Call of the Hunt

I don't own Naruto, Werewolf: The Forsaken or anything connected with World of Darkness.

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"English"

'Thoughts'

(Spirit's Talking)

"Japanese"

o!o Scene change

/?/ Different point of view

/VV Flash back

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Chapter 3

He nods thoughtfully as Nido asks for permission to leave, to return to his hunting grounds in Hisil. He watches as his eldest son far'huf back into Hisil. He can only guess what master his children were serving, but he knows that in the end, it doesn't matter since all his children and their's were his, that their vows to him had more pull over any they've recently made with another lord or two.

Dawn approaches and he gets up off the roof, he heads back to where his fleshy lair lies fast asleep. He knows that soon he'll have to deal with Naruto, if only to create a working relationship to the pup. He snorts softly as he muses privately to himself as he re-enters into his lair within Naruto's belly. 'If this world doesn't suffice, then I'll find away back to Naruto's birth world and set up territory there. Besides, I still have unfinished business there and one mustn't let it go too long unattended after all.'

/?/Naruto

He watches as Kim frowns at the paint stains on her fingers after a hard hour of attempting to paint a picture of a bowl of fruit. Unlike Kim, he's English was better then her Japanese, though he's still having some trouble writing it. But he admits, English was so much easier to use as a written language then to writing in Kanji, formal or otherwise.

There were only twenty-six letters instead of hundreds and hundreds of characters meaning something similar but different. While remembering the letters were easy, it was much harder to remember how to arrange them to form words. But he was slowly getting the hang of it though he does get confused with similarly sounding words like 'Their' and 'There.' One means belonging to somebody while the other one means a destination or a point of reference.

A highly motivating reason why he's pushing himself in his studies was so he can learn how to work a computer. He's seen Kim's lap top and he just itched to give it a try, especially to check out this internet that suppose to help you find tons of information. Sure he's a bit interested in this games Kim talks about, but mostly it's the information he's interested in.

"Why paint?" He asks, he knows from Kim's look that he said that wrong. "You mean, why am I painting?" Kim says and he nods, Kim looks slightly amused, from what he can tell, Kim seemed to find his attempts at speaking proper English cute and enduring. "I promised my mom that I'd work on my artistic ability." Kim says to him, he shrugs before returning to his task.

"So, what are you're parents like?" Kim asks, he jerks slightly. "Don't know. Nobody wants me to know about them." He answers, hoping he got most of the grammar right. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Kim says as soon as Kim heard. "I'm guessing orphan, huh?" Kim says after a few minutes. He nods once he remembers the English word for orphan sounded like.

There was awkwardness between them until Kim's aunt Nancy comes into the back to check on them. Nancy glances between them before the elderly lady decided that they had enough and that he can work the front counter, which he was glad to do since he's currently not feeling comfortable right now because of Kim's inquiries. It really didn't help that it brought up a slew of memories of him watching families at the park when he was younger.

Even now, those wounds were still fresh, still raw. While sitting at the counter, his mind wasn't really where he was at that moment of time, but going through his memories of Hidden Leaf. He understands that in a way, he's better off in this city as none around here seem to single him out like what the villagers and some of the ninja do. Here he can understand why people see him as different and that it doesn't really affect his relationships with shop owners and other such people.

While he's not really sure if he's a monster or not, he does know that it's not natural for one to alter one's shape to the degree he seems to be able to do. He remembers the blood on the grass surrounding his form when he first woke, that smell while different, seem to be related to him somehow. Which in the end means that there are more like him and that, hopefully, when he comes mean up with one of his own, they're friendly.

He's snapped out of his thoughts as he hears his name being called by Kim. "Yo, Naruto? Earth to Naruto." He blinks as he turns to the brunet with hazel eyes. "Kim?" He says and Kim smiles rudely at him. "About time you responded! It took eight tries to get your attention." Kim says mockingly. "Just thinking." He admits. "I can see that. So, you want to go clothes shopping with us or not?" Kim asks him. He blinks in confusion, not sure if he understood what Kim's offering him.

"You want me to go?" He asks her and Kim nods. "You've been wearing the same thing since we met. Either you really like those cloths or you just don't know what to look for." Kim says and he smiles nervously at that. "I don't got enough money on me to get anything." He says. "So we'll pay for it." Kim says dismissingly. He frowns before saying, "I got money, just don't carry it on me." He tries again and Kim's eyes light up. "Sorry, I didn't mean… ah shit." Kim says and he just looks at Kim in confusion, not understanding why Kim's so flustered.

"I guess we can stop off at your place so you can pick up what you need. I'll just go and tell aunty that we'll met her at the Shack." Kim says and he watches as she hurries into the back, he wonders if he's missing something here, but decides that for now, he doesn't want to ask Kim what's wrong. He doesn't want to alienate her, especially since she is one of the two people around that have hints of that scent he found in common with those pools of blood back when he first woke up.

o!o

"You live here?" Kim asks with a hint of fear and uncertainty. "I do." He replies. "But it's haunted!" Kim hisses, he glances at her, surprised to find out that people had known about the spirits that once called the ruined house home. "I chased them out." He says with a shrug and then heads to the front door; it takes a few seconds before Kim follows him into the building.

He heads to his room as Kim attempts to stay within two feet of him as they walk through the house. He can smell her fear but he didn't know how to reassure her since he's never had anyone other then the Third take time out to comfort him. It's not long before they make it to the room he's claimed as his bedroom. He turns on the lamp, which almost causes Kim to leap away from him.

"Don't do that!" Kim hisses at him in a low voice. "Nobody's here." He says calmly. "There's ghosts!" Kim counters and he turns around to stare at her. "I chased them out." He repeats. "You can't chance ghosts out of a haunted building! They're bounded to this place until they've fulfilled their final purposes." Kim tells him, he once more just stares at her in puzzlement.

'They haven't returned since I speared that spirit in the head. Sure, they're none to pleased with me, but then, I get the feeling that even if I had just asked for them to leave they would have put up a fight. Be sides, I haven't done nothing to those other spirits and they were hell bend on killing me.' He thinks to himself, he turns away as he retrieves a roll of bills. He pockets them and says, "I drove the spirits out. They haven't returned since." He hopes that came out right, he's still new at this language after all.

Kim frowns slightly before she asks, "Just how long have you been living here?" He replies, "A good two weeks, I was living here for about a day before I first met you." Kim blinks and seems to be stunned by that revelation. "Really?" Kim says softly and he nods, he can tell this seems to calm Kim's fears as well as her muscles; she doesn't look as stiff as when she first entered into the house with him.

Soon they're heading off to the store that Kim promised her aunt that they'd meant at. They didn't talk, mostly because Kim's deep in thought and he doesn't know the right way to ask things that he's curious about. As they began down a semi deserted street, his hackles were raised as he gets the feeling that they're not alone.

Kim seems to sense this as he stops. He begins to sniff the air, scan around to not only pick something up with his eyes, but also in hopes of hearing something. Mist begins to roll in, scent of water, pissed, and sewage becomes pungent. Kim comes up to his back; he can tell she's fearful of what's happening around them.

"What's going on?" Kim asks in a really low voice, he feels pity for Kim since he can tell she's frightened beyond belief. "They've finally decided to make their move. You might want to back up, Kim. I don't think you'll be comfortable with what I'm about to do." He says to the eleven year old turning twelve year old on August tenth, which was quiet a few weeks away. "What are you going to do?" Kim asks, clearly not going to budge, so he walks forward a few steps and then feels his body undergo the familiar change into that wolfish looking human body.

Kim gasps, but by then, the spirits were already charging out of the open man holes. He counts about five pollution spirits, three hate filled spirits, and about eight spirits that appear to be enraged vermin spirits. While he wishes he had a weapon, something long and preferably sharp, he would have even made deal of something short and blunt if only to have something to use besides his fists to inflict injuries with.

Though vastly out numbered, he doesn't back down, knowing instinctively that wouldn't help his situation, let alone would it spare Kim from their fury. He goes straight for one of the pollution spirits; howl escapes him as he lashes his fury at the attacking spirit. The other spirits let loose their own war cries as they attack him in turn.

/?/Kyuubi

He growls as he realises what's going on, while Naruto wasn't aware of the vast horde creeping up from the surrounding area, he knew that if he didn't act quickly, the pup would be a corpse soon. So he charges forth out of his lair, allowing all of his killing lust out in waves, causing more then a few spirits to freeze up. As he stands tall, not at his true height though since that's well over a hundred miles in the air, just as tall as those buildings around him with his nine tails weaving a pattern above the spirits' heads.

(The pups belong to me!) He growls out in the First Tongue before squishing the spirits attempting to go for the female pup. The spirits try to flee but he'd have none of it and as Naruto stares up at him with disbelief in his eyes, he leaves none alive. He feasts on their essence, something that Naruto had done to the few he's killed.

Once that's done, he glances down at Naruto, their eyes met before he once more heads back to his den within Naruto's belly. He sighs mentally, knowing that the sooner he confronts Naruto about why he's living within him, the less amount of time for Naruto to come up with wilder conclusions and become too stubborn to listen to him. He'll also have to come up with some bans to impose on Naruto when they make a pact to work together. He couldn't do anything too harmony breaking, preferly something that Naruto would do anyways without the ban in place.

/?/Naruto

He couldn't believe what he just saw, let alone what he just finished hearing. 'But I thought the Fourth killed him!' This thought continues to go through his head, keeping him from figuring out that he's still in his more then human body.

"Naruto? Are you ok?" Kim asks him, he turns to look over at her before nodding slightly. "Good, now if you don't mind, could you maybe, I don't know, transform back into a human?" Kim says and he glances down at his current form before he feels sheepish and slightly stupid for now transforming back as soon as the fox appeared.

Once more in what is his birth form, he looks guiltily at Kim, not sure what to say. Kim also seems to be just as uncertain as him about what to do or say. "Shouldn't we keep going? I mean, your aunt is waiting for us." He says softly and Kim nods, looking more confident now that they have a goal to achieve. "Right." Kim says and then she takes the lead, though for some unknown reason, the fact she doesn't try to avoid being close to him makes him feel a whole lot better. He's glad that she's not trying to flee from him nor is she asking tons of questions about what he was and about everything that just happened in the last few minutes. His hopes of her accepting him burns brightly in him, seeing that she has the ability to become what he is if he reads her scent right.

o!o

He bought some socks, a pair of runners, three pairs of shorts, two pairs of jeans, an orange hoodie, two long sleeve shirts, five underwear garments, another vest, a wind breaker, eight T-shirts, swim trunks, an alert clock, a watch, a trunk, and finally, a cooler for him to store bottles of water in. Nancy also showed him where the laundry mats are, so he can wash his cloths when they get too dirty. He had more then enough to pay for his items, he also learnt about what kind of currency was used and about how to tell the bills apart as well.

He wasn't the only one to buy stuff, just the only one to buy a lot of stuff. Kim got a tank top and a pair of shades while Nancy bought some cleaning products as well as a few movies. Nancy was going grocery shopping later, after they split up. With a departing glance in Kim's direction, he heads off carrying his trunk that's filled with his purchases.

/?/Kim

She watches the blonde head off, it was odd, but for a few minutes, she wished that Naruto was still with them. She didn't understand it but she felt safe with the blonde boy who's her own age, even though he's a werewolf and every horror film says their savage beasts that are hell bend on killing humans and howling at the full moon. 'But he did try to protect me from those… things, does that make him evil just because he's able to change his form? He did warn me and even put some space between us before transforming into that more humanish wolf body. Why couldn't those things just hold off attacking us until he's off on his own?' She thinks to herself, not sure what to make of the world at this moment, it's as if everything she knew was just some kind of skin hiding something more…

"So, what happened from when you left the store to arriving at the Shack?" Her great aunt asks. "I don't think you'd believe me if I told you." She says after a few seconds, they were heading back to the shop to drop off their purchases. They'll be going across the city to get groceries, taking her aunt's hummer. "Try me." Her great aunt says, she looks down at the pavement and kicks it with her right foot.

"We were in this deserted street; it was like something drove everyone off just to set up this trap." She begins and her aunt jerks slightly back, giving her a piercing look. "Wait until we're at the store to continue." Her aunt Nancy says sharply, too sharply in her opinion but she doesn't ask what's the matter.

Once they're in her aunt's room, her aunt motions for her to sit on the bed. She does and Nancy begins to pace. "Let me guess, things appear, things that were nightmare beings that inspire strong emotions, such as rage, fear, maybe even despair?" Her aunt asks and she nods, suddenly wondering how her aunt could know. "Then suddenly, these wolf human hybrids show up and attack these things? On seeing them, you felt an overwhelming desire to flee, to forget what you saw…" Her aunt says, she's kind of confused, but she gathers something like this happened to her great aunt once.

"No pack came, aunty. Naruto… he didn't transform into some kind of hybrid, he lacked a tail among other things. He looked more like a hairy human." She says after a few minutes of silence, that snaps her great aunt out of it. "Naruto transformed? What happened next?" Her aunt asks and she goes on to describe what happened, including the appearance of the nine-tailed fox from within Naruto and how it seemed to re-enter into a dumbfounded Naruto after dealing with the horde of things.

"What do you know about this? You don't seem surprise that something like this could happen." She says to her aunt. "It was eight years ago, you know your second cousin Dustin? Well, I was concerned about him when he began to act strangely during the family reunion at the time; you were just three years old at the time so you don't really remember it very well…"

Her aunt says, trailing off. "Anyway, I got lost and was suddenly attacked by this monstrous rabid raccoon spirit. I managed to hide behind a stand of trees and as it was advancing, about twelve of these … werewolves arrived on the scene and on noticing me in the stand before the werewolves attacked the rabid spirit. I don't know how, but I can still recall their markings, markings so similar to those on the bodies of some of our relatives' bodies. The mark of a talon with a drop of something on one of their bodies, I was still cowering when your mother found me. I tried so hard to forget, but I know, there's more to our family then what we know, Kim. Something also happened to Dustin that summer too, something that had to do with those werewolves." Her aunt takes a breathe and says, "I think there's a strong possibility that you might go through what Dustin went through, something that I think is a well kept family secret, Kim, so well kept that it often proves fatal to those that discover it."

Her head was spinning as she attempts to deny all of this as fantasy, but a deep part of her knows that this could very well alter her destiny. "If what you're saying is true, aunty, then they're going to put me through whatever they put Dustin through when my time comes. We can't do anything about it, besides, why do you think it's something that bad?" She asks and her aunt looks sadly at her. "Dustin was a bit of a hot head, but he often apologies afterwards. He might not have been the kindness boy but he did try to make up for his behaviour. Now he has so much hate in him, you can see a kind of madness and an intense hate just lurking under the surface. He scares me to the depths of my soul." Her great aunt says.

"Naruto, he's not like Dustin, he doesn't have that type of hate; that type of madness installed in him. If what you say is true and this fox spirit defended not just him, but you as well, I want you to follow his path, Kim, not our family's path in this matter. In him, I see an opinion that was denied you Dustin, a way to create your own path in that other world that we don't know of. I don't want to lose you, Kim." Her aunt says and she shifts uncomfortably at the raw emotion that's evident in her aunt's voice. "I don't think this… change will occur this summer. If this is true, then they'll want to keep an eye on me, which means they'll know about this change before I'm aware of this change going to overcome me. I'm only here for the summer!" She says, her aunt smiles mysteriously as she says, "I got a phone call concerning you, I think they just might seeing how fidgety they were when it came to the subject of you acting in a different fashion. I think they might put the correct kind of pressure on your mother for us."

She blinks but doesn't press it, not sure if she wants to know. She heads off to her room to put her new things away before they head off to get groceries, her mind a whirl as to what's been happening in the last few hours. In the end, she can safely say, things weren't ever going to be too boring from now on.