Life As A Fox

Chapter 58

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

Thank you so much for the reviews and hugs by the way! They really are inspiring. I'm working to get as many chapters done as I can!

Naruto stepped into the room. The tile was cold beneath his paws. As he walked forward he couldn't help feeling as though the walls themselves were judging him. He looked about, but the walls were bare, just plain gray slate colored walls. Naruto continued on, the room was large, he could see at the way end of the room was a table, set upon an upraised place in the floor, three steps led up to it.

Naruto continued to walk towards the two figures. A man and a women, so old looking and pale, Naruto thought they were corpses with the small amount of light there was. Their eyes stared out at him from rolls of wrinkles and sagging skin. Naruto gulped. The women spoke first, her voice was surprisingly loud, but it croaked and cracked with each word.

"You, may stop" Naruto did so, unsure if he should bow to them or to sit or stand he stood awkwardly and looked down at the floor. The women spoke "My name is Koharu Utatane" She then turned her head slowly towards the man beside her. Her neck...creaked, it literally creaked as she did this. 'How old are these people?' he thought to himself.

She spoke "this is Homura Mitokado, we are the Konoha elders and council." Naruto bowed to them. She continued after a ragged breath. "We have served these positions for almost thirty years" Naruto gulped, he knew to even be considered to be an elder, you had to at least be seventy years or older...so that would mean, these two had to be at least in their early hundreds or late nineties.

The man spoke a slight trembling in his lips. "What is your name?" he asked simply. Naruto spoke "my name is Fluffy...but my official name within the Anbu is Wolfheart." The man brought out a peice of paper and looked at it. It was quiet for a bit then he spoke. "It is said, that you left the village almost 10 months ago...is that correct?"

Naruto nodded "yes, that is correct" The man filled something out with a shaking hand. "Why was your reason for leaving?" he asked finally. Naruto took a slow breath in then began. "I left, to go and bury my two students who I had to leave behind during a mission." The man spoke "last I cheaked, it does not take ten months to do this."

Naruto nodded "you are correct, I completed the task within a few days." The women spoke next "then why did you not return?" she asked her voice shrill. Naruto glanced to her. "While I was burying them, I...I don't know, I just realized that...something was not right, that...I just knew I could not return, you see before I left I got in a small fight with some of my friends...I felt like they did not want me any more so..." The women interjected "so you abandoned them and your village, whom you swore to protect?"

Naruto gulped "no! it wasn't like that, I didn't want to-" "do not raise your voice to us, and you seem to be changing your story? What is the truth? did you want to leave or did you not want to-" Naruto spoke out of frustration "I left because I had to! Something was wrong with me! I don't know what it was, but it was something inside of me...and...I don't know...I would be overtaken...by sudden urges..of anger, I would...lash out and strike things...I...just didn't want to hurt the ones I have come to care for even more."

There was a silence. The two looked to each other. For a long time there was a heavy dull silence then she spoke. "This...changes things...in all my years of being...a judge, I don't know why...but I feel as though...you speak the truth, I don't know if it your demon powers or if I am just growing old...however I will take that last statement as a truthful one."

She wrote something on a sheet of paper then she asked "the thing the village want to know, and this is the most important one, did you, say, or do anything that could cause harm to the village?" Naruto shook his head "I never did anything, I went and lived in the wilds of the forest...to clear my head and cure me of my...affliction."

Utatane nodded "and your affliction is cured...no more boughts of anger?" Naruto shook his head "none, I have come to terms with what has happened and I have found peace." Uratane nodded "well...since you did not release any information or join any causes against the village, the term 'traitor' is a bit harsh...however you did leave the village...had we been int times of war you would have been put to death...but thank-fully we are not in a war at the moment, so the only thing we can brand you with is...'abandoning one's post...for an extended period of time'."

Naruto was in shock...he was...well... relatively...clear! Utatane smiled, her wizened lips pulled themselves up and revealed aged pale teeth. One missing on her top jaw. She spoke "your punishment is, six months community service and whatever punishment your Anbu general decides to place upon you." Naruto was happy for a moment then he shuddered on the inside.

He knew whatever the Anbu gave him would be pretty severe and grueling. 'I will probably also lose my eligibility for Captianship' He thought dryly to himself. But he decided beggars can't be choosers, he was just glad he was allowed back into the village. The women held out a slip to him. "Take this to the Hokage, we are glad to have you in our services once more wolf demon Wolfheart."

Naruto nodded and gently took the slip from her, he bowed to the two elders once more then turned and walked away. He glanced back at the elders, only to see the table they had sat at empty. He saw no sign of them. 'How the hell did they leave so quickly?' he thought to himself. He left the room. This time when he walked he no longer felt as though he was being judged, he felt like he was being commended for a job well done, as if the walls were happy he was back.

He left the building and was stunned how bright it was outside, he was used to the dim room he had just been in. He blinked a couple times and a voice spoke next to him. "Well I am guessing it turned out good" Naruto jumped it was Kakashi. Naruto wagged his tail, he couldn't speak at the moment. Kakashi took the slip from his mouth flicking it once to get rid of the dog drool.

He squinted his eye and began to read. "Ah. very good, I think I have the perfect community service job" Naruto glanced to him "really what?" Kakashi smiled "what better way to serve your community and Hokage then to baby-sit his two children for six months?" Naruto sighed "very well" Kakashi chuckled "Anki! Sakumo!" he called out.

A little girl with black hair like her mothers but with Kakashi's eyes walked out, she was about four years old. She held the hand of a small toddler, probably not even one. He had short silver hair and had the same facial structure as his father. Naruto thought in his head 'if he doesn't form the habit of wearing a mask, we will be able to see what the hell Kakashi looks like.'

Kakashi reached out and hugged the two of them, He picked the boy up. Anki, you remember Fluffy?" Anki squealed and ran to him and hugged him. Naruto was almost knocked over she was a strong child. She quickly climbed ontop of him "ya! horsie" she yelled. Naruto internally started to regret his decision of returning to the village.

After giving Anki and Sakumo pony rides for an hour or so, Anko came and picked them up. Kakashi kissed her on the cheek and she gave Naruto a hug. She pulled him aside and spoke "I am glad you returned, you have no idea what guilt was going through Kakashi, he had to watch his own father slowly fall apart when his fathers students died...I am glad you managed to come back, it gives him hope and peace."

Naruto nodded "thank-you, but it was Yume who saved me" Anko tilted her head "who?" Naruto cleared his throat "Yume...she is my mate." Anko dropped her jaw happily. "Oh my! Kashi!(using his met name) did you know he had a mate?" Kakashi nodded Anko glared "and you still made him sit here and give our kids rides...how dare you!"

She said bopping over the head. "Let him go to his mate, I bet she is worried sick about him and I bet he misses her!" Kakashi (who at the moment was being shook like a rag-doll) could only nod and agree with his loving wife.

Yume however was having a very interesting time, they had showed her around the village. She licked the small logs that had moving scenes on them. Something called a T.V she heard Hinata say. She also was amazed at the sound of voices coming from an even smaller log. She had tried to save the poor souls stuck inside of them, but this made the man who owned this log very angry.

She apologized greatly. Kiba explained to her that it was called a radio and no one was inside of it. She had no idea that the magic of humans was so powerful. She shuddered to think of what they could build during a war. Yume then tried many foods. Naruto was right all these foods were...amazing, so many kinds..and flavors she had never experianced, she felt sorry her stomach was so small, she wished to eat it all.

She liked this one food callled 'Dango' they were three small different colored circles on a stick and they were delicious. She was surprised you could just wlak up to the person who had them and hand them theses leaves or small pebbles and you got the food. Kiba explained it was money and that was how you got stuff in the village.

She was baffled by this. But she greatly enjoyed the village, it was at first overwhelming but she soon got used to it. Then she heard a familiar howl, she shook her tail and howled back. Awaiting her mates arrival. He came running through the street to her. She lept and ran towards him as well. They met and collided with each other playfully.

They licked each others faces and rubbed their heads together. The others cam running up to Naruto. "So?" Hinata asked. Naruto turned to her "oh!...right! ummmm I have six months community service and then...I don't know...Mammoth will have to give me my other punishment." All of them hooped and hollered in celebration.

Yume spoke "there is much food my love, you were right, I have found it all satisfying!" Naruto grinned "I am glad you like it, you know what I am hungry for?" he said. "What?" Hinata asked "Ramen...so hungry for ramen." They all laughed Yume spoke "what is ramen?" Naruto widened his eyes "she doesn't know...she doesn't know! I must rectify this at once!" He ran to a nearby bank, managed to remember all his account numbers and withdrew money...lots of it. Then he said no to all the deals the bank was offering, and continued on his way.

He then took Yume and the others to a familiar stand, his heart melted as well did his face when he smelled that delicious food. He ordered bowl after bowl and ate his fill. Yume of course got the first bite, she like it as well...but was full from all her other food so Naruto had to happily eat most of the food. After he was satisfied he was lying on his back. Stomach extended outwards.

Yume glanced at him "are you un well?" she asked he laughed "I ate...too much...but I feel...so good" he said then slowly rolled to his feet. "Time to go home I guess" Kiba and the others had left after they had finished their food, all of them were tired, they did not have the stamina or energy like the two wolves to stay out eating ramen all night.

Naruto led her to Kiba and Hinata's "welcome home Yume" he said to her. Yume looked at him "wherever we go is home" she said finally. He smiled "I really...I am just so happy I met you." he said softly then the two wolves ascended into the house and curled up on a familiar pillow that had laid empty for so long.

Awwwww...they are a cute couple, well I hope you enjoyed. (no this is not the last chapter) Only three days until I go to college woot woot!

NSW