His breathing picked up in pace. Vivid images played out in his mind, not offering him any chance of returning to the sweet bliss of his dreams. Scenes of battle flashed in his vision, monsters formed in lightning destroying the lake around them and chakra pouring into the air, weighing the atmosphere itself down on their shoulders. Traces of scarlet were left in the air as his opponent avoided his attacks. Even in the darkness of the night, these blurs of crimson were encased by a depressing void of shadows.

In his eardrums, desperate cries for help rung like bells, echoing across the lake. The water underneath his feet threatened to swallow him into its depths until the moon's soft rays couldn't reach him anymore. Dull steel shined in the same light, fashioning a blade that foreshadowed his head being severed from his neck.

Raven hair reminded Kakashi of his former teammate, a boy who thought in broader terms and able to comprehend more than just himself or his clan. Even at his young age, his eyes portrayed the sadness that lingered behind the loose shuriken-like patterns. But, even though they were the same eyes, they couldn't have been more different now. A lonely melancholy long since been replaced by a fiery hatred. Their new owner now wished to destroy the world his own brother had strived to great and unfortunate lengths to protect.

That desire was almost tangible, giving him an oppressive aura to match his intense focus. The fact that he wasn't even the strongest shinobi sent a cold chill down Kakashi's back, the one who was stronger than even Sasuke couldn't be described as anything other than a monster. And this beast also had the added power of a demon sealed deep inside his form. Devilish fangs pointed at dangerous angles that threatened to tear their victim's throat open in a fatal instant. Golden hair blinded opponents in the ridiculous speed of his attacks, fractured eyes gave away his insane unpredictability.

What was worse, however, was the pressure that their existence caused. It was as if the Five Great Nations were suffocating, their hidden villages scrambling to find an answer to the Akatsuki's challenge. All the stares of expectation that followed him around the Hidden Leaf Village were starting to itch at his skin. It wasn't just the looks of the villagers though, it was those that his friends and comrades gave him that hurt him the most. There was one other person who he knew he could empathise with, but she gave him a similar glance filled with a desperate plea to aid her.

All this silent pressure was isolating, enough to drive any man crazy. If he was the same brooding kid that he used to be, Kakashi would have long since cracked under it. But, he was still tortured by that kid's tragedies to this day, dragging him down under the current situation's gravity.

There was one other shinobi who had a similar strength to his two former students. There was just one issue; she hadn't been seen ever since she had left with Naruto and Sasuke. Kakashi tortured himself for the failure of not rescuing Sakura, both the Hokage and her assistant looking to him for answers as they mourned the loss of their beloved student.

His head ached in response to a shrill scream that tore through his dreams. Kakashi lay witness to a wolf being mauled by a fox. Nine tails licked the air like the flames of a forest fire, warding off any who would try to intervene in its feast of sadistic stupor. Pained howls dragged through the air like nails on a chalkboard, powerless shrieks accompanying the wolf's sobs.

Even surrounded by clouds of darkness, there was a unique warmth that blossomed in response. Concern radiated from the night, trying to fight back against the monsters in the night. Emotions that didn't belong outside of the protection of the village were put on full display on the battlefield.

A flash of light numbed his body, but he could still sense the shadows softening under the warmth's touch. But, that warmth also seemed to grow colder the more it tried to grab hold of the shadows. What would happen if they kept going, allowing the darkness to infect the comfort, would it affect the atmosphere back in the village? He couldn't let that happen, that spark of hope couldn't be allowed to give out, he had to do everything he could to protect it.

"Kakashi?"

His eyes snapped open, horrified by the nightmare before them. Staring back at him with glassy pupils, she almost let a smile form on her lips, darkened with the blood that flowed over them. His breath hitched when she coughed up some more, splattering against his face. Her blood burned against his skin, punishing him for his sins. All this blood originated from one spot, the hole in the centre of her chest. The same hole filled with his electrified palm, wrist deep in the cavity. He could feel it against his hand, he had crushed her heart in one strike. And now, the last sparks of life flashed through her eyes as she bled out in his arms.

"Kakashi? Focus" his conscience wrestled to gain control, attempting to obey the order he was given.

Blur by agonising blur, his vision cleared. It gave way to harsh light signalling the time of day. But the pearly white of the room acted like a partner in crime, reflecting it right into his vision. He squinted to reduce the stress on his retinae, reducing the figure in front of him to a blurry outline.

One by one, detailed features appeared in his gaze. First was the dark kimono that framed her slender shoulders which matched the hair that framed her pale skin. It looked so much like her, but he was certain that her eyes were never as dark as ink. Is that what they looked like when all the life had been drained from them, the life that he had taken away?

He reached out, his frail limb trembling in the air. "Rin? I…" he choked, his throat rougher than sand. "I'm… sorry"

He recoiled as his temple was tapped a few times by something light. "Hallucinations, that's not a good sign"

When he heard scratching against paper, Kakashi rubbed his eyes. The bob of hair darkened from a soft brown to that of a raven's feathers, matching the colour of her eyes, which now seemed to flash with a hard-working intelligence. The shape of her morphed, not by much but just enough for Kakashi to realise the difference between a teenager and an adult.

"Shizune? Is that you?" he croaked, his throat burning from the effort.

She continued scribbling on her notepad. "You remember who I am? That's a good sign of no damage to your brain"

"What happened? Where am I?" he tried to look around, his neck joints squeaking as he turned his head. A hospital room, that much was obvious from everything being in pristine condition, the windows being the perfect example of that. They offered his eyes a clear view to the rooftops of a familiar village, shining in the radiance of the day.

"The Hidden Leaf Village, you were escorted back to us after you had been stabilised in the Hidden Cloud" she explained.

Shifting upwards, he leaned against the headboard with a groan. "That's the second time I've come within an inch of death in just as many weeks" he complained, his head lowered. Shaking his head, he let out a little chuckle to himself.

"You shouldn't be laughing about that" she chastised him, tempted to smack some sense into him with her notepad. "You can't risk doing something like that again"

He reached upwards, combing his hair back through his fingers. "I'm pretty much the one person who can risk going against them"

"That doesn't mean you have to do so without any sort of plan" she glared at him with a disappointed frown.

He gave in, switching the subject of conversation. "Are the others alright?"

As soon as he asked, he regretted mentioning his comrades. Shizune's face dropped, her frown continuing its overdue stay. She wouldn't meet his eyes, guilting Kakashi as he tried to pry for more information.

After a few exaggerated sighs and some uncomfortable fiddling with his fingers, Shizune cleared her throat, meeting his gaze. "Sai is fine, aside from a few scratches and Akamaru fractured a rib so he's being nursed back to health by the Inuzuka clan" she read from her notes, condensing all the information from both their medical sheets along with their mission reports. She read it from memory, using her notepad to avoid seeing Kakashi's concern for his teammates.

"And, Kiba?" Kakashi's heart almost stopped when Shizune let out a squeak upon hearing the name.

She took a few seconds to compose herself, focusing on her breathing and slowing it to a steady pace. "He's under observation in the Inuzuka clan's district, we're trying to keep him comfortable whilst we run some tests"

"What happened to him?"

Shizune drummed her pen against her thigh. "It seems as if some sort of curse mark was placed on his neck, so we might have to ask you to look at it soon, is that okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'll go check on him when I get out of here…" he looked around his body, feeling for any major discomfort. "do you know when that would be?"

"Uh…" she murmured as she read through her notes. "You could be released whenever you want to be"

As soon as she told him, he pulled the covers off to swing his legs over as he sat up on the edge of the bed. "So, what happened to Kurenai? Did she make it back alright?" he grimaced under the effort.

Shizune almost snapped her pen in half. "That woman?" a subtle growl emerged deep in her throat. "Aside from a few bruises, she's fine. Although, ever since she returned, she's been acting a little strange"

Kakashi, ignoring his survival instincts, pressed on. "Ho—"

He was cut off by her vocal snap. "But, what I want to know is why she was even in the Land of Lightning!"

Wincing as he gulped, Kakashi rubbed his dry throat. "She ambushed me at the front gate and I just couldn't say no to her, we've known each other since the academy"

"That was reckless, Kakashi! She's a retired kunoichi who hasn't been on a mission in over two years!" she glared at him, looking for a real explanation.

But, she wasn't going to get one. Kakashi stood and headed towards the change of clothes that had been laid out for him. "Do you mind?" he nodded towards the door.

It took a moment too long for Shizune to get his message. By the time she shot up out of her seat, Kakashi had already pulled his shirt over his head. She shuffled past, although the darting glances at his bare torso didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi.

His body ached with each of his movements, but they weren't bad enough to keep him there. He was sure he could walk it off, no matter how annoying it would be. He took note of how fresh the fabrics were in his hands, certain that they were bought new. They would have to be, he concluded after he remembered Shikamaru's remarks about his condition.

Before long, he was staring into his palms as if he were expecting some sort of answer. His fingers twitched and half-curled towards the softer skin. For a brief moment, his hands were covered with splashes of crimson. Blood dripped through his fingers like a waterfall. With every splash against the ground, Kakashi saw another face. His victims. He thought that all of them would have been nameless, but that wish was buried under the tears of his loved ones, his closest friends.

Shizune cut him out of his thoughts by placing a release form in his empty hands. After a quick signature, Kakashi stepped out of the hospital. He glanced over his shoulder to his side. "So, why are you following me?"

Shizune bit her lip. "Well, I'm sure that the hospital will be fine without me for the rest of the day and Lady Tsunade asked me to report on your findings with Kiba"

He shrugged. "I guess we should get going then" he started towards the Inuzuka district.

Their trip was pretty long, their destination being on the outskirts of the village, selected due to the Inuzuka's desire for lots of open space in which to use for the training of their ninja hounds. Along with the Nara, the Inuzuka's district was as far away from the centre of Konoha as the Uchiha's once were, although it was necessary for both of them unlike the fallen clan.

Even though they were more populated, Kakashi couldn't tell the difference between each of three districts anymore. And that fact was made more apparent when they passed into the Inuzuka clan's neighbourhood. It was lifeless, as if all sense of joy had been replaced by a constant sombre air that weighed heavy on the shoulders of anyone unfortunate enough to be around. Kakashi had felt the same atmosphere radiating throughout the Nara clan's district when he had visited after Shikamaru's betrayal.

But now, even the dogs seemed to be able to smell the nerves of their owners, sticking close to their sides in an effort to comfort their distressed partners. Kakashi thought about checking on Pakkun and his other ninja hounds, but he decided he'll put it off for later. If he was going to find the Akatsuki then he'd need them at their best to track them.

In this desert void of emotion, a childish giggle echoed off the walls, drawing Kakashi out of his thoughts. He looked up to snag a glance at the sign detailing the address. Sat on the front porch, Kurenai hummed a light-hearted melody. She watched Mirai run around, chasing Akamaru's tail as he did his best to nuzzle against her and play in a softer fashion than he did with the other hounds in the household. Supervising them was Kiba's older sister, Hana, who smiled at Mirai's antics and tried to steer her towards giving Akamaru a little break considering his recent injuries.

As soon as they stepped through the gate, Akamaru wandered over to Kakashi brushing against his side and mewling at the head pats he received. After sniffing around one of his favourite humans, he moved on to Shizune, becoming quite intrigued by her scent.

"What's he doing?" she asked. She took a few steps back but he followed her without a though.

Hana strolled over to greet their visitors, after sending a disheartened Mirai back to her mother. "He's confused by your smell, as am I" she explained.

"Why?"

Her nose scrunched as she sniffed the air. "Because there's a faint hint of ham accompanying your scent" she stated with a raised eyebrow, her eyes searching for the source of the smell.

Kakashi snickered, watching Shizune's face morph through expressions of confusion to realisation as she pieced the dots together. She ducked away behind Kakashi, grabbing a hold of her own collar and bringing it to her nostrils.

"Relax, you won't be able to pick it out, unless you have the nose of an Inuzuka" Hana boasted.

Shizune pouted, called out for her moment of insecurity. She pinched Kakashi's arm, leaning up to whisper in his ear. "Why didn't you tell me if you could smell Tonton on me?"

He just shrugged her off, turning back to Hana. "Is it alright if we go in to see Kiba?" he asked, looking to read the kunoichi for any signs of stress.

They were there, of course, but she did well to resist the temptations of worry, maintaining her composure like the veteran shinobi she had trained to be for almost the last ten years. She spun on her heel, her caramel ponytail whipping over her shoulder. "He's just inside, follow me" she tapped her thigh, signalling Akamaru to follow at her heel.

Although as soon as they reached the porch, Akamaru sat at Kurenai's feet and brushed against her, allowing both her and her daughter to pet him with freedom. Kurenai glanced towards Kakashi, meeting his gaze. Kakashi was locked in place by her eyes, a stunning scarlet that, despite being a sharp tone, sparkled with a soft motherly love.

She smiled up at him, the corners of her full lips twitching. "Are you feeling better Kakashi?" she asked.

He patted Mirai's head, enjoying the joyful squeals she let out between her giggling. "Yeah, I should be fine in no time" he smiled, his eyes beaming. "How are you? What happened in the Land of Lightning?" he rubbed the back of his head.

Kurenai broke her focus from Kakashi, shifting it to the woman at Kakashi's side. For a split second, Kakashi could've sworn that he caught her lips turn downwards into a scowl. In the mindless blur that was his periphery, he thought he could see Shizune make the same expression back at Kurenai, but he couldn't be sure. Before he could confirm anything, Kurenai's smile widened.

"I managed to rendezvous with Sai and we carried Akamaru towards the Hidden Cloud Village where there shinobi found us" her eyes darted away, refusing to meet Kakashi's pupils. "They had to pull Kiba out of a pile of rubble and you were on the verge of death when they brought you back to the village so I'm glad you're alive" she stood up to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. She grabbed Mirai by the hand, leading her towards the gate. "I have an errand to run so we'll have to catch up before your next mission, Kakashi"

As they left, Mirai waved goodbye to Akamaru who just let out a huff of relief at the thought of being allowed to rest.

They continued into the house, doing their best not to sneeze from all the fur that filled the air. Despite her stronger nose, Hana seemed unaffected by the scent of dogs that permeated throughout the ground floor.

They slipped off their shoes in the hallway before beginning their trek upstairs. It was arduous, thanks to each of the young puppies that darted around their feet on each step, chasing each other through the house. Hana just tutted as Akamaru stood tall in an attempt to scare them into behaving.

Each stair creaked under their feet, the eerie sound was deafening in the silence of the house. Out of all the words that Kakashi would have used to describe the Inuzuka clan and the residence of its head family, quiet wouldn't have been one of them.

That sentiment came to the forefront of his mind when his eyes landed on the stern expression of Hana's mother. The dark pupils of Tsume Inuzuka regarded her home's visitors with a territorial curiosity.

"The Copy Ninja himself, Kakashi Hatake! What brings you to our home?" she glanced over his shoulder. "So, a medical visit? That's never been your style" she smirked at Kakashi as he rolled his eyes.

"How is he doing?" he asked.

She grimaced. "He's doing his best to deal with the pain but what that bastard did was brutal" Kakashi lowered his head, avoiding her gaze. But, he was straightened out with a strong paw slapping against his shoulder. "Relax, Kakashi! I know you did your best! They were just too strong"

As she turned, Kakashi caught a glimpse of the few drops that left glistening trails down her cheek. Before he could question what he saw, she showed them to a smooth wooden door. From the scratches around the frame and the way Akamaru pawed at the doorknob, Kakashi assumed that this was the room of his subordinate.

He went to knock, but he was beaten by Tsume who opted to just swing the door open hard enough for the hinges to let out a pained groan. "Make yourself at home! I'll go make us some tea" she announced, all but shoving Kakashi and Shizune into the room along with her daughter.

Looking around, Kakashi was pleased to be surprised by how tidy the room was considering its owner's animalistic tendencies. Aside from the plethora of small puppies that littered the carpet and the covers of the bed, it was a rather plain-looking room. Akamaru wasted no time barging past their legs to clamber onto the mattress. The young ones scrambled to give way to the giant ninja hound. Sniffing around the pillow, Akamaru nuzzled against the occupant's cheek.

Tired groans filtered out from underneath the mound of covers. Akamaru kept digging until Kiba gave in to his best friend's will. Sitting up, Kiba hugged his partner, doing his best to avoid the excitable wagging of his lengthy tail.

After a few moments of calming his canine friend down, Kiba shifted his gaze to his visitors. "Kakashi-sensei! How are you?" he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"I'm doing fine, Kiba. We're here to find out how you're doing" Kakashi explained.

Kiba growled, his fangs bared for them to see. "I'm fine! Like I told them the last hundred times" he jabbed his finger at Shizune. He continued ranting, making his frustration with all the medical check ups clear. For a moment, Kakashi worried that he would allow his anger to bleed into actions, but Hana stepped in front of him and Shizune.

As she calmed him down, Kakashi looked over the Inuzuka. All over his face, his skin was swollen and had turned a mix of deep shades of violet and azure. And to top them all was a large gash just above his bruised brow, a few sutures required to keep it from bleeding. Smaller cuts were dotted up and down his arms and chest, trailing their way down his torso. Some were pretty minor in nature, more pinkish in colour to match whilst the others that were deeper into his flesh carried a reddish hue. In swathes, bandages and creams were applied to Kiba's injuries. Much like a wild animal, Kiba didn't enjoy being restrained by the dressings, desperate to scratch at the fabric.

Although, Kakashi still wasn't convinced by his act. Underneath his deafening barks, soft whimpers reached Kakashi's ears. Searching for the cause of his discomfort, Kakashi's pupils flicked from cut to scratch.

A curious marking on Kiba's neck caught his gaze. Every time the Inuzuka's voice raised, it seemed to glow. Ebbing with each additional decibel, the sharp design looked as if it put more strain on Kiba's throat, almost like it was suffocating him.

That fact became more evident when Kiba began wheezing, his lungs screaming for air. Shizune rushed to Hana's side. Whilst Hana instructed him to breathe in a deeper manner, Shizune rubbed his back and kept his head up as she investigated the problem.

After a minute or two, Kiba's breathing steadied to a reasonable pace. Kakashi took it as his chance to take over from Hana, patting her on the shoulder as she stepped aside. He began by inspecting the mark on Kiba's neck. Intricate designs resembling kunai were etched into his skin, now glowing dimmer than before. Under the pads of his fingers, the design hummed with a strange chakra. It prickled against Kakashi's fingertips, crackling with a unique power. The closer he got to touching it, the more his flesh became number, stretching down to his wrist which began to lock up when he brushed against the mark.

"So, what do you think, Kakashi?" Shizune asked, coming shoulder to shoulder with him. Kiba's eyes flicked in every other direction, desperate to avoid Kakashi and Shizune's intense stares.

"I think that I have no clue what I'm looking at" he concluded.

Shizune let out a huff. "Are you serious?" she glared at him, looking for an answer. When he shook his head, she cursed under her breath. "So, what are we going to do about this curse mark?"

"I told you, I'm fine!" Kiba groaned as the mark grew brighter with his volume.

Kakashi was silent as Hana and Shizune went back to calming him down. He studied the way the mark seemed to affect Kiba's body, and even more so his behaviour. It was evil.

"We should go and ask someone who knows more about this stuff"

Shizune spun on him with a raised eyebrow. "And, who's that?" she asked.

"Orochimaru" a few of the puppies scattered around the room whined. The air in the room seemed to drop a few degrees as his audience's eyes widened.

A/N- Hey guys! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it's a little later than usual, I've been kinda ill this last week. But, now that it's out, I can go and watch the World Cup. Controversy aside, I'm excited to see how the three lions will do but if we don't win then I would like it to be Argentina, just because I wanna see Messi win one. Anyways, come on England!

Yours truly,

Signing off