Life As A Fox

Chapter 49

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

Language once again, sorry.

Naruto awoke the next morning, his dream still greatly bothered him, but he shoved it aside and pushed on with the pack, helping them bring down prey. About once every two weeks the managed to get a large prey animal down then they would slowly eat off of the kill and try and protect it from scavengers. Naruto had noted that Dirtsnout had gained some weight but was still very skinny.

Nothing really happened in the wild once you had a group or a pack watching your back. You hunted then slept or wandered about until it was time to hunt again. Some wolves would form small hunting pairs and go and chase rabbits or small prey something to pass the time. Naruto joined a few only to help get his hunting skills up to par.

It wasn't until the day the pack was moving out, heading towards a new home, the pups where getting bigger, and the prey was learning that a wolf pack was in the area. So the entire pack was moving. Naruto noted that Dirtsnout struggled at the way back of the pack. She had low stamina apparently, course she was never taken on hunts and was always forced to stay behind and keep track of pups or to watch over the den site.

Naruto slowly eased back so he could at least keep an eye on her, make sure she didn't get left behind. Then Blackpelt stopped scenting the air, he growled warningly. Naruto sniffed the air, the scent of bear was overwhelming, the bears in these woods were not the average black bears who were easily scared away, these were true bears, great large beasts.

Their paws as big as Naruto's head and their eyes glowing. They were more monsters then animals. But underneath the scent of bear, he smelled human. Naruto's heart lept, why would people be out here? in the middle of nowhere? Naruto sniffed deeper, he smelled certain objects like trail mix, and leather. As well as bug spray, they where hikers or maybe campers either way they were defenseless stupid and in trouble.

Before the pack could do anything, Naruto was off. He didn't know why but he couldn't let that bear hurt those people, he just had to make sure they were alive, that they were safe. He heard scrambling in the brush beside him it was Dirtsnout, she wordlessly followed him. Naruto was beginning to think she couldn't speak, he had never heard her utter a single noise, not a yip or a whimper or howl.

He followed the trail, then heard the roaring that overpowered screams. Naruto pushed ahead with an extra stride and broke through the clearing. Two hikers, where up high in a tree, Brown bears could climb they were just terrible at it, their claws where not curved like black bears and they had much bulk to them, they preferred to push trees over, but this aged Aspen proved to be a challenge to him.

The hikers were safe for the time being, if they had some sort of spray or something to throw in the bears eyes, to blind it, it might save them but they didn't. Naruto studied the situation before acting, knowing the bear had almost a thousand pounds to his maybe one hundred Naruto would have to be quick and decisive in the way he attacked, taking in consideration the bears long powerful arms he knew that the bear was strong as well as quick...,so Naruto would have to be quicker.

He ran in, ducking and coming up underneath the bears legs biting at the knee joint digging for the tendon. He missed he didn't think the fur was that thick, but he defiantly wounded the bear greatly. The bear swung around, Naruto expected this. Naruto leaped upon the bears back, digging into the thick neck. The bears arms swung at him but missed.

The bear roared and bucked and tossed about. His great mass seemed to shake the forest floor. Naruto bit and tore an ear off. The bear shook with such a ferocity Naruto was thrown off. Naruto landed on his side, he got back up to dodge a wild charge and nearly missed a swing form those razor sharp claws. The bear lifted a massive paw and swung downwards, an idea springing to Naruto's mind he lept up and captured the paw with his mouth, tearing apart the pad of it.

The bear roared again and it's massive muzzle came towards him. Naruto let go and ran away, the bear chased after him. Naruto turned on a dime, without thinking he added chakra to his head protecting it from the next swing. Then he attacked the crook of the bears neck. Ripping and shredding the thick fur and tough skin away.

Finally the bear backed away he was unnerved that this small creature was causing so much harm to him. He would not sacrifice himself to kill this creature not if it meant being injured when the time for a real fight came, fights for mates and for territory. If he wanted to kill this creature he could but it would cost him, and the cost was not what he wanted to pay.

So the bear backed down, with a final roar he ambled away. Shaking the brush and forest as he did so. Naruto glanced at the hikers they were in shock, gripping onto the tree and staring at him wondering what had just happened. Naruto ran off back into the underbrush. Dirtsnout stared at him, her eyes in shock.

Naruto ignored her and passed by her, running back into the pack, but he didn't have to go far, the pack was there already, they too had seen what he had done. Blackpelt was silent then he spoke "you fight great bear and win, you strong wolf, but you also save two-leggers, un-sure of what to think, do not happen again"

Naruto nodded and lowered himself to the ground "I will not try to alpha" he answered. Blackpelt nodded then with a bark the pack was off, running to find a new home.

That night they slept beneath the moon in a shelter of rocks, it was not their new home, but it was secure enough. Naruto however couldn't sleep, his actions of the day and his dream kept him awake. "Am I supposed to return back to the village? and who was the girl upon my back, not Gin...but who? and why did I recklessly try to save people I did not know, sure they do not deserve that death, but why should I be the one to save them? but then again no one else would have done anything...but why does that matter to me, they were not of the pack, yet I still felt their life as important...Kami what is wrong with me?"

He said softly to himself as he looked up at the moon. It was a cloudless night and the stars and moon shone bright, illuminating the valley side in which they lay upon. Something spoke, a gentle soothing voice, that was airy and crisp like an autumn breeze "speak you, very different" Naruto turned his head towards the voice, it was Dirtsnout.

She padded up to him and lay away from him. Naruto bowed his head in acknowledgement "I speak, my way only" he said shortening up his sentence into the simple wolf tongue. Dirtsnout glanced around "why you, save two-leggers?" Naruto shrugged "why not?" he said back Dirtsnout was confused by this "two-leggers hurt wolves, trap, and hunt us like prey, we do nothing, only run and live our way, yet they send us to the great wolf pack."

Naruto nodded the 'great wolf pack' was their version of an afterlife or a heaven. It was strange that even animals had a sense of feeling towards death, that they too believed they lived on even when they die. Naruto shrugged "two-leggers like bear, attack whatever seems of threat, even when is not" Dirtsnout nodded "you fight bear, as if you bear yourself" Naruto grinned.

It was sudden, the feeling of smiling, something he had not done in a long, long while. His jaw felt strange but also natural doing this, the light feeling he got from it soothed him, he felt very relaxed and even comforted by it. Dirtsnout looked away ears back "I sorry, I anger you, please grant mercy" Naruto shook his head "do not be sorry, I was showing my affection, I comforted by words."

Dirtsnout looked to him she stared at his jaw, then he saw her try and mimic him. Lifting one lip slowly then the other it was comical watching her, Naruto felt his grin widen. She settled with a very sketchy attempt at a smile, it looked more like a grimace. Naruto let out a laugh. A short one at first, but then it all just came bubbling out.

He buried his head in his paws as his body shook with laughter, he felt lightened, it had been so long since he even laughed. Finally he calmed down not wanting to wake the others. Dirtsnout studied him "are you unwell?" Naruto shook his head drawing out another smirk "no, no I am fine, thank-you Dirtsnout, that helped."

Dirtsnout nodded but her eyes had grew sad for a moment at the mention of her name, Naruto could not resist, why was she given such a terrible name? Surely wolf mother's where not that cruel to their pups? "Your name, given to you, why?" Dirtsnout looked away, "name I had before, taken, replaced with name, I deserve, Dirtsnout, to always have my snout in the earth, to always be showing that I am a weak wolf."

Naruto sighed "what was name before?" Dirtsnout looked at him then away "matter, it does not, my name is this now, and name I shall answer to, just like I answer to everything else" Naruto shook his head "just because you are called that, it does not mean it is who you are, you are, who you choose to be called" Dirtsnout looked to him in amazement "speak not, of those words, wolves have their place in the pack, mine is in dirt."

She got up and turned away Naruto spoke before she left "no one is meant for the dirt" she turned to him and cocked her head, her eyes softened a bit, as she thought, but then fear slowly replaced back into them and she ran to another place to sleep. Naruto turned back to the moon then slowly eased his head down and slept peacefully.

"So do we have an agreement"? the women spoke to the man within the hidden confines of a room at a far away inn. They could hear the sound of laughter and noise as men broke into fights below them. But the room that the two stood in was silent as the man assessed the situation. He reached across the table and grabbed the large sack of coin's. Hefting it about, testing it's weight.

His face was shrouded in darkness, the only light came from the moonlight that shone through the window and landed only on the table, leaving it's occupants who sat on either side of it in shadow. Finally the man dropped the coin, he spoke "double this and what I have requested after, am I correct?" The women nodded, then said yes in her usual icy voice.

The man chuckled "very well, besides I have some old debts in Konoha that need to be re-paid" the man said leaning forward. His face on one side was like marble, perfectly chiseled and un-marred, his long silver hair glowed in the light. Then the other side emerged, scarred and ragged, a bandage wrapped around his head to cover up the place where an eye was once held.

He grinned then nodded to her "it has been a pleasure Hyuuga" Hanabi leaned forward as well light cascading down her face "indeed it has been" the man pocketed the coin, then spoke "it is too bad, I were not younger, a women with beauty like yours would be a welcome sight by my side" Hanabi grinned "you flatter, but if it where another life, I believe I would have gladly accepted"

The man nodded and in a fluid noble way he rose, commanding attention with the way his body moved. He bowed his head then left the room. Hanabi rose and left as well, only though the window, then traveled back home, knowing that her father would be pleased.

Another day another chapter, I hope you enjoyed.

The Forsaken Author of the Lost Story.

NSW