The past few days had seemed so surreal to the both of them, and it had not changed with coming home to Konoha. They had left an encounter of a lupine nature out of their report. Yes it had been a surreal past few days and it had not been helping Sakura much that she had been watching the copy-nin train his wolf form.

Out in Team 7's old training field, the large grey wolf held itself with such grace as it moved. Sakura never knew there where so many shades of grey till she laid eyes on Kakashi there, was no patch of fur you could say was black, likewise there was no patch you could say was white. Silver highlights shimmering in the midday sun as he prowled around his human form clone, teeth bared and golden eye gleaming, Sakura had to admit even if it was only to herself that he was good looking.

"Makes you wonder even more about what he keeps hidden under that mask."

Yes there was when he hugged her after his first change but it was really to dark for her to see and you would forgiver her if her mind was a bit to stunned to take anything in at that point.

Kakashi darted around the back of his clone, intent of sinking his fangs into the knee, but the clone nimbly jumped out the way. A growl of frustration rumbled across the field.

Flashback

"Sakura! Sakura!"

"Caller-san?"

A chocolate brown wolf padded up to her, tail gently swishing from side to side.

"There is something you should be warned about.," the wolf panted.

"Its about Kakashi's Rage, its something all of us have to deal with, I'm talking about Frenzy."

Needless to say Sakura did not like where this was going.

"As a new moon his risk of Frenzy is low but it will happen at some point."

"Didn't he Frenzy when he changed?"

As Sakura's mine went over that event she tried not to shiver.

"No, Frenzy is far more horrific, when Frenzy takes over he wont be able to tell friend from foe, he will only see red and moving shapes with the only wish to reduce them to mangled carcasses."

"And this can happen at anytime?"

"It's a defence mechanism, if he is in grave danger or there is a lot of silver around but there is a risk of him descending too far into the frenzy at this point his Rage is no longer pure."

"And let me guess, the Wyrm will use this rage in someway?"

"Yes, I'm glad that Kakashi has a friend as smart and understanding as you," the dark furred wolf grinned, "its called The Thrall of the Wyrm if his will is weak at the time he will feast on the flesh of the fallen and wounded."

"Cannibalism!"

End Flashback

The feeling of something cold and wet pressed on her nose and hot breath on her lips snapped her back to reality, the glimmer in the wolf's single eye, the smirk on his lupine lips. Damn it how long had he been staring at her like that? Even his clone had a smirk on its masked face.

"Ewww. Dog breath."

Kakashi chuckled as she pushed him away, a soft pop as he dispelled his clone echoed across the training area.

"Now Now Sakura-chan, be nice to your old sensei."

It was Sakura's turn to giggle this time "You can't use that line on me Kakashi-kun, you're my ex-sensei and your not that old and don't you age even slower now?"

She scratched behind his ear; a small sigh of comfit passed the lips of the silver-grey wolf as he leaned even more into her scratches. What would his fellow Shadow Lords think if they saw him like this? Letting a human kin treat him like a pet, but really he did not care. He knew she bore as much burden as he did but had none of the benefits, the copy-nin could not banish the gilt from his hart it felt like he had dragged her into this. His image in the eyes of his Tribe can be damned to hell.

Sakura ran her hand down his side "I'm back working shifts at the hospital tomorrow."

"You sound almost upset Sakura-chan, disappointed that you wont get to spend more time with me?" he joked.

"You wish." she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I have a mission tomorrow," the wolf sighed. "Solo."

"How do you plan on fighting the Wyrm and still making it look like everything is.. Well normal?"

"The Wyrm does not create the things it feeds on, it will find them out, with missions I will most likely run into something," Kakashi shifted back into his human form, fully dressed mines his jounin vest and headband, the spiritual energy now infused into the fabric meant that they would now shift with him - or in the case of his more Lupine forms see too disappear, "I wont lie Sakura its not how I will find or fight it that worries me its where I will find it."

Sakura did not have time to ask what he was getting at as he had already ported himself away, leaving Sakura with her own thoughts. She sighed quietly to herself as her mind wounded off her current predicament and onto a raven-haired boy - no, boy was not right, he was a young man by now. She had not thought about him in days, well weeks really.

"Where are you Sasuke-kun?"

--

Kakashi dragged his fatigued form trough the gates of his home village, his mission was a success in one day and in one way and a failure in another. The mission given to him by the Hokage he completed with out breaking a sweat, but his other mission, the one he inherited, had failed this time as he found no signs of the Wyrm's influents.

"Maybe next time." The copy-nin sighed.

He wondered what he should do next. He would try and stay with solo missions for now but he knew there would be a time he would be teamed up with 'normal' ninjas. Kakashi stopped his train of though there, now was not the time for this he had a report to do, letting his head fall back a bit his gaze now rested on the evening sky, the sun had already set below the tree line, normally at this time he would make his way to a pink-haired medics for healing but now. Now his wounds healed almost instantly as well as poison and illness having no effect on him.

Maybe this was a boon to him, and not just to his physical health, maybe now he could distance himself from Sakura. Move her out of harms way as it where, he did not deny it would be hard for him but the silver haired jounin knew it was for the best, she would be out of the way from the Wyrm he knew if she stayed too close she would be a target. It was not like he was trying to keep her near him to try and win her heart - a heart she had already given away - but it seemed during his inner ramblings his body had grown bored and decided to make up his mind for him, as the copy-nin found himself standing outside the hospital.

The silver-haired Garou sighed. Ok. Maybe he missed her during his mission; it would not hurt to see her would it? He hoped not as he had already passed by the reception desk. Taking a quick look about he was surprised to see so many civilians here with their children, but he thought nothing of it. A flash of pink got his eye as he saw the woman he was after, she was wearing her standard nurses uniform with that long white doctors coat over the top, her hair was pined back as she read what was on her clipboard, but most of all she looked tiered.

"Yo!"

Her head snapped up from what she was reading "Kakashi-kun!" she smiled.

"Are you ok Sakura-chan?" he asked head tilted to one side.

"Long day." she sighed, tucking a tray stray strand of pink behind her ear.

Grabbing his arm, Sakura pulled him into her office. Kakashi was almost surprised, almost; he knew what she was going to ask.

"Did you find anything?"

And there it was.

"Nothing."

She dropped the clipboard into her desk, the flutter of the attached paper the only sound in the room; she turned to the older shinobi.

"Are you injured?" she started to gather her chakra encase he replayed in the affirmative.

"No I'm fine, regeneration and all," he gave her his normal happy eye crease, "so what has been happening to get you so run down Cherry Blossom?"

"Some illness has been effecting the infants." she sighed, tucking that stray hair behind her ear again.

The copy-nin leaned over her desk to try and get a peek at her reports.

"Something of interest Kakashi-kun?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Nay, but I do find your handwriting enticing."

She laughed and playfully smacked his arm, "Don't you have something to do? Like a report?"

"Trying to get rid of me already?" he said in mock hurt.

"Never," she giggled, "but I still have a few patents to see," the medic said, turning her back to him she sorted some stuff on her desk, " you know I would like you to stay but I don't know how they would feel with another here."

"I understand." he said solemnly.

She expected to hear him disappear in a puff of smoke or to slip out the window so she was surprised to hear his jounin vest and headband hitting the floor. Turning back around to face her ex-sensei Sakura's eyes lay on the familiar coat of Kakashi's lupine form, his single golden eye gleamed with myth. Sakura scowled at him hands on hips; very Tsunade looking, oh she was going to give him an earful. But it seemed Gaia had mercy on her newest fighter as he was saved by the bell, well nock really.

Sakura cursed as she quickly kicked the clothes that did not shift with him under the desk.

"Come in," she smiled sweetly as she opened the door, "don't mind the dog he is a ninkin who was delivering a message from a friend."

A civilian woman entered with a baby in her arms, her eyes widened when she saw Kakashi. He knew where he reaction was coming from. The Curse, all normal humans and animals could feel the beast within a werewolf. Kakashi yawned and lie down, showing he was no threat to them.

"Now what seems to be the problem?" Sakura asked, brining the mother's attention back to her.

"It's the little one here, she has a fever and can't seem to keep her food down."

Sakura nodded and started to scan the small child with her chakra, she was not surprised by what she found, she had been treating the same illness all week on others.

"When did this start?"

"Soon after I started getting this new food." the mother shifted the baby to one arm, with her now free hand she rummaged around in her bag and produced a jar of baby food, "well I have been getting the food for a long time now, but they changed the recipe."

Again Sakura was not surprised with the baby food, she prescribed the same thing that she had done for about 13 others, and with a smile and a thank you they left. After shutting the door behind them Sakura sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Do that again and I swear ill take you to the vet and have you castrated."

She did not hear him shift back to his human form, but she felt him when his front brushed agents her back as he took the jar from her.

"I take it this is what has been draining you?

"Hai, the illness started soon after they changed the recipe but we have tested it but it came back clean."

"So you think it's just simply a quiescent between the two?

"It's starting to look that way."

Kakashi opened up the jar, cursedly poking the mashed contends. It felt odd like ice on his skin that sent a shiver up his arm and made him feel sick. He lifted it to his nose and took in its sent; the Garou smelt more then just the puréed food, his visible eye widened. It could not be.. It must have been something on his mask; pulling the lip of said mask down under his nose Kakashi took another sniff. The smell assaulted his senses.

It was 'IT'.

And IT was strong.

"What's wrong Kakashi-kun?" Sakura asked when she saw him stager.

"This food it.. It's Wyrm tainted!"

Sakura's eye widened, she felt faint. The Wyrm was here? In Konoha? It can't be! Kakashi tugged his mask back in place, a somewhat sad look in his eye.

"B-But how? We tested it for everything!"

"The taint is not physical in anyway, nor is it like bad chakra." Kakashi raked his hand though his silver spikes trying to think of a way to explain it, "its like me, you can run any amount of tests on me and they would all say I was human," he made his way over to her and lifted her chin to get her to look at him, "you understand now Sakura-chan?"

"Yes I-I think so, thank you Kakashi-sens.. I mean kun." she bit her bottom lip, "but why?"

"To encourage its food source to grow," he said solemnly as he put the lid back onto the jar, "all the suffering this is causing is feeding the Wyrm in small amounts - but it wont be long before spirits move in and make things worse

"By move in you mean.." Sakura's eyes widened even more if that was passable as she started to pace up and down, "Oh shit! Oh shit!"

"Has the hospital already announced that they food was clean?"

"Yes on the first few days that the illness was reported, oh shit! What can we do? We can't ban the food without some evidence that it is harmful," she stopped pacing and turned to Kakashi, "you!" she pointed at him, "you're a Garou do something!"

"I'm trying to think of something, I am still learning about my race!" there was an edge of a growl to his voice but it seemed to go unheard by them.

"Can't you do something to scare it away? Or turn into a monster and destroy something!" she did not see him flinch at the monster comment.

"I know that there is a rite to clean Wyrm taint but I do now know how to perform it."

"Then learn it!" she hissed.

"It's not that easy, and performing a rite on a scale like this would be lifting the Veil."

"I don't care! Lift it!"

Sakura suddenly found herself pined to the wall, Kakashi's gloved hand firmly over her mouth, the look in his mismatched eyes told her that she had overstepped the mark.

"Sakura," the way he seemed to growl her name made her shiver, " I will not do something like that! I don't want the humans remembering!"

She gently took the hand covering her mouth and removed it, "Remembering what Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked away from her, no longer finding himself able to meet her gaze. With a heavy sigh he pushed himself away from her, but she still remained there, watching him as he picked up his jounin vest and headband.

"I'm sorry that I frightened you." he murmured as he slipped his vest on.

"You don't frighten me Kakashi, I know I have nothing to fear from you." her voce was soft, but he could hear her perfectly.

He looked over his shoulder at her. Part of him wish that she was afraid of him, that she would run when he showed his true self. Kakashi knew what he could do, even though no one had told him he knew. She might not be afraid but he was - he was afraid for her.

"Ill take a look around and try to find where this stuff is coming from," he said as he tied on his headband, "if you want in meet me at my apartment at midnight." he did not wait for her to say reply from her as he disappeared out of the window.

"So much for trying to push her away."

--

Luck was on there side as it turned out only one shop in the village sold the baby food in question, the two shinobi slipped into the alleyway around the back and quietly made there way to the door used for delivery's, naturally said door was locked tight.

"We don't have time for this!" Sakura growled as she started to channel chakra to her fist, but was stopped by Kakashi.

"Don't be so hasty Sakura-chan." he lightly brushed his fingers over the lock and with a soft click the door opened.

"How did you?!"

"No doors are locked to a Ragabash." he smiled through his mask.

The two peered into the deeper darkness of the building, the room smelt musky as first, like it had been sealed shut for weeks, but as the fresh air from outside mingled with the stale air inside it got a lot worse, the stench was akin to that of an infected wound.

"Ugghh, who would let there stock go off like that?" Sakura said through a pinched nose.

Kakashi moved in with his Sharingan eye uncovered, he could see wooden crates and by the name and dates written on the side he knew that they where what he was looking for. But that was not what stopped him in his tracks, nor was it that made his Rage boil and filled him with the urge to shift into his war form. No. What made him feel like that was far, far worse.

Hovering just above the boxes could only be a Wyrm spirit. It looked to be a mass of rotting bones and tissue - about the size of a fox, filthy bandages and entrails fluttered underneath it, caressing the boxes.

"Shit, this is bad!" he cursed under his breath.

The spirit turned to face the werewolf with a snarl it turned again and fled into the spirit realm.

"NO!" Kakashi snarled.

He slammed his fist into a crate, casein a sharp splintering sound to echo around the room. Was the taint that strong that it was allowing spirits to manifest? Hastily he took off his vest and headband and throw it behind it, he could feel his body start to shift, his skin peeling away and leaving fur behind as his nails grew into claws.

"Kakashi-kun?"

"RUN!"

She did not argue with him, she left as fast as she could as the sound of crashing glass seemed to follow her through the night.

"Caller-san, you said I was smart and understanding about Kakashi, but I really don't know a thing do I?"

a/n: Hi all thanks for reading Going through changes so far and i hope you are injoying it.

I know i have problems with my spelling and i am trying to fix it, am useing the spell checker on Microsoft word, if anyone knows of a better one (either one that can be downloaded or just something online) please let me know

Love from Mistrunner