"You know, I just noticed, you named your wolf after my son."

"Shut your mouth, Inuzuka."

"I don't shut my mouth, Hatake..." Even though she said such a thing, Tsume fell into silence as she observed him rather obviously.

Kakashi suppressed a sigh of irritation and turned to look at her. "What do you want?"

"Why can't you ever just accept the fact that we're family?"

Tsume was looking at him with a look on her face that Kakashi had never seen from her before. Her eyes weren't narrowed and feral- instead, they were narrowed in thought. Her lips were pursed in what seemed to be a small frown that had no actual anger behind it.

Kakashi didn't like it when she thought about anything. Tsume was a dangerous adversary when she was only thinking on her feet and relying on instinct. But she was almost unbeatable when she formulated an actual game plan. Luckily enough for him, she usually chose to fly by the impulses that appeared in her mind so he didn't have to worry about her plotting too often.

Unfortunately, motherhood had made her wiser... She plotted more often now... And that plotting usually came to bite him in the ass without him being able to connect the obvious until it was too late and he had been beaten.

He didn't like admitting it, but this woman was the one adversary he could never defeat.

(He still refused to admit that Inu was another female that would forever, for the rest of all time, continue to get the best of him as well. His pride just could not allow him to acknowledge defeat to two strong willed and calculating females.)

"I want to officially declare you as my Second Han in the Inuzuka Clan. The spot's been left vacant since my bastard of a husband defected. The Elders want a worthy feral to fill the spot. You fit the description almost perfectly."

Kakashi had to stop himself from wincing at the harsh yet almost blasé way that Tsume insulted her husband. But, even with how she didn't seem hurt by his big betrayal anymore, she had not called him an ex-husband. And that spoke volumes as to how she still loved him.

"I'm not an Inuzuka." Kakashi remarked as he pushed off from the refrigerator he had been guarding from the Wolf Pack, all the while Tsume continued to judge him from the kitchen's counter. "I highly doubt Clan Politics allow an outsider to be your Second."

"Not at all." Tsume answered easily enough, still no anger appearing in her words or face.

Kakashi was honestly kind of scared right now. A calculating Tsume was a devastating force of power. He didn't think he would be walking out of the Inuzuka Compound if he didn't agree to her terms.

"If anything, the Second is a spot usually reserved for outsiders. It tends to be filled with Clansmen, but..." The woman shrugged, then stood up from her chair and walked up to him.

He was taller than her. He had been for a while now. But whenever Tsume glared directly into his only visible eye, he felt like that lanky teenager with more to prove than any other person alive. He remember just how alone and scared he had been- and how he had refused to admit this weakness because he couldn't afford to be vulnerable in a Village that had needed him to be the best.

"The description asks for someone that can embody the values of the Inuzuka Clan and force the Clan Head to listen. Out of everybody I know, you're the only person I'm willing to listen to that isn't already a Clan Head." She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled softly, "Come on, Kashi, you're family in everything but name. Be my Second."

Kakashi wanted nothing more than to run away from Tsume Inuzuka and hear nothing about her insane plotting.

(He accepted.)

"We're tired!"

"Good. That means that you've been working hard!"

Kiba growled in disdain as Ōkami bit at his heels and growled at him- a warning to threaten him into further motion.

Kakashi smiled at Kiba's pain, all the while Hinata and Shino did their best to not groan in disdain. They had already learned that getting bitten non-stop by the wolf cub was not the most harmless of punishments and wanted to avoid it as much as possible.

The man turned back to the book he had been reading before Kiba had so rudely interrupted him, finished the page, and turned the page to continue with the tantalizing story written by the best author of his generation- his own teacher's teacher.

Distrust and worry burst within him as soon as his eyes fell on a scrap of paper with crude hand writing he had not written.

He never left anything in his books if he could help it. He usually read them within a day, so there was no need to worry over losing his place because too much time had passed since he had last read. And, even when he had to stop reading for some reason or another, he barely ever truly forgot where he was. He didn't have a need to mark pages.

So, if he had no need, why was there a piece of paper in his book?

Kakashi glanced over at his genin to make sure that they were running their laps and had not gotten ride of their weights while he hadn't been paying attention. Once he was sure that everything was alright with them and that they were too busy to notice him, the man carefully picked up the piece of paper and waited for any kind of reaction.

After seconds passed in which nothing blew up, the man brought the paper up to his nose and sniffed at it.

Daichi.

It was like a slap to his face.

How in the world had the man managed to sneak into his apartment and hide the paper inside of this book?

Sighing softly, the Hatake put down his book and began to read what was written on the long yet thin scrap of paper.

'There are records in your father's library that detail jutsu that a wolven and human duo can master. I've pulled them out so you can teach Kiba and both of his pups.

My mission is still incomplete.

Make sure Naruto's teacher keeps a close eye on him. This people have plans for the Jinchūriki. I have not been told what they are just yet- it is only a matter of time.

Be especially wary at the Chūnin Selection Exams. There are whispers as to a possible intervention from Orochimaru himself.

I will keep my eyes and ears open. Keep the pups safe.'

Kakashi knew who had left him this from the scent. As long as someone only read what had been written and didn't smell like he did, they would not know just who had left him this.

If he could smell Daichi on it, it would only be a matter of time before Kiba did too. And he couldn't run that risk.

"Ōkami, make sure they finish five more laps before they start up on tree walking. I'm going to find some practice weapons."

He would discard the paper in a river, he decided. The water would destroy the scent and make the ink run. If anyone found it, they would merely find a soggy and useless piece of paper...

But he could also burn it...

He'd decide later on.

(He gave it to Pakkun for safe-keeping until he consulted with the Hokage as to what this could mean for Konoha. Not because he couldn't stomach parting with the first bit of communication he'd had in much too long. No. He held onto the paper for that long just to make sure that the Hokage was well informed and they were prepared for disaster at the Chūnin Exams.

"You want me to do what?"

Ino scoffed at him, always looking like such a disappointed and pissed off female that Kakashi honestly wondered if she was even capable of feeling happy anymore. She had lots of pups to look after and she ran herself ragged, even though she was still heavily ailed by what happened during her confrontation with Danzō all those years ago.

Aside from those pains, her joints would creak at random intervals and she would extremely pained whenever it got too cold.

Inu and Neko were getting old. There was no way to deny it. Just like the kids were growing up, these two were growing old.

Unfortunately, it seemed that these wolves did not have the long life-span the Hatake Clan's wolves had been blessed with. Then again, these were not summons. They were always around- much like the Inuzuka's nin-ken. Nin-ken which also suffered from rather rapid aging when compared to humans.

"Teach the human pups that were imprinted on at least the basics of partnered combat. I have already received too many childish whines about tails being stepped on and legs accidentally getting bitten."

Kakashi blinked at the information, then slowly murmured, "You are aware that none of those are-"

"I am aware that these are children, Hatake, yes. Now get off your ass and teach the pups."

The man sighed as he remained seated for a second longer, then grumbled quietly and forced himself to stand up from the grass he had been lounging on.

Yet again he found himself dragged to the Inuzuka Compound. This time, though, he wasn't in any house. He was currently in a large patch of green that had been set aside specifically for Inu and Neko's use- a home for them, of sorts.

"Who do I have to train now?"

Neko bounded into the large clearing, almost seeming as spry as he had been in his younger years. But Kakashi knew that he was getting older- his energy just wasn't as limitless as it had once been. His muzzle was also beginning to be over taken by white fur- a change Inu would not undergo because of her natural color.

"Itachi, Kiba, Sakura, and Ino. Anko and Ibiki refuse to be called pups, but they also were chosen as worthy partners."

All of the breath was knocked out of his body upon hearing the last two names. He almost fell to the ground if not for the fact that he was too proud to show such weakness.

"Anko and Ibiki?" He repeated in a small, strungled tone. "Head of T&I and Insane Interrogator themselves?"

Both wolves nodded, then Neko smirked at him. "I like that Anko. She's a fired up alpha. I'm sure she'll have an amazing partnership with my kid."

"What the hell, Inu?" Kakashi growled, "Do you really expect me to teach three tokubetsu jounin?"

These wolves were insane.

He had no idea why he allowed himself to ever think he could not be surprised by them anymore.

"And three genin. Now get to work."

(One day, Kakashi would get his revenge for all of the abuse he suffered at the paws of the wolves.)

(He wouldn't, but it was best to let him hope.)

His life was busy and he blamed it all on Kiba and Tsume Inuzuka. If not for them, then he would have lived a nice and peaceful life where he would never have had to take a genin team under his wing.

If not for them, he wouldn't be wasting his Saturdays teaching a rag tag group of non-Inuzuka or Hatake people about the basics of using wolves as valuable resources in battle.

"What're they doing here?" Kakashi groaned as he saw people that did not have any wolf cubs under their watch.

Hinata, Shino, two moronic chūnin that were currently working on getting into T&I, Genma Shiranui, the rest of Team 7, and Asuma were all gathered, along with the six wolf-partners.

"We wanna find out about the wolves. Inu and Neko said we may just get our own parters in a bit!" The chūnin with the bandages on his face smiled.

Kakashi couldn't stop himself from asking, "Just how the hell do you know those two?"

His brown haired friend stepped up to clasp his hand firmly on the other man's mouth to make sure he didn't spew out whatever insults it seemed he wanted to yell out at the inconsiderate Hatake. "We were babysitting the Wolf Pack when Ibiki couldn't one day. They saw us and said they liked us. We've only just recently been introduced to the rest of the pups, though."

"They were Inu's secret favorites for years." Ibiki grunted, seemingly annoyed with the wolf cub that kept biting at the fringes of his trench coat. "They were instructed to come here today."

"And the rest?" Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Either here to learn how to maneuver around the teammates with wolves or because Inu and Neko promised a partner in the future." Anko smiled broadly, suddenly appearing in front of him with her own wolf cub proudly grasped in her hands. "Isn't my little guy just adorable! I'm thinking of putting an eyepatch on him someday- just for the dramatic flair."

The dog had a snake shaped collar around his neck.

Kakashi was done.

He hadn't even been there for more than five minutes.

By the end of the first lesson, Kakashi decided that he was going to become a missing-nin and there was nothing anyone could do that would possibly change his mind.

Teaching Hatake-style was difficult with Kiba, who was an Inuzuka. This was a kid that already had prior knowledge of animal kinships.

It was a thousand times more difficult to even try to explain to a bunch of people that had only considered animal partnerships to be an Inuzuka thing.

Sakura and Itachi were the only saving-graces in that group. Because even Morino was a headache!

Having an audience sure hadn't helped...

Kakashi grumbled to himself as the various wolf pups yipped and growled in playful enjoyment, all the while his supposed students merely talked with each other and burned daylight.

He was going to become a missing-nin, find Daichi, beg him to come back, and then take Daichi's place as a double-agent. He didn't give a shit about becoming a traitor and being hunted down for the rest of his life. Anything was better than having to deal with these many people that understood nothing.

"Hey, Kashi! Ma's making steak barbeque for all of us to celebrate our first day of wolf training. She said the Nara offered some special deer meat just for the party!"

...

... ...

... ... ...

... ... ... ... Okay... So... Maybe he wouldn't go rogue just yet.

Nara deer meat was delicious.

..~..~..

I hope you all liked this chapter!

I'm thinking of writing just one more and finishing the story up! And that I'll then write a short sequel about these guys as teenagers to wrap up the Akatsuki story-line.

Please review!