The leaves stopped rustling and a stunned hush blanketed the clearing. Kakashi's upturned hooded eyes were wide with shock and flickered between her and her father. His hand was frozen halfway between his face, as if he was going to scratch his cheek but was petrified.
Her father.
The Ninken had a longer pointier snout, with paler straighter fur but the resemblance was there in the way their muzzles were shaped and the tufts of fur that stuck out on the side of their tail curled the same way too. She inhaled again, eyes sliding shut as the warm familiar scent washed over her nose. Again, she was reminded of her earliest memories, long gone siblings with straight pale fur and pointed noses like the dog right in front of her.
She wouldn't have believed it if the overwhelming evidence wasn't in front of her nose.
The other ninken were dead silent, looking intensely on at her and she suddenly didn't know what to do.
It made sense. Her mother said her father was a ninken, and they did live in fire country so only Konoha ninken would have been allowed.
"Kakashi." Her father said. Actually spoke in human. She gazed upon him but couldn't gauge his thoughts about the situation. Kakashi's hand twitched and slowly lowered. He was clearly deep in thought.
Pakkun jumped from Bulls head.
"Where did you say you came from?" He asked her.
She swallowed heavily.
"I didn't. But, uh, I was born in northern Fire Country two cold seasons ago. Where the pine trees begin."
This appeared to be of importance to the ninken as they broke out in murmurs.
"Kakashi, we had a two week mission there about two years ago."
Akino-her father- lifted his head slightly and she could tell his gaze was burning into her golden fur. He lifted himself up on powerful legs and she did the same. The whisperers died down as they examined each other. They were the exact same height, making them tied for the second tallest dogs in the clearing.
Long strong legs and their ears twitched in the same way-although her's were longer because of her mother.
"Well!" Kakashi said, clapping his hands and still looking a bit stunned. "There's only one way to know for sure."
And then for the second time in a day, they headed towards the Inuzuka.
…
All the ninken except Pakkun and her father had unsummoned themselves. She was panting nervously as her father had not said a single word to her, still processing the results.
He was her father.
She had come to Konoha to find a life for herself. She never expected to find family. Not after her brother. It made sense but at the same time she couldn't help the painful ache as she was reminded of all she had lost.
Her father stood up suddenly and she abruptly closed her jaw. He sniffed her and then spoke.
"You smell like her."
She nodded, the only thing she was able to was pretty sure he was referring to mother.
¨You had siblings, didn't you? What happened to them?" At the faint note of hope in his tone she winced, thinking of the frost and her brother who hated her. That was answer enough for him and his ears drooped.
"Is she gone too?"
Again she nodded, her head bowed.
She felt him come around and sit at her side. She kept her head bowed. His flank pressed up against her as she rested her head on her paws. The feeling of another dog's pelt at her side was foreign. The last contact she had had like this was when her mother died and she had to stop herself from pressing back too hard. She forgot how good it felt.
"You want to be a ninja?" He asked after a long silence.
She blinked.
"The ninken told us that was the reason you came here." He spoke.
She barked in agreement, ears perking up. She had said that. He mother was gone but that didn't mean she still couldn't keep her promise and achieve her dream!
"I'll teach you."
She leaned against him and swiped his snout with her tongue in delight.
Her father said nothing, did nothing except sit up a little straighter.