"Quiet, Naruto," Kakashi said, his voice calm but firm. "There's no one to kill or attack here. I just wanted you to meet a new friend."
Naruto's ears perked up, his grin widening. "A new friend?! Where?!" His eyes scanned the room, landing on Howard, who was lighting another cigar with a scowl.
Naruto bounded over, his tails wagging. "Hey, you're the duck! You look weird! I like you already!"
Meanwhile, Kakashi turned to Pakkun and the pack of ninja hounds, who were sniffing the air curiously. "I'd like you to meet another of your kind," he said, gesturing to Cosmo. "She's been through a traumatic experience, so be careful with her."
Cosmo looked up, her tail giving a hesitant wag. Pakkun trotted forward. He sniffed the air, then froze, his eyes widening. If a dog could blush, Pakkun was doing it. His cheeks puffed out, and he coughed awkwardly.
"Wait… whoa," Pakkun said, his voice a little higher than usual. "Who's the lady with the amazing scent?"
Cosmo blinked, startled, her psychic voice soft in their minds. 'I am Cosmo. It's nice to see more of my kind after such a long time. But I did not know that my kind could talk.'
The other hounds, Bull, Bisuke, Urushi, and Shiba gathered around, their eyes narrowing as they saw the tiredness and fear in Cosmo's gaze. There was pain there, deep and raw.
Pakkun sat closer, his tone gentle. "If it's okay, can you tell us more about you?"
Cosmo's ears flattened, but she nodded. Her psychic voice was soft, trembling. 'I was taken… long ago. Humans sent me to space to die for science. I thought I'd see stars… but I saw cages instead.'
Her voice barely a whisper. 'They said it was science. Then… aliens found me. Experimented. Hurt me. I thought I would die there… until I was sold to a man they called 'The Collector.' He kept me in a glass box. Said I was rare.'
Her tail curled protectively around her, her eyes glassy. 'I was lonely for years… until Kakashi and you all came.'
The hounds went silent, their usual playfulness replaced by anger. Bull, a massive bulldog, growled low. "They did what to you?!"
Bisuke, a greyhound, snarled. "Humans sent you away? Disgusting. We should track them down and—"
Kakashi cut in, his voice calm. "They've been dead for decades, Bisuke."
Pakkun's growl was quieter but no less fierce. "That doesn't matter. What matters is no one, human, alien, or over-groomed space freak treats a dog like that and walks away wagging."
He stepped closer to Cosmo, sitting beside her. His small paws rested gently near hers, a gesture of solidarity. "You've been through too much," he said softly. "No dog deserves that."
Cosmo looked at him, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. 'You… are kind. I can feel your heart.'
Pakkun cleared his throat, suddenly awkward. "Look, uh… I don't usually do this, but… here." He reached into a small pouch tied to his vest and pulled out a gleaming, perfect metal bone.
Bull's jaw dropped. "Is that—?!"
Urushi gasped. "No way. THAT'S the bone."
Shiba's eyes widened. "The one he guards with his life?!"
Bisuke whined. "He wouldn't even let us
smell it last time!"
Pakkun held the bone out to Cosmo, "It's yours. Chew it, keep it, whatever. Consider it… an apology on behalf of every two-legged fool who ever hurt you. And my name's Pakkun."
Cosmo's ears twitched in surprise. She took the bone gently in her mouth, her tail wagging for the first time in years.
'Thank you… Pakkun.'
The hounds erupted into chaos.
"I don't believe this!" Bull barked, pacing. "He gave her the bone!"
Bisuke howled. "I spent six missions fetching stuff for him to earn a sniff of that thing!"
Urushi flopped dramatically onto the floor. "My life is a lie."
Kakashi's eye widened. "Kai," he said, forming a hand sign to dispel any potential genjutsu. 'No way Pakkun just did that.' But the scene was real, and he couldn't help but smile under his mask.
---
Across the ship, Naruto had zeroed in on Howard, who was puffing on his cigar with a scowl. Naruto's tails wiggled excitedly as he bounced closer. "Hey, duck! Kakashi-sensei said you're new here, so I came to make friends! And what's that?" He pointed at the cigar with a curious paw.
Howard squinted at him, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "That's called a cigar, kid. Grown-up stuff. Not for fluffy-tailed toddlers."
Naruto's grin widened, undeterred. "Oh yeah? Gimme that!" One of his tails shot out, snatching the cigar before Howard could react.
"Hey!" Howard squawked, flapping his wings. "That's my stress stick! Give it back before I—"
Naruto, ever the daredevil, tried to puff on it. "HUUUUUHHH—" He coughed violently, his tails flailing like noodles. "Ack—what the heck is this?! Did you light garbage on fire?!"
Howard cackled, clutching his belly. "That's called flavor, furball."
Naruto's eyes watered, his voice hoarse. "You smoke this on purpose?! Are you insane, duck-butt?!"
Howard puffed out his chest. "Insane? Pal, I once dated a space raccoon's cousin. I passed 'insane' three galaxies ago!"
Naruto snorted, wiping his eyes. "You talk big for a bird that can't even fly!"
Howard's feathers ruffled. "And you talk big for a fox with nine fucking tails!"
Naruto's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Oh yeah? Say that again, beak-boy!"
Howard leaned forward, smirking. "I said—!"
Naruto tackled him, and feathers and fur flew everywhere. The two rolled across the ship knocking over a chair and sending a tray of Asgardian tools clattering.
Kakashi sighed, stepping between them. With one hand, he grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his neck; with the other, he lifted Howard like a sack of potatoes. Both froze, glaring at each other.
'Troublesome brats,' Kakashi thought, exhaling heavily. 'I thought my babysitting days were over after Naruto and Sasuke.' He set them down, keeping a firm grip until they stopped squirming.
Naruto stuck out his tongue. "He started it!"
Howard adjusted his feathers, muttering. "Kid's got no respect for a classic vice."
Kakashi shook his head, but his eye caught something else. Naruto was staring eagerly and curiously at an Asgardian mage, the same one who'd been giving Kakashi creepy smiles since the mission began.
------Author Notes---------
Y'all can now read the next 15 chapters of the fanfic on my pat*reon.
Also you can also now read exclusive one shots on it.
https://pat*reon.com/Charizard6
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