Author's Note: So good news. As of my birthday 9/14, I quit my job (just too many things there I just finally gave that morning) so I can keep this in my mind more often. Though I will have to find another job, but ehh.

Any who, seems people surprisingly like this, I was thinking with an oc it would kinda unfavorable. But I guess this is good.


Chapter 1 - Feeling

Following the sounds of soft wailing, the ten-tailed in human found her way to tight grouping of trees. It was small patch of trees that had managed to grow in close quarter to each other, rather than spread out for survival like the others. It was darker here, but it had no affect to her superior senses. Peaking about she looked for the source of the sad sound, wish to know what would cause her heart to ache so.

It was a residual feeling, that started to form ever so often, but had never been so painful before. It was almost crippling, but the urge to seek out that pain and sooth it was just as powerful. Before it was from watching some of the human children, either injured playing or hurt by family and strangers. Either extreme caused this feeling. But nothing like this, nothing that caused such tunnel-vision focus.

A shine of blond caught her attention, and led her sharp eyes to what she had been seeking. It was as she though from the initial moment she heard the cry, a child. But far younger than she had figured, or thought should be this deep in the woods. Seemingly three years of age, this child was adorable. Shiny blonde hair that despite being muddy was glowing like polished gold. For now that was all she could gleam, as the small figure was curled up on itself.

Approaching slowly, hoping to not scare them too much, knowing they were already off balance, she faced this like an injured animal. Pausing she thought of the next step. She needed to announce her presence, knowing that she was silent in movement so the child had yet to hear her approach. Perhaps with a voice? Humans were comforted by talking to one another, being such social creatures. So perhaps that way?

"Child" She had not even managed to finish her first word before the child shot straight up, cerulean eyes wide in fear. It reminded her of the sky on those cloudless days in spring. The child had whisker marks, three on each cheek. It added to the already adorable sight he made, though the bruising she saw forming and blood she was starting to smell was making her become release. A feeling welling up that she had not felt before.

"Child…" She decided to start again, having trailed off captivated by his eyes. "...why are you out here alone? Crying with such sorrow...has something happened?" She had many questions for the child, wanting to know his name, where he was from, but she held back. She was going to take this slow, taking the child's pace, if only to keep his sadness away.


After the first wave of tears came, it had released the dam, flowing faster and harder. Memories of this attack and others were triggering more and more, firing off in his brain as one ended. Unknown time passed, with no end to the heart wrenching sobs in site. A pain started building in his throat and eyes, ignored with the rest of the aches from the bruising all over his small form. Harsh coughs building and wrecking his body.

He was contemplating what was he going to do with his life. Was he even going to be alive, was he even gonna make it to the age of entering the Academy or was he going to be found cold in one of the allies leading to his apartment? How long would the Old-man take pity on him, provide for him? He knew it was pity, the look in those aged brown-eyes said it all. He was smarter than anyone, even the old-man, gave him credit for, he just knew that he would be in more danger if they had more reason to fear him. He wasn't sure why they held fear for him, but he recognized it, from when they talked of the Third Shinobi War or Iwa Ninjas.

Before his mind could fall further into the depressing depths it had conjured in its current state, a sound jolted him into paralysis.

"Child"

A voice! What was a voice doing here? Was he followed? His tear stained face lifted quickly, eyes like a deer caught in a wolf's gaze. He was too panicked to think on how the voice had sounded different from any voice directed at him. Perhaps similar to Old-Man's when they talked about the day, but not close enough.

Before him was a woman, not one he had ever seen from the village before, and he would have remembered her for sure. She of otherworldly beauty, regal looks only partially matched by maybe a Uchiha or Hyuuga. She stood on the shorter side of some of the women he had seen, but her figured aged her as a fully grown woman, rather than a young teen her height would suggest. She was dressed in a white and indigo traveling Yukata. Her hair was long, to her waist, shining a silver-blue in the sun, deep contrast to the forest colors surrounding them. Most Kunoichi did not have long hair, but he had seen some, so it did not tell him much. Her eyes were a soft lavender, almost pupiless, save for a slightly whiter color in the center. They were wide with curiosity and worry.

Worry for him. She seemed genuinely worried for him, noticing how her eyes paused over his bruised face, a small frown tugged at her lips, before looking him in the eye again. Another odd thing, no one looked him in the eye, not even the Old-man. Oh the geezer tried, but he would swiftly occupy himself with something, pain flashing across his face. Any other person, when looking at him face to face, glared at the whisker marks on his cheeks. He loathed and hated them. Hated because he thought they were some of the reason the village hated him, but loved because he hoped they were clan markings and would lead him to family.

"Child…" The woman started again, apparently finished her observations and getting back on track. "...why are you out here alone? Crying with such sorrow...has something happened?"

She wanted to know why he was here and crying. The final proof she was not from the village, or had anyone there who told her. That he was hated. That he was a demon brat. And here she was asking what was wrong. Could he tell her? Seek comfort from a complete stranger ? A complete stranger that was more kind to him than any person he had ever seen. This caused his misery to return, crashing into just as strong as it was when he left. Tears and sobs beginning again.

And in a flash he was engulfed in those pretty white and purple robes, gathered on a lap, pale hands combing through his hair. He should have freaked out, struggled to get free, fight off this stranger. Instead he curled up tighter, turning into the warmth this person provided, and took comfort in them just being there and caring.


Immediately after speaking, the beast women thought she had done something wrong. Those adorable sky eyes turned into themselves, losing focus as inner thoughts started running amuk. And then the tears had started building, and the sobs returned. The cute baby face scrunched up in pain, eyes slamming shut as turmoil built up inside.

Without even pausing to think, the she-beast moved, gathering up the hurting child, taking the place he had been curled up, while placing him on her lap. She held him close, her body seemly know how to handle and hold a child on its own. She took another hand and started combing her fingers through it, careful to keep her sharper than human nails from scraping too hard, but letting the drag softly.

She started whispering that it was going to be okay, that there was someone here for him. She wasn't sure what to say, being a stranger to this dear child, but hoping she was doing some good for him. She had no clue what had happened to him, but that feeling in her chest was leading her to believe that she was not going to allow it to happen again. And she knew, she would not be fighting that feeling for long, if at all.


Deep within the the depths of a cage, kept in what seemed like a braking sewer, red eyes stared out into an empty room that was not actually physically there. Another attack of those pesky villagers on the brat had woken him from his light nap. His healing had been required not even halfway through the attack. So here he was irritable and bored.

The Great Kyuubi Kitsune had been awake for a year or so, if he counted right. Brought to consciousness by an assault on his jailer that sent the boy to the hospital. He had not called to the boy, nor implanted any thoughts. He was willing to sit and wait, still recovering from the events that October night.

It was while he was waiting and watching that he grew an…interest in the human brat he was housed in. All the child's thoughts had been open to him, being housed in the center of his core and all. As he grew and came into himself, he became more of an interest. Coping with the assaults of the village, the verbal and physical. The hidden intelligence that observed more than the humans around him knew. The pain when seeing families, or yet another day when no one came to reveal themselves as his own.

The nine-tailed fox wouldn't say that he was growing attached, or that he was feeling a touch guilty, as those were emotions that were weakness. Especially when having to do with a human. But the little boy he was housed in was becoming his, whatever that entailed, and he was hoping one day to finish crushing the village.

After the attack this evening, he had softened the link to the boy's mind, hating to hear that shrieking crying, and not being able to do anything about it. Knowing if he approach the boy, it would be causing more pain and hurt. It had nothing to do with a possibility of rejection from the human vessel, nor fear of being put to blame. No, those where human concerns, not for the great demon being he was.

So, it was as he was laying here, ignoring the link with purpose, that he felt as shift. It was subtle, and wouldn't have been really noticed if he hadn't been trying to find something else to focus on. It was a presence near the boy, at first he thought one of those horrible humans had followed the child, so he prepared to take over if or when it attacked.

But as it moved closer, he realized this was not a human at all. Not able to place what exactly it was, never having been near something like this, he kept his guard up, but softened his stance a bit. Perhaps there was a touch of familiarity, something like with the whole Sage of Six Paths thing, but it was fuzzy, so he couldn't rely on that.

As the confrontation continued, he realized this...being was truly concerned for his brat, and this is why he allowed the creature to cradle his host. Allow the brat the comfort he had never really had before. But it was at this contact that he started getting a sense of...something. That familiar feeling was building, but being a creature of no emotion, Kyuubi was unable to place just what it was.

Whatever it was, though, it led him to thinking that maybe he should push for these to beings to interact. Allow the boy comfort, and seek a connection from this female creature. He was able to influence the boy's feelings, but not his thoughts. He could give him an impression of something, making him think it was his own idea. But nothing that could directly influence his actions, just suggestions of a course of action with a leaning toward it.

And that is what he started doing. Impressions of trust for this strange woman. She wasn't so bad, giving comfort to a strange child without hesitation, holding him like her child, and more. Once done he grew tired again, having spent his endurance for the day, healing and influencing was a big cost to him, not having built up much in the years he was sealed yet.


Sitting under the large tree, gently rocking and comforting the child, the she-beast started thinking on what path this little one has walked, and what, if anything, she could do about it. It seemed he had been attacked, by family or strangers, either was an unforgivable crime that would be punished. It did not seem that this was the only time either, increasing their guilt and punishment in her eyes, as the smell of blood, hunger, and pain that covered his clothes was undeniable.

She contemplated what was within her capabilities to seek vengeance for this child. She could follow his scent, but without a testimony she could not know exactly who it was that needed what punishments. She refused to harm innocents in rash anger, so she would wait and see what she could gleam from the assaulted himself.

Silence rang in the air and this gave the woman paused, glancing down she realized the small welp had passed out in his crying, a small hand clutching at the cloth of her robes. A sad smile spread across her lips. How anyone could harm such a sweet thing was inconceivable, and a complete mystery to her and her understanding of humans.

Raising a hand, she stroked one of the boy's whiskered cheeks with her knuckle, enjoying just the baby soft feel of the rounded flesh. Her mind was working on two things at once, what to do now, and pondering on the persistent feeling in her chest.

The feeling had not diminished, but it had stopped just before completely taking over her, now a steady hum. It was not a bad or painful feeling, now that the crying had stopped and a small smile was starting to form on the boy's face as he slept. No, rather it was warm, bring her a comfort she did not know she needed. Like it was feeling a hole she did not know was there, triggering reactions she did not know where part of her make up.

She was not taking this as a bad omen or some such, she was going to use it as yet another skill she had, like the sewing she discovered. This feeling came with the capacity to comfort this child, so in no way was is a negative thing. Though there was something of the edge of the senses that was tied to this feeling, but also unfamiliar. It was coming from the boy himself, a smell or an extra sense, so she was going to just go with it for now. What come, may.

Now, as for what to do next. She could wait here for the boy to awaken, just hold him for however long that may take. But, looking about it was starting to really get dark out, the twilight having died as she had been holding him. A gentle shake started in her arms, and moved to her chest, concerned she looked down and noticed that the boy was starting to shiver. Confused at first, was he having a bad dream or remembering even in the safety of sleep, but when a soft breeze shifted his golden hair, she realized. He was getting cold!

He was injured and human, so of course he was going to be sensitive to temperature. Being late night, it was going to keep dropping in temperature. This settled what she was going to do. She would take him to her den. She had furs that she could cover him with, and it would also give him a safe place to go. Not being completely over the possibility of his attackers following him, she wanted to take him to her domain.

Nodding to herself, she committed to the plan. Standing slowly, she made sure she had sure hold on her precious cargo. Fluidly she was standing at her full unimpressive height, and start walking back to her cave. Making sure not to jostle the boy as she walked, not really use to carrying a bundle like this.

But as she walked through the night, she knew she was going to take care of the boy, even if no one else was. It was a calling from inside her, and being the only thing that kept her going now-a-days, she would follow it full-heartedly. This was her kit now, even if he was unaware of it for now.


Small hands tightened their hold on the warm material they held. The unfamiliar comfort it offered not wanting to be surrendered upon waking. The boy was regretfully coming into awareness, noticing to some extent what was going on. A ream of what he could have probably, he sometimes had those, but never anything horrifyingly real. This was going to haunt him for days, teasing as he look at others.

There was a soft hum in the air, like far off music. A softness was both under him, and around him, nothing like the matted bed he found himself on each morning. A cushy softness was held in his arms, it smelled nice, like herbs, but he didn't want to break this spell to take a look to see what it was. He was warm, not the sticky warm he was use to in summer, but a inner warm that he could not even imagine the reason for. A smell found its way to his sharp nose, it a soup, maybe. A creamy broth, with spices, meats, and perhaps some veggies as well. The sound of a bubbling pot reached his ears then, as if someone had just lifted the lid their cooking pot to check its progress.

The boy to rush into sitting up,this was becoming too real to be conjured by the his own mind. He was never that good at pretending, he could fake pretend, but nothing this solid, not too himself. The other kids at the playground talked about pretending to be a princess or a samurai, then having some pretend to me ninjas. Saving the Princess and fighting samurai or enemy ninja. Having never been able to play with them, he never got how they sucked themselves into another world like that.

Looking around himself now, he found that he was no longer in the woods from before, but a rather large cave. The ceiling was way up there and rounded, no water was dripping down the stone, so no mold or musty smell was in the air. There were personal effect littered about, furniture even. A table with chairs, some chests, rugs and pillows, a kitchen like area with a hearth and everything. A round well like structure seemed to be similar to a sink.

Looking down when his hand clenched around something soft, he found he had been laying on animal pelts. Cleaned and brushed pelts that were of fine quality. A few to lay on, and light one to cover him. Something tumbled from his lap as he reached to touch the other pelts near him. Following the movement he found a stuffed animal in the shape of a fox, though his ears were rather long. It was what he had been holding earlier. Gently picking it up, his hand shaking slightly, he brought it into a hug. He never had a stuffed animal that he could remember.

He had tried to acquire one at the orphanage, but as soon as he even went to touch one, the old lady would snag it and hand it to some other kid. By the time he was on his own, he just gave up. Maybe he could have asked the Old-Man for one, but it wouldn't be special, not being giving of their own thoughts.

"I take it you like him."

The voice startled him from his inner monologue, and looking up he came to find the woman for earlier. The one who asked if he was okay, let him take comfort from her, and it seemed had taken him in for the night. He felt the prickling of tears in his eyes again, but he quickly shoved the feeling down. He had cried enough

"I do…" Not sure what to say to someone like this, he felt answering her newest question was the best choice. "He is soft." He was going to mention the ears, but felt that would insult her. It seemed like she had been the one to make it, seeing no production marks, so he decided to keep it to himself.

"Not the first thing they describe him with." Ahh, so she was on to him. He peeked up at her shyly, seeing if she looked angry for his answer. As he saw was an exasperated look. "But seeing as you like him, I say you should keep him."

The boy's eyes widened, a gift, for him. A opened his mouth to stumble over something to say. Refuse, say he wasn't worth it, something. But this woman just smiled and continued.

"None of the children I sell my dolls to want them, or their parents refuse, so the poor guy needs a home. You look like just the young man to take care of him." She nodded to herself, as if having solved a huge dilemma.

Our young blond closed his mouth, and stared at the her for awhile, then turned and looked down at the fox plush. His. When he looked back up at the woman he saw she was looking worried. Realizing she thought he was refusing, he smiled quickly.

"I'll take good care of him!"

The happy look returned the woman, which he was happy about. He looked down at his plush, wondering what to name it. Suddenly his head shot up, suprising the could he have forgoten, he was being so rude. Just because he felt so comfortable with a stranger didn't excuse this, Old-Man had taught him better.

"I'm so sorry! My name is Uzumaki, Naruto. Nice to meat you Oba-chan." the young boy finally introduced himself. After recovering and giving him a relieved look, the woman's smile grew.

"Naruto, what a strong name. A powerful whirlpool, huh." she chuckled lightly to herself. She frown after a moment's pause. "I wish I could properly introduce myself, but you see, I am without a name. I travel and sell furs and dolls, and many have given me names in passing. But I do not know my own."

Naruto gave the doll merchant an agased look. Not having a name, how could that be!? A name was what defined you, and guided you into who you would be. Crossing his arms, fox plush choked in the grip, the young man set about thinking hard.


Watching the young man set about some self imposed deep thinking, the she-beast couldn't help but think it was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. He was lightly gnawing on his bottom lip, she would have to stop that from becoming too much of a habit, his eyes unfocused staring at the floor, arms crossed and strangling the fox she gave him.

It was a few hours after she had gotten back to her gave now. She had set him up to sleep while she made some food and worked on some dolls. She was going to go about healing the boy, but when she looked at his wounds, they were not there, or healing so fast they gave off a hissing noise. Shrugging it off, she had just been glad he wouldn't hurt for so long.

She really meant what she said about giving him the doll. He was the only one who did not throw the thing away when looking at it. She wouldn't have giving it to him normally, but she had few other dolls, and it just felt right. So she smuggled it into his arms as he slept.

After Naruto finished whatever it was he was doing, she should dish him up something to eat. Just before he had woken up, a loud rumble had echoed the gave. She traced it back to his stomach and laughed at the sound. She had the feeling he was going to be ravenous, upon waking.

"Hiromi!"

Jolting out of her thoughts and plans, the she-beast zeroed in on Naruto. What had he shouted? It sounded like a name, as that was the only context she could think of, but why say it so suddenly and after so much though.

"That is your name name. Hiromi. Because you are so generous to me, after just seeing me." the young boy, smiled charmingly. "And 'cause you are really pretty, Hiromi-oba-chan!"

She stared at him wide eyed for a few moments, he had just named her. Sure normally the people she was selling to gave her nicknames. Snow for her hair, light for her personality, or some frivolous thing to identify her. But the spirit with which Naruto had named her, let alone how long and hard he thought on it, spoke volumes.

Noticing the dimming light in the boy's face, worrying about if he had made a mistake probably, she quickly recovered and drew him into a hug. Shocking him into paralysis again.

"Hiromi, written 'generous beauty'. I like it." She made sure to look him in the eye as she spoke, giving him that chance to see the truth of how she felt. "I will carry this name from now on, because Naruto thought really hard about it for me."


A/N: err...yeah