Chapter 15: Mission Accomplished

Kaito's POV:

My whole body was killing me, like my skin was just too tight. It didn't hurt but it was definitely uncomfortable. When I opened my eyes, the light seemed to shock my brain and sent a sharp pain in the back of my head. I wanted to close them again, but I didn't. Everything seemed so real, but I was back here in a room that had the smell of medicine attached to it, and slightly blurry Kakashi was sitting beside me. It couldn't have been a dream. I was back here. Heki had said, his gift was a loophole to the transformation jutsu that we had preformed as kids. So if I was back here and not with Heki, then…. "Kakashi?" I called, my throat felt like sandpaper.

"I'm right here Kaito." He answered, hand petting my head.. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

I huffed, getting my thought straight. "You used Heki's jutsu?….On the sealed Mangetsu Scroll?" I stated. It had to be the reason why I was still here. It was the only way that I would still have intellectual thoughts, like this.

"Yes, we did." He said, nodding.

I moved my eyes downward, and saw a paw; my paw. "It didn't work." I stated.

"No, it appears that it didn't." He agreed.

Disappointment bloomed in my chest, but I pushed it down. I had known that it would not work, especially if nothing in the past had worked. "That's okay, I guess. I expected it to fail, but I guess it did save me." I sighed, slowly blinking my eyes to ease the damage the light seemed to be doing; it was really bright. It soon began to ease though the more awake I became

"It seems to be the case, although we aren't sure what the jutsu was suppose to do. I thought it was going to reverse your transformation, but..."

"It healed me instead." I finished for him. He said nothing after that. Sheepishly I looked up, remember how disappointed Kakashi had looked when he realized I was going to kill myself too. "Boss?" I asked, wanting him to break the silence first. Or maybe I just wanted to apologize.

Kakashi, was nice, and a good shinobi, but he wasn't my Alpha. I was a Clan Leader's son, and heir. I was to be my own Alpha, with my own pack to lead. However, I had just killed my last Clan member; my own brother. I did not want a pack though. I did not even want a Clan to lead. I wanted to be free of those responsibilities. Free from the responsibilities that being a ninken and shinobi entitled.

"As soon as you're ready, we can leave and continue your training." Kakashi informed me.

I did not respond, I only stretched, feeling my muscle ache and still feeling too big for my skin; and sat up. Looking around the room for the first time, I notice they had brought me to the hospital, and not to the vets. There was no question it was because they knew I was really a human.

"Lady Tsunade has also informed me that the burial of your brother need to be attended to when you are ready" He went on, his keen eye watching me, as I jumped from the bed.

"Just dispose of him, like you would any other. The same treatment as Aimi's body." I finally said.

He nodded. "If you are sure."

"I am." I said. I noticed the Leaf Hitai-ate was around my neck. I did not want it there, but this time for a different reason. I would wear this village symbol willingly now, but I did not want the symbol of a shinobi around my neck. Taking a deep breath I finally made up my mind. "I need to see the Hokage, now." I looked to Kakashi pleadingly.

He didn't say anything for a moment, but soon nodded his head. I was so happy that he decided to use a transportation jutsu to place us directly in front of the Hokage's door. Kakashi knocked for me.

"Come in."

We walked in. Lady Hokage was sitting at her desk, chin resting on her hand as she looked over a report on her desk. Her eyes drifted toward us. "Oh, Kaito. Kakahi. How are you feeling?" She asked putting the report away.

"Fine. Thank you." I answer. "Lady Hokage, I know I may not hold such a privilege but I have request."

She nodded for me to continue with interest clear in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath I asked. "I wish to resign as a ninken."

Her eyes widen slightly, clearly not expecting me to request that. "You want to resign?" She asked repeating my request back to me. I noticed Kakashi's was staring at me, and I pointedly did not look his way, or I would probably lose my resolve. I didn't want to hurt him, but I just couldn't continue on as a ninken. I wasn't a ninken to begin with.

"I will let you seal my chakra, whatever you want to do to make it happen. But I do not want to continue as a ninken. Please?" I asked looking at both of them now.

"Kaito if this about you being once a human, no one will treat you without the proper respect you deserve." She assured. "We will let you go on team mission and Kakashi and his pack will help you train."

"Forgive me, Lady Hokage, but this has nothing to do with how I would be treated and such. I just have a promise that I would like to keep, and I do not want to complete that promise with blood and death tact on to it." I explained.

"You do realize that I can't allow you to just wander around on your own. Here in the village I can assure you that no one will treat you no less than you deserve, but outside the village, outside of the Land of Fire, I cannot promise you that people will look at you as a person. And if you resign as a ninken, I cannot guarantee you, that you won't be sought after."

I nodded my head in understanding. "You are telling me that I must find myself an owner." Something that is totally different from a Summoner.

"Sadly. But in this case I would not use the term 'owner', perhaps a friend, someone you know you can trust." Lady Hokage asked, getting up from her desk and walking to stand in front of me. "Someone you can turn to should anyone try to cause you trouble."

"And travel with." I added, for I did plan on leaving the Land of Fire and travel. I finally looked toward Kakashi and he avoided my gaze; He didn't want to influence me. However, that is not why I was looking at him, I was debating on his reaction. "I may have someone in mind." I said slowly, turning my gaze back to Lady Hokage.

"Who would you like to request?" She asked.

"I would like to ask Sora." I stated.

Kakashi's didn't move, his body was slack and in a familiar pose of slouching against the wall like he was bored. To the Hokage credit, she dd not react either.

"The Scroll Keepers grandson. The Baker?" She confirmed.

I nodded. "We are both the same in our own way." I really wanted this conversation to be over with now. My body felt like it was going to burst of its own skin, I could feel literal fire in my muscles from the strain.

"You understand you will have to wear identification, yes?" she asked turning to her desk and writing on a scroll.

"Yes." I answer.

When she turned back she took the Leaf Hitai-ate off my neck and held the rolled up scroll for me to take. "If he agrees, tell him to hold onto this. And if he doesn't agree-"

"I know come back hear and continue to live with Kakashi….but not as a ninken?" I tacted on the last part.

She grinned and nodded. "Not as a ninken." She agreed, placing the scroll at my feet.

Kakashi was already holding the door open for me, but I did not pick of the scroll. "I hope there are no hard feelings Kakashi?" I asked hoping he knew why I did not pick him to be named my 'owner'. "But I don't want to have any part in the shinobi business and you have a lot of enemies. I hope we can still be friends?" I gave him a small smile, hoping that we could at least stay friends if Sora agreed.

"Your pack Kaito. You are always going to welcomed." He said, giving me the closed eye smile. I returned the smile and picked up my scroll and left, leaving Kakashi in the Hokages Office.

I was panting by the time I made it outside. My body for some reason just didn't feel right. I kept walking through, it had to be because I just came out of the hospital. By the time I made it in front of Sora Bakery stand, my muscle felt so stiff and confined that I just dropped just at the threshold of the entrance, letting the scroll roll away from me. He back was turned to me, but when the scroll hit his foot did he notice me. "Kaito, what's wrong?" He hurried to my side.

"I'm fine." I managed out. Fighting to stand back up. I did not understand what was wrong with me. In the back of my head something was telling me that these pains were familiar to me.

"Do you want me to go get Kakashi?!" He asked, ready find the silver haired shinobi.

"No, I think I know what's going on." I getting to my feet and making my muscles listen to me.

"Lets go inside, we have something to discuss." I ushered.

Sora looked at me worriedly but let followed me deeper into his bakery, placing the 'closed' sign up so that no customers walked up to his stand. We went to the ovens, where he began taking out the bread that was baking. "So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked.

I sat down off to the side and watched his movements for a minute. "Why did you want to become a shinobi?" I asked, deciding to just work my way up to asking him to journey with me away from the village.

"Uh…." He looked at me confused. "I don't know, I guess I wanted to help protect the village and despite what others may say, i have never traveled past the Land of Fire. Being a shinobi I would have been able to travel and and see other villages outside the Land of Fire." He said, a slight smile spreading on his face.

"And now that you are not a shinobi?" I questioned.

"Hm. I would still like to travel, I mean, I could probably start my own business, by going across the land and sampling out my goods." He answered, stopping what he was doing and coming to stand in front of me, and squatted down to my level. "What's with the twenty question, huh?" He asked, deciding to pet me on top of my head. I didn't let myself show it, but the touch just intensified the uncomfortable feeling i was already experiencing, due to Heki's failed jutsu.

"I asked the Hokage to let me resign as a ninken." I admitted. He stopped his petting. "For that to be possible and for me to be able to leave this village, i must have a companion due to me being a ninken." I explained.

"But isn't Kakashi your summoner?" He asked, confused now.

I shook my head. "He was never my summoner, but i do consider him part of my pack. I wish to return to the Mangetsu CLan House and to my birth Clan house the Kyūketsuki. I haven't been home in a long time." I was certain of my choice now. We both wanted to see the world. Once i left this village i would be able to look upon the world with new eyes, without the ugly image Aimi and Riku had painted before me. "Will you travel with me?"

He was silent for a few minutes, before sighing and getting up. He looked around his bakery stand and sighed again. "Why me?" He asked.

"We are the same, we both want to see the world. You are the first civilian to talk to me." I said, but I could tell he wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Okay." I relented after a moment of silence. "I consider you a friend. In fact you remind me of someone from long ago. I would like to travel and become even better friends with you. We have both had bad things happen to us, i think us traveling together would help us both heal properly. But only if you wish to travel with me." I said.

He was silent for a long time.

"We would both be fine. We both have some shinobi skills underneath our belt. We would be able to even out each others skill." I added, in case he was worried about certain dangers that we would face on our travels.

"It's not that. It's just I didn't know if you even considered me a friend, you were always so grouchy and stuff." He said with a grin.

"So that is a yes?" I asked, tilting my head in question.

"Yes." He said, nodding his head, just let my close everything and we'll start packing."

(Later that Night)

Sora was excited, it was rather obvious by his walk. I didn't expect him to be ready to leave the village within one day. He was even able to get the dog tags that were needed with my name and information as to who to contact if something happened to me. Apparently, the Lady Hokage's scroll that she gave me, were the forms and all Sora had to do was sign. During our whole time packing and walking down the streets of Kahona I did not see Kakashi, or the pack. I even swung by the Hatake Compound but no one was home. I was still heavily panting, but I wasn't about to say I needed to go back to the hospital. I didn't want to delay our on coming adventure. When we crossed the threshold of the Village Gate both me and Sora took a deep breath of the fresh air of freedom. And we didn't hesitate to run further away from the Leaf village.

We did get far, for I soon found that the uncomfortable feeling i was feeling all day had progressed to real pain. By the time night hit and the full moon reach high in the sky, I couldn't make myself take another step and thus forced us to make camp. Sora was forced to set up the entire camp, while i layed panting and whimpering on the ground.

"Kaito, maybe we should go back to the village." Sora suggested for the fifth time tonight.

"No…." I panted. "I'm fine…"

"Your clearly not. Come on. I can carry you." He said reaching for me.

"Grr No!" I hopped to my feet but immediately collapsed to the ground again, howling as my skin literally starting feeling like someone was ripping it from my body. Sora flinch at my action. "I have waited….Too long for freedom.." I panted out. "Leave me...If you want."

He looked offended by my words. "I'm not going to leave. But I won't force you either. But if it gets worst we will be going back." He said, in a tone that left no room for argument.

I howled as my bone within my body snapped on the own. My sudden high pitched startling Sora. "Okay, that's bad, we going." He said, reaching for me. In pain and not wanting to turn back I latched my teeth onto his hand, but not biting down as my instinct told me to."Ach! Kaito." I tightened my grip on his hand in warning. "Okay, okay, I'll respect your wishes" He relented. I released his hand just in time as my back bone arched and I could hear as well as feel it pop and snap in half. I couldn't even make a sound the pain was horrible. "Kaito, please!" Sora pleaded.

I couldn't focused on his words though, more bones in my body began snapping all on their own. I knew why this was happening; Heki's jutsu was the cause of this, and this was a side effect. I wasn't sure if I would live through this one. The transforming into a dog had hurt, but this was different. This was something totally different. I howled more and let my head collapse to the ground letting my eyes close, with my last sight being the beautiful night sky and the full moon that was now sitting high in the sky. The stars shimmering like diamond. Peace never came free, and apparently neither did freedom. I closed my eyes and welcomed the deep sleep that was now coming to take me. Even Sora's voiced landed on deaf ears.

Kakashi's POV:

(Over a Month later)

Kaito was gone. Which was a shame really. He would have made a wonderful ninken. Sighing, I ignored his leaf hitai-ate and the Mangetsu pendant that was now sitting, abandoned on the shelf. The night he defeated his brother had been a traumatic one. It was a miracle that I even got him to Tsunade in time. We were able to perform the jutsu that was scribbled on the Mangetsu scroll, but nothing had seemed to happen. Kaito's heart had even stopped. I don't think I would ever forget the relief I felt when he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. It wasn't until he awoke again that we learned the purpose of the jutsu was indeed the Mangetsu's last attempt to break his transformation justu. Apparently, it had failed as well. Kaito was still a German Shepherd. There was clear disappointment in his eyes when he finally noticed this, but it had not lasted long. As soon as he was cleared to continue his training and rehabilitation with me and the pack, he had requested to go see the Hokage.

"I wish to resign as a ninken." He had said. I still remember it so clearly. "I will let you seal my chakra, whatever you want to do to make it happen. But I do not want to continue as a ninken. Please?"

It wasn't difficult to convince Lady Hokage to grant him that. After all he had returned the stolen Forbidden scroll and delivered his brothers dead body to us. He had walked out of the Hokage's Office that day a retired ninken. The only condition that he had to fulfill was to find an owner, lest he would be labeled a stray by those outside the village. Naturally I had thought he would settle with me, but that was not the case it seemed.

"I hope there are no hard feeling Kakashi, but I don't want to have any part in the shinobi business and you have a lot of enemies. I hope we can still be friend?" He had said, with a hopeful and sad smile.

After that day Kaito and Sora, the Scroll Keepers grandson, had left the village to seek out adventure together. So, to whom he had in mind for an owner had been answered; Sora, was a good choice, he was around his age too. It was only natural that they would pair up together. That had been about over a month ago, and for some reason I still kept a dog bed in the corner he would always occupy. Sighing again, I placed Icha Icha on the grass beside me and leaned forward slightly to watch the koi fish swim in their little pound, then looked up and watched as the full moon began to appear in the sky.

"You thinking about Kaito?" Pakkun asked, from his spot on the backyard deck.

"Just reminiscing." I hummed.

The pack was all scattered about, relaxing and enjoying the change from day to night. A rustle of leaves from over the fence soon had our attention, as a dark silhouette jumped it and landed behind a few of the bushes that lined the fence. The pack started to charge at the intruder, but I was intrigued enough to signal them down. This person was not trying to hide their chakra and could not possibly be skilled enough to take me on. That is, if that was their intentions. I stood up anyway, just to be safe and strolled over to the bushes, where I could hear definite curses and snaps of twigs sound, from the force a body that was trying to coordinate themselves.

"Ouch!, Gah, this was easier the last time I was here!" So a boy, then, I deduced standing right in front of the bush. Not too young, the voice was one that was hitting puberty. "Stupid branches, let go!" Another string of curses came in a hushed whispered. "My cover is gonna be blown if I can't- Ack! Ouch!"

I tilted my head, so they had meant to enter my backyard undetected, and apparently had been here before. Now wasn't that just ridiculous. "It might help if you just stand up." I suggested in a friendly tone.

All movement stopped. "Busted, huh?" The boy asked still obscured by leaves and branches.

"Before you even jumped my fence." I said, keeping my tone light.

"Um, right." More branches snapped, as he stood up, head down and shaking to get twig and leaves to fall out of his brown hair, his hands coming up to pluck out the ones that would not fall. "No point in trying to surprise you then, I guess." He mumbled, stepping out of the bushes.

I back up giving him space, I could feel the pack watching our little intruder. He was only wearing pants, which didn't give him many places to hide a weapons, beside the one that I noticed was hanging off his hip by a piece of rope. "I must say, your kind of inexperienced for an assassination attempt, aren't you?" I asked, conversationally.

His head, shot up then revealing that the boy was wearing a pair of dog tags, and stared at me with wide green eyes. "Assassination attempt?!" He practically shrieked, looking down at his hand, before looking straight at his kunia that was hanging off his hip, before looking back at me with disbelief written all over his face. "Kakashi, you can't possibly-"

"Ah, so you do know who I am." I interrupted him. "Then yo must also know that I have eight vicious ninken, waiting to tear apart any unwelcome visitors." I informed him. Right on cue Pakkun and the pack started releasing warning growls.

"Whoa, okay, let's calm down a minute." He said, forcing a small smile on his face.

"Do you know how many traps one paranoid shinobi could have laying around in just their yard alone. You don't even look like you would be able to spot hidden traps, if your entrance is anything to go by." I said, finding myself lecturing. Training three brats really did ruin me.

"Well, that's where your wrong-" The boy snapped, clearly offended by my doudfulness in his stealth skills, but i interrupted him.

"So, you were trying to assassinate me." I countered, enjoying the banter and throwing the poor boy off kilter. He seemed like a nice young man, too bad I was going to have to report him.

"What?! No! Kakashi listen for a moment. Its me," He said, patting himself on the chest for emphasis. I tilted my head. He rolled his eyes impatient. "I know. I changed, since you last saw but its only temporary." He said, but then stopped talking and let me get closer, so I could really get a good look.

I circled him, it was true something was familiar about him. Stopping once again in front of him I eyed the dog tags around his neck and lifted the tags up so I could read them. "Kaito." I read, dropping the tags and looking the boy over again. The pack behind me stopped growling when I said the name.

"Remember that jutsu. We thought it was another fail right. Well it turns out I turn back into well me on a full moon." He shrugged, but clearly excited.

A knock suddenly sound on my front door and all our head snapped toward the sound.

"Oh, that's got to be Sora." He said, running inside, with the pack parting to let him through and me following him but at a slower pace. He opened the door, revealing Sora standing there out of breath.

"Kaito! Oh thank Kami!" He said, breathless. The bakers eyes landed on me just behind Kaito. "Sorry Kakashi we just got back and as soon as he changed he took off. I tried to -"

"Get in!" Kaito said, pulling the breathless boy in and closing the door. "Look you still have my corner reserved for me." He said, going over and planted himself on the dog bed that sat there unoccupied. "Hmm, I should fit in it again when the sun comes up."

"So it worked?" Pakkun asked, from the back door.

"Yup!" Kaito said. "The first time it happened was after we left the village. Scared us both at first we wasn't sure what was going on. Felt like I was going to die, but then I was me again. Ha ha! I look nothing like I remember. Seems like I grew up."

"So what have you been up to, since then?" I asked going to sit on the couch and slowly coming out of my shock.

"We went back to the Kyūketsuki Clan house first." Sora answered taking a seat on the other end of the couch.

"Yeah, and then we went to the Mangetsu Clan House." Kaito added. "We fixed up both, then journeyed to the Sand Village."

I listened to Kaito as he told me about his journey with Sora. I couldn't help but feel happy. For the first time since I known him Kaito seemed truly happy. The Kaito that came to this village as a dog, was no more. Kaito had healed and was now enjoying life and acting like how a teenager should act. Smiling behind my mask I leaned back and let him continue to tell me everything that has happened since he left with Sora. The fact that he felt the need to came back was another added bonus, it mean that he excepted being part of the pack. I couldn't feel any prouder of him. He was really shaping into a fine young man now that there was nothing holding him back.

"Hey, Kakashi are you listening?" He asked , interrupting my thoughts, umping from his corner and walking behind Sora. Continuing telling about a certain part of their adventure. "Seriously you should have been there. Sora was distracting the guy and I came up behind him and pounce like this." He demonstrate by pouncing on Sora and putting in a headlock.

"Ah! Kaito let go!" Sora grunted, as both boys fell to the floor. I couldn't help the laughter that escaped me, especially when the pack jumped in on the rough housing.

Yup, I think this is Mission Accomplished.

The End

A/N: So that's the end I hope you all have enjoyed this little story. I know a few of you wanted Kaito to turn back human, or stay a dog, so I tried to compromised. Its kind of like a reverse werewolf symptom. Anyway let me know what you all think by faving, following, and/or reviewing.

If you liked this story give my other Naruto Fanfic a look; Kitsune no Daku

Well Until Next Time

Happy Reading my Fellow Writers and Readers!