He was known as one of the most serious, most vicious, and cunning killers the leaf village had ever produced. He frightened people, terrified them with just a look. He saw no point in hiding himself away completely. He would meet the nins face to face, as the killer, the animal, the man with something to protect. He wouldn't lose.

Losing was unacceptable.

Because losing meant that he would lose his mate and young.

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Gai leaned his back against a tree trunk and looked from one masked face to another. God he hated being in the dark. Especially on missions. Not only that, but this particular mission involved his brother's favorite person.

Naru Uzumaki.

It had been almost a month since she had disappeared into thin air, almost a month since the council had gone into an uproar and demanded that the girl be found and brought before them for some reason. A reason that probably wasn't very good since they had been out to kill the girl since she was a child.

And to make things even more troublesome, Gai hadn't been able to locate Kakashi anywhere. He was starting to hope that the man had done the smart thing and grabbed the girl and run like hell. He doubted Kakashi would, but he hoped that he had since he had been missing too. "So why are we here again?" Gai asked one of the Anbu curiously.

If Naru was at the cabin located up ahead...Gai would probably have to kill the Anbu and take the girl back to the village and deposite her safely in the Hokage's office and stand outside of the door looking menacing until Kakashi could be found.

One of the Anbu looked at him. "We were ordered to fine and capture Naru Uzuzmaki, and return her to the village."

Gai cocked his head. That didn't tell him what the council was up too. "Why?"

"For her execution."

Gai stiffened and pushed away from the tree he had been leaning against and grabbed the Anbu by the front of his shirt and picked him up off of the ground and snarled. "What. Execution?" To Gai's knowledge the girl hadn't done anything to warrant being killed. Not only that but the council had no right to call for her execution behind the Hokage's back. The assholes.

"The council has called for her to be put on trial for leaving the village and being a danger to the people in Fire country."

"On what grounds do the council think they have the authority to call such a trial? Have they found bodies? Shallow graves of her victims?"

"No."

"Then it would be wise to merely see if she is at the cabin and then leave."

"But our orders! The council-"

"Do not have the power or authority to call for such things, nor do they have the power to call out and order a group of shinobi. Wetake our orders from the Hokage. Not them." Gai snapped as he threw the Anbu and watched how the man flipped himself and skidded across the ground. He doubted that his words had gotten through to them, but he had been right.

Once the Hokage found out about this-and he would, it was just a matter of time. Those fools on the council would find themselves facing execution for abusing their power and trying to usurp the village leader to further their own ambitions. "Enough." One of the other Anbu said as he stood up.

"It's time to go."

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Kakashi had just finished setting the barrier in the cabin, one surrounding the bedroom to protect Naru while she was in such a weakened state. And three more set up, one on top of the other outside of the cabin, in the perimeter that he had set when they had first came here.

The barriors would hold until he broke them, and his traps came into play.

He should be able to kill the intruders after his mate easily enough with just the traps. But first he wanted to know who had sent them. If the Hokage had sent them for some reason, he would let them live. Maybe. But if the council had sent them, he would show them no mercy and murder them on the spot.

He sniffed the air and growled, the fur on his tail bristling and standing on end. They were much closer now, almost at the cabin. He could see them moving through the trees and bushes in the woods. Four Anbu and...bloody fucking hell, was that Gai? Kakashi wondered as they came to a stop a few feet from him, just beyond the barrier. The Anbu glared, and Gai let out this god awful scream as soon as he saw him and scampered behind a tree in an effort to hide himself before yelling.

"I have a taser and peper spray, and I'm not afraid to use them on you Kakashi!"

"Get over yourself Gai." Kakashi called back to let the man know that even though he was still technically in heat, he wasin his right mind. Gai peeked out at him from behind the tree, a frown on his face.

There was only one reason why Kakashi would be standing there looking amused while he was in heat. He had tagged a female and mated with her.

Son of a bitch.Gai thought as he came out of his hiding place and pointed at Kakashi, who gave him an bemused look. "You! You have a mate!" Kakashi laughed at him. Gai made his observation sound like an accusation before grinning at Kakashi and stuffing his hands in his pants pockets.

"Are congradulations in order, little brother?"

"They are."

Gai grinned. Kakashi had finally taken a mate. Now all he had to do was find himself a nice woman to settle down with and he'd be set. The Anbu looked back and forth between them, looking uneasy. It was one thing to find and capture Uzumaki and take her back to the village, it was another thing entirely to interfere with Hatake's mating habits while he was in heat.

That would be just stupid.

Then again, orders were orders. "Hatake-sama, we did not come here to disturb you or your mate-"

"Oh then why are you here?" Kakashi asked as he gave the Anbu a cold look.

"We are here on orders from the council-" Big mistake number one. Kakashi thought as he took a threatening step forward as the Anbu continued speaking. "To find, capture and bring Uzumaki Naru before them to stand trial and await execution." Kakashi's expression became murderous.

"Shut up." Kakashi snapped and the Anbu stopped speaking. "I don't know what you've been told and I really don't care. My mate, is staying with me. And if the council wants her, then they'll have to go through me. Personally. Naru is staying right here, until it's time for us to return to the village. Gai...get down." Kakashi said as he looked pointedly at the man he called his brother and watched as Gai automatically dropped to the ground as Kakashi tripped two of his most lethal traps and smirked as kunai, shuriken, and flames engulfed the four Anbu.