"Kakashi, just ahead."
Pakkun pointed toward a shadowed cave entrance.
"In there? The entrance isn't wide enough. The footprints we followed seem way larger than that," Kakashi muttered, narrowing his visible eye.
"I'm not sure either," Pakkun admitted, sniffing the air. "But the scent trail definitely leads inside."
Kakashi rubbed his chin. Could this summoned beast possess the ability to alter its body size?
That would be rare, but not impossible. It might explain why there was only a single footprint outside before the trail suddenly vanished.
"Shisui, we're going in."
"Got it."
"Pakkun, return to the village. We'll take it from here."
"Understood, Kakashi. Be careful."
With a puff of smoke, Pakkun vanished.
"Shisui, stay sharp. Something's off."
"Right."
The two lit a torch and ventured into the darkness. The cave was damp, and cold air flowed from its depths, brushing against their skin like invisible claws.
"This breeze doesn't feel natural," Kakashi said quietly.
"There's something up ahead," Shisui whispered, activating his Sharingan. His enhanced sight picked up the faint rise and fall of something breathing in the darkness.
"It's up there. Be ready."
Kakashi drew his White Light Chakra Sabre from its seal, the blade humming faintly with chakra.
Shisui unsheathed his short blade and stepped into position.
"Here it comes!" Shisui shouted.
A dark mass, the size of a lion, lunged at Kakashi. Gleaming fangs slashed through the shadows, targeting him directly.
Kakashi swung his blade instinctively—clank! The steel met fang, but his sword didn't even chip it.
What?!
Even without full strength, the White Light Chakra Sabre, reinforced with Kakashi's chakra, should've sliced through it. For it not to even scratch the tooth—this beast was something else.
Then, it stepped into the torchlight.
Dark, coarse fur. A serrated, blade-like tail. Eyes glowing like hot coals. And most shockingly—three heads snarling in unison.
"It's… a three-headed dog?"
Kakashi was stunned. This... this isn't a common summon.
He thought back to Pain's multi-headed canine summoned through the Animal Path. That one multiplied with each strike and couldn't be taken down easily. This beast shared some physical traits, though its fur was black instead of gray, and it didn't seem to multiply.
Blood dripped from its middle torso.
"Shisui, look. It's injured."
Kakashi squinted—there was indeed a wound on its abdomen, bleeding through thick fur.
So someone managed to hit it hard enough to draw blood... but it didn't vanish back to the summon realm?
That was strange. Usually, an injured summoning beast returned automatically. Unless… it wasn't bound by a summoning contract?
The three-headed dog growled once, then turned and bolted, vanishing deeper into the shadows with surprising speed.
"What the hell?" Kakashi blinked. "It ran before we even landed a solid hit?"
"Should we chase?"
"Absolutely."
They shot forward, torchlight bouncing as they exited the cave in hot pursuit—only to skid to a stop moments later.
"Huh? It's gone!"
Kakashi looked around warily. No trace remained. Not even a lingering scent.
"Yin, its speed is ridiculous," Shisui remarked. "For something that size, it vanished too cleanly."
"It's not just fast. It knows the terrain. But more importantly, I want to know what it is."
"It doesn't seem like it has a summoner," Shisui said thoughtfully.
"How do you figure?"
"That injury. If it had a contract and was critically hurt, it should've vanished back to its realm. But it didn't. Which means it's either free-roaming… or was forcibly brought here and broke free."
Kakashi nodded. That made sense. This thing might be on the run.
That could explain the hostility and immediate retreat.
More unsettling, though, was the resemblance to Pain's summon. Could there be a link?
"Let's talk to the locals. We need to figure out where and when this thing appeared."
"Got it."
As the pair departed toward the village, another pair landed on the opposite side of the island.
Terumi Mei and Ao had arrived.
They'd landed on the Water Country-facing side, while Kakashi's team had come ashore from the Fire Country's direction—practically opposite ends.
"Lady Terumi Mei, should I begin the search for Hatake Kakashi?" Ao asked.
"Yes, please do."
Searching was a simple task for someone with the Byakugan.
"Understood!"
He made a quick hand seal. "Byakugan—activate!"
With a surge of chakra, his right eye transformed. The veins bulged and vision expanded, mapping the terrain far ahead.
Back on the other side, Kakashi and Shisui entered the village chief's hut.
"Ninja-sama, what did you find?"
The old man's eyes were filled with anxiety. The villagers hadn't suffered casualties yet, but livestock were disappearing—and the creature's grotesque appearance sent waves of fear through the island.
"We encountered the beast. It's a massive three-headed dog. Before we could engage, it fled. That said, we need to know: when did these sightings begin?"
"About half a month ago," the elder replied. "A fisherman claimed something huge fell from the sky into the forest. He ran back yelling about a monster, but no one believed him."
"He returned the next day with others to check… and sure enough, they found massive footprints. Still, with no signs afterward, most dismissed it."
"But then, ten days ago, shepherds spotted the creature. It devoured over a dozen sheep in one bite and vanished."
"Since then, no one has dared to go outside. We finally sent word to Konoha."
Kakashi's expression darkened. Fell from the sky…?
Could it have been forcibly summoned here? Or perhaps it escaped from another realm?
He wasn't sure. But one thing was certain—the creature wasn't native to the island.
And whatever brought it here... wasn't done yet.
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