-o-o-o-

Chapter 2: New Friends

-o-o-o-

"NNaarruutooo!"

Naruto winced as his best friend yelled, his voice echoing through the small confines of the drab sterile room. He's grateful that Kiba was one of the few people at school who's even friends with him but sometimes, the man can be a bit too loud, especially when it comes to things that excite him.

He had brought in the kittens to the local veterinary clinic for checkups and vaccinations as well as to check if they are microchipped. And of course Kiba would be there helping the family business.

"Geezz… quiet down Kiba!" Naruto instinctively whispered as he chanced a glance at the kittens who recoiled in their cages.

"How can I be quiet about this? I mean man! These kittens are Main Coon and Persian mix! Look at them! How did you ever get your hands on such a valuable breed? I mean I'm a dog person but even I know just how expensive they can get."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how to answer. He just want to know if these kittens belong to someone and if they're in excellent health. He has no clue about breeds and their value, especially since with his paltry earnings at his part time job, he could never even hope to get his hands on such a breed.

"Yeah well it's a weird story really." And so Naruto recounted how he was hurrying home from his part time job one stormy day to his friend, who listened wide-eyed in amazement.

"You are one lucky dog, you." Kiba finally said as he handed the kittens to his sister, Hana, the local vet for examination. The three huddled around the examination table as Hana inspected the kittens with expert hands and eyes. It didn't take too long and with Kiba's help, they gave Naruto a clean bill of health.

"Well, it's just as you suspected, Naruto. These kittens don't have any owner, so if you'd be interested in adopting them, we can microchip them for you now." Hana declared, once she's done examining the bundles of fluff on her table.

Naruto on the other hand debated in his head. Getting cats, particularly of this breed is a huge responsibility. Can a mere student like him, an orphan at that really take care of them? Especially since his part time job is barely enough to even feed himself?

"I was kind of thinking… that this whole arrangement would only be temporary. I'm not sure if I can even afford their bills. Maybe we can had them over to the local shelter or a rescue center?" Naruto tentatively asked. And as soon as he did so, the two kittens scampered to his side, as if understanding his plight and reaching out their paws to his hands, mewling and looking at him pitifully with their golden amber eyes.

Naruto wavered for a moment, but as attached as he is to them, it would be selfish of him to force them to stay with him considering his condition. Before he can continue his thought however, Hana placed a hand on his shoulder with a gentle expression, as if understanding the thoughts and emotions surging through the smaller teen's head.

"Look Naruto… I don't quite know how to break it to you but…" She took a deep breath before continuing "The shelters in town are full. While we can gamble and wait for someone else to adopt them, it's not always the case with cats like these. Most prospects we have only want a full breed cats. Mixes usually rank low in the desirables list."

"That's too bad. What happens if I leave them at the local pound?"

"These cats are… often euthanized Naruto. I'm sorry."

"What? Is that even legal?" Naruto exclaimed, outraged at what he just heard. "How is that even possible?"

Hana shook her head and gestured for Kiba to leave the room, which he did so at her sharp look.

"Now what I'm about to tell you, Naruto, is a secret. Only the older generations of Konoha know about this story. So nothing of what I tell you must leave this room, understand?"

Naruto gulped, surprised at the seriousness that Hana is addressing him. He managed a small nod before the woman spoke again.

"Years ago, when Konoha was still in its founding stages, the city was but a small village back then and was beset with long periods of drought. The people eventually traced the source. They found that a great white panther lived in the forest nearby and was believed to be the source of these droughts. Well, nobody was able to verify it, but once they killed the beast, the droughts stopped and Konoha's fields bloomed. The green became endless that the village came to be known as the village hidden in the leaves throughout the lands. This is the origin story of the village told only to a few. Or so the legends say."

She paused for a bit before continuing.

"So you see, everyone here has an inherent aversion for all things white. And between you and me, Kiba's Akamaru was born white. Mind you, we were horrified. The council pressured us to have him euthanized as well. But we managed to dye him, except that his fur reacted to the dye and he turned out red instead. That's how he got his name. While the prejudice these days have toned down somehow, it's still hard to get white animals accepted here in Konoha. Come with me for a bit."

Arching an eyebrow, Naruto followed Hana to the back room and could barely suppress a gasp as he saw the cages of white dogs and cats that lined the room.

"We also rescued these animals from the streets. As you can see, they're still here. Some of them have been with us for years already without even finding a family or a parent willing to adopt them."

Naruto's chest clenched at what he's heard. He's reminded of himself, a child so unwanted that even his parents wanted nothing to do with him.

"Ano sa…" Naruto looked up to meet Hana's eyes, a strange fire burning within his sparkling blue depths. "I'll adopt them."

Hana smiled, recognizing the unbridled passion pouring from his shining sapphire eyes.

"You have a pure heart Naruto. Now come on. Let's process the papers and have these babies microchipped."

As they made their way to the front desk, Naruto could still feel the swirling emotions within him. Empathizing with the animals fueled his determination, but there's that lingering feeling of sadness and pity for the animals left trapped and stranded here as well, especially since the only reason why they couldn't be adopted was because of their color.

And all because of some old legend.

"Now here's the vaccination schedule." Hana handed him a small booklet. "Have you thought of a name for them?"

Naruto paused. He hadn't really planned on keeping the cats long term so he wasn't able to spend the time picking a name for them. Sensing his plight, Hana handed him a small booklet.

"This may help you pick out the names."

"Actually, I already have a name in mind." Naruto responded. And with that, the two kittens have officially been added to the Uzumaki household. As Naruto left the Inuzuka clinic that day, resolve was burning deep in his eyes, fire spreading from his chest to his veins. As he looked at the two white cats peering at him from the carriage in his hand, he decided to take care of them… even if he has to get another job.

He won't make these cats feel unwanted like him. Not this time, not ever.

-o-o-o-

Life with the cats turned out to be everything that Naruto ever wanted. Being an orphan and an outcast at school, the times spent with his newfound companions were the brief respite between classes and his part time jobs. Not only were they incredibly affectionate, but as soon as they realized that the blond have their best interests in mind, they became playful, distracting Naruto from a bad day at work or the occasional bullying at school.

The cats often compete for his attention which while it annoyed him at times, he also found it endearing. They would play beside him while he does homework, never bothering him when they sense he's busy. But most importantly, they curl up beside Naruto when he's tired, snuggling against his warmth, seeing him more and more as a parental figure the more he dotes and cares for them.

As Naruto laid his head on the soft pillow of his room, the two kittens immediately ran to his side, fighting against each other who gets to sleep by his head.

"Settle down you two…" Naruto reached out to the kitten's heads, always giving them equal attention as much as he could, not wanting one to feel left out.

As he made himself comfortable against the soft embrace of his bed, so two does his two new-found companions, resting against the reassuring safety of his hold.

"Goodnight Tachi, Suke!"

-o-o-o-

A/N: This had been a crazy week. We have no time to rest at all. Managed to squeeze this out just before lunch. So I hope it didn't turn out too badly. Anyway, feel free to tell me what you like or don't like about it.

-o-o-o-