Authoress Note: Hey everyone I'm back. Sorry it took so long to update. I just want to say that this chappie isn't very long and I apologize fot it. Now on to reviews! Konoka: (Huggles) Thanks for always reviewin! You're one of my top reviewers and I'm grateful for that. I know...Naru-kun missing while a chibi isn't a good thing at all. You'll have to read this chappie to see how it turns out. Demon F0rce: Ah one of my most loyal reviewers...er...well you're still new to my stories but you've reviewed nearly all of them and are totally hooked so I guess that would make you a loyal reviewer...right? Anyways I'm very happy you like my stories and are even willing to defined them against flamers. (Huggles) You're so nice! Well that's all. Please R and R. Enjoy!
Time seemed to fly by for me. Before I knew it it had been three hours and we had to go and meet up with the others. There had been no sign of Skye. Instead of crying I just stared straight ahead. I'd run out of tears back at the training ground before we had split up.
"Don't worry Dakota I'm sure one of the others found him." Hinata said in an encouraging voice. I really hoped so. If they didn't find him I don't know what I'm going to do. Why did he disappear?
"Alright did anyone find him?" TenTen asked as we came in to the clearing. There was only Shino, Neji, Ino, and Chouji the others weren't there.
"Where's everyone else?" Shikamaru asked.
"They haven't come back yet." Ino said in an annoyed voice.
"Maybe they found him!" Hinata exclaimed sounding hopeful. Seconds after she said this Lee came rushing in to sight.
"Hey Lee what's going on?" TenTen asked.
"Hurry guys we've found him!" Lee cried.
My head shot towards him. "Where?"
"A few miles from here."
"Show me." Lee nodded and turned back towards the direction he had come from. He took off and the others hurried close behind.
Five minutes latter we came to a clump of trees where Kiba, Sakura, and Sasuke were standing.
"Thank goodness you're here Dakota! We can't get him to come out." Sakura said frowning.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Kiba tried to get him and he attacked him." She explained. Needless to say I was shocked. Why the heck would Sky attack Kiba?
"Um alright everyone stay back." I said moving closer to the clump of trees. The others quickly moved back not wanting to be attacked by the little boy. Kneeling down I peered in to the trees. I had to squint before I was able to see anything in the shade made by the trees. A couple of feet away Skye laid curled on the ground his tail wrapped around him and his eyes closed.
"Sky?" I said softly. He flinched and pulled himself in to a tighter ball. "Skye it's me Dakota." A whimper was the only response he gave.
"Dakota is he OK?" Hinata asked.
Frowning I said "I don't know it's to hard to tell from here." Making my mind up I began to crawl in to the clump of trees. Sky's ear twitched and he whimpered again. 'Oh Sky please be OK.' I thought as I fought my way towards him. Once I was close enough I reached out and grabbed him.
Instantly Skye began to struggle. "No! No let me go!"
"Sky please calm down. It's me Dakota!" I said over his shouts. He just kept struggling. "Skye please it's OK you're safe now."
"No no let me go please let me go!" He cried in a terrified voice.
Pulling him close I leaned close to his ear and whispered "Naruto please calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." Slowly his struggling subsided and he looked up at me. In the dim light I was able to see his eyes were wide with fear.
"Dakota?" He asked softly.
"Yes Naruto It's me."
Burying his face in to my shoulder he said "Thank you…..thank you for finding me."
Hugging him tight I said "I'll always come after you Naruto." A few minutes latter I crawled out from the clump of trees with Skye holding on to me for dear life. Hinata hurried to help me to my feet.
"Dakota?" She asked. I shook my head meaning that I didn't know what had happened.
"That's Skye?" TenTen asked looking him over. All she was able to see was the back of him since his face was still buried in my shoulder.
Shino nodded saying "Yes that is Skye." Everyone who hadn't seen Naruto in this form yet looked him over closely. The only thing they could see that would tip them off that he was different was his tail.
"Er…..is that a tail?" Chouji asked.
"Yes it's a tail now please stop staring….you're only scaring him more." I said tightening my arms around him. Thankfully they stopped. Looking down at Sky I tried to see if he was injured but since I couldn't really see him I couldn't tell. "Listen Sky I have to put you down for a minute OK?"
"No please!"
"It's OK Sky. I just need to see if you're hurt." There was a minute of silence before he nodded. I knelt down and he climbed off of me backing away a few steps so I could see him clearly. Looking him over I was shocked to see that he was indeed hurt.
Sky's ears laid flat on his head and he had his tail wrapped around his waste. It was clear that he was still scared. On his forehead was a large gash that was covered with dried blood and dirt. There were several bruises on his face and even more on the rest of his body (That I was able to see with his clothes on.) as well as numerous scrapes and cuts.
"Oh Sky what happened?" I asked in a sad pain filled voice. He just looked away from me. "Alright……we'll talk latter. We better get you back home."
"OK." He murmured hurrying to cling on to me again.
"Is he hurt bad?" Sakura asked.
"Mmm….not as far as I can tell right now."
"That's good." She said. I nodded. It wasn't really the physical wounds I was worried about. What I was really worried about was the mental wounds he had received from what ever had happened.
"You better get him home Dakota. Would you like me to come?" Hinata asked.
I looked down at Sky then back at her. "No thank you Hinata. I think it would be best if he just went home and rested."
"Yes that would be good but please let us know if he's OK." TenTen said.
Nodding I said "I will and thank you all for helping me to find him." A minute latter I was hurrying through the trees back to the village. "Don't worry Sky we're almost there." I said holding him tightly against me.
At the house I found my mother sitting on the couch. She jumped to her feet the second she saw us. "Thank goodness you're both alright!"
Frowning slightly I said "I'm not sure if he's alright."
My mother looked him over. "You better get him cleaned up. That way we'll be able to see his injuries better."
I had to agree with her. So I took Sky up stairs in to the bathroom. "Lets get you cleaned up then I'll let you get some rest." I said as he looked up at me. It was clear that even though he was scared Sky was exhausted.
"OK." He murmured. Stripping him down to his boxers (Let's let him have at least a little privacy lol) I sat him in the tub of warm water.
"That OK?"
"Yeah." He just sat still as I gently washed his hair and body (Only the parts not covered by his boxers). He did flinch a little as the soap and wash cloth came in to contact with some of his injuries which was expected. After he was clean I pulled him out of the tub and wrapped a towel around him. It was only then I removed his boxers.
Back in our room I handed him some clean clothes and he slipped them on with a little trouble but he managed. Once he was dressed (In his boxers and pajama shorts only for the time being.) I sat him on the bed and gently brushed his hair and tail out.
Finally after all that was over I looked him over even more closely than I had in the tub. When he had been in the tub I was able to see the injuries but I had wanted to hurry and get him out so I didn't get a close look. Sky had several serious cuts and bruises but nothing that would require a trip to the hospital. Thankfully.
I gently applied disinfectant to the cuts and scrapes then put bandages on the more serious cuts which were on his forehead, chest, back, and arms. Once I finished he pulled on his pajama top and I pulled back the covers of the bed so he could lay down under them.
"Are you feeling any better?"
"A little." He murmured.
Smiling I said "That's great Naruto."
Rolling on to his side he scooted over to the side of the bed where I was sitting and snuggled up to me. "Don't leave me alone….please."
I studied him for a second. He looked so innocent and scared. Smiling once more I said "Scoot over so I can lay down." He moved over and after I laid down he snuggled back up to me. "Get some sleep Naruto."
"Thank you Dakota……" He murmured as his eyes slowly closed. I laid there and watched him sleep until a while latter I to drifted off to sleep.
