Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Naruto.
A/N- Much less of a delay this time! Thank you so much for reviewing, we hit 111 reviews last chapter!
Chapter Six: The Welcome Wagon
Kakashi was woken the next morning by talking, running, banging, and other general noise that didn't help his encroaching headache one bit. He'd hardly slept last night; when he did he was soon woken by bits of nightmares. Bad dreams hadn't bothered him since around when he joined ANBU and Kakashi wondered what had brought them on again.
After a bandage change, a final packing job, dressing, and painkillers, Kakashi reluctantly joined the others for breakfast. If he weren't so hungry he might've skipped. With only a vague idea of what the food was he selected some sort of egg dish that looked nutritious. Having slept in, Kakashi had to hurry to get his trunk, owl and backpack full of shinobi gear downstairs to be loaded into cars.
Yes, it was true- Kakashi was going to get to ride in a real car. Cars were rare in the Hidden Continent so the Jonin had never even seen one before, let alone ridden in one. For shinobi especially they were impractical. Easy to sabotage, ridiculously easy to ambush, the Hidden Continent's almost nonexistent supply of oil- the list went on and on.
Despite this Obito had always wanted to ride in one, and Kakashi wondered if there'd be a chance to uncover his eye for him.
But it wasn't meant to be. Somehow the shiny green car stretched enough to accommodate five people on its small back seat, and Kakashi was crowded against the window with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Percy, and Mr. Weasely in the front. The car started, filling the air with an acrid scent, and Kakashi unconsciously tightened his grip on the seat.
"You okay?" asked Ron beside him.
"I never been in a ca-" The vehicle lurched forward, sending Kakashi's stomach flipping. The closest resemblance he could think of was the time he'd ridden on ANBU Hawk's huge bird summons, but even that had been a smoother flight than this.
"… been in a car before." He finished, cringing again when they turned another sharp corner. It was a good thing Kakashi was by a window because he could be sick at any moment. Why had Obito wanted to ride in one of these things again?
"You've never been in a car before?" parroted Ron, who annoyingly looked unfazed by the ride. "I'm from a pure blood family and even we had a car."
"I am from a-" his stomach clenched, "-a wizard town. We don't have cars."
"You sure you're alright? You look kinda car sick."
"I'm fine," the shinobi growled. He rested his head on the cool glass and tried to look at the scenery. "London" was so different from anything he'd ever seen it was unreal; like when he saw a movie once in a real theater with his team.
The drive was long; at least, it felt long to Kakashi. Finally they arrived at a huge place called King's Cross. Their group stood out like a sore thumb in the station full of normal, non-magical people. Kakashi spent the whole time constantly scanning the crowd for threats and avoiding conversations with the others.
After passing through a wall (some sort of wizard genjutsu) they arrived at a section of track with a bright red train. Kakashi knew even less about trains than he did cars. They moved on tracks and the engine was in the front; that was about the extent of his knowledge.
Their group moved to a less crowded area and the family began saying goodbyes. Mr. Weasely pulled Harry to the side; most likely to warn him about Black. The wizard didn't know Harry had been eavesdropping the night before. Mrs. Weasely was tearfully hugging all her children plus Harry and Hermione. Kakashi slipped away for a moment, suddenly very intent on making sure Fukurou's cage was secure.
"Kakashi, dear." The shinobi stiffened and turned. If she tried to hug him…
"I made you a sandwich for the train." The woman held out a paper bag.
"Ano... thank you." Mrs. Weasely reminded him suddenly of Kushina. Unconsciously he backed away. She'd always make him and Minato-sensei bento boxes for missions. They were good, but always had about four times what they could possibly eat. Most of it ended up in the stomachs of war orphans, other shinobi, or on occasion Kakashi's ninken.
Mrs. Weasely reminded him of Kushina. The twins with their carefree, mischievous attitude, of Obito. Hermione and her worrying ways of Rin.
The ANBU shook his head to clear it. This place was getting to him.
.X.X.X.X.
The feeling was peculiar. It started as a vague uneasiness, then gradually evolved into a nervous clenching in his stomach. Nobody else seemed to feel it, even the teacher in their compartment who smelled like a wolf and was pretending to sleep.
They'd been on the train for hours now. It'd been mostly peaceful and gave Kakashi time to, despite how terrible he was at reading English even with his dictionary on hand, get well into "The Wizard World for Muggle-borns", a book Hermione had made him buy. Other students had come in and out periodically, some making more noise than others.
But now… something was wrong. He could feel it.
Kakashi strengthened his mental barriers and the sensation faded and didn't return for several minutes. It was tempting to just ignore it, but Kakashi didn't become an ANBU captain by ignoring his gut instincts. Surreptitiously he put away the book and fingered the kunai in his pocket, senses on high alert.
The train jerked and slowed.
"We can't be there already," said Hermione, peering out the window.
The pressure on his mind was slowly building. For a teetering moment, he kept the attack at bay with sheer willpower. Then it was as if all his barriers began dissolving.
The first person he ever killed, gasping for breath around the kunai in her throat. His own guilt.
He blinked the image away. Shit. Genjutsu attack. He didn't have much time-
Boulders collapsing all around him. Obito and Rin's heavy breathing as they struggled to escape in time.
Damn. He needed to fight. Come on. Fight it!
Five times he tried to break the illusion with a 'kai'. But the attack was getting stronger. His insides felt like ice.
Eleven and in an Iwa prison; it was hopeless. He was too weak. There was no way to escape!
No. He had to keep his head. Think, analyze the situation. It was a genjutsu and a mental attack. He'd been trained for this. If he couldn't break the illusion himself, he had to defeat the person casting it.
"Lupin-san!" He barked at the teacher. "Someone is coming." The shinobi was unsteady but he made it into the corridor where curious students stuck their heads out of compartments. Lupin was beside him.
The smell of his own fear as he lay, injured and alone behind enemy lines. Help wasn't coming.
"Move the students inside. Close the windows and doors." He ordered Lupin. The man raised his wand and the compartments slid shut and the windows blinds rolled down. A few students were left in the corridor, including Ron's sister. The train had slowed to a stop.
"Ginny-" Kakashi clutched his head as the attack redoubled.
Rin sobbing at Obito's funeral. Him, powerless to help her.
"Get in the compartment. Lupin-san, get the students inside." Lupin hurried towards the startled children in the aisle.
And just in time. The enemies were getting close. The air was frozen.
His father, lying still in a pool of his own blood.
At the end of the train car the door rattled open. The door was close and he struggled to hold his ground in front of their compartment. Ghastly hooded figures appeared and moved slowly down the corridor. Cold, evil attacks wafted from them. He could feel his chakra being drained. Kakashi fell against the wall and gripped his kunai shakily.
"Kakashi… take care of Rin."
"Hey, hey! Kakashi!" Lupin's voice was far away.
The figures were getting closer. He threw the kunai. It passed straight through them.
Hopeless. Useless. Couldn't help his father. Couldn't protect Obito. Couldn't save Rin. Couldn't fulfill sensei's last wish.
Out of fear, or desperation, or both, he grabbed the first thing from his pocket- the wand. He swung wildly, and there was a bright flash.
An unearthly wail and a puff of black smoke.
But it was too late. The demonic figures were on him. He couldn't beat them. It was cold- his very bones were ice.
Death- that was all he could see. Ones who died in front of him, blood he spilt. The fear in the eyes of his victims as he slaughtered them. The screams.
Sensei and Kushina, still and spattered with blood.
Rin's cold face and the smell of her death.
"Help me!"
He can't save them.
"Don't-"
Only death.
"Please!"
"Don't kill me!"
He can only kill.
"No!"
He couldn't save them- now there's no one left to save.
"Kakashi!"
Why fight anymore?
Death followed like a plague around him. Best just to die. Best to turn out like his father. Another disgraced Hatake- it didn't matter anymore. Who cared? Certainly not the screams of his victims in his ears.
Everything was black.
.X.X.
Rin was dead. He knew that. Then why was he holding her? Why did he protect her body? Just an empty shell.
Kakashi just stood. Father was dead. Disgraced. What was the point anymore? Father had left him, had chosen to leave him. Useless. What kind of son was he? What kind of father left his son all alone?
Alone. There was no feeling and no reason to feel. He just floated aimlessly. Was he dead? Good. The cold was gone and he almost missed it. It was better than the nothingness that surrounded him now.
Something tugged at him. The bit of warmth and hope only made it worse- he was already dead, why rub it in? Only death. Only-
Light. Suddenly it was there. Warmth. Hope. Purpose.
He remembered Rin- what he had promised her. Sensei's last wish.
Live. Live and protect the village, Kakashi.
Rin's warm smile.
He couldn't let everyone down. Not again.
There was a feeling like rushing upward through deep water.
No, never again.
CagedWolfCagedWolfCagedWolfC agedWolf
Maybe it was the sleeping potion he took earlier or comforting rumble of the Hogwarts Express, but it seemed to have been ages since Remus Lupin had slept this well.
For a majority of the train ride he was content to just sit back and eavesdrop on the students who entered the compartment. To his disbelief and excitement it was Harry. Harry Potter. James' son!
Lupin drifted in and out of the effects of his sleeping potion and listen. Harry had come in with three other students, one of whom was called Kakashi. The name was foreign, but familiar somehow. The boy sat next to him and on the rare occasions he spoke it was with a thick accent. Lupin couldn't place it exactly. Asian, maybe?
And then it clicked. Kakashi Hatake. The one Dumbledore had told him about, how could he have forgotten?
"I'm bringing in some outside help, Remus. I hope you don't mind."
This kid, Kakashi- he had to be who Dumbledore was talking about.
"He'll be coming as a student, but his power is not that of any ordinary thirteen-year old. Remus, have you ever heard of the shinobi of the Hidden Continent?"
Unable to help himself, Lupin cracked an eye to get a look at the "shinobi". He wore dark clothes and had a medium build, if a little on the small side. What drew the werewolf's attention was the shock of white-gray hair that jutted almost vertically from his head. Did everyone from the Hidden Continent have white hair? Almost out of sight was the side of a black sweatband like thing around the boy's head. Quickly Lupin shut his eye again when Kakashi began to turn his way.
So this was a shinobi. Like everyone else, he'd only heard rumors. Shinobi- real life ninjas, fast enough to kill you before you could draw your wand, and ruthless enough to do it solely for pay. He wasn't one to believe stories like that, but being a werewolf gave him sharper instincts than most- and his instincts told him that Kakashi was dangerous and the rumors were deadly accurate.
This was who Dumbledore hired? This is who was supposed to keep Harry safe?
.X.X.X.X.
"Expecto Patronum!" Lupin roared. The Dementors retreated to the back of the car and away from Kakashi. This was certainly not how he had expected the simple train ride to turn out.
"Go. Sirius Black isn't hiding under our cloaks." The Dementors hesitated. His wolf patronus growled. Then all at once the hooded monsters glided out the back door.
"Kakashi!" The white-haired boy was on the ground, shaking and staring wide eyed at nothing. He'd never seen anything like this. Lupin picked him up and half dragged, half carried the boy into the compartment.
"Move off the bench, please." The wizard kept his voice level. The kids were already scared enough; he needed to keep calm for them. Harry was crumpled on the floor.
"What happened to Harry?" he asked.
Hermione found her voice. "He- he collapsed. What happened to Kakashi?"
"Never mind that, just make room." The students crammed onto one bench, and Lupin laid Kakashi clumsily on the other. The boy was still shaking, and Harry didn't look good either. Lupin slapped the black-haired boy a little, and after a moment he opened his eyes. "Wh-what?"
"Good. You're awake. Ron, help him up- try to make some room." The four children squeezed themselves onto the narrow seat. Harry and the little red-haired girl were still pale and could use some chocolate, but Kakashi needed the professor's attention more.
The shaking hadn't gotten any better, and his breathing was erratic and shallow. What on earth had happened? He'd never heard of a reaction this severe.
But then, Kakashi was a shinobi. Maybe the rumors about underage soldiers were true. The sweatband he'd noticed earlier was tilted to cover the boy's left eye- had it been lost in a fight?
Lupin shook the thought away. A werewolf had no place believing rumors. Kakashi needed his help. Chocolate wouldn't work, not while he was unconscious and couldn't eat it.
He tried a few spells, anything that might help. Calming spells, cheering spells, sleeping charms- nothing was working.
The little girl was crying.
Damn! Nothing was working. The only things that worked against Dementors were chocolate and the patronus charm-
That's it! Carefully Lupin muttered the spell and let a small, controlled, silvery patronus fall from his wand onto Kakashi. Immediately the shaking began stilling and breathing steadied. Tense minutes went by, and eventually the boy appeared to be merely sleeping.
Lupin let out a huge breath and put away his wand.
"Is he alright, Professor? What... happened?" asked Hermione timidly.
"That's what I want to know." Lupin muttered to himself.
CagedWolfCagedWolfCagedWolfC agedWolf
"I don't want chocolate," Kakashi said for the tenth time. All he wanted was to be left alone.
Kakashi rubbed at Obito's eye with the heel of his hand. His eye, head, whole body ached and he could still feel the Dementor-cold in his bones. Whatever the creatures had done it drained his chakra to less than half, and what was left felt sore and frazzled. The feeling was rather like when he tried to redirect a lightning jutsu too powerful for him- it had torn through his chakra system and shorted it out.
"You just nearly got your soul sucked out. Chocolate will make you feel better!" insisted Lupin.
"I'm fine."
Rin would've disagreed and forced him to admit it, but he pushed her out of his mind as best he could. The images and voices lingered at the edge of his consciousness and he couldn't afford another attack.
Fucking Dementors. Looks like he wouldn't be working with them any time soon.
"Professor Lupin, what happened? Why did me and Kakashi faint but no one else? I get the soul-sucking part but… why us?" ventured Harry.
"Well," Lupin gave a half-laugh, "Kakashi tried to fight them, which might have added to the problem."
"He what?"
Kakashi shrugged and pushed himself into sitting position. The small movement made his stomach clench. Suddenly he realized the train had stopped. Were they already there? Damn. He'd wanted more time to rest.
Standing, he wavered for a moment and almost blacked out again before righting himself.
"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Hermione with furrowed brows.
"I'm fine." Kakashi was unaware of the killing intent he accidentally let off.
The rest of the evening passed in a slight haze. His mind was exhausted, and the shinobi couldn't seem to hold a thought in his head for long. As they stepped into the pouring rain Kakashi barely remembered to throw on the Hogwarts cloak. Everyone else was in full uniforms. The crowd of students was suffocating, but his senses had adjusted to magic by then and it no longer bothered him.
Even the bat-like horses pulling carriages barely phased him. One hell of a welcome wagon, was all he thought as one snorted, showing pointed teeth. Hermione glanced worriedly at him and Kakashi ignored her.
What he really wanted was to go to sleep, but apparently there was some sort of dinner first. Mentally he berated himself for his fatigue; when he was eleven he'd once fought off two Iwa Chunnin after having been under a torture genjutsu for an hour. What was it about the Dementor that shook him up so badly?
"Kakashi, this will be your first time in the Great Hall, right?" asked Harry unexpectedly. Hermione and Ron looked at him strangely as the wizard boy tried to break the uncomfortable silence in the carriage.
"Yes." Actually it was his second, but he wasn't about to tell the kids that.
"It's amazing. The ceiling is spelled so it looks like the sky, and it's huge."
"Come to think of it, do you think Kakashi should've gone with the first years? He hasn't been sorted yet," said Hermione.
"You better get into Gryffindor," added Ron. Ravenclaw is okay if you like books, but Slytherin is the worst one by far. There isn't a dark wizard that didn't come from Slytherin, you know."
"You forgot Hufflepuff, Ron. It's not bad either," admonished Hermione.
"Well Hufflepuff's alright, I guess. Better than Slytherin. Can you imagine if he got stuck with Malfoy?"
"Wait, wait." Interrupted Kakashi; he hadn't followed any of what they just said. "What the hell is a Hufflepuff?"
"Hogwarts has four houses everyone is sorted into. Each house has- actually," said Hermione as the carriage creaked to a stop, "you'll see when you get there, the hat will explain. Just sit with us, Dumbledore will call you up if he needs to."
Call me up for what? Wondered Kakashi, who was still confused about the 'house' thing. Why would they divide the students? Wouldn't that just turn them against each other?
No matter. Hogwarts was as huge and fancy as ever, though it was less cavernous with so many people filling it. They followed the crowd into the huge room Kakashi had eaten lunch in before. Had that really only been yesterday?
Five massive tables adorned the room this time; four on the floor and one smaller staff table on a raised platform overlooking them. It reminded him vaguely of the ANBU cafeteria, just with more noise, more children, and floating candles strewn everywhere. The moment he sat down Kakashi was hit with a wave of fatigue. He rested his head on the table and continued to be amazed how much the Dementors drained his chakra in such a short time. Not just his chakra, but his mind was still reeling from the attack.
Once, twice, three times he thought he heard Rin's laugh or a snatch of Obito's loud voice. Three times he forced himself not to look up because it was just his frazzled mind playing tricks on him again.
"You okay?" asked Harry.
"Tired," mumbled Kakashi. The shinobi closed his eye and let his senses spread around the room. The candles didn't smell too strongly. With satisfaction he noticed that he could now pick out individual magic signatures instead of just sensing one mass of energy, thought he couldn't distinguish between them yet. Suddenly the room quieted. Kakashi looked up. An old hat was sitting on a stool and the whole school fixated on it. What the…? Suddenly a seam moved on the hat, and a raspy voice echoed throughout the room.
A hat. Was. Singing. What? Kakashi exhaled and put his head back on the table. This place was just- Obito would love it here. The thought came unbidden to his mind.
The hat finished its song, which was something about the four houses. McGonagall called out "Alden, Ana!" A small blonde girl stepped out of a group of children and McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
"SLYTHERIN!"
So the hat placed people in houses. Did it just choose randomly? He tuned out the rest of the sorting and concentrated on eavesdropping on those around him. It wasn't hard; there were more than a few whispers pointed in his direction.
"… what's up with the hair?"
"No, his eyes are too dark to be albino…"
"…kind of cool looking, don't you think?"
"Transfer student? Never heard of that…"
"…eye patch- thing…"
"…Dementors! Those were awful."
"My brother saw him in the train corridor right before the Dementors showed up. He said there was flash of white light…"
Damn. Kakashi had hoped no one had seen anything with the Dementors. Hopefully no one would realize exactly what had happened.
"... welcome our new transfer student, Kakashi Hatake!" Said shinobi's head snapped up. Dumbledore gestured him up to where the other children had been sorted. Self-consciously Kakashi tugged his headband more snugly over Obito's eye. He could feel the stares of the entire room on him as he walked quickly to the front of the room and sat on the stool. Keeping his chin up, Kakashi braced for whatever the sorting hat was about to do.
"A shinobi, eh? Haven't seen one of you in a while." Kakashi violently jumped at the voice in his ear. How did it know…?
"I look into your mind to see what house I should put you in. Just relax."
I won't let you look into my mind. I can't let my village secrets be-
There was a sensation of something sliding into his skull, unlike any interrogation technique he'd ever felt.
Wait-
"I said relax. I won't look at anything dangerous."
Well, it wasn't as if he had a clue how to defend against it anyway. Slowly and carefully he relaxed his mental walls.
"Alright then. Hm, let's see… you've changed much in your life. There was a time I might of put you in Ravenclaw. You're very intelligent, creative - but there's more to you than just that. More than loyal enough for Hufflepuff, but that's not right either. Brave and courageous of course, but far from reckless. You have a way of analyzing a problem before trying to solve it. Determination, resourcefulness, and cunning have kept you alive many times."
Kakashi was aware of the stares of the school on him. He wished the hat would hurry up.
"You're a difficult one, you know. A year ago I may have put you in Gryffindor. But you don't trust people anymore, do you? Cunning… intelligence… A natural leader… not much ambition, but you are pure-blooded… I'll have to say-"
"SLYTHER-!"
WAIT!
The hat stopped mid-word.
You have to put me in Gryffindor! If you know my mind you must know my mission. Being in another house will mean I'm away from Harry, won't it? I have a job to do!
"I've never put a person in a house I didn't feel they were meant to be in. But I don't think you're going to budge on this. Guess it better be GRYFFINDOR!"
The hat shouted the last word to the applause of the Gryffindor table. But almost as loud were the murmurs of the other tables, especially Slytherin. Kakashi ignored them all as he made his way back to his seat.
"Blimey, that was new," stated Ron. "I've never heard of the Sorting Hat changing his mind like that. What was that about?"
Kakashi shrugged. Dumbledore started making a speech and he only half listened.
"Not that we didn't want you in Gryffindor," added Harry. "It almost put me in Slytherin too you know, back when I was sorted."
A thought struck him. "The hat said I was 'pure blood'. What does that mean?"
"It means you come from an all magical family. Do you?"
By that thinking, he was a pureblood- the shinobi equivalent, anyway. His father was a Hatake and his mother a blue-blooded Inuzuka. It was from her that Kakashi inherited his sense of smell and hearing, pointed teeth, and ninken.
"Yes. Is pure blood important?"
Hermione made a face. "Only to Slytherins. They're obsessed with blood-purity."
"It doesn't matter. I'm a pure blood and Hermione's a muggle-born, and she's loads better at magic than I am," agreed Ron, and Hermione blushed.
Kakashi had a wave of nostalgia. He was sure Obito had said the same thing about Rin's civilian roots, years ago. The thought made his chest clench and he pushed it away with an effort. What was wrong with him today?
Dumbledore finished speaking and food (literally) magically appeared on the tables. Various dishes covered every square inch, and Kakashi could only guess at what they were. But he wouldn't have to worry about that; right in front of him was a gigantic steaming bowl of pork miso ramen, complete with chopsticks. It was possibly the best think that had happened to him all day. Snapping apart the chopsticks he dug in with relish. It wasn't up to say, Ichiraku standards, but it was enough to calm his nerves and the cold in the pit of his stomach.
"Say, Kakashi…" asked Harry hesitantly after a while. "How did you, I mean, you don't have to answer but- what happened to your eye?"
The shinobi's chopsticks froze.
"Accident."
"Oh. Will it get better…?"
Obito's weak voice as he lay beside him.
"Sorry about the scar… That was my fault."
"No-" Kakashi gritted his teeth as Rin cut a nerve of his ruined eye. "It's like you said. Girls think scars are cool, right?"
A strained laugh. "Sharingan's way cooler…"
"No. It won't ever heal."
He stood up. The scrap of a good mood the ramen had given him was gone.
"I'm going to the room." Stares followed the white-haired boy all the way to the door, where he slipped into a side hallway. Leaning against the wall, he slid down the stone into a crouch and rested his head on his arm.
What was wrong with him? He'd spent years, years teaching himself to block things out. Now he couldn't go ten minutes without remembering something that made his chest ache with emotion. Content to just stay put until Harry came out, because of course he had to wait for him, Kakashi rested his head against the cool stone and wondered if he could take a nap without letting his guard down too much.
"Kakashi, there you are." The Jonin opened his eye and glanced at Madame Pomfrey, the nurse.
Great.
"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead explaining what had happened. Dumbledore didn't want me to interrupt your sorting, and I couldn't catch you beforehand. Did Lupin give you anything for the Dementor?"
Kakashi glared, but answered. "Lupin did… something that woke me up. And he give- gave me candy."
"Chocolate, you mean? Good to know we finally have a Defense against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies. Here, stand up and let me take your temperature. Awful things, Dementors, especially to those who- goodness!"
Kakashi was unprepared for the wave of nausea that hit him when he tried to stand. His vision tipped and darkened and he fell against the wall, breathing deeply.
"Oh, dear! Are you alright?"
"Fine. What do you want?" he demanded acerbically. He was fine, why couldn't they just leave him the hell alone?
"Professor Lupin said you were unconscious for a half an hour on the train, and that it took a concentrated patronus to revive you! I've never heard of such a reaction; you need to stay the night at the hospital wing at least!"
"Well, seeing as he tried to fight them, I'm just relieved he still has his soul." Kakashi's attention snapped to Lupin, who had just walked up. "Excuse me for interruption, but I was concerned as well. Is he alright, Madame Pomfrey?"
"I would know if he would let me examine him," the nurse huffed.
"I'm fine. I only need sleep."
"Sleep might not be enough. You realize what Dementors are, don't you? They would've sucked your soul out if I hadn't been there."
"I don't believe in a 'soul'."
"If I'd been any later it wouldn't have mattered," said Lupin stone-faced.
"Wait. Did you say he tried to fight the Dementors?" said the nurse suddenly.
"And he got one too," Lupin half-laughed. "What spell was that, anyway, Kakashi? Not any patronus I've ever seen."
"Spell? I don't know spells. That was instinct." And desperation, he added silently.
"Instinct, huh? Maybe it was like untrained children's magic. That reminds me- here." Lupin pulled Kakashi's red and black wand out of his pocket. "You left it on the train. Be more careful." The shinobi took it and peered at the tip. The red wood was blackened and a bit of varnish had been burned off. Pocketing it and deciding to figure that out later, he said, "Pomfrey-sa- Madame Pomfrey, I am not staying in the infirmary."
"I will absolutely not let-"
"You forget I have a job. The first night is highest chance of something happening."
"Nothing's going to happen. This is a safe place, you have to know that."
"Of course I do. But I will not take a risk." The battle of wills, with the addition of killing intent, lasted only a moment.
Pomfrey sighed with a slight shiver. "Alright, you win. But only if you let me take a look at you first." Kakashi nodded. She took his pulse and temperature, both of which were a bit high and made her cluck her tongue disapprovingly.
"Letting Dementors on a train full of children, the very idea…" the old witch muttered. "Do you have any symptoms? Fatigue, or trembling?"
"Just tired," Kakashi said.
"He was shaking like a leaf before I used the patronus. And I'm sure he almost fainted at least twice afterwards." Kakashi sent Lupin a sidelong, murderous glare the wizard pretended not to notice.
"And you know Madame Pomfrey, Dementors affect those who have- seen bad things the worst." A look passed between the two adults. Pity? Fear? Kakashi couldn't quite place it.
"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary when they were near? Strange sounds? Temperature change?" asked the woman.
"It was cold. And I heard- old memories." Kakashi had the feeling that an abridged truth would get him out of there quicker than an all-out lie.
The old nurse sighed. "From the sound of it they attempted a Dementor's kiss- you nearly lost your soul. Goodness, are you sure you won't stay the night?"
"Yes. Sleep will refill my chakra."
Kakashi got two questioning looks, so he explained.
"Chakra is like magic. Life energy. The Dementors drained it. But sleep will fix it." A more accurate description was that it felt like someone had attempted to tear his chakra system from his very body, but he kept that to himself.
Voices drifted up the hallway, announcing that dinner had ended. His charge was near the front of the group.
"I still can't believe you asked about his eye, Harry, don't you think maybe he didn't want to talk about it?" he heard Hermione say, out of earshot if he hadn't been half Inuzuka.
"Oi! Kakashi!" said Ron's voice from the crowd, and the three friends trotted over.
Madame Pomfrey put on a kinder face than the one she had been wearing as they approached. "Oh, Harry, you saved me having to find you. Professor Lupin said you also had some trouble with the Dementors."
"I'm fine, really. Professor Lupin gave me some chocolate."
"Are you sure you're alright? You look a bit clammy."
"No, I feel great." Harry seemed about as excited to talk about the incident as Kakashi was.
"Well, if Kakashi's not going to the hospital wing, I suppose it's not fair to make Harry. Here, take this-" she handed both boys chocolate bars, "and eat some before you go to bed."
A moment later they rejoined the flood of students heading to the dorms, and Kakashi was reminded unpleasantly of the fact that he probably should take a long patrol around the grounds after everyone else was asleep. For the first week or so the chance of attack was high and until then he had to stay on his toes.
"Dammit," he muttered. Harry gave him a sidelong glance; come to think of it Kakashi hadn't done the greatest job gaining the other teens' trust. All three were friendly enough, but the Dementor episode made them wary once again. Having his charge be friendly with him would make things so much easier…
An idea came to him suddenly. He just might be able to kill two birds with one stone.
"Do you," he said, interrupting whatever the others were talking about, "want to see shinobi magic?"
"You mean your kind of spells?" asked Hermione, her face lighting up. The boys looked intrigued as well.
The shinobi led them down a hallway he remembered being fairly hidden. After checking to make sure the coast was clear, he pulled his summoning scroll out of his cloak pocket and laid it on the ground. The familiar ink markings looked out of place in the ancient stone castle. Conscious of the three wizards scrutinizing him, Kakashi pricked his thumb on his tooth, focused his depleted and frazzled chakra, and made the hand signs.
Kuchinose no jutsu! A puff of white smoke, and his pack appeared.
"Yo," said Pakkun.
"Bloody hell!" said Ron.
"Who're these brats? Where are we, anyway?"
"Right, I never told you guys about this mission, did I?" Kakashi switched back to his native tongue with relish. Risu, one of the youngest and most adventurous of his dogs, trotted forward and sniffed Hermione, who patted her black-and-white head.
"I like them," she said and panted happily.
"Did that dog just talk?" gasped Harry.
"Harry, you live in a magic castle with a singing hat. Are you honestly surprised by a talking dog?"
"I suppose…" he trailed off.
"Hey, that's that other language you speak! Are we on the Outside?" yipped Uhei.
"Yeah, it's a guard mission. The one with the black hair is the priority, but let's not let anyone get killed, alright? I want you to keep a constant perimeter around the school for tonight and tomorrow. Later we can loosen up the security, but until then be extra careful. Call me if anyone suspicious shows up, and send someone to report back in the morning. Got it?"
There was a collection of yips, tail wags and 'hai's, and his pack trotted off. Pakkun jumped up on top of Dai, a huge wolf- like dog, and Kakashi rolled his eyes at his pug's laziness.
"Where are they going?"
"They want to explore."
"I don't think you're allowed to have that many pets," said Hermione disapprovingly.
"Only Pakkun might stay in the dorm. The others will stay in the summon world."
"Summon world?" asked Harry. Kakashi gave an explanation of animal summoning with his limited vocabulary that only Hermione seemed to understand as they followed a group of Gryffindors to a large portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress. Kakashi had realized yesterday that it was a secret passage, but hadn't guessed it led to an entire dorm. They said goodbye to Hermione in the common room and went up the stairs to the right. Kakashi was in Harry and Ron's room, of course, and according to them the room had been magically expanded to fit his bed. It was up against a wall with a large window; a perfect way to get in and out unnoticed.
The day's events hit him as he fell exhausted into the thick Western-style mattress, barely remembering to kick off his shoes. Sleep was far from peaceful and he could still feel the frigid aftereffects of the Dementors in his body. After waking up from a nightmare for the third time, Kakashi eyed the chocolate he had left on his headboard. Madame Pomfrey said it would help. But he hated candy. His last nightmare lingered like an old would in the back of his mind, reminding him what the rest of the night would be like without treatment.
"Fine. You win," he said out loud. Choking down it's bitter sweetness and an ANBU sleeping pill in one swallow, Kakashi had just enough time to wince at the taste before he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
CagedWolfCagedWolfCagedWolfC agedWolf
Not so very far away a man with pale eyes smiled.
"So he's arrived, has he? Good... we've waited long enough."
.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.
Word Count- 7,096
A/N:
So… the update time was better! Just 4 weeks this time. I already had a portion of this chapter written beforehand, but it still took me 3 weeks to do the first draft and another week to finish editing.
If you found the Very Potter Musical quote, then virtual cookies for you! Or, as my friend says, "idea toast".
As far as I know I'm the first one to ever make Kakashi an Inuzuka. How did you like that?
Happy birthday to me! (a few days ago!) I got a Miyazaki film, Kingdom Hearts, ANBU Kakashi fanart and a Pakkun keychain. Pretty much the best (and nerdiest) birthday ever.
Poll-
I got some great answers to last chapter's question of Kakashi's house. You made me want to sort him into Slytheriffinhuffleclaw. Hufflepuff, surprisingly, got the most support. As for why I chose Slytherin for the house he was "sorted into", you have to remember that there's more to Slytherin than ambition. The Snake house is also resourceful, cunning, shrewd, determined, and has natural leadership qualities, all of which describe Kakashi. Gryffindor is too reckless, Ravenclaw too bookish, and Hufflepuff too… nice.
Here are bits from my favorite reviews arguing each house, and why I chose them.
Gryffindor:
Animebookfreaker- "…Kakashi would probably choose to be in Gryffindor just for his mission. I can just imagine him arguing with the hat. The hat said you choose to be in what house you want to be in."
For calling pretty much exactly what happened.
Slytherin:
The Last Hatake- "Kakashi being ANBU knows how to be cunning, and the shinobi world being the shinobi world, Kakashi guaranteed knows about and is capable of acting cruel. In addition to that, his previous experiences have given him a dark personality-one that knows about how unfair life can be- which is too dark for the other houses of 'light'."
For pointing out that both Kakashi and the House of Snakes are kind of evil.
Hufflepuff:
BLAZ m- "Hufflepuff because as much of an antisocial asshat he is, he's shinobi. Loyalty to ones team, ones Kage, ones village and mission.
For a good point and use of the word "asshat".
Ravenclaw:
skie89-"Also his secondary mission is to research and gather information about wizards, Ravenclaws would ignore the large amount of time he spends studying in the library to accomplish this. It would also explain his lack of social grace since Ravenclaws are known for being a bit socially inept."
For being true to Ravenclaw's practical nature.
Honorable Mention:
TeamJemTeamMalec- "He's killed way too many people to be a Hufflepuff. Just saying."
For a pretty much undeniable argument.
No poll for this chapter, but what have you manga readers thought of the last few chapters? By the way this story will not follow what we just found out. I might incorporate in some parts so the plot makes sense (as this is a mostly cannon story), but in this story something else happened, that is actually creepily similar to the manga- more on that later.
And we found out Rin's last name FINALLY. It's "Nohara".
Review if you liked it! They make updates come faster!