Chapter 11

December 13th

Seeking the Help of the Pervy-Sage!

The morning after was a stiff and achy one for Iruka. He awoke in a cold sweat. With all his might, he sat up in his single bed, the covers slipping off in the process. Cool air rushed up on his bare chest. His mind was quite hazy; he stroked the top of his hair, groaning all the while. Never had he felt this terrible in the morning.

After he rubbed his eyes of the crust they had gathered, he was finally able to gain a clearer view of the room. Somehow, he had found his way to his apartment. He'd expected to find himself elsewhere, but he assumed Kakashi had ferried him home in the middle of the night.

As his dark irises trailed the scope, he caught sight of a scrap piece of paper tacked to the footboard of his bed. Curiously, Iruka cocked an eyebrow before reaching for it and scanning its printing.

By the time you read this, it will likely be morning. I'm confident you aren't feeling at the top of your game. It's normal to be a little sore, but I'm afraid we cannot wait for the three of you to recover. I expect to see you at the Memorial Monument at noon. There is more I wish to convey to you and the others about my plan.

He flipped the page over, searching for a name. It had no signature. Iruka let out a deep sigh, rolling his shoulders to release the tension within them. He had a good idea of who left him the note.

His eyes were downcast, staring at his bed spread. His heart pulsed violently within him, almost feeling the pain of the change brutally stabbing into his being again. The howls rang in his mindscape, each of them with their unique pitch and quality. A curse was now his to endure, and that curse was not an enjoyable one.

Regardless of the stupidity of it all, he knew it was for a good cause.

"I stay true to my word. I told him if there was anything wrong, I would help him, no matter what it was."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The sun was high in the sky by the time Iruka had arrived at the designated area. It was miraculous he had been capable of leaving bed. He came in scratching a nervous itch on his neck. What else could there possibly be that Kakashi had to tell them so urgently?

The man in mind leaned against the stone, his single eye staring at the sky distantly. Surrounding him were four younger people, all of whom he recognized as past pupils: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, and Hinata Hyuga. Weakly he smiled as he drew near; Kakashi looked up at him.

"Well, well...Iruka finally decided to show. We've been waiting," Kakashi said with a smile beneath his mask. Iruka laughed uneasily; the odd stares the other four were shooting him nerved him.

"Sorry...was a little late waking up," he responded, locating a spot for him to sit in. He turned his attention to the others in the group. "Gosh...It's been so very long since I've seen any of you...It's always great to see old students again, Sakura, Hinata, Shikamaru, Sasuke."

Sasuke simply nodded his way. Hinata timidly waved to her academy teacher. Shikamaru yawned lazily, still very drowsy.

"It's great to see you too, Iruka-sensei," Sakura said with a sweet smile, being the only one of the four to greet him verbally.

"I suppose we're all reacquainted," Kakashi interrupted. "How are we all feeling this morning?" The question itself was mainly directed to the rookie wolves.

"Hn, bad question, Kakashi," Iruka grumbled, rubbing his right arm where he was bitten.

Hinata remained silent, her eyes directed to the ground. She was hurting too, but in more ways than one. The pain it brought had left her mentally traumatized. She hadn't spoken a world all morning, not to her family, not to Sakura, nothing. She closed her eyes lightly, turning away haughtily.

Shikamaru glanced to his left, shooting a nasty glare at Sasuke, scowling all the while. Sasuke too stared from the corner of his eye, smirking.

"To be honest, I'm really ticked off," Shikamaru growled out, shifting his glare to Kakashi, who cocked an eyebrow. "I was enjoying my evening, for once, and Fur-Ball over there took me hostage. He tied me to a tree and he took a chunk out of my shoulder. How do you think I feel?"

Kakashi scratched the side of his head. He was uncertain whether it was intelligent or not to answer this obviously rhetorical question. "Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to come out of the first night smelling like roses."

Shikamaru turned his cheek, eyeing Kakashi curiously. "So what is this anyways? Some conspiracy to populate this village with mutts?"

Sasuke growled lightly. How dare he...calling them mutts...They were far from it. "Watch your mouth...you may just get hurt."

"Oh yeah? Then get up and do something about it, dog-breath."

The Uchiha gripped to the dirt and clenched his teeth in fury. He had to restrain his temper, for he had no desire to start yet another fight. He himself grew tired of it, therefore forcing him to put a leash upon his untamed anger.

Kakashi raised his hand, calling for the two to cease conflict. He kept a calm gaze as he met eyes with Shikamaru. "You see, Shikamaru, thisis a circumstance in which it was necessary for you to obtain this power. I apologize for the inconveniences it is causing you at the moment...but in all due respect...we had no choice. We honestly could not continue without you or the others at our side."

"So you think I'm going to help you just because you want me to? I think I have a right to know this circumstance before I even consider it," Shikamaru retorted, using air quotes on the word circumstance.

"You haven't been told?" Kakashi questioned as he glanced over to Sasuke, the one who was supposed to tell Shikamaru about the situation with Naruto.

"No," Nara spat out.

"I see..."

Sasuke's eyes held a tint of disappointment within them. He averted his attention to the ground, his bangs covering the majority of his face. He admitted he had gotten too caught up in the excitement of it all to tell his reasoning, but it was no true excuse. All he could do was hide his disgrace.

"Perhaps I can shed some light then, Shikamaru," Kakashi said, fiddling with his headband for a second. "Let's see now...where to begin..."

The following minutes consisted of relaying all the information he and everyone else could ever need. He started with Naruto and the Fox, explaining how the two were connected and what that connection has done to Naruto. He followed it up with the ordeals that occurred three full moons ago when Sasuke was first transformed, and then to the events of the night he and Sakura were also bitten.

Shikamaru's anger softened. Maybe if he had been told beforehand...maybe if he had known about Naruto...he wouldn't have had a reason to protest. He disliked the measures they had taken to solve the problem, but he himself hated to see someone like Naruto befall such a cruel and painful fate.

"But here's something I'm not getting," Shikamaru mumbled. "According to you, Naruto isn't a werewolf. Why would his bite create one?"

Kakashi closed his eye, shaking his head. "I'm afraid that's one of the many mysteries yet to be deciphered."

"I'm sure it'd be best that we locate some more credible information about all of this before we jump into using it...Have you looked into finding any...books? Scrolls? Databases about this?"

"I'm trying to keep as low of a profile as I can."

Sasuke intervened. "Kinda difficult to pop into a library to check out a book on werewolves without suspicions...Who knows if anything like that even exists?"

Kakashi crossed his arms and his legs, lowering his head to stare at his knees. He was right to choose Shikamaru as an ally, for he had not once thought about finding information on the force they were toying with. If such information was accessible, perhaps the mission would become easier. He grumbled, deep in thought.

"There is another matter I should address, Kakashi," Sasuke said. Kakashi nodded, motioning him to continue. "This power we have is great, and it is the primary means we have to stand up to Naruto, but seeing as we only turn at the full moon...we can only use it under extremely special conditions. Do you think it wise that we wait for every full moon just to track him down?"

Kakashi snorted at him, taking that also into consideration. The others sitting silently were growing worried by the logic presented by the genius-duo.

"I suppose..." the Jonin murmured, tapping his knee to stimulate his thoughts. "I suppose our next move is to learn more about our power...before stumbling into using it."

Iruka nodded boldly. "Agreed."

Hinata nodded also, a small smile upon her face. She rubbed her right hand within her left. "I-it sounds like a good plan...Kakashi-sensei, but...where do we start?"

"Well..." Kakashi returned to his thinking pose. "The Leaf Village's library would be a good place to start." Although...he had already stated he wanted to keep a low profile. "We could ask the Hokage..." But what were the odds that she knew much of anything about werewolves? Who said she even believed in them?

Suddenly, a strong idea came to him. He lifted his head. "I know exactly what we're going to do."

Everyone gave him their undivided attention, their eyes filled with anticipation for his next words.

"As I've told you...Naruto is the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon." Hinata looked away in unease. It was a fact she did not desire to think about knowing it was the source of everything painful in her beloved's life.

"As far as I know, he has the ability to call upon its near infinite chakra storage at his own will. Tapping into the Fox's chakra has indeed caused him physical and mental damage, but as I've observed...when he does tap into it...in most cases...he enters a sort of "half-transformed" state. Based upon these facts, I have developed a theory upon how our power works. Perhaps there is a second storage like Naruto's within us..."

"Not a bad idea, Kakashi," Sasuke praised. "But...if this theory is true...how exactly do we tap into it at our will?"

Another silence embraced them.

"We'll have to pay a visit to someone," the Jonin declared. "Naruto's other teacher."

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "Other teacher?"

"Yes. I'm confident he is the best place to start with. We may not get information on ourselves, but we may be able to find information on Naruto."

"Well...who is it, Sensei?" she asked, anxious to know.

"I'm curious as well..." said Sasuke in irritation. "I never knew he was being taught by someone else."

Kakashi chuckled lightly, oddly amused by their obliviousness. His male student scowled at him. How annoying it was when Kakashi had something to laugh about...He could just feel that laughter ringing in his ears, rotting him, mocking him.

"You all must know Jiraiya," the Jonin stated flat. The younger members of the group stared at him befuddled.

"Jiraiya, of the legendary Sannin," Iruka uttered dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're quite certain he'll know something?"

"The Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and the three Sannin are the only shinobi known to have intelligence of the seal. Since the Third and the Fourth are deceased...and one of the Sannin is far out of our reach, we're left with Lady Tsunade and Master Jiraiya. I trust Jiraiya knows more about the seal and its workings than Tsunade, as he did teach the man who invented it..."

"And maybe...just maybe...he might know why the seal is failing...and perhaps know how to fix it," he added silently.

"Jiraiya...I think I've seen him before at the Ramen Bar with Naruto," Sakura mumbled, averting her irises to the blue sky. "Long white hair...those red lines on his face..."

"Naruto mentioned him once to me, I think...but didn't use his name," Sasuke said, thinking back to their past conversations. "He called him...Pervy-Sage."

"That's the guy," Kakashi responded.

"If this is our approach, then we have no time to waste," Sasuke declared, rising from his seat. He stared down upon the group. "Naruto is slipping farther and farther away as we speak."

Kakashi stood, grunting as he cracked his back. "Then let us not waste this time. We shall proceed to phase two of the mission."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Far beyond the village in a quaint part of the woods, a tall, powerful waterfall pounded into its shallow, rocky basin. The area smelled sweet of clean water and fresh air. The creek flowed smoothly along its path, small and colorful fish traversing down it casually. A calmed, hush of a whisper lingered over-head.

A beautiful water feature it was, an ideal destination for those seeking a peaceful get-away. It was completely surrounded by forest, not too far from the Leaf's most sought out for hotels.

But...behind the bushes...a predator was lurking...waiting...watching...

Though...it wasn't the type of predator searching for a good meal. His primary target was a different type of prey. There he sat, staring with keen black eyes through a hole in the shrubs. By his side was his preferred weapon, a telescope, ready to use at the first sight of his targets. This creature is a fascinating one, though typically avoided by women...

The creature called pervert.

Since early morning, Jiraiya had been waiting there with the hope of the opportunity for research. This spot had always been a common place to see exactly what he wanted to see, but for some reason nobody was there today. He looked up to the sky, groaning in annoyance.

It was a moderate day for winter, but none-the-less, too cold for a swim. He determined that was the reason he wasn't getting anything done. He'd thought since there wasn't any snow, women would still come. However, after waiting for three hours, that was proven not to be the case.

Taking a puff on his pipe, he sighed the smoke out, feeling defeated. Perhaps it was time he packed it up for the day...

"Cursed winter...you're so cruel as to not only take the leaves on the trees...but my subjects as well? Perhaps...this is a sign that what I do is...wrong?" He paused for a moment, bursting out laughing seconds later.

After catching his breath, he put the ember out on his pipe and put it away.

"No point in sticking around, I guess..."

With slight difficulty, Jiraiya got back on his feet and stretched his arms outwards. The joints in his shoulder creaked in protest, an ever present sign of his aging. He thought he was in pretty good shape for someone over half a century old, yet he still questioned whether it would become a problem in the near future.

As he started walking, he observed the sun's position in the sky. It had to be some time past noon, far too early for him to be retiring...

"Hi," he heard a casual voice say from behind him. Caught off guard, Jiraiya stumbled forward and shouted, frightened. He maintained his balance by slamming his palm onto the nearest tree, using chakra to stick to it.

"Well, uh...I wasn't quite expecting you to be so jumpy, Master Jiraiya..." the voice said again. By now, Jiraiya could faintly identify the person. Slowly, he turned his head around, eyes narrowed at Kakashi.

"Sorry 'bout that..." Kakashi mumbled with a few laughs entailed in the statement.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you either, Kakashi..." Jiraiya took his hand off the bark, brushing himself off on impulse. "Quite crafty you are...I suppose the Fourth taught you well."

Kakashi reached behind his head and rubbed his neck. "Right...uh...Thank you and all, but...I kinda wanted to talk to you about something..."

"Really now..."

The two heard the crack of a twig in a nearby pine tree and looked in its direction. Kakashi could feel sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Did you hear that?"

"Uh...nope. Nothing at all. So, about that thing..."

In said tree, perched in the branches, the other five sat patiently as they awaited their cue to come in, if that cue was to be made. They stared at the two as they mingled, staying quiet as humanly possible. A furious blush flared on Hinata's cheeks, having been the one to make the noise.

"All right, spill it. I'm a very busy man, you see," Jiraiya snapped, crossing his arms.

"Okay, okay, sorry. I understand your tight schedule, but this is really important, Master Jiraiya."

The Sannin nodded his head, silently agreeing to listen. "M'kay..."

"I have a very important question to ask you." For a while, Kakashi paused, staring into Jiraiya's dark, sagacious eyes. "Have you seen Naruto lately?" He said it more as a statement then an inquiry. The second he asked, Jiraiya's irises trailed to the right, and then to the left, and then back up to the pine tree. One of the branches creaked.

He knew Kakashi wasn't alone...someone was listening in.

"Naruto...hm..." Jiraiya thought inquisitively.

It wasn't as though Kakashi wasn't to be trusted, but the fact he had others with him was a little suspicious. The question of Naruto in general...was also very dubious...

"Why do you ask, Kakashi? Has he gotten into trouble again?"

"No...yes. Yes and no. It's a debatable question, Master Jiraiya. I just want to know how long it's been since you last laid eyes on him."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, then averted the glare to the treetops.

"I see...In that case...Is there a reason you came here in numbers?" he asked nonchalantly, tapping his foot with impatience. Kakashi flinched, but showed little outer reaction. Obviously Jiraiya had already seen through the charade...So, was there a point to continue fibbing?

Exhaling his breath, Kakashi's shoulders slumped forward. He rose a hand in surrender, directing his eye to the tree in which his comrades concealed themselves.

"Suppose that's the signal," Shikamaru mumbled, turning to Iruka. Iruka nodded, sending the silent command to jump. One by one, they each bounded out of the needles, landing in a position huddled behind Kakashi. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at them skeptically. A group of six—quite a lot for something regarding Naruto.

"That's better," Jiraiya praised. "Quite the abnormal looking party, hm?"

Kakashi locked his gaze with Jiraiya's, an apologetic look in his eye. "Real sorry about this, Jiraiya...I thought if we all came at you at once, you'd be reluctant to talk to us."

The Sannin sighed dejectedly, rubbing the side of his head. "So...you're asking if I've seen Naruto..."

A majority of the company nodded in response, excluding Shikamaru and Sasuke.

"No, I can't say that I have." Jiraiya closed his eyes, delving deeper into his mind. "The last time I saw the bugger...was little over a month ago. He came to me asking for a copy of my newest book...weird little kid he is sometimes."

If not for the mask, Kakashi's face would be noticeably beat red. He remembered the trick Naruto played, oh too well, and now he knew how he had pulled it off—sort of. He was too embarrassed to think of the incident, almost too embarrassed to even touch another novel of its kind, for his obsession with it was one of the many roots leading to where they were now.

"He said he was going to give it you for your birthday or something...I don't know."

"Right..."

"So, do you have a reason for asking, or is it mere curiosity?" Jiraiya scanned over the group. "Judging by the size of this company, it isn't just a curiosity sake question."

"Your deduction is correct, Master Jiraiya. We have a reason...and it's a very confidential reason at that. Jiraiya, can we trust you to keep this...between the lot of us?"

He blinked a few times. "Of course. Now tell me what's up. I'm all ears."

"Thank you...so...uh..." Kakashi paused for a moment, mumbling inscrutably under his breath. "Well, funny thing actually...Naruto's kind of...well...the reason you probably haven't seen him is...is cause 'bout a month ago...he...ran away." His tone was oddly cheery, but it was just a tactic to use to keep the situation under control. Having to say this repeatedly was becoming a large burden on his shoulders, but more so upon his heart.

Jiraiya showed little reaction to this. He kept his arms crossed over his chest, though tighter. Lightly, he gritted his aged teeth, thinking carefully about the revelation delivered upon him.

"Have you talked to Tsunade about this yet?" he asked dully.

"Afraid I can't let her know. It's...a request I must heed to...for Naruto's sake. Otherwise, she would have been the first one I would have confronted."

"So...Naruto's been gone for...a month? Little late rallying the search party, aren't you, Kakashi?"

"There's far more to this than him running, Jiraiya. I wish it were that simple. I would have gone after him myself and had him safely back post-haste. There's something wrong with him, Master Jiraiya...something terribly wrong..."

"I...can agree with that statement. That day I saw him...the way he looked...was terrifying," Jiraiya grumbled, catching everyone's undivided attention. "His eyes were twisted, dark, evil almost...Those eyes were not meant to be there...He's obviously been in some kind of pain..."

"I know what you mean," Sasuke spoke up. He stared down at the ground, fists at his sides, shuddering on the inside. "I've spent a lot of time around him within the past few months. Often...too often...he would have that dark glint in his eye...I know how it feels to gaze into those eyes...how hard it is to look away, regardless of how uneasy you are."

Sakura stared at him incredulously. She could remember seeing it twice, once on the evening of his birthday upon the rooftop of his apartment and again in the hospital. Those cold eyes took her every cheerful sensation away, leaving her bitter, senseless, and unhappy until the moment her eyes were freed. It was as if they siphoned emotion from the eyes they lock with.

"It's a painful thing to see...and only those who have seen it can truly understand the pain he's endured."

"Hm, I've gotta hand it to you, that's quite the sentimental statement, young Uchiha," Jiraiya commended. "So, do you know why he's been so moody as of late?"

"Actually..."

For the second time today, Kakashi went over Naruto's predicament as far as his knowledge carried. However, instead of the standard explanation, he twisted parts of the tale to conceal what he and the others were. It wasn't necessary that Jiraiya knew of their astounding prowess to dissect the information they wanted. Kakashi assured it was all right to speak of the seal before the children.

"Interesting...and befuddling all at the same time...I had a hunch the seal was capable of being damaged, but I'd never imagined..." the old man rambled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "And...the fact that it's triggered by the full moon...sounds...kind of familiar..."

Jiraiya puzzled the matter for a good while, making heads or tails of what was really going on with the little blonde boy. The details of the seal's appearance were just enough to make an educated guess, but otherwise, he was left in the dark.

"From what you've told me, I can only come up with one reasoning for his little changes...Perhaps the Fox had attempted to erase the seal on his own, but failed, of course...That attempt...it must've screwed the whole system up...and...because of that...it's been able to manifest itself through Naruto's body..."

"That still doesn't explain the full moon..." He tapped on his elbow. "Why can't I remember...why that sounds so familiar?"

"Do you think there's...any possible way to reverse that damage?" Iruka mumbled hopefully, pleadingly. He was a desperate man, lost in his mind and in his path.

"Tch...Do you have a jutsu to call upon the dead? I'm afraid the only one who would know how to do it..."

"Is the Fourth Hokage," Kakashi finished for him.

"Precisely."

Dejectedly, Iruka sighed. He'd had an intuition that he'd receive an answer most undesirable.

"Though I can't help but wonder if the Fox causes the transformation on purpose..." Jiraiya stated, their misery now riding up on him as well. He exhaled a long, aggravated breath. He wished he had his pipe about now...

"So, I'm assuming this is the group you are taking to locate him, Kakashi." Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Honestly...I'd...refrain against it."

"What do you...mean?" asked Iruka edgily.

"I'm saying...don't go after him...let him go...leave him be. Perhaps...it is better off this way..."

Iruka's eyes went wide. "How can you say such a thing, Master Jiraiya?"

"As much as I'd love to have him back...I fear for the village itself if he were ever to return. In the state that seal's in...it's only a matter of time before Naruto becomes fully consumed by the Fox. Besides, even you six, strong shinobi you may be, you can't take on that beast...he'll destroy you."

Hands balled into fists, Iruka gritted his teeth and clasped his eyes shut. That small, but ignorant comment picked at his every last nerve. Angered, forceful thoughts furiously clawed the inside of his mind. At first, he thought it was a mere headache, but in reality it was his rage slowly growing, soon dominating every other sensation he had and even the power he had over his own body.

Never did someone openly insult Naruto before his eyes and got away with it.

Letting lose an angry cry, he lunged himself at Jiraiya. He took hold of his fairly loose shirt, and pulled him in close to his face. A feral scowl was plastered upon his lips, shallow breaths venting through his teeth.

"Don't you ever...Don't you ever call Naruto a beast!" he shouted, his knuckles turning white from the grip.

Few of the patrons behind them expressed any fear of this sudden outburst. The two females cowered behind Kakashi, watching the transaction with worried eyes. The others stared blankly with no desire to break the conflict up.

Jiraiya wasn't afraid of being hurt, for if he wanted to, he could remove Iruka in an instant. However, his eyes were locked, entranced, enchanted. The young man glared with wide open eyes, his every breath trailed with a growl. The eyes of said man were known to be very dark, almost black, but now, somehow...

The irises glowed bright yellow.

"This...I've seen those kind of eyes before...long ago...but...it can't be possible..."

Jiraiya took hold of his arm gently and yanked it off. Iruka attempted a grab with his other arm, but Jiraiya blocked it skillfully. While holding Iruka's arms with one hand, he used the other to take his eyelids and open them further. Closely, he observed the eye, grumbling in his curiosity.

A near solid yellow filled it. Very little tinges of any other color touched the pool of glowing acid. The pupil within it had contracted to the point it was almost non-existent. Iruka ceased all movements, having calmed down some, swallowing in discomfort. Seconds after, the yellow eyes began to fade, dulling into darkness.

When they were no longer interesting to him, Jiraiya released Iruka. However, his keen eyes continued their observations. He stayed close to his face, looking for other signs.

"Open your mouth for me, will ya?" Jiraiya requested, motioning to his own mouth. Iruka quirked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Mouth, open it, now."

"Uh...okay..." He complied with the request, opening his mouth nervously. Apparently, he hadn't opened it to satisfactory standards, and Jiraiya finished opening it himself. Jiraiya began to observe the teeth in his mouth, touching the tips of the canines. They were sharp, very sharp.

No longer in fright or shock, the other five were standing in a befuddled state. Kakashi scratched the side of his head with a finger. He knew Jiraiya was strange, but requesting such a thing made things even stranger.

Done with this observation, Jiraiya forced Iruka's jaws shut by pushing his chin up.

"Interesting…Just one last thing I need to see..." He removed his hulking backpack, searching through its various pouches and pockets. "Now where did I put them little..." He let out a soft "aha!" as he curled his fist around the object. He took it out and dangled it before Iruka's eyes by a chain. It was a small, clear test tube type object with metal lines circling it in a peculiar manner. "I always keep a few spares of these just in case."

"Well...what is it, exactly?" Kakashi asked in place of Iruka.

"It is called a Chakra Vial. Ancient tools, they are...really rare items, too. It is often considered to be the earliest form of today's Chakra Card," Jiraiya explained, flicking it lightly. "Now, I want you to touch one of the metal wirings and send a small amount of chakra through it."

Obediently, Iruka nodded, slowly raising his arm. With his pointer finger, he gingerly touched a random wire and concentrated a miniscule amount of his chakra as requested. For a while, nothing happened. Attempting to see the purpose, Iruka narrowed his eyes at it. A small smirk graced Jiraiya's aged face.

Suddenly, the air inside the vial began to glow. Iruka drew back, startled at first. A bright, dazzling purple illuminated from the smooth, translucent glass prism. The glow softly shined off his irises, adding a purple tinge to them. Jiraiya brought it up to his eye-level.

"Ahh...I see now..." Jiraiya declared. His smirk grew into a full fledged smile.

"What exactly does this thing test, Master Jiraiya?" Sakura inquired, coming closer to it for a better view.

"It tests the level of demonic chakra versus the amount of human chakra within a person. The color of the vial ranges from red to blue, and every color in between those two hues. See...there is a vapor harnessed within the glass, water vapor that has been evaporated directly from Serpendragon Tea Leaves. This vapor changes color to the tune of one's chakra." Jiraiya twirled the glass around absentmindedly. "Judging by the color...and the texture...you haven't been this way for long, have you?"

"Been...what way?" Iruka said questioningly.

"Oh, like you don't know..." Jiraiya chuckled, stashing the vial away. He scanned over the group, a more solemn expression upon him. They all had the look in their eyes...It couldn't be possible, yet all evidence pointed towards it. He crossed his arms, holding a giggle as he avoided eye contact with them. He now could remember how the full moon sounded so familiar...

"I can't believe it...it's been...over twenty years since I've seen one alive...yet here they are again...right before my eyes. Werewolves...haha... werewolves!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

End of Chapter

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo