Life As A Fox

Chapter 48

NSW-The Forsaken Author of the Lost Story (see my bio for explanation)

Language once again, sorry.

So this was it, this was how he was going to die, alone in the wild, laying on his side, unable to move, too weak from hunger to move. He moaned. How could he be such an idiot, and how could he be that terrible at hunting? He thought he was great, he could track and smell and chase after the animals, but bringing down worthwhile prey was...hard.

You couldn't get a good hold of them half the time, or they bucked you off when you did. A single wolf was no match for even the weakest of elk. Rabbits and creatures of that sort wasted more energy to catch then what they gave back in nutrition, so his already weakened form was weakened even more. He lay un moving for some time, waiting once more for death, his only option...or was it?

He didn't know if it was a trick of the mind, or if it was a genuine miracle but a creature emerged from the trees, tall and proud he walked towards him. A blazing white streak of fur on his chest, in the shape of a star. Calm, clear yellow eyes, holding much compassion yet also holding a certain disdain and defiance. The black wolf walked towards him.

He turned towards the wolf, who scented the air. They stared at each other for what seemed for an eternity before the wolf ran off, Naruto sighed and closed his eyes once more. Only to open them at the scent of food dropping before his nose. He looked upon the slab of meat. Red and bloody, the most beautiful thing Naruto had seen.

He eagerly bit into it, slurping the succulent juices down his throat. Naruto looked up at the black wolf, he stood back a few feet, watching him with a reserved posture. Naruto bowed his head in thanks. The wild wolf nodded as well. He then turned, looking back at Naruto, Naruto knew the wolf wanted him to follow, so he did so, staggering to his legs, energy coursing through him once more.

Naruto followed behind the black wolf, he looked about him, to forest he had wandered into. Naruto had been in the wilderness for weeks, it was well into summer now. He just kept wandering the land, tying to find that which he was looking for, but he never did. He never felt satisfied no matter where he went or what he did.

But this wild wolf had shown kindness to him, granted him mercy, his curiosity got the best of him, he had to see what this wolf wanted of him. A clearing opened and Naruto's nose was assaulted by many scents, of many wolves. He looked about him, there was about fifteen of them, a large pack. They all looked to him in interest.

The ones closer to him bared their teeth and raised their hackles, Naruto would have growled right back, had he the energy. Instead he pitifully lowered his head and pressed his ears back, avoiding eye contact. It unnerved him how far he had fallen, where he would so easily submit his will to a stranger, but alas he was weak, weary, lost and greatly confused.

The black wolf gave a sharp bark. The growling ceased, he turned towards Naruto. "Pack has new member" the wolf spoke in his short limited ways. "New member, young, replace old." The black wolf said glancing to six grizzled wolves. Naruto could see that these wolves would only live another year or two at the most, when they died the pack would be greatly weakened, he know knew why the wolf took kindness on him.

Naruto was young, but not too young, but he also wasn't too old. He was that perfect age that allowed him to transition into anything with ease, if he was younger he would not be believed to have the necessary experience the pack needed, if he was older he might be another wolf trying to force his way into a pack and take the lead position.

The wolves that the black wolf had looked to, bowed their heads in reverence to their alpha. A female, russet colored with brown eyes spoke: "Why bring wounded new member? He shows signs of famine, he is weak." Something inside him made him bare his teeth, he was not weak. The wolves saw this, the sudden light in the strange wolf's eyes, true his body was weak but something inside of that wolf was strong, something hidden and buried.

The russet female snarled back she was alpha as well, the alpha female she would not have anyone bare teeth and her and get away with it. But her mate stopped her. "He is strong," he said then spoke "I want to invite you lone wolf, come and run with us, and be a wolf of many." Naruto nodded and consented. But the leader was waiting for something else, Naruto didn't know what.

But then he remembered something he read in a book once about wolves, they must show respect and reverence to their alpha, and the only way to become a member of the pack, was to have the alpha take your life in his jaws. Slowly Naruto slunk to the ground, he rolled over, tucking his tail and stretching out his neck, bearing his vulnerable underside to the sharp gleaming jaws of the wolf before him.

The leader stepped forward and rested his jaw next to his neck, Naruto could feel his heart race as the leader tested him. Naruto did not flinch he did not even move. The leader stepped away, all was silent. "Rise new member, we must hunt." This was all he said, the other wolves raced away, Naruto pressed on after them.

He was now in a wild wolf pack, albeit at the bottom of the totem pole. He knew this because even though the other wolves permitted him to run after them, if he tried to pass or to run next to him, his shoulders and back soon bore their nips and bites, training him to wait until it was his turn.

They had hunted elk, killing one that had broken it's leg. Naruto was able to help bring it down, he and another wolf pulled at the back leg, while three attacked it's back and the rest lunged at it's neck. When the elk was their's Naruto was thrown aside and forced to wait with a growling belly to eat. What seemed like an eternity later, he was allowed to gorge himself on the elk, there was plenty of it to go around.

The pack rested after that, Naruto found himself at the outskirts. Most of the wolves lay down in the grass or walked about sniffing at things of interest. Naruto lay looking down in the valley and at the forest, he looked to the clear blue sky and sun shining down. He closed his eyes, a soft breeze blew through his fur.

It was crazy, more like insane, but even though he was bullied and pushed around, he felt...it wasn't quite happy, but it wasn't sad, he was more content then anything. He was no longer hungry, he was no longer alone, this gave him two things he hadn't had in a long while. Food and companionship, an interesting combination, but with wolves that was all you needed.

Naruto looked over and studied the pack, most where male. Six of them where seasoned veterans, that would die soon. Their fur colors ranged from charcoal gray to a light muddled white. All of them had the same dull brown gray eyes, nothing of interest in them. All of them bore scars and marks of battles long past. Then came the Alpha's both of them strong and respected, they had led the pack for a long while, they were not the new just beginning pack, they were a long standing pair, that had been doing this awhile.

There was three young males, two brown colored ones and a dark gray. Then there was two very young males, not even fully grown into their feet. The rest was two females, both of them cinder colored. They groomed each other. Naruto turned back to the valley wondering what would happen now, would this be how he lived from now on? Or would he ever return?

The thought of the village made him shiver, he could only imagine the welcome he would receive, all of them would hate and detest him. He wouldn't blame them, he had left...he had betrayed his village...just like his pack before... He paused and looked to this pack, that had saved him and had given him a chance, he would serve them well, he had to...they where the only thing he had at the moment.

The pack had traveled a long way before they entered into a small grove of trees at the top of a hill. He heard the Alphas call to something. Then from nowhere three pups raced towards them. They yapped and barked begging for food. The alpha's regurgitated meat for their hungry pups. Naruto was somewhat sickened at the idea.

Then another wolf emerged, at least, he thought it was a wolf, it was more bony and frail then him. Extremely long legs, so long that to a point they looked deformed, the same with her muzzle, long and thin. She was a light tan color, with no other markings. But she had emerald green eyes. Naruto was frozen for a second, he didn't understand why she was here and not with the pack hunting.

Then he remembered the pups, they would need someone to watch them, make sure they didn't wander away from the den. The den was a borrow in the roots of a large Aspen tree. The alphas had retired with their pups there. The rest of the pack then went about their usual business and found their own small spots they had claimed for their own.

The strange tan wolf walked between them, all of them either avoided her or brutally bullied her. Shouldering her so hard she fell, or snapping full force just above her head, scaring her. But she merely waited for them to continue on then got back up and continued to wherever she was planning on heading. Once she had passed all of them, she caught sight of him.

She froze watching him, her ears tilting in confusion, waiting for him to act, to see if he would be one of them. But he didn't he merely nodded to her then turned and found his own place. He glanced at the strange wolf, she was now rolling up in a ball across from him. She stared at him then put her head down and closed her eyes and slept.

Naruto did the same thing but before he did he randomly wondered 'I wonder if she has eaten yet?'

Hime screamed even louder then before, Hinata was growing desperate. Hime was teething, and was very uncomfortable. Which caused her to cry which made everyone uncomfortable. She secretly wished she could be like Kiba and have a mission at the moment, then she also wished that he was here suffering like her as well.

Hinata finally relented and placed a little baby aspirin into Hime's milk then fed her the warm bottle, within a half hour she was asleep which relieved Hinata. "They sure are fussy" a voice said. Hinata froze she whirled around, sitting nicely at her kitchen table with her long dark hair pulled back in a perfect pony tail, two thin strands framing her face. Sat Hanabi, her younger sister, who, she hadn't heard from in about two years.

She had grown, she was thin and dare she say it beautiful in a otherworldly cold way. She stood, she was tall, and thin. Hinata was a little envious, she had gained weight from the pregnancy (but she was working that off majorly...when she had the time) "What are you doing here?" Hinata asked "What? A little sister can't come and see how her older disowned sister is doing?"

Hinata was silent. "Never mind" Hanabi said, "it's just you would think, you would have the sense to know...I mean you were the heir at one time" Hanabi said waving her hand. "What, tell me what you want and get out" Hinata said stiffly. Hanabi chuckled "my my, someone still thinks she has a little wolf protecting her" Hinata flinched. "What- you thought I didn't know that? he's been gone for what? three- four months? He's probably dead somewhere getting pecked on by crows, like he should be"

Hinata screamed "SHUT-UP BITCH!" Then silenced herself because of Hime. Hanabi grinned "well anyway, you know the rules, any child born outside of the clan that has the blood trait must receive the mark of the caged bird." Hinata's eyes widened "no! she's just a baby! you can't do that to her besides I am not in the clan."

Hanabi spoke next, her voice icy "but the blood of the clan still flows in you, and in that mongrel pup you had with that dirty Inuzaka mutt." Hinata glared at her "Kiba is not a mutt" Hanabi laughed "yeah right, but then again, you may be perfect for each other, bitches and mutt's always get along greatly." Hinata surprised Hanabi by crossing the short distance between them and slapping her before Hanabi could register her movement.

Hinata grabbed her hair and brought a kitchen knife from the drawer underneath Hanabi's neck "call me a bitch one more time, and I will show you just what this bitch can do, and not even father would be able to fix your precious little eyes". To add more intimidation Hinata brought the knife up so it's blade pointed directly at Hanabi's eye ball.

Hanabi gasped then spoke "don't get mad at me, you brought this upon yourself, you know the tradition, how we do things, father expects you to do this one thing, if not for him, at least for the clan" Hinata spoke pushing Hanabi away "I belong to no clan, I only belong to myself and my husband." Hanabi rearranged herself then walked to the door, before she left she said "you will be sorry for this."

Hinata stood there shaking for some time after Hanabi left, it had been a long while since she had threatened anyone, let alone attack anyone. Her nerves shook. She clasped her hands tightly, this was hard for her, she couldn't be the confident strong person she once was, not when Naruto was gone. A few tears fell from her face as she put the knife away, she wished Kiba was back, he would know what to do.

When Kiba did return, finding Hinata sitting on the couch hugging herself in tears he immediately went to her side and hugged her, she explained what had happened. Kiba brushed away her tears "it's all-right, it's okay, we will get through this okay?" Hinata nodded "but...how? first...him...and now this, what did we do in our past lives to deserve this?"

Kiba hugged her and kissed her forehead, but was silent from then on.

Naruto waited, poised and ready, wound tightly like a spring ready to be let go. When the signal came he surged ahead, his strength had returned to him and he now was the one racing against the others, wanting to be the first one on the kill. Their prey this time was an old doe moose, far past her years in calf-rearing. He flew over the ground his muscles flexing, his breath beating, and his heart racing, pumping, making him feel alive, the thrill of the hunt, the call of the wild, they both had given him the needed peace, the ability to forget, it healed him.

He enjoyed as he lept upon the haunches of the moose, tearing into her flesh and fur, dragging her down alongside his pack mates who had accepted him and gave him the amount of respect he deserved. He was now served food after the alpha's beta's and the senior pack members. He greedily ate his fill and then some.

After awhile the pack headed back to the den. Naruto waited at the outskirts, Dirtsnout came, that was her name, the wolves of the wild had a strange naming way. Their leader was Blackpelt, his mate Sunhowl, and his name which was dubbed upon him, Snowfur. The other pack members where the beta's Oakpaw and Rainfur, the hunters Whitesnip,Longbark. Leafstride, Mangepaw,Willowtail, Skytail, Darkclaw, Raggedscar, Meadowpaw, and Petalhowl.

The pups he did not know at the moment, but he shook his head as Dirtsnout scurried to him. He wordlessly regurgitated food for her, something he had been doing now for awhile, he just couldn't stand seeing her so hungry all the time. He knew how hunger felt and didn't want her to go through the same. It was a wordless agreement between them two.

She ate the food quickly, he walked away pretending he was not the one who gave it to her, the other wolves didn't care to know where she got food, they just liked to bully her and try and take it, which is why she ate it so quickly. Luckily this time, most of the other wolves went to their beds. Naruto did the same. Dirtsnout was a peculiar wolf, she was actually Blackpelt's sister, which is why she was permitted into the pack despite her deformity, even though it was known and admitted by Blackpelt that she was adopted.

Naruto found himself drawn to her, he didn't know in what way at the moment, he just knew that she was like him, beaten and picked on, and yet she would wordlessly go and help whoever needed it, it didn't matter if a few seconds before hand they had thrown her to the dirt. She just got back up and tried to help them the best she could, Naruto found this inspiring.

He curled up in his own ball and drifted off to sleep, dreaming oddly. In his dream he was running up a rocky slope, something on his back. He looked back to see what it was, it was a sleeping child. She looked familiar but he couldn't place her. Then Dirtsnout appeared before him, he slid to a stop. She spoke to him, but only in Hinata's voice "save her" was all she said then Dirtsnout turned into a bunch of crows and flew around his head He dodged them only to come to the crest of a hill, he looked down and Konoha was there.

So I am writing this at midnight, so I hope it turned out okay.

I hope you enjoyed and yes before you ask I got some name ideas from the Warrior cat series okay? You got me. 9,9

From,

The Forsaken Author of the Lost Story.

NSW