Life as A Fox

Chapter 80

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

Also I have a new story out called 'A Forgiven Father' It is something I have written on the side for a while, and it's chock full of OC's but..you might enjoy it, it's kind of hard to explain...so just check it on your spare time.

Naruto and Sasuke walked in through the gates, they were part of the groups of ninja later to return. Instantly someone saw to Sasuke, dragging him over and helping. A few other rabbits led Naruto to the demons healing area. Naruto groaned as he lay down.

The rabbits scurried about, grabbing ointment and conferring with one another. But he heard a familiar voice filter through his ears. "Get me some Murdock root and marigold stem" Naruto shifted his head over to Gomeg. He grinned "Hey, you're late." Gomeg grinned "We had to wait for a few late comers, the water buffalo tribe had to make a detour, but they caught up to us."

Naruto nodded "I am glad you came Gomeg, we needed you, I...did something foolish...again, and if it wasn't for Sasuke..." Gomeg sighed "I figured just as much, you can't help being foolish Naruto...it seems to be in your nature, but...did you learn your lesson?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. Gomeg smirked "Good, now hold that ugly muzzle still for a few seconds, if at all possible and let me check that eye." Naruto did as he was told. He lay as Gomeg prodded about with his eye, placing a salve and healing bandage over it.

Gomeg after half an hour stepped away. "Well?" Naruto asked. Gomeg spoke, "Only time will tell, no internal damage was made, but...let it heal up, you might have some sight loss in it, but not much." Naruto nodded, he was worried a bit, but he had trust in Gomeg.

Naruto turned there was a Lioness next to him. She had bandaging around her chest and side. She glanced to Naruto and nodded to him. He nodded back. "How are you?" Naruto asked. She chuckled in her throat "I am doing quite well, we lions are strong, this is nothing."

Naruto grinned admiring her strength "That is good, but save some enemies for the rest of us okay?" The lioness chuckled again. "Of course I will." Naruto shifted himself about trying to get comfortable. Then a familiar beautiful scent hit his nose. He turned to see Yume.

She dashed over to him and licked his muzzle, she peered up at him, worry in her eyes. "Whats wrong?" Naruto asked her. "Your eye..." He sighed "nothing to worry about love, Gomeg has it covered." She lightly placed her muzzle over his wounded eye, as if giving it a butterfly kiss.

He sighed contentedly, feeling her warmth, "How are the pups?" he asked her. "They are asking questions about the noises outside, they keep on asking 'where is father'" Naruto licked her muzzle. She closed her eyes and sighed when he did this. She leaned up and placed her front paws on the bed next to him, lying her head upon his paws.

There was a war outside the tent, a war that seemed to them endless in such a short amount of time. But at that moment, when lovers were reunited, no war could tear them apart. Their hearts beating next to each other, breathing in each other's scents, Naruto buried his head into her warm fur.

He spoke "You tell them that the noises outside are not anything to fear, and that their father loves them and will always be there for them, and that he is proud of each and every one of them." He opened his eyes "Tell them that no matter what happens, we will be together and we will be safe, because we have each others love and respect, and that love and respect is the greatest and most powerful weapon there is."

Yume nodded "I will tell them that, I will tell them, that with love...all wars and all pains can be conquered, all fears can be put to rest, and that they will have nothing to fear because their father loves them, and would never let anything harmful come near them."

Naruto nodded "That's my girl" he said to her. She chuckled, "I must go now, you need rest." Naruto nodded "I will, could you do something for me?" She stepped down and nodded "Go see how Kiba is, and tell me how Akamaru is doing." Yume nodded sadly.

"I have done so already, Akamaru...is have difficulties, Kiba was injured and Akamaru sacrificed himself and detoured three Lumenion to attack him instead of Kiba, he has many wounds, Hana is doing her best, but Akamaru is an older dog, been through much, his body is starting to resist healing like all do after awhile.

Naruto sadly nodded understanding it was the way of things, after awhile a person's body get used to being healed by chakra, so they needed more chakra each time after to heal, but sometimes there wasn't enough and a person had to survive long enough for the body to repair itself.

Naruto sighed "Just...keep me updated I guess." Yume nodded "I will, I must return mother can't watch the pups all by herself." Naruto smiled softly, it was a good thing for Yume to find her mother. Then Naruto was startled with a thought. "Wait? What about Fenrir? Have you heard any news of him?"

Yume shook her head, "No, I have not, but I will keep an eye out for them." Naruto nodded "Very well...then" Yume shushed him "Shhh, you must sleep, your body is exhausted, you must rest, no thinking, no worrying, just...sleep." Naruto closed his eyes, and with her sweet voice, he did drift off into a peaceful slumber.

Yume walked over to where Akamaru lay, in the corner of the human healing tents. Kiba sat next to him, looking worried. He kneeled next to Akamaru's head, holding the great thing in his lap, a hand softly caressed Akamaru's head. Akamaru looked out in pained eyes, whimpering at random as Hana stood over him, hunching she stitched a wound.

Yume glanced around, all around her men lay groaned and moaning in pain, her nostrils picked up the smells of blood, sweat and misery. Some men cried in heaving sobs, others cried silently, teeth and jaws clenched, holding back their cries. Exhausted and tired nurses and healers were ushered from bed to bed, trying to save every life and limb they could.

A few rabbit demons helped out with the humans as well. A single fox sister was healing a man while two rabbits and a crow demon ducked back and forth grabbing herbs for her. Yume glanced at the buckskin colored tent walls, then to the used and dirtied bandages that haven't been picked up yet.

She felt sorry for all in the tent, she felt sorry for Kiba, and Akamaru she felt sorry that so many fought and got hurt and died, for them, for the demons cause. It wasn't right, it wasn't right that people had to fight and die over this! Why couldn't people just see that demons had a right to live, that all creatures, no matter how big or small or how different, had a chance at life and to live it.

She sighed, such a world could never exist it seemed. She stepped forward nearer to Kiba, she sat next to him and placed a paw on his knee, he glanced to her and nodded, knowing that she was sad for him and that she was there for him, helped comfort him.

Akamaru was his buddy, he was more then that, he was like a sibling to him. They had been through so much together, his dreams were Akamaru's dreams, his fears..well with Akamaru he had none, sure he might be afraid, but with Akamaru he knew no matter what he could make it through, that he had the courage to stand. As long as his familiar white canine was beside him.

He felt a few tears fall from his eyes, sliding down and dripping off the point of his nose, landing on Akamaru's head. Hana spoke "now is not the time for tears Kiba, be strong, he will make it, as long as you have faith in him, just as he had faith in you."

Kiba nodded and wiped his tears away, holding them back with a trembling jaw. At the moment none of his wounds seemed to be there, the only thing he felt was a hollow opening in his heart, and a pit of fear in his stomach. The fear of losing his familiar, the thought of losing Akamaru made the hole in his heart.

But he would be strong, he glanced down to Yume. She spoke "Naruto as returned, he is injured on his one eye, we are not sure if he will see fully out of it, time will only tell." Kiba nodded, then it hit him, why was he crying and thinking that he was the only one to have something to fear? Why was he thinking that he was the only one who had someone to lose?

Everyone did, everyone had fear, everyone had something to lose in this war, and yet here Yume was helping him, giving him strength visiting others even though the one she loved was injured. She did not weep over him, even though she probably felt like it, no she was doing exactly what Naruto would want her to do, she was being strong, if she could do, then dammit so could he!

He took a deep breath, calming himself. The fear went away, his heart stopped aching. He spoke "Don't worry boy you are going to be fine, because you're my pal and I love you, I believe in you." Akamaru turned his head ever so slightly, and he almost seemed to say.

'I know you do, I love you as well'

Kiba ruffled his fur then slowly eased himself from Akamaru, he turned to Hana, "You take care of him, and tell me when he gets better." Hana nodded, then turned her head, hiding her small smile that toyed with her lips. Her brother really finally did grow up, all it took was a war or two.

Sirya shifted uncomfortably, trying to get blood flowing to her cramping legs. Her back and shoulders screamed from the position she was, as her but had grown cold and numb from the ground she sat upon. She was hunched over, her arms tied roughly and tightly behind her back, around a pole that she was forced to sit against that jammed into her back as well.

Her face was red,raw and sore from the beating she received, her jaw throbbed in ebbing pain. But no matter how much she hurt on the inside it did not matter, she was strong she would survive, she would make it through somehow, somehow. She did however, feel a pain inside of her, mostly in her chest, mostly in her heart.

She knew that they wouldn't send someone to save her, but it didn't hurt sending that bird anyway. She sighed and closed her eyes. Letting all her memories of her life sweep through her and carry her way to a much better place. The place she went to was quiet, and simple, a small house, almost like a cottage, a little kitchen with yellow walls, and pale tiles.

A comfy living room with a fireplace that always gave off the right amount of warmth in the winter months. That home was perfect, and they got it at a good deal, back then, they were not an Anbu general and a spy, no, she was teachers aid, and he...he was a jounin that was quickly rising in the ranks.

But still the moment he walked through that door, his job was forgotten and she was his world. They danced to no music in the kitchen, they slept next to the fireplace some nights, buried in a nest of soft blankets and each others arms. Those were the good memories, the memories that lasted for a lifetime.

She remembered his laugh loud and filling, seemed to shake the entire house, she remembered how she would kiss him on the cheek and run away, playing a game of cat and mouse. How he would catch her and swing her around hold her like she was a princess or an object of value, he truly did care for her.

Life was good for them, it always was, but two years passed, and his reputation changed him. More and more responsibility, more and more things on his shoulders, he had to watch out for everyone, lead them on. Which wasn't bad at first, in fact she was proud of him and at times he was afraid that he couldn't do it, so she gave him pep talks and told him he could do it.

He believed her and took the strength she had to give, and he became a better and better leader, but the stress it did upon him made him more and more distracted and tired. He couldn't be both her lover and a leader, he would have to choose, and she knew as a leader, he would have a better chance at life. So she did the hardest thing she ever could do, she removed herself from the equation, and forced him to become the great leader she knew was inside.

That was one of the hardest things she ever did in life, leaving him when her mind said yes and her heart said no. But she had to, she had to. The memory of doing so brought fresh tears to her eyes. She bit her lip trying to suppress her sob. It was against all that they had taught her when she trained to be a spy, they trained her to withstand pain and torture, to never give out information.

She could stand people burning her or stabbing her, beating her or humiliating her and doing terrible things to her. She could withstand all those things, but the thing that she could not withstand was the memory of betraying him. She shook her head, it was too late for that now, he probably forgot about her.

She heard footsteps at the tent flap opening. She silenced herself and waited. The woman came in, like always she was followed by an abused and frail looking girl who always looked down and did what she was told. Next to the girl was the boy who looked at everything with a blank dull gaze, his mother had controlled every action he had did all his life, Sirya felt sorry for the boy.

Sirya looked up to the woman, Suki. She was in her normal garb, gray pants and revealing silk gray top with a white lab coat over top. Her blonde hair was pulled back in an intricate bun, smelling fresh of strawberries and honey. Sirya scoffed on the inside, only this cold woman could waste time looking prim and proper in time of war.

She smirked with those cherry red lips. "Well, well well, the Konoha spy" Sirya hardened her heart and gaze. Suki walked forward "So, you are the reason they are so...prepared." Sirya said nothing. "Come now" Suki said. "I am not going to ask for you to say anything, I just like to know I am right, a nod of the head would all that need be required."

Sirya stayed absolutely still. Suki glared at her "Fine, have it your way, I guess I don't need to have you confirm, I know I am right." Suki waited for a bit. "But here is something you might like to see." She snapped her fingers and the girl scurried away like a whipped dog, she dashed through the tent flap.

For a moment Sirya could see beyond the flap, she could see men and Lumenion walking about camp. Going to their tents or beds to rest and eat. Some men were happy, others were sad. Some just stared blankly ahead. The Lumenion always seemed to walk around with an aggressive wariness plastered onto their grim strange faces.

Then the flap was closed and all contact with the rest of the world was cut off. Not that anyone would care if she screamed or called out to them. None would help her, she was alone, and most likely going to die, but she would last for as long as she could. Sirya prepared herself. Suki waited glancing at her nails and thrumming them against a wooden crate.

The tent they were in must have been a storage room for something, she had no idea what. Then the girl came back in, her hands balancing a large platter or plate. It was covered with a metal lid. It seemed to be heavy because the girls arms shook as she carried it over. Following Suki's direction she placed the platter on a crate that was pushed in front of Sirya, she stared at with an exact eye-level.

Suki spoke "Remember that young male spy? From the Lightning village? Well this is what happened to him when he didn't give me my confirmation, you see we scientists have a special system of how we work and compile information, I need to know, I can't go off the assumption that I am right, even though I mostly know, I still must have confirmation."

She lifted the platter lid. Sirya managed not to vomit. In front of her was the decapitated head of an ally and a person she came close to calling friend. The eyes were rolled back and disturbingly mismatched. The tongue lolled out of the mouth ever so slightly. The hair was mussed up as if the person had just awoken from a nap.

She looked away but Suki caught her chin and made her stare good,hard and long. "No no no my sweet, you need to see what reaction could happen if you answer falsely." Sirya spoke her voice level "I don't care if you kill me." Suki turned her head, using those bony cold fingers. "Kill you? Who on earth ever said I would kill you?"

Suki snapped her fingers and a struggling fox demon was brought in. It was scarred and it's fur ruffled. It still fought it's captors though. Sirya's stomach flipped and her heart almost stopped beating, she wished it had. "Nod, and I will let the beast go" Sirya was at conflict, her training told her, that no matter the costs, information should be kept.

But another part of her said that the information was not worth an innocent person's life. Like a cat toying with a mouse, she was trapped. She glanced down, a tear falling from her cheek. She spoke "You will let him go? As in his freedom, he would not be harmed?" Suki shrugged "We will kill him another time anyway, probably tomorrow, besides some of the men like to find stranded, wounded demons and drag them back to camp for amusement, it's a regular past time."

Sirya spoke "I will tell you all you want...just please let him and any demons you have go free, not to be harmed." Suki mulled this about, after some time she spoke. "He, and three other demons, may leave and will not be harmed, do we have a deal?" Sirya collapsed on the inside, she would have to, it was either those four lives or none at all.

She nodded and spoke "My name is Sirya, I am a spy of the village of Konoha, I have been spying here for about a month or so." Suki nodded "good then." She turned and thankfully placed the lid on the platter. She snapped at the girl "Release the creature near edge of camp, and find three comrades for it to run away with."

The girl did as she was told, once more scurrying out of the tent. Suki turned to her child. "Sweetie, mommy has to work, why don't you go back to the tent?" The boy gazed up at her with wide innocent eyes, he had no idea how terrible of a person his mother was.

The boy turned and walked out of the tent. Suki turned towards Sirya. "Now then...where were we?" Sirya for a moment wished, that she could have just died.

NSW