Well, we're done with another chapter for now... We ad in me and my co-author PalookaLord (Member ID:1003505 I realize I didn't put his name in the first chapter, so I'm fixing that now.) Anyway, it's been getting a little harder to get chapters done, but we should still be able to keep up a decent pace after we get through the block we're having in chapter 3...

And, I'd like to point out that Kyo isn't a demon fox, and is in no way related to the Kyuubi. Most foxes are red or orange. Also, Kyo may be the leader, but he is neither the largest, nor the oldest of the foxes.

Also, I'd like to reiterate that although this is a NaruHina, the story does not follow Naruto and Hinata.


The night went by quickly, each remaining in silence as they gathered food, built a fire, and made camp for the night, Kyo and Akarui remaining for the night to continue the trek in the morning. When the sun began to rise over the eastern hills, Akarui nudged Kayuu awake. He and the girl had curled up beside her to keep warm, while Ateshi slept on Kyo's back.

"Oy, ganguro, wake up." Kayuu said as he pushed Ateshi off Kyo, the fox laughing as he stood up.

"That is not funny." Ateshi said, rubbing his sore neck.

"What? Of course it's funny." Kayuu continued, helping the girl onto Akarui's back.

"I meant the ganguro comment." Ateshi growled.

"A bit uncalled for, eh?" Kyo muttered, jumping away with Ateshi on his back.

"Let's just go... we're less than a day from Konohagakure at our speed..." Akarui said, nudging Kayuu.

-

A few hours after mid-day, the large village finally came into view. As they neared the gate, the saw a man walking towards town, and decided to ask for directions.

Kyo changed into human form in a puff of smoke before they approached him, and Kayuu hung back to say goodbye to Akarui before smoke enveloped her too, and she disappeared altogether.

"Hey, Ojiisan! You mind helping us out?" Ateshi yelled, as he ran closer.

As the man turned to face him, Ateshi saw that despite his silvery-gray hair, he wasn't much more than a decade older than him. He held a small, orange book open in front of him with one hand, his mouth and nose were covered by a mask, and is left eye was hidden under his forehead protector. "Eh? Did you say something?" The man asked lazily.

I thought only people from my village had naturally white hair! Ateshi thought as he looked at the man in shock.

"Well, he certainly has the hearing of an old man..." Kyo said as Kayuu and the girl caught up to them.

"Hmm... I've never seen protectors like those before... Where are you from?" The man asked.

"Well, I've never seen a protector like yours before, but you don't see me prying..." Ateshi continued sarcastically.

The man looked up for a moment, as his gaze returned to the travelers, he asked "You don't get out much, do you?"

"Not really, no." Kayuu said, also quite sarcastically.

"Hmm... well, why should I help you? You kids aren't from any village I've heard of, and I'm pretty sure I've been to them all..."

"Really now? ...Well, I guess I can excuse the fact that you haven't heard of our villages... I mean, we probably haven't had any contact with anyone for centuries..." Ateshi said, shrugging.

"Hmm... well?" The man continued.

Ateshi and Kayuu exchanged a varied glance, and then Kayuu spoke up. "We need to see your Kage."

The man raised his eyebrow. "Well now, that's a tall order isn't it... why do you need to see the Hokage?"

"Why do we have to tell you?" Kyo asked, finally getting a say in the conversation.

"Because I'm a Jounin, and I'm pretty sure you'll need the okay from someone about my rank to get in without the right paperwork."

Ateshi, Kayuu, and Kyo were rendered speechless by the statement. But then, the young girl walked forward standing so close in front of the man she had to look almost straight up to see his face. After a few moments of her blank stare, the man gave in, and patted her head with his free hand. "Okay, you win..." The man said. "But first, I'd suggest you get some new clothes before going anywhere else... you look raggedy, and no one's going to take you seriously..."

"We... uhh... don't have any money." Ateshi said sheepishly. "Do we?" He asked, looking to Kyo and Kayuu, who glared and shrugged at him, respectively.

The man looked from them back to the girl, who was still looking up at him sadly. "Well... I guess I can loan you some, until you can pay me back..." He said, handing a small pouch to the girl, who smiled and hugged him around his waist. He loosely returned the gesture with his free arm before she quickly walked back to stand between Kayuu and Ateshi. "I'm Hatake Kakashi by the way, look me up when you're done at the Hokage's place... I'll let a few people know you're with me."

"Kensukai Ateshi."

"Haburi Kayuu."

"Kyotoshi."

After each had said their name, the girl waved as Kakashi left through the gate before they entered themselves.

-

Ateshi and Kayuu were staring each other down, waiting in front of the women's changing rooms in the biggest clothing store they could find after a quick search of the village. Each had already decided upon their new wardrobe, and they were attempting to assess each other's strength by it. Ateshi had a white trench coat on over a fishnet shirt and light gray pants. His weapons were placed under the duster, two kunai and a foot-long short sword strapped to the side of either shin, and shuriken holsters on either side of his thigh. Two more identical short swords were strapped to his back in a fashion that allowed him to unsheathe them by simply pulling downward. Kayuu, on the other hand, wore a similar black coat with a high, closed collar that covered the lower half of his face, and a pair of previously unused shades that nearly covered his eyes. It extended down past his knees, and what he wore underneath was impossible to know, save what could be seen of his black pants. Neither of them wore their forehead protectors.

"Well, how are you doing in there?" Kayuu asked after a while.

"You want me to get one of the female attendants?" Ateshi chimed in, and the girl simply popped her head out from behind the door shortly to shake her head. He laid back against the wall and slumped down a bit before continuing. "Why doesn't she just talk?"

"You have to understand what she's been through. You can't expect her to just get over what happened." Kayuu said, bordering on anger. "And where is that damned fox anyway?"

"That was a rhetorical question asked as a complaint, and Kyo left a while ago. I mean, he's got things to do on his side too y'know." Ateshi said in attempted sarcasm.

When the girl finally came out, she was wearing a gray hoodie with the hiragana 'shi' 'no' 'bi' down the back, and standard blue jeans under it. "You look good." Kayuu said, leading the girl to the counter so they could pay for what they were wearing.

"So then, let's go meet the Hokage..." Ateshi said when they were finally back outside.


Ateshi's swords were very hard to describe... the ones on his back anyway, it's hard to say just how they're there without messing up the flow by rambling on about it... so, I'll do that here. they're not really strapped directly to his back, more to his sides on his back... he can pull the left sword with his left hand for instance... also, Ateshi wears his coat open, so you can see his shirt and pants, but Kayuu doesn't. (and, a duster is a term for a coat that sweeps along the ground, in case anyone doesn't know.) And, they're all wearing the standard shinobi sandals. The "previously unworn" part of the description of Kayuu's shades means that he had them already, he simply didn't wear them.

Ganguro - (No direct translation) A term used to describe someone with skin darker than their hair color. This does not occur naturally (outside of fiction). Often used as an insult.

Ojiisan - Grandfather, Gramps, general word for 'old man'. (As Kakashi has white hair, Ateshi assumed he was an old man.)

Hokage - (lit.) Fire shadow

Haburi - Power

Hiragana - Primary of the three Japanese alphabets. (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji)