Chapter 10

December 12th

A New Way of Life

Holding her hand in a fist, Sakura pressed her aching head to the ground. Her claws punctured her skin as she growled in irritation. Her whole body trembled, but not from pain or mental shock and the cold air was shielded, cast away by her warm coat of fur. A strange tingling sensation rose up inside her. Heat was beating down on her back. As if the moon was the sun itself, it made her feel warm and content. Her heart pounded like a powerful drum, the loudest in a band of many. She felt at peace, as one with the air and earth. Strong, she felt stronger as well. These surreal sensations were difficult to understand, but they were so wonderful, so astonishing, so beautiful.

Her mind could hardly take it. She loved this new body and every little feeling included in it. What she did not love was the fact Hinata was there to witness it. Realization hitting her, she lifted her muzzle and stared wide-eyed. Hinata's eyes were equally wide, though less fearful than her own.

"Hi-Hinata...I..." she muttered, noticing how different her voice sounded. "I...didn't mean..."

Her eyelids fell over her glowing green irises, releasing tears into her fur.

"I...meant to tell you...but..."

Hinata tilted her head, finding the courage to stand. Slowly she paced to the wolf, marveling over its magnificence. Forcing her body closer, she consistently reminded herself the beast was friendly, that it was a companion who she could trust. After getting close enough, she sat on her knees to be at eye-level with her.

"I...don't know what to say...Sakura," Hinata admitted honestly. The wolf opened her teary eyes, shocked that she would come so near to her. "Well...I guess I could say you're..."

"I know..." said Sakura dejectedly. "...weird?"

"No."

"Freaky?"

"No...actually..."

Hinata tentatively reached her hand out over Sakura's head. Lightly, she touched the area behind her pointed ear, rubbing back and forth. "Y-you...look... kinda cute like this..."

The compliment caught her off guard, yet her entire being was focused on the massage Hinata was providing behind her ear. Naturally, she leaned in towards the source of comfort. A soft growl sounded off in her throat, a tingling sensation running down her spine. Her tail reacted by wagging a little faster. Hinata giggled, amused by the way Sakura reacted.

Once she stopped scratching, Sakura shook her head to release the remaining prickles under her skin. Her legs were stiff and in need of rest, but the question was: how did she sit down? The way her limbs had been configured made it difficult to execute small movements, let alone the hearty task of sitting. Grunting in annoyance, she tried every method she could think of.

"Y-you...having trouble with something?" Hinata asked apprehensively. Sighing tiredly, Sakura allowed herself to plummet forward. She laid with her hind legs sprawled out and her arms covering her aching head. Hinata reached out to pet her again, but she shook her head in protest.

"I guess you can say I don't have a lot of experience like this..." grumbled the brown wolf. Her bright green eyes trailed up. "I don't get it...Shouldn't you be running and screaming or something?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I just assumed that...never mind then," Sakura said. Placing her paws back on the ground, she pushed herself up. Her legs folded up at her sides as an innate reaction. Finding comfort in that position, she smirked in triumph.

"Hah...that wasn't too hard..." she thought, mocking the transformation's effect on her. Her moment of self pride ended quickly. With sorrowful eyes, she returned her gaze to Hinata.

"Hinata...y-you see...it's not a coincidence I came here..." She paused for a long while. "I was ordered to look for you."

"By who?"

"That's not important right now...I have a message to deliver to you...an offer so to speak."

"An...offer?"

"About Naruto...there's more to what's happening...that I didn't mention earlier," Sakura continued, her irises trailing to the corner of her eyes. She whimpered, wondering how he was doing or where he might be.

"What is it?" asked Hinata.

"You...understand what I am, right?" She nodded in agreement to the statement. Sakura gently touched her chest with a paw as she whined again. "Well...Naruto's got this too...just a different...perhaps worse type."

"What...do you mean worse?"

"I don't know...like I said...there's a lot about the situation I don't understand. As far as I do know...Naruto...can't exactly control himself very well in the other form. There's been some emotional instability in him...and it keeps making it worse and worse for him. Now that he's run away...we can't help him. He surely can't help himself either."

Hinata frowned, swallowing a growing lump in her throat. "Poor Naruto-kun...he must have really been hurting..."

But Hinata had always known that Naruto was hurting, inside and out. Everyone, villagers, shinobi, and fellow classmates alike treated him horribly. Hinata, however, did not hate or shun him. In truth, he was the person she cared for most in her life, regardless she rarely spoke or even made eye contact with him. Her timid nature had prevented her from befriending him, and she dearly regretted it.

Whether or not she could win his heart his friendship mattered so much more.

"There's no easy way to say this. H-Hinata...we—Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and I—we really need your help."

"Me? They need...me? Why me?" Hinata wondered distrustfully. Far as she was concerned, she had no special attributes or talents to boast. What kind of help was that?

"Please...hear me out," Sakura requested, noticing her hesitant expression. "Naruto...may not seem like a difficult target...but if just the three of us went after him...even the fact that we're all—" She paused. Her throat tightened in protest to the name of the curse. It was unbearable to even whisper the word. "...it's...it's just too hazardous."

"Naruto-kun...he...he can't be all that difficult to capture can he? He's strong...but..."

"The only way we'll ever get him back...is if you come with. I-I promise you...it'll be worth your while." Sakura averted her gaze to the ground, heaving a sigh through her nostrils. She pawed at the ground lightly and whined a soft, doggish whine. Now was the time to charm her.

"You...do care about him...don't you?" she asked in a demure manner.

Hinata perked up, worry crossing her pale expression. "O-Of course I do!"

A smile formed on Sakura's muzzle, immediately washing off the sorrowful disposition she held before. "Then you'll help us?"

"S-sure...I'd love to, Sakura," Hinata agreed, her muscles growing tenser with each passing moment. Sakura stepped forward, staring Hinata straight in the eye with her stern, glowing irises. She placed her hand on Hinata's knee, the claws barely puncturing the fabric of her pants.

"However..." the wolf began, a devious look in her eye. "I'm afraid there's a catch..."

"A-a catch?" Hinata's body trembled in fear as she gazed at Sakura's black claws. They were too close for comfort. "Wh-what...kind of catch?"

"You have to house a certain...power...to actually be qualified to carry this mission out..."

"Okay...uhm...what is it...then?"

The wind in the trees picked up for a moment. Silence embraced the two in a tight grasp. Sakura found it difficult to seek the perfect way to word this. Her long tongue ran over the backs of her fangs as she thought, and thought, and thought for a good minute or two. Digging her back claws into the ground, she finally opened her mouth once more as the wind died down.

"This power...the one I have spoken of. The one both Naruto and I possess. The one Kakashi and Sasuke hold. The power to take the form of a beast."

With a quick intake of breath Hinata scrambled backwards. Sakura's nails left small cuts in her knee. She winced at the sting, holding the bleeding wound. Somehow Sakura had predicted this reaction, but she was well prepared to counteract it.

"Us three alone can't handle him...we need others like us to guarantee we bring him back safely and we come back the same," Sakura explained, pawing closer to Hinata. Hinata continued to edge away, fearful tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"H-how do you kn-know that I'm g-going to be any help?"

"Well...You just said you cared about him, didn't you?"

"That won't solve anything..."

"Naruto needs to be reminded there are people who care about him...it'd be impossible for me or Sasuke, or even my Sensei to show that to him. You can though."

"Wh-what if I make it worse?"

"It's a risk we have to take. I know deep down you want to help him, and if I were in your shoes I would be hesitant too. I had no choice from the beginning, but you have one."

"...Can't you find someone better than me? Neji's a lot stronger than I am..."

"This will make you stronger. You'll reach strength beyond the human threshold. We chose you and the other two for a reason, because we were positive you were the right ones."

"Just because you're positive about this...doesn't mean that I am," Hinata snapped, gritting her teeth at the wolf in frustration. Sakura gave her an apologetic look, taking the statement for granted.

"Please...I cannot express this any more clearly..." It wouldn't hurt to tell a little white lie...would it? Being straight about was ineffective, so perhaps it may be the only way. "Naruto will never come back unless we make him, Naruto will never be the same again unless...unless you come with..." And then came the lie. "You're the one who matters the most to this mission."

"Uh...me?"

"I...matter the most? But...I..."

"Yes, but...you can't come...unless you can share in Naruto's pain as we have...in his curse."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...I'm sure."

"...What if it doesn't work?"

"Forget what ifs. They're the worst kinds of questions to be asking."

Hinata grew quiet, letting the quote sink in. She compared it to other sayings she'd heard in the past like "there's never a wrong question" and "it's good to ask questions". A what if question fell under the category of inquiries, so why were they wrong? They portrayed a situation that may or may not happen, and the answerer is to reply with the given scenario's supposed outcome; according to Sakura, what if questions were unacceptable.

In a way, Hinata understood why she would find such questions offensive. She'd been nothing but negative about it, attempting to escape with herself in tact. Clearly Sakura was upset, desperate, and in need of aid. She could feel her pain in each teardrop the brown wolf shed. Could real wolves shed tears as a human could? Expression of human emotion confirmed the creature before her was not entirely an animal.

And neither would she be completely consumed as a beast.

"What do I do? She said Naruto needs help...and they can't do it all on their own supposedly...and...it seems like...they're really counting on me to do this..." She directed her attention to the sky, the pale light of the moon sending shivers through her veins. "N-no...I can't...What would my family think if they found out? I can't make a life-changing choice just...just because Naruto..."

Her thoughts froze the second Naruto entered them. The image of him smiling flooded her mindscape, making it impossible for her to let any other thought in. He was talking to her; his tone of voice was there, but his words were unclear.

A sense of determination rose up in her. The emotion crossed her facial expression and body language. She stared at Sakura with a stronger intensity then before. She had ceased fidgeting and cowering in terror. Slowly, she lifted herself from the ground to stand. Hinata took a deep breath.

"If it'll help Naruto...I'll do it."

Cautiously, Sakura came closer to her. "When I bite you...there's no turning back..."

"I understand, Sakura," Hinata mumbled, pulling up the sleeve on her right arm. The bare skin exposed, she offered the arm to Sakura. "Go on...I'll never back down on my word."

"It's...really going to hurt...I won't lie to you."

"I'll make it through..."

"All right...here goes nothing."

As slowly as she could, Sakura edged her muzzle towards the human's arm. The said arm carried the liquid she craved so desperately. Ever since that night Sasuke first let her taste it, it was the only thing on her mind besides Naruto.

Blood...sweet...invigorating blood.

Her nose could smell it under the salty musk of Hinata's skin. Was it safe for her to bite? What if she were to loose control to the blood high?

But...there was no time for what ifs.

"Come on, Sakura...just...do it," she commanded herself, gingerly opening her jaws. "Come on...Sasuke...Kakashi-sensei...they're counting on me to do this..."

Sakura forced her fangs into the fragile skin of the human. Hinata cried softly, her free arm tense with the desire to yank the wolf off of her. Though faintly, she could feel something strange and foreign entering her veins. The longer its teeth were within her, the more noticeable the sensation became.

Unconsciously, Sakura let out a feral growl, tightening her grip on the arm. It was just like Sasuke said...human blood was far different than Sasuke's "special" blood. It was definitely sweeter, stronger, and twice as addictive.

She could not mind herself to release the bite. Her body tingled with pleasure as her blood seeped past the wounds and into her mouth. Sakura grew lightheaded as she breathed heavily through her nostrils.

"Blood to us is like...a drug. It changes the way you think about things. It awakens your animal instincts, fading your human beliefs and reason into the background. That's only a bad thing if you're in the wolf form…because that creature you become…is a very…very dangerous thing…"

Heeding his warning, Sakura loosened her jaws, but still refused to let go.

Hinata stared fearfully at the wolf's head. Her body was getting warmer, but she shivered like it was cold. Her stomach ached at the sight of blood dripping down her arm. These would be her final moments of normality, for if the story held true, at this bite she would be forever transformed and the only true cure to the dreadful disease was death.

Gritting her teeth, she started to pull her arm away from the beast. Tears reeled down her cheeks. After a valiant struggle, her bleeding limb was released. The wolf heaved a deep sigh of relief, whining as she wiped her muzzle on the dry grass to clean it of red. Hinata also began to breathe heavily and the bite wound burned like fire.

She sobbed quietly, feebly covering the bite with her hand. She started to back away from the beast.

Finished with her grass-bath, Sakura lifted her head and met Hinata's eyes in confusion. Her befuddled expression fell into sorrow as Hinata let out a shrill cry of pain. The human girl doubled over, holding her stomach, grasping it for dear life. The small groans that followed it sounded as if she was choking on her own saliva.

From this day forth, she too would have to suffer the curse. For what purpose though? One poor soul? Hinata was throwing away her whole life for this one person, this one tainted spirit wandering in the dark. Does Naruto really mean so much that people would give up being human for him?

If you asked Hinata, or Iruka, or even lethargic Shikamaru, their answer would be yes.

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The moon was high in the sky, clouds dancing across it in small wisps. The night air was a lot colder than the preceding full moons as the Hidden Leaf drifted out of autumn and into winter. The trees were bare, having lost its leaves to the harsh cruelties of seasonal changes. Their jagged branches scratched at the stars furiously.

The branches creaked as soft winds blew between them. Their moans were painful, frightening to listen to. Wanderers in this gloomy shade would freeze on spot at first sound of the branches' wails.

Among those wails were other mournful cries, howls from wolves. Each howl had its own unique pitch and quality, identifying its owner. These howls shook the near dead trees, caused small mammals to scamper away in fear and the few birds that remained in the winter to take off in flight. Even the sleeping population could feel these terrifying melodies within their dreams.

After ages of silence, the crunch of dead leaves became the only audible sound. Something had begun to move.

In a desolate area, a tall, brown furred wolf figure awaited her companions with another like her by her side. The beast beside her laid unconscious. It was so still many could mistake her for a smooth gray rock. Part of the fur that created that illusion was a bit darker, particularly near the top of its head. Her long tail rested limply on the ground.

A darker figure came into view, burdening a large auburn mass on his back. His steps created soft, but noticeable thuds as he came closer to Sakura and her victim. Once there, he tossed his victim on the ground roughly. He heaved a sigh, leaning on a nearby tree. The female wolf looked away from him and the two other canines.

"So, your catch was a success I see," the black wolf praised, crossing his arms over his chest. "Excellent job, Sakura."

"Guess you didn't have any problems either..." she responded venomously.

He laughed a little, pointing his muzzle back down to the ground. "Well...I had to knock him out myself...otherwise it went according to plan. Now all we need to do is wait for Kakashi and his prey."

"They're not prey...Sasuke-kun..." she grumbled quietly and irritated. "They're people...they were people..."

"Sakura...I don't mean it like that," he replied softly as he walked to her side. She nudged away. "It's a simple, meaningless expression."

"Then why do you keep saying it?"

"Because..." He paused, puzzling the inquiry in his head. "Because...It's what I am. It's...language of our kind."

"Hmph...our kind...thanks for making me feel even less human."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow hidden under fur. He hadn't the slightest idea of what was wrong with her. He inched closer to her until his fur barely touched hers.

"Don't you like not being human, though?" he asked as he nuzzled the top of her head with his muzzle. He fiddled with the tip of her tail all the while.

"Do you want the truth?" Sakura snapped, whipping her tail away from his fingers, causing him to cease his gesture of comfort. "I...I hate it..."

Before Sasuke could respond, his ears picked up on the sound of more footsteps. The two of them turned towards the source. It was the final wolf to arrive.

Kakashi's massive wolf form trudged into the designated meeting area, dragging a near equally large wolf creature. Just below the unfamiliar creature's closed eyes was a horizontal scar. Kakashi was panting fairly heavily, and he was limping on one leg. When close enough, he dropped his load and kneeled on the undamaged leg, grunting lightly.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried, dashing with Sasuke to his side. "Sensei, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah...I'm fine..." Kakashi grumbled. He looked down at the gash in his leg. His students did the same. "It's just a scratch."

"Scratch? You're crazy...that thing has to be at least half an inch deep."

"Did Iruka resist?" Sasuke questioned. Kakashi glanced upon Iruka's new form as he laid there limply.

"A little...kind of lost it and attacked me after the transformation...Caught me off guard and took a chunk out of my leg. I was able to knock him unconscious quickly and without doing him harm though," Kakashi explained. He let out a long, airy sigh, relieving his shoulders of the stress they'd piled up throughout these past few days.

"Consider part one of our mission complete. We now have our team."

The three of them continued to stare at the rookie wolves, one dark gray, one chocolate brown and the other deep russet. This was more than the formation of a team. It was the dawning of a new era, the formation of a family, the one Naruto was seeking from the very beginning.

And this family was going to bring him home.

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End of Chapter

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