Author's Note: Hi guys. Moving on to the next chapter in Maoyu, and this is where things start to pick up. You see where Naruto's new direction takes him and how it influences his interactions with people, as well as his skills. He begins upping his training and gradually builds his strength.
At his rate, he reaches Genin level at the same rate as Kakashi and Minato did in their youths, putting himself in situations where his skills are continuously tested. But instead of working primarily on chakra and technique, he focuses more on building his physical strength for his own purposes.
And while he does struggle a lot in making friends, he finds solace and happiness through other mediums, even in the most unexpected places. This is also where he meets an unlikely friend, and by the end two.
Let me know what you guys think.
NARUTO
Maoyū
The Kind Rogue
(Over the next nine months)
In the months following his fateful encounter with the bullies and Hinata in that alleyway in the center of the village, Naruto had spent every waking hour of his life working himself to the bone and driving himself up the wall. Within days of making his pact, the blond had knuckled down to continue his training harder than ever before, focusing on polishing up his fighting skills, sharpening his reflexes, and increasing his strength.
Using the foundations lessons being taught to him at the academy as a guide, the orphan set himself a solid and well-rounded exercise routine by starting and ending every single day with a two to three hour workout. In order to maintain growth and consistency with his sessions, he learned early on in his training to write down an outline of his timetable in a notebook that he kept hidden at the orphanage, as well as a running record telling him what he needed to work on every period and what he'd done the day previously. Of course he kept all of this information on a strictly need-to-know basis, not telling a single soul what he was doing or planning.
It wasn't like anyone really cared what he did anyway. Both the caretakers at the orphanage and his roommates didn't even bother to look at him, let alone ask him about what he got up to every morning and afternoon. So why bother?
Even so, Naruto still needed to find out and learn the best possible ways to practice and increase his skills. So on the few occasions he needed to ask a question from a teacher whenever he could get one's attention long enough, he always kept his requests brief, vague and in relation to a different topic, so that he could pick up hints on his next few steps or approaches.
It was a little trick he'd learnt while dodging probing questions from the adults asking him about the graffiti and paintings he sometimes did on the walls in his neighborhood whenever he was caught. He feigned ignorance to these deeds whenever someone actually managed to catch him, and asking discreet questions about training was good practice for the blond.
Anyway, with the knowledge that he managed to acquire from his interrogations, Naruto had managed to set himself a straightforward routine.
Every morning and evening he would start himself off by doing an hour of hard running laps around the village, hurtling and dodging obstacles, avoiding people, and leaping over gaps between buildings. In between these rounds he would throw in hill sprints, vertical climbs, and other hard sets of exercises, including pushups, crunches, squats, chin ups and dips. He also learned to do this run with heavy weight bands, which he'd managed to pilfer from the academy training shed when none of the teachers were looking.
After this he would then head to the same reserve he'd found to continue his session by the bamboo grove. Completely out of sight of any of the villagers, Naruto would use his time here to practice his katas; sparring by himself so that he could polish up his form and using his shadow to make any noticeable corrections. After which he would then move to hitting the bamboo trunks in place of conventional practice dummies, just like how he'd been doing for the last two years. He would power through fast, full on rounds on the makeshift heavy bag for five minutes apiece with fifty second breaks in between, using an egg timer during each round to measure his progress so that he was practically dying at the end of them.
This not only improved his fitness, but also his endurance and stamina to an insane degree.
Hitting the bamboo also focused on toughening his hands, forearms, elbows, knees and shins, as striking the wooden pillars for the first few sessions cut his skin open, bruised it, cracked his bones, and caused his knuckles to bleed. This occurred regularly in the first few months of his new regimen, but after that time had passed he'd managed to strengthen his limbs to the point that they could withstand his level of vigorous striking, allowing him to start putting them through even harsher trials.
Once he'd gotten through the fighting portions of his sessions, Naruto then worked on his coordination and aerial maneuverability, jumping through the forest and bamboo grove's canopy and practicing his acrobatics. During this half hour he would work his muscles by climbing and holding his position in the branches high above the floor. By doing it barefoot, he could also practice holding on with his toes much like a monkey, strengthening his more awkward grips. The first few tries ended in him falling out of the trees and crash-landing in the bushes, even once breaking his wrist and cracking a rib. But once he'd gotten the hang of it he was practically flying through the trees. He also threw in some shurikenjitsu training into the mix, using rocks and stones to hit random targets he'd setup all about the clearing from both the trees and the ground.
After this he would then spend the next hour doing pure strength-based exercises and practicing how to use chakra.
The first part he accomplished by using several of the enormous boulders lying in the nearby field; pushing and rolling them across the open ground, carrying them on his back, or lifting them through various bench and leg press exercises. Initially starting with the smaller rocks, he then slowly moved up to the big rocks, using the extra weight on his wrist and leg bands to make the training even more difficult. It soon got to the point he was lifting boulders eight times his own size and dozens of times his own weight. Sure, this training damn near killed him a couple of times, but nothing was accomplished from not breaking a sweat.
The second part on chakra control he learned from a bunch of textbooks and scrolls he was able to locate in the academy library to see how that was all done.
Though his Chunin instructors hadn't started teaching the class how to use chakra yet, since it was a topic they wouldn't be starting until their third year, Naruto had decided to get ahead on the more complex material, using his time constructively to learn the skills from the ground up. So far he was doing quite well, having managed to pull off a successful kawarimi and henge after only his first month. He was happy with his accomplishments and, with several new goals made, started working on getting creative with using his jutsu.
He would then finish his day off with some meditation and one last shadow sparring round, after which he would then do pushups and sit ups until he couldn't do anymore. That was when he knew he was done for the session.
But his workouts didn't stop at the morning and evening classes.
In between his workout days, while he was walking through the village on one of his aimless strolls, Naruto would happen across a random group of delinquents and troublemakers just hanging around in the back alleys, parks and entertainment district. Normally these guys were pretty quiet on most days and didn't bother people out in the open, but when Naruto went by one of the group of thirteen year olds the very first time, they immediately started trying to antagonize him. The initial wave of goading came in the form of insults and whispers; words like 'monster', 'freak', 'dunce', 'idiot' and all other related slangs flying the boy's way.
When that didn't work, the kids started hocking stuff at him. And that did work.
His second fight after the alley battle was against a group of about ten kids, so it stood to reason why Naruto had a bit of a hard time. Of course he got the crap beaten out of him after downing about five of the delinquents, while the other five knocked him to the ground and used that opportunity to kick him around. The blond actually had to go to the hospital to get some stitches done, and his arm and ribs wrapped up. But after his tenth street fight and eighth loss, the blond orphan began forming appropriate goals and challenges for himself, as well as more intelligent plans of action.
Naruto decided that he would pick his fights smarter.
For the older kids he would start out in smaller groups. But with those around his age he would take them on in larger quantities. If he was going to prove himself top dog in this village and not end up in hospital at the end of every week, then he was going to work his way up slowly and pace himself.
OOO
About three months into his first year, Naruto had once again found himself face to face with another group of four fourteen year olds in a big park, where the kid took his sweet time fighting all of them at once.
The thing about this particular group of ruffians was that all four of them were drop outs from the academy's Genin program; having taken the graduation test twice and failed twice. This meant that each of them was incredibly tough and resilient, more so than the other kids on the street. Even with all his hard hours of training to this day, they were still managing to knock him around a little.
Ducking a hook from the tall kid in a light blue jumper and scarf, the eight-year-old Naruto brought his foot up and thrust a front kick into the punk's ribs, slamming him into a tree on the edge of their clearing. He then blocked a swing from a bokken being used by another boy wearing a black jacket and red cap, who managed to crack him across the forearm, before the blond stepped in and decked him in the face. Managing to break the kid's nose, Naruto then assaulted him with vicious body shots, until one of the older boys in the green vest and arm warmers got him in a bear hug from behind and lifted him off the floor.
Both kids growling angrily as Naruto flailed against the white haired boy's grip, the group's leader then rushed forward and punched the blond across the face. After having his clock cleaned a four times in a row, the blond orphan brought both feet up and thrust them into the raven haired boy's face, sending the kid in the black and white jacket backpedaling away while the punk that was holding him stumbled into a tree behind them. There Naruto managed to force his left arm free and thrust his elbow back into the kid's ribs repeatedly, knocking the air out of him until he let go. After which the blond kid spun around and, leaping off the floor, roundhouse kicked the fourteen year old across the face, knocking him out and sending him plowing into the floor.
Gasping for air, the bruised and bloody faced Naruto then wheeled around to face the remaining three kids, only to get punched across the face and sent into the tree behind him a second time, where he then collapsed to his hands and knees.
Standing over him and also bleeding heavily from his swollen mouth, the raven haired leader of the group in the black and white hooded jacket and purple headband with the Konoha symbol drawn on the front, reached up to massage his jaw. While his two friends staggered back around to join him in a semi-circle, the kid then flashed Naruto a pair of blood red eyes; with each pupil being surrounded by a single black tomoe.
This indicated that the delinquent was an Uchiha; someone who Naruto hadn't fought before and was proving to be the hardest case to crack.
"You're crazy, kid," the Sharingan using punk growled while looking down at the exhausted eight-year-old, who was also looking up at them through a swollen right eye. "Do you… honestly think… you can fight the four of us… at the same time? We came from the academy for crying out loud."
Spitting out the blood from his mouth, Naruto then gave them a very excited and demonic leer. With the way his whiskers and the blood trickling down his face was framed, he actually looked quite intimidating. "So do I," the orphan retorted while forcing himself to his feet, grinning all the while. "You guys… threw rocks at my back… for two weeks straight… because you thought it was fun. Did you think… I was going to just… stand there and take that crap? Hell no!" He then charged forward and bellowed like a wild animal, "I'm kicking your asses, right here, right now!"
The Uchiha leader used his Sharingan to time the kid's approach and match a counter. However, Naruto saw his blow coming a mile away and ducked it, before then tackling the kid in the gut and lifting him off the floor. The wind was effectively knocked out of the head delinquent as he was rammed into an oak tree, where Naruto proceeded to punch him in the gut repeatedly. After blocking a haymaker from the Uchiha, the blond speedily hiked up the kid's forward leg, grabbed the back of his head, and kneed him in the face. The splitting blow crushed the young teen's nose and knocked him out, sending him collapsing to the grass in a bloody mess.
When Naruto dropped to his feet, he was unexpectedly cracked across the back of the head by the kid with the bokken again, the length of wood exploding into a shower of splinters as the blond lurched forward. At first the teen in the cap thought he'd knocked the youngster out, but when the orphan spun around with a fierce, animalistic look on his face, and didn't look like the blow had affected him at all, the attacker knew he was screwed.
A split second later Naruto grabbed the kid by the front of his top, yanked him forward and head butted him in the face. Hitting him once and breaking his opponent's nose, the blond drew his head back and struck him a second time, then a third, and then a forth, dropping the boy to his knees. But then, as soon as he released the unconscious bully, Naruto was struck across the face by a punch from the remaining kid in the blue jacket.
The blow only causing his body to cock momentarily to the side, the whisker-marked academy student then spun back towards the delinquent, blocked a second punch, locked his arm under his, and caught the second punch.
With the kid trapped in his grip, Naruto then lifted his foot and stepped on the boy's ankle, cracking the bone and dropping the punk to his knees. This allowed the blond to then bring his fist up and punch the kid across the jaw. This blow knocked the teen out and headfirst into the ground.
As soon as all four of the two-round academy dropouts had been knocked out cold, the beaten up Naruto backed up into the tree behind him and panted exhaustedly. There the blond proceeded to catch his breath before beginning to limp his way home, all the while leaving the four wounded kids unconscious in the clearing by the park.
By the end of the day, the total score on Naruto's fight record was made glaringly clear. Bullies 12, Naruto 37.
"I'm hungry," the blond orphan muttered to himself as he staggered down the road, passing by dozens of villagers who were all giving the boy worried and fearful looks at the blood caking his face and splattered down his white shirt.
Whatever party he went to, it'd obviously been a wild one.
XXX
All this eventually led Naruto here.
On this particular day, the blond had just finished off another hard morning of exercise out in his private reserve; working himself till he was bruised and sore all over. Sporting a black eye from running into a bamboo cane during his obstacle practice, the young orphan was now trudging back into the village and towards his school for what was hopefully another intellectually stimulating day.
Wearing a completely new outfit from before, consisting of black shorts with an orange stripe on each leg, black sandals, a white T-shirt, and an orange, hooded vest decorated by blue trim, as well as his signature pendant around his neck, the blond orphan could be seen dragging his feet up an empty dirt road through the suburbs. His expression remaining stoic and withdrawn as it normally did, Naruto kept his eyes on the path ahead of him, his thoughts remained fixed on the training schedule he had later on for today.
While he was considering what he should get for breakfast and lunch to take with him to school today, the youngster suddenly heard a commotion nearby and stopped in his tracks. When Naruto looked down a nearby road, he saw a bunch of kids his age huddled around some bushes alongside a fence, all of them shouting and using sticks to poke at something hiding underneath the brush.
Wondering what the heck was going on, the spiky haired orphan decided to throw all caution to the wind and wandered over to go to take a look.
As soon as he was in earshot Naruto spoke up. "Hey, guys. Whatcha doin' over there?"
When the group of three boys and one girl looked over their shoulders from where they were crouching, their expressions immediately switched to looks of terror when they recognized the blond orphan a few feet away from them. Like a flock of birds being startled by a predatory animal, the gang immediately dropped their sticks and ran for it. Of course Naruto was about to call out to them to say that he didn't mean them any harm, but when he saw them disappear around the corner moments later, a downtrodden look then crossed his face.
Naruto then exhaled deeply, "Oh well." Turning his attention to the holly shrub the kids had been gathered around, Naruto caught a glimpse of a small shadow and, stepping over to it, pushed the branches away. "Whoa." He then received one heck of a surprise when he saw exactly what was hiding in the shade.
There, curled up underneath the leaves, he saw a pure white fox staring up at him with a clear expression of fright on its face as it tried to back away into the brush, only to find itself cornered against the fence. Having never seen a fox before, let alone a white one, the young Naruto couldn't help but stare, his eyes taking in its beautiful white coat, cute, pointy ears and fluffy white tail. She also had four small paws, concealing a collection of sharp claws underneath, and gorgeous yellow eyes, which seemed to reflect everything the animal was thinking and feeling at that very moment.
"H-Hello there," Naruto greeted in a soothing voice, not quite knowing what to do with what he was looking at, but at the same time approaching the animal with caution. It was then while he was taking in the little animal curled up on the grass that he noticed the blood on its hind foot, as well as the deep cuts running along its ankle. The blond then gasped and squatted down, "Oh no… your leg." He then reached forward to try and pick her up, but the fox whimpered and backed away. Noticing how frightened she was prompted the lonely orphan to smile reassuringly, "It's okay. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you little one." Using soft words in a hopes of getting her to calm down, he then saw the fox stop shivering for a moment and, hesitantly, hobble towards him.
Using his chance, Naruto took the fox by the waist and brought her into a cradle position. "There. You see. Everything's going to be alright." Being sure to hold her injured leg steadily, he then took a closer look at it. "It looks like you were attacked by something… maybe a wolf or a mountain lion." He then looked around them and at the sticks lying across the ground, which then had him frown deeply. "Those kids probably chased you to these bushes and started picking on you with those sticks. They didn't even bother to try and help. Bastards." After which he then looked down at the fox and smiled kindly at her. "Come on. Let's get you fixed up."
His words earned a curious blink from the fox, as well as a gentle 'yip'. Upon which Naruto stood up and began walking back down the road towards the main street.
Hopefully while he was out getting food he'd be able to stop by an Inuzuka supply store and grab some medical equipment… maybe even get some help…
OOO
(A couple weeks later)
Naruto's attendance at the academy became a little spotty after that, with occasional unknown absences, half days, and early departures from the classroom. Of course the teachers didn't really care too much about the youngster's lack of attendance, nor did they read too much into it. They simply docketed the orphan's lack of attendance while also giving him some extra homework to do at the end of every day to catch up.
Not at all bothered by this development, apart from having additional studying to do after his evening training sessions, the whisker-marked blond kept up this loaded and challenging routine for the next few days.
His odd behavior however soon started to attract the attention of some of the children at the academy who, out of an innocent sense of curiosity, couldn't help but wonder where their blond compatriot was running off to in the middle of every lesson.
This suspicion eventually led to one particular event at lunch time where, after excusing himself early from the classroom, Naruto rushed outside to the playground area beside the quad. Making his way over to a thick grove of trees and bushes growing alongside the oval, particularly underneath a tall oak tree, the blond knelt down at the base of the trunk and pushed away the branches. There, he found a big wooden box with a pillow and a bunch of towels bunched up at the bottom, and the snow white fox lying comfortably on top of them, her rear leg wrapped in fresh bandages.
Seeing her head perk up and her beautiful golden eyes fix on him, the blond grinned and reached into his vest pocket. "Hey there. Sorry. Did I wake you?" His question earned a happy yip from the fox and a brisk tail wag as Naruto carefully pulled his hand out of his jacket. Clearly the little vixen was very happy to see him. "I got you some more food. I hope you like rice balls and pork buns. They're super delicious." He then unfurled the folded up paper bag and, poking his hand inside, pulled out one of the abovementioned treats.
With the little fox on her feet and resting her front paws on the top of the crate, Naruto proceeded to rip small pieces off of the pork bun and feed it to the animal. Just like every time the young delinquent brought food for her she scarfed it all down, showing just how voracious she was while also serving to put a smile on the blonde's face as he fed her. Even as the children from the academy started pouring out onto the playground and grassy areas, the blond stood by his friend, petting her and making sure she was looked after.
The kunoichi who helped him at the pet store said that the poor fox's leg had been mauled badly by a wolf about a day ago, but with some proper rest and care she would be back running and skipping around in just a few short weeks. This was excellent as far as Naruto was concerned, since he was told she would be able to make a full recovery. But until then he would keep her company, ensure her bandages were changed every couple of days, and had all the food and medicine she needed to fight off infection.
Naruto beamed down at the vixen when he petted her on the head, who then licked his palm affectionately. This was then followed by her giving a loud yawn that had the boy shake his head in amusement. "Boy, you sure are a lazy one, aren't you?"
"Who are you talking to?"
The new voice from behind had Naruto's head shoot up with a start, before his gaze snapped over his shoulder. He then blinked in surprise when he saw a cute young girl about a year older than him, with brown hair wrapped in an ox horn style on top of her head, brown eyes, wearing a dark pink, martial arts top with gold trim, green gi pants, and blue sandals, leaning over with her hands behind her back and a curious stare fixed on him.
Not recognizing who this girl was, as she clearly wasn't from his class, it took Naruto a moment to realize he was actually being addressed and stood up. "Oh. H-Hello?" Damn. First words out of his mouth to someone starting up a conversation with him and already he was sounding like an idiot.
"Hello," the girl chirped back before then craning her head around the orphan. "What are you doing over here all by yourself?"
At first not knowing whether telling this girl was a good idea or not, being the paranoid and overly cautious kid that he was, since he couldn't sense any ill will about her Naruto quickly figured that he could trust his instincts on this one. So, inhaling deeply, he then stepped to the side.
"I'm looking after my friend," he answered while gesturing to the box sitting in the bushes.
Moving a little closer, the girl's eyes suddenly sparkled in amazement when she saw a cute little white fox lying inside the crate and staring up at her. Having not expected to see this, her first and immediate reaction was to gush with delight. "Aww… she's so cute." She then skipped over and squatted right down in front of the crate, not even caring that Naruto was standing so close to her. "Hey there. My name's Tenten. What's your name?"
The question had the fox cock her head to the side, almost like she was reacting in confusion.
Tenten then giggled when she realized the question she'd asked. "Oh. Silly. Foxes can't talk." She then smiled up at the blond standing over her and saw his nervous, perplexed stare gazing right back at her. Disregarding it, the newcomer spoke to the boy in a cheerful tone. "Does she have a name? What do you call her?"
Naruto scratched his head nervously while keeping one hand in his pocket, "I'm not sure. I only just found her a couple of days ago. Since she hurt her leg, I… I'm looking after her to make sure she gets better."
"I see," the girl replied, before looking at the fox a second time. Reaching out with her hand, she then gave it a gentle pat, which the fox returned by rubbing her head and face against the girl's palm. Tenten giggled when she felt the animal respond to her touch, "It's so nice that you're taking care of her. Not many people in this village like foxes very much. You're a very kind person for doing this."
Naruto averted his gaze bashfully for a moment, but did his best to keep his neutral expression in play. "Th-Thanks. That means a lot."
Standing up, the assertive Tenten quickly turned to face the blond with her chest puffed out, "What's your name?"
"Oh. I'm… Naruto. I'm a year one student from Suzume-sensei's class," the orphan replied nervously, but then smiled as he looked the older girl in the eyes. "You said your name was Tenten, right?"
"Uh-huh. I'm a year two student from Kirame-sensei's class," Tenten chirped back, before then reaching up and placing a hand over her chest. "When I grow up, I want to become an awesome and strong kunoichi like Tsunade of the Sannin… and become super famous."
Still feeling as nervous as ever, but managing to keep a brave face, Naruto beamed back at the girl brightly. "I want to become a great ninja too. But… I'm not exactly sure like who." He then chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Like the Hokage, I guess. As long as I become some kind of great warrior, I'll be happy."
Feeling herself swell somewhat at hearing the boy's answer, the girl then leaned forward with her hands behind her back. "Hey. Do you want to play with me for a bit?" Her question had Naruto recoil in surprise. "If we're going to become super strong ninja of Konoha someday, then we should try to help each other out as much as we can. What do you think?"
Naruto was unable to hide the stunned expression that came over him or the feeling of warmth that slowly started to fill his chest. Unable to believe that someone was actually asking him to come play with them, the boy quickly fell into an anxious, internal fit, as he quickly glanced between Tenten and the fox sitting in the box by the tree. When he saw the little mammal gazing up at him with a smile, he then gave her a curious look. This then earned a cheerful 'bark' from the snowy vixen.
Nodding in understanding, the orphan turned his attention back to Tenten and smiled. "Sure. I'd love that."
Grinning cheerfully, Tenten then ran out into the open space. Stopping a few meters away, she then spun around and took a stance, her hands held out at her sides and a look of preparation on her face. "Hai."
Realizing where she was going with this caused Naruto to grin and, expression reflecting determination, he also took a fighting stance of his own; one fist out while the other was pulled back. "Hai."
Moments later the two kids rushed at each other and began having a play fight, their hands thrusting at each other in an attempt to tag the other person in a combo. This soon evolved into a rather rigorous kick boxing exchange between the two as both children danced with one another across the open space.
While the pair of youngsters were busy having fun and trying to land a shot on their opponent, the academy students who were also playing outside couldn't help but stare at the pair strangely. Their curiosity was certainly warranted. While some of the kids were puzzled by the duo's rather unusual game, a few of the other students were perplexed by why Tenten, the sweet, energetic girl from the second year class, was playing with the one boy that their parents had warned them day in and day out to stay away from.
As all this was going on, neither Naruto nor Tenten noticed the little white fox watching them from the safety of her wooden box. Wearing a happy smile on her small snout, the vixen observed the pair at play, during which time a blue wisp of fire appeared over the tip of her long, fluffy tail, and flickered brightly under the shadow of the bush.
OOO
(Two and a half weeks later)
That little game at recess with Tenten was probably the most genuinely happy experience Naruto could remember having in a long time. Talking with her, playing tag, and having that round of lighthearted sparring with her made the blond feel more connected and liberated then he had ever imagined having with another person. It was a great.
And the best thing about this particular recess was that it most certainly wasn't his last.
In fact, in the days following his first meeting with Tenten, every time he went down to feed the little fox in her makeshift bed, the girl would always come down to meet him, hang out with him, and play. Hell, she even brought her own food to share with the blond and his snowy companion, which cemented her position as someone Naruto could trust.
His continued interactions with the brown haired girl also filled the orphan with confidence, encouraged him to try harder, and to look forward to his days with a more open heart and mind. Furthermore, it gave Naruto an extra-spring in his step, which came in real handy when it came to his morning and afternoon training sessions, as his little chance encounter with Tenten compelled the blond to train even harder so that he could do much better in their little play matches on the ovals.
And so from then on the days passed and, despite his now regular meetings with Tenten, his overall situation at the academy didn't really change that much. The rest of the kids continued to avoid him, he still found it incredibly difficult to approach groups, and the teachers kept on disregarding most of his inquiries.
As annoying as it all was, the boy still managed to cope well enough with his situation to make it all work and, thanks to Tenten and his new vixen companion adding a little more positivity to his day-to-day activities, he kept at his every day routine of hard in and hard out; toughing it out every step of the way.
During one particular morning session, Naruto was back in his usual bamboo grove, wearing only a pair of old orange shorts, his signature orange pendant, bandages wrapped tightly around his ankles, wrists and knuckles, and a set of wrist and ankle weights. Going through a hard power round of dummy work, the orphan skipped in front of a large bamboo trunk, hitting the pillar with a vicious combination of hard, swift punches, elbows, and kicks. The tree rattled violently under the punishment, at the same time the blond moved around it with his hands protecting both sides of his face and his legs acting as springs.
Over the last few months Naruto had been cultivating a new and unique fighting style all for himself. After a couple of run-ins with a few more delinquents out on the streets, including academy drop outs, the blond had learned quickly that conventional kata and taijutsu just didn't cut it against them. The kids he fought were wilder, more aggressive, bigger than him, and always aimed for either the body or his head. They were also familiar with how students training at the academy fought, which was a really big problem in terms of strategy. This led the blond orphan into developing a martial arts form that allowed him to counter their movements, target all areas of the opponent's frame, and enabled him to use every part of his body more effectively: fists, palms, fingers, forearms, elbows, knees, shins, feet, and forehead.
Though it looked incredibly unusual by shinobi standards, the style Naruto started using was completely original for him and, as his training went on, it slowly started to take shape.
His fighting style combined precision and grace; having both arms held up and out, using his forward hand to measure distance and the other to protect his body and face. The extended arm also allowed him to lead opponents by the head, distract them, redirect weight, and strike while defending himself simultaneously. The form's overall appearance was a cross between Muay Thai and Shandong Praying Mantis, only he'd modified the actions to be far more fluid and lethal. Also, since shinobi tended to use their hands and legs a lot, he repurposed his style to strike at the limbs and all other vital areas of the body using his knuckles, elbows and knees as hard points. He even developed a grappling system, and though he hadn't had much practice with it yet, he was certain it would work.
Wrapping his arms around the bamboo, Naruto tucked in and drove his knees into the side, splitting the surface of the trunk with multiple sharp, piercing blows, before tossing it to the side and elbowing it across the surface, cutting the trunk. After which he then whipped his kick high and across, driving it into the tree's side.
His right foot pivoted on the spot as he repeatedly struck the tower of bamboo in front of him over and over, his shin clashing against the tree in a blur of continuous roundhouse kicks. After a set of fifty in a row with both legs in less than forty seconds, the sweating boy took a deep breath and went back to throwing punches, sticking his left palm out against the wood to measure his distance, before then stepping in with a swift elbow that cracked across the wood and echoed over the clearing.
It was worth noting that the parts of his hands that weren't covered had various different scars and welts, while up and down his shins were a series of black bruises all massed together around the same areas, indicating just how often he'd been hitting the bamboo. However, though his wounds did look incredibly painful Naruto didn't feel a single thing, and continued going at his training at full throttle.
Sitting comfortably underneath a nearby maple with a stack of books sitting nearby and her fluffy tail wagging happily behind her, the white fox was watched Naruto exercise with a great deal of interest. She could hear the boy shouting and breathing hard during and after every combo, and with every blow he threw the impact against the bamboo tree would echo throughout the woods. It was incredible.
What's more, behind Naruto, there were over a dozen bamboo stumps sitting all around him with their tree hosts lying scattered across the clearing, indicating that he'd chopped all of the stalks down using only his bare hands. If the kid wasn't training to be a ninja he would most certainly make a ton of money as a lumberjack. There was no doubt about that.
Eventually after a whole fifteen straight minutes of hard work, Naruto ended his combination with a swift kick to the base of the bamboo tree, his shin slicing straight through the trunk and cutting the entire pillar down. As the stalk collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, the panting blond pulled away and took a deep breath, before turning around and wiping his forehead on the back of his bandages. He then smiled at the white fox he could see sitting under the maple tree.
"That was fun. My hands and legs are starting to get much faster," Naruto said while beginning to undo the bandages around his right hand and move towards the vixen. When he eventually arrived at the trunk, he sat down at the base and had a quick drink from the bottle of water next to him. After which he then sighed. "Maybe while I'm learning how to fight hand to hand, I should learn how to fight with a weapon too. Perhaps with a sword, a tantō or a short blade… something cool…"
Considering ninja fought both empty-handedly and armed, it made sense for him to start using a weapon too. However, he knew he would have to reframe from using it when fighting with bullies and other delinquents out on the streets, because in his mind the use of a tool in a fair fight was just plain dirty and cowardly. He was a boy of honor first and foremost, and he wouldn't do anything to compromise that stance. But should the situation call for it, Naruto figured he would have to at least know how to use a weapon aside from a kunai or shuriken; something that was flexible, increased his range, and allowed him to transition to different kinds of tools at a moment's notice.
At that moment, the white fox curled up beside him used that opportunity to stand up and wander across the clearing. Naruto watched the little mammal amble away from him and, after pacing along the edge of the bamboo grove, he saw her stop by one of the smaller, thinner, six foot shoots growing out of the ground. He then blinked when he saw the fox turn and yip at him after looking the stalk over, bidding him to come over.
"Huh?" Naruto replied, not knowing what the vixen was referring to until he saw the fox lift her front paw and press it against the same bamboo stalk. It was then the blond finally clued in to what she was saying. So, standing up, he walked over to the tree, grabbed its base and cut it with the kunai in the back of his shorts. After stripping off the leaves, the blond quickly found himself holding a six-foot long stick with the weight and thickness of a staff. It was something that Naruto noticed immediately and glanced down at his animal friend. "You want me to learn how to use this as a weapon?"
The vixen's tail waved happily as she gave an affirmative bark in response.
Naruto grinned, "Okay then. That sounds fair." He then held the stick at one end and tossed it in the air, causing it to spin before catching the other end. The boy repeated this action a couple of times while thinking out loud. "There aren't many shinobi who use poles as weapons on the field." Kusari staffs and naginata's were probably the most common, but bo staffs and spears were much rarer, as they were large and weren't all that practical. But if there was any tool he could easily supplement with another, it was this one. "Alright. All I have to do is figure out how I can use this."
The white fox then gave another bark, drawing the boy's attention down to her. When he looked, he saw the vixen walk a couple feet away. Once she did, she suddenly squatted down into a pouncing position and, drawing her tail over her shoulder, thrust it out in a wide swing.
What followed immediately after that first swipe was a sharp and powerful gust of wind that had Naruto lurch back momentarily in surprise, leaves and twigs being sent rushing past him. The fox then swung her tail back in another direction, sending a second powerful blast of wind that sent the leaves billowing upwards, before a third swing from her tail sent them across and past her.
Once the gales finally died down moments later and the leaves cascaded over the clearing, the fox turned back to Naruto and barked happily.
The blond was utterly baffled by what he'd just witnessed. "H-How did you…?" As he stared down at the white fox as she sat there smiling up at him, Naruto then snapped back to reality and smiled. "Do you want me to try and get to that?" When the vixen yipped again, the child nodded in understanding and took a fighting stance, at the same time holding the stick in front of him with both hands. "Okay… so… if I concentrate, add power to my swing, and channel my chakra through the cane… then…" He then drew the staff upwards and, taking a deep breath, thrust it forward. "HAA!"
An awkward silence then settled over the area when Naruto stood there at the end of his strike, staring ahead of him and waiting for the wind. After several seconds past and nothing happened, the unimpressed white fox then shook her head and gave a sad, disappointed bark.
When translated into human words, she'd pretty much said 'Failed.'
Blushing in embarrassment, Naruto turned on the fox and yelled at her in return, "I know! I'll work on it!"
XXX
(A few weeks later)
In order to start himself off on using the Bo staff as part of his training regimen, Naruto went to the school's library once again to check out some books relating to the art of pole and staff-based weaponry.
This topic was something the youngster was deeply interested in following up on for a number of different reasons.
One was because the staff was a greatly seldom seen weapon amongst shinobi. Even though ninja were taught to wield multiple weapons on the battlefield, there was a large number of battlefield ninja who didn't specialize in it, since the weapon was blunt and couldn't cause any real damage. Naruto figured if he could make the Bo staff an integral part of his martial arts and something he could use to disable targets rather than kill them, he'll not only have a leg-up over other opponents in battle, but also catch them by surprise.
The second reason was its practicality. Teaching himself how to use a staff would allow him flexibility in use of other weapons, such as the sword and the spear. What's more, since a staff was also non-threatening and could be disguised as a walking-stick or a walking-aid easier than bladed tools, it was also good for stealth purposes.
You wanted to sneak a weapon through borders, let it be as non-threatening or multi-purpose as possible.
After asking the librarian for any relevant documents pertaining to the subject, Naruto discovered there was a large abundance of old scrolls and books detailing the use of the Bo staff. What's more, since there weren't any people lining up to learn how to use a stick or pole as their weapon of choice, the orphan helped himself to all the essential materials available. So, with a vast collection of knowledge under his belt and his white-furred companion present to observe him, the orphan began moving down the path of a Bo user with all haste.
Being as resourceful as he was enabled Naruto to mix his new exercise in with the rest of his training seamlessly; retracting a few rounds from his usual routines to incorporate several minutes of staff practice. While his first few lessons were slow and clumsy to begin with, as he had to relearn a whole new series of steps from the ground up, he was soon able to get the hang of it and proceeded to thoroughly cover each step one session at a time.
He even had Tenten practice with him during their break periods at the academy, as the girl was also incredibly interested in the art of taijutsu and weaponry. As it so happens, the girl was quite good at using the staff, which gave the hopeful Naruto the ideal opponent he needed to practice his techniques.
This made their little play time during recess and lunch time a little less discreet, prompting the pair to take their fun and games to another spot that was a bit more private.
OOO
The sounds of clacking filled the air as, up on the roof of the academy building, both Naruto and Tenten could be seen sparring with one another with a pair of five-foot long staffs. Spacing out their grips, the two were going through technique after technique one swing at a time, with the brown haired girl leading the combinations. After she had a few hits and the blond orphan deflected them, Naruto then returned fire with the same number of attacks, the two repeating the motion over and over so that they both got a feel for and memorized the moves.
Finishing with a parry of his staff from a diagonal blow, Naruto grinned, "You're really awesome at this, Tenten-chan."
The eight year old girl smirked back, "So are you, Naruto-kun. Even after only a few days of this you're really starting to catch up." She then proceeded to block his staff when he came in swinging from both sides, his arms working as he moved his body in time with each blow. When he finished with the same side-ways strike from before, the defensive Tenten nodded. "Have you finished chapter four already?"
"I'm only halfway through chapter three. Using the form five reverse strike," Naruto informed.
"Well then, this is good practice for you leading up to that," Tenten replied, before once again going through the same combo. As she struck out and Naruto slowly backed away following the same defensive blows, the brown haired girl then glanced across the roof to see the white fox sitting nearby and watching them quietly. It was then a thoughtful look came upon her. "When do you think you'll be letting her go?"
"Hmm… I don't know yet" the whisker-marked orphan murmured, before deflecting Tenten's last strike and following up with his attack, clacking his stick against the girl's vigorously. "The vet said she should be ready in a few more days. So I think I'll take her out to the edge of the village and let her go there."
It was then after blocking his last strike Tenten nodded in understanding. "It'll be sad when she's finally gone. I really like that fox."
"Yeah. I know," Naruto replied before promptly disengaging, bringing his staff to the side and tapping it against the ground. As Tenten also moved out of her fighting stance, the blond smiled at her warmly. "But she belongs to the wild. If that's where she wants to be, then I'll gladly let her go. But if she wants to stay… that's her choice."
The older girl beamed at him, "I'm sure she'll be fine, no matter what she chooses." She then bowed to her sparring partner, a gesture that was reciprocated by her friend.
OOO
Naruto always found it incredibly enlightening speaking with Tenten. Being able to talk regularly and share thoughts with another person who could also speak with him in kind gave him something that he'd rarely had the chance to experience before. And it wasn't just training that they talked about either. Tenten even told him about her parents and what she did outside of the academy during her free time. Even the blond had a chance to talk about himself and share his own interests and living accommodations, which really managed to capture the girl's own curiosity, and give both kids a deeper understanding of one another.
The only thing Naruto wished was that he could be as equally successful at bonding with the other students at the academy as he was with Tenten. For some strange reason he couldn't explain, everyone was still actively trying to avoid him.
As much as it irritated the spiky haired orphan, he wasn't too worried about this at the moment. He had other important things to worry about.
Eventually, after a couple more weeks of training, schooling, and taking care of all his other wants and needs, the day soon arrived for Naruto to release his vixen companion back into the wild.
XXX
(Early morning)
Wanting to make sure his friend got a clear shot out of the village and back into the valleys, waking up at the same time he usually did to train, Naruto carried the little vixen in his arms and out to the farmlands in the East. Following the dirt road through the rice paddies, wheat fields and farms all the way to Konoha's perimeter, the youngster soon found an open glade with long grass leading into a lush forest of evergreens.
Wearing his usual clothes consisting of orange hooded vest, green khaki pants and a red scarf, Naruto slowly and carefully removed the bandages from around the fox's hind leg. Once he did and he saw that her wound was completely gone, a cheerful grin then spread over the delinquent's lips.
"There. You're all better now." When he saw the vixen glance down at her limb and test it, he then walked onto the edge of the field and set the snowy mammal on the short grass. It was here he then gave the fox one last smile and a pat on the head. "I guess… this is where the two of us part ways, dattebayo."
Feeling the fox return his gesture with an affectionate lick to his knuckle, he then settled her down with a few gentle strokes of her back.
"It was a long month… and a lot of weird things happened that I can't really explain… but it was a lot of fun. Probably the best few weeks I've ever had in my entire life." When he saw the kitsune stare up at him following his head massage, the slightly sad Naruto chuckled. "You would think after all the days we've hung out together I would've come up with some kind of name for you. But I guess it's a little bit late for that. Maybe next time." Rising up, he then gave the sitting fox a final salute and turned around. "Take care, okay? And try not to run into anymore wolves." He then walked off, determined to leave before any water works could start up and ruin the moment.
As the child made his way back down the dirt road with his hands in his pockets and a despondent look reflected on his face, the blond suddenly heard the pitter-patter of tiny footsteps behind him and looked over his shoulder. Naruto then stopped when he saw the little white vixen was following right behind him, her yellow eyes fixed squarely upon his person. When he stopped walking, the fox sat down on the road and barked, her tail flowing elegantly behind her.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Hey. I said that you can go now. You don't need to hang out with me anymore," Naruto said, gesturing her towards the field he'd supposedly left her at. Instead he received a defiant look from the tiny fox, who then barked a second time at him as he tried to wave her away. "Go on. You're free."
In response the white fox got up, walked up to the blond, and rubbed her head and body affectionately against his leg like a cat. She then walked around his limb, nearly tripping Naruto over before she stopped behind him, sat down, and gave another yip of assertiveness.
Staring down at the fox in momentary bewilderment, Naruto's clear blue eyes quickly met her yellow ones. As he gazed right into what were the windows to her soul, she stared right back at him, both of them communicating with one another through thought and silence. In that time, the young orphan unexpectedly experienced a sudden moment of clarity; as he clearly saw what the little fox was thinking and feeling at that very moment.
It was something only someone with a strong bond and attachment to another person or creature could've experienced; a sense that'd been built and developed over a certain period of time. Whether this was purely an emotional thing or something even deeper seated and spiritual, neither of them knew. But after having felt these same emotions fill his head and heart time and time again in the days they'd spent with one another, the child took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gave the mammal a warm smile.
Naruto let out a lighthearted laugh. "You're not finished with me yet, are you?" Seeing the fox smile and bark back at him, the boy then knelt down, offered the vixen his hand, and nodded. "Alright. If that's what you want, then come on."
Yipping cheerfully, the white vixen then leapt up onto Naruto's arm, clambered up and sat comfortably on his shoulder. After which the blond then stood and started walking back to the center of Konohagakure with his new friend in tow.
Looking at them from a distance, one situated on the other's shoulder, and the glow radiating off of their persons, the unlikely child and fox pair looked quite cool together.
While the vixen waved her tail happily and Naruto ambled along at a comfortable pace, the orphan turned to his passenger and grinned at her. "You know, if we're going to be hanging out with each other from now on, I'm really going to have to give you a name." He then glanced up in a thoughtful manner. "Something short, simple, and easy to remember."
The fox barked in agreement, as she then settled into the boy's shoulder and made herself more comfortable.
As Naruto casually followed the winding roads on the village's outskirts trying to think up an appropriate name to give to his friend, the pair suddenly came across a rather interesting scene. Up ahead, both the boy and the fox spotted an enormous, ox-drawn carriage about the size of a shed sitting at the side of the road; one of its four wheels busted and its cargo of heavy sacks of wheat, rice and hay hanging precariously over the side. Drawing closer to it, Naruto then saw a group of three farmers trying to fix the wheel by hoisting the carriage up so that they could replace it.
However, no matter how hard the group of adults tried, they just couldn't get the cart to budge. The weight on it was just too much.
Using ropes and raw manpower, the team of three men in outdoor clothing and straw hats attempted one last time to lift the carriage, with the head farmer calling out 'heave' and 'ho' over and over. Eventually after a few more minutes of getting nowhere, the men gave up.
"Alright! That's enough!" the middle aged worker with the beard and hat spoke, waving for the other two to stop. As they moved away, groaning from the effort of trying to shift the monstrosity of a wagon, the directing farmer walked forward and scratched his head, at the same time addressing his compatriots. "Damn. Looks like we're going to have to bring up the second carriage from the warehouse. It's gonna be two whole hours before it gets here."
"Do you think we could call in a couple of shinobi to try and help us, Dai-san?" the farmer's bald friend, wearing a headband and red shirt, asked while looking at the tilting cart thoughtfully.
"Nah. There's no need to bother the shinobi with something as trivial as this. I'm sure they've got better things to worry about than a broken down cart in the middle of the road," the head farmer replied with a dry chuckle. "If we were to rely on the ninja to do every little thing in life, then what use would there be for us?" He then exhaled deeply and scratched his head. "Forty years on the job and old Saya decides to break down now. What are the odds?"
"Do you guys need a hand?"
The sudden new voice to the scene stopped the clamoring farmers short and drew the trio's attention to the road a few yards away. It was there they finally noticed the young Naruto watching them from the sidelines with a little white fox perched on his shoulder, also observing them. Initially perplexed at the sight of the newcomer, whom all of them immediately recognized as 'that kid', the head workman shared a glance with his comrades before turning back to the child apprehensively.
"Yeah. A dozen more, actually," Dai replied while rubbing the back of his neck, which prompted Naruto to approach them. The farmer then gestured to the wagon and the pair of ox waiting patiently to move. "The spokes on the back wheel have split all the way down the middle and the weight of the entire cart is now leaning to the left. We have to try and hoist it up so that we can get a replacement fitted, otherwise we're not going anywhere."
"No problem," Naruto chirped as he rolled up his right sleeve, walking past Dai and up to the large carriage. "I can lift this cart for you guys. Just be ready with the new wheel as soon as I get it off the ground.
While the other two farmers gathered by the side of the busted carrier backed away cautiously when the boy stood by them, the observing Dai stared at the kid as if he were crazy. "Come on, son. Be serious now. While we appreciate you stepping up to help us, that whole cart and its cargo weighs over two tons. That's about as much as a small rhino. It'll take about ten men to-" He was then effectively cut off when he suddenly saw Naruto lean over, grip the bottom with one hand and dead lift the entire left side of the wagon off the floor with barely a grunt. The child then stood there staring at the men now gaping at him with saucers for eyes, with the head farmer blinking in disbelief. "…lift it."
After about several seconds of standing there, Naruto then nodded to the wagon he was holding up. "Come on guys… aren't you going to fix it?" he asked, his voice cheerful and not sounding strained in the slightest. As soon as he said this the three farmers immediately got to work, hurriedly bringing up the tools and the replacement wheel, and beginning to remove the broken one. It took about two minutes of scurrying about and removing the bolts, but once the switch had been made and all the screws were back in place, Naruto was then allowed to set the wagon back down.
Soon the cart was as good as new and ready to roll, and once it was pulled back onto the main road, the farmer charged with driving it was soon able to go on his way.
"Thanks a lot, kid. I owe you one," the bald workman called back as the ox proceeded to drag the wagon down the road and towards the village.
With the group on the side of the road waving the field man off, Dai then glanced down at the blond standing beside him with a greater sense of reverence. After looking him and his shoulder-riding fox-companion over, he then faced the orphan with a grin.
"That was a fine thing you did back there, lad," the man in the straw hat exclaimed while his neighbor also looked at the blond with a grateful smile. "Honestly, I never expected you to be that strong."
Naruto beamed back at the man and shrugged, "What can I say? I bench press a lot of boulders."
His response had Dai let out a hearty laugh. "After what I'd just seen, that's gotta be true." He then looked the blond over observantly. "I take it you're training to be a ninja then?"
"Uh-huh," Naruto replied with a brisk nod, at the same time reaching up with his hand to rub the white fox under the chin. "I'm only in my first year at school though, but I'm doing my best to learn everything I can and get ahead of the others."
"Well, you're certainly no slouch in the muscle department. There's no doubt about that," Dai remarked, before then reaching up to tip his straw hat to the youngster. "Thanks for the help, kid… and I wish you the best of luck. You're going to need it."
"Yeah. You too," Naruto replied, giving the two farmers a friendly wave as they collected their tools and started making their way down the road and back to where they'd come from. Seeing the pair shrink into the distance about a minute later, the blond took a deep, relieving breath and glanced across at the white vixen resting on his limb, whom he could see was also following the two men curiously with her gaze. "So… should we get going now?"
Receiving a smile from her as his answer, the young blond then began making his way back to the village, deciding to skip on morning training this one time in favor of an early breakfast…
OOO
(Half an hour later)
"How about… Silver?"
'Bark!'
"Mia?"
'Bark!'
"Kai? Spelled with 'Ai'?"
'Bark!'
"Uhh… Tia?"
'Bark!'
Shortly after leaving the farmlands behind, Naruto soon found himself in Konoha's famous 'Ichiraku's Ramen' enjoying a nice hot bowl of rice porridge with a side of bacon, while his white vixen companion sat in the empty seat next to him and helped herself to a plate of assorted meats. The owners of the shop, Teuchi and Ayame, who'd come to know Naruto over the last year as one of their most frequent customers to their store, stood on the other side of the counter listening in amusement as the blond orphan went through a list of potential names for his newfound animal friend.
Needless to say, their little display was proving to be a very entertaining procedure, as they listened to a visibly struggling Naruto come up with all the short pet names he could think of, while the female fox promptly shot each and every one of them down. He'd even borrowed a small flip book from the father and daughter duo to cross off all the potential pet names he'd already managed to come up with.
So far he'd gone through three pages of the notepad and none of the names had even passed the approval stage. In fact, from the defiant look currently on the fox's face, the little kitsune wasn't making it easy on him at all.
Scratching his chin with the end of his chopsticks, a miffed Naruto thought for a few seconds before then grinning and pointing across at the fox. "Shay?"
The vixen shook her head. 'Bark!'
Naruto narrowed his eyes, "Maya?"
Another head shake. 'Bark!'
Groaning as he then rapped his head for a better pet name, the blond snapped his fingers and pointed triumphantly at the mammal. "I know. Skyla! It's cool, it's short, and it's easy to remember. What do you think?"
The white fox seemed to consider his suggestion and, for a moment, it looked like he'd finally struck gold. But then, a few short seconds later, the fox once again shook her head. 'Bark!'
This had Naruto give a growl of annoyance and slam his head on the counter desk, drawing a laugh of amusement from the store owners watching from the kitchen area.
"Come on, Naruto-kun. Don't give up yet. Keep going," Ayame giggled as she went about wiping down the oil-covered counter directly in front of the blond. "I'm sure you'll get it eventually."
"But she's just being so damn picky," Naruto replied while gesturing to the fox, who he could see was watching and waiting patiently for him to come up with an appropriate name for her. Staring at her for a moment, the boy in the vest and scarf then sighed and, scribbling a couple more names on the sheet, then dropped his pen in defeat. "Forget this. I'll just call her 'Dog' and be done with it-OW!" He was promptly cut off when the vixen next to him lunged forward and bit him lightly on the hand, causing him to look at the teeth grooves in his palm before glaring back at her. "Hey! What was that for?"
Teuchi, having seen what happened, couldn't help but chuckle and cross his arms. "I don't think she likes that name very much, kid."
"Naah… ya think?" Naruto hissed, before licking the wound. When he looked back at the fox to see her frowning at him, the blonde's temper quickly vanished and he gave the animal an apologetic look. "Okay. I'm sorry." When he heard her yip back a 'me too' immediately afterwards, the orphan then saw the fox suddenly hop up on the table and walk over to the notebook.
Naruto, Teuchi and Ayame then proceeded to look on as the fox glanced over the notebook in front of the blond. After a quick scan of the sheet, they then saw her reach forward with her paw and, with a single toe nail, scratch two of the hiragana out: ta and ma. She then hopped back onto her seat and looked up at the whisker-marked youngster, whom glanced between her and the notebook for a moment before quickly putting two and two together.
"Ta… ma?" Naruto whispered to himself a couple of times, upon which he glanced back at the fox in surprise. "Tama? Is that want your name is?" As soon as he asked this he heard the fox bark and wave her long tail behind her happily, which in turn put a grin on the blonde's face. "Ha-ha! Great! That's great! Tama it is!"
Having watched how the puzzle was promptly solved, the two shop owners spared a momentarily glance at one another before the gorgeous Ayame looked across at the snowy vixen in amazement. "She's one really smart fox. Did you teach her how to do that, Naruto-kun?"
"No. I didn't," the blond laughed, handing the notebook back over to Teuchi, thanking him and turning back to his breakfast. At the same time his now newly named fox friend could be seen eating happily from her food bowl. "I've only been with her for a month and she's already done some incredible things. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she has anymore tricks hidden up her sleeve." He then reached over and gave Tama a gentle pat on the head, moments before returning to his own meal. "But hey… that's one more problem out of the way."
It was then the brown haired Ayame gave the blond a warm smile, as she could see how bright and happy he was at that very moment, "You just take good care of her, okay, Naruto-kun."
The young orphan nodded as he picked up another spoonful of porridge. "Don't worry. I will. You can count on it." He then dove back into his meal with a satisfied smile on his face.
What a month.
TO BE CONTINUED…
