Intruder
There were new scents in the territory. Who they blonged to, Naruto didn’t know but they never touched the ground, never brushed the bushes or the roots. It was always in the trees, attached to the thick limbs that before only carried the Lone’s scent.
Where as Lonelightningstubborn—that had been Lonesorrowgrief—once circulated there was now sweetemberwind, calmembergreenfood, and riveryarrowdog. The Lone was still there, his scent always laden over the others but the others were still there which set Naruto on edge more then anything.
Sniffing at the limb again, he frowned, looking through the trees where he could see Kirum and Diapha hiding from Themo and Sasuke. He didn’t see anyone else but he hadn’t forgotten how that packdanger human felt like nothing at all. What if there more of them? What if they entered the territory?
“What’s wrong?”
The blond glanced at Gumo, one hand digging into the bark to keep his balance. “What do you smell?”
Gumo raised his nose to the air, sniffing before he frowned as well and looked at the branch they were standing on. “New scents?”
“Three of them.” he informed the redhead, searching the forest once more. “I’ve only noticed them the past couple of days but they’re like the Lone. They never touch the ground.”
“You think Mama Kōri knows about them?”
“Should we go tell her?” he asked in return.
His brother nodded, “It wouldn’t hurt. If she knows, they’re probably safe. If she doesn’t she’ll need to know anyway.”
Cupping his hands around his mouth, Naruto howled, signalling the others to come in. While they couldn’t howl like their canid siblings, he and Gumo had figured out how to pitch theirs to get the same point across. With that, they slithered down the tree to wait for the others.
Kirum appeared first, tongue lolling from the side of his mouth as it usually did when he was happy. Knowing who he’d been hiding with, Naruto sidled off in time to avoid the flying blur that tackled Gumo to the ground. His redheaded brother smiled roughing up her scruff before they got back up.
A couple minutes later Sasuke and Themo trotted up, curiosity in their black-haired friend’s shoulders. “What’s with the call? We don’t normally come in until Mama Kōri calls.”
“There’s new scents in the trees,” Gumo told him.
Naruto nodded, “I’ve been noticing them the past couple days. We’re going to go see if Mama Kōri knows about it.”
“Hn,” came the grunt of agreement and the group of six started for the den.
When they were close, though, the wolves, as one, stiffened. Naruto noticed this and looked at them. “What’s wrong?”
Diapha sunk down, strangerhunt in her tense back and crept forward, slinking into a bush in front of them. Kirum glanced up at him. “There’s humans near the den.”
The blond exchanged a look with Gumo who sent the same look to Sasuke before they too got down in the way Mama Kōri had taught them to hunt mice and squirrel and they joined their sibling hiding in the brush. Through the leaves he saw a human with short black hair sitting in front of their Den Mother. On the other side, the Lone leaned against their den, paying attention to whatever Mama was saying but…
That was their mother. No one got close to her without them being there. With that thought, he tapped Gumo’s shoulder.
“Split up,” he murmured, “Pairs, we’ll take them at once. Tell Sass go behind the den, Kirum and I’ll come from the human territory.” his brother nodded, passing along the plan while he backed away, tugging on Kirum’s tail to get him to come along.
They slunk through the bushes surrounding the clearing, light on their feet and using the shadows from the trees to stay hidden until they were on the opposite side. Once in position, they waited.
Not long after, Kirum flicked an ear, head tilting in the direction Sasuke’s team was to come from. “They’re in position.”
Taking a deep breath, Naruto set his hands on the ground and counted down. “3, 2, 1…Take him!” With that he took off, aiming for their black-haired intruder. When he was close enough he leapt, aiming a flying kick at him.
“Stay away from our Mama!”
The man yelped, barely dodging the kick. Naruto stuck the landing, spinning on his heel as a ball of white aimed for the intruder’s throat. Knowing Gumo wouldn’t be far behind, the blond knelt, feeling feet run up his back before his brother shot at their enemy with a kick.
He was on his feet, backing away to avoid Diapha going for his legs and Naruto caught up beside Gumo, tapping him on the shoulder and pointing the other way. The redhead dipped, aiming for that side. Naruto went left, swinging for the intruder’s stomach.
And then Sasuke and Themo came into play, the sekigan appearing behind to trip him and their friend jumped up, wrapping an arm around the intruder’s throat.
With him down, they rushed in, jumping on him to keep the man down.
Only then did the intruder stop moving. Naruto huffed, looking up to meet their eyes. That…Inhaling, he recognized the sweetemberwind scent from the trees, what?
Naruto sniffed again, picking up on Sasuke’s Tomatoemberink scent. Not only did they look alike but they smelled alike?
“Hey Sass,”
Sasuke grunted, leaning his head around their intruder’s to look at him.
“He looks a lot like you.”
The Uchiha leaned forward, taking a good look before he blinked. “Shisui?”
What?
Looking from his friend to the intruder, back to his friend, he asked quietly, “you know him?”
Sasuke let go, coming around to stand beside Naruto and nodded, furrowed brows reading confusion. “Yeah, he’s my cousin, part of my pack. I don’t understand why he’s here though.”
“I could answer that if you let me up?” the intruder, Shisui, answered, amusement far too loud in his bearing. Naruto didn’t like that look. He was an intruder, he had no right to be amused when he’d entered their territory without permission.
He glanced at his siblings, seeing them looking to him for what to do. Which meant…he dug palm into the man’s stomach much like Kirum would do to him. “No, not until you tell us. If we like your answer, then we’ll let you up.”
Shisui yelped, squirming under them. “Oh come on, this isn’t fair. I’m being interrogated by five year olds. Kakashi, you are an asshole!”
“Alright, that’s enough.” Mama Kōri padded up, attempting to nose them aside,
Naruto turned to his mother, whining, “But, Mama we caught the intruder!”
She chuckled, setting her head to his back and pushing. “I see that, pups, but he’s not an intruder. I knew he was here, I invited him into the territory.”
Finally, Naruto got up, turning as Shisui stood up, brushing dirt off himself. He smiled, teeth bared, down at them and the blonde snarled in return. It startled the man into closing his mouth and Mama Kōri sighed, “Naruto—”
“No,” he snapped. “He’s a human. I don’t want him near you.” White fur ran like silk under his hand as Kirum came to his side, and glared up at the newcomer.
Their Den Mother didn’t get angry, the look in her bearing more that of amusedpatience and instead licked his forehead. “I promise, I’m okay. If you don’t believe me, the Lone is here as well. He’ll keep me safe.”
The Lone. Blue eyes wandered to the human leaning against the den, a single eye watching them. Watchingwary read in his stance for all that he seemed relaxed. She’d said He was safe back when Kirum had been hurt. When the packdanger human had tried to take him. As long as the Lone was around, she’d be safe.
She almost seemed to read his mind, when she nudged him again, “Take your siblings and get something to eat. We’ll stay right outside, I promise.”
“Yes, Den Mother,” he replied more quietly, wrapping his arms around her neck for a hug before he pulled away.
XxX
Kakashi waited until the pups disappeared inside the den before he allowed the subtle tension in his shoulders to melt away. While he’d felt the kids gathering on the edge of the clearing, he’d thought they were only watching to observe. Then they’d separated.
He’d warned Shisui they wouldn’t take to him right away. Given him the run down on how to approach a wolf, let alone a wolf pack. But no, the Jounin hadn’t bothered to listen. Or be aware of his surroundings. “Was he thinking Naruto was going to give him a hug?”
The Jounin snorted at the thought, earning a glare from his comrade. “You could’ve warned me they were going to attack.”
“I did,” he drawled, pulling away from his spot against the wall. “You have to look underneath the underneath. He might look like a boy, but he thinks like a wolf, Shisui. They were attacked by a ROOT operative and almost lost one of the pups he deems a brother. Add that to his treatment inside the village and he doesn’t trust humans as far as he can throw them.”
That brought the Uchiha up short. He frowned, uncertainconfusion reading in the set of his shoulders. “Why do they trust you then?”
Kakashi wanted to sigh, he really did, but he’d chosen peace when he got out of bed that morning. “The only reason they trust me at all is because my scent is on every tree from one side of the estate to the other. They’ve had six months to get used to it.” He shrugged, shoulders falling into a relaxed slouch. “Before today, Naruto’s been the only one to see me and that was in ANBU garb. It also helps that I’ve never smiled at them. Which, you are an utter moron.”
Shisui sputtered, the tips of his ears going pink from embarrassment. “I thought you were joking about that! He looked like he was going to go for my throat then and there.”
“You are certainly lacking in intelligence if you assume baring teeth at a wolf is a form of friendliness,” came the soft barb from the white she-wolf sitting between them.
The silver-haired Jounin nodded. “It’s taken as a form of aggression. Add in the fact they considered you an intruder it’s no wonder Naruto would’ve attacked you again.”
Shisui looked like he was going to argue but what came out instead was a loud sigh, sitting down in the grass. He set his hands on knees and looked at them. “Alright, if I’m going to teach these brats anything I guess I really am going have to know the do’s and don’ts of your kind.” He bowed his head politely to the she-wolf, “please teach me, Kōri-san.”
Laying down and crossing her front paws, the Den Mother barked a laugh. “You truly are an odd one, Shisui-san. Like Inu-san said—”
Kakashi sat down beside them, though he paid no attention to what was being said. He’d learned all these lessons years ago, back when the summons had been commonly found in these woods and he knew all of them by name. Some lessons about Shiroi ōkami culture could be learned by mouth, but others could only be gained through experience.
Too many assumed wolves were stupid creatures, powered only by the need to eat and proceate but that was far from the truth. Wolves had routine, structure. Their packs were family by bond as much as blood. Every day, they would take the time to groom each other and play. The pups were taught by the adults, all of the adults, not just their Den Mother. A territory was not established by one wolf but two.
Pack bonds were important in every part of their life and that picture only became clear when one saw it through a wolf’s eyes. He remembered running with the wolves, hunting and sleeping alongside their young.
So, he didn’t blame Shisui for not knowing. Being a moron and not listening? Absolutely. But there was a difference between ignorance and unknowing.
“So that’s why you had me run through the trees?” Looking up at the question, Kakashi arched his visible eyebrow.
“Come again?”
Shisui scowled, though it was more playful then angry. “You had me run through the trees because the bra-pups can smell us?”
He nodded. “Scent is a big thing for them. It helps determine friend from foe, family from friend, age, if a wolf is male or female, and quite a few other things. Naruto and Gumo don’t have the snout their canine siblings do but they can still pick up a scent. It’s why they went for you first. While I’m not quite considered pack friend, I’m still more familiar then you.”
“Wait,” Shisui lifted his arm, sniffing his armpit before looking at them, “but I took a bath before I came, how can they smell me?”
“Everything gives off a scent, Shisui-san,” Kōri-san explained, amusement in the lines of her body, “You could take a dozen baths and you would still smell the same to us.”
“What do I smell like then?”
She flicked an ear, “Something sweet like fruit, fire, and the scent of the wind on a green-time day. Inu-san smells like a lone wolf, and ozone from a lightning storm, though his only changed in the last few months or so.” That made Kakashi blink. His scent had changed?
The lone wolf part made sense. He didn’t exactly make a habit of being around others that often. Certainly not long enough for it to change his scent. The ozone had to be from his chakra nature. If so, it would explain why his pack always described a person’s scent with an element. Still, he wondered…
“Maa, Shisui?”
“Yeah?”
The Jounin tilted his head, “Is your chakra nature fire?”
“Yeah, why?”
Kōri-san huffed, “So you figured it out then?”
The Uchiha looked from one to the other, a frown tugging at his lips. “Figured out what?”
The she-wolf sat up, scratching her ear with a hindfoot before laying back down, her tail tapping the ground in a rhythmic pace. “When I said your scent smelled like fire, it changes for each being. If they have chakra, it affects their scent. The stronger your chakra nature, the more it effects their scent. I smell like wind, Inu-san like ozone or—”
“Lightning,” Shisui’s went wide, understanding dripping from his straightened back. “That is COOL! I wonder what Itachi’s is.”
“Probably something to do with fire as well,” Kakashi shrugged, “Most Uchihas have a fire nature so it would make sense.
Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he looked over, spotting a blond head of hair peeking around the corner. He smiled, ensuring his posture remained relaxed and dropped his volume so only his companions could hear.
“Looks like we have some company.”