Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Crossing Rubicon's	By : Saphri Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1427 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters portrayed in this story. I make no money from writing this fanfiction. I write purely for my own amusement and the amusement of fellow fans.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Chapter 2: Hide and Seek.

o0o
Slouched on the lumpy sofa Kakashi drowned his sorrows within his latest Icha Icha novel. Despite having read through all three of them numerous times, he still couldn't resist the urge to read through them again and again. Sometimes not even in order. He enjoyed particular scenes within the illustrated pages and contrary to popular belief they were not always the smutty scenes either.
The way Jiraiya had drawn the fight scenes was particularly beautiful. The fluidity of movement and the clashes of energy when the fighters connected was one of the first things that had drew him into the stories as a boy.
His very first Icha Icha book had been a gift from his beloved Sensei. At twelve years of age, Kakashi didn't have the patience for reading for anything other than training. He cared not for deep, meaningful relationships and upon being educated of the novels somewhat sordid contents, the bright orange novel had found itself stashed into a drawer, never to see the light of day again. It wasn't until he had reached sixteen that Kakashi had found his solace within the glossy pages his curiosities around sex getting the better of him.
On his recruitment into the ANBU Kakashi had searched through this forgotten drawer to find the sickly orange binds glowing through the random assortment of bric-a-brac. At this point he had found a companion that would never talk back, would never leave and would love him as much as he wanted it to. It was sad, when he thought about it, but Icha Icha Paradise had always been there for him. When things got too much for him, when he believed that he couldn't cope, it was this simple orange book that dragged him through the thick of it all. He loved these books, not just for their content but for the protection they gave him.
Kakashi heard the door click from behind him causing him to absently turn to face the blinding streak of light that was now pouring through the doorway. He heard Rin groan as her silhouette seemed to struggle with some cumbersome object in its grasp.
"Want some help?" He drawled, his attention being dragged back to the black and white print he held in his hand.

He heard plastic wheels squealing against hard wood as his flat buddy battled with what could only be her luggage.
"No, I-I've got it! Damn, you wanna try humping this thing up several flights of stairs! Hasn't your landlord ever heard of elevators?" She grumbled. Her refusal of aid was an obvious indication that she did indeed want Kakashi's help, she was just far to stubborn to admit it. Typical woman; always wanting to be the dominant of the sexes. This amused Kakashi greatly as he made no effort to fight against the grin that was forcing its way onto his lips.
Snapping the book closed, tossing it to the sofa, he got to his feet and lazily sauntered over to Rin who was yanking unsuccessfully at the handle of the oversized suitcase. Her hair was flailing and the muscles in her arms twitched violently as the rage in each grunt rose in pitch with each forceful tug. Kakashi snorted in an attempt to stifle his own laughter. The sight was hilarious and he could happily sit back and watch her struggle for his own amusement, but that wouldn't make him much of a gentleman, would it?
"Come here, I've got it," Kakashi drawled as he wrapped his gloved fingers around the handle which Rin was gripping intensely. The tips of his fingers brushed lightly against hers, sending electric shocks shooting up Kakashi's spine. Just touching her like this was beyond pleasurable, and very dangerous.
They both seemed to hesitate as Kakashi shifted his eye towards her. She was gazing down at their hands with an expression of bewilderment. It seemed that the contact had caused her to lose her train of thought. A slight dusting of pink frosted the bridge of her nose which made her look almost angelic. Her features were intense and gorgeous within the light of the hallway, her high cheekbones slightly shadowed by the darkness of the room. He wanted to kiss her, right now, right here to press his lips against hers and taste her against his tongue. She was amazing�
She gasped a little before pulling her hand away sharply, allowing Kakashi to take the weight of her luggage.

The suitcase was unbelievably heavy and the force of her sudden movement caused him to partially lose his balance and almost drop the case. Kakashi lurched forward to counter balance his own weight against the weight with a startled cry, grabbing at some of the loose straps near the base to stop it from shooting back into the hallway. It wouldn't do for her to see him fall flat on his face.
Once stable on his own two feet after much shuffling and grunting in his desperate plea for purchase, Kakashi shot his head round at Rin. She was standing behind him and gazing back with an inane smile plastered on her face. He frowned disapprovingly as she started to giggle.
"What did you do that for?" He snapped feeling quite annoyed that she found his predicament funny.

Rin broke into a fit of laughter, planting her hands on her knees causing her to bend towards him a little.

That was when he noticed her shirt was open at the neck, he could see right down her cleavage and the irrepressible urge to just grab those luscious mounds wrapped in cloth was getting the better of him, what he wouldn't give to just sink his face into that luscious valley. Kakashi wrenched his eyes away from them, pointing his gaze directly at her face which was still creased with amusement at his expense.
"What? It's heavy! Be a man, Kakashi. After that show of manly strength you showed me today, this should be nothing!" She chortled, straightening herself and planting her fists on her hips.

Kakashi hummed in displeasure, tightening his already monstrous grip on the case and hauled it from the floor with a loud groan of pure effort. He staggered backwards into the room with the fear that the weight would over come him and send him tumbling to his fate onto the hardwood flooring. Managing to keep his composure, and his dignity, intact he dropped it to the floor within the threshold of the apartment and closed door behind him with a precise shunt of his foot.
"What's inside this thing?" Kakashi whined, releasing the straps of the case as he straightened himself and flexed the fingers of each hand. Rin wasn't joking when she said it was heavy. He was able to feel the irritating prickle of the capillaries in each digit on his hand opening up allowing the blood back through.
"That suitcase holds the last ten years of my life, Kakashi!" She squalled. "Just leave it there, I'll drag it into the bedroom in a minute." she turned on her heel and heading for the kitchen.

Kakashi gazed after her in astonishment as he folded his arms across his chest."Oh no you won't! You'll scratch the floor!" He growled darkly. He wasn't all that bothered about the state of the d�cor, it wasn't his responsibility when all said and done. But he drew the line of knowingly causing damage to the apartment. The Landlord was a beast of a man and Kakashi had felt his wrath before when he had taken the door from it's hinges in a drunken rage many months ago. The Copy Nin didn't much fancy having to explain that the expensive laminate wood flooring was in need of some TLC thanks to him and his illegal house guest. He would be evicted for sure.
"I'll be careful�" She whimpered, stopping in her tracks and turning to face him. She looked hurt at his accusation which in turn made Kakashi feel a little guilty. He didn't mean for it to come out so forcefully, but his statement stood, Rin was not going to be responsible for damaging the flooring.
"I said, no. I'll take it into the bedroom. You'll go fix us a drink." He responded with a soft chuckle as he crouched at the side of the case and hoisted it from the floor. Damn, this thing was heavy.
"Is that an order?" Rin deadpanned.
"Why? You like being dominated, Rin?" Kakashi replied darkly. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he hutched the case in his arms. Rin smirked at him shaking her head.
"That depends. But it seems that the Sensei title's gone to your head over the years." She bit out, cocking her leg and leaning against the doorway of the kitchen.

Kakashi had to admire her audacity. She was getting pretty good at defending herself, even if it was all in good fun.
"Well, you know where the kettle is." He sniggered stepping into his bedroom loaded up with the heaviest suitcase in history. He heard Rin titter under her breath at the point when she entered the kitchenette. She was simply amazing�
**********
Rin sauntered into the lounge to see Kakashi sitting back in the sofa in exactly same posture as before; sprawled all over it with his porn supply in full view. She had found herself longing that he showed her as much affection as he showed those novels. He pawed over them like a young girl would a small kitten.

After their brief training session only a few hours ago she was finding it incredibly difficult to think about anything else. Each glancing blow he had applied to her had her head reeling and though the sensation was a pleasant one it was scary none the less. It was hard to believe that someone as placid and laid back as Kakashi could be so destructive, dangerous and arousing. Rin hadn't sparred with the copy nin for a very long time and she had forgotten just how swift and formidable he really was. He astonishing to say the very least.
Her return to Konoha had meant more to her than just coming home. It was a means for a fresh start, a clean slate. The feelings that she had started developing the moment she had stepped through the village gates she had originally thought were new sensations. But they weren't.
Once all the nostalgia had caught up with her this morning it was more than clear to her that her best friend was still standing proud on that very same pedestal that he had been since she was a young girl, and she hated it.
She didn't want to feel this way, she didn't want to yearn for him so much, but it was impossible to deny her feelings for him. Kakashi was still as indifferent as ever, still un-interested in her and she knew that this was the way it was going to be forever more. But the last thing she wanted was to lose him altogether.
The decision was made during her journey to collect her things from the Hokage after leaving Sakura and Sasuke at Ichiraku's. She valued Kakashi's friendship above all else. It was quite possible that her feelings had come on so strong because of being apart from him for so long; it would soon pass� she was over him. And that was that.
This was nothing more than lust. An emotion that was easily mistaken for love. There was a fine line between the two, but there was still a boundary and there was no way on this planet that she was going to cross it. Either that, or risk losing him� again. That was a risk that she was not going to take. The sooner she was out from under his feet, the better.
"You've got a good team there, you know." Rin pipped, strolling around the couch and holding out one of the porcelain mugs to Kakashi.

Raising his eye from within the bowels of his book, Kakashi fixed her with a curious stare that gave Rin the hint that he hadn't been listening.
"Hmm?" He hummed, lowering his read to his lap as he reached for the cup in her hand and took it from her.

She hummed a chuckle at him as she watched him raise the mug to his lips. Just watching him do stupid, silly things like having a drink made her knees feel weak. Surely she couldn't feel any more stupid than she did right at this moment. She hadn't changed at all� her evolution and growth had never happened. She was still that pathetic little girl she had always been. She had to get out of here�
"Your team. Sakura and Sasuke, is it?. They seem like nice kids. In fact I was talking to Sakura when you left earlier� what was up with you anyway? It's not like you to pass up a free meal." She saw a flash cross Kakashi's eye in response to her question. It was only there for a split second but she saw it never the less. It made him look anxious and it was undeniably foreign coming from him. She never recalled seeing something so obvious in any of his facial expressions. It was weird and it piqued her curiosity that little bit more. It wasn't like him to lower his walls, at all.
"Nothing. There were some matters of state that I had to deal with." He stated flatly and pointing his gaze back to his book.
He was hiding something.
What Kakashi didn't realise was that Rin knew him better than he was willing to give her credit for. He was pretty good at lying, but to lie to someone who has been extensively trained to pick up on body language as an aid to see past the deceit is always a bad idea. This wasn't like him.
"Like what?" She pressed as she leaned back into the couch.

Kakashi flitted his visible eye towards her briefly as a scowl settled into his face. Rin knew at this point that she was pushing buttons that he didn't like. He was never too fond of revealing himself to anyone, but he had been so open with her before, maybe he was telling the truth after all. Naruto had said the day before that he had not long returned from a mission. Maybe he wasn't meant to say anything.
"Nothing you need to know about. Anyway, you were saying�?" He drawled. Rin thought about his request for a subject change before remembering exactly what it was she had to tell him.
"Oh, right. Yeah, I was talking to Sakura and she told me that there's some apartments up for rent in her complex. I'm going to view one tonight. So, hopefully I'll be out from under your feet in a few days. And you can have your bed back." She finished her statement with a slightly hushed tone. She didn't like making Kakashi sleep on this sorry excuse for a sofa even if he said he didn't mind. She was more than grateful for his hospitality but it was time that she moved on and found a place of her own.

Kakashi lowered his read to his lap once more, turning to face her and looked her over sceptically.
"Tonight?" Kakashi asked in a somewhat astonished tone. The question knocked Rin back a little.
"Uhm� is that a problem?" She questioned with an arch to her brow.
He blinked at her periodically before he shook his head quickly and took another sip of his coffee.
"No. It's just I'm going hunting later. I was going to ask if you wanted to come but it doesn't matter." He smiled and glancing back down at his book. He sounded disappointed which in turn made Rin feel guilty. But she had to find a place to live. Either way, whatever it was he had planned, it sure sounded interesting.
"Hunting?"
"Yeah� you know? With the ninken."
"Oh my God! The puppies! You still hunt with the puppies?"
"They're not puppies, Rin," Kakashi grumbled, snapping the book closed and placing it carefully on the arm of the sofa.

Rin knew he hated her terminology for his ninja hounds, but that was how she saw them. They were playful and adorable, like all dogs were despite their fighting status and blood thirsty trademarks that they used in battle. But even so, Kakashi found it offensive for his Ninken to be referred to as "babies", something they were clearly not. Hell, she was certain that Pakkun was older than Kakashi.
"Sorry." She replied meekly, habitually tucking a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. She dropped her eyes to the space between them as she heard Kakashi blow out a sigh.
"It's fine," He said softly.

The room dropped silent as it had done the night previous. It was so uncomfortable and Rin found herself fidgiting in her seat as she tried to think of something else to say. that was until Kakashi's voice sliced through the thick atmosphere once again.
"Can I ask you something?" He muttered in that flat drone he had used before. Rin didn't like it when he spoke to her like that. It was totally unreadable which made it impossible to tell what he was thinking and gave her no indication if what he would say next was going to be good or bad.
If there was only one thing that she detested about him, it was his unpredictability. The way he went from having that beaming smile that made her world spin one minute, to going completely expressionless the next. She hated not being able to read him, it was incredibly difficult to judge what mood he was in when he looked at her in such a way.
"Yeah, sure." She answered eventually, in her small voice that was refusing to correspond with the impulses from her brain. She must sound pathetic.
"This mission you were sent on, to Lightening?" Kakashi eyed her over seeming to be waiting for confirmation to continue. Rin merely nodded at him.
"Were you sent alone?"
"Why do you want to know that?"
"It's just a question."
He was right, it was just a question. An innocent one, though Rin was finding herself wondering why he would want to know such a trivial detail. She mulled it over for a few seconds, still regarding his blank expression in a desperate attempt to read him in the hopes that she would be able to figure out just what it was he truly wished to know.

Kakashi was king when it came to beating around the bush. He liked to ask little simple questions in order to gain a bigger truth. It was just his way, Rin could never find any sinister reasons as to why he did it this way, but that didn't stop it from being annoying.
Eventually, sitting herself up on the lumpy sofa, she shook her head.
"No. There were three of us. Me, and two other medic nin." She responded nonchalantly. Kakashi glanced away briefly, seeming to take in this information although his expression didn't change.
"But you came back alone, right?" Kakashi punctuated this statement with a short nod of his head as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, folding his hands together.

She wasn't liking this one bit. Why didn't he just get the spot light out and commence with the torturing? She felt herself frown, twisting her lips thoughtfully before nodding at him to confirm her answer.
"Okay. How come? Why didn't the others come back with you?"
Rin shrugged her shoulders, taking in a long intake of breath. She was still in doubt whether this large piece of information was what he really wanted. There was no harm in telling him the truth, however, and she had every intentions of doing so. But why ask these questions now? Why didn't he ask her these things when they were talking the night before?
"Well, Satoshi-san; my team leader. He'd just signed another contract with the hospital we were stationed at. That keeps him in work for another four years. As for Yumi-Chan�" She hesitated a little when she noticed that Kakashi was now looking at her with an inspired awe.

He was listening to her story with a desirable interest and it made her feel good. At this moment in time Rin was the core of his world and it felt nice to be the centre of attention. Rin mentally shook herself free of her self obsession and continued with her story:
"Yumi-Chan got married. She fell in love with another medic-nin that worked on our case with us. They have a little girl now. She's lovely�"
"So why did you come back? You could have stayed on like your team leader did. They obviously like it there." Kakashi interrupted with a slight shake of his head and a sceptical quirk in his eye.

Rin snapped her mouth closed as she took the question apart in her head. This was what Kakashi wanted to know. This one little question that he could have asked without dragging out the torment.She glanced at the floor with another shrug before settling her eyes within his dark gaze once more.
"My contract had expired. We'd gathered all the information that we needed, the situation was under control. There was nothing keeping me there any more so I came home."
That very same fearful flash from before crossed his eye again as she finished her statement. Something in her gut told her that those words that had just this second come out of her mouth, despite them being the truth, was not what he had wanted to hear.
"I see." He muttered, seemingly to himself, nodding his head before getting to his feet.
"So, about this apartment. You sure you're ready to move out so soon?" Kakashi asked in the way a father would scrutinise his young daughter before her first date. Rin couldn't help but laugh at him and his over protective nature.
"Kakashi, I'm a big girl now you know! And yes, I know I haven't been back long, but you need your bed back and I'm ready for my own space. Thank you though� for putting up with me."
He shrugged and waved a hand at her dismissively in responce. But again, something told her that he wasn't too thrilled about the idea of her leaving.
**********
The prey was in his sights, through the shrubs and overgrown grasses he could sense the deer's ignorance to the impending doom that surrounded it as it grazed lazily in it's false security. Kakashi could feel the rest of the pack closing in and the sheer excitement of the hunt was causing him to salivate profusely. This was a good sign; it meant he was able to taste the air around him in order to keep his own scent away from the beast they hoped to capture.
Pakkun to the far left of him, Bull to the far right, the three of them communicated in a system of growls so low in pitch that no normal human ears could hear. The wind was blowing towards them, any sound they emitted, incoherent to the prey as it was drowned out by the mere movement of the breeze.
Kakashi loved the hunt, loved the animalistic rituals that he applied to himself. The Ninken had taught him everything he knew about the values of team work when hunting in this plain. But he was Alpha now; he called the shots, barked the orders. They hung on his every word, movement and sudden snap of his teeth. It was glorious.
For a spectator looking inwards on this little activity of his, they would think that Kakashi had turned feral. But, as any good pack leader knows, to hunt with the wolves, one must become a wolf. The animals he summoned into battle were not mere pets, they were his allies, his team, his pack. He was one with them, as they were with him.
A low rumble found its way to Kakashi's sensitive ears from his far right. The growl, long and deep was suggesting they move onwards. Kakashi shifted his eyes to the right, then towards the left, eyeing over each companion in acknowledgement that he was aware of their concerns. Being careful not to move his head so not to startle the deer still munching happily on its meal of grass.
But Kakashi didn't want to capture his prey as they did, he just wanted to chase it. A sadistic grin wrenched each corner of his mouth, feeling his lips slick against wet teeth.
The other two braced themselves, knowing what was coming, knowing that they would have to give chase at any moment. Digging his nails into the soft soil underfoot, Kakashi shot through the overgrowth in a flash of leaves and twigs as he heard the howls from the rest of the pack to confirm that his decision was indeed the final one. Darting towards his quarry, Kakashi saw the deer bolt without even looking back pounding it's nimble cloven feet into the soft ground as it bleated for mercy.

Giving one more forceful pull on the ground, ripping up the roots of the unfortunate shrubbery he shredded in his hands, Kakashi forced himself to his feet and took chase on the poor animal that was convinced it was about to become lunch.
The objective of the hunt was not to kill the animal, it was determine the skill of his team, to keep them together in top form and show them that they could capture, if they so wanted to. Kakashi was however, one team member short of his usual pack, Jackal had been left behind in the training field from which Kakashi had been collected by his nin-dogs in the hopes that Rin kept to her word and actually showed up. She was unable to come to this world by herself, she would need the aid of the Ninken to obtain access to this plain of existence. Rin had hunted with the pack before, before she went away. Kakashi just hoped that she remembered the rules of the game, if she turned up of course.
The distinctive sound of rustling leaves confirmed that the others were following behind, it wouldn't take long for them to catch up and over take him. Even with chakra enhanced speed, Kakashi had no hopes of keeping up pace with the dogs.

The deer's noble head, adorning a beautiful headdress of antlers, splayed like the branches of an oak in it's desperate reach for the sun, bounced with each flex of it's neck muscles. It was astonishing how such a slim, slender build could gain so much speed in it's need for survival. Kakashi enjoyed studying the anatomy of the prey as they made their get away.
The Ninken; howling their orders to each other began to outrun him as Kakashi began to slow his pace. He watched the deer prance into the overgrowth as the woodland hurtled towards them and the deer danced it's way out of sight into the thickets shrouded within the trees.
The chase was done. The animal was possibly in distress as it was, and Kakashi had no intentions of actually catching it. To do so would mean having to kill it and he didn't believe in such a ritual if it wasn't for the need of food. The hounds understood his stance on this, he was their Alpha, his game, his rules.
"Are we done?" Came the disappointed grumble of the largest dog of the pack. Kakashi ground to a stop, breathless yet content that he had done his duty for his furry companions. They needed exercises like this, it kept their spirits up and it gave Kakashi the time he needed to be with his pack.
Belting his feet into the moist ground, Kakashi doubled over, planting his hands on his knees as he sought for air. Beads of sweat fell from his hair in fat droplets, splotching to the mossy patches of ground as he glanced up to see the rest of the pack. They were all sitting about, watching him, waiting for more orders. Pity that he had no more orders to give to them. He straightened himself, planting his hands on his hips and nodded his head towards them.
"Yeah� yeah, we're done. We sure gave that stag something to think about anyway." Kakashi puffed out between his sharp intakes of breath.
"Hn. I was hoping we could at least get close enough to smell him. It's been a while since we last ate deer." Bull grumbled irritably as he flopped down in a brown heap on the grassy ground.

Kakashi hummed a chuckle at the huge dog with a slow shake to his head.
"My, you are grumpy today. Your bitch giving you a hard time again?" Kakashi chortled jokingly as he navigated his way through the fuzzy bodies at his feet. Needless to say he wasn't dignified an answer. Reaching Bull, the copy nin lowered himself down and rested his back against the inviting heat his largest companion radiated. Bull grunted in response as a white puff of fur made her existence known on Kakashi's lap.
"Kakashi-san, You smell funny," She chirped happily. The comment would seem rude to anyone else, but this was a species that based their whole level of communication mostly on scent. Kakashi had gotten used to the odd comments over the years.
"Is it a nice smell? I did have a shower before I came out. Maybe it's the new soap I'm using." Kakashi teased with a slight grin as he pulled his mask back into position with one hand and scratched the little dogs ear with the other. Kubi was a cute little thing, she always had been but she was a formidable tracker and an incredible battle dog despite her size and appearance.
Kubi raised her fuzzy eyebrows at him as she continued to tread his thigh with her oversized paws.
"Nuh-uh! Not soap. I know soap smell. You smell�" Kubi raised herself on Kakashi's leg and craned her neck to reach him. She sniffed around his face before pressing her nose into his ear which made Kakashi recoil and giggle a little. It wasn't something he freely liked to admit. It was kind of embarrassing that the formidable and deadly copy ninja was unbelievably ticklish. If anyone outside of this small circle ever found out he doubted he would ever live it down.
"�weird. You smell weird, Kakashi-san." She stated boldly and she went back to treading the cloth of his upper thigh.
"That's because he's in heat, Kubi." Came the so called voice of reason within the pack. Kakashi spun his head around and glared at the little pug that was now perched, somewhat proudly on the small of Bull's back.
"Pakkun!" Kakashi snapped, earning him a look of contempt from the little dog.
"Ooh! Kakashi-san's in heat? You got a mate? Is she pretty? Can I see? I wanna see!" Kubi chirped as the rest of the dogs began to gather round and gaze up at him in misplaced awe.

Kakashi turned to face the fluffy dog on his lap who was now wagging her tail furiously and panting in excitement at Pakkun's misconception.
"No. I am not in heat- only females go into heat, I do not have a mate and there is certainly nothing to see. Human's don't work in the same way that you guys do." Kakashi drawled, trying desperately to keep a lid on the whole situation. If he didn't nip it in the bud now this could get ugly very quickly.
"You're reacting to a female. It's the same thing as heat. It's a very distinctive smell, Kakashi." Pakkun retorted in that same condescending I-know-better-than-you tone.

Turning to face him again, Kakashi pointed a finger in Pakkun's face causing the little dog to lean back and eye over his extended digit gingerly. Kubi was an impressionable creature and he didn't appreciate Pakkun's input on his sexual status. He certainly wouldn't be thanking him for opening this can of worms.
"I suggest you be quiet before I grind you into a fine paste." Kakashi hissed.

Pakkun merely rolled his sleepy eyes at his pack leader and emitted a disgruntled groan at Kakashi's denial.

Just then there was a distinctive pop in the near distance and a familiar howl echoed into the clearing.Kubi, Pakkun and the others responded in unison with short sharp barks to define their location for the new arrival of the team. Kakashi felt a smile pulling at his mouth with this newest confirmation; It had taken her pretty much all evening, but Rin had finally shown up.
Jackal came bounding in through the clearing, tail buzzing behind him in a flurry, ears pinned back to his neck as he raced towards the group. Skidding to a halt just before them, the dog dropped to his belly and scooted towards Kakashi to show his submission for his pack leader.
"What did I miss, what did I miss? You done the hunt yet?" He yelped as Kakashi fussed him on the head, dislodging a few of the bindings that he liked to wear.
Jackal was more of a whippet than he was a jackal, but he was so named because of his explosive temperament and his over excitement. The name suited him well, and it was the first thing he had ever responded to from when he was a puppy. So the name had stuck.
"Sorry, buddy. Hunt's over," Kakashi responded, slapping the lean speed machine on the back playfully.
"What? D'aww, Kakashi-san! You could have waited for me and Rin-Chan!" Jackal whined. Shaking his head, tail between his legs he wandered away from Kakashi's touch obviously feeling neglected that he had been left out from one of his favourite games.
"What? Rin-Chan is here? Really?" Kubi exclaimed, bounding from Kakashi's lap and trotting over to the over excited whippet who nodded slowly at her. There was a series of barks and whines from the small group of dogs as they communicated with each other in their native tongues. Kakashi didn't mind so much that they did this. It happened when they were excited or angry and sometimes it was far easier for them to talk to each other this way. It came as a blessing when fighting an enemy as they had no hopes of understanding the random noises the dogs made when dishing out their orders to one another.
Just then the group fell silent as a dark figure made their way through the tree's. The dogs stood to attention, seeming to stalk the tall being as she came into view.
"Hey, guy's. Sorry I'm late." Rin puffed, sweeping a stray lock of hair out of her face and giving the group one of her wonderful coy smiles.
"Rin-Chan! It is you! Where have you been? We missed you!" Kubi squealed as she bounded over to the dark eyed medic and began jumping up her legs. Rin chuckled at her with a fond smile as she crouched down and scratched the top of her head just as the others began to gravitate towards her. Rin shared out her love amongst the hounds as they all begged for attention. It was good to see that they still remembered her and Kakashi found himself grinning fondly at the sight of his team fussing over her like a long lost member of their own pack.
He felt the huge shoulder muscles of Bull tense as the huge dog turned to face the crowd.
"So, you were right all along." Bull grumbled. Though his deep rumbling voice never held anything that could resemble anything along the lines of emotion, Kakashi knew that the comment was kindly meant. He knew, deep down that she would come back and there had been many a time that he had told his Ninken the same thing.
Humming a chuckle, the copy nin turned to face the large short hair, flashing him an eye crease.
"Told you so," He responded softly.

Bulls droopy eyes creased closed as he lowered his head back to the ground with a loud chuckle that caused Kakashi to bounce against the dogs hulking mass. Turning back towards Rin and the others he trained his ears on the conversation, the small yips were obvious pleas for attention and as usual, Kubi was doing most of the talking.
"So, are you back for good now?"
"Yes, well, at least I hope so!"
"Are you gonna come and play with us and Kakashi-san?"
"If I'm invited, of course I will."
"Are you gonna be Kakashi-san's mate? He's in heat, you know!"
"Uh� excuse me?"
Holy shit! Kakashi shot to his feet as soon as Kubi's comment passed her muzzle and stalked over to the group. Stupid Pakkun and his stupid big mouth.
"Alright, alright, break it up, you lot!" Kakashi hollered grabbing Kubi by the scruff and dragging her back while shooting her a detestable look ensuring that she was more than aware that he was not impressed.

Kubi whimpered in his grip, folding back her floppy ears in defence and showing him her most apologetic look. She knew she'd done wrong but her brain sometimes had problems keeping up with her mouth.

Glancing up at Rin, Kakashi was greeted with an amused grin and an arched eyebrow.
"In heat?" She question casually. Kakashi shook his head in utter disbelief. How could his own ninja hound rat him out in such an open way. Pakkun had a lot to answer for.
"Take no notice. Kubi's over excited. She say's stupid things sometimes." He drawled, releasing Kubi's scruff and watching her dash towards Pakkun and Bull on the other side of the clearing. Kakashi would deal with this situation later. Needless to say that he was less than impressed by Kubi's behaviour. He just hoped that Rin bought his lame excuse and by the brief nod that she gave him, it seemed that she did. A huge relief to say the very least.
"So, what's the plan then?" Rin asked briskly as she bounced to her feet. Standing upright Kakashi eyed her over, she was wearing her Jounin uniform. Dark blue shirt, green flack vest and dark blue pants. Her hair was pulled back in a tight pony tail at the back of her head with a few stray strands of auburn hanging over her hitai-ate that dressed her brow. She looked good as a Jounin, she looked really good.
"Plan? What plan? The hunt's over," Kakashi muttered raising his hands questionably.

Rin folded her arms over her chest and aimed a look of defiance at him, her lips twisting in displeasure and her eyes darkening a touch.
"Well, okay then. How about a game of hide and seek?" She proposed eventually having given it some obvious thought. Kakashi didn't feel like playing games. Especially not one as childish as hide and seek. Seemed that Rin had other plans.
"Rin, come on�"
"Kakashi! I didn't rush back to yours, shower, change into my scruffs and run all the way to the training field to come here for nothing! I want to play a game. And we're playing hide and seek." Rin punctuated her command with a bold nod of her head, poising herself as though she was looking down at him.

Kakashi arched a brow at her as she leaned towards him and nudged him in the arm with her elbow.
"Come on. It'll be fun." She chirped happily, smiling broadly which brightened her face beautifully. Still, he frowned at her. He was tired and the dogs should be too but as always, Kubi had her own take on the situation. If there was one thing they all liked to do together, it was play.
"Yeah, Kakashi-san. It'll be fun. Ooh, ooh, can I be it? I wanna be it! Can I?" Kubi yapped as she started jumping up and down on the spot, her tail swinging out behind her with such force that her backside swung with it.
"Please, Kakashi-san. Pretty please? I'll behave, promise." Kubi begged, pawing at the bindings wrapping his ankle and looking up at him with those huge blue, watery eyes. Kubi was in trouble, she knew this much, for letting her over-active mouth get the better of her. But how was he supposed to resist that insanely cute expression, she always knew how to get her own way, over the years she had wrapped the copy nin around her paws more than once.

Kakashi sighed in defeat turning his face up towards the sky.
"Alright, alright. Want to relay the rules, Rin?"
"Rules? Okay, this game will be a little different from the ones we used as kids. You, Kakashi can choose one nin-dog to take with you. You have twenty seconds to find a hiding place and then the rest of us will seek you out. Oh, and another thing. No clones, no mirage's, no traps, no weapons and no sharingan. It's only fair."
"That doesn't give me much of an advantage�"
"The rules apply to us too. But you have the freedom to move around. The objective is to capture you and your chosen partner. You can put up a fight but tai-jutsu is the only medium you are allowed to use. Capture is final if you get pinned to the ground. Got it?"
Kakashi nodded. If he had the ability to move around the field then he shouldn't have too much trouble trying to avoid them. Plus she never stated anything about the speed he was allowed to travel. Despite her obvious objection to him using any props or special abilities, she mentioned nothing about chakra manipulation.
Turning on his heel, the copy nin pointed directly at Pakkun who swiftly dove from his seat on Bulls back and joined him at his feet as they both trotted towards the overgrowth. There were plenty of trees to lose ones self and if he played his cards right there might even be an opportunity to kick back and relax for a while. He was pretty good at hiding so this game was going to be a piece of cake.
"Remember, Kakashi. You have a twenty second head start. Use it wisely." Rin flashed him a knowing smirk at the end of her statement and Kakashi was certain that she knew he was smirking back. If she truly believed that Kakashi wasn't going to play dirty, then she didn't know him all that well. But he was more than certain that Rin wouldn't be that much of a clean player either. It was within any woman's nature to use their claws and Kakashi secretly hoped that Rin knew how to use hers.
**********
Kakashi had been counting in his head the moment he had took off into the tree's, Pakkun close behind him and his twenty second head start that Rin had promised him had long passed. His chosen out post; a huge leafy oak tree with a view for miles, gave him the all the coverage he needed. And enough space to make a quick get a way if he needed to. There was no sign of any of the remainder of his team or Rin yet which put Kakashi at ease, even if it was only for a little while. This gave him the time to reflect on the conversation he had had with her earlier in the day.
Rin had all but confirmed that there was only one reason why she had returned home. Not because she was homesick, or for other reasons that he selfishly hoped to hear.Her contract had expired, her mission completed. End of story.
Kakashi sighed miserably, lowering his gaze to the ground several feet below. He had to admit that it wasn't what he had wanted to hear. He had hoped that she would at least humour his selfish desires and tell him that she came home for him. But the fact was that she hadn't. He was an afterthought as far as she was concerned.
If her mission had required more time, she would have stayed on longer. He guessed that he should see it as a blessing that there was nothing to keep her there.

He knew there could have been every chance that she could have stayed if she had wanted to. What if she had met someone? What if she had trodden the same path as her team mate, settled down and started a family? Kakashi wouldn't have been any wiser and would still be living with the guilt that he had broken his promise to his dead friend all those years ago� That he had failed to protect her.
Rin was a beautiful woman and Kakashi found it very surprising that she hadn't found someone that could give her everything that she could ever want. But then there was the thought that she could well have met somebody else, his affections not enough reason for to stay. But somehow Kakashi doubted this. Rin was fiercely loyal, had been for as long as he had known her. If she had found that special someone back in Lightening Country there was no way that she would be here now.
The copy nin was more than aware of how ridiculous and utterly pathetic he was to think such things. Rin was a kunoichi when all said and done. Her loyalties were equal to his and they were both bound by duty and honour to do their job for the good of the village. Even if it cost them their lives. None of them were excused from their duties on any grounds. The rules and regulations of the Shinobi stood firm and had done for generations and would do for years to come.

But he was only human, he could allow himself his selfish desires and fantasies as long as he knew that this was all they were; delusions and nothing more.
"Is she the one, Kakashi?" Pakkun asked eventually, causing the Copy Nin to lose his train of thought.

He flitted his eye towards the small dog briefly before resuming his outpost position, scanning through the tree's and focusing his energy for any sign of movement or chakra signals.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kakashi muttered. He had no desire to talk to Pakkun about his feelings towards the woman in his life. After his shameful display earlier he had no desire to speak to him at all. He heard Pakkun chuckle under his breath causing Kakashi to lose his focus again. Sighing dismally, he shifted his weight on the thick branch they were currently occupying and turned to face the little Ninken face on.
"What's so funny?" He hissed in a bid to stay as quiet as possible. The dogs had impeccable hearing and Kakashi didn't want to lose this game just because Pakkun wanted to talk. The copy ninja wasn't going down without a fight.
"You are. You've always been a stubborn pup. Never wanting to see the bigger picture. Always too content with the old, constantly stuck in your ways. You never liked change, Kakashi." the small pug ground out.

Needless to say that Kakashi felt quite offended by the remark. He had changed over the years, perhaps in a subtle manner, but he had changed regardless as and when he needed to. He didn't appreciate Pakkun pulling him up on his flaw's despite him already knowing what they were. He certainly didn't need reminding of them.
"What has that got to do with anything?"
"your affections towards the female is as plain as the nose on your face."
Kakashi glowered at him. If there was one thing that Kakashi hated, it was heart to hearts with Pakkun. He spoke a lot of sense, sometimes to the point where he could be quite patronising.
Pakkun was a wise being, but his condescending tone had a tendency to make Kakashi feel very small at times, this being one of those times.
Shaking his head, Kakashi tutted in response to Pakkun's observations of him. He was a dog, he didn't now how the human mind worked, not fully. So what if his affections towards Rin ran a little deeper than he wanted? It was nothing he couldn't handle. Rin was his friend, had been for a long time even despite her long absence. Pakkun didn't know anything.
Pakkun shuffled towards him on the thick branch as Kakashi turned away and continued to scan the area. There were no strong scents in the air and he couldn't feel any movement or chakra pulses. Chances were that the hounds were keeping Rin busy in the far distance as they scanned the ground first for any trace of him or his companion.
"Allow me to share with you some wise words your father once gave to me when I was a young pup; It is better to regret something you've done, than to regret never doing it at all," Pakkun soothed as he scratched at the wood under his paws.
Although the words were meant kindly, the sentiment hurt Kakashi in places he had forgotten existed. It always hurt when Pakkun spoke of his father. He remembered the spiel, it was one of the last things the White Fang had ever said to him before his descent into depression and alcohol. It was painful to hear but even the copy nin had to admit that the statement was indeed a true one. Both he and his father had made mistakes, some of them with dire consequences. The important thing that Kakashi tried to remember was to learn from them. But this was easier said than done sometimes.

Once again, Pakkun began to speak. His voice dragging Kakashi from his own thoughts.
"Kakashi. I speak to you as your friend, not as your ally. If you sit back and do nothing then you are a fool. And I am certain that Obito would tell you the same thing."
Turning around to face him, Kakashi opened his mouth to speak, to at least try and explain to his oldest companion that he was reading too far into something that wasn't really there. That it was because of Obito and his promise to him that he couldn't act upon feelings that may not even exist in days to come. But Pakkun had disappeared. It was at this point that he heard the howls echoing through the trees. The others were hot on his tail.
"Hn. Time to move." He muttered absently to himself, channelling enough chakra into both legs to carry him to the next tree. There was no way he was going to lose this little game of hide and seek.
**********
They had been scouting the thickets for over an hour now. Kubi and Bull were sticking to ground level in the hopes that they could pick up a scent but Kakashi was very skilled and cunning when it came to covering his tracks. Leaping through the trees, Jackal and the others far in front, Rin was beginning to think that maybe she should be the one that was doing the hiding.
The game was meant to be fun, and also an aid in getting her physical training back into gear. But Kakashi was a sore loser and she knew he would do anything to keep from being caught out.
Pumping a minute amount of chakra into her calf muscles, Rin took flight. Gauging her leap and the distance between the two trees she found half way through the enormous jump that she had made a miscount in her depth perception. Thinking quickly she swung her legs behind her and reached as far forward as she could to try and at least obtain just a little purchase on the branch before her. But her reach wasn't enough as she began to feel herself plummeting towards the ground. Sprigs of springy, young branches from underage tree's were beneath her so the threat of hitting the ground was a small one. But that didn't stop her from crying out in alarm and waving her arms like that was the one thing than would suspend her in mid air.
Crashing into one of the tree's below, Rin managed to grab a strong branch near the top, spinning her entire body around the trunk and land on the other side. She hissed inwardly at the sharp stabbing pain in her left hand and raised it to eye level as she sat back against the trunk.
The branch she had grabbed must have been damaged during her fall as it had gouged a deep cut across the palm of her hand. Blood oozed from the wound and began to drizzle down her arm as she smoothed a finger across the gash. The tip of her index finger began to glow a brilliant green as she watched the muscle and skin of her hand knit back together. The healing process took all of a few seconds but the downside to such quick healing was the pain would still be there for the next few hours while her body began to re-adjust.
"Man, I'm bad at this," She sighed dismally flexing her fingers before wiping the congealing blood from her hand onto the knee of her pants.
"Well, I did say earlier today that you needed more practice. And that display of healing chakra just gave away your location. How disappointing."
Rin spun her head around on her neck as she jumped to her feet to see a smug looking Kakashi crouched above her.
"You're supposed to be hiding!" She squalled, jabbing her finger at him as he gave her an amused chuckle.
"And you're supposed to be chasing me." He retorted with one of those trademark eye creases of his. There was no denying that he was smirking underneath that mask of his and it made Rin's blood boil. She was more angry with herself for letting Kakashi catch her out and for also doing something so stupid to give herself away.
Her chakra, being of an earthen elemental type was more distinctive than other chakra signals. She should have known better. She knew Kakashi would treat this little game of hide and seek like a sparring match. Well, if it was a sparring match he wanted, a sparring match he was going to get.
Rin, bared her teeth at him, bracing the muscles in her legs and lunged upwards. As she shot towards him, Kakashi's grin seemed to widen as his eye pinched a little more at the corner before he threw himself backwards and dropped to the branch beneath him.
Rin landed on the platform he had occupied previously, turned around and glowered down at him.
Kakashi chuckled again and leaned back against the trunk fixing her with another one of his amused stares.
"You'll need to try harder than that." He chortled. "You've become slow and heavy handed in your absence."
Rin felt her eyes widen dramatically at the flippant remark. He was goading her and needless to say that it was working.
"Oh yeah? I'll show you heavy handed!" She bit back, a sneer on her mouth as she stepped back and dropped herself from the branch. She heard Kakashi do the same as she hurtled towards the ground, leaves and twigs snatching at her face as she dropped through the branches. If they were going to fight head to head, there was no way she was going to do it in the tree tops.
Her feet hit the soft soil, the impact forcing her to double over and plant her hand on the ground to absorb the shock. Lifting her head just as Kakashi landed in front of her she took chase. Sprinting towards him she channelled as much chakra she could muster into her fists. But again, he was too quick for her.
As she thrust her arm towards him, hoping to strike him square in the face he bent himself back, her swing missing completely and pounding nothing but the draft he left behind.
Kakashi dropped to the floor and spun himself around on his hands. Kicking out one leg he roundhoused Rin from her feet before somersaulting out of her reach.
Rin fell back with a shocking force. Throwing her arms behind her she landed on her hands and with a graceful back flip she regained her balance on her feet.
She faced him, her feet spread apart, hands raised defensively and regarded him for any sign of movement.

Kakashi arched his brow at her flirtatiously. "Nice," He murmured before he darted to the left of her in nothing but a green and silver blur. Rin shot backwards as she watched him rush towards her.His speed was frightening and extraordinary. Rin found herself thanking the Gods that he wasn't her enemy; she wouldn't stand a chance against him if this was a real fight.
Kakashi rushed past her in nothing but a flurry of colour. This was her moment to shine. She was behind him now, and with the sharingan still covered, as stated in her rules for this game, she had the full advantage. By invading his blind spot she could take him down with one swift blow to the head. Perfect.
Kakashi skidded to a halt as Rin blasted towards him, every ounce of energy she had was being forced into her legs as she pumped chakra into her right hand, clenching the fingers so hard into her palm she feared momentarily that she would break the skin. Kakashi turned his head towards her, his blind side facing her as she pulled her arm back, ready for impact.
Driving her fist towards his face, Kakashi again took her by surprise when he leaned away from the impending collision and jumped over her. Rin was too slow to react as he span himself around in the air dropping himself right behind her and twisted his fingers violently into her ponytail. He yanked her backwards causing her to momentarily lose her balance.
She cried out, throwing her hands behind her head and clawing at Kakashi's forceful grip on her hair. She could feel the strands being wrenched from her scalp which caused her eyes to start streaming. She knew he would fight dirty. The bastard.
Rin pushed her feet into the ground and began to force herself back, still gripping tightly onto Kakashi's fist still tangled in her hair. She felt her shoulders collide with his chest as he began to lose his balance with each push of her legs. She continued to run backwards in the hopes that she would force her opponent into a large tree but Kakashi lost his footing sooner than she had originally hoped. Although it seemed that he had planned it as she felt him release his grip and shift his weight from beneath her.
Rin collided with the ground, sharp flares of agony stabbed at her shoulders as she cried out in surprise. Before she could even begin to think about moving he was on top of her.
Kakashi straddled her stomach, his weight pressing down on her almost to the point where it left her unable to breathe. Rin lashed out, throwing her hands out in order to strike him but he was too powerful as he grabbed both wrists and forced her arms above her head.
"You bastard!" She spat, unable to come to terms with her defeat, squirming beneath him in a frail attempt to break free of his monstrous hold. Kakashi merely chuckled at her as he bowed his head towards her. Hovering his face over hers, their noses almost touching she saw something in his glassy onyx eye. It was dark, predatory and a little frightening. She had never seen it before but the sensation of his breaths blowing around her neck, his broad chest heaving with each inhale and pushing against her breasts was causing her mind to fog over and take over her good sense.
"Did you really think I would let you win? It seems the hunter has become the hunted, Rin." His voice was a flat drone, that unreadable mono tone that she so hated to hear from him. Rin swallowed hard as he seemed to get closer. Her breathing became erratic and hard to control and her heart was defying the laws of her own body as it hammered against her rib cage. She could feel the intense heat of a blush raging on her cheeks. Was he going to kiss her?
"What are you doing?" She whispered quickly, just as the distinctive howls of the Ninken drifted into the enclosure. She saw the shadows of his lips against the fabric twist into a smirk and felt his grip on her wrists tightened slightly.
"Making my escape." He whispered back. A moment passed as she regarded his answer before he disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke.

Rin just lay there as the smoke dissipated into the air, the shock of the situation had overwhelmed her system and her mind was trying frantically to piece it all together.
What was that all about?
Raising her left arm over her head, she lowered it and trailed her fingers along the thick zipper of her vest, closing her eyes in the process. She could still feel his body heat enveloping her. It felt addicting and that old, familiar sense of longing began to swim in her head, telling her she wanted him, that she needed him.
She felt a thick knot in her stomach begin to untangle, sending electric shocks of pleasure coursing through her core. Rin wasn't entirely sure if she liked this feeling but it felt good either way. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that he was toying with her. Did Kakashi realise how she felt about him? Was he playing her feelings at his whim? She certainly hoped not�
Just then she heard the bushes at the side of her begin to rustle as Kubi came bounding up to her and begin sniffing her face in what seemed to be mild panic.
"Rin-Chan? Are you alright? Have you fallen? are you hurt?" She asked in sporadic bursts of concern.
Resting her eyes on the little dog Rin shook her head.
"No, I'm fine. Kakashi's heading west. You should follow him before he gets away," She murmured. Her mind was still hazy, she felt like she was dreaming. Kubi nodded and gave a short yelp before bouncing over Rin and dashing into the thicket. She sensed the others follow her lead as she simply lay on the ground.
"Why do you do this to me, Kakashi?" She muttered miserably, dragging her hands through her hair in utter frustration. How was she supposed to get over him now? This little game of hide and seek was supposed to be fun, but now it just felt like a huge mistake.
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