Chapter 13: It's Chibi Time!
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Encounter with a cretin snake from Naruto's past, causes an unexpected problem. Tsunade is going to milk it for all its worth, causing her own foxy mischief.
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Naruto looked up at the ceiling in his room. He threw up a rubber ball in the air and caught as it came down. The rush of all that happen came to him and he could not fall asleep. He looked to the alarm clock and found it was 4:30 in the morning. He closed his eyes, trying to get the memories of his fight with Sasuke out of his mind. The last image of his friend stuck in his mind. He sat up and shook his body, trying to rid of the horrified face of the Uchiha.
He got out of bed and walked to his door. He pulled his shorts up, fearing they would fall off him and pulled on his shirt to have it rest better on his shoulders. He was wearing pure orange. He pulled off his nightcap and tossed it back to his bed. He opened the door quietly and listened to the sounds around him. It was not much, but sounds were somewhat louder. He also picked up sounds he never heard of before. He did enjoy his changed vision. He let out a sigh and focused on a sound, closing his eyes. His eyebrow twitched, hearing the loud snoring of Jiraiya, who was in the room from across his. He was glad the man was not in the same room as his.
He turned his head and brought his attention to Shizune's room. He walked up to her door and pressed his ear against the door. He heard her soft snoring. He moved to the room at the end of the hall and did the same at Tsunade's door. He heard no noise from the room and guessed she was somewhere else. He took a sniff, furling his eyebrows. He could not place the scent, but it smelled like slugs and it was disappearing. He titled his head, wondering if he could smell the creature the person summons, or she summoned a slug earlier. He believed it was the later.
He pouted as he placed a hand over his stomach and listened as it roared away. He scratched the back of his head, thinking of what he could eat. He could not go out to eat ramen, since it was about five in the morning. Another reason was Tsunade was holding his frog wallet hostage, making sure he did not try to transform or find any of his abilities out, and three, he was threaten with the chance of server punishment if only ate purely ramen. He was only allowed four bowls of the stuff and only at lunch, unless something came up.
He pouted again as he made his way downstairs. He stopped on the last steep and sniffed the air. He smelt dogs, but not as strong as Kiba's scent. He also smelt dango, red been soup, and sulfur. He turned to his right, smelling the dog sent closer to him. He walked a few paces and passed a blank wall on his right, then came to a table with a lamp. He walked backwards when the scent faded.
He stopped and looked at the wall and tilted his head. A grin crossed his lips as he reached out and poked the wall. It felt soft. He did it again, his grin deepening.
"Poke." he said
The wall folded down, showing a ninja in a dog mask. Naruto looked at it and tilted his head the other way. He blinked, seeing the silver hair that stood on end. He glanced to the bone white armor, guards on the lower arm, black ninja gloves with metal plates, which were dull, and the utility pouch at the back and a weapon hostler at the leg. There were also shin guards on the lower legs. He looked to the mask, only seeing one eye open and it looked amused.
"Kakashi-sensei, I think you need to lose some weight, it looks like need to add another notch in your armor."
Kakashi looked at him shocked. He looked down to the straps that held his chest armor on. Yah, he was on the last notch, and he has not worn his armor for about half a year, or so. He had to take them in to get the leather straps replaced and he had asked the leather worker to cut off the excess. He looked to Naruto as he moved around the room, seeing if he could not find the others.
Kakashi chuckled to himself, knowing this was not going to be good when he finds one of them. He watched Naruto walk to the front door, disappearing from the room. He looked to his left as Tsunade walked out of the dinning room.
"Is Naruto up?" she asked
"Yes and he found me when he came down. He went off to see if he could not find the other two. He is on the trial of Ebisu."
Tsunade nodded and turned around. She spoke up as she walked back into the dinning room.
"Tell the brat if he wants something to eat, hurry up with his search."
Kakashi nodded and watched a smiling Naruto walk in the room.
"Who did you find?" he asked
Naruto looked at him for a moment then started to look around the room.
"The close closet pervert."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he watched the boy walked to the entrance of the dinning room. He stopped, right were the open space of the wall was.
"There." he said, pointing at the space that smelt like dango and red been soup
Both watched the wall seem to come to life and a hidden ninja was found, wearing a raven type mask. Naruto titled his head, trying to place the ninja's hairstyle and color. He looked to the almond colored eyes, behind the slits. He looked to the tan colored jacket and fish net shirt. He reached up, not knowing he was doing it and rubbed at a spot on his cheek. His eyes widen, placing the person.
"The sadistic women from the second part of the chuunin exam." he said quietly
Kakashi heard Anko chuckling. It was either good or bad. He estimated all the bad and good things that happen, and found the bad outnumbered the good. He watched the women reached out and tapped Naruto on the nose. He thought this was good, he hope.
Naruto did not like the laughter from the women. He did nothing to hide his shudder after the women touched him. He did not know why the urge to run away and hide somewhere was filling his senses. He jumped as the women wrapped an arm around his shoulders and brought him closer to her.
Both Kakashi and Anko were surprised and shocked that Naruto shifted into a fox right before them. It happened so fast. First was the appearance of blonde fur. Then it was his ears, which curved slightly before they started to from as fox ears and move up along his head. Nails became longer and sharper. His face started to stretch. Parts of his body lengthened or shortened. Naruto shifted right back into his fox form, yet it was different, which was the reason that the two were shocked.
As Naruto's body shifted, he was in the air, which to the two jounin felt like a long time. When his body was finished transforming, he dropped to the ground and took off, slipping out of his clothes. Kakashi took a steep to the dinning room, about to go after Naruto. He stooped and flinched from the yell by Tsunade. He watched Anko run towards the yell. He followed, swallowing his hear of the Godaime Hokage. He stopped behind Anko, which she was standing by the doorframe to the kitchen. He peered in, looking at Tsunade. He followed her gaze and his ears to the floor. He heard a mix of warning growls and a hissing noise. He was only able to see part of a blonde muzzle and part of a leg. The rest of the fox was hiding behind Tsunade's nightgown.
Kakashi looked up and Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the two. The two raised their masks. Kakashi's eye showed a mix between fear and shock. Anko was trying her best to suppress her smile.
"Tell me what happen." Tsunade asked, venom in her voice
Kakashi walked forward and stopped as the growling increased and the fox completely disappeared under her gown. He let out a sigh and told what happen. He flinched as Tsunade's glare fixed on Anko as the women snickered behind the Copy Nin.
"Anko, please try and not torment Naruto in the future, unless I tell you to. I think his fear of you caused the change. Now please report to your post."
Anko was still laughing as she walked away. Kakashi looked to the women and gave her a shrugged.
"Get him; I don't want to step on him." Tsunade said
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, just knowing this was going to be bad. He moved his mask to rest backwards on his head. He walked forward and knelt down. He placed a hand on the tabletop for support and reached under her chair. The growling came back which Kakashi quickly brought his hand back. Both heard a snap as the mouth of a fox closed. He stood up and moved around the women. He got a good look at the small fox, which he thought fox kit.
He watched it as it watch him. He knelt down, looking at it. It bared it teeth at him and crouched down, its hair bristling and hackles raised. He smirked under his mask, thinking this was cute, no, funny. He blinked, sobering up. He pictured the size of Naruto when he first transformed and thinking he would be in more pain, then a bit finger. He looked to the kit as it back away from him. With lighting reflexes, his hand shot out and grabbed the scruff.
He stood up and watched as it jerked its body to get free from him. Tsunade stood up as it still and started to whimper. She was confused, looking at the kit.
"Naruto calm down, Anko's gone." she said
She reached out and cupped a hand under his belly, finding he fit in her hand, with his legs hinging over. She brought his closer to her and started to pet his back.
"Defense mechanism." Kakashi said
She looked to him, wanting to know what he meant by that. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking out his reply.
"Foxes and snakes don't like each other. Since Naruto is little and Anko is bigger, I think his instincts told him to run. At his first meeting with Anko, he was not afraid of her till she; well you know what she did."
Tsunade nodded and looked down, seeing the kit relaxing in her hold.
"Naruto, I want you try the same concept you used to make your nails to grow into claw like to change back to your human shape."
She set him down and watched as he started to sniff the ground. He moved to Kakashi, sniffed his foot, and let out a growl, before attacking his pants. Both looked at each other and down as the kit tugged on the man's pants and lost its hold. He rolled backwards into Tsunade's feet.
They watch it got back up and give a snort, before looking up at Tsunade. It yapped at her and started to try to catch its tail. Tsunade clenched her jaw, before talking in a voice that sent chills down Kakashi's back.
"Naruto, you better not be playing around, it is not funny."
She blinked as it turned to her and flattened its body on the ground, ears laying flat on its head and tail tucking between its legs, before it started to back away. She glanced to Kakashi, seeing his visible eye wide. She nodded as Kakashi spoke.
"I think he is in a trance. The flight or fight instinct happened with him. It could be he will be like this for a while, waiting for a period to pass before he comes to his senses. I hope I am right." he said
"I believe you. If he does not change back to himself, one of us can summon the fox for help."
Kakashi looked at her. She gave a sharp nod.
"Someone can assist a person who has a summon contract. Kabuto did it for Orochimaru when he came looking for me to fix his arms. One, they have to have knowledge in the creature they are summon and know where the tattoo is, if it is not visible."
Tsunade looked down as Naruto back up into a corner. She walked forward and watch him hunch down in fear. She scooped it up and held it in her arms. She rubbed its back and turned to Kakashi, with a large grin on his face.
"Dreams are windows to our fears, desires, truth, justice and so forth. We don't know why, but many of people's dreams gave the person a look in their future. The event may happen tomorrow or in the far future of the person life. We just do not know what our dreams hold for us, till we grasp that dream we want to fulfill us, finding our self in the masses."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at this speech.
"What do you mean?" he asked
She chuckled to herself.
"He woke up the other night from a nightmare. He dreamt of himself being a mix between fox and human. Let's just say, he was not too happy with me laughing at him for it."
Kakashi snorted in laughter. He looked to Naruto and shook his head.
"Then why did he not change into size he was?" he asked
Tsunade nodded at this and both were quiet for a few minutes.
"Naruto might have wanted a place to hide under, which he would fit under a lot of stuff in the living room now. Might as well get a small collar with a bell, I think I have a box to put him in for now."
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, coming up with an ideal.
"I think I can help you there."
She shot him a glare and he held up his hands in defense.
"No not that, I have something different. The collar will be able to break if he changes back to either his larger fox self or human self. When the collar breaks, the one you gave him will be free from a seal. I will have clothes sealed in both."
She nodded and looked down, seeing Naruto was asleep. She hoped they were right. She looked back at Kakashi.
"Have it done. Get your team to meet in the morning, they will need to baby set him."
Kakashi nodded, chuckling. He walked off, placing his mask back over his face. Tsunade spoke up.
"No pink collar or you will be wearing the color for a month."
Kakashi missed a step and nearly fell over at the vision he conjured. Tsunade moved to the refrigerator. She opened it and watched Naruto's head pick up, seeing all the food. She watched him sniff the air. He turned to her and back to the food. He glanced down and his eyes went wide.
One, he was far off the ground. Two, he was being held, as it was in his dream. He looked back at her as she closed the door to the refrigerator. He started to wiggle in her hold. She quickly put him down and watched as he closed his eyes and changed back to his human shape. She chuckled as he quickly covered his lower half up with his hands.
He opened his mouth about to yell out, but she quickly covered it, muffling his cry of what happen.
"Naruto you be quiet." she said in a whisper
He looked to her, stilling under her gaze. He almost wanted to transform back into a fox.
"Naruto, just be quiet and don't yell out or even talk. I will explain what happen to you after we get to my bedroom. Now, see about changing back to a fox, the size you just was."
She pulled back her hand and watched confusion wash over his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it.
"Just do it." she said
He nodded slowly and closed his eyes and willed himself to a fox, but smaller. She watched the transformation happen, nodding once he was back to chibi size, she dubbed. She picked him back up and went back to the refrigerator. She grabbed both something to eat. She turned around and walked back towards the living room. She cussed in her mind, not coming up with an ideal to snap him out of his fox trance. She filed the information away and stopped. She spoke in his ear, loud enough for only him to hear.
"Act like a fox. Growl when you smell Anko's scent."
She took off and steeped out into the living room of the Hokage home. She stopped and picked up Naruto's nightclothes. She felt Naruto rumble as he growled as she asked him. She quickly went to her room and stopped as Jiraiya exited out of his room. He looked at her, his face showing confusion.
"What in the hell happen?" he asked
He walked forward and stopped as the kit started to growl at him. He grew angry, walked forward, and snatched the kit by the scruff. Tsunade shot a glare at him as he shook Naruto.
"Damn disrespectable brat." he mumbled
He stopped as it cried out in pain. Tsunade took him and snarled at the man as she spoke.
"He transformed into a fox after he confronted Anko. He has been acting like a fox for the past half hour."
Jiraiya went wide-eyed. He opened his mouth to say something, but Tsunade cut him off.
"I don't want to explain it right now. I want to get some more sleep."
She walked to her room and slammed the door shut. She walked to her bed and set Naruto down, with his clothes. She turned around, walked to door, and locked it. She turned around when she heard a yelp. She turned in time to watch a pair orange colored shorts disappear in her bathroom. She chuckled as she walked back to her bed.
"They won't be able to hear us. Now, let me explain what happen."
She watched as Naruto walked out. He did not face her as he stood next to the bathroom. She walked to him and grabbed hold of his wrist, pulling him to follow her. She made him set down on the chair in front of her makeup table. He glanced up, looking at her in the mirror as she wrapped her arms around him. He flinched slightly. She set her head next to his.
"I am calling what happened Fox Trance.It was a flight or fight mechanism that caused you to change and run. Flight or fight is a basic survival instinct that is in about every living being. Kakashi said that since you were little and Anko was bigger, you chose flight."
He rolled his eyes at the little part. She smiled and stood up. She grabbed the bottle of hair detangle and put some in his hair. She grabbed a brush and brushed his hair. She watched him relax under the attention. He bowed his head, closing his eyes.
"Since you are like a fox, and Anko is like a snake, which both species have hate for each other, you ran away from a situation you felt like you were in danger of. You ran to me and hid next to me. When Kakashi and Anko walked in to tell me what happen, you were growling at them. I sent Anko off and had Kakashi get you for me, but you tried to bite him and moved away from him. Since Kakashi is like a dog, which foxes and dogs have a type of like and hate relationship for each other. He finally caught you and I took you. You calmed down, but we found it was not you, in truth. I told you to transform, using the ideal you came up with your nails. You did not listen. You just acted like a fox. You even attacked Kakashi, grabbing hold of his pants. I even yelled at you and you cowered down and moved off, like a frighten animal. We came up that you might be like this for a while from a few days to, forever. You snapped out of it when you sniffed food."
Naruto looked up when she stopped brushing his hair. It was flat on his skull. He looked at her refection.
"It could happen again?" he asked
"I believe so. I will be having Anko hang around you so you will not do that, but at least we know how to snap you out of the trance. It will be later."
"Why did you ask me to change back?"
"To see if you could change and to have some fun. Tomorrow I will be having your teammates take care of you, which I know they will take you to the others. I want you to cause some mischief. Kakashi had an ideal of sealing clothes in the collar. You may not like it, but you will be wearing a bell."
He snorted at her and she rapped her knuckles on his head. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was now 5:20. She let out a sigh, guessing she should go to her office. She might get some sleep there. No one would think she went that early. She looked to Naruto as he yawned.
"Did you get any sleep?" she asked
He shook his head no and she gave him a small smile.
"Well, transform in your chibi and let me put you in your box."
He snorted, knowing she was having fun with this. He willed himself in his chibi form and glanced to her as she picked him up. She set him on the bed and he curled up in a ball, placing his tail over his nose. He watched her go to her closet and pull out a box. He gave another snort as she stuffed a thin blanket in it. She stood up and walked back to him. She picked him up by the scruff and set him in it. She set the box on the floor and looked down at him.
"Try and get some sleep, I believe Kakashi will be here at six to get you. If you happen to wake up before he comes, escape your box."
He snorted at her and curled back up. He fell asleep, dreaming of ramen. She looked to her bed and let out a sigh. She grabbed the food she brought them and walked out of her room. She left the door opened a crack and walked downstairs. She put the food back up and sat down in the dinning room. She made herself look depressed as Shizune served her food. Tsunade stopped her from fixing Naruto a plate. She quickly explained what happen. Shizune sat down heavily, eating slowly. Tsunade took off for her office, to get more sleep.