Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and never will.

READ THE BOTTOM WHEN FINISHED. VERY INFORMATIVE!

Chapter Three

The Lure

Four and five were more pleasant years for Sunny, the years of learning and self discovery. He was now able to walk and run without falling all the time, and found that he enjoyed climbing trees and traveling by them, which was a relief for the pack since normally they spent little time on the ground. But since the day they had found Sunny, they had to change most of their lifestyle to accommodate the fragile human infant. They were grateful that Sunny seemed to be evolving quickly since the change when he was three. He was now able to leap from tree to tree, support his own weight, and capture his own food, though his diet only consisted of smaller animals and insects and the occasional human the others caught.

Sunny was about five inches over four feet with long blond hair that no one had decided to cut, and laced in it was large white bird feathers. Adorning his pointed ears were several types of earrings, some were studs they had picked off of human males, and some dangling earrings that he had taken from a female shaman. He also had taken her many necklaces and beads, bracelets and anklets, all of which he wore since she had no longer needed them, being dinner and all.

He enjoyed the way the trinkets felt against his sensitive skin, which was a gentle golden peach. Tkaa had once said that he looked like what humans often called angels, some curious winged human. He always felt a sort of disdain when they mentioned how human he looked. Sure there was an uncanny resemblance between him and humans, but he was sure it would be only a matter of time before he started taking on the characteristics of the pack. Surely they started out looking human too.

At the moment he sat high in a tree, munching agitatedly on peppermint leaves, which he had an obsession with since he could remember. Tsorn often teased him, calling him a cow because he was always chewing on something, which was usually peppermint leaves. After a time Sunny had lost patience with the taunting and simply replied that he didn't want his mouth smelling like a dead animal like his was. Tsorn had beaten him up after that remark, but hadn't called him a cow since.

It seemed that out of the group, he was the only one that bathed regularly, since Krik had taught him how to do it. When he noticed that the others spent little or no time by streams and rivers like he did, he questioned why he was the only one that bathed. Tkaa had stated, in a rather quiet voice, that his flesh had a tendency to gather dirt quickly and give off an odor that alerted prey and was bothersome to their noses. To test this, he stopped bathing for a week until he found himself offensive and went to soak in a pond.

So why was he so different from the others, yet held some characteristics that seemed human? Spayt had once told him that when he was real small, he used to urinate and crap like the humans do when they were terrified, but after this change he supposedly went through, he stopped doing that. If only humans and animals needed to do such things, why had he done them in the first place?

Sunny rubbed red-rimmed eyes and grunted in agitation. He always got testy when it was time for resting, something he hated to do. He'd always make such a big fuss until he managed to sit down and be still. Krik once told him that before the change, he would sleep like the humans would, for hours and hours, Krik said, and that, perhaps why he always became agitated just before resting was because his body remembered that it used to sleep, and no longer could partake of that.

So had he started out human? Why had he suddenly changed?

Brushing some strands of hair out of his face, Sunny took a deep breath and allowed the resting to take hold. Spayt had said that before the change, resting had been dangerous for them, since they were forced to spend more time on the ground due to his clumsiness. When they rested, their bodies relaxed completely, and though they were aware of their surroundings, they were often slow to react to things, or even at all. That's why they spent resting periods high up in thick trees, hidden by foliage. Their brown skin helped them blend in with their wooden habitat, but Sunny was like a beacon, with his gentle golden skin and flowing blond tresses that attracted human and animal alike. So he often chose the tallest, thickest trees to rest in.

Resting only comes once a week, and would last for only about six hours. At first, it was impossible for him to sit still for ten minutes let alone six hours straight. Resting had started out as a miserable ordeal until he could manage to blank his mind or at least occupy it with thoughts that entertained him…for six hours.

Sunny's mouth stopped chewing on his mashed up peppermint leaves and his lids began to feel heavy. He slumped on the branch and became still. Far below him sat a mound of dirt that held a large colony of ants. His eye sight was sharp, and even from the height he was, he could still see the individual insects.

Ants were spicy, and a hassle to eat, and they had a habit of biting him when he attempted to munch on them.

Wonder what it's like…being an ant…

-------------

"Where you guys going?" Sunny asked, curious as to why Krik had suddenly moved them far south from their usual hunting area. He was seven now, three inches taller than when he was five and dying to prove himself and make up for all those years he had been a burden to the pack.

Krik turned and glanced at him. "Soon it will be time to teach you how to hunt bigger animals, and even humans, since you have the talent for the Lure. We're going to scout the area. Stay here and behave."

Sunny grimaced and leaped from one tree to the next, disappearing from view. It was easy for them to marvel at how deceptive Sunny's body was. It seemed the body of a child, soft and thin, with very little muscle. But his fragile legs manage to launch him great distances, and those thin fingers had a grip of steel.

Krik had been relieved when Sunny stopped producing waste, and even more pleased when he had been licking some scratches off Sunny's back, and found that his blood burned his tongue. That was when he had started teaching Sunny how to bathe himself. After the death of that human female healer, they had taken some of its belongings and had stripped the clothing so Sunny could wear them like a loincloth. Sunny had taken to the idea well, and often adorned himself the silly human clothing when they had humans in their possession.

What really intrigued the leader, was the ever growing source that circulated through Sunny's body. He was fascinated with it, could smell the massive potential that lurked within the youth. Krik had once asked him if it bugged him, not to use the source, but Sunny had stated that at times, he would feel stuffed- or stretched, but then it would go away. Krik had sat through a resting to puzzle it out, and arrived with the conclusion that in reality, all the unused source would build up in Sunny's channels, and then the channels would stretch, or become bigger, to accommodate the steady increase. It was obvious that Sunny would soon have to start using the source before he exploded, or something else unfortunate.

But how to teach what he knew little about? Only the Master Demons controlled the source; Lesser ones like he and his pack did not even possess such a thing. But humans did, he had seen the dangerous ones kill each other with it, using strange hand movements and creating such powerful attacks. Sunny had so much of it.

He would have to find some way to teach him.

--------

Teaching Sunny the Lure had proved to be too easy, for the youth had a natural talent for such things. They had originally discovered his talent on the night of a full moon, when the sky was full of its bright light and the stars basked in its glory. Sunny had been acting strange that day, seeming sluggish and lazy. For a time, they had thought he was falling into a resting, but the only strenuous thing he could have possibly done was brawl playfully with Spayt- nothing that could cause an early resting.

"What's the matter Sunny?" Spayt asked the question that even Tsorn was curious to know.

Sunny glanced at him dully, rubbing a pointed ear and heaved a sigh as he followed the pack through the trees.

"Nothing," he replied, then heaved another sigh. "it's nothing really…"

Tsorn shrugged at Tkaa and they continued on, following Krik as they moved onto a new location. It was never smart to stay in one place for long, and they often moved at least once a week to keep the game fresh. Traveling through trees kept the trail incognito- except to the ones that held the source. They tended to choose trees for stealthy retreats…or chases…

That night Sunny did not join them for hunting, choosing to wander off, running his thin fingers through his hair, something he did when he was agitated, and chewed on his ever present peppermint leaves.

"Not hungry Sunny?" Tkaa asked in his quiet voice. Though Sunny was more demon than human, there was always something fragile about him, something about his infancy that would make them always worry about his wellbeing. Sunny glanced back and gave a wan smile before disappearing into the foliage.

"Maybe he is changing again?" Spayt inquired, blinking large yellow eyes at Krik, who was munching away at a small toad he had picked up.

Krik glanced at him and nodded, too preoccupied with the thoughts of a leader to pay much attention. They continued on for some time, sniffing out the scent of wolves while hunting.

Then it came, floating through the air like a sweet aroma, like the sound of bells, like if the very sky was singing. The pack stopped its hunt and froze, listening to the light sound, basking in the peace, security, and comfort of it. And it was hard to ignore the seducing call…

"What is that?" Tsorn demanded quietly, nostrils flaring and staring unblinkingly into the foliage.

"More like who is that?" Tkaa muttered as he stalked through the brush in the direction in which Sunny had gone.

"It is beautiful…" Spayt whispered as he followed behind him.

Moments later they entered a clearing and gasped at the figure that danced and writhed in the moonlight, pale skin glowing, hands outstretched and beckoning, hair flowing and spinning.

Sunny was singing, using the lure to call out to…the moon? His lure was different from any they could produce, for it was light and without the drone they used, and had little subliminal messaging since the sound alone was enough to attract attention. With his second set of vocal cords, he harmonized with the first so that it sounded like two children were singing instead of one.

Sunny twirled on the ball of his left foot and danced across the clearing, staring up at the face of the moon. It was then that they noticed that his eyes had returned to that shade of blue he used to have before the change, yet it glowed, reflecting the soft light that was graced upon him. The pack watched in awe as Sunny danced and sang in the clearing, eyes riveted on the moon.

"Maybe he's some type of wolf demon, since he seems enamored by the moon," Tkaa murmured. Sunny turned to them in mid-leap and smiled.

"Come dance with me," he beckoned, then tilted his head at the sound of howling wolves in the distance.

"No," Tsorn snapped. "The rest of us want to eat. You go on and play like the baby you are."

Spayt rolled his eyes in annoyance. Ever since Sunny had aged enough for him to taunt, Tsorn had moved from annoying Spayt to bullying Sunny.

Sunny stopped dancing, but the smile remained in his face. Soon he would have to teach Tsorn a lesson. But not tonight. Tonight was for dancing, for drinking in the light that the moon was giving, and enjoying the fresh night air. Let them hunt, he thought. I will worship the great mistress in the sky.

------------

Taking Sunny near a small village, the pack told him to sing, and lure certain humans toward them. Sunny had raised his small hands to the sky and sang out clearly, his voice drifting across the wind like a fresh breeze. Several humans had stopped their labors when the angelic voice had hit their ears.

The pack had eaten well, but was forced to leave soon after, when a large group of humans had come to find out where several of their own had gone.

--------------

Krik studied ten year old Sunny, who was sitting on a sturdy branch and trying to pull a glob of sticky tree sap from his hair, which had now reached his calves. The hair was dirty, and too troublesome to clean on a daily basis.

"Here Sunny," Krik called helpfully, and handed over one of the small sharp weapons some humans carried with them. "Use this to cut out the sap."

Sunny's red eyes fell on him and the youth smiled toothily, white teeth flecked with mashed up peppermint leaves.

"Ok!" he said cheerfully and began to artlessly hack away at the gob of damaged hair. "Might as well cut all of it out eh?" he said conversationally, and began to grab the rest of his hair and sever the strands ruthlessly. Several of the large feathers that had been lodged in his hair fell lazily to the forest floor.

Krik stared up at him thoughtfully before broaching the subject that he had been pondering for some years now.

"Sunny? Remember how I asked you about the source some time ago?"

Sunny stuck the metal object into the trunk of the tree and began to pull loose strands of hair from his now wild and chin length hair, all the while giving Krik a puzzled yet thoughtful gaze.

"Ummm…yeah, I remember. You wanted to know if it bugged me not to use it."

Krik nodded, pleased that Sunny had better memory than he had surmised.

"Yes, that's it. Don't you want to know how to use it?"

Sunny stopped pulling on his hair and gave his undivided attention, his throat already making the rhythmic clicking noise associated with curiosity. He even stopped chewing, which showed that he was truly interested in what Krik had to say.

"Use it? Why would I care to do that?"

Krik pulled himself up into the tree, grateful that Sunny always chose the biggest and roomiest ones. At seven and a half feet tall, some trees had a hard time concealing the pack. He settled on a thick branch near Sunny and began to talk in a low conspirator voice, knowing that talking in such a way would keep Sunny's ten year old interest.

"It is the source that makes some humans dangerous to us. It is why we often have to move around so much, so that those humans do not come after us." Sunny had stopped clicking and was now frowning. "If our kind had the source, we could be invincible. We could eat anything and not have to move around so much." He put on a wistful facial expression, as if this was what made life so horrible. "Alas, we do not have such power. But you do, Sunny, and if you could learn to use it, why, our pack would be indestructible!"

Ok, so he was laying it on a bit thick, but he was appealing to Sunny's sense of duty to the pack. Sunny was always trying to prove his usefulness to the pack, and had been ecstatic when he had proved useful for the lure. But, if he had the source, something not even Krik had, he could use it to smack Tsorn in the face. He'd be even better than Tsorn, who was always teasing him and saying mean things.

Sunny beamed at the leader.

"Ok! Teach me how to use the source! I'll learn it fast!"

"Alright," Krik said with a wave of his massive hand, then settled back on the branch to think of a way to begin to teach Sunny to harness something he had no experience in. He mentally went over times he had seen humans use the source, how they leaped from trees and often hung up-side-down from their feet. That took control. He glanced at the demon child who was practically bouncing on his branch with barely contained excitement. "Alright. Here's what I want you to do. Can you feel the source running through you?"

Sunny stopped bouncing and closed his eyes. Oh he could feel the source all right. It was always there, always ready to be used, and yet always patient, ready but waiting.

"Yep, I can feel it."

"Ok," Krik said as he jumped down from the tree and looked up at him. "I want you to take some of that source and direct it toward your feet-''

Immediately he felt that hair raising heat and malice fill the air and suddenly Sunny was tossed upwards, slamming viciously through the tree, crashing through thick branches until he was airborne, above the tree. For a second, he seemed to float, before falling back down, breaking cracked branches and trying to grab one.

Krik grimaced as Sunny crashed into the branch strewn floor with a thud, leaves and other unlucky branches falling on and around him. When the commotion ended, leaves stopped falling, he eyed his young charge, who lay motionless on the forest floor.

"Next time, let me finish."

Sunny lifted his head and grimaced, before slowly sitting up and twisting his head to release pent up muscles and cracks in his neck. He slowly got to his feet and began to do a systems check, twiddling his fingers and toes, wriggling his arms and legs, turning his torso here and there to make sure his spine hadn't received any damage.

The damage was all superficial, cuts and scrapes that had healed long before he had returned to his feet. He was much dirtier now, only a few baths would get rid of all the tree sap that now littered his flesh and attracting dirt. Sunny scowled down at an ankle that was missing its beaded anklet that he liked, then Krik rolled his eyes as Sunny went digging through the clutter of broken branches in search of the little sack that was always at his waist, that held all his cultivated peppermint leaves. When the youth had found both anklet and leaf pouch, and had tied them to their respected places, he then turned to Krik and smiled.

"Was I supposed to fly into the air like that?"

"No." Krik replied flatly

"Oh…" Sunny replied, looking crestfallen. Then a smile appeared, one so bright and innocent that it almost seemed as if there had been a cloud covering the sun, and at the smile the sun had pulled from behind it. Sunny's hair shown, his red eyes sparkled, his pink, pouty lips pulled into a grin. "But that was cool huh?! That could get real useful later on huh?!"

Krik sent him a thoughtful gaze.

"True actually. Keep that one in mind. But what I wanted was for you to stick onto the branch, not launch yourself from it. Come, let's find another tree to work on, since you broke this one. We have a lot of work to do, with your source control. Come along Sunny."

Sunny popped a few peppermint leaves into his mouth and bounced cheerfully after the pack leader.

This was going to be fun.

--------

Over the next few weeks, Sunny learned to hang upside down from trees, climb trees without using his hands, leap even farther distances, and on a more exciting discovery, make the source turn into visible red clawed hands. That one was fun, and he had captured a rogue wolf with them once. He liked how it felt to use large amounts of the source, like some hidden pressure was finally being released. He even felt lighter. Every day he and Krik had used the source, learning to control it, trying to learn what it could and couldn't do. He hadn't seen Spayt, Tkaa, or Tsorn since the first day Krik had approached him, and he missed playing with Spayt or sitting quietly with Tkaa and conversing about trivial things. And Tsorn? Well…

"How do you feel Sunny? Weak? Energetic?" Krik sniffed his hair as if somehow he felt it reflected on the way he smelled. It actually did, but Sunny spent so much time eating peppermint leaves that that was all he smelled like. It was easy to tell where Sunny was, or where he had been, by the fresh minty scent that he gave off at all times.

Sunny stopped intertwining new feathers into his chin length hair and sent a puzzled look his way.

"I feel light. I think I used up a lot of the source." He hesitated, then spoke again. "You know Krik, the source only seems to enhance things I already know how to do on my own. I mean, I can climb trees without using my hands, I can leap great distances and run real fast. I mean, the only thing I can't do on my own is the source hands. Beyond that I see no point…" He stopped at the pained sigh Krik sent his way.

"Sunny," he sighed again. "You've never seen any of the source carrying humans. They do great things with their source, things you cannot even begin to imagine. I would show you, but it would be too dangerous for you. Maybe when you are older, and more powerful, I will show you the reason why we stay away from the source carrying humans." He ruffled Sunny's hair. "In the meantime, make sure you keep control of the source. Lets head back to the pack. No doubt they miss you."

Sunny nodded and tugged absently on one of his dangling ear-rings before following after his leader.

---------------

The Stone shinobi watched in silence as the man wept, grasping the bones to his chest, tears cascading down his weathered face. He'd sold everything he owned to find his daughter, and had despaired when his late wife's friends had given up years ago. But he had been lucky. Many people had started missing in threes and fours, so that even the daimyo had taken notice. It was only a matter of time before he had heard the news that a group of shinobi had a mission to find and eliminate the cause for the missing villagers, and after hours of begging, they had allowed him to tag along.

"The body has been here for some time. How long ago did you say your daughter went missing?"

Takezo wiped his face and stopped his sobbing. He stood up and gazed down at the scattered bones in the cave. The only way he was able to recognize that this was in fact her body was that one discarded skeletal arm held a bracelet he had made for her on her fifteenth birthday.

"Seven years. She's been missing seven years. Who would kill her like this?" he whispered.

The shinobi glanced at him then each other.

"Well," Sagara Keitaro, Anbu squad leader said, "You've found you daughter. We're going on to the other leads. Perhaps it is time for you to go back to your village and properly mourn your loss."

"No!" Takezo cried. "I will not rest until I avenge what has been done here!"

The others looked at their leader. Keitaro sighed and scratched his head.

"Ok, ok. Just don't be a burden."

Takezo nodded. He knew he had long since stopped being a burden. Pure determination alone had honed his muscles, taught him to be quick. His job in the squad was information gathering. He often spent it in the villages, asking families about the last time they had seen their sons and daughters, husbands and wives.

He now knew what happened to his daughter. Did the others meet the same fate?

The ones who had done this to his Yumi would pay.

TBC

Next time: Sunny/Naruto meets Orochimaru

The Rules of Resting: Resting only comes once a week and lasts for about six hours. It does not put them to sleep, but more like a stupor. Resting is a rather vulnerable state since it leaves them very slow to react to danger, if at all. One can go without resting, but it is ill-advised to do since it can cause much more problems. However, resting can be delayed by several hours if the demon is old enough. Sunny, is not. Spayt, barely makes it.

Sunny's Source: The source is obviously chakra. Since Sunny is more demon than he is human, his human chakra had been burned out during the change and his channels have been growing to accommodate all of the unused chakra that he has. It would actually takeperforming several sannin level jutsu's in succession to tire him out. If you think that's too powerful, consider the fact that Sunny has no knowledge of how to use a jutsu, and the only thing he has down is chakra control and the chakra hands. He could easily be beaten in a skirmish with a high level chuunin- or low level jounin. What he has in power he seriously lacks in knowledge and skill.