Sakura hummed lightly to herself as she walked down the park road that would soon take her to an open field full of blooming cosmos flowers. It had been five years since she and Kiba had their first child, Koga, and life couldn't be better for them. While Sakura had devoted herself to working fulltime at the hospital, Kiba had taken on clan leader with her and taking missions along with his team. Although she missed going on missions she was happy with her life, she had a loving husband and the cutest little five year old boy. Koga had gotten his companion Kiiromaru a month ago and right now he was with Kiba and his team in the middle of the field training and getting to know his companion better.
Sakura had a day off today and had been planning and spending the day at home, nursing her suddenly nauseous feeling body but she had been called into the Hokage's office about a strange disappearance about a statue that was hidden deep in one of Konoha's forest. She was told to tell the other Jounin to be on watch for it but she didn't see what was so important about an old statue. "I'd better hurry." She broke out into a soft jog; she didn't want to keep her husband and son waiting. She hadn't been able to see them that morning because of the Hokage and she wanted to see them. It was rare for Kiba to be off and she wanted to make the most of it.
"What the…?" she stopped running when she felt something fly over her. Her green eyes looking all around her but she saw no signs of anyone following her, she was the only one walking down the path but she knew she felt another presences. She didn't like this. She had no ninja gear with her; not taking missions and working at the hospital meant she didn't have to carry it anymore. She wore a magenta short sleeved t-shirt with the Inuzuka clan symbol on the back by her waist, a crimson skirt with black tights under it and boots that were similar to the ones she wore when she was still a Chunin. Even though she was no longer accepting mission she still carried her ninja headband with her in case she ever needed it. Now was that time. "Something's wrong." her hair was down and the wind blew it all around, one hand went to move the hair from her eyes. She tied her leaf headband around her head like she always used too when she was still going on missions. She jumped into the trees and ran faster to where Kiba and her son was, she had a bad feeling about this and she wanted to get to them fast.
Kiba laughed along side with his teammates as he watched his son play with his companion. He was so proud of his boy that he couldn't help but allow a big grin to come onto his face whenever he saw him and Kiiromaru. Even though he was only five the two were already connected and bonding well together, Koga could even use some chakra to throw the stick farther when they played fetch. While the young Inuzuka looked a lot like Kiba when he was that age it was obvious he had gotten his mother's chakra skills and was already putting them to good use. "That's my boy." He ruffled his son's hair before lying down on his side, one arm propped up as he laid on it and watched his son run around the field again. Akamaru by his said as he watched the young pup bond well with his human companion. Kiiromaru was Akamaru's son and both fathers were watching their boys.
"It seems Koga and Kiiromaru are doing well," Kiba looked up and smiled at Shino. He made his teammate Koga's god-father, Kiba had faith in Shino to raise his son should anything happen to him and Sakura. "If he keeps going at the rate he is, he should graduate from the academy early."
"Of course," he had a big grin on his face as he spoke. "He is my son after all so it's only natural he would be great."
Shino only sighed. "Let's just hope he also inherited Sakura's modesty." Shino said and Kiba grunted.
"Koga seems very happy." Hinata walked up to her two teammates, a small blush on her face as she smiled at the laughing boy.
Kiba nodded his head, sitting up and gave a big yawn. "He's proud that he got Kiiromaru so early and that their training is going well." Kiba watched his son once again, his sharp eyes following every move his son made and he was pleased to say that his running form was already looking great.
"Hey guys," The old Team Eight looked to their left and saw Shikamaru walking towards them. "Got a message from the Hokage."
"Naruto? What does he want?" Kiba sighed and stood up next to his teammates. He was glad his friend reached his dream but if he got called out on another mission he was going to hit the loud blonde man, he just got home from an S-Ranked mission two days ago. He didn't feel like leaving his family again so soon.
"Just passing on a message to every active Jounin in the village," Shikamaru handed the scroll to Shino and began to explain what he had been told. "Apparently a weird statue up in the northern forest was stolen or something. A traveler found some rumble there and a note attached to it so Naruto's asking everyone to keep an eye out for it." He told them what he had been told at the meeting that was held that morning. It was only a few Jounin at the meeting since Naruto was to busy to call an official meeting so it was up to Shikamaru and everyone else to spread the word.
"The northern forest?" Kiba felt his body stiffen. "What statue was taken?" he took in deep even breathes. He had a bad feeling about all this.
Shikamaru just shrugged. "I think it was called Ashitare."
"Ashitare!" Kiba and Akamaru froze when that name was spoken, fear showing clearly in both their eyes.
"Is something wrong, Kiba?" Shino asked, confused by his teammates sudden behavior.
Kiba didn't answer him; instead he turned around to his son and called out to him. "Koga! Come over he-!" It was too late. A sudden figure jumped down between Kiba and his son.
A wolf like howl was released and every tensed when they saw what was before them. A man if they could call him that covered in scars and fur was in the middle of the field, blood red eyes glowing at them, grayish blue fur that danced in the wind, and ripped green clothing running over his body. Claws and fangs shining in the bright yellow sun. "Inuzuka!" he growled out, sounding more beast than human.
"What is that?" Shikamaru gasped out, he had never seen anything like this before.
"That's Ashitare," Kiba and Akamaru were both growling at the wolf like man, already in a fighting stance. "After the First Great Shinobi World War all the clans were trying to come up with ways to make themselves more powerful, at the time Ashitare was the clan head. He wanted the Inuzuka clan to rule over Konoha but he didn't have enough power so he used a forbidden jutsu to combine his and his companion bodies together. The Inuzuka clan disapproved of his methods and tried stopping him but he was to strong so instead they sealed his body in stone and hid him deep in the forests of the village." Kiba explained to his friends who this beast before them was.
"So that statue that's been missing is this guy?" Shino asked and Kiba nodded. "How did he get out?" they all knew that if he was sealed in stone for all these years than the jutsu he was under hand to be powerful. Now the only thing that remained was how did he escape?
"I'm not sure," Kiba only growled again when he smelt the fear coming from his son. He wanted to go over there and protect him but if he moved now than Ashitare could get to him before he could. "He was supposed to stay sealed away forever."
"How come the village was never informed about this?" Shikamaru questioned, he had looked through every history book the village had and he had never once seen anything written about this guy.
"Because it was Inuzuka knowledge. Only those born into our family could know about it, the elders thought it would keep him from being released." He balled his hands into fists at the look that was on the ancient Inuzuka's face. Bloodlust. That was all that were in those red eyes.
A laughed came out from the beast like man and everyone shivered at how it sounded. It was more of a growl than a laugh. "Nothing lasts forever," Ashitare smirked at the four Jounin in front of him. "I can tell by your scent that you're the clan head, such a strong chakra coming from you," the wolf man put his nose in the air, a smirk coming onto his face and he turned around to face a frightened Koga. "But not as strong as your son." He was down on all fours, stalking towards him.
A kunai stopped him from moving any further. "Don't you dare touch my son!" Kiba growled at the beast man, his Alpha side coming out and Akamaru was ready to attack with him at any moment.
Ashitare only grinned at them. "I can see where he gets his chakra from, your mate must have delicious chakra as well to produce such a strong heir." Kiba froze when he mentioned his mate. Sakura was coming, he could smell her scent in the wind and he was worried about her showing up and finding Ashitare.
"What do you want?" Kiba growled, every one of his friends were ready for a fight. Shino had his bugs ready, Hinata had her Byakugan activated, and Shikamaru's shadow was inching closer and closer to the beast man.
"I want what I've always wanted," Ashitare was growling again, only this time much darker than before. "I wanted our clan to rise up as the true rulers of this village but my comrades turned on me, turning me to stone. We could have been rulers of this village but instead they sealed me away and let themselves become lap dogs to their Hokage," everyone was ready to attack, one more step and a fight would come. "I had the power than but being sealed away for all these years has drained me of my power."
"So what are you saying?" Shikamaru didn't like where this was going.
Ashitare only widened his grin. In a flash he had Koga and Kiiromaru in his hands, both were trying frantically to get out of grip they were in but they couldn't break free. "These two are very strong. If I make them become part of my body I can gain back the power I lost and finally take over this village."
"Not on your life!" Kiba and Akamaru attacked, both jumping into action. They tackled Ashitare to the ground, making him drop Koga and Kiiromaru, and the battle began.
"Koga, go hide!" Kiba called to his son, Akamaru barking to Kiiromaru to do the same.
"Okay." Koga stood on his short and shaking legs, picking up and putting Kiiromaru on his head before running off behind a tree. Although he was young his nose told him enough that the guy his father was fighting was very strong and bad and he needed to hide.
Once he saw his son was hidden Kiba went into action along with all of his friends. "Fang over Fang!" he and Akamaru were going at him, at full power to defeat this monster before he had the chance to hurt his son. So at full force he aimed the attacked at the enemy but only hit the ground instead.
"You missed." Ashitare was behind him, mouth grinning and not a scratch on him.
"What?" Kiba growled, he couldn't have missed him. Even at the speed he and Akamaru were going at he could still see where Ashitare was when he made that attack.
"You need to work on your speed if you want to catch me," Kiba only growled at the wolf man. "I can see you're strong," he disappeared from their sights and reappeared behind Kiba. "But not strong enough!" A kick to the head sent both Kiba and Akamaru into a tree, the force of it all causing the tree to break in half and them hitting the ground in a big thud.
"Papa!" Koga ran over to his father, small hands shaking his father's large shoulders to try and wake him up. "Wake up, papa." He called for his father, Kiiromaru barking in Akamaru's face as well.
"K-Koga," Kiba groaned out, his body shaking as he sat himself up. The hit he had taken knocked the wind out of him but he was able to recover from it. "Get out of here. Go find your mother and run." He told his son what he wanted him to do. With a deep breath he stood up with Akamaru by his side and the two Inuzukas marched out to where Ashitare was laughing at them.
"I see you're stronger than I thought. You certainly know how to take a beating." The wolf man only smiled more; he was having fun in this fight.
Kiba grinned at this. "Let's just say my mate has a temper. I've been hit much harder by her than you could ever hope to do." His words caused everyone to sweat drop. They knew of Sakura's tempered and of her hitting anyone who pissed her off.
"Who would have thought all that hitting would help in battle?" They all thought as they watched Kiba fight Ashitare again only for the wolf man to dodge every attack.
"He needs help." Shino ran out himself, bugs coming from his body and attacking Ashitare, blinding the beast.
"He's right, we need to help." Shikamaru and Hinata ran out to the battle ground themselves.
Each Jounin attacked the beast with all their strength, Kiba and Akamaru using Fang over Fang, Shino and his destructive bugs to try and drain him of his chakra, Hinata trying to use her gentle fist to block his movements, and Shikamaru trying his Shadow Possession Jutsu. Each one tried but failed by the speed Ashitare was going at, the man was to fast for any of them to see or land any attacks on him. "It's pointless," the beast man jumped in the air, avoiding another wave of attacks. "None of you will be able to catch me." He landed on all fours and ran at Koga, his fangs showing as he jumped at the frozen boy.
"Koga!" Kiba cried out, him and Akamaru putting all their chakra into their next attack and finally managed to get a hit on the beast. They sent him flying across the field and away from the shaking five year old boy. "I told you I won't let you touch my son!" Kiba growled out, standing in front of his son and his Alpha mode coming out. He wouldn't allow anyone to hurt his son.
"I see," Ashitare recovered quickly, blood red eyes watching Kiba with interest. "I was hoping to save this for your mate but it seems I have no choice," He looked at one of his claws for a moment before taking it in his hand and ripping off one claw from his left hand. A loud howl escaped him and his body began to shake, a black and blue aura radiating off him and he threw the broken claw to the ground. "I will make you disappear from this time!" he ran at them, his speed even greater than before that Kiba couldn't move fast enough to block it. Instead he pulled his son into a tight embrace and shielded him from whatever attack that was coming, Akamaru doing the very same.
"Kiba!" His friends called to him but he heard none of it. All he heard was the loud cry of Ashitare behind him and then felt the pressure of his claws running down his back. He cried out in pain, his mind spinning and blacking out just before his body disappeared. Akamaru doing the very same.
"H-He's gone." Hinata gasped out when she saw her old teammate just disappear into thin air. Her Byakugan was activated but she couldn't pick up any signs of Kiba or Akamaru anywhere.
"Whoa, what did he do?" Shikamaru had never seen a jutsu like that before. This was getting intense; the battle was going far worse than he had anticipated. They needed help.
"It's almost as if he erased them from existence." Shino was trying to understand the situation but he couldn't come up with any ideas on what just happened to Kiba.
A dark laugh could be heard. "I'll do the same to you," In a flash Ashitare was at the, his claws glowing black and he slashed at the three remaining ninjas in the field. All of them cried out in pain when the slash marks appeared on their body before they disappeared the same way Kiba had done. "And now it's your turn, little one." his eyes grew wide in excitement that he had won as he stalked towards the fear struck Inuzuka.
"Wha…What did you do to my dad?" Koga tried sounding brave, he tried showing no fear just like father had taught him but this man in front of him was scaring him. He wanted his father to still be with him.
"I just sent him on a nice little trip," Ashitare was getting closer but Koga's legs were frozen. He fell to the ground next to his shaking companion and his eyes were wide with the fear of this man coming closer to him. "However I would worry more about yourself than your father, little boy," he there, standing directly in front of Koga with his giant grin on his face. Showing off his sharpened fangs to the scared boy. "Now it's time for me to fulfill my destiny as the greatest-" he jumped away at the sudden chakra but was only blown away when the ground beneath him started to shake and cracked under the sudden pressure.
The smoke cleared and revealed and angered Sakura standing in front of her son. Her fist still on the ground and the giant crater in front of her showed how upset she was. "Keep your hands off my son!" Sakura was angry. How dare this beast try and hurt her son. She was going to make him pay for trying to harm a single hair on Koga.
"Mama!" the fear seemed to have left Koga at the arrival of his mother. He ran over to her and hugged her close, happy that she had come and would drive away the evil man. Kiiromaru was barking happy at her, tail wagging and jumping up and down at the arrival of Sakura.
"Koga, are you alright?" Sakura got down to her knees, hands on her son's shoulders as she checked him over for injuries. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw that he and his companion didn't have a scratch on him.
"I'm fine," he gave his mother a wide grin. "Papa and everyone protected me."
Sakura smiled at her son and pulled him into a hug. She was so glad to see that he was alright. "What happened to daddy?" she knew Kiba was with him. Kiba was protective of his son just as he was of her so there was no way he would just leave him like this. Especially if there was an enemy around.
Koga shook his head and frowned. "I don't know. He was here but that man over there made papa and everyone disappear." He pointed over to Ashitare. He was standing back up again, his head shaking away the dust and dirt that had gotten in his eyes when the attack had suddenly come.
"Woman, you'll pay for that," he growled at her but Sakura showed him no fear. She only glared at him and began putting on the gloves she always had with her. "Tell me are you this boy's mother?" he asked her, his nose twitching as he took in the smells around him.
Sakura stood on her feet, fixing the gloves on her hands. "And what if I am?" she wanted to know who was this guy and what he wanted with her and her son. "More importantly what did Koga mean Kiba and everyone disappeared?" she tried sensing for his chakra but she couldn't feel it anywhere in the park or anyone else's for that matter.
She received her answer with a giant cackle. "So they allowed a non-Inuzuka to marry our kind?" he gave a twisted laugh when he realized this. "Not only that but this half-breed has such strong chakra from a woman not born of our clan." The smile he wore annoyed Sakura. So what if she wasn't born into the Inuzuka clan, that didn't mean she was weak.
"Koga, stay back." She warned her son. She didn't know who this man was and she didn't care, he attacked her son, did something to her husband, and now he was laughing at her. This man in her mind was as good as dead.
"So you plan on attacking me? Well go on and try but I wouldn't coun-" Ashitare had to jump out of the way when Sakura charged at him, a fist full of chakra aimed at his head. With his speed he was able to jump into the air and see the damage of the attack, the tress that she had hit with her attack all crumbled to the ground and turned to dust. "Such power," he landed on his feet and looked on at Sakura's small body that somehow had released such a strong attack as that. "I can see now why our clan accepted you. With your strength you could rule over the entire village with an iron fist."
Sakura only scoffed at him. "No thanks. I have no intentions of ruling anything." she jumped at him, this time her legs were powered by her chakra but like last time he jumped out of the way and all that remained was a giant crater in the earth.
"Mama's strong." Koga and Kiiromaru both agreed as they looked on in amazement and shock as Sakura fought. He was used to seeing his mother heal others not fighting them. The most he's seen of her fighting was when she got angry at his father and sent him through the roof of their house.
Ashitare growled as he dodged more and more attacks, each of them full of Sakura's chakra. "Cha!" finally putting an equal amount of chakra into her hands and feet Sakura was able to catch up with him and land an attack on him. She only managed to hit his shoulder but it was enough to knock him off his feet and send him flying into a tree.
"That's what you get for messing with my family!" she panted out, pushing some of the hair out of her eyes as she readied herself for another attack that man come from the wolf man.
"You wench!" Ashitare jumped out, his eyes glowing from the anger he felt and Sakura gasped when she saw his body. The spot she hit, his shoulder was gone. She had blown it all off and all that remained was a giant chunk and cracks running up and down his arm.
"You're body…?" she had thought she felt something strange when she hit him. Something harder than human flesh.
"That's right," he held his broken arm in his other hand, panting from the pain that was spreading into his body. "After my clan turned me into stone my body began to become part of the statue that I was sealed in. My flesh and blood turn hard and cold and even my bones became stone. I'm what you would call a living statue."
Sakura raised her fists to him; she didn't like the look that was in his eyes. "If that's true than how did you escape?" she still had no clue who he was but from his story it sounds like he was sealed away inside a jutsu that turned his body to stone.
"The same way every villain escapes. When a fool seeking power comes and releases the seal that was placed under in hopes of gaining our power. It was the same for me. A young fool came to me, trying to gain the power I had but instead I consumed his body in order to live again." Well at least now she knew how he had gotten out of the jutsu he was under, now just to figure out who he was.
"What is it that you want?" she questioned him, hoping it would by her enough time to come up with a plan. "If I can land even one hit on the guy than I can destroy his body but I need to get Koga out of here. It took all my chakra control to land that one hit on him." She had to come up with something fast before he could escape and hurt her son.
A small grin came onto his face. "I know what you're doing," his words caused her blood to turn cold. "And I won't let you win!" he jumped away and aiming towards Koga. A howl escaping him as he was directly above the young boy and had his claws ready to grab the boy and win this fight.
His claws glowed black again but instead of slashing through flesh he was repealed by something hard. "I won't let you hurt my son." Sakura had both Koga and Kiiromaru in her arms, shielding them from the attacks that were coming. Ashitare only growled and continued trying to slash at her but he was repealed every time by her chakra. Sakura was able to spread her chakra around her body to make a shield so that he couldn't get through her or at her son.
"Impressive woman but with this you can't move and we both know you can't keep this up forever." Ashitare didn't stop, he kept clawing at her. Trying to break through her chakra shield and wait for the moment where he could get to her and the boy she was trying so desperately to protect.
"Mama." Koga looked up at his mother's face; worry was in his and his companion's eyes as they watched the woman before them protect them.
"Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you." She spoke softly, trying her hardest to keep the shield up and not break it from the pressure that kept coming onto her body. She pulled her son closer to her; she would protect him no matter what happened to her. She would not let this man have her son!"
"I've had enough of this," Ashitare brought down both claws and finally broke through the chakra shield that Sakura put up, making her fall to the ground with her son and his dog in her arms. He was grinning at them as Sakura only held on tighter, she would not let this man have them. "Time to end this." He raised one hand at them, his claws shining in the sun and blood eyes glowing once again.
"Enough!" Just as he went to attack them he was thrown away by a blue light and his body started to spark.
"Sasuke." Sakura gasped out when she saw her teammate standing before her, his sword out and aimed at Ashitare. The sword glowing from the lighting that it just released.
"Are you alright?" he asked them, his Sharingan activated as he stared at the man before him. The body was still sparking from the lighting that hit him.
"We're fine," Sakura stood to her feet, holding Koga and Kiiromaru in her arms. "Thank you." She sighed out. She was lucky Sasuke had come when he did or else she didn't know what could have happened to her and her son.
"Hmph," Koga and Kiiromaru growled. "Why'd he show up?" he asked his mother, slit like eyes glaring at the Uchiha. "Papa says he's a bad man."
"Koga," Sakura gasped at her son. "Just what has your father been teaching you?" she would have to talk to her husband when she sees him. Sasuke was not their enemy anymore and was a leaf shinobi again; he has been for the past seven years.
"Papa said he's a bad man and tried taking you away from him." Koga explained and Sakura groaned.
"I can't believe Kiba passed his jealously onto his son." She really was going to have to talk with her husband.
"You're really that surprised?" Sasuke asked her and Sakura tried coming up with a come back but this was actually nothing new for Kiba. Although Sasuke was their allay Kiba still had ill feelings over the fact that Sakura had been so in love with him during their childhood. "No." she sighed, she knew she couldn't argue.
"Uchiha," Ashitare growled, teeth bared as he stared at them. "An Uchiha helping an Inuzuka? My oh my, how the times have changed," he scoffed at them both, his claws ripping the flowers from the ground beneath him. "I did not expect this much to change but it seems this village only proves to be weaker than I believed if other clans can't relay on their own power to fight." He glared at the two shinobis in front of him and growled again, he needed to retreat. With a loud roar he slashed at the ground beneath him and disappeared in a bright light, the same way Kiba and the others had done.
"Where'd he go?" Sasuke had his Sharingan on but even with that he couldn't pick up any traces of the enemies chakra. It was like he was never there to begin with.
"I'm not really sure. Koga said the same thing happened to Kiba and everyone else," Sakura was worried; she didn't understand this new enemy and she wanted to know what happened to her husband and friends. Most of all though she was scared for what that beast wanted with her son. "We need Naruto."
"You're right," Sasuke sheathed his sword and looked around the area once more before deactivating his Sharingan. "He may have some documents we can look at, even if he doesn't we know that the enemy will have a harder time getting what he wants if there's more of us." Sasuke said but he was annoyed at this new opponent. It somehow new about his clan but he didn't have a single clue about what it was. He was hoping the documents in the Hokage tower would help them.
"He said he wanted Koga," Sakura held her son closer; she was so glad that she had made it in time. She would have never forgiven herself if she had come even a second late. "Sweetie, do you know what he wanted?" she didn't know how long that guy was with her son but she hoped most of the time he was with Kiba as well and he heard something.
Koga gave a small nod. "He said something about power and using me. I'm not sure what he meant but he talked about chakra a lot and being part of our clan." He told his mother everything he knew from the moment Ashitare appeared. Even at his young age he knew a bad situation when he sees one and he knew they were in trouble. He wanted his father to be with him but he still had his mother and he knew she was strong too.
"He's an Inuzuka?" Sakura was surprised by that. There were no Inuzuka markings on his cheeks that she could see so she hadn't thought of him as one, just a man that was more animal than human.
"He said his name was Ashitare and papa said he's a really bad man." Koga tried remembering what his father had said but he was too scared to really listen. The sudden appearance of the wolf man made his senses shut down and he was frozen in fear most of the time. He frowned at that and held tighter to his mother, his father always told him to be strong and he needed to do that now. With his father gone he needed to act like the man now.
"Ashitare?" Sakura and Sasuke never heard that name before in their lives. "Let's get Naruto and than head over to the Inuzuka compound." Hopefully Tsume or Hana could fill them in.
"Right." Sasuke nodded, checking the area one more time before saying it was clear and they jumped towards the Hokage building. Sakura holding tight to Koga and Kiiromaru the whole, no matter what happened to her she would not let go of her son. Even if it killed her, she would not let hold on him weaken and allow that beast to take her son.
"Kiba, please come back soon." She had faith in both her and her teammate's abilities to protect her son but she wanted her husband back. She needed him with her to feel complete and strong, she needed Kiba by her side just as much as she needed her son. She hoped by the end of this she could have him back by her side.