Chapter 32

Life as a Fox

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Botis landed before Naruto, he lowered his head so his beak lay in the dust his wings splayed out before him. "Oh great and divine elders, the wisest of the wise, I Botis, leader of the west Peak hunters have summoned thee". The main elder whose feathers were bleached white from age peered down at him with silver eyes.

They looked at Botis as if he were a morsel of food that looked un appetizing. "How dare you summon us? What right do you have? You are not even of proper class or training"! Botis seemed to shrink lower in the ground, which Naruto thought almost impossible.

Then Ipos came forward bowing like Botis "please, grandfather, excuse Botis, but we need to speak with the elders, we have demon kin that bring us news, that we should listen to" The elder bird softened but only slightly he finally for the first time glanced at Naruto and Gomeg.

He spoke "what are your names, Cousin Wolf and...Raccoon?" Gomeg stepped forward "I will say this once, and only that, I am a Badger demon, a badger, not only that a Badger seer" There was a collective gasp from the birds, the elders shushed everyone by running there long aged claws along the rock once.

"you mean to say, you hold the sight and the powers to see into the other worlds?" Gomeg smirked "when you say it that way, it sounds like I am a god, but no, true I can see things others cannot but that is only because I allow myself to see it, I am mostly a healer more than anything."

A bird perked up it was a female about Sokol's size only she had yellow tinged wings "healer? Are you good?" Naruto turned to her "one of the best I know" Naruto said, Gomeg scratched his chin which was something he did when he was embarrassed or bashful.

The female turned and helped a younger adolescent hatchling through, it was a male and he had a stumbling walk, Naruto noted it was because of a broken leg. "Meishka the elders decreed that your son would be left out in the dying fields yesterday, a bird that cannot hunt is a dead bird, it has been our ways-" Gomeg stepped forward.

"Please elders allow me to save this bird then, so he can hunt and support his family and protect you from harm" The elder stared at him beak open, surprised, he had never been talked to like so, it stunned him into silence. Gomeg reached to the bird and with three glowing claws he began to fix the birds leg.

When the bird was healed Gomeg turned, and the bird began to flap about putting his weight on his leg "I can walk! I can walk! I can hunt! I can fight!" Meishka came forward and preened his feathers, so happy. She turned to Gomeg and thanked him "if there is ever anything that you need form me, only ask".

Gomeg waved his hand saying it was no need. Naruto cleared his throat "now then, what we came here for originally". Naruto spoke "great elders please forgive us for trespassing and for creating quite a disturbance, but we have came a long ways and we wish to be heard."

Naruto took a breath the entire bird nation was looking at him; Naruto wasn't used to having this much avid attention. 'I wonder if this is what it's like being Hokage' he thought to himself. Naruto cleared his throat. "Me and Gomeg here, we come from a place called the village hidden in the leaves".

Naruto continued "it is a human village" there was more murmurings as the birds spoke "but it is a village of demons as well" This caused a momentary silence then more noise. The elders scratched their claws several times to get them to be silent.

The main elder spoke "so, you are telling me that you live among humans?" Naruto nodded "I do, and I am proud to count as one of their warriors, and Gomeg here is proud to called one of their healers". The elders peered down at him "so you have traveled all this way to tell us that you live with Humans? Seems a waste of time."

Naruto shook his head "no, I came this way to tell you I live with humans and to extend an invitation to do so as well". The elders stared at him like he had sprouted a third pair of eyes.

Sokol spoke "I have been there elders, Fluffy speaks the truth" Suddenly there was an uproar of chirring and whirring, Naruto figured that was the birds way of laughing. "What?" he asked "you name" Sokol said "It's funny; you see we call young hatchling 'fluffies' before they receive their name."

Naruto sighed "great" he said. The laughter died down, "so Demon wolf Fluffy...you want us the entire Gyrfalcon nation to leave their home and come live with humans, for what? so humans can pluck one of us up and eat us whenever they please?".

Naruto shook his head "no, I am inviting you because I know you are hungry, I know that the eggs that are laid by the beautiful females of this nation either break or never hatch, I know the sorrow that mothers and fathers are feeling when they are unable to feed their young, and they can only sit by and watch them die"

As Naruto spoke laughter died away completely, the bird looked at him with a new found respect, they leaned closer wanting to hear more of him. "I know your pain, I know how you feel, you want to save yourselves, well I offering a way to do so, so either you be prideful and arrogant and say no and if that's the case you can be the elders of nothing, or you can listen to the full thing I am offering".

The main elder was silent he turned and looked to his comrades then he turned back "what say you Wolf demon Fluffy" Naruto smirked "I am not saying the entire nation should come, I am here to offer you...new summer breeding grounds, ones teeming with fat prey as much as you want."

The elders glanced at each other, "surely these. Breeding grounds would not come free of charge and out of the goodness of the human's hearts?" Naruto nodded "you are correct, there are certain requirements." Naruto looked about him.

Naruto spoke "in between you are raising your chicks we would require certain services from you, patrol duty and messenger duty would be most likely" The elders looked at him "they wish for us to work with them? Why?"

Naruto took a deep breath "because the humans wish to increase relations between them and demons, Konoha is one of the first villages to have an open border policy for demons, it is also against the village rules to bring harm to demons".

Naruto looked about "you're entire clan can begin something none of us demons had ever imagined before, a peace, a new beginning between humans and demons, I know we have quarreled in the past, I know that you may have had your grudges and your pains from the humans, but believe me when I say now is the time to change that, like I said we can start something new."

Naruto looked about he stepped forward "I have known Sokol for only a short while, and I have learned much from this noble Gyrfalcon, I have witnessed the pride and un-dying bravery you Gyrfalcon's possess, when I look about in each of your eyes I see strength and power, now it's time for you to show the world that, show the world that the Gyrfalcon demons are still alive and kicking and that no one will ever take the skies form you!"

Naruto yelled out the last portion as he built up momentum, the Gyrfalcons shrieked out and flew about as they agreed with him; he could see the strength and hope return to their eyes. They looked to the elders, the elders were silent then they turned to one another and began to speak in hushed voices in a huddle.

Slowly everything died down as they waited for them. Then the head elder turned to them. "It is known among all demons that Wolves have excellent judge of character, they have the ability to read the hearts of those around him or her, if we were to believe and accept anyone's request, it would be yours"

The elder glanced up "those who wish to travel to these new breeding grounds are free to go, and we will await for your return at the end of the season change, for too long have we saw the decline of our great and noble race, we will instill our trust in this wolf demon, and his companion Badger demon who have earned our trust and respect, so tonight we shall make these two honorary wing brothers".

A great cheer up went from all the birds, the flocked about Naruto and Gomeg, asking questions talking about themselves. Naruto was introduced to so many different birds he couldn't exactly remember what name went with which shade of feathers.

Naruto and Gomeg were able to relax and bask in the sunlight upon the lowest rock ledge. Botis, Sokol and Ipos joined them, Botis served more as their personal body guard for the day, making sure other Gyrfalcon didn't linger longer then need be.

Naruto sighed, the sun felt great, he could re-call even when he was human how he liked to bask in sunlight, he never knew if it was because of the inner fox inside of him or if he was one of those few humans that did. It was funny though to Naruto, how distant and far away the memory of being a human was, it must pass with time.

Then there was a flurry of feathers as another Gyrfalcon came to join them, Botis and the new comer whirled around in a twister. Naruto could tell it was his mate, he had soon figured out that only mates acted in such...interesting ways.

Botis chirped at the top of his lungs "Styill! Styill" Styill had beautiful green eyes, like young shoots of spring. Her plumage was a ruddy brown and red like the color of damp soft earth. She was the same height of Botis but a slimmer frame.

Yet she had a longer wingspan then him, they danced around each other, perfectly happy with no care in the world. Once again Naruto was hit with something, a longing for such companionship. He had seen how happy Kiba and Hinata were, how everyone was, he was happy, just not like that.

Naruto turned to Gomeg, "did you ever have a mate?" Gomeg nodded then looked away as if being carried away to some farther time. In fact the real world seemed to fall away from him.

He did not know her face, at least not her physical one, but he knew what her heart looked like, he knew her scent and he knew her voice, he also knew her kindness, all of them weaved together in his mind's eye and formed her image. Her name was Allyla she was from a forest on the other side of the mountains, she had come originally for medicine for her little siblings, her mother had died and now her siblings were sick.

Gomeg had taken over his father's duty and had followed her across the mountains to where the siblings were being watched over by a friendly cardinal who was Allyla's best friend. Gomeg healed the children; it was a rough sickness and took some time to recover from it.

During that time he and she would spend the entire day together, gathering food and medical herbs and berries. Gomeg decided to teach her some stuff about medicine, after that long with such a kind and gentle person...how could he not fall in love? He may have been blind but he was young, and she saw past his blindness, she understood it, and loved him for it.

Even when the siblings were healed, Gomeg stayed with her, until one day she finally said "let us go back to your home...together". Gomeg was the happiest badger there ever was.

So the season came and gone, together they healed and helped all they could. Gomeg thought that this would be how it was for the rest of his days and he was happy for it. Then the next season she became pregnant, and he was even happier.

Together they modified the borrow making room for the new bundles of joy on the way. Then that day came, the day when humans entered the woods.

They came to clear the forest, make room for their new village. The animals were content with leaving, they had no choice, and there were other woods and places they could go. Gomeg and Allyla were deep in the woods and didn't have to worry at the moment, but they still packed up and prepared, Gomeg was sad to leave the borrow of his father but he would have to.

Until one day a foolish child a young deer demon called out to the humans. Taunting them and angering them, of course then the humans were quite how you say traditional stuck in the ways of old, unable to learn and understand thing for themselves.

The humans soon figured out that every animal was a demon (even though this was false, we Demons live among are animal counterparts at times) The humans then decided to do that which chilled his blood to this day, the burning.

It began late at night, but by the time it reached Gomeg and Allyla's ears it was too late. They traveled with other panicked demons and animals, towards where the flames were not; little did they know it was a trap. The smoke filled the air around them, the flames and heat licked at their feet, urging them on like whips.

Gomeg stayed by her side, he could see with his echo vision, and see by using the fear from around him. They finally broke through the last barrier of underbrush in the forest, only to run into a long line of humans, waiting for them hands holding weapons and stained with blood.

Allyla screamed, Gomeg tried to protect her, but they were upon them like terrible beasts, wild and crazed eyes, leering down upon them. They sweated and grunted like vicious pigs while they worked, taking the lives of innocent creatures all because of their lack of understanding and the drive of fear that ran through them.

Gomeg felt the life force of his mate wash away from her body, he felt her soul slip away from his and go to a much better and painless place. Gomeg wished that he could have been killed with her, but they thought him dead like her, when in reality a large buck landed on top of him, squishing him, and breaking something inside of him that would make it painful for him to walk and run for the rest of his life.

Gomeg laid there for hours next to his dead mate, underneath the stinking and bloating body of the deer, he wished he could make the humans pay, he wished so much pain unto them. But something touched him briefly, and he was filled with the understanding and the compassion, he knew what the humans did was wrong, was bad, but humans were not just capable of destroying, they could create and heal just as well.

He needed to help the humans see the error of their ways, change the way they saw demons, otherwise the cycle would repeat itself. But Gomeg couldn't find the nerve to do so, so he dug himself out from beneath the pile, he dragged himself away from his mate and he forged ahead, burying himself behind his work.

Watching humans from afar, waiting for the day he would have his chance to change the world, and then one day a long time later, he found it, in the form of a Wolf demon that needed his help with his human friends.

Gomeg finished his story, the world and Fluffy was silent, he had tears, "even after that all, you still have managed to see the good in humans". Gomeg nodded "like I said, I was touched with the feeling, I was filled...with the knowing that good can come from them, I just needed to find a way, and now here we are starting it".

Fluffy nodded "I am glad" Gomeg nodded "so am I , and I have a feeling that Allyla would be too" she was so kind and understanding, she would want me to be as well.

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