Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Wolf's Rain, nor any of the characters I write about in this story, but I do own the storyline. If I did own Wolf's Rain then Cheza would have turned into a wolf at the end instead of a bunch of seed pods and she and Kiba would have walked together into paradise, finding all of their friends there, alive and well... happy.

Chapter 2

Sakura and Kakashi were always together through the years and since partners lived together most of the time, they saw each other every day and almost had a daily routine. They shared an apartment, taking turns with who bought things for the house and had their own chores. That was until one day Sakura woke to the blinding light entering her window and walked downstairs in her pajamas. She yawned, stretching her arms and back, before looking around. 'Hmmm, Kakashi wasn't in his room so he has to be awake, but he isn't here...' Sakura put it off and grabbed the milk out of the refrigerator, pouring herself a glass. She expected that Kakashi would come back soon but after she finished her milk and waited he still hadn't returned.

Sakura changed out of her pajamas into her ANBU uniform, donning her ANBU wolf mask, and searched for Kakashi around the village. Sakura was stopped after a while by two other ANBU officers, one wearing a crow mask and the other wearing a pig mask. ''Lady Tsunade has summoned you to her office, expecting you there immediately.'' The ANBU in the crow mask with black markings around the edges spoke while the other in the pig mask handed her a scroll of summons. Sakura wanted to ask them where her partner was but there was something in the tone of the ANBU's voice that stopped her.

Her eyes pierced into the dull gray eyes of the crow mask wearing ANBU. He flinched, feeling like he had been burned by her gaze and quickly looked away, biding her farewell and disappeared with his pig mask wearing partner. Sakura transported herself just outside of Lady Tsunade's office, anxiety coursing through her body. She raised her hand, curling it into a fist, about to knock when she noticed that her hand was trembling. She clutched it to her chest.

Even though she hadn't wanted Kakashi as her partner in the beginning, she had grown close with him. It worried her that she was called to the Hokage's office just after realizing that her partner was missing. What was she going to be told when she opened that door? Was she about to be informed of her partner's death once she stepped into that threshold?

She shook her head, trying to push the negative thoughts out of her head. She was a jounin, an ANBU, for crying out loud! Standing tall and halting the trembling of her form, she knocked on the door with a little more force than necessary. ''Lady Tsunade, you summoned me?" Her ears perked up as she heard rustling within the office, most likely papers, scrolls, reports and other things. The reply was muffled by the door but barely when it came. ''Come in Sakura.'' Sakura braced herself for the worst before calmly opening the door.

Her former sensei and master, Lady Tsunade, Hokage of the Leaf Village, sat behind her desk, her fingers interlaced as the rested on the desk which was littered with unsigned papers. Shizune stood to her left, back almost touching the wall and her face was serious, missing the glee that it usually had when she saw Sakura as she held Tonton to her chest.

Lady Tsunade's partner Darcia was in his wolf form, his body curled around the side of Tsunade's desk, off to her right with his large head resting on his paws. His dark purple fur seemed to glisten in the rays of the early morning sun. Darcia's ears flicked up as she entered the room and his large mismatched eyes opened to regard her.

Darcia lifted his head to nod at her in acknowledgment before laying his head back down on his paws, his eyes still trained on her. "Sakura come in and take off the mask, it is hardly appropriate to wear it in front of your former teacher." Sakura closed the door behind her as she stepped further into the room, bowing before her teacher. "Hai, Tsunade-sama."

She lifted the mask from her face, holding it in her hand as her arm rested at her side. As she shook out her hair she noticed someone else was in the room, lounging on the couch on the side of the room, the very couch that Sakura had seen Lady Tsunade sleep in when she stayed overnight at the office. Her jade eyes looked him over, memorizing his appearance and stance.

He had shoulder length shaggy brown hair and steely blue eyes, eyes that were currently regarding her but in a different way than Darcia. She had never seen this male and if she had then she didn't remember. His stance was fairly relaxed; his back slouched against the back of the couch and his arms resting on the top, his longs legs splayed out in front of him, one almost straight and the other bent at the knee. The man was most likely around her age and his skin was pale with a slight tan, attractive. He was often outside by the look of him.

Yet there was something about him that she couldn't quite get, not until she looked from him back to Darcia. The wolf's eyes were watching the male instead of her, giving him a look that she didn't understand. The man was a wolf like Darcia, an alpha probably by the way Darcia seemed tense around him and how even though the male was relaxed he had this air of power around him. "Sakura." Sakura quickly ripped her eyes away from the man and gave her full attention to her former teacher. Her honey colored eyes kept Sakura in her place, fully serious and lacking any form of joke. "I know by now that you have noticed Kakashi's absence and are wondering what has happened to your partner." She paused and Sakura nodded.

Lady Tsunade took a deep breath before she continued. "He has been re-assigned as a partner to his old friend and rival, Might Gai. You will also be assigned a new partner in place of Kakashi." Sakura just stood there, a lump in her throat, constricting her airway and making it hard for her to breathe. Lady Tsunade had taken away her old teacher, her partner, her friend and was willing to assign someone else to her just like that...

What was the point of all the time she and Kakashi spent together, all the missions they went on? They were the best partners in the village besides Sasuke and Naruto and Lady Tsunade was willing to throw all of that away? Sakura's jaw clenched as did her hands as she tried to rein in her rapidly growing rage. Her jade eyes narrowed at Lady Tsunade's calm yet serious appearance. How could she be so calm about this?!

Sakura was ready to scream and destroy something. Even Darcia noticed the abrupt change in her mood, his eyes watching her carefully and his head no longer resting on his paws. "Why have these changes been made, Tsunade?" Sakura growled out in a low and dangerous tone through her clenched teeth. The honorific had been dropped and everyone in the room knew to tread lightly, even the male in the corner had become tense.

Tsunade's eyes widened for a moment before she cleared her throat. "Kakashi is twice your age Sakura, not quite a spring chicken anymore and you need a partner that is younger, better suited to you and your strengths. That is why Kiba is here, Alpha of the Wolves." Tsunade motioned to the male in the corner seated on the couch.

Sakura turned her livid gaze to the male known as Kiba, her face forming a scowl. This male, though he was cute and radiated power, an alpha Tsunade said, was supposed to be 'her' equal and partner? Tch, Kakashi was stronger than her and who cares about the age difference? At least she knew him. Sakura knew nothing about this Kiba male. Her scowl turned to a cruel smile as her jade eyes turned hard and cold before she laughed, a sound that made everyone in the room cringe. It was cruel and without humor, furious and disbelieving.

When her laughter ceased Sakura glared at Kiba, who couldn't help but shrink back from her gaze. "You, will never, be accepted as my partner. You are no Kakashi and you will NEVER replace him!" She growled at Kiba before storming off, slamming the door behind her as she left and covering her face with her mask. Her chakra was flowing around her erratically, whipping like the winds of a storm, scaring all that saw her and fearing for their lives as she made her way through the village to the training grounds to let off some steam, quelling her temper.

Lady Tsunade sighed as she watched her former apprentice leave, furious with Tsunade and the thought of having Kiba as her new partner. Kiba closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch, letting out an exasperated breath. "A pleasure to meet you…" Shizune let out a nervous laugh, one that was more out of discomfort than humor. "Sakura isn't normally like that, I swear. She is a sweet girl and an incredible kunoichi but very loyal, devoted to those she cares for." He hums in acknowledgment of her words but keeps his eyes closed, replaying the last few minutes over in his head.

Lady Tsunade clears her throat and speaks to him, leaning a hand down to Darcia out of habit, comforting her and him. Kiba looked over at her, seeing her honey eyes watching him as her hand ran through the dark fur on Darcia's neck. "Sakura is as Shizune says but she was very attached to Kakashi. He was after all her former teacher and squad leader, someone she grew close to. She will come around; all you have to do is give her time." Darcia let out a rumble that showed that he agreed with Tsunade, closing his eyes and leaning into Tsunade's hand. The traitor even knew more about that girl than Kiba.

He nodded to Tsunade and thought about her, the fire she had in her jade eyes, the way she held herself with poise and power, an alpha if she had been a wolf, the way she her pale skin glowed in the sun's rays, her passion and loyalty to her partner, the way her cherry blossom pink hair flowed around her, and the conviction in each of her words. She was indeed beautiful and obviously strong if Tsunade partnered him with her, but he wondered how long it would take for her to accept him. He looked out the windows to the clouds floating peacefully above the village, his blue-ish grey eyes following them as they moved slowly, oblivious to the emotions of the people below. 'Sakura, huh?'