back to Konoha.
He thought a lot about Team 7, shinobi growth and comfort zones.
Perhaps I was comfortable at the place I had achieved, but Naruto and Sasuke were not and I categorized them as I did myself, since they were so talented. I was naïve. And they got hurt because I wasn't aware of how changeable they were.
I barely remember those days! I was only four or five when I was going through the major changes of strength. But they just begun…. And their reasons – were just as heavy as mine… Sasuke bent on revenge, Naruto needing acknowledgement….
I learned to be strong – I learned to live on my own – perhaps too much. But they needed someone to listen to them. I didn't listen to them – I treated them as I wanted to be treated…. Now, those mistakes are irreparable.
I will get them together again one day. One day, we four, with all our flaws and hurts, will understand the importance of teamwork and unity. One day, we will no longer desire to tear each other down.
Kakashi saw in his mind's eye Sasuke flying downward, Chidori sparking and Naruto jumping upwards, Rensagen whirling. Sakura, running to stop them, even at the cost of her life, crying, "Nooooo!"
Rin.
Sakura.
The peacemakers who had to endure so much pain. If not phsysically, then at least emotionally.
Sakura.
She would be in the Chuunin exam again. During the last two times, he had been too busy to go to it…. But this time around….
Kakashi looked at the sun in the sky.
Geez. He'd be late AGAIN!
He stopped walking and began to use his chakra to increase his speed.
Let me make it in time!
