Life as a Fox

Chapter 25

NSW

The white blur loped easily through the trees. Springing from one branch to the next without skipping a single beat. Finally the blur stopped motionless on the forest floor, the forest gazed as a silent witness to his presence. Uzumaki Naruto, now more commonly known as 'Fluffy'. But he also went by another name all together, WolfHeart, the Wolf demon of the Anbu.

Naruto pressed on forword, his mind filtering through the common and familiar scents of the forest. Naruto's mind was easy, he for the first time felt right with the forest, away from the defening noises of the city and the putrid odors of man. Not that he hated living in the city, it was just that this body was made to run beneath the branches of the trees, with the wind his only companion and the moon his only guardian.

Naruto padded softly, the pine needles crunching, silently releasing their fragrance into the air. His nose picked up the sent of many different animals going about their daily life in the forest. He stopped and sighed, then began to contemplate why he was put on a mission such as this. Maybe it was because he was going crazy with boredom at home, maybe it was because he had begged for any mission, who knows, all he knew now was that he had to go through the entire area of the Sound country and look for suspicious activity.

Naruto huffed and laid down in the shade of a tree, he sighed as the light trickling of water over rocks lulled him into a distant slumber. Then he smelled smoke, he awoke with a start, he looked around, the forest was calm, it wasn't the forest on fire. He followed his nose, it led him through many thickets and brambles, he cursed and muttered while trying to go through the obstacles.

He finally got through and arrived at the scene of a terrible horror. Innocent, defenseless people ran for cover and for safety away from the mayhem that went about in the villege. Naruto crouched closer, his attention completly enraptured with the main group of men within the villege who laughed and joked as they destroyed these people's lively hood.

Anger burned in Naruto gut, he crept forword silently, ducking away from both fleeing people and animals. Naruto was going to make his way to the main henchmen, and take him out, and like a chicken with its head cut off the others would run around without no idea of where to go. Naruto grinned savegly at the idea. But then from the corner of his eye, he noted three people, two boys and a girl.

They had a group of five villegers mixed in age, from two young children, to a women who was pregnant then to two older women, the young female spoke outloud, "let's let them go, they can't do any harm to us, I mean others are leaving". The larger teenage male spoke, "but, Kurochi-sensei said, if we have the oppertunity to take hostages we should".

The girl glanced at him, "and if Kurochi-sensei said jump off a cliff you would? look, I get it ,we need a sensei to learn Ninjutsu, but doing this is wrong." Naruto nodded, the girl was right. The girl turned to the villegers, "you may go" she said then turned back to the boys, they ran back up the ally and left the confused villegers.

Naruto spoke from the shadows, "take your chance, leave, go to the Villege hidden in the leaves, three day journey by foot, go now!" he yelled, they were greatly sceared and confused at the unkown voice but they ran anyway. Naruto turned once more towards the main group. 'Kurochi huh?' he thought to himself, then filtered through all the names and images he had remembered from the Bingo book.

There was a match as he remembered, he was a A-rank missing nin from the Sand. Naruto looked at the others, no one else came to his memory, Naruto slunk forword on his belly. Kurochi was grinning as he bit viciosly into a fruit, a farmer had probably brought to the market to sell today. He then upturned a cart and revealed three young women, all of them looked to be around twenty.

All three were a deep tan color, and seemed to be in a localized religon that paid homage to a local deity. Within that religon, the females and males only wore a simple woven garb, only it was dyed with bright colors, usually they matched the wearer's eye color. Two green robed women and one blue robed women scampered away, or tried to before one was caught by Kurochi, who held her with one arm around her waist.

She screamed and beat her fists against him, he laughed and dropped his fruit. Then he turned her about so she faced him, then forced a kiss upon her, she wrestled away from him and spat at him, only her mouth had been dry and no saliva formed. The other two were caught by other men, Kurochi spoke, "looks like we have dinner and a show tonight boys" he yelled, his followers hooted and hollered.

Naruto saw three figures who were still throughout this entire ordeal, it was the three teenagers, all of them looked grim, the female looked livid. Naruto watched as the three within the commotion of the men fighting over who would get which women (which also made Naruto quite disgusted and angry) they slowly picked up supplies then slunk down an ally and disappeared.

Naruto turned and went after them. He followed them for quite sometime, he noted that all three of them looked very angry and ashamed. Naruto smiled he could use these teenagers to his advantage.

First he circled ahead of them, their intent of travel was very obvious. Then he waited with a simple trap at the ready.

The three of them walked right into it, at once all three of them were dragged up into the trees upside down by a rope that had clasped around their ankles. All three of them yelled and screamed for a bit, and wiggled aorund as well, Naruto watched them with some amusment.

Then he stepped out into view, and glanced up at them. The girl screamed, "look a wolf! oh kami! we are going to be eaten I know it!" Naruto for his own amusment bared his teeth and snapped at them. All of them tried to grab unto each other form where they swung. Naruto though had enough, "enough, all of you stop" he said, of course there was the main shock that everyone seemed to get everytime he spoke.

The random gruttle sounds people made as they tried to create some intelligent train of thought. Naruto cut off their annoying noises, "enough, I talk, I will explain later, right now I need the three of you to help me". All of them looked at each other then back at him, "why" asked the larger male. "because you are going to help undo the wrongs you did on that villege".

The girl spoke a stutter( from fear) alive in her voice. "a..are you, a mountian...doni? an evil spirit?" Naruto was about to say no but then caught himself, it would be fun to pose for a bit, "yes" he said then cleared his throat and took on a scarier tone, "I am the great white Doni, and I am here to wreak horrowing vengence on the people who have hurt my villege".

The thinner male spoke "your villege?" Naruto nodded, "yes, it rests in my mountian, so it is mine!" he spat then lujnged forword bringing himself to his full height he growled(for added effect) "now! prepare to be devoured!" the teens cringed in horror, the larger male begged him to not eat him, claiming he was too young to die. Naruto grinned he was having so much fun, "very well, I will not eat you on one condition" he spoke, they all looked up at him like he was a life savior, "name it!" "help me defeat the men in the villege". All of them shook their heads "we can't they are to strong for us" Naruto sighed "very well then you must die" He took one step forword the girl spoke " FINE! I GIVE!..." then she cleared her throat "oh yes, great white doni, we will help you please don't eat us" Naruto nodded "very good, now come you will help me defeat these menece of my valley".

Naruto chuckled to himsefl 'well at least they know how to choose the lesser of two evils, that is a start'

All of them nodded, Naruto released them they plopped to the grounds in undignified lumps. Once they had gathered themselves he spoke, "follow me, and do as I say". They nodded, Naruto turned and led them back towards the villege.

He stopped nearby the outskirts of the villege, he heard the muffeled noises of men going through all the houses of the villege, "what do you want us to do?" Naruto looked to the thinner male, he was tall and gaunt, he had mousy brown hair drawed back in a pony tail, and had two large bangs framing his face, but he had Leaf green eyes.

Naruto nodded towards the main group, "first get back in their play it safe and cool, but if I sense that you are going back to your ways I will tear you apart like the rest" they nodded "then what?" Naruto spoke, "get them to loosen up a bit more, then on my signal attack your sensei" All of them stared at him, "what, he won't expect it, you will have the element of suprise and familiarity on your side, people drop their guard with those they think are weaker then they, or they know they can trust".

All of them still look petrified, "you don't have to kill him, just make sure he can't move, sit on him or something". They glanced at him then back "don't worry, I will have the others down, no one will even get lose enough to breathe on you". They nodded, "now remember, inconspicious" he nodded to them and they got up and walked forword.

Some people called out to them, Naruto heard them answer. They came up with some sort of alibi that sounded like they were searching for secret stores or quality livestock like horses to sell. Naruto nodded the brown haired boy had a good mind about him. They lulled around and spoke with a few, mostly everyone was going about and claiming their own piles of valuables, Naruto however could here muffled screaming and struggling in some houses, he would stop the unmentinable horror that was going on there first.

Naruto crept through the alleyways and debris, then finally made it to the first house, he crept inside through a side window, and in the dark made his way to his first victem, he grunted and sweated like a pig over his own victem who wept and was completly still. Naruto bared his teeth an a snarl then struck, grabbing the man by the spine, his teeth burying themselves into the weak flesh, then man screamed, but no one bothered to care, they thought it was the women.

Naruto then pulled the man back so he was on the floor, in agony, Naruto struck once more, slaying the man like the pig he was. With blood bitter upon his tongue Naruto turned to the women, she was inbetween reality and dreams, lost in her own plae she went to, to escape the horrors of real life. Naruto nudged her whining, she seemed to awake, he whispered into her ear, "stay hidden, do not let them see you, wait for my return".

The women nodded her eyes vacent and full of pain. Naruto lept over the pool of blood and went to the door, he cocked an ear and heard more screaming in the next house, he slunk over and peeped through a window, it was several acts of rape going on in this place, it would be quite difficult, he looked around, and saw that the house had a fireplace, with a chimney.

Naruto leaped up unto the roof and went to the chimney, being careful not to be seen, he blocked the opening, so the smoke would not be able to escape and thus, would fill up the house. Naruto waited until he heard plenty of gasping and coughing, Naruto entered in one quick run he dashed aorund the room, killing all three men quickly and effectively.

The women screamed and ran form the house thinking it was on fire, one women slid in a pool of blood and fell upon one of the bodies, she screamed even louder, they ran form the house. Naruto dashed out of the house, In the confusion of the escaping women, some of them men, left their leader alone with hios three students who luckily, leaped upon him and sat on him, one on his legs, one on his arms, the other on his torso.

Naruto had to move quickly, he created about twenty clones then he charged, all of them had his ghost wolf defense around them, they sprung into battle, like a herd of perfectly trained war mounts. Naruto leaped in and out of battle, a blur of white his battle rage at its extent. Naruto made it through the weak line of defense and 'charged for the guns' in a sense, and attacked their leader.

Kurochi, was wrestling with his students' cursing up a storm and trying to get free. He was seconds away form over powering all three of them, when Naruto got there, and quick as a flash he lunged and took the man's throat in his jaws.

He had to stop himself from biting down and destroying the man, so he instead had severla clones come up and grab a hold of his limbs, as if they were getting ready to tear him into peices. Naruto had his clones hold him while he spoke to the teenagers, "get me some ink,paper and rope".

They rumaged aorund and found enough, Naruto tied the man up then placed chakra restraint seals upon him. The teenagers looked to him, "why didn't you kill him"? Naruto spoke "a higher power will make sure he id given his just rewards, now listen to me".

They huddled closer, "Since you have righted your wrongs I will grant you your wish" he spoke, "Wish? how do you know about our wish? and when did you say-" "SILENCE STUPID MORTAL!" Naruto yelled, laughing inside as they shrinked back in terror.

Naruto spoke, "I know what it is you seek, a sensei, to teach oyu the ways of the ninja, well, you will find him in Konoha, in the land of fire, go there, there you will be granted your wish." They all looked at him then looked back but he and the body was gone, vanished without a trace.

Naruto laughed outloud, he had much fun fooling with those teenagers, plus he had taught them a valubale lesson, and he made three more hard working and honost teenagers join the ranks of village hidden in the leaves.

He hauled the Kurochi on his back to the nearest Hunter nin station and collected the money, they sent the unconciousman to Konoha for his imprisonment. Naruto then secretly watched over the three teens journey.

They arrived finally in Konoha after almost a five day journey, somehow they got lost, but mysteriously the next day after being lost, an arrow drawn in the dirt near the campfire pointed them to where they needed to go. They stared aorund them at the hustle and bustle of the enormous village.

Gin glanced over at Chikao. Gin studied him, he was a tall gaunt lad, they had been together since she could remember all three of them, living and surviving together in the poverished land of sound, they had traveled out of the sound before, but always returned, but know they had a future, they had hope.

Gin twirled her finger aorund her short silver hair, all three of them had wanted to be ninja's if you were a ninja you could survive, you could be someone, and most importantly, you could protect yourself. Gin glanced over and Baru, he was a very tall very strong teen, he reminded Gin of a Lion, except for his lack of hair.

Chikao looked aorund, "where do we go?" he asked aloud to them, Gin shrugged, "I don't know, but the Doni said we would find our sensei here". Baru nodded, "yeah, but where exactly" They wandered around taking in all the sights and sounds and stopped and rested in the local park. Baru streched out on a bench "I could get used to this, this place is nice".

Then a voice spoke, "quite nice, in fact that is my favorite spot, also you should learn how to listen to directions better". All of them jumped up and swivled towards the voice. It was the doni! Gin was speechless, Chikao spoke, "aren't you supposed to be home?" The white creature, who looked like a normal wolf, only a bit larger, and had a deepr chest, as well he had a strange calm in his eyes, a almost human emotion.

The Done grinned, showing off vicious canines, Gin also noted that at least one was missing. "this is my home, welcome to the villege hidden in the leaves, I am Fluffy the Wolf demon of Konoha". All of the gaped at him, GIn felt stunned then embarresed she had been fooled by this creature, then she felt a wave of anger, "hey! why the heck did you trick us like that? huh! what is your angle!".

The demon looked at her, "oh, I am sorry, did you want me to arrest you as well for aiding a known convict? very well I will" She gasped as her heart stopped for a second, "no wait! I'm sorry! I just don't like to be used as a tool" The creature grinned, "then you my friend are going into the wrong profession, that is what we ninja are, we are tools to be used by the villege, what did you think it was all glory and honor?".

They nodded, that was exactly what it sounded like, people would respect and fear you, and do whatever you want. The creature continued, "well its not, its hard work, pain misery, and inevitably death" he spat out the final word as if he had experianced the latter before, "I am giving you a choice, you can remain on the path of wanting to be a ninja, that is fine, but Konoha offers other area's of work, here you can start anew, and, well pardon the pun, turn a new leaf".

Baru, Chikao and Gin looked at each other, could it be? did they have to be ninja now? they found a place where they could be whatever they wanted to be, not just a ninja. Gin closed her eyes, no, she was not turning away now, she would become what she had dreamed, she was adament. Gin opened, "I want to be a ninja, it is all I ever wanted to be, I don't care about the risks, I already know them, it is the oppertunities that I am looking forword to."

Chikao and Baru nodded, they stepped in closer to her, they were united, all three of them, no matter what they would stick together. The creature grinned slowly, "excellent, a good and noble heart, none of you are quiters, good, my students have to be this way". Gin for a second, thought she had misheard him "wait, did you say your students?" The demon nodded, "yes, I will be your sensei, now come, first we have to get you enlisted".

Chikao and Baru stared at him, "so...wha-...huh?" Baru asked, Gin was just as confused, trying to wrap her head around all that had happened, the Demon sighed then spoke. "look, when I saw what was happening to the villege, I went in their fully intending to kill every last one, but, when I heard what you said, young..." the demon stopped "Gin" she said, "ah, young Gin, when I heard what you said, I saw a little bit of me, back when I was young, I knew, that you three were different from the rest. You were just young misled lambs, so I decided to take you under my wing and teach you the right way of being a ninja, but first I had to test you".

Gin smiled, this demon wasn't to bad, he was quite interesting. The demon smirked back, "so, young Gin, and...?" he trailed off, "Chikao" Chikao said, "and that's Baru" Gin said pointing to the boy, "well, Chikao, Gin, Baru, welcome to Konoha, I am your Sensei Fluffy, I like Ramen and running around, I hate collor's, chains, cages, and thanks to a certial long ago mission, needles, and hospitals, my plans for the future are to become the first Demon Wolf Hokage, but before that, lets go meet the current Hokage".

Gin laughed, "well, allright then, I guess our wish did come true, maybe we should thank that old Doni in the sound some day" the demon snorted, "I am not old, I am quite young, now come on" he said walking away, Gin, Chikao and Baru looked at each other, "well this is going to be intresting" Baru said, Gin grinned, "yeah I know,...isn't it great!"

Then a voice called back to them "you are going to have to learn, when I say 'lets go' I mean 'lets go' not stand around and talk, now move it before I bite you on the butt!"Baru, Chikao and Gin raced there hearts out to keep up with their new sensei.

Naruto glanced back at the three, they kept up with him while still admiring everything in a slack jawed awe. Naruto grinned, 'what am I getting myself into, I am raising their hopes, I don't even know If I am allowed to have students! oh well, I guess I am going to have to find out, then again Kakashi does owe me, I mean I did give that dauighter of his several thousands of 'horsie rides' while Kakashi was working...'

so, I finished, and for grammer cheak and spell cheak, I think its good enough I read through and fixed somethings, random note I thought of an awesome poem, here it is.

words are blank...

they are abstractions of sound

offering no comfort

and emmiting only pain.

Created in vain attempts for peace and assurence

but what they really do is destroy people from inside out

dragging out a persons life

until they silence words with a knife.

well thats what I have so far i guess its kinda cool,

well thats all i have bye bye.

NSW