Life as a Fox
Chapter Seven*2012 EDITION*
NSW
Naruto was lost in darkness, but he knew it was a good darkness. He felt relaxed and calm. Slowly he began to hear the sounds of the real world filtering through his conscious. Naruto creaked an eye open, the room was dim, small rays of light from very early morning however peaked through the windows. Illuminating it and around the room he could see several forms slumped next to each other, or leaning against the wall. The room was filled with the sounds of soft snores. Naruto looked to see that Neji, Shikamaru, Ino, Ten-ten, Kiba, Sai, and Hinata (who was curled over his bed)were all there.
Naruto sighed they all looked so very Naruto began to move his limbs going slow testing what exactly hurt. His entire chest and front leg where both completely bandaged. Naruto looked around for his braces, they lie on the nearby bedside table. Naruto yawned and started to rise, no pain at first, but a dull ache in his chest. He also discovered a sharp bolt of pain through his leg when he tried to apply pressure.
Naruto (keeping his injured leg off the ground) worked a blanket from beneath him and covered Hinata, he knew she had to be cold. Then he looked at the others, Ino looked a little cold as well, so he covered her, the rest had a lot of clothing or had blankets already.
Naruto then looked at Neji once more. Naruto scanned the nin's peaceful face thoughtfully then he remembered the caged bird seal. Naruto quickly crossed the room to Sai's bag. He quietly riffled through it to find a blank scroll and ink. Once he had that he sat down and began to write out the counter seal that he had created but never had time to do. He couldn't free the entire second branch like he had promised to Neji, but he would free Neji from his curse.
It was tedious work and the sun was rising fast, but Naruto did not notice. He was busy laying the last brush strokes down, it was almost complete another line of rites, a few more path symbolism and it would be ready.
Naruto however was so into his work he didn't hear some of the people in the room beginning to wake up. It was actully Shikamaru who awoke first. Shikamaru had first looked to the bed when he woke up. He had a brief rush of fear when he saw that the bed Naruto had been in was empty but then he saw movement in the corner of his vision. He flickered his eyes towards the floor.
There Naruto was, in a slightly odd position holding his one front leg up off the ground. He was balancing on three paws, while his tail dipped into an ink well and began to write on an open scroll that lay before him. Shikamaru studied his work, it held many lines of intricate lettering and symbols. Naruto was completely captivated in his work, his eyes never leaving the paper, he worked with a complete disembodiment to the outside world.
Shikamaru watched him for a bit, then Naruto laid the final symbol. Naruto looked over his work then nodded, he replaced the cap for the ink then let the scroll dry a little. He yawned then finally looked up, his eyes met Shikamaru's, Naruto nodded to him then placed the tip of his tail to his mouth then flickered an ear to the other sleeping forms as if to say 'shhh', Shikamaru nodded.
Naruto jumped onto the bed, he winced slightly but situated himself comfortably staring out at the sunrise. Shikamaru and him watched the sunrise in a respectful silence. Neither wanted to break the beauty and purity of it. Then, Ino decided to shift in her sleep, she ended up falling off of her chair landing on Ten-ten, who snapped awake and shot her arm out. Effectively hitting Neji in an area lower then the stomach. Neji snapped awake and proceeded to clutch that which was harmed, while kicking Sai in the process. Sai was kicked sideways and was now about to land on Naruto's scroll that he just finished. Naruto leaped from the bed and grabbed it (he regretted doing this for the pain which it caused) with his teeth caring it far away from harm.
Naruto dropped it gently on the other side of the room, before limping back. He glared at everyone who where accusing each other (except for Neji, he couldn't talk at the moment), The bickering was loud enough to wake Hinata, Naruto sighed and leaped up onto his bed, no one noticed except for Hinata and Shikamaru, he barked once, twice, then when no one listened he howled "QUIET!".
Everyone paused and looked at him. He sat and looked at Ino, "you ruined a perfectly good sun rise" then turned to look out the window, everyone else awkwardly looked out the window as well. They watched it silently, until Naruto spoke. "Some things never change, both a dog and a human can enjoy the sun rise and sunset, both a dog and human can enjoy a bowl of ramen,...granted a dog can't have it as often, but that way it makes the ramen even more rare and beautiful" he looked at them, "and both a dog and human can still have there greatest frineds on this earth" then he grinned, "any way sorry for yelling at you earlier, good morning." He said tail wagging.
Hinata yawned, "that's okay, any way how are you?" Naruto stretched, "it hurts to put pressure on this leg, and my chest aches a little, but the greatest pain is the fact I haven't had a bowl of ramen in almost a month, I am going to go crazy, please can I have some ramen Hinata! Please please please!" he said begging.
Hinata laughed "well one bowl won't hurt" Naruto did a back flip for joy "boo-yah!" then landed on his good legs, once again, he winced then said "remind me not to do that again", Hinata nodded "any way" he said jumping up back on the bed, "how are you all feeling?" he said looking at them seriously.
Shikamaru scratched his head "its weird the last time I saw you, you were,…." Naruto finished the unfinished sentence "dead, I know I remember that as well" he visibly shuddered, then he shook his head "speaking of that, where is Sasuke? I almost had him, a few more centimeters then it would have been him gasping for air looking up into cold merciless eyes"! Naruto growled with the thought.
Hinata gulped she shuddered 'The things he has witnessed' she thought to herself. "I am sorry, the council members have taken him to be treated, he has the Uchiha bloodline, but Danzo has been arrested, and quite a few others, you evidence scroll held a lot of good things." She said hoping t cheer him up. She continued.
"We were able to infiltrate his hideouts, they too housed a lot of evidence, you did good" She said finally then asked "when did you do all this anyway?" Naruto smirked "and you thought I was visiting lady friends, I must tell you though I haven't even laid an eye on a single poodle".
Hinata laughed out right, everyone else chuckled. "I'm sorry Naruto we just thought, and OH MY GOD WE WHERE GOING TO!" She stopped herself and blushed. Naruto snickered "yeah, when I heard that conversation I was a lot more sneaky, but not only did I go and keep tabs of Sasuke I also trained and perfected that Sasunoo sealing technique" then Naruto bolted up "speaking of sealing!" He exclaimed startling the others.
He ran to the scroll and picked it up and dragged it over. "When you where all sleeping I created this for you Neji" he held a scroll in his jaw. Then dropped it into the floor rolling it open. "What is it"? Neji asked "its time the caged bird is let free" Naruto said affirmatively.
Neji's eyes widened knowing the meaning of those words a hand went to his forehead. "It can't be" Naruto nodded "luckily I inherited more then my loudness, and my ramen loving from my mother, I also have the Uzumaki trait of Fuinjutsu and sealing" He grinned wildly then added "and your seal is nothing but simple toddler work to me".
Neji gulped "but not even Anbu have been able to crack it"! Naruto scoffed "hello, your speaking to an Uzumaki did I not just say that?" Naruto unrolled the scroll, "remove the Hitai-ate" Neji was about to when Hinata said "wait Naruto you should let your body heal".
Naruto sighed "oh, I have enough time to do that, lets get this done with now, besides I love seals" he said a happy light in his eyes. They admitted to the fact that he seemed to sometimes day dream about them. Neji undid his headband and gave it to Ten-ten to hold. Naruto ushered him to the middle of the floor. He made several clones, they each dipped a tail in the ink and began to write some stuff on the floor. Sai noticed it was his ink but mearly shrugged when he saw it.
Naruto and his clones finished, he was about to start when Shikamaru butted in "how do you do jutsu's?" Naruto sighed and wiggled his ears. Shikamaru and everyone looked at him "wait,… with your ears?" Naruto growled in inaptness "yes, I figured it out okay? It's the only thing that works! My tail is not as flexible as it seems...and...ears work perfectly" Ino stifled a snort. Naruto sighed "can I just got on with this? Or do you need to ruin this as well"? Ino shook her head "no…no,..just go".
Naruto rolled his eyes and began. His eyes closed in concentration, then an aura formed around him, it slowly built up in mass. It began to shift and form, until it was an exact (granted it was made of chakra) replica of his old body. The only thing that was different was that the eyes had no pupils, and no whisker marks, just a chakra blue Naruto image.
Neji stared into the eyes. The form drifted through the air to him, with each movement the image blurred as if it was being blown by a strong wind. When it was in front of him, it reached out an arm. It touched his forehead. Neji felt as though his forehead was on fire, a small pin-point that flared out, making the rest of his body numb with cold. A cold sweat broke out on him, his heart beat wild, seeming to want to leap out of his chest.
The chakra Naruto held up his other arm, in the sign for chakra concentration, then a burning went through Neji's entire being. Electricity seemed to shoot down his spine, pulsating. His body spasmed from it. Then, just as sudden as it started, it was over. A great relief overwhelmed him, as if he was burdened down with something for a very long time. Neji felt light and finally free.
Naruto stepped back from him and staggered, "that,….. took more then I thought" then he collapsed to the floor, Hinata rushed to his side. "Are you all right?" she exclaimed, worry knitting her brow, the others got up to help. Naruto sighed and motioned them to sit back down. He spoke to Hinata "me being all right depends...do you have that ramen?. . . yet?" Hinata shook her head "no" she said confused. Naruto then slumped down, "then no, . . . I am not all right".
Just then Sakura entered the room, she held a silver metal tray in her hands. She looked at the bed, then to the floor where a large circle made entirely out of ink was, then to Neji who had a removed headband and unknown to him a smoking forehead. Then to Naruto, who was on his side with Hinata next to him looking worredly at him.
Sakura calmly took all this in then set the tray down gently. She then turned, already a deadly aura sorounded her. Naruto whimpered, and tried to stand, once he succeeded he said "hello Sakura-chan, and how lovely a day it is to be alive, . . .and how lovely a day it is to be kind and forgiving to a person who just released a 2nd branch Hyuga from there cage seal" he said giving her a smile.
Sakura's anger seemed to dissipate. She sighed "I am sorry Naruto I just don't want you over exerting yourself, you don't have the Kyuubi to heal you now, your body has to." She turned and picked something off the tray, it was a rather large needle. She turned back to him, her eyes staring at that needle."Right now its time for your medicine." But when she looked at Naruto. Naruto was backing away, a wild fear in his eye, he whimpered, then said in a distant voice "no. . . Sasuke! Don't!"
The minute he saw that light gleam off of that metal tip. Naruto was instantly haunted by memories that he swore he would never re-live. But his mind broke his promise as the harrowing events unfolded once more. Sasuke his friend, and comrade whom he had trusted was advancing on him. Cornering him, holding that sword, ready to kill. Naruto yelled and howled at Sasuke hoping he would listen, but all for naught. The blade kept getting closer and closer, Naruto had to act quick he had to defend himself.
Naruto then let out a low growl at Sakura. His eyes switching and glowing with a wild fright and anger. His fur bristled and his teeth, gleaming and menacing were bared. His ears flipped backward, Naruto looked like the complete embodiment of terror. Sakura shuddered and slowly lowered the needle behind her back. Naruto's eyes watched her, when the needle was gone his fur and posture relaxed. His eyes blinked a couple times as he came back to the real world, he looked around at everyone gaped at him, their eyes fearful and confused. He staggered again, Hinata luckily caught him.
By that time Naruto was over run with emotions. Anger at Sasuke. Fear of what he just re witnessed. Sickned by the fact he was about to hurt Sakura. But most importantly, it was the fact that everything hit him then. Like running into a brick wall he was side struck with the true weight of of what had happened to him, all he been through him, all that he had lost.
Naruto never got to deal with his grief. Since the moment he had a new body, he had been running and plotting and planning. His mind had to be strong, he never let the emotions out, he bottled them up, kept inside. But now they resurfaced, resurfaced with a vengeance. He buried his head into Hinata's arms making her hold him close, then he wept.
Hinata caught him as his entire body leaned against hers for support. Hinata remembered back to the funeral. Naruto was strong for her then, now it was her turn to be strong for him. She held him and stroked his fur and made soothing sounds. Sakura put the needle back and walked over to them, she sat on the ground next to him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Naruto said slightly muffled "its, . . . okay, neither did I".
Naruto whimpered slightly, "I,. . .never, got to deal, with,. . .it" he paused to sniffle "you know? The betrayal, and the fact,. . . that I...that I can never have my dream... not in this form." He stopped talking for a bit, sobs taking him. "I thought... I thought I could handle it, but...I just avoided it, avoided thinking... I buried my grief, and my sorrow of my failure and plunged myself into work." He said regrettably His voice shook at the next part. " I kept on thinking, that the day I killed Sasuke." He said sharply. "Then from then on...everything would be all right".
Neji then spoke "Naruto it's fine, everyone makes mistakes at times, we all do." He continued "But you need to know something, you need to know, that sometimes...something are meant to be shared with others...no one person should bear a load they cannot, it's okay to ask for help...for support, you didn't need to do this, but then again you did need to as well..you needed to know if you were strong enough to still do this, and for that I thank you."
Neji continued "I also want to say, that if there is anyone who could convince Konoha, that a talking wolf demon could be a Hokage...it could be you." Naruto smirked then began to laugh. "Thank-you Neji." Neji continued "plus I mean...you also beat Shikamaru in shogi."
Remembering the thought, Shikamaru piped up "yeah! How where you able to do that? when I asked you to play it when you where a human, you said you had no idea!" Naruto rose his head "easy, I am smart enough to act like a fool so no one requires me to do anything, cause they think I can't do it, that way,. . . I was able to go eat ramen all the time" He grinned. "So you see, I am a fool, then again I am a wise fool, cause only a wise men is wise enough to act like fool to get out of things he doesn't want to do."
Shikamaru looked at Naruto and Naruto looked a them then Shikamaru clasped his hands together and bowed. "I am in the presence of the master" Naruto bowed also "of course you are, you just never realised it", then Naruto turned to Sakura "Sakura-chan? please get me ramen? it's the only medicine I need besides you owe me for scaring me earlier."He said glaring at her. Sakura sighed, then giggled, she leaned down and ruffled his fur on his head and got up to go get ramen.
So there it is, chapter seven.
NSW
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