The next morning, Kakashi woke Naruto and Suki up early. He had to meet with the Hokage again, and he wanted to make sure that the two children were aware when he left.

The two kids were eating a bowl of cereal when the ANBU picked up his stuff. "I have to head out to see the Third. Will you two be alright while I'm gone?"

"Yes, Daddy," Suki replied politely.

"Don't you worry one bit, Kakashi!" Naruto exclaimed with a thumbs up.

Kakashi smiled. "Just make sure you don't get into trouble again. I should be back around lunch, so don't go too far away. Naruto, if you would like, you can come back for lunch."

"Sweet! Thanks, Kakashi!" Naruto said happily.

"You're welcome. Well, I'll be back. See you later," Kakashi said. He held up a peace sign, and in a puff of smoke, he was gone.

Naruto's eyes widened at the departure of the silver-haired man. Then he turned to stare at his best friend, eyes still as big as saucers. "Your dad is so cool."

Suki snickered. "Thanks… I guess."

She picked up her empty cereal bowl and went over to the sink to wash it. Once Naruto was done and his dish was washed, the two kids left the house to go play. This time, the two made it a point to stay together. They hadn't discussed where they were going, but their feet ended up leading them to the park. They didn't really feel like running around, so they just let their feet lead the way. The two ended up walking alongside the border that separated the dense forest from the open meadow.

Naruto was chattering about some kind of prank that he was thinking of playing on the mean cat lady who lived next door to his own apartment. He was complaining about how the cat was always findings its way into his apartment and stealing all his instant ramen cups. What a cat would want with his instant ramen, he didn't know. All Naruto cared about was that the cat was messing with the food of the gods, and the blonde couldn't have that.

Suki was trying to talk Naruto out of doing something he would regret. While she loved Naruto's determination, she didn't want to see him get in trouble.

"You like animals. That's why you're so against me pulling a prank on the evil cat lady," Naruto grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"I just don't want you to get in trouble," Suki said.

"Yeah, well, I can-"

Naruto was cut off by another voice. Someone, off in the distance, was shouting. The two children looked at each other quizzically and then ran off in the direction of the voice.

After a few moments of running, the shouting came louder. Fortunately, it didn't sound like screams of pain or anything. But the person did sound rather distressed.

The two children looked around for a few seconds, searching for the source of the distraught voice. Finally, a boy that seemed the same age as Naruto and Suki could be seen looking through bushes and behind trees, almost as if he lost something. The boy had brown hair, tan skin, and red fang-like tattoos on his cheeks. He could pass for a very fierce-looking child, if it wasn't for the troubled look on his face.

"Are you alright?" Suki asked in concern, stepping up to the boy. Naruto followed her and walked up to the boy.

The brown-haired child, frazzled, looked up, just noticing that the two were there. "No, I'm not alright! I lost someone!"

"What? You lost someone? Who?" Naruto asked frantically.

"My dog!" the boy yelled, grasping his head as if he was going to pull his hair out at any moment.

Naruto sweat-dropped. "You lost… your dog…"

"Yes! And my mom and my sister are totally going to flip if they find out!" the frantic boy yelled, starting to pull his hair out now.

"Don't worry! Don't worry! We'll help you look for him," Suki volunteered reassuringly.

"We will?" Naruto questioned, turning to his friend. Suki turned to the blonde, her face donning a small pout, and her silver eyes peered up at him with his face tilted downward. Naruto groaned at the puppy-dog eyes Suki was giving him. "Fine…"

Suki's face quickly changed into a bright smile. "Thanks, Naruto!" She turned back to the hysterical boy. "What's your dog's name?"

"Akamaru."

Suki nodded and proceeded to call the pup's name, Naruto doing the same. After some hollering, Suki stopped and turned to look at the boy. "I think I've seen you before. Are you in our ninja class?"

"Uh… yeah, with Iruka-sensei?"

"Yeah! Sorry, we didn't properly introduce ourselves. I'm Suki Kurohoshi."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Believe it!"

"Kiba Inuzuka," the boy replied with a grin that showed his growing canines. After the quick introductions, the three kids went back to searching for the lost dog.

The silver-haired ANBU member stood tall in the center of the Third Hokage's office. The old man raised an eyebrow as he waited for the man in the mask to speak. "Lord Hokage… there are pressing matters that need to be addressed pertaining to last night's events."

"Indeed. The three men involved in the attack will be sent to prison. I will allow you to decide how long they deserve to be in jail," the Third said.

"If it is up to me, then I wish for them to be thrown in a cell to rot until death for trying to harm my daughter and Naruto," Kakashi said, clenching his fist. He desperately tried to keep control of his voice and his emotions, but the anger and disgust could distinctly be heard.

The Hokage nodded. "I understand."

"However," the ANBU interrupted, "there is something else that needs to be discussed."

"Alright. Proceed, Tiger," Sarutobi said, using Kakashi's ANBU nickname.

The ANBU took a deep breath before he spoke. "That attack was not an accident. Those men must have known that Suki was the Guardian. She said they were after her first. They knew who they were attacking, which is what frightens me. No one should have known about Suki's identity except for her, me, and you. And I know that Suki makes it a point to make sure no one sees her tattoo."

Hiruzen nodded. "I see your point. I will have Inoichi Yamanaka conduct a mind probe to see where they found out."

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Kakashi said, bowing his head.

"Is that all?" the Third inquired.

The silver-haired shinobi hesitated for a moment. He sighed and took out a piece of folded paper from his pouch. He silently handed the Hokage the paper. Sarutobi proceeded to read over the form, and his eyes widened in surprise as he continued to read word after word. The Hokage finally finished reading the page, and he looked up just in time to see the ninja removing his tiger mask.

"You're resigning from ANBU?" Sarutobi asked in surprise.

Kakashi looked down at the porcelain mask he held in his hand. He had accomplished a lot in his ANBU years. He had joined at the age of sixteen, right after Rin died. And in five years of ANBU service, he had become well-known among the Five Great Shinobi Nations. He had copied over a thousand techniques, and his statistics in different strengths had greatly increased. He had killed his emotions, but he wasn't a complete zombie after he adopted Suki. And after adopting his daughter, he thought he could manage his family and ninja life without there being any difficulties.

How wrong he was. After what had happened the previous night, so many scenarios had entered Kakashi's head.

What if he was forced to go on a mission that lasted well over a reasonable amount of time?

What if he missed important dates, like birthdays and celebrations?

What if he was never around to keep Suki the company she needed?

What if he died?

In his beginning years of ANBU, none of these questions had mattered. He had been alone at the time. But he had Suki now, and her needs needed to be accounted for. Kakashi could never give up being a shinobi; it was his life. But at least if he was a normal jounin, he would have more leeway than being an ANBU member.

Kakashi lifted his head to stare at the Hokage, and he placed his tiger mask on the desk. "Last night, one of the first things that went through my mind after I recounted everything that had happened was… what if I hadn't made it home in time? I almost didn't. It was sheer luck that I was close enough to rescue Suki and Naruto. I think that ANBU is taking too much time away from Suki, and that's not fair to her. She needs a parent, and I think that if I was a regular jounin, it would benefit her more."

"I see…" Sarutobi mumbled. "And there is nothing that can change your mind?"

"I doubt it," Kakashi replied.

The Hokage sighed as he signed the resignation form. "Alright. Starting tomorrow, you're a regular jounin." Then, a sudden idea sprung up into Hokage' mind, and he smiled. "How do you feel about being a sensei to a team of three genin?"

Kakashi smiled through his cloth mask. "When I find a suitable team, I'm in."

"Haha, good to hear. You are dismissed, Kakashi," Sarutobi said, still smiling.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Kakashi said. Then he turned and left the room and soon exited the building.

"Akamaru! Come here, boy!" Suki called, cupping her hands to her mouth for better sound projection.

"Hey! Akamaru!" Naruto yelled as he searched through bushes along the tree line.

"This is not good!" Kiba exclaimed worriedly. "I can't believe I lost him! What kind of dog ninja am I? I can't even keep track of my own dog!"

"How did you go about losing him anyway?" Suki asked, turning to the Inuzuka.

"Well, he peed on me, and-"

"Ew, is that what that smell is?" Naruto interrupted, his face contorting into one of disgust. He and Suki looked at Kiba, and then they noticed a wet spot on his black shirt that they hadn't taken the time to notice before.

Kiba glared at the blonde. "Anyway, after he peed on me, I sort of yelled at him… and then he ran off."

"Wow… you'd make a terrible dog ninja," Naruto said seriously.

"Shut up! You have no right to talk!" Kiba yelled angrily. It was one thing for himself to say it. But to have someone else throw it in his face hurt a lot.

"Well, what kind of dog ninja gets his dog to hate him?" Naruto countered, his voice rising.

"It… I…" Kiba stammered with a frown, which was very uncharacteristically of him. Then he hung his head in shame. "You're right… I'm a disgrace to the Inuzuka clan… We're supposed to be close to our dogs… but I can't even go a day without yelling at my own… I only just got him yesterday, and already, he's missing…"

"You just got Akamaru yesterday?" Suki asked.

"Yeah… my mom and sister gave him to me so I could start learning teamwork with him," Kiba said, his voice dripping with sorrow.

"Well, then it's not your fault!" the girl of the group exclaimed with a small smile. The brown-haired boy looked at her like she was crazy, and the blonde had his eyebrows raised with his mouth open a little bit.

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked.

"You only got Akamaru yesterday, so you two haven't had time to become close friends. Just because he ran away doesn't mean he completely hates you. You two just need to spend more time together so you can become close," Suki explained.

"You think so?" the distraught boy asked, hope filling him.

"Yeah," Suki smiled encouragingly. "And I have complete faith that you two will eventually become the greatest ninja and hound pair there ever was."

Kiba stared at her for a moment, letting her words sink in. Then he gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Suki." She smiled back.

Naruto inwardly smiled as he looked at Suki. She really knew how to connect with people. And she could really make people feel better about themselves. It was a trait of hers that the blonde admired. Even with a past like hers, where people only shared hate and scorn towards her, Suki was just so… friendly. She was so genuine and kind, and Naruto couldn't help but feel happy whenever he looked at her. It was one of those things that made the blond love her like a sister.

"Alrighty then!" Naruto exclaimed. He raised his fist up in the air, trying to ignite determination in the others. "Let's go find that dog!"

Kiba stared at Naruto in surprise. Just moments before, the whiskered boy had been yelling at him for losing Akamaru. Now he was encouraging them with so much enthusiasm that it almost gave Kiba whiplash. Naruto was a very… unpredictable person, Kiba concluded.

"Yeah, let's go," the dog boy grinned. The three children ran off into the woods, in search of the little white puppy.

Kakashi walked through the village streets. After his meeting with the Hokage, he planned on meeting with someone else. First, the jounin would have to find him.

As the silver-haired man walked through the crowded streets, he suddenly felt an unexpected presence. Even amongst the mass of villagers, Kakashi could feel the company of the one he was looking for. The jounin made a quick detour, jumping up onto a roof, and making his way out of the city and into the training grounds. He could feel the aura of the other following him closely.

Kakashi arrived at an empty training area. Three wooden posts stood in the center of the field, and a river was running gently a little distance away. Trees surrounded both sides of the meadow. But Kakashi paid none of these things any mind. When he arrived at the field, he made a beeline straight to the stone memorial that was resting by the tree line. The silver-haired man stared at the names carved into the stone, his eyes finally resting on a specific name.

"Obito…"

The jounin felt the other presence finally arrive at the grounds. Kakashi turned around to see…

A little gold birdie.

The brown hawk with golden feathers was standing atop one of the three wooden posts. Its black beady eyes stared at the jounin intently.

"I'm glad you're here," Kakashi said.

The bird cocked its head at the man.

"I know who you are. There is no need to keep secrets," Kakashi added. "In fact, I've been looking for you so I could find some answers."

*I see… You are a smart man, Kakashi Hatake* a deep and serious voice echoed in the jounin's mind.

Kakashi was a little taken aback by the voice talking in his head, but he kept his cool as he spoke. "And you are Suki's guide animal. Let me just ask… how long have you been protecting her?"

*I have kept watch over her since she was born* the bird's voice said in Kakashi's mind. *But I have only gotten involved during dire situations. One year ago, when Suki ran from Kagayaku, she found you because I led her to you.*

"Really?" Kakashi inquired.

*Yes* the bird replied. *And as you are aware, I helped her during the chase that occurred last night.*

"Right. You also led her and Naruto to me. Then you informed me of the situation and brought me to them," the man added. His thoughts lingered back to last night, when he had seen the gold bird.

~Flashback~

The stars lingered in the pitch black sky. The wind was cool yet calm as the village sat in quiet tranquility. A man in a tiger mask slowly made his way down the dirt path, toward his home. Normally, he would be running along rooftops or teleporting himself to his house. But tonight seemed like a peaceful night, and Kakashi didn't want to spoil it.

"Hmm… I should probably hurry up, though. Suki might be a little worried," Kakashi thought to himself.

After thinking it over, he decided to poof himself home so he would get to his destination sooner. But just before he could make the hand sign that would send him home, he heard a loud screeching noise.

Kakashi hesitated. "That sounds like…" He looked up into the night sky to see, "…a bird?"

Indeed, a brown hawk with gold feathers was flying above Kakashi's head. Having never seen a bird like that in Konoha, Kakashi instinctively placed his hand near his kunai pouch, ready to draw a knife if necessary.

As he suspiciously stared at the bird, the silver-haired ANBU suddenly felt a pounding feeling in his temples. Kakashi grasped his head in surprise, and his eyes closed in pain. But he forced his eyes open to keep himself aware, in case of an attack.

Kakashi took a step back in shock and astonishment when he realized that his vision wasn't showing what was supposed to be there. He was supposed to see the dirt path on which he stood and the houses of the sleeping villagers.

But instead, he was seeing a bird's eye view of an alley. In that alley, three men with swords were cornering two small children, one boy and one girl. Kakashi gasped when he realized he was seeing a vision of Suki and Naruto. And from the looks of it, they were in trouble.

As quickly as it had come, the vision disappeared, and Kakashi could see his surroundings again. The silver-haired man furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he glanced up at the gold bird. Then the hawk turned around, heading off into a different direction. Suspicious and worried, Kakashi followed it.

The bird led him to an alley where a wall was blocking the entrance on his end. It was then that Kakashi heard a dark voice.

"Finally… time to kill these pests."

Kakashi didn't even think at that moment, he just moved. He quickly jumped over the wall and landed swiftly in front of the two children. He brought his arms up into an X formation in front of himself just as three swords came crashing down on his iron guard gloves.

He felt the presence of Suki and Naruto standing behind him, and it was at that moment that he felt very grateful for not being in too much of a hurry to get home.

~End Flashback~

Kakashi shook his head slightly as he focused on the current situation. This bird was his daughter's - the Guardian's - animal guide. He had learned a few things about the Guardian and his/her animal guide from readings. A Guardian couldn't really become the Guardian without a little help from the animal guide. The animal acted almost as a teacher.

"Suki and Naruto wouldn't be alive without you. So I thank you," Kakashi said, bowing gratefully, not even caring that he was showing respect to a bird.

*It is my job to protect the Guardian* the bird said.

"I also have other matters I want to discuss with you," the man said.

*You want to know when it is suitable for Suki to start training to become the Guardian* the bird stated simply, almost as if he was reading Kakashi's mind.

"Yes. I figured she would have to learn eventually," Kakashi said. "Unfortunately, I feel as if she is trying to deny that she is the Guardian. I understand her feelings, considering all of the hate that she has endured."

*She is not allowed to refuse* the bird said in Kakashi's mind. *If she neglects to take hold of her destiny, the world will be in the same chaos that was around when Gekido was alive.*

"I see…" Kakashi sighed.

*There is a prophecy written for each Guardian,* the bird said. *And it always comes true, no matter what. Suki will be the Guardian, whether she wants to or not. But if her confidence in herself is weak, then there is no hope. Her will must be strong, and I am entrusting you, as her father, to help her in that requirement.*

"You don't have to worry about me," Kakashi said, a slight smile showing through his black mask. "As for you, I think it would be best for Suki to learn about her Guardian duties soon. She needs to understand her position as the Guardian, and I think she needs to hear it from you."

*I agree. Considering the threats that are occurring, she'll need to learn about her place as the Guardian.*

"When is a suitable time?" Kakashi asked.

The bird cocked its head in thought. Then it said to Kakashi, *Tomorrow.* The silver-haired man nodded. *Until then, Kakashi.* And with a sweep of its wings, the bird flew off into the sky.

Kakashi watched the bird fly away until he could no longer be seen. Then the man sighed to himself. From here on, things were changing, Kakashi could feel it.

"Akamaru! Here, boy! Come on!" Suki yelled as she stepped over a tree root.

"Hey, Akamaru! Where are you?" Kiba shouted.

"Akamaru! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Naruto yelled.

The three were now getting deeper and deeper into the woods, and there was still no sign of the lost pup. Kiba was getting frantic again, but Naruto and Suki were able to keep up his determination.

"Maybe he found his way back into the village," Suki suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Kiba said a bit sadly.

"Let's go check," Naruto said.

The three headed back the way they had come, towards the giant field. As they walked, Kiba heard a rustling of leaves coming from his right. He quickly turned in the direction, both fear and hope filling him. What if it was an attacker? Or what if it was Akamaru?

Naruto and Suki noticed the rustling as well, and they turned to look as well. The rustling came closer, and the three children tensed.

It wasn't an attacker who emerged from the bushes. And it wasn't a small puppy either. It was a girl with short indigo-black hair and pale eyes with no pupils. She was wearing a light blue button up shirt and navy blue pants.

When she saw the three other kids, she gave a nervous smile. "H-H-Hello…" she stuttered.

"Hi," Suki smiled back. "You scared us a little bit just then."

The girl blushed. "I-I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry," she stammered nervously.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I wasn't scared anyway. Nothing can scare me!" Naruto said with a big grin. If possible, the girl's blush became even redder.

"Hey, have you by chance seen a dog around here?" Kiba asked. "He's a small white puppy."

"U-Uh, well actually…" the girl started anxiously. Another rustling sound could be heard again, and the group of kids turned around to see the bush moving. "I-I-I h-have," the girl finished.

From the bush, a small creature appeared. He had squinty black eyes and floppy ears. His tail wagged excitedly as he looked at all the humans staring down at him.

"Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed excitedly.

He held his arms out for the dog to jump up to him. But Akamaru didn't move. The three other kids were surprised at the pup's behavior, and they awkwardly moved backwards. Kiba frowned sadly. He knelt down to the ground so he was closer to Akamaru's face. The dog backed up a little.

"Akamaru…" Kiba started sadly. When he saw the scared look in his dog's face, he felt a wave of guilt and hurt wash over him. It was not a fun feeling. "Akamaru, I am so sorry for yelling at you. I am the worst master ever. I guess I shouldn't blame you for being afraid."

A small whimper sounded from the pup's throat, and Kiba only felt worse.

"I don't expect you to forgive me," the brown-haired boy said. "I was really mean. But… I really want to be friends with you. I think we could be awesome together. We could be an amazing team together, if you want…" he added, saying what Suki had said before.

Akamaru stopped backing away. He looked into Kiba's sincere eyes, and he took a hesitant step forward.

"What do you say, Akamaru?" Kiba said, letting a hopeful smile grace his lips. He opened his arms again. "You wanna rock this village like the power pair that I think we could be?"

The puppy smiled, as much as a pup can smile at least. He yipped happily and leaped into his master's arms. He licked Kiba's face excitedly, tickling the boy to the point where he fell to the ground on his back. And Kiba laughed the entire time. The three other kids joined in his laughter, happy to see Kiba and Akamaru reunited. The boy stood up, letting the white puppy rest on the top of his head.

Kiba turned to the new girl. "Thanks a lot for keeping Akamaru safe."

"N-N-No p-p-problem," the girl stuttered in embarrassment.

"That was really nice of you," Suki added. "I'm Suki Kurohoshi. What's your name?"

"H-H-Hinata H-H-Hyuuga," the girl said.

"I'm Kiba Inuzuka. And you've already met Akamaru," Kiba said, pointing to himself and then the ball of fluff on top of his head.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage! Believe it!" the blonde said, giving a thumbs-up sign.

"Hokage? Pfft, yeah right," Kiba snickered.

"You better watch yourself, Kiba!" Naruto yelled.

"Wait a minute, Hinata Hyuuga?" Suki asked, turning to the other girl of the group. "You're in our homeroom class at the Ninja Academy, right?"

"Y-Yes," Hinata replied.

"Oh, sorry we didn't recognize you before," Suki apologized. "Hey! Maybe you and Kiba and Akamaru can hang out with Naruto and me at school!"

"Yeah! That'd be awesome!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Cool!" Kiba exclaimed, accepting the offer.

"Um… um… s-sure," Hinata said, managing a small smile.

"Right on!" Naruto yelled, pumping his fist into the air in excitement. "Hey, let's start now! To the park!"

Naruto led the way, running out of the woods and toward the playground. The others laughed at his enthusiasm. But they all followed nonetheless, running to catch up with him. The four spent the rest of their morning playing, talking, and joking around.

Naruto and Suki were happy to make new friends. While they were very close, they enjoyed the extra company. Kiba and Akamaru were exceptionally wild, and they got along very well with Naruto's exciting personality. The puppy also tended to enjoy sitting with Suki, and Kiba didn't really understand. But he let it slide considering Suki was now a friend. Hinata was surprised that people were accepting her as a friend. Since she had very low self-confidence, she didn't expect others to want to hang out with her. But the three other children were very accepting, and she was grateful.

After hours of playing, the four kids were lounging under a shady oak tree. Suki and Hinata had their backs against the trunk of the tree. Kiba was lying on his back with his hands behind his head. Naruto was also on his back, but he looked more passed out than anything. Akamaru was lounging in Suki's lap, enjoying the rhythm of her petting.

"It's almost lunchtime. I think I have to go home," Kiba said finally. He slowly stood up from his spot on the ground. "C'mon, Akamaru." The white pup grudgingly got off of Suki's lap and hopped up onto Kiba's head. "It was cool meeting you all. Thanks for helping me to find Akamaru. Especially you, Hinata; thanks for keeping him safe."

"Y-You're w-welcome, Kiba," Hinata blushed at his kind words.

"I'll see you all tomorrow!" Kiba said, walking away and waving at them.

"Don't lose Akamaru again!" Naruto shouted after the other boy.

"Shut up!" Kiba turned, yelling at the blonde. They all laughed at his anger and waved at him as he left.

"I-I-I have to g-go, t-t-too," Hinata stuttered, standing up.

"Alright, we'll see you tomorrow, Hinata!" Suki smiled.

"Yeah, see you!" Naruto said enthusiastically. The girl blushed at the blonde's foxy grin and walked away after giving a small wave.

"C'mon, my dad should be home now. We can go have lunch," Suki said.

"Alright," Naruto nodded, following his best friend out of the park.

What the girl with the circular tattoo on her wrist didn't know was that someone, in that oak tree where she had just been sitting under, was watching her. A hint of gold flashed as a winged creature took off into the sky.