A/N: I am so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I got bogged down in RL and then lost the desire to write. I'm working on Ch. 5 so it should be up in a few days (I hope). For those of you who also read Akatsuki Kakashi, my muse kind of gave out on that one but I'll try to have something up by Christmas.
Kakashi wandered in the woods near the house not long after the sun rose. He hoped the walk would help clear his mind of the last remnants of alcohol. As he walked, a boy crashed through the trees. The boy stopped and stared, as did Kakashi.
The boy suddenly looked around before turning his dark eyes to Kakashi. "Why are you here?" He asked.
Bewildered, Kakashi began to answer. "I'm vaca–"
"You have to get off the island; if you don't you'll die!" The boy's big black eyes widened to the point that Kakashi could see white all around his iris.
"Calm down, come back to the house, have something to eat and explain what you mean." Kakashi put his hands up, palms facing outward, in a placating gesture as he walked towards the boy.
A huge white dog jumped into his path. Its yellow-white teeth were bared and a vicious snarl was rising from its throat. Kakashi stopped walking and looked away from the dog's eyes. The dog advanced towards him, Kakashi stepped back with each step forwards.
Once the boy was out of his sight the dog backed off, snarled one last time and darted back into the trees. Kakashi started back towards the house but stumbled into Naruto's back at the edge of the woods.
"What's going on?" He asked the blonde softly.
"It's the dogs, they're guarding the house." Naruto pointed at a few of the dogs.
"We can't stay out here forever." Sakura said softly.
"Could we run?" Rieko asked.
"We'd never outrun six dogs," Kakashi said.
"What about a distraction?" Yogi picked up a stick.
"It might work, but I wouldn't count on it," Kakashi said.
Without another word, they watched Yogi throw the stick as hard as he could through the woods. Unanimously they turned to look at the dogs. The six they could see had their ears perked forwards and were looking in the direction of the woods. The group of humans through more sticks and the dogs took off, snarling and growling.
"Go," Kakashi said softly and they ran.
Kakashi, who had long legs and a fast stride, made it to the house first. Sakura made it next and Naruto seconds after her. Yogi was about three-quarters of the distance when Rieko fell with a yelp. When he turned back to help her he noticed the dogs. As he helped her to her feet, keeping a nervous eye on the dogs, he thought he saw a man at the edge of the woods.
Yogi and Rieko made slow progress. Rieko had twisted her ankle and couldn't run well. She went as fast as her body would let her, terror running through her veins as the baying dogs got closer. Rieko shrieked as teeth closed around her ankle and jerked her to the ground. Yogi kicked the dog in the ribs. It lifted its head and bared its bloody teeth at him in a ferocious snarl.
As Yogi distracted the dog Rieko managed to get to her feet. She was taking the last few lurching steps when she heard Yogi scream. The honey haired girl turned and saw the dogs tearing into the red haired boy. She gasped in horror and cried out when one of the beasts ripped out his throat.
"Rieko!" Kakashi dragged her onto the porch and threw her into the house.
She collapsed into Sakura's arms, both girls were sobbing. Naruto and Sakura had seen their friend die from the window. Kakashi looked unseeingly out the window.
These dogs were extremely intelligent and vicious to a degree Kakashi had never seen. And the dogs were hunting them.
