BUTTERFLY EFFECT

It had been a few weeks since team seven had first formed. They had been following several D-rank missions, all of which Naruto hated. They all hated the missions, as they were simple and sometimes quite stupid, but Naruto took it personally. He thought that the Hokage wouldn't let them have any higher ranking missions because they might get hurt or something. He had little outbursts of anger, sometimes ending with Naruto punching something to get rid of the access hate.

The rest of team seven, however, saw it as a deeper hatred lurking, waiting under the surface to burst out and hurt them all. Kakashi especially. So he went to talk to the Hokage the same day that they got their first (team) C-rank mission to the Wave country.

"Hokage-sama" Kakashi bowed quickly, not trying to show any disrespect. He needed to keep this short. "I request that favor now, please."

Sarutobi lit his pipe and took a deep lungful. "Ah yes. Kakashi. I had a feeling you were going to cash in that favor soon…..alright, what would you like?"

Kakashi nodded and smiled under his mask. It was short lived, however. "Well, you see, Naruto has been acting a little funny lately. He seems to be in constant battle with…he's at war inside of himself."

The Hokage behind the desk nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I have noticed. He has been quite….loud. He has voiced his opinion very rudely to me today, and while I understand where he is coming from, a polite question would have done just as well…"

The masked jonin nodded again. "Yes, yes. I would like to figure out what I can do to help that anger go away…..it could be dangerous."

Both looked off into space, remembering that fateful day. They visibly shuddered and snapped back to the present. "Oh yes. Right. Well, there is one thing…."

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When Kakashi showed up, a little late, to where the team was meeting to leave, he had another ninja with him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, while Sakura smiled and bent down to pet her. Naruto was too off the walls to notice. "Awww, she's cute!"

The little white fluff ball puffed up and shook her head. The collar around her neck jingled around a bit, showing the pink-haired girl that it was a forehead protector. She blinked a few times, then pet the fox's head and stood back up. "Kakashi-sensei?" she asked tentatively.

"Mm, yes?"

"Why is there a white fox with a ninja status here?"

"This is to be our 'fourth member' of team seven"

"Is she capable of what we can do?"

Kakashi smiled, his one eye showing closed momentarily. "And more."

Naruto bounded over, finally ready to leave. "Okay, let's go!" He suddenly noticed the white ball of fur. "Aw, she's cute. Is she yours, Kaka-sensei?"

Tazuna, the bridge builder they were escorting, and Sasuke had already started walking. Kakashi looked over to Naruto and started walking as well. "Come on." Was the only thing he said.

Sakura shook her head in confusion and ran to catch up to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, wait for me!"

Naruto shook his head in anger. She was always after the teme, the one who hated her as much as she hated Naruto. He started walking slowly behind the group, his excitement vanishing due to frustration.

The little vulpine noticed and trotted to catch up. She was very tiny, maybe the size of a growing kitten. She let out a little sound and Naruto looked back at her. She was trying her best not to get left behind, but they were moving too fast for her to keep up. Making a quick decision, Naruto dropped close to the ground, scooped her up, and jogged a bit to reach a few meters away from their party of four.

When Naruto picked the tiny fox off the ground, he had started feeling peace settle within himself. He didn't know how or why, but his body relaxed and he forgot about his small troubles. One hand held the kit next to his chest while the other ran along her body, stroking her from head to tail. She made a small sound that could be called a purr.

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"Kakashi-sensei, I was wondering"

The group groaned. This was the first time he had talked so far, but it was still annoying to them. "Yes, Naruto?"

"What's her name?"

"Hm?"

"The little fox. She needs a name." He gestured to his arms, where said animal was resting. She had curled up in his touch, and she was keeping the peace inside him constant. That was why he had been so quiet at first. But now…

"Well, you're the one she bonded with. You pick."

Naruto looked shocked. "Bonded with?"

Kakashi nodded. "Ninja animals pick a person they believe will do their best to survive and work hard no matter what. They also pick a person who needs their help the most, along with a lifetime promise of loyalty. She's picked you, Naruto, believe it or not."

Sasuke looked down at the ground, not saying a word. Could Kakashi be right? Would Naruto try to survive better than him? Would he not even attempt to save his life, even though his goal required him to? He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. He didn't care about a little scrap of a mutt. He only needed himself.

Naruto thought about a name, and while he was doing so the little fox woke up. She stretched in his arms and opened her jaws to yawn. It was the most adorable thing they had seen. She shook out her fur and jumped down to the ground, easily keeping pace with Naruto now. He smiled down at her, then realized something.

"Hey, you could have walked before! I didn't need to carry you!" he said, speaking to her. Her innocent eyes peered back at him, her two tails wagging. He blinked at the sudden change. When he had picked her up before, she only had one tail. Now she had two. He shook his head. It didn't matter.

"Alright. A name..a name…" he looked around, trying to draw inspiration from the land. Nothing came to mind…

"…Hana"

A pair of pure white ears pricked up at the sound. Sasuke was holding her now, cradling her in his arms as they walked. She had heard the name and looked at him curiously now. Naruto glared at Sasuke, but then he broke out in a smile.

"Yeah! That's a good name! Thanks, Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke shrugged and started petting Hana's head lightly. She rubbed into the touch, purring slightly. It was odd, since she was a fox and not a cat.

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Hana suddenly jumped out of the raven's arms and next to a small puddle. She sniffed curiously at it, then leaped back, fur raised and lips curled back. Her tails swished angrily behind her, and she kept her eyes focused on the puddle. Two of the male ninjas noted that there was no rain, and in the middle of the road….

Seconds later two enemy ninja swung chains around and captured the jonin. He vanished, being pulled apart. Blood splattered everywhere, falling to the ground unnoticed. The two ninja grinned and turned to the others. "You're turn."

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Naruto freaked out. He couldn't move. This was what you're waiting for! His body screamed at him. But he couldn't do anything. He just stood there. One of the ninja swung his arm around at him, chain coming at him like a whip. He stood frozen to the ground.

Then there was a white flash, and a growling sound was heard. A loud yip and Hana was torn off of the ninja's face, thrown to the ground in rage. She let out a strangled sound that made Naruto's heart shatter. He felt his anger level grow, but before he could do anything, before the other enemy had time to attack again, something happened.

The air around the fallen kit had whipped up into a mini tornado, about as tall as Naruto. It swirled with white and blue, and then it was gone. In it's place was a full grown fox, even bigger now than most foxes. It stood at three feet tall on all fours, and she rushed forwards. Her claws were larger, more enhanced. A thin blue wisp of chakra surrounded her, and she snarled as she shot at the two ninja. Naruto just stared. He didn't know how Hana did that. It just…did.

In a few seconds both idiot chain-wearers were slumped on the ground, surrounded by a small pool of blood. They were alive, but unconscious. Sakura and Sasuke had surrounded Tazuna, and he looked shocked. Kakashi came out of nowhere and nodded to them, getting out some ninja wire and tying the two to a tree.

"You did well" he said simply. They realized he had used a teleportation Jutsu to make them believe he was dead so that he could see who they were after.

Naruto looked over to Hana, who was on the ground again, panting. She had three tails now, but had shrunken down to the size of a small dog. She looked up at him, a smile playing on her face. It screamed 'guardian'. She tilted her head at him, her foxy grin fading a bit under his consistent gaze.

She made a little barking noise. Naruto snapped out of it. "What just happened?"