“Wolf, wolf, howls the wolf, wolf, wolf run free”
Kakashi snarled, he was going to die . He would join his teammates on the memorial stone. He would join them, and he didn’t think he’d feel too bad leaving his students. They were freshly minted genin, they were hardly attached to him. He hoped.
He held a kunai out, his attacker didn’t see it and pounced, so, Kakashi sliced through her throat. He killed her, Konoha was safer? His kids were safer too, an enemy eradicated. But, he couldn’t help but hope their new teacher would be better than he had.
He felt lighter as he sat on the ground, Hatake Kakashi would be no more than another name on the memorial stone. And, that fit, he should’ve been there years ago.
His vision began to blur and figures seemed to appear.
Kakashi died. But his eyes opened once more, wolves surrounded him. They seemed docile, affectionate even.
“Kakashi ? Is that really you?” A strangely familiar voice called out. He turned around to see an elder woman, a Hatake.
She reached out to cup his face, “ Oh, “ she whispered a quiet pain in her voice, “how I have longed to see your agèd face. It’s me, your mother, Rikuto.”
“I—”
“Shh, you need not. Sakumo and my brother stole you. My beloved firstborn, oh you have your fathers hair.”
Rikuto embraced Kakashi, and rather than stiffening he relaxed to her touch.
“I love you my boy, and we are proud of you.”
“We..?”
“The Clan, we’re all proud, your sisters would love to meet you. But,“ she paused, Kakashis gaze turned wary, “You must find us, as for now,” Rikuto, his mother, trailed off.
“It isn’t meant to be?” Kakashi continued, barely a whisper. Rikuto nodded, sympathy present in her oh so soft gaze.
The wolves howled, and Rikuto looked to the sky, drawing away from her first and only son. The largest of the wolves looked to him, then to Rikuto and nodded. The rest of the wolves howled on.
“Be free, be free Kakashi. Go on, the wolves will wait, and their descendants await.”
The moon shone brightly, Kakashi hadn’t noticed the moon. Rikuto smiled up at the moon, “Run free, and live .”