"Kyuubi, go get your father the baby is coming!" Kushina said as she winced as another sharp pain shot through her and she dug her claws into the floor. Kushina was a red haired fox shifter, while her husband was a yellow haired fox shifter. These kind of foxes could choose to be human whenever they wanted unless they were a month or more pregnant, if that was the case they stayed in either their fox or human form for the duration of the pregnancy. Kushina had been in her human form when her first son Kyuubi had been born. It had been a very difficult birth so Kushina had decided to stay in her fox form with her second pregnancy. She hoped that she would have an easier birth with this pregnancy.
Kushina spend the next several minutes pacing the floor and growling as the pains steadily grew worse until she felt like the kit was finally ready to come out. Laying down on the floor, Kushina panted harshly her ears twitching as she heard the door slam open and saw Minato storming towards her, Kyuubi following closely behind, in his fox form.
Minato knelt down beside Kushina and placed her head on his knees, gently stroking her ears in small comforting motions. He couldn't help but be worried, Kushina had had a hard birth with Kyuubi, he didn't want the same for this one. Not only that but Minato had been out scouting some hunters who were rumored to be out looking to add some fox pelts to their collection. Minato wasn't going to let the get anywhere near Kushina while she was so close to giving birth. Minato wasn't sure why, but fox shifters were despised in Konoha, while the black panther shifters were adored. Minato didn't really care either way, he only wanted his family to be safe. Although Minato feared that if the panther family got any closer they would bring more people with them who would end up chasing the foxes away, Minato didn't want that. Kushina wouldn't be able to travel for a few weeks after the birth so Minato really hoped that the panthers stayed away. Minato didn't like fighting but he would if it meant protecting those that were dear to him.
A sharp pained cry from Kushina forced Minato to focus his attention back on his wife. The fox whined as Minato watched a little blonde fox slip out of Kushina. Minato quickly lay her head gently on the floor before shifting into his fox form, he proceeded to sniff at the kit before gently picking the bundle up and carrying the small male to where he could nurse. Dropping the kit gentle down beside Kushina, Minato sat down and watched as the little one latched onto a nipple and began nursing hungrily. Minato couldn't keep the grin from his face while he watched Kushina begin to lick him clean.
"You have a brother" Minato told Kyuubi who was watching silently.
"He looks just like you" Kushina told Minato once she was finished bathing the kit. "He's going to be very handsome when he's older."
"I agree" Minato said laying down behind Kushina and resting his hand on her belly and watching his new son nurse.
"What are we going to do about the hunters?" Kyuubi asked already feeling protective of his new brother.
"For now make sure that they don't get too close." Minato replied. "Kushina won't be able to travel for a little while."
"We should move as soon as possible" Kyuubi said "I don't like how close the panthers are coming either."
"Can't do anything about that right now." Minato said "for now we can only try to protect her and Naruto." Kyuubi nodded and trotted over to the cabin door. They were well hidden but that didn't mean that someone wouldn't find them. So for the next two weeks, until Naruto's eyes were open and while Kushina was still nursing the small pup. Minato and Kyuubi would shift to their human forms and set out to see what they could find on the hunters.
When they weren't tracking down the hunters, they spent time together watching the little fox grow.
"I got you!" Naruto exclaimed leaping at Kyuubi and grabbing a hold of his brother's ear with his sharp little teeth.
"Ouch, not so hard" Kyuubi said gently shaking Naruto off. "your teeth hurt"
"Sorry" Naruto said, as he released Kyuubi's ear and just lay on his brother's back.
"You two should probably settle down" Minato said watching the two young foxes rough housing.
"Dad" Naruto whined "how am I ever going to learn to hunt if I can't rough house with Kyuubi?"
"You will learn hunting soon enough, your still too small." Minato reminded him.
"Yeah you are more likely to be eaten than to actually kill anything." Kyuubi said laughing at the shocked look in Naruto's eyes, as his brother leaped up off of his back and raced towards Minato.
"I don't want to be eaten." Naruto cried out, hiding behind Minato.
"Kyuubi, you should know better than to tease your brother like that." Minato said sternly. "You will give the kit nightmares." Kyuubi chuckled.
"It's my job to scare him. Makes life more interesting."
"Not for me" Naruto whined, sticking his tongue out at Kyuubi. Minato sighed what he had been thinking when Kushina and him decided to have another kit.
Heading inside cabin, Naruto raced to Kushina's side.
"Mommy, Kyuubi is being mean." Naruto whined and Kyuubi who had followed him in rolled his eyes.
"Not anymore than normal, besides I think he bit my ear in half."
"Did not." Naruto said. Kushina smiled at Naruto and licked his forehead.
"I think it's about bath time." she told Naruto, who scowled and started backing away. He really didn't care if his fur was dirty.
Kushina reached over and picked Naruto up by the scruff of his neck and carried the fussing kit off into the other room.
"Getting a bath won't kill you." Kyuubi called out knowing it would only irritate the little ball of fluff.
Once Kushina and Naruto were out of the room, Kyuubi turned towards Minato, losing his grin.
"The hunters are getting closer" Kyuubi said "even if we shift into our human forms, they will get suspicious as to why we have a fox kit. Naruto won't be able to shift into his human form for another several months."
"It worries me too" Minato said "They will know as soon as they see Naruto, that his parents were either killed and we took him in or that we are the fox shifters."
"Do you think that maybe finding somewhere else to live would be a good idea?" Kyuubi asked. "I know it's not really ideal with Naruto being so small."
"Yes, well I would rather my family stay alive then end up on someones wall." Minato said. Wondering why the fox shifters just couldn't be left alone. It wasn't like they went around bothering people, they just wanted to live their own lives. He sighed their best bet would be to leave and find somewhere in the forest to stay.
A little while later a sleepy looking Naruto came out, he walked over to where Kyuubi lay, and curled up next to him, resting his head on Kyuubi's stomach. Kyuubi chuckled, his little brother had the tendency to prefer sleeping with him than with his family and it warmed his heart. He loved the little guy and hoped that they could keep him safe from the hunters. Kyuubi sighed and rested his head on his paws content to rest with his little brother right beside him. As he drifted off to sleep he couldn't stop thinking that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to keep Naruto safe and sound.
A few hours later Kyuubi awoke to the smell of smoke in the air, jumping to his feet, he saw fire quickly spreading. Grabbing Naruto by the scruff of his neck, Kyuubi awoke his sleeping parents, terrified that somehow they wouldn't be able to escape in time. With flames licking at their heels they escaped the cabin through an open window and raced into the woods.
Once they were at a safe distance, Kyuubi dropped Naruto to the forest floor, panting hard. He knew without a doubt that the hunters had found their hiding spot, now it would only be a matter of time before they were found.
"Whatever happens to us." Minato said "keep your brother safe!" Kyuubi nodded though he didn't like it. "Your mom and I will head North, you take Naruto and go South. Once we feel like it's safe we will come find you." Kyuubi nodded again whatever plan included separating from his family, he didn't like. But he knew that they really didn't have much of a choice, they couldn't let the hunters get a hold of Naruto. Kyuubi didn't know why but the hunters were specifically looking for young kits, often killing the families before taking off with the little ones. Kyuubi wasn't going to allow that to happen to Naruto, he would keep him out of the hunters hands.
"Mom, Dad" Naruto cried out watching as the two foxes dashed off into a different direction from him and Kyuubi. "Come back."
"It's okay, Naruto" Kyuubi soothed as he picked Naruto up by the neck again.
"I want mom and dad." he whined, not understanding why they were separating. It wasn't fair, he didn't want to be away from them yet. Eventually Naruto drifted into silence, as they made their way through the forest. He was scared, he had never been separated from his family before.
Finally when Kyuubi grew tired of traveling, he dropped Naruto onto the leaf strewn forest floor, before collapsing onto the leafs himself. Naruto curled up against his side as close as he could get, whining softly.
"I know you are scared." Kyuubi said "but you don't have to fear, I will take care of you and we will meet with mom and dad again."
"Why did we have to separate?" Naruto asked, tears shining in his blue eyes.
"Because the hunters were getting too close, and they want to keep you safe." Kyuubi replied bending down and starting to lick the dirt off of Naruto's fur. Naruto never could stay clean long, no matter what it was they were doing.
"You won't leave me will you?" Naruto asked, and Kyuubi shook his head before licking Naruto's forehead in a fox version of a kiss.
"I promise, no matter what we will always be together." he replied as he lay his head on his paws and went to sleep.
Naruto however remained awake, his ears twitching with each sound that he didn't recognize. The forest could be scary when you were little and add in the fact that Naruto wanted to be with his parents, he was downright terrified.
Suddenly a strange scent filled his nose, and Naruto sniffed at the air unsure of what it was that he was smelling. Standing up, Naruto continued sniffing around him, making sure that he didn't wander too far from his sleeping brother.
Terror filled Naruto's veins at the sound of a threatening growl, and he froze unsure of what he should do. Glancing back over his shoulder, he noted that Kyuubi was still asleep and good enough distance away that he probably wouldn't be able to do anything to help Naruto if the two wolves in front of him decided to attack. Quivering, Naruto turned his attention back to the grey wolves in front of him, they were were on the skinny side as if they hadn't had a decent meal in a while.
"What's someone like you doing in a place like this?" the first one snarled as the wolves began circling the frightened kit, who only crouched down in terror. Naruto doubted that he could outrun the wolves especially if they were as hungry as they looked.
"I was running from hunters." Naruto nervously answered the question, as he tried to keep an eye on the circling animals. If he somehow managed to get through this, he would never wander off from Kyuubi's side again. Unexpectedly one of the wolves leaped forward sinking his sharp teeth into Naruto's flanks, while Naruto was distracted the other wolf grabbed a hold of Naruto's neck. Both wolfs playing a vicious game of tug of war with the little fox, Naruto yelped and cried to claw at the wolfs, their teeth ripping at his skin, blood dropping from his wounds suddenly the wolf that had the back, right about his tail bit down hard and the sound of breaking bones filled the air, leaving Naruto screaming in pain. Suddenly Naruto was dropped to the forest floor, as a snarling Kyuubi got between him and the wolves.
"Back off!" Kyuubi glared baring his teeth, not caring that the wolves were bigger than he was. Naruto's pained yips filled Kyuubi's ears, enraging the fox.
"He's our meal!" the bigger wolf said glaring at the enraged fox.
"He's my brother, I won't allow you to hurt him anymore." Kyuubi said.
"He shouldn't have wandered into our territory then." the wolf said glancing down at the badly bleeding kit.
"He doesn't know any better." Kyuubi said "he hasn't exactly learned the law of the forest yet."
"He should have been taught" the wolf sneered "now he will pay for it with his life." Kyuubi snarled again, jumping at the wolfs throat, he would kill them for hurting his little brother.
"Come on lets get out of here. That little fox is going to die anyways." the other wolf said "and when he does, we will devour his body."
"Not on my life" Kyuubi snarled and watched as the two wolfs disappeared into the trees. Kyuubi turned to find Naruto trying to push himself to his feet, taking a couple steps, dragging his hind legs before collapsing back onto the ground.
"Be still Naruto" Kyuubi cooed softly as he approached Naruto, and bent down to pick Naruto up, but as Kyuubi got his mouth around Naruto's neck. The young fox cried out in pain the sound breaking Kyuubi's heart as he lay his brother back down on the ground. Kyuubi lay beside him, his heart aching in his chest. He knew the wolves were probably right and Naruto would die, but that didn't mean he would die alone. Kyuubi curled up next to Naruto's bloody body, and began gently licking the wounds even though he knew that it was useless he wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding.
"I'm scared." Naruto panted, his breathing coming in harsh pants. He had never been in so much pain in his life.
"Don't be scared." Kyuubi cooed as he tucked Naruto in as close to him as possible. He didn't want his brother to go like this, in terrible agony and fearful. "I'm with you, I won't leave you alone."
"I'm sorry." Naruto breathed out, wishing that he had never caught whiff of the scent that had lured him away from his brother. Kyuubi licked Naruto again knowing that it was probably the only thing that he could do for his little brother.
Should I continue?