Naruto ambled down the darkened street, sliding the pull on his jacket a few teeth higher; the night was freezing cold. He worked his way home, intent on getting there before he was buried by the ever falling snow, or the sun rose, whichever happened first. The former seemed more likely, for the snow was falling thick and heavy on the empty streets. He didn't really care about getting home on time so much as freezing to death. In fact, he'd rather not get home untill the next afternoon, owing to his sensei Kakashi's insistence that the entire team accompany him to an event that he had acquired the "impossible to get" tickets too. He was just rounding the corner onto his street when he heard a noise comming from somewhere off to his left. He paused to listen. "What's that..." he mumbled as he looked around for the exact source. It was comming from under some bushes a few feet off the road. Naruto, never one to leave the house without a weapon, drew a kunai from it's pouch and moved closer to investigate. As he approached, the bush appeared to shiver. "What in the hell?" he said as he froze. Just as he took another step, a small lump crawled out from under the snow covered bush. "holy!" shouted the blonde as he jumped back. "What is that thing!?" The thing crawled forward toward the alarmed blonde, whimpering. Naruto leaned forward and realized the thing was nothing more than a small puppy, no more than a few weeks old. Naruto knelt down to get a better look and the puppy crawled closer, sensing the boy's warmth. Naruto could see the little guy was thin, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see the poor thing was freezing cold. "Poor little thing.." he muttered as he scooped it up. "You all alone out here? Got separated from your mama?" The puppy gazed sadly at Naruto and licked his hand. "It's too cold for a little guy like you to be out by yourself. Come on home with me and I'll get you warmed up." He placed the small puppy into an inside pocket of his jacket and carried him, Akamaru style, home.
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Once inside, Naruto turned his heater up and wrapped the shaking puppy in a warm blanket. He set out a bowl of lukewarm water for the pup and went to look for something for the little guy to eat. Finding nothing he sighed, "Sorry little one. I haven't got any food for you. You'll have to wait untill morning." The puppy, happy enough with a drink of water, yawned sleepily and fell asleep, still wrapped in the blanket. Naruto smiled and picked up the little bundle. He carried the puppy over to the couch and set him down. He went to get a pillow and his warmest blanket and settled down next to the puppy.
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Few hours later...
Knock
Knock
Knock
"YO! Naruto!"
Naruto shot up, alarmed.
"Let me in already!"
"Alright, alright!!! Hang on a sec!" He got up and opened the door, allowing a pissed off Kakashi inside. He glared at his sensei, pissed at being woken up so unceremoniously by the usually late jounin.
What took so long?"
"I was sleeping, jerk!"
"I told you to be ready at seven-thirty."
"You're always hours late," yawned the drowsy teen.
"I am not," said the silver-haired man in his defense.
"Whatever..."
"So then, I guess you aren't ready yet?"
"Duh, I'm not ready..."
"Well then, I guess you'll be staying behind then."
Ehh whatever...That stuffs all a bunch of girly crap anyway."
Hey! Figure skating is not girly!"
"Is so, ya fruit! Believe it!"
"Fine! I can see that someone as narrow-minded as you can't appreciate the art of figure skating. I'll just take Iruka instead of you!"
"Fine by me! I never wanted to go anyway!" he shouted as he shoved the offended man out the door, slamming it behind him. "Goddamn fruity freak..." grumbled Naruto as he walked back to the couch. The completely forgotten puppy raised his head and yipped. Naruto jumped, startled. "Don't do that!" he said to the puppy he had forgotten about. The puppy just yawned and went back to sleep. Naruto scratched his head, thinking. "What am I going to do about you..."
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Kiba blinked sleepily and looked around. "Who the hell is calling at this ungodly hour of the morning?" He reached for his phone and stared at the number. "Damnit..."
"Whatcha want Naruto?"
"Hello to you too Kiba."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatcha want..."
"Well...I found a lost puppy last night, and I was wondering what to do with him."
"You found a wha...?"
"A puppy."
"And you called me why...?"
"Oh, I don't know...maybe because YOU'RE THE GUY THAT KNOWS ABOUT DOGS!"
Kiba cringed and tossed his phone across the room. He yelled back, "You don't have to scream!"
Unintelligible muttering...
Kiba picks his phone back up. "Repeat that?"
"I said, 'Sorry I yelled.' I'm grumpy 'cause that ass Kakashi was here a few minutes ago. He's got me all wound up."
"Whatever..." grumbled Kiba as he checked his ears for blood. "Anyway...You said something about a puppy?"
"Yes baka. That's why I called at this ungodly hour. I found a little puppy last night and I need some advice on what to do."
"Oh..."
"So...?"
"Well...what the puppy's condition?"
"Um...Well...he's really small, prolly only a few weeks old. He's skinny; I can sort of see his ribs. He's not injured, not from what I can see anyway...and...um...i think that's it."
"What do it's teeth look like?"
"What?"
"Check the teeth. I need to know how long they are."
"Oh. Right. Hang on a sec."
Naruto's phone is set down...
Shuffling sound can be heard...
Phone is picked back up...
"Ummm...They're not very long. And he keeps trying to chew on everything I stick near them. He might still be teething."
"Hmmmm...that's not good. You're not supposed to separate them from their mothers untill they've finished teething. I'm going to have to take a look at him to see just how old he is, but if he's as young as you say he is then he's in trouble."
"Should I take him to your house?"
"Yeah, bring him by. And sooner rather than later. A pup with showing ribs is in danger of starving."
"I'll get him over there as fast as I can!"
"I'll be waiting."
"Yeah...and prolly asleep by then too."
Kiba yawns, "Bye Naruto," and hangs up. He's snoring before his head even hits the pillow.
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"Hey Kiba!" yelled Hana from the foot of the stairs. "That kid Naruto is here!"
Kiba rolled outta bed and grabbed the jeans he had thrown over a chair the night before. "I'm commin' already..." he yawned as he dragged the jeans on and walked out of his room. He stumbled down the stairs and walked right into the wall. "Sunofa!" he screamed as he hopped on his uninjured foot while rubbing his arm.
"Nice one," smiled Naruto.
"Oh shut up..." grumbled the now irate Kiba. "Where's this puppy of yours?"
Naruto unzipped his jacket and pulled the puppy from the pocket he had carried him in. "Right here."
Kiba limped over, "Hand him too me." He took the puppy and examined him. "Yeah, I see what ya meant about being skinny. Poor thing's nothing but skin and bones." He turned the puppy over and held him you would a baby. He watched the puppy's reaction. "Hmmmm...no fight...doesn't try to stare you down..." he mumbled as he turned the puppy back over and set him down on the table to his left. "Good temperament for a puppy. She's not as lethargic as I thought she was going to be," he said as he watched the puppy pace the table, who started smelling everything on it. "Well, other than being really thin, she doesn't seem to have any problems. Take her to this clinic tomorrow and my mom can test her for all those nasty little bugs and other things puppy's can get. She'll need to have her immunizations then too."
Naruto nodded, "Okay. Can you tell how old he is?"
"Yeah, hang on a sec." Kiba picked the puppy up and opened his mouth. "Let's see...from the size of the teeth I'd say right about...um...3 months or so."
"Isn't that a little young to be away from the mom?"
"Yeah...but once their teeth erupt they're able to eat solid food. It's always best to leave them with their mothers untill at least 6 months, but they can survive without her by then."
"Oh...okay..."
"You are going to keep her, aren't you?"
"I'm going to try too. I gotta call my landlord and see if he even allows pets first."
"Well, I'd say your better off leaving her with me for now. That way I can get her tested for any puppy illnesses and give her his shots."
"Yeah, that's probably the best thing for him right now."
"You think of a name yet?
"Actually no."
"Oh..."
"Wait a sec... were you calling him a her?"
"Huh? Yeah, your puppy's a she, not a he."
"How can you tell at this age?"
"Just trust me, your puppy is a girl."
"Whatever..."
"So anyway, you need to give her a name already. I can't go around calling her puppy or dog all day."
"Umm...I don't know..."
"Well, how did you find her?"
"She was slowly freezing to death under a bush."
"Okay...anything else?"
"Ummmm...it was snowing...and she was covered in it..."
"How about Yuki?"
"Yuki?"
"Yeah, you found her covered in snow, so why not?"
Naruto thought for a second, "Well...I guess...Yeah, I can live with Yuki." He picked up his new friend, "What do you say? You like Yuki?" The puppy wagged her tail and yipped. "I think that's a yes. Okay then, from this day forward, your name is Yuki!"
"Alright, I'll take Yuki for the next few days, at least untill you get the situation with the landlord fixed and all her tests come back."
"Thanks Kiba. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You'd be sitting at home with a starving puppy and a nasty bit of heartache looming," joked Kiba.
"Yeah, yeah..." Naruto picked up Yuki, "Well girl, i guess this is goodbye for a few days. You behave for Kiba for me. I'll come visit you tomorrow, okay?" Yuki's tail wagged and she licked his cheek. Naruto handed her to Kiba and zipped his jacket up. "I'll come by the clinic tomorrow afternoon-ish."
"Okay, see you then."
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Next afternoon...
Naruto fought his way against the howling wind. It was a nasty kind of day. Freezing cold, howling winds stung the faces of the few villagers that dared to be outside, sickly grey clouds obscured the sun. One of those days when you'd much rather be inside with a hot drink and a good book. Naruto managed to get to the Inuzuka clinic sometime between four and four-thirty. It was near white out conditions, so it was nearly impossible to tell time, even with a watch. He nearly fell through the doors, so exhausted from fighting the elements he was. He stumbled up to the desk, "Kiba? You here?"
Kiba appeared from the other end of the corridor that led to the exam rooms. "Hey, I'm surprised you made it. The weather looks nasty out there."
"Yeah, and getting worse. How's Yuki?"
"She's just fine. She's clean for Parvo, mange, and worms, which is good, and we've given her her required immunizations. We're still running a few tests, and I'd like for her to stay another night or two so that she'll gain a little weight before she goes home with you, but other than that she's one lucky little girl."
"That's great!"
"You talk to your landlord?"
"Yeah, he said that pet's are allowed, although he discourages large dogs, and that there's a two pet minimum, so I'm gunna have get her fixed when she's old enough."
"Nine months."
"Nine? Okay."
"Anyway, I'll take you back so you can see her. But I'd suggest that you hurry. By the looks of it you're not going to be able to make it home the way the weather is shaping up."
"Hell, I'll crash here if I have too..."
"Oh please, like I'm that much of an ass. If all else fails, you can crash at my house tonight."
"Hell, if you'll let me then I might just linger on purpose."
"Ha ha, you're really funny."
"I'm not joking."
"For real?"
"For real."
"I never thought you swung that way Naruto," chuckled Kiba.
"That's not what I meant!"
"I'm just joking baka. Learn to take a joke."
"Don't make jokes like that then."
"If it ain't true, then you got nothing to worry about."
"You're an ass sometimes."
"So are you Naruto, but I don't complain...much..."
"Shut up and just take care of my puppy."
"Whatever you say, bud."
"I'm taking you up on the offer to crash at your place by-the-way."
"I knew you would. No one is stupid enough to try and get across town in that weather...Well...maybe Lee...but he'd just look at it like training and dash out there without a coat or something stupid like that. Well anyway," said Kiba as he glanced at the clock, "You visit Yuki while I finish feeding the patients and I'll take you home with me. I doubt we're gunna have anymore people come in today."
"Ya got that right."
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Kiba came back about twenty minutes later to find Naruto spread-eagle on the floor with Yuki standing on top of him licking his face mercilessly. "Wow, the great Naruto taken down by a three month old half-starved puppy...Never thought I'd live to see the day."
Naruto shielded his face with a hand long enough to retort with a weak, "Shut up," before Yuki jumped over his hand and started attacking his hair. Kiba laughed heartily as he watched Naruto faking a struggle with his puppy, "Ahhh Yuki's tearing my hair off. Stop her!" Naruto joined in laughing when Yuki got bored with attacking his hair and decided that chasing her tail was more fun. "I really hope she doesn't turn out to be as big a spaz as Akamaru," he giggled as she caught her tail and started yipping happily.
"My dog isn't a spaz," chuckled Kiba as he watched the puppy play. "He's to lazy to be a spaz."
"You just keep telling yourself that."
"Just wait until she gets older. She's a Golden Retriever/ Labrador mix. She's gunna be the definition of hyper-spaz when she's older. Only Jack Russles are worse."
"Please don't joke like that."
"You wish I was."
"Well then, I'm just going to have to get a house out near the forest with a big ol' back yard were she'll have room to play."
"Good luck with that. Anyway, it's about time we head off. Good thing I live just around the corner, I heard on the radio that they've closed most of the roads. It's supposed to be full white-out conditions out there."
"What's the temp?"
"They said it's hovering right below freezing, but with that wind it's gunna feel below zero."
"Okay then," he pushed himself to his feet and bent over to pick up Yuki. "In the coat you go girl." He placed her in the inside pocket and zipped up the jacket tight. "Where's Akamaru?"
"Curled up in his bed at home. Bugger wanted to sleep in today so I let him."
"Ahhh. Well then, shall we..." he waved at the door.
"We shall..." he replied as he push the door. Which didn't budge an inch. "Great," he sighed as he leaned into the door with his shoulder. It moved, barely, before stopping. He glanced over at Naruto, who moved next to him and helped him push. They managed to get the door open enough to slip out. "Thank God that door's on a time lock," said Kiba, grateful he didn't need to lock it with a key from the outside.
"What!?" yelled Naruto, unable to hear him.
"Nevermind!" called back Kiba. "Come on!"
"Dude, I can barely see you!" he called as she pulled the cord that tightened the hood around his quickly freezing face.
Kiba stopped for a second untill Naruto was right next to him and stopped the half-blinded boy with an arm. "Grab my hand so we don't get separated!"
"Okay!" he called back and took the offered hand.
Kiba led the way by memory, since it was impossible to see, hear, or smell anything but the howling wind and driving snow. He tightened his grip as the wind increased in fury. He pulled Naruto up next to him and leaned in as close as he could to shout, "Try and stay next to me! Don't fall behind!"
Naruto nodded. He pointed to a loop on the side of Kiba jacket and to a clamp on his own. "Hook yours to mine and I'll hook mine to yours! That way we definately won't get separated!"
Kiba nodded and hooked his jacket to Naruto. Normally walking like that would have been next to impossible, but since they were moving into the wind, the force of it kept them from falling. Kiba managed to feel his way around the side of the building and onto the side street. The wind died the tiniest bit, and it was possible to stand up straight again. They didn't unhook themselves yet, because it was still impossible to see anything. The fought the wind for a few minutes more before Kiba's hand found the rail of the stair that went up to the floor his apartment was on. It took everything they had not to slip and fall on the icy stairs. Finally, they managed to get to the right floor and, still slipping and sliding, managed to get to Kiba's front door. His numb fingers were barely able to grip the key to the door, but after a few near misses and nearly dropping them twice, he got the door open. They hurried and and shut the door tight.
"Finally," chattered Naruto through clanking teeth. He unhooked himself from Kiba and zipped his jacket down far enough to extract Yuki, who was nice and warm. "Lucky puppy."
Kiba unhooked himself and took off his jacket. "That was horrible. I really wouldn't want to be anyone that got stuck out in that."
"Right..."
"Come on, I'll make some hot chocolate. Do me a favor and crank the heat."
"Sure," he replied as he turned the thermostat up.
Akamaru walked out of Kiba's room and stopped to stare at Naruto. He blinked, confused. "Ummmm Kiba...what's the blonde one doing here?" he asked.
"He's spending the night. The weather's way too nasty for him to be able to make it to his house so I'm letting him sleep over."
"Oh," then he noticed Yuki. "Who's the retriever puppy?"
Yuki dashed over to him, "I'm Yuki!"
"Holy hell," said Kiba, amazed. "Your dog can talk!"
"For real? Too bad I don't speak dog, or else that'd be the greatest thing ever."
"Your master can talk like a us?" Yuki asked Akamaru.
"Yep!" he replied. "All his clan can."
"Cool!" She turned and looked at Naruto. "Can mine?"
"Naw, he's to much of an idiot to talk to us."
"Be nice Akamaru," chuckled Kiba. "Naruto isn't an idiot."
"Is he calling me an idiot again!?"
"Of course he is."
"You little..." he said threateningly, reaching for Akamaru. The dog jumped out of Naruto's reach and ducked under a sofa.
"Behave, both of you," called Kiba as he fulled two mugs with chocolate. He handed one to Naruto, "Here ya go. Come on and sit down."
Naruto nodded and followed Kiba into the sitting area. He plopped down the sofa that Akamaru was hiding under. Yuki ran up and settled down next to him. "Too bad I can't understand what you say," he said to Yuki.
"I can always teach you. It's not very difficult."
"For him it is," laughed Akamaru as he darted out from the side of the sofa and over to Kiba.
"Be nice Akamaru."
"Yeah, be nice! Naruto saved my life!"
"What did she say?"
"She told him to be nice to the guy that saved her life."
"Ha! Take that Akamaru!"
Akamaru didn't even bother with a response.
Yuki sighed and climbed onto Naruto's lap. He reached down with his free hand and scratched her lazily behind the ears. She smiled and promptly fell asleep. "Awww...she so cute," smiled Naruto. "I'm so glad I brought her in out of the snow. She the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."
"Considering how you've only had her for three days, that's saying something." Kiba smiled as Akamaru imitated his new friend and fell asleep on his lap.