Memories

Over the course of a week, Sakura and Kakashi settled into a pattern of waking up early and training with Naruto, followed by eating ramen. Sakura learned a lot about Naruto in that time, to the point she could tell if he was lying or not. Sasuke had completely been erased as her love interest, and was just a teammate to her.

Sasuke watched the two spar again, while Fang curled up next to his side. Kakashi, since he realized he was forgetting details of his life, was struggling to bring back the memory of his own mother at this point. He couldn't remember her face, and His father's face was also fading, If he didn't see Sakura's picture of team 7 every day, he was sure he'd forget what he himself had looked like. Today, he'd forgotten his dad's nickname, though he knew it had Fang in it . . . he hoped.

" . . . Fang . . . . " His head shot up as he looked at Naruto and Sakura talking to Sasuke, for a brief instant, he hadn't understood anything they'd said, other than the name Naruto had given him. It hadn't meant anything to him.

Kami . . . help me. I'm scared . . . He didn't want to forget how to talk! But, maybe that was my problem before, I was trying to talk normal when obviously I can't . . . Still doesn't change the fact if I forget anymore, I'm in even more trouble than before.

"You want me to take the dog because your mother doesn't like him?" Sasuke glanced at Sakura.

"She found him sleeping next to me on my bed . . . She had some reason involving fleas that meant he had to go." Kakashi was hanging on every word. "And apparently he broke into a cabinet and ate some of the beef jerky in there, and somehow got the dog food she had for him in her bed . . ."

It tasted better than the junk she was feeding me. Kakashi defended himself. And I swear, i had no idea that those were her best sheets!

"Hn . . . fine." Sasuke had come to the conclusion a few days ago that somehow the dog was the reason behind their changes.

"Thank you!" Sakura hugged him, "Now, Naruto, about your lack of clothes . . . "

"Kami, no, Sakura. My wardrobe is fine."

"Yeah, you told me you had what? ten shirts total?" Sakura crossed her arms. "Uzumaki Naruto, you need more clothes and better ones, I'm going shopping, and you're coming with me."

"Sounds like an excellent idea, Haruno-chan." All three gennin whirled, Sasuke getting to his feet. The Sandaime Hokage stood there, a small smile on his face. "You should listen to her, Naruto."

"Stop ganging up on me . . ." Naruto muttered, before looking up at the Hokage. "What's up Jii-san? Ow!" Sakura hit him.

"You don't call Hokage-sama, Jii-san!"

"It's all right, Haruno-chan, He's called me that since he was a baby." Sarutobi smiled, then noticed the dog/wolf lying at the base of a tree. The dog noticed, and stood up. "Who's this?"

"White Fang, I found him in the slums, we've been taking care of him . . . er . . ." Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah, that explains what Haruno-san was complaining about . . ." He noted the guilty looks of Naruto and Sakura. "Don't worry, I didn't tell her it wasn't a mission, but Naruto, you really shouldn't lie to keep your tracks covered with others."

" . . . Heh . . ." Naruto gave a pathetic smile.

"Actually, I have to tell you something, you know your sensei was on a mission-" they nodded. "Well, as it stands now, he's either a prisoner or KIA."

"Nani!?" Sakura voiced what the other two were thinking. Sasuke looked blank at that, while Naruto's eyes got big. "What sort of mission was this?!"

"S rank. We're sending a team out tomorrow, we'll know by the end of the week what's happened, as soon as we do, I'll let you know."

S-rank . . . if that dream I had was a memory, then I was captured . . . somehow turned into a dog, then got here . . . what happened? Kakashi absently stared out the ground, had he stopped to think about it, he'd have realized he no longer remembered his parents, they were gone completely.

"What . . . What was the mission about?"

"Nins have been disappearing in a town, Kakashi was sent to find out what was happening." He then gave a small smile. "Until we know what happened . . . I'll train you, I rarely get to the office by noon anyway, so I might as well do something productive." I'd prefer this over paper work any day of the week.

"What?" Sasuke was shocked out of his normal emo personality.

"Really?" Sakura's eyes got huge.

"All right!!" Naruto turned a back hand spring. Sarutobi chuckled.

What happened to me? Kakashi felt the whine in his throat. Maybe I'm dead, and just possessed a dog's body . . . They were all right there, he could touch them, but he couldn't tell them who he was, and with his memories fading, he felt even more alone than before. And it wasn't something he was used to feeling. The sandaime worked on their Taijutsu, then had them run laps while he watched. Kakashi sat next to the Hokage after running with them for a bit, his legs hurt.

" . . . Kakashi . . . " Kakashi jerked his head up, and glanced at the Sandaime, wondering if he was forgetting the words again. Instead he found the Sandaime looking down at him. "I thought it was you."

Hokage-sama! You know who I am? Kakashi felt weak with relief, his tail was wagging again.

"Do you remember what happened?" Kakashi moved his head side to side, saying no. "I thought not . . . oh well, Just hang tight, we'll figure it out soon enough." Sarutobi watched as Kakashi's eyes looked at him pleading and hopeful. He would worry about the after affects of what being a dog for awhile would do to him, for now, it was good that he was in Kohona. "In the meantime, try not to draw to much attention to yourself . . . and I thought you were more responsible than to pull a prank on Haruno-chan's mother!" Kakashi gave a low growl. "Even if she is annoying, you still shouldn't have done that . . ." That had actually been a major clue in realizing Kakashi was a dog, his low tolerance for people who didn't like dogs. "She wanted to get you neutered, I was able to stop her from that." Kakashi curled up slightly. Though the gratitude in his eyes was showing. "I thought you'd react like that . . ."

Thank Kami the Hokage is animal tolerant . . . geeze, that would be mortifying . . . I don't want to find out if injuries done to this body will show on my human body . . .

Kakashi followed Sasuke home, ears still ringing from Sakura's happy squeal when Sarutobi had told her he would finance the shopping trip, and (much to his secretaries' displeasure) accompany them as well. Sasuke was in a dark mood because of the attention Naruto was getting.

Why do I get the feeling he's not going to feed me? Sasuke had slammed the door to his room, leaving Kakashi in the hall alone. Bored, he explored the place, occasionally finding bloodstains in the wood, where one of Itachi's victims had lain. There were smashed pictures of Itachi and any family picture that had Itachi as well had a hole where his face would be. Talk about hatred . . . he didn't miss a photo. Hey, here's one of Obito. Kakashi stared at his friend's face, he was holding a tiny Itachi, though he highly doubted Sasuke knew that, it was still intact. Kakashi sighed as he walked back. The hard wood floor was cool as he lay down outside Sasuke's door. Very quickly he fell asleep.

The room he was in was an inn's, he was headed to the small bed. "Copy nin Kakashi . . . you'll make a prize . . ." Whirling around, he was able to kill one of his attackers, before another got his arm around his neck, "Nice try . . ." Kakashi broke the guy's arm, before one of the other attackers made a gas bomb go off. Kakashi choked on the smoke, the doors and windows seemed to disappear, before whoever it was grabbed him. This time, he didn't break free, instead he let them tie him up. What the hell? I've got to get away! A fist aimed for his face-

Kakashi woke up, a whine in his throat. Dogs don't dream, per se, they just relive their memories. He couldn't remember who said it, but he knew one thing. The dream was definitely a memory of what happened, he just had to wait, and he'd remember everything. If he didn't forget who he was before.

Well, here's chapter eight. Sorry it took so long, I had the Sandaime figure it out first, and poor Kakashi got kicked out by Sakura's mom . . . Now he's with the emo, except he wears bright white shorts, Sasuke. Has anyone ever noticed that no one complains about that? They hate Naruto in Orange, but they don't mention the bright- almost fluorescent- white shorts Sasuke wears . . . wonder what would happen if they got wet? Would they turn transparent? (Okay, incase you couldn't tell, I'm on a sugar high, so I'm a bit perverted. I don't know how it works like that, but oh well.) I just realized that while I have an ending in mind, I have no clue how to get there, so it might take awhile for my next update . . . I apologize. That said, please check out a story I'll be posting soon called Naruto Hood . . . read my profile for more information.