Disclaimer: If I would own Naruto...*nya...Tenzoouuu...* sry ~ got distracted ~ eh plot is mine characters aren't. xD
Careful: Yaoi ~ don't like it ~ pls don't read it

The captain of the successful third division was slowly wandering around the cold, dirty ground, which was stained here and there with the blood of the fallen.

His head was facing the lonely soil, as if he had to watch every step his feet were taking. Even though he felt exhausted, he was straining his senses to the very limit in order to find the people who were missing. In order to find him.

Kakashi and his eight Ninken helped to search the remaining battlefields for survivors.

While more than half of the still breathing shinobi were already gathering in Iwagakure, their new head-quarter, a few teams stayed behind to clean up the mess caused by the war.

In Iwa the Kages were trying to figure out the total losses, discussing treaties to secure the continuance of their alliance and searched for ways to support each other even after the war. The previously hostile five, great villages were working together on a solution to provide a better future for each of them.

Especially Konoha should be grateful for the help, after all they would return into a still damaged village. It would have been unnecessarily hard to fight off their remaining enemy all by themselves while rebuilding everything what was destroyed by Pein's attack.

Kakashi and the others were doing another job. A dirtier one.

Corpses were retrieved, a few wounded as well, who were immediately treated by the supporting Iryōnin, but the shocking truth was, that their number was reduced radically.

More than 60.000 lives were lost, in a meaningless battle, caused by a delusional man wanting to do the right thing in the wrong way.

But in the end they had won and the villages gained something important, they should not even dare to lose again. Hoping this fourth ninja world war would be the last in their history, they earned trust in each other, and eventually overcome the troubles of their past.

The sadness seemed to have reached even the iciest hearts and was able to talk some sense into them, an ability similar to the blue eyed, blond haired shinobi's, who was supposed to be protected from this fight, but in the end faced the Raikage and convinced him to let him be alongside his friends, fighting for their sake.

When the last battle was over, the Raikage admitted in front of all the other Kages what a foolish mistake they had been chasing after. Not only because it was Naruto who stopped the enemy completely, but because he saw the soul of this boy as he charged into battle. Who was he to deny him the chance to save his comrades and lock him up while his friends could be dying for his safety.

Three days have already passed since then. The search parties grew thinner and the remaining shinobi were staying on a voluntary basis. As the amount of people needed to be identified by their families increased, the hope to find someone with a slight spark of life inside of him started to fade away.

"It's war. We knew it would take sacrifices," the silverhaired was mumbling absently, while he set his feet one by one on the muddy earth. Pakkun was following his friend slowly, step by step, hearing him mumbling, he raised his head. The expression on his friend's face pained him.

"But you know that we've won, don't you, Kakashi?", he could hear his own doubting voice, but this was the best he could manage after what they have been through these last days.

Kakashi tilted his head a little, thinking about his companion's words. "True, it doesn't feel like victory though," he answered straight-away.

Madara was defeated by the united power of the five Kages, Itachi stopped the Edo Tensei just as he promised he would and this amazing boy Naruto, who reminded Kakashi more and more of his deceased Sensei, killed the masked man, or Tobi as he was referring to himself, by smashing him with all his and Kurama's might into the ground, till everything that was left of him was dust.

"Naruto has grown into an impressive young man, ne? I'm sure your damn proud of him Minato, he even managed to create a bond with the nine-tailed, just as you predicted he would," Kakashi was whispering into the thin air, his eyes gazing into the way too blue and beautiful sky for such tragic days.

The brown fur-ball beneath his feet was shaking his head in disagreement, "It's not only Minato who should be proud. You taught him after all, like Minato taught you. And the same goes for Naruto. Truth be told, not one of our young shinobi died in this war, and they had to face the danger of the strongest shinobi which were ever born into this world," Pakkun paused to glance at his partner but Kakashi didn't respond.

"What I'm trying to say is that we don't have to worry about the village. The brats will take good care of it. Gaara is a brilliant example. He is doing well as the Kazekage, better than some Kages before him," the dog added, figuring out a way to cheer the silverhaired up, but he knew it wasn't that simple.

"I know that. They've long surpassed us and that's how it should be. Maa, they are even by far stronger than we were at their age. That's not what troubles me," his last words were barely audible, not more than a faint whisper, but Pakkun understood them very well. Especially the secret message behind them.

Pakkun sighed, his eyes still fixed on the man next to him. He had similar thoughts ever since the war had started. The most painful misgivings were crossing his head as Aoba shared his news with them.

But the small pug knew that Kakashi would never allow his true fears and hopes, crawling under the cool surface of his, to shine through that openly.

By all means he tried to hide them under a faked façade, to give the people around him the courage and support they needed. He couldn't let it slip. The responsibility to held up the moral and endurance of the third unit weighed high on his shoulders.

And maybe he had thought, by fooling the ones around him, he would be able to fool himself for a little while at least. Someone though, didn't believe him. Saw straight through the bitter mask he had put on. And the one was currently worrying his brain for a possibility to approach his feelings without hurting him.

Only one of the reasons, why they have split up from their actual search party. Kakashi of course was always known as a lone wolf, who preferred being by himself and the ones he cares about.

It was hard for him to take responsibility over the third division, not because he lacked the skills, quite the opposite, but he just didn't like the fact that he was the one in charge of so many lives.

He couldn't afford any mistakes if dying was the price to pay.

Kakashi's right hand reflexively touched his cheek, through his fingerless gloves he could feel the soft skin on his fingertips, as he moved up to the scar on his left eye.

Ever since that day when Obito... it was hard for him to see his comrades die with his very own eyes. It didn't matter if it was on a simple mission or war. It would never be easy.

Suddenly the silence was interrupted as Pakkun hectically jumped onto his shoulder, urged to be near something that wasn't as dead as the wasted lands they were walking on.

"Can you believe we lost so many?", he said while he leaned in, his small head rubbing against Kakashi's cheek. The silverhaired shook his head lightly, before he patted the pug's head carefully.

"The family and friends at home, waiting for their beloved ones to return will be devastated." - "They aren't the only ones who suffer, Kakashi," his voice was soft as he spoke, but his small eyes were piercing right at Kakashi's visible one, which immediately cringed in the usual smile.

Although he knew that it was a pointless attempt to hide his feelings from his four-legged friend, he was honestly happy to know how much Pakkun cared for him.

"Kakashi!", a sudden shout thundered through the air and he instantly turned around, trying to locate the person calling out for him.

"Shizune?!", the figure was standing too far away to be completely certain, but the black-haired, moderate-sized woman had a significant resemblance with the right hand of Tsunade. And she was one of the few Iryōnin, which remained with the search parties and kept on treating the wounded they had found on their rescue mission.

"Team two found someone," she continued to scream, no effort to close the distance between them. Which wasn't necessary, then as soon as Kakashi heard her words, he rushed with all what was left of his energy towards Shizune.

Team two, consisting of Konoha nins only, had an extra mission straight from the Hokage, they were supposed to find the enemy's head-quarter.

After Madara fell apart into pieces and Tobi being killed by Naruto's fist, no one knew where their camp was located. Or what, rather who was still imprisoned there.

Pakkun realized where Kakashi's thoughts were heading and he immediately jumped off to follow after him.

"They've sent a scout," she explained further as Kakashi stopped in front of here, "We can't say who it is, though," Shizune added quickly, not wanting to raise false hopes, she waited patiently till the information soaked in.

Kakashi only nodded, waiting for more, his heart was already beating faster than it should, jumping to every movement of Shizune's lips, stopping at every tone of her voice. He was already raising his hopes.

"The subject was badly poisoned, the team tried to extract most of it, but to stabilize the damaged body they need to get to the camp as soon as possible. They'll be there in 20 minutes."

"Alright, then let's head back," Pakkun was the first to respond, Shizune only nodded before she turned on her heels.

Kakashi didn't bother to speak out loud, he was too occupied with his own thoughts, dwelling on what he just heard.

"The subject?" Even though it was just the correct clinical term, the phrasing wasn't to his liking.

Ohayou,

I started this before the Tobi reveal and that's why I'm completly leaving that part out - since it isn't that relevant. I'm really looking forward to this - I have at least 10 chapters planned and I hope u'll like it.

See ya ~ xJKxD