Chapter 28: Plans to Come
-
Ploy is working more and more and soon Naruto will have them eating out of his hand, if the plan does not backfire, yet he is not the only one with plans.
-
Start date, January 22
Naruto slowly moved across the room, to the door of his room. He lay down on his stomach, looking through the gap of the door, seeing someone's shoes. He narrowed his eyes, not able to make out what was being said. He tapped his nails in irritation. He kept his claws, but hated starching himself at night, while he slept. He jumped up and ran back to his bed, hearing the key slide into the keyhole. He quickly covered himself with his blankets and rolled over, his back facing to who ever entered. He faked sleep as the person looked around the room. On the table was a half finished kit of a sailing ship, the instructions taped on the wall and parts done, marked off in red. A stack of books sat in one of the chairs that threaten to fall. One was open to a chapter about sailing and its hazarders. Scattered on the floor were paper, folded in origami shapes. Most were of birds, with their wings bent, or parts torn off.
The man set a tray of food down on the other chair and walked out of the room. Once the door was closed and Naruto knew no one else would be coming, he got out of bed and moved to the food. He frowned, finding eggs, toast, oatmeal, and his medicine as he sat on the floor. He curled his nose knowing it was mixed with a sleeping draft. He let out a sigh and ate his meal. He frowned, looking at the cup.
"Best you drink it this time. You need the medicine to get better."
"I know, but I don't like when I don't know what they are doing to me."
"Kit, all they did last time was just scrubbed the dead skin off the bottom of your feet, after they forced you to drink it. If any type of examining chakra or even any chakra enters your body, I know. Now drink it. It will wear off soon enough."
Naruto let out a sigh and slowly drained the cup. When the effects hit him, he dropped the cup. He let out a yawn, rubbing an eye. He looked up as the man returned, seeing it was the healer that has been taking care of him. He did not flinch when the man placed his hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and knew he was picked up, before drifting off to sleep. When he woke next, he smelt a familiar scent. He frowned at the person rubbing his back. He pushed himself from the man and rubbed his eye. He saw it was Moran. He let out a large yawn, closing his eyes.
"I see your awake now."
Moran was surprised the boy laid back down on his chest. He looked ahead as he stopped where the boy's room was. The guard opened the door and the man walked in. He sat Naruto on the bed and moved to the table, looking at the model ship.
"You got a lot done. It looks like you're out of glue; I will get you some more tomorrow."
The man looked to the chair and picked up the open book. He smiled, seeing where the boy was. He set it back down and moved next to the boy. He knelt down and smiled up at the boy. He picked up a foot, pushing some of the bandages away, finding the pads of his feet near healed. He flicked his finger over a nail, finding it sharp. He smiled to himself, finding red marks allover the boy's legs from being scratched by his own claws, as many of the ninjas called them now. He pulled up the boy's shirt, seeing faint scaring form the cut marks and the ring of pink skin on the boy's stomach. He let the shirt drop and tucked a strand of the boy's hair behind his ear so he could see his face. He did not show his frown since the boy would not look at him.
"I bet you're happy you are about healed. Healer Roam said your healing ability is finally coming back."
Naruto started to twist the end of his shirt around his fingers. He glanced to the man, seeing he smiled more. He looked back down.
"I want to go home." he said in a quiet voice
The man frowned and stood up. Naruto looked up and quickly moved back, hitting a corner. The man knelt back down, holding his hands up.
"I'm not mad at you. I would think you like it here. Lou said you were hated in your village and an orphan. The lord is giving you a chance at a better life. You will get what you need. I plan on teaching you, while you go to the academy for a year to learn. I know a lot of jutsu I know you would like to learn, many cause explosions and what boy does not like blowing stuff up?"
The man's smile fell, seeing tears fall from the boy.
"Hey, there is no need to cry."
The man reached out to calm the boy, but brought his hand back. He looked to the back of his hand, finding four long furls down the back of his hand. He looked to the boy, seeing he rolled into a ball, by boy's back facing him, shaking with fear. He reached out to tell the boy it was okay, but brought his hand back when he saw the boy shy away. He got up and left the room, wondering what to do about the boy. He had the guard wrap his hand and left. He turned to travel up the stairs and stopped. He bowed his head and the Lord of Fang walked down, stopping next to him.
"Moran-san, how it the boy doing?" the man asked
Moran ran his hand through his hair and looked to the man. He noticed three other people he did not recognized.
"Healing wise, he is doing very well. His ability is started to pick back up. Roam-san believes up to a month and he will be like he was when he first came to us. His burns are almost healed. The man wants to do another healing process on his feet. This is providing knowledge to the new and old healers. His stomach is still scared up. He won't let anyone clip his nails. Roam-san said it will not be wise not to while he sleeps, until he becomes a problem with them. So far, he has only scratched people out of fear. He has scratched Roam-san, another healer, me, which he just got me again and Lou. The other six was when he did not take his medicine and hid under the bed from the guards."
The lord nodded. He glanced to the man's hand and Moran held it up, showing the scarlet that stained the bandages.
"What else do you have to report." the lord asked
"He is quiet, still drawn in on himself. He has talked some, but it was of him wanting to go home. I tried to calm him, which is when he got me with his claws. His attitude has totally changed from the angry, fierce boy, to a shy one. I think what Lou had done to him caused most of the change. Another factor is that he knows he won't escape or return home, homesickness. I even think he is experiencing something new. He flinches at every touch, yet when he woke up when I brought him back, he laid back down on me. When I took him to the hospital after Lou took him, he clung to me. He would not let anyone take him. I pried him free from me and he woke up, but his vision was blurred and he moved from me. I think he thought I was Lou."
"Thank you. If the healer says its okay, I want you to take the boy to the greenhouse to stretch his legs. It will be warm there. I want at least six guards on him and you to be with him. See if you can't get him to talk more. Ask simple questions."
The man bowed his head and left, traveling up the stairs. He glanced back, watching the four going to the boy's room. He wished the man luck to get any reaction from the boy.
-captured-
Once Moran was out of the room, Naruto uncurled himself, by letting his body fall back. He rolled his eyes, hearing chuckling.
"Well done Kit, you are doing good keeping this ploy up."
"Easy for you to say, I'm bored."
"It ought to get better soon and once you are better, we will finalize our plan to escape."
"Yah, but what about the seal, have you found a way to get rid of it?"
"Maybe, but I don't know if it will work. I think if you get blood of the one who put it on you and I use my charka to dispel it, it might work, but it might not at the same time."
Naruto lifted up his shirt and rubbed the blood from his nails on the seal. He felt chakra from the fox gather to the spot, waiting for something to happen. He frowned, when nothing happened. He rubbed off the blood, not wanting them to know he knew something.
"It could be that red head man, but I have not seen him."
"True, but if we don't find him, I should find something about the seal and break it. Why don't you read some more, I do like to read myself."
Naruto let out a sigh and nodded. He moved to the table and looked at the model ship he was building. He was uneasy with all the attention he was receiving. He did not like being near anyone of them, especially Moran or the lord. He picked up the book on sailing and moved back to the bed. He started reading where he left off. He looked up, hearing the lock undone. He bit his lip, wondering what to do. He tossed the book to his pillows and dropped down on the ground, rolling under his bed. He looked under his the gap between the floor and his blankets, watching the door open up. He scowled, seeing the lord with a smile on his face.
"Naruto-kun, why don't you come out, I would like to talk to you."
Naruto moved back, seeing the man looked in his direction. The man walked forward and knelt down, pulling up the covers. He smiled at Naruto, keeping from flinching when he saw the boy's eyes were red and slit. He reached out towards the boy.
"Come out of there, you don't need to be afraid of me."
He stopped his advance when growling came to his ears. He quickly brought his hand back, setting up. He glanced down, seeing his robe sleeve was cut. He kept from sighing, when he found he was not cut. He knelt back down, keeping a smile on his face.
"If you don't want to come out, that's fine by me."
The man stood up and moved from the bed. He started a set of hand seals and took a breath. He held the last seal and blew out, a white cloud of smoke forming. It went under the bed, making Naruto panic. He tired holding his breath, but fell when he was hit with a current of electricity. He took a breath, breathing in the smoke. The effects were instant and his head fell to the ground. The lord ordered the guard to retrieve the boy and place him on the bed. Once the man was gone and the door closed, the lord moved forward and pulled back the boy's shirt. He frowned, seeing the scares and pink skin. He looked back and motioned for the three to come forward. He stepped back as one man moved closer and placed his hands on either side of the boy's stomach. He pushed a large amount of chakra into the boy and waited for the seal to appear. The lord was confused and moved forward. He narrowed his eyes, anger on his face.
"I was told by Moran-san that he had a large seal on his stomach, around his navel. Could have what that baboon caused damage to the seal?"
The man stepped back, furling his eyebrows. He looked to the other two, seeing confusing on their faces as well. He looked to the lord.
"It could have been a seal that released at a certain time, a limiter on his chakra, or the remnants of a seal the boy himself released before he was captured. The severity of his wounds could have damaged the seal, nullifying its effects. We do not know all about seals. We think Konoha's Yellow Flash's used a cretin type of seal to get the speed the Tsuchi described. We never made progress of how he did it. I don't know and I am sorry Lord Fang."
The man shook his head.
"That is fine by me. When Moran gets the boy to open up, he might know what the seal does. I know the boy will not trust me now, but I will have to think of something to gain my trust. I think you for your time."
The three bowed their heads and left the room. The lord moved to Naruto and picked up his hand, examining the nails. He glanced to his sleeve, letting out a pent up breath of relief. He laid the hand down and moved closer to this boy's face. He opened the eye, seeing they were round and blue as the sky. He let the eyelids close and brushed a finger along the boy's cheeks, puzzled by the marks on his face. He opened the boy's mouth, raising an eyebrow at the somewhat longer and sharper looking canines. He moved back, watching the boy sleep. He tapped his chin in thought, a grin crossing his lips. He walked out, heading back to his office, to revise his list of persuading the boy.
-captured-
Naruto snickered when the kyuubi told them they were looking for the seal. His laughter soon died and his shoulders slump. He jumped when a tail wrapped around him, but relaxed in the hold. It was warm, comfort, a pillar of strength, security from what might happen in the future, acknowledgement and family. This is all he wanted his whole life, which he was slowly getting as the day went by. The kyuubi grinned down at the boy, wondering when the boy would shed the denseness of his skull, and know there was someone who has a crush on him. It let out a sigh, once Naruto fell asleep, clinging on the tail, not wanting this feeling to leave, subconsciously. It flinched in pain coursing through its body. Once the pain subsided, it closed its eyes, falling asleep. A tear ran down from each eye.
End date, January 22
Three chapters in two days. I am happy, hope you are too.
Reviews are always helpful to pick up my writing. If questions arise, ask in the forum. I am a bit sad no one has asked me questions in the forum. Oh well, hope some come and I will gladly ask.
Green Gold Fox