Chapter 26

Life as a Fox

NSW

"Fluffy...do you expect me to rollover and do whatever you want because you want to do it?" said the Hokage of the hidden leaves. Kakashi looked across his desk to the three young teenagers standing before him. Two boys and a girl, the girl had silver hair like his only lighter and softer, she also had pale green eyes.

The smaller boy had chestnut brown hair and eyes. While the boy on his right had robin egg blue eyes and a bald head. He was also a massive boy, he wasn't fat, he was just built, wide in everything, and tall. Kakashi could see a future taijutsu powerhouse in him.

Naruto cleared his throat, "sir, if one would speak, I think giving these three the opportunity to right their wrongs and to live, better, fuller, and LONGER lives would benefit everyone here". Naruto said accenting key words in the sentence knowing Kakashi out of guilt would agree with him.

Kakashi himself was also accenting many key words within his head. He even thought about throwing out a threat Kiba had told him would get Naruto to do anything, but Kakashi had a soft spot for the young student who now was a Demon.

Kakashi sighed, 'ah, what the heck, what trouble could he possibly get into? With three students, plus he needs something to occupy his time, it will help ease over the fact that Sasuke will be released next year.' Kakashi nodded "fine, you may have students, but on one condition, they have to have the same education as any other Konoha Nin, you three will have to graduate academy".

The three of them got this faraway look which Kakashi for a moment thought it would be called a 'deer in the headlight look' which was absurd, because what in kami's name was a headlight? Kakashi pushed it from mind and forgot about it, as he gave the three of the civilian papers.

While they left, Kakashi called Naruto over, "Naruto, I allowed them in, but, you are the one who is going to have to find them suitable quarters." Naruto grimaced, "can't they stay in my old apartment?" Kakashi glanced at him "are you serious? Three teenagers, with no parental control or guardianship alone in a big city full of new and big things? Are you an idiot?"

Naruto growled "oi! I was just fine by myself!" Kakashi leveled him a glance, "Naruto, you drank expired milk, lived off of ramen, and lived with roaches, you had no idea what a vegetable was until I became your sensei, and you had no sense of personal hygiene either."

Naruto scratched his neck with his back paw, and then shook himself as if to prove a point. Kakashi sighed "you better not have fleas" Naruto grinned "that is for me to know, and you to find out" Naruto padded towards the door but stopped near the planted tree in his office, "oh, look you forgot to water your plant, here let me do that" and Naruto then lifted his leg and did his business and with one last wink he left.

Kakashi then let out a long low audible sigh of exhaustion. Then he proceeded to gently hit his head against his desk.

Naruto led his students to home, he cleared his throat, "so, let me tell you a little thing about me, I go by many names, and at home, I go by Naruto, just so you are not confused." He paused then continued "I live with Kiba and Hinata Inuzaka, who are very good friends of mine, actually we are more like family, they have an adopted son named Toyi, who now lives in his own little apartment, but he stops by for supper usually."

Naruto slunk through a doggy door, then opened the door from the inside, "come on in" he said grinning, they entered the home, instantly they felt the warmth that radiated in it. Gin thought to herself 'so this is what home feels like'.

Naruto walked to the back bedroom, "Hinata"? He said out loud he heard a light sniffing then Hinata spoke "come on in Naruto" she said her voice worn from heavy crying. Naruto walked in, Hinata sat on the bed, in her normal house wear, and she smiled softly at Naruto.

She threw something at the garbage, but it missed and landed on the floor, it was a white pregnancy stick, negative. Naruto felt sad, he didn't know it, but when he was sad his ears laid back, and his tail curled beneath him.

He looked up to her, "I'm sorry Hinata, I know you guys have been trying, don't worry it'll happen, I know it will". Hinata smiled and bent down to him "you always make me feel better, and I know it will happen, but I just want to be a mom so bad Naruto, I feel like I am letting Kiba down."

Naruto licked her cheek, "you are not letting him down, don't ever think that, I also want to see you as a mommy, you deserve it, but, I brought you a surprise, three in fact." Hinata looked at him "what is it"? Naruto grinned "well, let's just say you can experience the teenage rebellious years early".

Hinata looked at Naruto strangely, Naruto sighed "I brought some stray's home, they were being misled and I had to save them, then I ended up being their sensei." He sighed, "they need a place to stay, but don't worry I will find a place for them tomorrow." He paused begging her with his eyes, "just the night, three days at most".

Hinata was looking down at him, her mouth in a perfect 'o'. Naruto grinned. The expression on his face was more or less along the lines of 'I know I did something bad, but please don't be mad at me'. Hinata sighed, "Okay then, where are they?" Naruto wagged his tail, "sitting on the couch" he said while he padded back down the hall.

Hinata sat on the love seat in the living room, Naruto sat on HIS pillow next to her, it was a very nice pillow, Naruto had custom made for himself, it sat in a large orange basket with a swirl and leaf pattern design. The pillow was made of the finest black satin and was filled with the softest feathers money could buy. (Which he paid for himself, as a gift to himself).

Naruto even had his name embroidered on the pillow, he also had a silver doggie dish that his name on it as well, although no one called it a dog bowl, he preferred to call it his 'silver eating chalice.' Naruto curled himself nice and cozy upon the pillow.

Akamaru, who was getting up there in years, came into the room, if Akamaru were any dog, he would be dead by now, but because of Inuzaka breeding, he was a dog that lasted a lot longer than normal average dogs. Some people have considered the idea that somewhere up in the lines of the Inuzaka dog breeding there was a demon or two, but it was never proven.

Akamaru walked in and sat on his own pillow, which was better than most dogs of the city, but paled in comparison with Naruto's 'throne'. Hinata spoke "so tell me about yourselves" she asked. Gin then entered into the long story of how the three of them grew up as orphans within the sound, no one really cared about them, but they found out they had the potential to be ninja so they set out on a journey to learn how to be just that.

Naruto was surprised when Gin was revealed to be a girl only the age 13. Chikao and Baru were both 14. Naruto cleared his throat, "so how did you all meet?" Baru spoke; he had a deep voice, but was obviously shy, and obviously did not have a lot education.

"I work in the mines, since day I could walked, but I hate it, always dark, not safe, shafts would collapse all the time, people die, I asked myself question, do I want be next? And answered myself 'no', so I left". Gin nodded, "me and Chikao have been with each other since the beginning, we found Baru sleeping under one of our favorite bridges, when we were eight, he had been with us since."

Naruto nodded "I see, well, what do you guys know so far for jutsu's?" Gin looked at the ground and unconsciously her left hand went to play with her hair. Chikao looked down at his hands, and Baru stared blankly at him, something he did commonly.

"I am guessing by the silence none" Gin spoke "well, I can't do jutsu's, but we can walk up trees and across water with our chakra." Naruto nodded "good, those are Chunin level feats". Baru spoke "what Chunin?" Naruto stared at them, "don't you know the hierarchy of Ninja?" all of them stared blankly.

Naruto sighed, he wished he could rub his temples but the best he could do was place a paw over his eyes and snout, a somewhat comic action, that Hinata at times found enduring. "After you graduate the academy, you will be known as Genin, the lowest of the low, grub worms, you do missions like finding lost pets, and cleaning up the lake stuff like that."

Naruto paused "all though, if you're lucky, and have a cool sensei, you sometimes can get better missions." Naruto cleared his throat, "after a while, if you think you are ready, you can apply for the Chunin exams, after that, you have to be selected by the Hokage to be promoted to Chunin, after you reach Chunin, you mostly just have to keep doing missions and earn a reputation, and you soon will be given the status of Jounin, the top dog really."

Naruto glanced at them Chikao and Gin nodded getting it, Baru stared blankly, Naruto looked worriedly at him "don't worry I will explain it to him later" Gin said. Naruto nodded, "well, after Jounin, there is special Jounin, and then Anbu, which has another hierarchy in itself".

Gin groaned, "Who's the top ninja then?" Naruto cleared his throat, "the Hokage, but there are tons of credentials you need for that, which you don't have to worry about, just making it to Jounin would make any person feel great about themselves."

Gin nodded, "so, what are you?" Naruto paused for a second, "I am Anbu, right now just a normal Private, but I will be taking my Captainship exam soon, and so I might get bumped up to Captain." Gin smiled, "well I hope you get it, Fluffy...err...Naruto sensei".

Naruto for a second felt his heart swell with pride, and to think, he thought he would never here those words said to him. He felt a small tear come to his eye; he quickly hid it by taking a lap of water. Naruto looked up suddenly he heard someone at the door, he exploded to his feet, well he and Akamaru did.

"Hinata! Hinata someone is at the door! Someone is at the door!" he yelled, Akamaru barked the equivalent of what Naruto said in dog tongue. Both canines rushed for the window next to the door, Naruto now barking like a normal Wolf, but adding a few fox yips in as well.

Hinata sighed and got up, there was times Naruto seemed like a normal dog, and this was one of those times. Hinata was in the kitchen by the time the knock actually came, "Naruto who is it?" she spoke over the consistent barking "it smells like...cherries! Cherries and...Flowers! Its Sakura and Ino!" Naruto barked excitedly, trying to open the door himself with his paws scrabbling over the door.

Hinata thought to herself 'Kiba just repainted that, look at that, full of claw marks again; I have a mind to clip his nails today'. Naruto opened the door finally, and attacked Sakura, jumping up and placing his paws on her shoulders, his version of a hug, he panted as he stared up at her.

Sakura giggled, and hugged him, then gave him a kiss on the nose "hello as well Naruto" Naruto dropped down, and sniffed around her legs, "you just got back from Kakashi's office" she nodded "wait! You also smell like dog food! You went to the pet store which means you have-" Sakura laughed and took from behind her back a large juicy meat bone, two in fact.

Naruto wagged his tail and tried jumping up to get it, "no, Naruto, manners see look, Akamaru has manners so he gets his" she said handing the bone to the canine who sat patiently, Naruto sighed and did the same. Sakura gave him his, which had a special ramen, flavored seasoning that Sakura made herself.

Naruto eagerly chomped on the bone and carried his prize to his pillow and began to knaw it. The three teens turned to each other "that's out sensei!" Gin whispered loudly to Chikao, Naruto growled "Quiet! I know, I have my faults, but don't judge me".

He then continued to knaw on the bone drooling slightly. Sakura walked into the living room, "you must be the three new students, Kakashi told me, he also told me, that I can have his plant for some odd reason, which is weird because he liked it, now he says he can't stand it".

Naruto momentarily ceased knawing on his bone; he glanced at Sakura then slowly began to knaw it again, hoping she wouldn't look his way. Sakura saw this out of the corner of her eye and pursed her lips. "Naruto did you do anything to his plant?" Naruto stopped knawing the bone then looked at her with his puppy eyes and whined.

Sakura was not amused she crossed her arms, "what did you do?" Naruto looked down "I may or may not, have relieved myself in his beloved office plant". Sakura glared at him "should I take away that bone of yours?" Ino piped in "oh Sakura, how can you be mad at him, look at that face" she said going up to him, "it's so cute" she said kneeling down and grabbing it by the sides.

Sakura and Hinata sighed, I no always did this, and she had a soft spot for cute things. "Besides, like dog pee is going to harm it, dogs pee on trees all the time." Naruto cuteness level dropped drastically, when she called him a 'dog'.

Ino dropped his head and covered her mouth "oh, sorry I didn't mean it like that". Naruto huffed and turned away from them for a few moments. Gin spoke up, "so you work with the Hokage?" Sakura nodded "he was my sensei, when I was a genin, and now I pop in from time to time to help out, and visit, but most of the time I am at the hospital with my other sensei Tsunade".

Gin stared at her, "you have two sensei's?" Sakura laughed "no, I Kakashi hasn't taught me anything in almost four years, we graduated from him a long time ago, we just still call him Kakashi sensei". Chikao spoke up, "so what does Tsunade teach you?" Naruto piped in, "Tsunade taught Sakura how to be a medic Nin, and I swear, she will one day surpass Tsunade, I seen this women do amazing things".

Sakura blushed "oh Naruto stop, besides I have a lot more to learn, there is always new discoveries to be made" Gin spoke up again, "your hair, is it natural? Or do you dye it?" Sakura touched her hair, "all natural" Gin looked at her with stars in her eyes, "you are my idol".

Sakura and Hinata laughed, "Well, thank you Gin is it?" Gin nodded "and that's Chikao, and Baru" Sakura said hello to each "well, I just wanted to drop by your official schedules tomorrow, you will be going to a special night school class for just you three, your Sensei will be Umino Iruka, who was my teacher in-""Iruka sensei! Oh kami he is still there? Oh boy, you guys are going to have fun!"

Sakura glared at Naruto who hid behind Ino. "Yes, Naruto Iruka sensei is still there now shut-up" Naruto snorted and opened his jaws wide then crossed his eyes, his equivalent of making an annoying face. The three teens laughed at his antic.

Sakura cracked her knuckles, Naruto stopped immediately. Sakura gave a nod, "much better, any way here is your schedule" she said finally handing them the slips of paper. "class starts next week" The three of them looked down at their slips of paper like they were precious gold leaf messages.

After Sakura and Ino left, the three teens were taken on a tour of the house and were found suitable sleeping arrangements. Gin on the couch, with Baru and Chikao sleeping in Naruto's bed while Naruto would sleep on his pillow in the living room with Gin.

They then got down to making supper, all three of them helping out with Hinata, "Baru, can you tell me what the recipe asks for next?" Baru looked down at the book, "well"? she asked waiting, "Baru shook his head, "Baru, can you read?" Baru shook his head "don't need no reading to lift coal, follow orders, never important, just work no think".

Hinata nodded "I see" Gin came over, "I can read a little, it says you need to add, three coops" "cups" Hinata said correcting "cups, of carrr-ots?" "Carrots" Hinata said again, Gin nodded, "yeah, three,...cups...of...carrots" Gin said finally proud of herself.

Hinata turned to Chikao, "can you read?" Chikao shrugged "not really, the symbols are always moving around, I can't concentrate, the doctor at the orphanage said I had some big word Dis...disletic?" "Dyslexia" Hinata said, Chikao nodded "yeah, I'm that".

Hinata felt sad for these three, they would have lived their lives not knowing the full grasp of the world, and all the amazing things you can do in it, if they hadn't of had their dream, Baru would have lived in those coal mines his entire life, Chikao would have became a thief or something worse, and Gin, poor young Gin, she could have become sex slave or prostitute.

Hinata sighed "well, here she said grabbing the book, I will teach you a little bit Baru" she said then began to cook and give reading lessons at the same time.

The door opened and Kiba stepped inside he put his jacket on the hook next to the door, then opened the closet and placed his Kunai and Shuriken pouches in there, he took of his shoes, and walked into the kitchen smelling the amazing soup Hinata had made.

He was then surprised by three people he had never seen in his life sitting at the table. Naruto looked up at him "um...they followed me home, can I keep them?" Kiba was silent as the four broke into snickers, "Kiba, don't worry, Naruto is going to get the situated somewhere else, soon, so they are spending the night, these are Naruto's students, Gin" she said nodding to the Silver haired girl, "Baru" she said pointing to the big boy with the bald head, "and Chikao" she said pointing to the wiry Brown haired boy.

Kiba sat at his place "so, students that followed you home" he said slyly, "First time I heard of that" "we're from the sound; Naruto saved us from a life of crime". Gin said, "ah, and what crime was that?" "Well helping out a mass band of rapists and pillagers who attack small defenseless villages in the mountains".

Naruto put his jaw on Kiba's knee, begging him not to be mad, Kiba shrugged, "well what can I say, this isn't the first time Naruto brought home orphans". Naruto grinned and then said, "I will not chew your shoes for an entire month".

Kiba laughed then paused, "why do you chew my shoes?" Naruto shrugged "I like the texture, plus the soles squeak". Kiba and Hinata stared at him, "what?" Naruto asked, they were silent.

One week later

Kiba ducked his head as a kunai whizzed passed, "oh! Cool look how far I threw it this time" Hinata spoke up, "very nice Gin, but no Kunai in the house!" Gin said sorry, Kiba folded up his paper he was reading then turned to Naruto who was fervently studying the classified ads for apartments.

Kiba kept looking at him, Naruto sighs "I know! I know! But I can't find anything that is a three bedroom, close to the academy and allows pets!" Kiba chuckled to himself then went back to his paper.

Naruto waited patiently beneath the old school yard tree that had the swing he always played on when he was in the academy, he looked up at the massive oak, wondering how many things that tree had witnessed in its massive life time.

When his three students trudged out of the school crest fallen. Naruto sighed sadly and padded up to them, "so?" he asked, already fearing the answer, Gin shook her head. "what! but we practiced making clones for days!" then a slow smile spread across her face.

She brought out from behind her back the Hitai-ate with the leaf symbol engraved in the metal. Naruto put his chest out in pride as Baru and Chikao both held out theirs as well, Naruto grinned, "I knew you did, but you are very good actors I almost didn't believe you for a second."

Naruto grinned up at them, but then a rough voice barked out, "hey, you three move along, I don't want any of you hooligans playing any shenanigans on my watch, and no dogs allowed, so get that mutt out of here". Naruto stifled back a growl.

He turned to glare at the opposing man, and was stunned to see Iruka sensei, only he was different he had a frown on his face and his lips were drawn down in a grimace. He wore all black and walked towards the stiffly, not with the gentle fluid happiness he once had.

Baru, Gin and Chikao grimaced and there smiles faded away instantly. "Well, didn't you hear what I said, get going and take the mutt" "Iruka sensei, this is out Jounin Sensei Na-"Fluffy, Anbu wolf demon" Naruto said interrupting her.

Iruka stared at him then muttered under his breath, "still get going, you graduated now go" Naruto led them out of the gates. Iruka stalked back into the building. "Kami, he is so mean all the time, I heard a kid was chewing gum during class, and he made the write out on the board until his fingers started to bleed".

Baru nodded "I heard he made a kid stand up in front of the class until he wetted himself because he was so afraid of speaking in front of crowds, Then Iruka sensei called him a baby and sent him home crying."

Naruto shook his head this can't be true, that was not the Iruka he knew, he walked the teens to their apartments than walked back home and told this all to Hinata. Hinata listened to him rant without a comment then when he was done she spoke up.

"Naruto what do you expect, he still thinks you are dead" Naruto stared at her "what! I am not that stupid! I am sure I-" Naruto cut off thinking back. Hinata waited patiently for Naruto to come to his own realization. He banged his head into the table; something he kept forgetting hurt his muzzle.

He lifted his head again "I can't believe I forgot to tell him" Naruto stayed like that for several long minutes, "well its better late than never" Hinata said, "come on, let's go talk to Kakashi see what he thinks we should do".

well, that's is so far, kind of boring I know, but at least its a chapter, and the re-do chapter are soon going to be on their way, I just have get my beta to come around to some ideas.

NSW