A/N: I'm thinking there's only two or three chapters left after this, I hope you've enjoyed this fic enough to read this far, even if I did go AWOL for a few months…

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Naruto or any of the characters, only the OCs.

The Alpha and the Outsider

Over the course of the next few days, further little snippets of information was drawn out from the Hihanta, answering some of the smaller questions like, why attack the ninken in the village, when he true goal was Luna herself? His answer had been in the form of a casual shrug and a grin, revealing that it had been simply entertaining, watching the last remaining wolf's confidence break as her newfound family began to doubt and suspect her of foul play.

Another question that had been answered just as slyly, was why have her attack his own son? If it wasn't abundantly clear that Teiru had all but lost his mind, it was confirmed by his response to that one. He'd noticed them getting close, had sensed the feeling of security Luna had been building up around the Inuzuka heir and, son or not, he had despised it.

This hybrid, this abomination, finding comfort in his own family? It had sickened him. And angered him. Enough to want to teach them both a lesson, by having Luna turn on her allies and more specifically, Kiba.

He had wanted to tear them apart, to isolate them and nip whatever was blossoming between them in the bud, before it could bloom. What he hadn't accounted for was his son's stubbornness, and his fierce loyalty to his friends. He had even had the audacity to comment how disappointed he was by that.

And then there were more factual pieces of intel the Leaf Anbu managed to acquire. The instrument he used to control the canines with was designed specifically with the wolves in mind, tuning into their acute hearing and playing with nerve-endings in their brains that paralysed and controlled their own movements. However when asked why not just have the wolves commit suicide, Teiru had revealed that the only thing stronger than the whistle's control, was the instinct to survive. Wolves were a predatory species, with one of the strongest survival natures, adaptable and proud, suicide was the one thing they would never be easily convinced of. As an off-comment, he added that his way was far more amusing anyway, which had earned him a gravity-defying upper punch to the chin from the Hokage.

The whistle he had crafted himself, which begged the question, could anyone else create such an item? But Teiru was still dead-set on the terms he had put forward to Luna herself; if the leaf wanted information, they had to agree to kill him, and quickly.

What the leaf didn't know, was that Teiru had already received his first visit from the Diurnal council, in the deepest black of night, under the guise of a line of rats, who made their way undetected through the Kage halls and squeezed themselves beneath the doors of the cell with ease. The jutsu of transformation was actually a chakra-sharing essence transfer, in which the user temporarily switched their inner essence with that of an animal. The Hitaiyo clan had been a line of animal tamers, and while none of the Diurnal council were actually of direct bloodline descents of the original Hitaiyo family, they were closely related.

The first to transform was the eldest, Maro. With a long, thin beard that reached a wispy point just below his sternum, the wizened old man made his stance in front of an already half-beaten Hihanta.

"So, the Leaf have welcomed you back, their prodigal son?" He sneered down at the prisoner, his grey eyes lighting up at the flicker of fear that crossed Teiru's expression. Maro may have looked old, but he was far from weak.

"I have failed in my mission, my Lord." He stated, his voice robotic and yet somehow formal.

Maro's smirk twisted. "Hmm. Yes, it would appear so."

"The Hangetsu still breathes." Another chimed in, a slightly younger, though equally powerful elder named Shanto. "You have failed your mission."

"I have failed my mission." Teiru repeated, eyes unfocused as though lost in a distant memory.

"Although," Maro began, pinching the tip of his beard and casting a gaze over the rest of the council member as, one by one, they transformed into their human forms. "You have managed to almost complete succeed."

"Almost completely." The only female of the group mimicked, her long dark brown hair pulled up into two high pigtails, which swished from side-to-side as she shook her head, disappointed.

"Therefore, we shall allow you a few more days to reflect upon your failure. Before we come for you, one last time." The oldest decided, glancing to the others who shrugged and dipped their heads in agreement.

This Hihanta was their current champion, holding the record of wiping out almost all of the main branch of Hangetsu descendants, along with the entirety of the rest of their clan. Only one remained, but they knew her time would come. They would see to it, one way or another. There was always a loophole in age-old traditions, but, perhaps they would not need to search for such an out. Teiru was not their final candidate for the role of Wolf-hunter, after all.

Teiru seemed surprised by their announcement, but chose not to comment, either out of respect of fear of changing their minds. He wanted to die at the Leaf's hand, as his final shred of humanity clung to the ideal that the Leaf deserved as much, as did he. To die at the hands of the village he turned his back on, seemed only fitting for a great legend as himself.

Somehow, in his twisted mind, that made a lot of sense to him.

One by one, as casually as they had arrived, the council members shrunk back down into their tiny black and brown rodent forms, their glistening red beady eyes glowing in the dimly lit cell, imprinting on the ex-Inuzuka's memory like tattoos.

Maybe it was that one last glint in their evil eyes that finally reminded Teiru of his humanity, or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was had led him to this moment right now, willing to tell his story to the Hokage and her Anbu, along with a small audience of his mate, his son and Luna.

No, he wasn't sure what had caused this change in decision, but here he was. And he would tell them everything, every last bloody detail if that's what they asked. He was going to die one way or another, either by the hands of his old village or the Diurnal council.

It had been over fifteen years since he'd left them, so he supposed he should start from the beginning.

"A mission in the North had led me right into the middle of a hunt. There must have been at least twenty wolves, and it was just me an Omaru, outnumbered ten to one. I hadn't intended on fighting them, but it was the beasts who started this war in the first place over three centuries ago, and it was them who drew me into it, too." Teiru spared a moment to glare at the she-wolf, whose brow furrowed at the accusation.

"We managed to take down at least a third of them, but we were already weak and hungry after a long mission in Wind country. If it hadn't been for Maro and Omanatsu, we never would have made it back alive. That's the first time I met them."

The Leaf Anbu scribbled down the names on pre-prepared notebooks, readying themselves for the onslaught of questions they planned to fire at the Hihanta when he was finished his tale.

"They knew of my link to the Hitaiyo bloodline instantly, I was never quite sure how, but they said I had already begun to prove my worth by simply taking on the wolf pack. I had no idea what they were talking about at the time, and had no interest in joining their little plight, but I learned very quickly that the Diurnal council do not take no for an answer." He shuddered a little as though recalling a painful memory, but chose not to relay that information, deeming it irrelevant as he continued.

"I never made it home that evening, or the next, or the one after that. They were persistent in pursuing me and preventing my return to the village, and in the end, I had no choice but to hear them out. The conversation was very one-sided, my fate already fully decided and mapped out. But the more they told me, the more I wanted to join them. I owed it to my ancestors, I owed it to myself. When those monsters had surrounded me in the forest I'd had no idea they were a race of supposedly intelligent creatures, and yet they still chose to attack. Weak and defenceless as Omaru and I were, they attacked, unyielding."

Luna shifted uncomfortably. It was no secret that the wolves were not trusting of outsiders, but one small branch of her kind did not speak for the entirety of them. There were bad types of every species, but her family back in the Land of the Moon had not one of them. They were innocents.

Kiba nudged her slightly with his shoulder, and although she was unsure if it was intentional, she appreciated the reminder that she wasn't in this alone anymore.

"Their teachings were unyielding and excruciating. Day in, day out. The second the sun rose, right up until it dipped below those golden hills." The Leaf ninja exchanged glances at the possible clue to location, but Teiru continued before they got a chance to comment. "I was a willing candidate from the start, but the things I endured in order to become the ideal vessel to carry out their ancestor's will, were unrelenting. I'm honestly not sure how I made it through some of those terrible days…"

Tsume spoke up suddenly, her harsh voice ringing with an element of bitter hope. "They tortured you?"

The Hihanta chuckled humourlessly. "Tortured? Huh, I wish they had. Their methods were somewhat more… thorough. Physically, mentally… and otherwise." That was as much as the Hihanta would say on the matter, moving on again to the next segment of events. "When they finally deemed me ready, I had to complete their initiation test. They told me to kill Omaru."

For the first time in his life, Kiba heard his mother stutter. "No… Teiru, y-you didn't…"

The man lowered his head, in a gesture that might have been viewed as apologetic, had it not been for the sinister sneer on his features. "I did."

The atmosphere was suddenly broken by a loud hissing sound, as Tsume's claws sliced through her mate's remaining in-tact cheek stripe. She had moved before anyone, even the Hokage, could register, her arm striking agilely through the bars like a viper. The triangular marking began to seep a thick, scarlet liquid from three jagged lines that now ripped across the side of his face. Her fierce onyx eyes burned with an emotion so dire that Luna would have cowered if Kiba hadn't been stood so close beside her. Subconsciously, she shifted closer still, but he barely reacted, so lost in the shock of the moment.

"You bastard." The Inuzuka Alpha snarled, fangs piercing her lower lip as she trembled with rage. Her nails dug into the palms of her clenched fists as she realised why his scent was so unfamiliar, why she hadn't detected his odour the moment he'd drawn close to the village. It was because of Omaru. Killing Omaru had changed him, beyond the point of no return.

"It was a necessary evil."

"For something you had nothing to do with? It wasn't your war to fight! It wasn't Omaru's war! How could you?!"

"It was a necessary evil…" Teiru repeated robotically, expression completely blank as though reciting from a book.

"Damn, they brain-washed you well, didn't they?" Kiba ground out through gritted teeth when his mother was otherwise at a loss of how to reply.

Teiru didn't even flinch at the hostility in their voices. The Anbu guards took this as their chance to quiz him on matters that seemed far more menial. Things he refused to answers even now, such as the individual council members or their whereabouts. And then things he was more than happy to answer, like how he entered the Leaf.

"Heh. I entered the same way I entered the Hangetsu village. Through the front door."

Luna's head snapped up, the mention of her village hitting a sore spot.

"The entrance to the Leaf was more tricky, but even you ninja have ninken at your gates. It was easy enough once I'd channelled the right frequency in my whistle though. Distract the dogs, distract the guards, stroll right through. The wolves, on the other hand, made it far too easy."

"Teiru…" Tsume growled a warning, but her estranged mate wasn't about to stop.

"I must say though, it was impressive the way they all ganged together in their futile attempt to stop me. But once I'd set the first one against the rest of the pack, the homicidal slaughter was inevitable. The blood was everywhere, splattering the dens and the dying bodies of fur. Interesting little fact actually, when a hybrid is on the verge of death, they revert back to their natural form. Complete wolf, would you believe!"

"Teiru!" This time it was Kiba who had snarled, shifting so he was partially covering Luna from the Hihanta's sight, as though that would shield her from his words.

"That second whistle wasn't easy to craft, either. You have your father to thank for my delay in catching you up. He was the last one alive. Managed to damage the first whistle enough to hinder it's use to me when I finally fought him at the end. His death was rather magnificent actually. So much so, that I carved out his heart while he was still breathing and watched as the light left his eyes."

"Stop it!" Luna trembled as her hands rose to her head, backing away a few steps and pulling down on the tips of her ears as though to block out his voice. She desperately wanted him to stop talking, to leave tale of her family out of it. But the she-wolf was already drawn into how her family spent their final moments, despite how traumatic it was becoming.

"And you know, you aren't the first wolf to resist the control of the whistle. Your mother managed to break free of its power too. Oh, she was so heroic, taking the brunt of her children's attacks while fending off your father's on them. That's how you got away, come to think of it. She managed to grab you by the scruff of your neck and throw you into the ocean off a cliffside where she was fighting. The water must have acted as a sound barrier or something, blocking the sound of the whistle when seawater filled your ears instead. You got lucky."

The prisoner paused, expression darkening at the sheer look of horror on the hybrid's face. "Or maybe, you didn't. I know I would hate to be the sole survivor of my clan. How alone you must feel. I do have to say though, I will probably remember your mother for as long as I live, protecting her pups until her dying breath, when the great alpha finally tore through her windpipe and sent her sprawling across the already stained floor…"

"THAT'S ENOUGH." The metal bars clanged loudly as Kiba threw himself at his father, fists clenching in the material of his cloak wrapped around his neck.

"I think we've gained all the information we need." The Anbu male nearest to the hybrid girl muttered dryly, stepping forward to remove Kiba from the cell bars. "We can take it from here."

Reluctantly, the young dog trainer released the monster with a furious shrug, eyes glowing with a fury beyond anything he'd ever felt before. Without a second glance, he returned to Luna's side, tugging none too gently on her forearm and leading her away.

Outside, even though the tension didn't let up, the pair finally felt they could breathe again. They walked on auto-pilot, neither entirely sure of where the other way leading them until they arrived at the top of the Hokage mountain.

Minutes ticked by in heart-felt silence, the cool breeze washing over their skin as though cleansing their souls of the traumas the day had brought.

Eventually, when she felt brave enough, Luna faced her companion. "Kiba… I'm sorry, you know, about your dad."

"That bastard wasn't my dad." The Inu snapped, subconsciously baring his fangs.

Luna's ears flattened. "I know, but he was once."

"…That man died a long time ago."

She held her breath as more silent moments passed, starting lightly when he pulled her against his chest.

"I'm sorry, too." He murmured into her hair, onyx eyes sliding shut and he inhaled her earthy deeply.

Luna felt tears welling at the back of her eyes. She thought of her father, so strong and brave and powerful, to have everything torn away from him in such a horrifically brutal end that he no one could ever deserve. And her mother, fiercely protective and loyal right up to her final breaths. The thought of never even being able to thank her, or tell her she loved her ever again suddenly stabbing her in the chest.

All this pain and death and loss, and for what? The blood of their ancestors may run in their veins, but family did not define anyone.

A sob tore from her throat as another wave of fresh pain crashed over her, and Kiba's arms tightened around her waist as he murmured to her soothingly. His words were mostly incoherent, drowned out by her ragged breaths and broken cried, but she hung on every word. Clinging to him like a lifeline, she allowed herself to simply grieve as her heart shattered for the millionth time.

Luna pushed chakra to her nose, her eyebrows tugging downward at whatever it was that had Kiba's pace picking up suddenly. She knew him well enough by now to recognise when he was following his nose, but the walk back home so far had been in a comfortable silence, and neither wanted to break that.

It was the scent of burning, though what was being burnt, she wasn't sure.

The smell grew stronger the closer they got to the compound, minor concern flickering across Kiba's expression as they finally reached the gates to his territory. But what they found in the courtyard outside of the main household was no cause for concern.

Angry red and yellow flames lapped greedily at the edges of the soft woven piece of furniture, the couch his mother had held in such fondness for so many years. His father's couch. Her dark eyes flashed to theirs, lingering on each of their gazes for several seconds with a deep turmoil of emotion, but all Luna could see was her strength.

Tsume was truly an incredible woman. A strong and powerful leader, a harsh but loving mother. Surrounding her was a blazing aura of independence and strength, which had Luna's eyes widening in awe as she admired the Inuzuka alpha in a whole new light.

Hana stood beside her, arms wrapped around her upper half as she stared into the bonfire, as though mesmerised. She had not wanted anything to do with their meeting with the Hihanta. She had not wanted to tarnish any memory she still had of her once loving father, and her family respected that.

Kiba trudged solemnly past his mother, eyeing the firelight briefly with a hesitance that might have been mournful, had it not been for the scowl that slipped onto his features as he turned away. Luna was about to follow, but there was just something about the way Tsume had looked at them, so deeply, as though reaching out to their very souls.

It gave her pause, and take a few tentative steps towards the female Inuzukas. Her feet slowed as she approached the alpha, her hand reaching out to touch the woman meekly on the arm, for the briefest of seconds. Her head tilted to the side as she withdrew her hand, a subtle gesture of respect that only someone familiar with pack hierarchy would have noticed.

Glancing up from beneath dark lashes, Luna held her gaze just off to the side of the older woman's head, before returning to Kiba's side, who was watching the exchange quietly.

As she arrived by his side, her lips parted in light surprise when he reached out and secured her hand in his, a gentle smile on his face. She returned the expression, warmth spreading in her stomach and helping, if only slightly, to fend off the still present feeling of great loss that resided deep within her.

She knew that feeling would never leave her completely, but for the first time in three months, she could finally see a light at the end of her tunnel. A previously seemingly endless channel of nothing but pain and isolation. Like a black hole, she had feared the feeling would consume her from the inside out, absorbing every last bit of light in her life and eventually completely closing in on itself and forever closing off her heart.

But for now, the tiny flicker of hope that had ignited in that one short second was enough.

It was enough.

A/N: Let me know what you think ^^