A/N: To answer a guest reviewer's question about Sasuke having fangirls: I haven't really decided yet. Maybe when get older but I'm still thinking about it. I'm leaning more towards no just because he's extremely anti-social.

Chapter 3

The next few days past rather smoothly. Sasuke was allowed to go to school with Sakura and the bullying seemed to stop. Mebuki had made Sakura promise to tell her if she was still getting bullied.

Sakura laughed, "Don't worry mommy Sasuke chases them all away."

When her husband wasn't looking she spoke with Sasuke. "Thank you for looking after my daughter," she whispered to him. Sasuke looked at her with a blank look and shrugged. Mebuki giggled slightly and ruffled his hair. He grumbled a little and shook his head messing up his hair even more. Sasuke wasn't a fan of touching and physical contact, but he still let Sakura pet and hug him with no complaints. At times he even seemed to enjoy it.

At school the group of bullies still occasionally poked fun at Sakura and made some snarky comments about Sasuke's collar. "It's so cute. He's like your puppy always following you around," they would tease. Sakura frowned at the rather bulky looking contraption. She didn't think it was necessary, but there was no way she could convince her parents to remove it.

"I don't care what they say. Don't let it bother you," he said when he saw her frowning at the collar.

After their comments didn't get the reaction they wanted the bullies began to back off. With those kids finally giving them some space Sakura began to truly enjoy school. She even began to meet some of the other kids. Sakura seemed to blend in well with the other children but Sasuke still rather anti-social.

But no matter how many people Sakura interacted with she always preferred to spend time with Sasuke.

Over the past few days Sasuke has been getting rather fidgety. It was getting closer and closer to the night of the full moon. At first he was rather depressed, this would be the first full moon since the massacre. The full moon was always a thing that his family had celebrated.

He always had a great time running around and playing with his family in the forest. That night would be another painful reminder of the family that he lost, but he would try to make the most of it. He was rather young to be hunting, especially on his own. Maybe he could convince Sakura to play with him.

The day of the full moon was a Sunday, so Sasuke and Sakura spent most of the day playing in the backyard. Sasuke had so much pent up energy it was difficult for him to keep still. Sakura had offered to play tag with him to help him run off some of his excess energy.

Sasuke was a lot faster than she was but they had a lot of fun anyway. He would run circles around her, cutting off her escape paths, before he would actually tag her. And when it was her turn to chase he would slow down to let her catch up.

It was Sakura's turn to be 'it'. She laughed as she pumped her legs to try to catch up to her friend who would occasionally look back at her with a small smirk on his face. With a burst of speed she closed the distance between then and caught onto his shirt.

Sasuke wasn't expecting her to suddenly catch up to him and stumbled when she pulled on his shirt. Her forward momentum and his lack of balance caused the two of them to tumble to the ground. They lay in a jumbled pile with Sasuke laying on his stomach and Sakura laying across his back. After a catching their breath the two of them began to laugh. Sasuke hadn't felt this happy since before the hunt that killed his family.

Their game was interrupted by the backdoor opening and three adults entered the backyard. Two of which were Sakura's mother and Tsunade. The other person was a rather tall pale man with greasy looking long black hair and gold eyes.

"Mommy! Aunty!" Sakura jumped up and ran over to her mother and aunt. Sasuke lingered behind, dusting the pieces of grass off his clothes. He watched as Sakura gave her mother a hug before attaching herself to her favorite aunt. His inspected the stranger cautiously before slowly approaching them.

"Hello Sasuke. How have you been?" Tsunade asked kindly.

"Fine," he answered with a shrug.

"So this is the boy?"

Sasuke looked at the man who had spoken. As they locked eyes, Sasuke felt a cold shiver travel down the length of his spine. Instinctively he took a step towards Sakura and tried to block her from the strange man's sight. He had a bad feeling about him, they would need to be cautious.

"This is Orochimaru," Tsunade introduced, "He works with me in the hospital. He specializes in medicines and diverse healing methods." Sasuke nodded in a greeting, his face remaining blank. Sakura on the other hand greeted him with a friendly wave and a smile. The two doctors were dressed in their casual clothes rather than their hospital getups.

Orochimaru returned her smile and reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a rather large needle. "If you don't mind, we're here for a blood sample." Sasuke stiffened a little and took a tentative step away from them. He stopped his retreat when he felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Mebuki standing behind him.

She kneeled down and whispered quietly into his ear, "Don't be scared. It's just going to be a slight prick then it will be all over." Over the past few days Sasuke was beginning to trust Mebuki. After the incident at school, she started to be nicer to him. She spoke to him about his likes and dislikes to try to make him feel more comfortable in their home. They even began to hold their own conversations even when Sakura wasn't around.

With some slight hesitation, Sasuke held out his arm for the doctor. He winced slightly as the needle pierced his skin. Sasuke and Sakura watched in amazement as Sasuke's blood began flooding into the needle. When the syringe was filled Orochimaru gently pulled the needle out and capped it.

Sasuke lifted his arm that was bleeding slightly and sniffed at it curiously. Tsunade quickly slapped a bandage on the bubble of blood to prevent him getting it on his clothes and to stop the bleeding.

"Good boy," Orochimaru patted his head. Sasuke growled and glared at him. The doctor smirked at him and pocketed the needle before turning around and headed back towards the house.

"Are you excited for tonight?" Tsunade asked him. For the first time since she met him, Tsunade saw him smile. "Well, of course you are!"

Sakura grasped her aunt's hand and swung it between them playfully. "I am too. We're going to go play in the forest!"

Tsunade laughed while Mebuki paled. She and her husband were disguising what they were going to do with Sasuke tonight, and letting her daughter near him was definitely not one of the options.

Tsunade and Orochimaru hung around the house for a little while longer and the two kids went back to playing. They had some important matters to discuss and it would be better if Sakura and Sasuke weren't around to hear them.

"So what? Do you expect us to stay up and watch him the whole night?" Kizashi asked. He had joined the two doctors and his wife in their living room.

Tsunade shook her head, "We'll have more hunters positioned around the area. They were told not to shoot only if he shows signs of aggression." She didn't think that the needed anyone at all. But no one else shared her confidence and refused to let him wander around unchecked.

"What if he runs off?" Orochimaru questioned.

"If he runs he gets a bullet to the back. It's that simple," Kizashi replied.


It was getting close to sunset and Mebuki was calling for the kids. After a little coaxing they abandoned their game and ran back toward the house.

"Is it dinner time already?" Sakura asked.

"Soon, but there's something we're going to show you first," Mebuki said as her husband came to stand near her. The two of them were taken to the now completely renovated workhouse that would act as Sasuke's room.

Kizashi unlocked the door from the outside and pushed it open allowing Sasuke to walk in first. Inside was a single bed and a small dresser that was already filled with his clothes. There was still an open space that was going to be filled with a desk and chair in the near future. They had added a carpet that covered the entire floor except for a small space in front of the door to leave his shoes. The room also had two glass windows that lifted up to let the breeze in. One window faced towards the main house while the other faced away giving him a good view of the forest.

Sasuke was shocked. He wasn't expecting for them to go through so much trouble for him. He walked around the room curiously before turning to them and bowing, "Thank you."

Kizashi looked indifferent and Mebuki smiled warmly at him. While Sasuke continued to explore his room the Haruno family stepped out and headed back to their house.

"Make sure to come in for dinner," Sakura said with a huge grin on her face. Sasuke looked really happy with his new living area, and that made her happy. Kizashi shut the door with a click. While Mebuki led their daughter back to the house he pulled a key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock on the door. There was no way he was going to allow that animal to run around free no matter what anyone said. Those creatures couldn't be trusted, especially on a full moon.

While Kizashi had a triumphant smirk on his face, Mebuki looked back at the small cabin with a sad expression. They only thing they knew is that on the night of a full moon the wolves were always active. Who knows how he would act. Would he lose his humanity and become a beast? Would he become feral like all the other wolves she had come across in the past? What would happen to the boy she was slowly getting to know? When her husband told her he was going to lock him up she didn't object. Her family's safety came before everything else.


After thoroughly exploring his new room Sasuke collapsed onto his bed. He laid face down for a moment, enjoying the softness. His life was finally taking a turn for the better.

As the sun sank below the horizon Sasuke could feel the energy building up in his body. He jumped up excitedly from the bed and made his way to the door. He tried to turn the knob and tilted his head in confusion when it didn't open. After jiggling the knob a few more times he realized that they had locked him inside.

He moved to the window but it was closed shut too. The lock was placed above the glass pane that would slide up when unlocked, out of his reach. Sasuke could feel the anxiety building as he paced around the room. He was being forced to spend the entire night stuck in this tiny room. What kind of sick torture was this?!

Sasuke didn't need to see he moon to know it was already shining high in the night sky. His heart began to beat rapidly in his chest as the transformation approached. He needed to get outside now! He threw his shoulder against the locked door in a desperate attempt to escape. The door rattled from the impact but didn't budge.

He breathed heavily and tore off his shirt, throwing it to the floor. The rest of his clothes followed as his body morphed into that of a wolf cub. He crouched down as his bones cracked and reshaped themselves. Fangs and claws grew in as black fur covered the entire length of his body.

He was larger than the average wolf cub but he still maintained a puppy-like appearance with a small muzzle and large paws that were slightly too big for his body. Sasuke's coat was completely black, the same shade as his hair. His eyes changed from their normal grey to the same shade of red that appeared when he was upset.

Sasuke took only moments to fully transform. He shook himself and flexed his muscles once the change was complete. Now that he was a wolf opening that door would be impossible. He growled angrily as he ran around the room aimlessly. He had to get out.


The moon was out and Sakura was getting ready to go out and put on her jacket. She was so excited to go see what Sasuke looked like as a wolf. She had seen his tail once and when she asked him if she could see it again he had told her it was rather embarrassing. She was disappointed but she refrained from asking him again.

While she ate dinner with her parents she questioned them about Sasuke's whereabouts. They had told her not to worry about him and that he was probably too excited about tonight.

"What are you doing?" Kizashi asked when he saw Sakura pulling on her jacket.

"I'm going to go play with Sasuke," she said cheerily. Kizashi's eyes widened and quickly shut the door that she was trying to open.

"It's time for bed. You can see him tomorrow." Kizashi didn't want his daughter anywhere near at kid, especially tonight.

"But I promised him that I would play with him."

Kizashi sighed exasperatedly, his daughter just didn't understand. No matter how many times he or his wife would try to explain the dangers of getting close to that boy she would shake off their warnings and continue to spend more and more time with the little beast.

A sad howl pierced the night air.

"You hear that?" Kizashi asked, "He's not human Sakura, he's a monster. You need to learn that he's different from you." His voice was stern and harsh. He needed his daughter to understand that Sasuke was very likely to turn on her.

Sakura turned to her dad and glared at him. "I do understand!" she shouted. "You're the one that doesn't get it. Sasuke treats me better than anyone else I ever met, and they're all humans." Her cheeks became flushed and red and her eyes began to water. "I know we're different. If that means that I can't be friends with him then I don't want to be a human, I would rather be a monster too!"

She turned around and ran into her room and slammed the door, leaving behind a stunned Kizashi. She jumped onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow. She knew that her parents worried about her but to her their fear was irrational. She could never see Sasuke attacking her, no matter what form he was in.

There was another howl. Why did he sound so sad and upset? When he was telling her about all the fun he used to have during the full moon he seemed so excited. Maybe he was sad because she was breaking her promise.

She quickly jumped off her bed and moved to her window. Her father wouldn't let her out of the house so she would have to sneak out.

Sakura quietly made her way to the edge of the forest. Sasuke had a good nose so he should be able to find her with no problem.

The sound of shattering glass made her jump. The window of Sasuke's new place was broken and a dark shadow stood amongst the glass shards. Her house door was thrown open and light spilled into the backyard. With the yard now slightly illuminated Sakura got her first glimpse of Sasuke in his wolf form. Before her stood a wolf cub that was about the same height as a medium sized dog. She stared curiously at him for a few moments before they were interrupted.

"Get away from her!"

Two gun shots were fired. The wolf ducked as one of the bullets whizzed past his ear. With one last look at the startled girl in front of him he took off into the forest.

"Wait come back!" she shouted and started to run after the wolf. Her parents frantic yelled made her pause and look back. Her mother was franticly trying to coax her back into the safety of her house and her father was holding onto his rifle to tightly that his knuckles were white. His old leg injury kept him from getting very far without his cane.

Part of her wanted to go back with her parents, but another part wanted to go after Sasuke. He was all alone now, and she promised to be there for him whenever she could. She wouldn't abandon him now especially after she promised him.

With a wave and a smile she took off into the forest.


She trampled around the forest looking for any signs of her friend. The moon provided enough light for her to see but was still a little scary. The light also created huge shadows that who knows what could be hiding.

"Sasuke!" she called, hoping to get some kind of response. She frowned when the only response she received were chirping crickets.

Finally after wondering deeper into the forest she heard rusting leaves coming from behind her. Sakura spun around with a huge smile on her face expecting her friend to finally show himself. Her smile fell when a raggedy looking dog stepped out of the bush. It was larger than Sasuke and had long yellowing canines. Its matted brown fur was caked with mud.

Sakura whimpered and began to backpedal as the dog approached her with an ugly snarl. Her courage spent, she turned around and bolted. The dog excitedly gave chase, its mouth beginning to foam at the thought of fresh meat.

She tore through the underbrush as she tried to escape. Twigs snagged her clothes and scratched her skin. The dog began to bark and snap at her heels as she ran.

Sakura picked up speed, desperate to escape the rabid animal that was chasing her. In her haste, her foot caught on a large root that jutted out of the ground. She landed on the ground with a dull thud. Ignoring the pain from the impact she quickly turned herself around to see the dog directly in front of her.

The dog prowled towards her snarling loudly, with saliva dripping from its jaws. Sakura let out a frightened scream as the dog lunged at her.

A black blur burst from the bushes and collided with the dog knocking it away from her. Sakura watched in amazement as Sasuke sunk his fangs in the dogs shoulder.

Sasuke was forced to let go as the dog whirled around and lunged at him. The two beasts snarled and snapped at each other. The dog managed to nick Sasuke's muzzle, drawing blood. They threw themselves at each other and became a tumbling mass of fur and limbs.

The dog's angry barks turned into pained cries when Sasuke finally got a good bite in. His jaws closed tightly on the dog's back leg. Fangs easily pierced the canine's skin and blood flooded into his mouth. Ignoring the coppery taste, Sasuke bit down harder. The forest was ringing with the dogs yelps as Sasuke tore into its leg.

If given the chance Sasuke would have probably broken its leg if it hadn't gone on the offensive in a desperate attempt to dislodge him. The dog twisted its body to get and Sasuke and lunged at him again.

This time the dog's jaws closed on his ear. The sudden pain caused him to release his grasp on the dog's leg. The two of them broke apart and glared at each other. Sasuke made sure to stand protectively in front of Sakura.

They were both covered in blood. Sasuke had only a few minor cuts and most of the blood on his fur had come from the other dog. The other animal was in a much worse condition. Its entire back leg was slick with blood that was still flowing from the deep gouges caused by Sasuke's fangs.

Sasuke's ears lay flat against his skull and he raised his lips to expose canines that still had blood clinging to them. The fur along his shoulders and back stood on end and his tail was fluffed out. Not wanting to fight anymore the dog lowered its head and tucked its tail between its legs. Not looking to kill the other animal, Sasuke watched as the dog limped away and disappeared back into the shadows of the forest.

After waiting for the dogs retreating footsteps to disappear, Sasuke finally turned to look at the crazy girl who had followed him into the forest. Sakura had watched the whole fight from where she had fallen and hadn't moved and inch.

Sakura was still too stunned to move. Everything had happened so quickly. It was hard to believe that the soft-spoken boy was the same thing that attacked the dog so viciously. She was scared. She knew what he was and it didn't bother her until now. Whenever she thought of Sasuke she imagined the little boy that occasionally had a wolf tail, nothing close to what she just witnessed. But he had done what he had to do in order to save her.

Sasuke stayed where he was unsure of how to approach her. She looked like she was about to run away again; he didn't want to scare her.

He crouched low to the ground and pressed his ears to the top of his head. He crawled along the ground slowly until he was directly in front of her.

Sakura tentatively reached forward and rested her hand on his head. When he didn't move she began to gently pet him.

Sasuke closed his eyes in happiness as his tail began to swish back and forth. As she got more confident Sakura began to stroke him a bit harder and scratched behind his ears. She smiled at him, all trepidation form earlier had disappeared. How could she ever be afraid of him?

He could tell by her more confident strokes that Sakura's fear was fading away. Now that he didn't need to worry about startling her, he sat up and licked her face.

"Ewww!" Sakura laughed. She pushed his muzzle away with one hand and wiped the saliva that clung to her face with the other. Sasuke backed off for a second and cocked his head to the side as she continued to wipe her face.

Sakura giggled as the got the last remnants of slobber off of her face. Now that she was clean, she looked at Sasuke who was patiently watching her.

Sasuke suddenly pounced, knocking her back to the ground and covered her face in playful licks. Sakura began howling with laughter as she tried to push him away and cover her face at the same time.

That was the scene that Sakura's parents and two accompanying hunters came across.

Sakura was lying on the grass laughing so hard that tears gathered in the corners of her eyes with a black wolf cub on top of her. The wolf's tail was swishing rapidly through the air as he repeatedly licked the girl he was sitting on top of.

"Sakura?!" Mebuki shouted worriedly. The Kizashi had left his rifle back at the house due to the fact that he needed one hand to use his cane and there was no way he could trek through the forest without it. The two hunters lifted their guns and pointed at the two figures, just as a precaution.

Sasuke stopped his assault and looked up. He had heard them approaching before they had actually appeared but he didn't really care about them at the moment. But the two guns pointed at him made him nervous. The fur along his shoulders stood on end, as he took a few slow steps off the still giggling girl.

Wiping the slobber of her face, Sakura sat up and looked curiously over her shoulder. A smile split across her face at the sight of her parents. "Hi mommy, daddy!" she waved innocently at them, completely forgetting that she wasn't supposed to be out at night.

"Sakura? Are you okay?" Mebuki asked tentatively. This was definitely not what they were expecting when they chased Sakura into the forest.

"Of course!" she smiled, "I got lost at first and some scary doggy chased me, but Sasuke saved me." Sakura leaned forward and scratched behind Sasuke's ear.

Sasuke's tail began to wag as Sakura continued to shower him with affection.

While Sakura's father and the other two hunters looked on with raised eyebrows and expressions of disbelief, Sakura's mother sighed heavily and let out a small smile.

No one made a move to raise their weapons when Sasuke knocked Saukra over began to lick her face again. The forest seemed much less scary when it was filled with her hysterical laughter.