The Shepherd's Dog
Author: remthedogsitter
Rating: M
Summary: It's been five years since Iruka left the village on an important mission and Kakashi has been searching for him ever since. Kakashi's journey leads him deep into iron country where he is later rescued by a shepherd and his eight dogs. Will Kakashi manage to solve the mystery and save Iruka in time?
Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto or their characters in any shape or form
A/N: IM NOT DEAD
Chapter 2: Shadows
These were hard times he could tell as much, the sheep continued their bleating from under the floorboards. A storm had been ravaging the cabin for the past few nights now. The shepherd had left the shelter of the room to go what Kakashi thought could be a basement or some kind of make shift barn, but how many times the man left the ninja couldn't remember. The poison in his bloodstream just sent him in and out of consciousness almost without warning and its been a few nights of throwing up and numbness before the herbs being fed to him were taking a more calming effect.
The shinobi sat propped up against the wall on the far corner, content most times just to be watching Iruka from across the room. They hadn't talked that much, the man genuinely didn't seem to remember him even after hearing his name and hints of their village. Kakashi stroked Aya, his fingers entwined in her fur with each passing, sometimes lingering to feel the warmth beneath his finger tips. The fox like dog gave something between a growl and a purr in pleasure allowing his ministrations, the dogs didn't seem to remember him either but from what he collected they all shared the same scar near the dip of their collar bone. The mark was circular but it didn't look to be any sort of special marking but a curse mark wasn't actually out of the question.
"Shinobi-san will you come with me tonight?" Iruka said, not looking up from the wood he was carving.
"Where will that be Shepherd?" Kakashi muttered, there was a small curl in his chest and his hand resting on Aya closed into a loose fist.
"Between the wolf territory and the village. There's a sort of celebration tonight and I have to bring a few sheep for the feast." He said with a sort of finality, a flat tone in his voice, this Iruka was quite skilled at dismissing conversation. The man picked up his staff, curved at the end, deep groves etched into intricate scenes of the life of a shepherd. Protecting his sheep, bringing them up the mountain to pasture, rescuing lambs from ravines amongst other things he couldn't make out just yet in the dancing light of the fire.
He remembers using that staff to get about the small space of the cabin to the outhouse and back, more to work his bad leg than anything. He developed a sort of limp with the numbness of his leg knee down but Iruka only assured him it would get better with time and movement where so the poison could be better circulated.
Iruka handed him the wood he had been working on, a thick staff without the curve his own had. "A traveler's staff." He said simply, bringing out the thicker coats meant for travel outside made of layers of wool and fleece.
It still amazed him how the man could navigate with no sight at all, in passing Iruka had told that story about how his parents told him he had been blind since birth or at least that is the story the Shepherd believed and for now without any proof otherwise Kakashi could merely bide his time. With the few moments he collected enough chakra to use his sharingan he realized Iruka had been using chakra whether consciously or not together with the guidance of his staff.
Kakashi received the gift before he stood up, his strength was coming back but he wasn't sure if he could trust himself with navigating the mountain path just yet.
Ran and Izo were already waiting at the bottom of the stone and wood steps, carved and crafted into the mountain face it seems, the only part of the cabin visible to the outside was only the front part with the door and the gate beneath to where the sheep were.
Two rams and two ewes, they ranged from the color brown and white and one had a mixture of both. The male's were young, maybe just yearlings, their horns large and curved and they held their heads high, the females had a little horn showing too on the top of their head. They weren't like the domesticated sheep he had seen around in fire country, dumb things that would chew on anything. Instead these sheep regarding him with a sort of intelligence and with a respect towards the dogs in which the dogs did the same.
It was late in the afternoon and the few hours of daylight were already fading. Small lights began appearing as the horizon revealed the small village at the base of the mountain. Kakashi pulled his coat closer to him, hiding his face more into the hood to hide his hair, the ninja that was after him from before could still be around.
They were met at the village entrance by what seemed to be the chief of the settlement and he greeted the shepherd warmly. They accepted two of sheep and said a few words of payment and the man's wife handed Iruka a small package which he received with a smile before slipping it into a canvas bag at his side. As they made their way up back the path Iruka took a right following a smaller goat path leading up to a plateau that lead deeper into the mountain.
It was night time now and Kakashi held on to leather collar for support to lead him through as he stumbled occasionally on the uneven ground, his traveler's staff not helping as much as he would have hoped.
Eventually, he saw a spark light up the night, illuminating Iruka's face for a brief moment until the fire began. The other dogs aside from Kaimu and those guarding the sheep were shuffling about the clearing gathering firewood. Iruka led the two sheep near the fire and tied them with rope and a makeshift stake driven into the ground.
Pleased with his handiwork Iruka made his way towards Kakashi and lay out a canvas sheet for him to rest on. "Try not to make a sound Shinobi-san." He cautioned bending down near to the man's face for emphasis as sound from the village were getting louder. The sound of drum beats, chanting, the noise of broken glass touching, sending their chimes into the air.
The shepherd sat down on the trunk of a dead tree and waited. The howls of wolves echoed throughout the woods, surrounding the clearing in sound and Kakashi saw the glowing eyes from the dark crevices of the forest. The wolves were coming here and the dogs answered their calls with their own howls. The dogs had gathered at the Shepherd's feet, Kaimu had curled around Kakashi watching like he did the events that were unfolding.
A large red wolf broke away from the pack and stood in the clearing, its yellow eyes not leaving where Iruka was. The Shepherd stood with his staff and approached the center still some way away from the fire. Kakashi was not sure if it was a dance or well placed running about the clearing but Iruka's ninja skills showed, his speed and the deliberate movements and the wolf as well was not just a instinctual beast. The kept up with the rhythm of the song, other wolves soon joining in and it became a flurry of color and the Shepherd's song when he brought out a wooden flute from his bag.
Soon, there was a solemn pause of pace as the red wolf and Iruka looked at each other, though the man was blind even without the sharingan he could feel the strong surge of chakra between the two. The red wolf tore into the ram's neck, the ram somehow was silent not resisting to the sound of the crack of its windpipe. Iruka slit the ewe's throat and the blood of both sheep mingled in a spray. The shepherd pulled small wooden cup and drank the mixed blood and the wolf drank from the pool on the ground.
There was silence for a few moments, the wolf howled deep, the sound the only echo throughout the woods because the music from the village stopped as well. When the wolf was quiet the music began again from the beginning, the tension in the air had faded as they all partook of the meat of the sheep. Wolves, dogs and man were together at the same table like brothers. Iruka later on brought a large chunk of roast sheep to him, wine in a skin and half a loaf of bread. "Drink all the wine Shinobi-san and get warm."
Kakashi was too tired to protest, the whole ritual somehow had lulled him slowly and his mind was swimming. In the half light however he saw a large wolf, bigger than a horse, come out from the dark to join the dance, its fur was crimson but Kakashi knew from the three sets of eyes though only two were open. A piercing emerald color glowed and met his own eye.
The wolf dipped its head respectfully in greeting. "Moon of my brothers."
It was Shinjiru.
A/N: sorry this chap took so long I'm so busy with college xD but the good news is since I'm doing a story collection for my thesis I've been getting the classes on improving my writing craft, do you see the difference in this chapter? Hehe remember I love you all and review are love. I'll update when I can : )