Can't Fight the Moonlight

I don’t own Naruto nor do I make money from it.



Warnings: supernatural themes, cursing, intentional ooc.



AN: A lot of times, people with amnesia have personality changes. Such is the case in Itachi’s amnesia. He’s taking his cues from the others around him. His normal personality will start to resurface once he begins recovering his memory.Sorry for the long, long wait. I've been busy and I lost my muse but thankfully she is back and kicking. Betaed by: sephonei



Can’t Fight the Moonlight





Chapter Four



Sasuke blinked lazily awake as his ‘master’ rolled over in his sleep, jostling the bed. He‘d only been with him a few weeks but he had no desire to leave. Itachi would come for him soon enough. His brother was probably the best tracker he‘d ever met. He yawned lazily, stretching the muscles still lax from sleep before creeping onto the chest of his blond housemate.



If he could have smirked in this form, he would have. Naruto Uzumaki was adorable when he slept. His lips pouted like a little boy, slight snores rumbling through his chest. The faint scar-like marks on his cheeks both intrigued and baffled Sasuke. Who was this man?



A grumbling in his stomach pushed thoughts of Naruto’s history from his mind as he lifted a paw to pat gently on the tan cheek. He was hungry and it was his master’s job to feed him. He refused to eat that shit in the bag Naruto had bought for him. It tasted like…well he really didn’t know what it tasted like but he didn’t want to eat it.



A low growl erupted from his chest as Naruto swatted at the paw absentmindedly in his sleep--continuing to snore peacefully as if not a care in the world. Sasuke was having none of that. He was hungry and by all that was holy, he was going to get a nice breakfast come hell or high water.



Extending the needle sharp claws from his paws, he began to knead Naruto’s bare chest. He couldn’t stop the purr escaping at the smell of blood rising up from the little pricks. Naruto grunted under the assault but still didn’t wake--instead, shoved Sasuke from his chest before rolling onto his stomach. Sasuke was not a happy cat by this point.



Get up you lazy bum, he mentally screamed. Walking up the length of Naruto’s body, he placed his muzzle against the other’s ear before releasing a near deafening screech. Naruto shot upward, his body tangling in the covers as he rolled out of the bed and onto the floor.



Satisfied that his idiot master was awake, he hopped down from the bed and sat facing him. Take that you moron.



“What the fuck!” Naruto screamed, glaring at Sasuke who simply sat quietly with a smug look that only a cat could accomplish.



“I should sell you to that Chinese place down on Seventh Avenue, you annoying piece of shit!” Naruto pouted, eyeing the beaded blood on his chest.



Sasuke sniffed, turned from Naruto to head for the kitchen. Now that his housemate was awake, some breakfast would be in order. He jumped up to the counter to wait.



It wasn’t long before the other dragged himself into the small kitchen. He grumbled as he pulled out some left over salmon from the fridge and plopped it in front of Sasuke who sniffed it once fore releasing a snort.



“What?”



Sasuke rolled his eyes before pawing at the pan that was left sitting on the stove the previous night. “You have got to be shitting me? You want me to cook for you now? You were happy with canned stuff before.”



That was before, dimwit, Sasuke grumbled mentally. He was so tempted to release himself from his current form and beat some sense into the man. Instead, he pawed at the pan, giving a small mew.



“Fine, you fucking prima donna.” Naruto grumbled as he set about cooking the salmon.



Sasuke mentally smirked as he settled back to watch his food be cooked. Naruto certainly was easy to train. A few more weeks and he wouldn’t even have to ask for breakfast. Now if only he could do something about the messy apartment. Well, beggars can’t be choosers. At least he would get cooked fish for breakfast instead of that hard or canned shit Naruto had been trying to shovel down his throat.



A plate of hot, fragrant fish was placed before him, grumbling the entire time. “There you arrogant little shit. You are eating better than me.”



Sasuke purred as he bit into the soft fish. Flavor rushed over his tongue. If he could have praised Naruto he would have. It was delicious. Maybe staying with the blond idiot was a smart choice. Now he simply had to wait for Itachi to come along and rescue him but in the mean time, he would have fun torturing Naruto some more.



~*~



Raven blinked awake, the throbbing in his skull was far worse than he remembered it ever being, short though his memory was. He was back in a familiar bed, staring at a familiar stone ceiling. He wanted to return to the oblivion of sleep. Perhaps that would stop the pounding behind his skull. He probably would have drifted off once more had not a voice intoned through the splintering pain his skull.



“Welcome back.”



Raven turned his face to the doorway, seeing Kakashi standing before him. His face was dotted with scratches and he winced as he pushed off from the wall. He looked like hell warmed over.



“I hope you are ready. The council is meeting in an hour. Inoichi will help get you ready in case things go less than favorable.” Kakashi winced as he settled on the foot of the bed.



Raven frowned before trying to rub his pounding skull only to find his arms and legs bound. He jerked at the bonds, his frown growing epically. He ignored the cottony feeling in his mouth as he spoke. “What’s this?”



“Ah, forgive me. I had to make sure when you awoke you weren’t still running around like a berserker.” Kakashi loosened the bonds, slipping them from Raven’s wrists. His thumb ran over the reddened skin before pulling away.



Raven pushed himself into a sitting position, the memory of the events a few hours ago rushed back. The scene played out for him almost as if watching a movie. He could feel the rage and confusion blocking all common sense as he attacked Kakashi like a wild creature. He could see the fear in the spectators’ eyes as his own spinning red orbs held a promise of death to all who stood in his way. He closed his eyes as guilt rushed through him.



What he’d done shamed him. It was almost as if he wasn‘t himself but a spectator watching the actions of another. He should have had more control. He knew he should have had control. He knew within the very core of his being that he could never risk losing control. Through the haze of the internal turmoil coursing through him, one name was crystal clear. Sasuke. He frowned, fighting the urge to press past his more current memories and into the reason for his berserk rage. He wanted to know who Sasuke was. He was nearly desperate for it. What kept him from testing himself, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps it was fear for what he might do if he lost control again.



“Don’t push it.” Kakashi said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It will come as your mind heals.”



He sounded confident but Raven wasn‘t so sure. “And if it doesn’t?”



“That’s when you go chasing shadows. I’ll come get you for the council. It’s rare for use to allow strangers in council, but in this case I think you should be there.” Kakashi frowned down at his hands.



“What is it?” Raven’s dark eyes locked on the other man.



“I’ll tell you later when we can talk without others listening.” Kakashi stood, leaving the room and Raven alone with his thoughts.



The urge to tap into the blocked memories burned at him. He wanted to know who he was--what he was. He wanted to know who this Sasuke was. The feeling of being lost in a fog, not know which direction he was pointed wasn’t a pleasant experience. Only someone who’d experienced it could understand how he felt. He couldn’t trust even his own instincts for fear they might betray him.



He stared at the claws lengthening before his eyes as the frustration began to boil. His eyes burned almost painfully. He knew they were red as the blood flowing through his veins.



Fingers clinched in the sheet, ripping the material as if it was made of the thinnest cloth. He wanted to chase after Kakashi, to demand what he knew. He couldn’t trust him, couldn’t trust anyone. He flinched as he stood, his arm was still tender. His earlier outburst had probably strained the nearly healed bone and muscles.



“They are ready for you.” His eyes lifted to meet Kakashi’s dark ones. There was a shimmer in them as he continued to stare. Was that worry in his eyes? Was the outcome already decided before it even began? Why was he not surprised?



A low chatter reverberated around the meeting room--falling silent as he and Kakashi approached. A few flinched, moving closer to the person seated next to them. Others growled low in their throats--a sign of aggression. Regardless of the findings of the council, he was pretty damn sure he would no longer be welcome in the den. Even Kakashi could not force the others to tolerate him. It would only bring about dissension amongst the clan. The council seemed almost a mute point.



Kakashi pushed him down onto a chair before making his way stiffly towards the empty seat amongst the elders of their pack. “I bring the Council to order. Speak only truth for your scent will tell your lies.”



An elderly man was escorted from the back to a seat; his half blind watery eyes scanned the crowd. Whether he could see anyone or not was uncertain to Raven. He was obviously held in reverence, possibly even holding a higher standing amongst the pack than Kakashi. His leathery lips parted. A voice, scratchy with age, told of hidden power. Even Raven felt the power radiating from the man. “Who calls the Council together? Speak and be heard.”



Lola stepped forwards, her eyes glinting dangerously as they locked on Kakashi. It was obvious the two had history but today seemed to surpass all that. This woman desired power. Raven’s eyes narrowed slightly. He could smell the confidence rolling from her and he was certain the others could as well.



“I, Lola, daughter of Sven, speak for the clan. Our lives are in danger. Every moment that Sharingan demon stays amongst us, the closer we come to annihilation. Danzou has no mercy for those who oppose him. It would take only one person to bring down our entire pack. He has thousands of demons and changelings at his beckoning. If he finds us concealing a Sharingan demon, we will all die. It won’t matter what we say. I say we turn him over to Danzou. Perhaps we will be in his good graces. Perhaps he will reward our loyalty.” Her eyes bore into Raven’s. Her lust for power radiated from her.



A pregnant female stood, her hands cradling her swollen abdomen. “You don’t know that! He could very well wipe us out. We’ve stayed under his radar for years. He doesn’t even know of the lair. It’s too dangerous to reveal our location to him. I’ve heard rumors of him taking young to train. I will not risk my children so you can taste power.”



“Bitch!” snarled Lola, her teeth bared as she snarled at the woman.



Raven’s face remained neutral as the meeting hall erupted into shouts. It was nearly divided. Half the pack seemed to agree with Lola while the other half shouted against it.



He eyed the old man who seemed to almost be sleeping amidst the chaos of the lair. His head nodded up and down as the shouts and snarls continued. There was no winner. Lola was the loudest, making her point known to all. He was actually surprised so many of the females spoke out against her. She obviously wasn’t well liked and to be alpha female as well. She must have known her position was precarious.



“Silence.”



The words were barely audible but the hall quieted almost immediately. Even Lola snapped her jaw closed at the words as the elderly man rose from his seat. His hands shook as he clasped them together before him. “Never in my years have I seen a pack so divided. In my youth, the Sharingan demons were plentiful. They never took what was not theirs. The wars they fought were never begun by their hands but only answered when cornered. In the twilight of my years, I must watch as they dwindle too few--persecuted by a man seeking their power. I must hear with mine own ears, my own clan wishing to join the man upon whom our own demise rests. It brings pain to my heart.”



“He attacked us. He would have slaughtered us all had not the Alpha stood to control him.” Lola snarled, her eyes darkening in her rising anger. It poured from her like sweat, saturating the air around her in a thick blanket.



“We are animals of instinct--both changeling and demon. If we are injured and cornered, we will attack even those trying to help us. I hold no grudge for him and neither should you.” The old man narrowed his eyes, tottering closer to Raven. “Hmm, he smells faintly of blood. You are a warrior, aren’t you?”



“I do not know.” What else could Raven say? He had little to no memory of his past. They said he was a demon but he was as helpless as a child with no knowledge of his abilities. This old man could smell his past on him. He wanted to question him--to find his past through an easier way than the madness brought on by delving to deeply into his shattered subconscious.



“Hmph…must not be a very good one if you let them bang you on the head.” A toothless grin split the elder’s face.



Raven bristled at the statement but held his tongue. This man held his fate very tightly in his hands and he knew it. “I would not know. Perhaps I’m not a fighter at all.



He cackled loudly, the loose skin on his cheeks quivering as he chortled. “I doubt that, young one. I very much doubt that. You have power. It seethes just beneath your calm surface. You want to attack but you fear losing yourself to the madness once more.”



“What do you know old man?” Raven hissed, earning gasps from the spectators of the meeting.



“What indeed!” He cackled once more before turning to Kakashi. “I leave this judgment in your hands, Alpha.”



Kakashi nodded, bowing his head to the elder who began tottering out of the meeting hall with the help of one of the younger pack members. “It is my decision that we will not inform Danzou of the presence of Raven amongst us. Doing so shames us.”



“You are a fool!” screamed Lola, “If we act now, we could earn rewards from Danzou. He would protect us! We would gain power.”



“You would gain power you mean.” Kakashi’s eyes took on a cold gleam.



“My power is the pack’s power. If we don’t make nice now, we will be destroyed by him. It’s obvious who put him in the shape he was when he came to us. He’s a Sharingan! It takes more than a little tumble for them to be injured. Danzou knows he exists and it is only a matter of time before he comes knocking on our door. He will destroy us, stepping over our carcasses in his search for him.” She flung her arm out to point a sharp claw towards where Raven sat.



“We are not bottom feeders and we answer to no one, especially not Danzou. We are hidden here. Magic far more powerful than mere charms protects this land. Ancient magic. Danzou can only find it if we allow him in.” Inoichi stood, his words silencing the rabble raised by Lola’s impassioned statement.



“My decision stands. We will not turn Raven over to Danzou.” Kakashi stood, ignoring the fuming woman as he moved towards the exit.



A wave of mumbling and discussion worked through the hall before silence dominated again. It was obvious by the dark red circles on Lola’s cheeks that she would not let this go. It worried Raven because he’d seen resignation in Kakashi’s eyes. He would have expected him to be happy but instead there was worry.



“That demon will bring destruction you all!” she screamed, her face contorting in mask of pure contempt.



Kakashi swung around to face her. “Are you threatening the pack?”



“The pack is creating its own destruction by keeping him here.” The words had no sooner left her mouth than she was pressed against the stone wall, a clawed hand encircling her throat.



“You are a disgrace to your breed. Wolves are loyal to each other. You seek only to create dissent to further your own goals. I want no part in your lust for power. Stay if you like but know that your position in this pack is very precarious as long as I am alpha.” Kakashi’s eyes flared angrily as he tightened his hand around the slender throat before releasing her. His lips lifted in a subtle snarl before leaving her to her own devices.



Lola remained where she was, fuming for a few moments longer before storming from the room. The determination and accompanying anger radiating from her had anyone in her path stepping aside. If she was dangerous before, now she was doubly so. Any respect she had among the pack members was all but lost. Raven knew this and he was fairly sure Kakashi knew it as well. She would be ostracized by the members, giving her even more fuel to extract vengeance. The question was, would she?



Guilt warred with satisfaction. He’d brought the dissent to these people. His hand lifted to rub the beginning of another throbbing ache behind his skull. He wanted to know who he was. He wanted to understand why he was with these people. They seemed to know more of him than he knew. What was a Sharingan demon? They had called him that. If Kakashi knew something…



The pack parted for him. They feared him. It would not be the same as before. He could taste their wariness as he passed by each one in search of Kakashi.



“What am I?”



Kakashi glanced up from the book, his eyes hiding the truth under the appearance of boredom. “Pardon?”



“You heard me. You know what I am. Everyone knows what I am except for me. Tell me…now.” Raven’s eyes burned as the anger pulsed through him. Anger at them for keeping what he was a secret. Anger at his own weakness. Anger at the memories floating just beneath his consciousness.



It built and built. The world seemed to slow. Kakashi immediately dropped his eyes. He knew instinctively that it wasn’t an action of submission. “Tell me!”



“Calm down and I’ll tell you what I know.” Kakashi relented with a sight.



“I am calm.”



“No. You aren’t. Your eyes are spinning. Take a few deep breaths. You shouldn’t be using your eyes when you don’t know how to control them.” Kakashi pulled out a book, his eyes trained on words but not seeing.



Raven closed his eyes, taking a few of the suggested breaths; he felt the burning in his eyes cease.



“Now what is it you wanted to ask me?” Kakashi smirked over the top of the book he’d buried his nose in when Raven’s eyes had flared red.



He growled, fighting the burning beginning in his eyes once more. He refused to give into those smirking eyes. He wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of riling him once again. “Stop joking around. This is my life.”



“And you will remember it when your mind is ready. My telling you anything might interfere with your healing.” Kakashi sighed, lowering his book to his lap. He wasn’t reading it anyway.



“If I need to defend myself, I can’t do it if I don’t even know what I can do.” He was determined to pry what he knew. He didn’t care if it slowed his healing. He needed to know.



Kakashi crossed his arms. “Knowing what you can do doesn’t mean you know how to do it. I’m not a demon. I can’t teach you how to be what you are. If you wanted to be a were-creature, then we could talk.”



“You fucking know things.” Raven snapped. He flew across the room, his eyes blazing red. He’d had enough of his shit. He wanted answers. “Tell me who I am.”



Kakashi’s body remained still, almost as if he was waiting to see what Raven would do. “You seem to be under the impression that knowing what you are will tell you who you are. That isn’t always the case. Sharingan demons haven nearly been wiped from the face of the earth by Danzou and his demon horde. You could very well be the last of your kind and as such, you would not go around telling people of your heritage. Even I was surprised when I saw your eyes. Those he didn’t destroy in the massacre, his bounty hunters finished off. Sharingan eyes are worth quite a bit of gold to Danzou.”



“What’s so special about my eyes? Why won’t you look in them?” Raven’s hand tightened on Kakashi’s neck as the other kept his eyes averted, never meeting his gaze. It annoyed him because the eyes revealed truths. He wanted to know what the other was thinking.



“A Sharingan demon’s eyes are their most prized possession. A single warrior has the potential to be the turning point of battle. Eyes that freeze an opponent, locking him in his mind--leaving the Sharingan demon the freedom to do what he willed with no worries of attack. Of course, it is draining from what I’ve been told. The energy used is often not worth the effort. But it is there. Now would you mind letting me go. I don’t want to have to sedate you again.” Kakashi growled low in his throat--the sound, both a threat and a promise.



Raven’s fingers spasmed before he released the warm neck. The other coughed a little before settling once more in his chair. He seemed so calm despite the fact his life had been in the grip of a mind shattered demon with no control over his abilities.



“I’ve been dreaming…of this boy…Sasuke. He’s like me. I feel as if we are connected. But his eyes are different.” Raven slumped against the wall. “I feel as if I need to find him but I don’t know where to begin. Every time I dig, it slips through my fingers.”



“Do you think he is in danger?” Kakashi questioned, his eyes going intense once more.



“I think…he might be. I think something happened…when I was hurt. I know he’s alive. I can feel it in my soul.” Raven clenched his hands, claws digging into his flesh. Blood dripped down his knuckles to slash crimson on the stone floor.



“Sharingan demons share connections with their kin and mates. If you can still feel him, he’s alive. Do you feel any others?” The room was silent for a moment before Raven spoke.



“No. Only Sasuke. It’s strange. His name is clear to me while my own has been ripped from my mind. I feel as if my very soul has been taken from me along with my name.” Raven plowed his fist into the wall, cracking the stone.



“Easy on my home even though it won‘t be for much longer. We’ll have to leave the den soon. I knew this would happen. No matter the outcome, I knew it would come to this. Lola will go to Danzou. She’s lost all standing in the pack. I’m sure most of the others are packing.” Kakashi moved to his desk where a bag sat open. He tossed the book inside before turning to his guest. “You and I will go separate from the pack. If Danzou sees you with it, there will be hell to pay.”



“Aren’t you the alpha? Don’t you have to stay and lead them?”



“You are under my protection just as much as the pack. I’ve a duty to see you safe until your memory returns or you are able to take care of yourself.” Kakashi shoved a few pair of jeans and shirts into the pack. “I’ve had Inoichi prepare a bag for you with some spare clothes. We’ll ration out the food and head out tomorrow morning. I am worried about Kana. She’s close to whelping and won’t be able to travel far.”



“What else can Sharingan demons do…other than the eyes?” Raven crossed his arms as Kakashi sealed the bag, determined to pry more information from him.



“I’m not well versed in demonology. I’m sure you have speed, strength and such that are at least the average of demons. I know you can shape change but that your kind tends to take on the shapes of big cats or birds of prey. I had a friend when I was young. He was a Sharingan. I haven’t seen him in years and had assumed he’d died in the massacre. He told me a few things of your kind.” He wasn’t telling him everything. Raven sensed this but lacked the knowledge to find out what he was leaving out. Everything he spoke was both new and old to him. He felt some primal parts of his mind recognize the words while the more intellectual part of his brain sought to compartmentalize the influx of information.



“You should remain with your people. I’ll be fine.” He meant it too. He was healed enough to survive and search for Sasuke, whoever he was.



“I can’t do that so you might as well deal with it. And don’t think about sneaking off. Don’t forget I’m part wolf. I can track you easily. You don’t know how to conceal your scent yet. We are going together to find this Sasuke.” Kakashi pushed by, returning to the meeting hall which was now set up with several people.



“We will have to leave our home. It’s no longer safe. I’ve marked on each of these maps the location of all our hidden dens. None are large enough for all of us so Inoichi and I have broken you up into family groups. The heads of each of the groups are Inoichi with group A, Gai with group B, Ava with Group C, and Carl with Group D. I’ll be with Raven to make sure he gets back to his family. I’ll keep in touch periodically and I want all of the group leaders to keep in touch with each other. We have to lay low for a few months until Danzou turns his eyes elsewhere. That’s one of the reason I’m with Raven. We are going to leave a false trail away from the dens. We leave at dawn. Make as good of time as possible. I know some of you are with cubs or have small children but this can not be helped. Don’t worry, wolves always land on their feet…kind of like cats.” Kakashi chuckled as a few of the worried glances lost a little of their tenseness.



“Yosh, my friend. I will do all in my power to lead my group in your stead.” Gai stood, his arm crossing his chest in salute. Kakashi rolled his eyes and tossed Gai his map.



“Just don’t do anything stupid. If you see demons, you hide or run. Don’t fight them.” Everyone nodded in agreement though he felt sure there were a few who were internally balking at being told to run.



“Where are you going to take the demon?” asked Inoichi.



“It’s best you don’t know. I don’t know what tricks Danzou has up his sleeves but I don’t want you to have to lie. He can sniff out lies from a mile away. Get some rest everyone. It’s only a few hours until dawn.” Kakashi slumped against the table as the others left.



“Are you sure this is what you want?” Raven asked, his lips pulled down in a frown.



“Mah…it’s not what I want but there is no other choice. Danzou is a dangerous demon to cross and cross him we have by not turning you over to him. We have demons on one side of us and humans on the other. We are caught in the middle. We can’t turn to either side but must balance the fence. It’s a hassle. Things were easier when I was a pup. We didn’t have the demon hunts. There was a tentative peace but it was a peace all the same.” Kakashi sighed, reaching a hand to trace the scar bisecting his left eye.



It was silent for a while before he spoke again. “Where will we go?”



“South. I want to draw the demons as far away from the mountain and hill country as I can.” Kakashi pulled out a map, pointing to several areas miles apart from each other. “This is where the others will be. I want to head south. There are a several towns along the way. Maybe we can find your Sasuke there.”



“I’m sorry.”



“Eh…consider it fate…though I’m not one to believe in that sort of thing. I was getting a little bored anyway.” Kakashi chuckled at the look crossing Raven’s face.



“I don’t believe in fate.” Raven began scratching at the wooden table with a nail. His mind drifting for a moment. A flash of an image burst through the barrier in his mind.



“Why did this happen to us?” A quiet voice whispered in the darkness. The cold wind was biting through their thin clothes.



“Fate, Sasuke.”



“Mother said we make our own fate.” The little body inched closer to him, sharing what little warmth they could in the dank cave. Red eyes scanned the entrance, searching for any sign of life or movement in the light filtering in from the rising sun.



What could he say? That he agreed and that their kin had brought this upon themselves. “Just rest Sasuke. We have a long road ahead of us.” How was he going to take care of his brother when he was still young himself? He was barely out of his first heat and now he was responsible for the life and safety of his baby brother.



“Where are we going to go?”



He shook his head. He didn’t know. They would travel by night and rest during the day. It was a benefit of being a Sharingan demon. Night travel was when they were at their peak energy, the moon fueling them. Werewolves shared a similar cycle. “We’ll find somewhere safe to rest for a few days. Then, we’ll figure something out. Don’t worry Sasuke. I’ll take care of you.”



“Don’t leave me--”



Raven jerked at the touch on his arm. His name. It was there on the tip of his memory, just waiting to be taken in hand and returned to him. If he knew his name, he would know himself.



“Are you alright?”



He shook his head, doubling over at the shards of glass digging into his mind. He wanted his fucking memories. He wanted to know where Sasuke was. He wanted to know why they were running. He felt them teasing him to dive in once more.



“Come lay down. We’ll leave at dawn.” Kakashi pulled his arm, attempting lead him towards a bed.



“No. We need to leave now while the moon is high. My kind live by the moon. We are at our weakest during the new moon and at our strongest during the full moon.” Raven ran a hand through his long locks.



Kakashi arched a brow. “That sounds familiar.”



“Yes. Our nocturnal instincts run along similar roads as that of were animals. We’ll be able to get farther faster if we travel at night. We should leave now.” Raven shook off the desperate feeling left from the flashback.



“Are you sure?”



“I need to find Sasuke. Something tells me that we were separated and he’s waiting on me. He’s my brother. I know that much.” Raven rubbed his temples, his mind already protesting the delving into his mind’s hidden recesses.



“Alright. I’ll get our supplies, you get our bags.” Kakashi trotted off towards the kitchen where several pack members were dividing up the non perishable food.



Raven grabbed the bag lying at the foot of his bed. He riffled through it, finding several pair of clothes and a few toiletries. No weapons. He felt almost naked without a weapon. His eyes darted around the room, finally settling on a letter opener. Not exactly the best of choices but better than nothing. It was fairly sharp and the blade could be sharpened to a deadly point. He snatched up the gold plated item.



“Raven? Are you ready?” Raven palmed the knife, testing the weight before slipping it into his jeans. Yes he was ready.



“I’m ready.”



“Alpha, reconsider…” Kana pleaded with Kakashi as Raven approached.



“What’s with the tears? One would think you would be glad to see a lazy old wolf like me go.” Kakashi pulled the woman into his arms, his hand stroking over her swollen abdomen. “Take care of your cub. He or she is the future of our pack.”



“I will…” she backed away as others stepped forward to offer their well wishes.



“Let’s go.” Kakashi muttered.



Raven nodded. Silence was better for both of them. Kakashi had to come to terms with his separation from his pack while Raven searched his mind for fragments he could place together. There would be time for talk later. Their first mission was to lead any possible demons away from the others.



Raven remembered Kakashi saying something about his aura and how it drew in others if one didn’t know how to mask it. “How does an aura work?”



“Eh?” Kakashi leaped over a fallen log. “Well, it’s not so much your aura as the energy it leaves. When we stop at dawn, I’ll start showing you how to hide it. That is, unless you remember on the way.”



Raven snorted. He wished he could remember something. He felt in the dark on so many levels. “Your friend teach you?”



“You are quite talkative today. I wonder if you are normally so vocal when you aren’t suffering from amnesia.” Kakashi chuckled, watching the play of emotions on the other’s face with great amusement.



“Fine,” grunted Raven, putting all his concentration into following Kakashi’s lead.



Both were panting heavily when Kakashi lead them towards a small clearing. The thick cover of trees would give them some cover from the sun, allowing them to rest and recuperate their strength.



“That energy trail should be enough. Well veer east for a bit to throw them off. Now to teach you how to hide yourself. Obito told me it was like wrapping yourself in a bubble or cover, not letting anything out or in. I always found it amusing since his scent completely disappeared when he was truly hiding.” Kakashi tossed a packet of jerky to his companion. “Try it.”



Raven crossed his arms. That seemed ridiculous. How was he supposed to wrap himself in a blanket?



“Stop being stubborn and try. Geez, you are worse than an untrained pup.” Raven growled at being referred to as a child.



“Fine.” He closed his eyes, focusing himself inward. He felt his mind lock up as if hiding what he was reaching for--forcing him to wrench it from the unrelenting grasp.



“Don’t look for the memory of the ability. Focus on yourself and enclose your mind and body in a blanket.” Kakashi’s voice broke through his struggles.



He mentally grumbled but did as he was asked, releasing his grip on the memory and instead drawing himself inward. At first he resisted. The power he naturally exuded did not want to be drawn inward. It wanted to flow from him in a natural current. He was about to give up when he felt himself give. The flow stopped.



It felt as natural as breathing. He pulled himself inward, leaving no traceable bit of himself for the tracker demons to follow.



“Good job. Your scent disappeared just as it did with Obito. It’s a nifty trick. I wish I had that ability.”



Raven opened his eyes to see his companion sprawled out against a log, book in hand. Figures, he was beginning to think the man was never without a book.



“Get some rest. We need to keep moving for a couple of days,” he said, putting away the book.



Silence reigned for several minutes before Raven spoke again. “Kakashi?”



“Hmm?”



“Why did you really help me?”



The other was silent before sighing. “Wolves live by instinct. It was my instinct to help you.”



“Thank you.” Raven whispered the words, turning onto his side to rest what little he could before dusk. Instinct. He could understand that. Something was pulling him towards Kakashi.



Staring at the leaves wafting in the breeze, he wondered what other things Kakashi was hiding up his sleeves. He absently reached a hand to rub the small fangs. They had been aching all night. Maybe he would ask Kakashi if he knew anything about it.



To be continued.