YaoiShadow: Holy smut; I'm sorry for taking so long to update!
I've really got to thank you all for the positive, well-thought out reviews! They weren't just simple 'Update!'s, and they really encouraged me through writing this; you guys are awesome.
Anyone read the newest chapters? (Nyaa! XD) Yup, it'll come into play later. ;) (especially 382)
Minato: (Disclaimer) YaoiShadow doesn't own 'Naruto'; I do! (he's my son after all) X3
YaoiShadow: Well said! (And you're a lot nicer than Kyuubi!)
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Last Chapter:
//:: There's something special about this kit; Something I can't quite explain… He's a human, yet I don't want to push him away… ::
With this last thought, the strong, proud youkai guardian rested his head upon his paws, waiting for the darkness of sleep to claim him.//
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The faint twittering of birds in the distance awoke Minato from his sleep. Cracking one brilliant blue eye open, he did a quick scan of his surroundings.
:: Cave; check. Fur pallet; check. Kyuubi-kun; che- :: Hold the phone; when did that happen?
Trying to sit up was no longer an option for Minato, for he was being held in place by a large mound of red fox, who began to growl when the human tried to get up. A thin, whiskered face turned to glare at him groggily, but the creature eventually slid off of the boy's torso, where he had stretched himself across during the night in order to keep the kit warm.
As if he understood the youkai's actions, Minato smiled gently, "Thanks for worrying about me Kyuubi-kun."
With an unmistakable huff, said demon looked away in what might have been a blush, and trotted off for the cave entrance.
Slowly, the human wobbled, but was able to follow.
Not much could be seen at night but, in the daylight hours, the haven Kyuubi called home was quite beautiful. It was a small clearing, surrounded on three fourths of the sides by thick clumps of trees; the mountain on which he stood covered the last section of the territory. A small brook bubbled pleasantly off to one side, where several small foxes were happily playing, splashing each other as they bounded through the un-muddied water.
Some of the more elderly kitsune were stretching out their wizened bodies, yawning and cleaning themselves as they trudged up out of their fox holes.
One familiar female zipped quickly up the boulders before the entryway of the cave entrance, three others in pursuit.
"Good morning, Kaiya-san!" Minato greeted cheerfully, giggling as the vixen pounced on the bleary child and licked his face.
The other she-foxes, a gray, a rusty red and a sleek black, all nosed his hand as he used the other to go back and forth between the four, trying to pet all of them at once.
Kyuubi lazily flicked a tail; his keen golden eyes set upon his small village as if trying very hard to avoid watching the females bombard the human kit; it was disgusting! The way they all threw themselves at the human, using their animal cuteness to get attention. And of course Minato, in true human child fashion, gave them all the love and affection they desired, as if they were house pets!
At this, the ladies stopped their inspection; all crouching low to the ground, their tails between their legs in submission to the male.
With the swiftness of an exhausted snail, the large ember-colored being's form melted into that of the equally intimidating humanoid, who waved a hand idly to the side. It was a dismissal, and the females took it as such.
Taking special care with this more threatening form, Minato slowly bowed his head to the forest guardian, trying to stay focused on keeping himself alive to see another morning.
"Thanks again, for taking such good care of me; but I really need to return home, as soon as possible. So, I guess I'll leave then-"
A strong, clawed hand whipped out in front of him, preventing him from proceeding any further.
"That's the problem with you humans; always feeling as though you must rush. That human training group has already begun, and you still need to eat. Those females that seem to take such a great liking to you would never give me peace if I sent you on your way as you were."
Minato couldn't help but laugh at the demon's wording; it seemed to him that the older male was just making up excuses to get him to stay, for he honestly doubted that the powerful guardian would really care if a few vixens were upset with him.
Grumbling to himself about stupid human brats, Kyuubi motioned for the blond to follow him as he ventured outside.
The Namikaze child kept his silence as they proceeded throughout the small fox 'village'. As Kyuubi paused here and there to administer instructions to his subordinates, Minato seized the chance to get a better look at his surroundings.
There had to have been around two dozen or so foxes, all ranging in color from a light misty grey to the deepest of black.
There was a light greenish glow around the perimeter of the clearing, as pure morning sunlight filtered through the many leaves of Konoha's forests.
Small mutterings brought him back to the matter at hand and, with a few last words, the guardian motioned for the boy to follow him, heading towards the river bed. The kits playing there quickly fled to another place to frolic as soon as they spotted their leader's shadow.
Upon reaching his destination, Kyuubi began to slide out of his jacket, stepping out of his pants after he had done so. Blushing madly, Minato couldn't seem to take his eyes off the youko; it was as if he were looking at a god.
:: Must… look… away:: mustering all of his strength, the child forced his head to turn in the opposite direction, trying to recover from the site he had beheld.
The little blond lurched forward when a clawed hand began tugging at his own clothing.
"K-Kyuubi-kun!"
Sensing the boy's sudden flare of unease, the youko ceased his actions, but crossed his arms over his well-muscled chest.
"Hmph, foolish kit." The red-head scoffed, "How else will you bathe? Humans…" even though his head was turned, Minato could easily imagine Kyuubi rolling his golden eyes.
"Bathe…?" Now it made sense.
Still a little hesitant, the Namikaze slipped off his own garments, carefully stepping into the cool waters of the stream. The water was a little under waist-high for him.
Kyuubi acted as if this were not unusual in the slightest (then again, this was probably his only means of bathing), and continued to scrub his body, using a smooth wet stone and a pot of what appeared to be crushed herbs (where had that come from?).
Suddenly, the demon stopped, casting a glance at the boy. Without warning, Minato was trapped in a pair of strong bare arms, calmly rubbing the soft human skin with the stone.
"Kyuubi-kun!" the eight-year old squealed, trying to worm his way out of the embrace.
The red-head cast a look of indifference upon the other, continuing his task.
"If you're not capable of doing this yourself…"
The Namikaze flushed, "I-I was just getting to it!"
Huffily, he snatched the rock and began to cleanse himself, trying to maintain as much dignity as he possibly could.
Kyuubi smirked, pulling back from the child; it was pretty amusing to see the kit all flustered….. Not that he thought the human was cute or anything, because that would be foolish! Wouldn't it?
He shook his magnificent head, clearing his thoughts and then steeped out of the stream, wringing his damp hair out.
"There will be clothes for you when you are done." The youko muttered, strolling towards his cave, naked as the day he was born.
Minato just hoped that there would be the same for the kyuubi.
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The cave was Kyuubi-free when he returned, wrapped in a fur brought to him by Kaiya. However, there were two male foxes, a bluish-grey and a black and grey, sitting patiently off to the side, a long brown cloak pooled at their feet.
Minato bowed to the stony figures gratefully, taking the offered cloth when it was presented to him, via fox mouth.
He dressed silently, managing to only come up with a dress-like style with the cloak he provided with; well, he wasn't complaining, at least he was clean, comfortable and alive.
Though, he was hungry…..
The two foxes before him stared in contained interest, their eyes boring into his own.
"Ahh, ummm….. " Nervously, the blond scratched the back of his head, unused to all the attention that had been thrust upon him since he had arrived at the small village.
Their brilliant golden orbs were full of interest and delight at the new-comer, and gave off the air that they could stare at the human for hours on end. And that scared the hell out of him.
Then, a rich baritone cut across the silence like a knife; smooth, husky and calm.
"Aoshi, Toushirou; stand down."
Two pairs of fuzzy ears perked up, responding to the Forest Guardian; they slithered and stood on either side of Minato, as if presenting him to their master.
Once again, the Namikaze underwent a visual inspection, fidgeting slightly under the molten red-gold gaze.
Slowly, Kyuubi nodded his head, "It'll have to do. Now, about food….."
It was then that the human kit noticed a bloody lump of meat (deer? rabbit? He couldn't exactly tell….) in the clawed grip. Immediately, Minato's stomach growled; sure, it didn't look very edible now, but with a fire, maybe a few spices…..
"- I don't think humans eat raw meat, what with your pathetic little immune systems and all, so you'll have to make due with what little I could scrounge from the others."
With a wet flop, the unidentified meat fell to a large flat stone.
There was a thick silence, one filled with anticipation and patience; three pairs of eyes darted from the blue-eyed child to the meat, as if waiting for something.
"Umm," he managed to say a bit weakly, "I don't know Katon……"
Sighing in a manner that hinted that the youko had expected this, Kyuubi knelt to the slab, performing a small series of hand signs, producing a small fire around the stone.
:: What was that about? That was a kata, but I've never seen those signs…… ::
Sapphire eyes gazed at the mystifying red-head before him, who was now quietly poking the human's cooking meal with a stick, deep in focus; behind him, Toushirou and Aoshi were loping off to dig in to their own breakfast.
The Kyuubi no Youko was quite an impressive being, having shown a harsh, domineering personality and a fierce protective streak, yet he could be gentle and kind when need be. It was baffling for Minato, who had at first been snarled at, accused of hurting one of the foxes kin, then moments later being rescued by his prosecutor.
The Namikaze boy agreed with himself on the matter that Kyuubi was a very complex being, and that he was obviously very powerful and a respectable leader; not to mention that he was very good looking... and he had, perhaps deeper down than some, a good heart.
"Kyuubi-kun, why did you go through all this trouble? Doesn't your clan need the food? Not that I'm ungrateful or anything….." And why was he blushing like one of the girls in his class?
Kyuubi took an experimental bite of the mystery meat, replying in monotone, "I can't send you back on an empty stomach, that's not how we treat kits. Besides, it's not like we're going to starve or anything…."
Apparently deeming the food worthy of human consumption, the humanoid pushed the slab over to Minato, settling into the cold stone.
Appreciatively, the blond raised the hot meal to his lips, taking a small wary bite. He chewed slowly, processing the flavor of what seemed to be – was it rabbit? - on his tongue; though the thought of eating such a small cuddly creature was appalling to him, he was in no position to complain.
"I really should thank you; you've all been so nice to me…"
At this, Kyuubi looked up, caught off-guard at the serene smile lighting up the human's face as he continued to eat, looking all the part of a petite angel.
It had never occurred to him, until now, how mature the child was for his age. At eight-years old, he had been able to tend to a wounded wild-animal, and he apparently lived alone. The human had also escaped from a nearly full-grown demon, who had all the intentions of eating him, as well as handling himself in a testy situation.
:: Quite the little man, isn't he:: the demon lord chuckled to himself.
"Hm?" Minato had looked up due to the (gasp!) laughter that had erupted from the intimidating being before him.
:: Umm…. What:: He had the sudden feeling that he was missing out on something…
"Eat up kit." The youko ordered, getting to his feet and stretching, "Once you're done, I'll take you to your human village."
At this, Minato looked up; he hadn't really thought of going home since earlier this morning.
"I-….." sky blue eyes looked up at the older man, feeling a rush of emotion, "I would like that."
Kyuubi smiled encouragingly, "Then hurry up, Little One."
With a burst of joy, the young human swiftly downed his simple meal, ready to return home. Spending the short time with Kyuubi had ignited a fire within him, a burning desire to become strong to protect the ones he loved.
:: He's like the Hokage; he'll do anything for his village and the people in it. :: this thought greatly cheered the boy, as he made his way to the mouth of the den, gazing at the small serene little village for what was to be the last time.
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"All set?" Kyuubi asked, molten ruby and gold eyes looking down at the cute human beside him.
Minato's reaction was slightly delayed, but he nodded. This caught the Guardian's attention.
Before he knew it, he was kneeling on the leaf-dusted dirt, clawed hands placed firmly on the small shoulders.
"Whenever you wander into the forest, I'll be here to protect you; you're always welcome."
The Namikaze's face brightened immediately, "You mean it?!"
Kyuubi flushed and quickly looked away, dropping his voice to achieve a more serious tone, "For saving Kaiya, I mean. You've proved you're trustworthy with my clan, so…"
"Thank you, Kyuubi-kun…" Minato whispered, wrapping his small arms around the muscular tan shoulders.
The youkai's eyes widened, and then closed as he smiled serenely; glad that the human couldn't see it.
When the blond pulled away, his eyes snapped open, and the smile melted off his face, replaced with one of stony indifference.
"You should go." He grunted, fighting to keep the blush off his cheeks.
"I will. Thank you again for taking good care of me." Like the older male, the child fought back his own display of emotion, in his case, tears.
He wasn't prone to crying, once again, he felt as though the girls in his class had rubbed off on him, but he felt really attached, loved even, with the Forest Guardian; even though he had just met him yesterday.
"Go." The being of nine-tails gave the young human a gentle nudge towards the village gates, not abandoning his position until the child had safely passed the gates of Konohagakure.
"Goodbye, Minato."
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-I-was-gonna-leave-it-there-(it-would've-been-a-great-chapter-ending!),-but…..-
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The villagers, surprisingly enough, were overjoyed to find that Minato had returned to the village safely; apparently, they were under the impression that he had been lost.
He couldn't withstand this blow to his pride, so countered the rumors, saying that he had just got caught up in exploring the forest…. And they bought it.
Catching up in school was a breeze, though it took some effort.
But there was an obvious change in the blond's behavior. For one, he was putting a hundred percent into his schoolwork (it scared the hell out of his teachers), even the written part.
He had also taken to keeping many plants in his apartment, varying from flowers to vegetables and even trees.
But the most noticeable difference was how silent the usually bubbly child had become. Now, he usually kept to himself, and often stared out the classroom window at the distant forest surrounding the village.
Many of the teachers had some of their students keep tabs on the boy after school hours, but there was nothing outstanding; all he did was sit on his rooftop and stare out into the distance.
It was difficult for Minato to keep the red fox demon out of his mind. Even when he was sound asleep, the youko haunted his thoughts.
There was no other way to put it; he was infatuated with the man.
:: Kyuubi-kun…. I want to see you. ::
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Back in the fox village, Kyuubi was atop his mountain, sitting cross-legged and gazing at the blot in the distance that was Konoha.
To reasons unknown to him, or perhaps he was too unwilling, he had a deep yearning in his heart. The bright image of Minato's smiling face clouded his vision, the sun-kissed spiky blond hair and the sparkling eyes making the ache even more noticeable.
:: What is this feeling? What is it about him that makes me so desperate to see him, a mere human kit::
But there was no answer, only the gentle caress of the wind upon his skin.
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YaoiShadow: I hope this chapter was at least as good as the last! It's about as long… (But does that really matter? XP)
Review, kudasai!
