Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Naruto, nor do I make any money from using their likenesses. I do this for pure entertainment only.
Bared Naked
Prologue: Sunday Night
The night was clear and dark over the Village Hidden in the Leaves and all of the village's inhabitants had long since retired for the evening's preparations of another hard day's work tomorrow once the sun rose again. The streets were bereft of humans and only the occasional cat or dog searching for a safe place to bed down moving about.
Except for one restless young man wandering the streets and…
-Is that him?-
-That kid is our target?-
-Yes. Don't let your guard down. He is much more capable than he appears. Now get ready.-
The three figures cautiously stalking him that were more than they appeared to be.
Slowly, oh so slowly, they crept closer to the young man. He was no more than a boy really and so it was a bit confusing as to why they had been sent to grab him but their orders had come directly from the leader of their village. One did not argue with such an order, no matter how suicidal the task seemed.
Their target paused and looked in their direction. He kept one hand in his jacket pocket while the other was allowed to hang by his side- right by his kunai knife holder. He continued to appear relaxed but small involuntary movements gave away his wariness. The youth scanned the area briefly before letting his eyes come to rest on the three again, right hand hovering over the handle of one of the blades.
-He's on to us!-
-Shut up!- The leader of the group hissed at his subordinate, sending the two scampering off into opposite alley ways as if frightened of him. Once the two had vanished into the night, their leader began to scent the air, letting his nose lead him closer to the young man.
I'm hungry, Nose in the air, he continued the ruse, staying just out of reach of the youth as he circled the boy. Can't you see I'm just trying to find some food? He let out a small mewl for emphasis.
The boy wavered and his hand drifted away from his knives, instead reaching back to dig into the little hip pouch attached to his belt. Before his hand could disappear into its hidden depths however, it paused and resettled again by the boy's side. He took a step backwards, warily watching his street side companion.
He'd smelled the trap and was preparing to defend.
-Now!- The leader shouted and suddenly the night was alive with movement. The three hit the youth from all sides, nimbly evading his counterattacks with their superior agility and night vision. They were smaller targets, harder to hit, and they slashed mercilessly at the youth. They slowly worked him further down the street, deeper into the dark and away from help, waiting for an opening patiently as only the experienced could. Their efforts were rewarded, the final blow struck as teeth sank home, and the three leaped away out of danger.
The boy gasped, holding a hand to the bite site, knees starting to buckle as the poison spread. He let out a cry, startling the three and causing lights to flicker into being as near by houses responded to his voice. He shrieked, body falling to the ground, hunching over in pain and agony as his limbs were forced into an unfamiliar shape. The still night was filled with thick, meaty tearing sounds and muted popping as bones and muscles rearranged themselves. It was painful and the boy let the village hear his pain unabashedly for several minutes before succumbing to the after effects of such a form shift. The yelling soon died away, degenerating into pathetic mewling as the youth shrank and disappeared from view into the clothing that he had been wearing. The pile of cloth quivered, one tiny paw emerging and flexing in the air before flopping back to lie still.
Lights lit up the little street, angry faces appearing in windows as curtains were swept aside. That anger only increased when the source of all the noise was revealed to be a small gathering of stray felines. Some one chucked a shoe at them, which they dodged easily before finally moving toward the fabric and its new contents, the leader sniffing judiciously at the small paw.
-He's out.- The leader announced, bending forward to pick up the newly transformed teenager.
-That was easy. With all the preparations you'd think the kid was a demon or something.- His second groused, pawing at the ground unhappily.
-Seriously, this was overkill.-The third one agreed, tail held arrogantly in the air. He sauntered a few steps away and looked up, surprise and annoyance darting across his feline features.
-Over confidence killed the cat!- The trio's leader snarled, the effect diminished since he had his teeth firmly sunk into the scruff of the kitten's neck. He pulled the rest of the fur covered body free, dragging it clear of the discarded clothing entirely. -Get over here and help me!- He yowled, looking around for his subordinates, both of whom seemed to have paled several shades. -He's heavier…- Then he heard it too, the sounds that had caught his companions attention.
A door burst open a few feet ahead of them, the owner of the domicile waving a fist at them all as he shouted. "Be quiet you mangy fur balls or I'll give you something to cry about!" A rusted pot was tossed at them, making them scatter, the leader having to leap away from his prize in order to avoid injury.
The two other cats hissed at the man, voices blending together as they let loose menacing yowls in challenge.
-NO!- Their leader yelled but it was already too late. There was a scraping sound, loud in the night, and then barking.
Lots and lots of barking.
"Heel!" The man yelled, moving his bulk from the door frame and allowing the source of all that barking to spill into the street. Big dogs, little dogs, and every size in between were quickly gathered in the road, each panting excitedly, some doing little circle dances of joy, every one of them looking at the three adult cats hungrily, as if some person had thoughtfully placed a sign next to them that read 'All you can eat buffet.'
"Attack!" The order given, the dogs surged forward en mass, jaws snapping, drool flying. Fur on end, the three felines fled into the night, splitting up and using all their feline prowess just to stay out of reach of the vicious canines chasing them. The kitten, the trio's prize, was abandoned and all too soon the little body disappeared from view under the canine tidal wave. As the three fled deeper into the village, howls of victory rent the air behind them and the leader of the three cats cursed his subordinates, wondering how he was going to explain the death of the last Uchiha heir to their waiting master.
Thank you very much for reading. I hope you'll check back for chapter 1. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
