Life as A Fox

Chapter 83

NSW- The Forsaken Author.

Her heart was beating in her chest, louder and louder it thudded against her ribcage as she heard the enemies coming closer and closer. She heard the snapping of branches as a man blundered through the brush. Like a pack of hounds they circled about, trying to sniff her out, it was only a matter of moments before they would break through the brush and devoured her.

With growls and snaps the Lumenion spoke to each other, the men who walked among them only seemed to match the Lumenion in basic instincts and communication. She clutched the knife in front of her. She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them she glanced down at this tiny blade in her hand, it felt so insignificant and futile.

But then for a second, she saw Chubb's limp bleeding form in the blades reflection, she remembered all the pain and agony these men had caused her. What the did to her and what they took from her. She had made a resolve before, she would not lose it now. She would hurt these men back, their actions cried for them to be punished, and she was in the mood to punish, she pushed away her fear as she pushed herself away from the tree.

She stood, waiting for them to see her. It took only a moment before they made a sound, the Lumenion went into pursuit. She ran, a plan in her head.

Leading them on she staggered out of the brief cover of surviving woods. She blinked as she adjusted her eyes to the glare of the falling sun. She thought randomly, even in the situation she was, she thought that the sun looked so beautiful, perched, just resting the furthest hill, surrounded by a sea of red's, orange and yellows.

Casting an almost romantic effect upon the field. She turned as she heard the men come out. "Time for this bitch to die like the fat one" She held out the knife. The men chuckled "That thing won't protect you no more than it protected the fatty" "Stop calling him that, he was a kind and caring person, more of a man in one finger than anyone of you are in your entire bodies!"

The men laughed "Well kindness isn't going to save you sweetie now is it?" Before she could answer someone else did, in a voice, that, she had not heard in so long of a time, it seemed like time stopped as that mesmerizing voice descended upon their ears. "You're right, kindness won't save her, I will"

Then he landed in front of her, mask gone he stood in full glory, his face may be scared, but his eyes glowed still with that passion he always had. He turned to her, their eyes matched momentarily, and everything that was between them was laid bare, they both knew that at this moment, they both still harbored feelings for the other and that nothing else in the world mattered to them then this.

He turned back to the enemies. One spoke "You should step aside old man" Mammoth grinned, it had took him awhile, but he managed to find her, just in time as well. He glanced back to her, she stood, defiant, with a resolve burning in her eyes. That was the woman he remembered, that was the woman he loved, she looked worn, tired, and dirty, but she yet was still strong.

He spoke "Was it you who caused this woman to look like so?" he asked them. They laughed one spoke up still chuckling. "Yes, in fact all of us had some good quality bonding time with this woman, why not? She was tied up, couldn't fight back." Mammoth cracked his knuckles as he tightened his fist.

The way his eyes switched into angry ones, the amount of controlled fury made the nin glance to each other. Who was this man? "Of course" Mammoth said after a bit, not relaxing his body at all, his eyes digging into them. He spoke with a commanding voice, one that seemed to bellow and resound.

"Only beasts like you can couple with a woman after she has been tied and beaten, only after every bit of fight has been forced out of her, that is the kind of woman who would submit their bodies to you. You who are just gutless, spineless, unworthy creatures who don't even deserve the name 'man'"

The men glared at Mammoth. "We'll teach you" one said then reached for his weapon. Mammoth didn't growl, but...made a low rumbling sound. This caused them to all freeze, it was unnerving. "You young idiots have no idea who you are messing with" He simply stated before attacking.

His fist connected with one of the five in an instant, knocking the mans head back the man's neck snapped with the blow. The body thudded to the dust. Mammoth turned as he caught a Lumenion by its throat, he held it in the air as he glared at the snarling creature.

He grinned, the creature momentarily stopped, realization actually filtering across its features, once again something happened in its primitive mind, it learned, it had learned that not everything would fall to it, that it...could be defeated, that it could die. And die it did. Mammoth crushed it's throat as he tossed it aside and turned to the next enemy.

The man made a quick jab to Mammoth's side. Mammoth stood unaffected by the kunai in his side. It was nothing to him. He grabbed the man's wrist and snapped it. The man screamed and fell. Mammoth kicked him in the chest. Two of the men rushed him. Using short blades they lunged at him, forcing him to give ground as the Lumenion trailed around them in a circle.

Two went for Sirya. Mammoth made an attack, using the brute strength he possessed he grabbed both blades in mid-air, his gloves protecting him from the sharpness of the blade. The men were surprised, as they couldn't pull their blades from his iron grip. Mammoth twisted his arms, tossing both in the opposite direction.

He spun and charged forward bellowing at the Lumenion. Sirya had slashed one but another was leaping. There was no time for a jutsu so he just threw his shoulder into it. He grunted as pain finally filtered through his hardened senses. The Lumenion was tearing into his shoulder.

He stared at it for a moment. Then Sirya attacked, she made a shrill sound as she stabbed the Lumenion on his shoulder over and over in the neck and side, not really aiming, just satisfied that she was hitting flesh. The Lumenion slackened his hold on Mammoth and fell down, blood gurgling in his throat, whimpering it dragged itself away from the onslaught.

Sirya showed no mercy. She kicked its head then stomped on it a few times. Ugly and brutish was her killing method but it worked. He gazed at her, in all her radiant beauty, covered in blood and brain matter she looked to him. Eyes meeting once more. He smiled to her, feeling like a young man again.

His heart fluttered, he moved towards her, all thought pushed from his mind, he reached for her. But his arm was pulled away by a Lumenion. He pulled his hand away, the Lumenion whimpered in surprise as it felt itself being pulled upwards into air. Mammoth easily tossed the Lumenion aside.

The Lumenion thudded in the ground, confused, it had been tossed as though a great beast had just did it, yet it was a simple man, wasn't it? The Lumenion stood shaking, this was not right, something was not right, too many of their numbers had been destroyed by these creatures, and the others, why did they fight these in the first place, even now the voice of their creator was silent, no more commands to be given, it seemed like they were forgotten...but that can't be right...wait, what were they anyway?

It staggered back, no longer wanting to hunt, no longer did the call for blood run rampant on their mind, with every new generation, their thought became muddled and unclear, what was their purpose? Why fight? The oath of their ancestors the first of their race already was a faded thought.

The Lumenion glanced to its others, they seemed set on blood, but...she did not? She shook herself once more and walked away, wondering at first if others would follow, none did, she decided to go back to camp, go back to others find...solace with others, others not like them, others like her. Others who did not want blood, others who knew that their lives could end, together they would run away find place for them to live and produce.

Mammoth faced the two nin who had staggered back to their feet, they shook themselves as they straightened themselves out once more. Mammoth turned, grinning. He moved forward, but pain shot though his side, shoulder and torso, it seeped through, attacking his chakra.

He groaned. Shaking his head he lumbered forward. The nin glanced to each other than attacked, knowing that Mammoth was weakened the poison of the Lumenion working, chakra would be unusable through out most of his body, if he did, well he would soon find out that it would hurt like hell.

But Mammoth proved quite the ninja, not using chakra a lot he preferred to fight with his strength. He was able to take hits and give worse ones in trade, even with one arm. But after a while, he grew tired from tossing and throwing everything aside with one arm. He thought of concentrating his chakra, but a warning went through him, his mind told him no, that it would be bad, but it was too late, such a simple rookie mistake, forgetting the info he had received.

When this happened he had thrown the Lumenion against each other, making them land in a rumpled heap for a bit, they in a daze stayed there. He was punching one nin across the jaw when another came on his weak side, ready to strike. Mammoth turned ready to use an earth wall to protect himself, but the moment chakra flowed through his arm, a pain like no other hit him.

He roared but did not drop to his knees like so many a man before had done, he stayed on his feet. And kept staying even when a blade was pushed through his torso. He grunted as blood welled into his lips. He glared harder at the man. He gripped the mans shouder with his good arm, then proceeded to collide his head against the other man cracking the other's skull with the force.

The man staggered backwards and fell he would die a slow death of having his brain bleed and hemorrhage. Mammoth turned slowly, pulling the blade from him, such annoyance. He grinned as the three remaining men stared at him. Why wouldn't he die? Why wouldn't he fall?Who was this man!

One spoke out "What...what are you?" "I am a Mammoth, and you are the scabs that I will trample" Then with that he charged forward. With wild swings and jabs he layered blow after bone breaking blow upon them. But he was slowed down, the pain from the wounds catching up to him.

"RIDA!" Sirya screamed, he turned, it had been so long since someone had used his name. He almost forgot it, but he came to his senses, when she said it. She was being attacked by the Lumenion, her blade knocked from her. One was on her leg the other her arm, tearing into her perfect flesh.

He felt fear grip a hold of him "SIRYA!" He bellowed then turned, not caring as a few kunai thudded into his back he ran to her. He grabbed the one Lumenion by the scruff of the neck. He used it as a club and knocked the other one away. It cried out in a loud yelp. Mammoth swung the one Lumenion like a sac of grain, hauling it up over and over his shoulder using one Lumenion to slay the other by bludgeoning it to death with it's own kin.

After both had ceased making noises, Mammoth turned to Sirya, bending down next to her. She bled profusely from her wounds. He applied pressure. She reached up and put a hand next to his own wound. He felt a tear fall from his eyes, this was the first time they had touched each other in such a long time, and even now after everything, she still cared about another person before herself.

A sad and bitter happiness welled within him, it was strange what he felt. He mostly was happy that he found her again, like a long-lost dream she had sifted from the mist and formed into a real living thing in his arms. He placed a hand upon her cheek, removing a glove, wanting to feel that flesh once more.

He smiled down at her, then spoke "Sirya" he said softly. She looked up into his eyes, mesmerizing as they always had been. Both were then teleported to another world, together they ignored all the pain, all the sorrow they had. Life before this moment seemed like an empty and hollowed world, only now did they actually feel their hearts beat, feel themselves breathe, only with one another.

"Rida" she said softly, her voice a wisp of what it once was. He leaned down closer, he knew that the enemies were circling now, reinforcements had come. He knew that they were trapped, that they would die, but he had did what he had set out to do, to find his love.

So if his last breath in this world were to be breathed together with her, then he was fine with that. He closed his eyes and did not fight it. Why fight it? All his life he had been fighting, he was tired of fighting, he was tired of running, he just wanted to be with her. Could anyone understand that, even if death was the only way to be together, then he would gladly embrace it.

That is why he did not fight back when he felt the sword plunge into his back, he merely took it in stride. The Mammoth within him was content, it no longer fought, it had laid down beside it's lover and together they waited for the cold winter snows to come. Death did not concern him, death had no hold or sway over him. Even as shadows and blurred faces moved around the two lovers, nothing could break their sanctum, nothing could pull them apart.

Even when the enemies left them to die of their wounds the lovers did so without complaint, and though the setting sun was almost half way buried beneath the earth, the glow of peace that surrounded them never did fade. Together they bled, together they cried, and in the last moments after many whispered words of compassion and claims of meeting each other in the next life.

Mammoth, leaned down to kiss his beloved one last time. A sweet innocence passed between them as their bodies made last shuddering sighs. Together they fell to the earth, holding each other, looking into each others eyes, as their spirits joined together in an after place, on a far distant plane, and there the Mammoth guarded not a herd, but his one true love.

Naruto burst from his dream, knowing, feeling a great sadness in him, a loss, he knew that he had lost someone important to him. He staggered up fear for Yume and his pups, but he knew the pain of losing them would have been greater, then he tried to think, tried to filter through the various soul bonds he had.

Tugging each one, making sure they were secure, he went through the list, Kiba, Hinata, Hime, Kakashi, Bee, Gaara, Sakura, Lee, all of them safe and fine. Shikamaru, Gomeg, Neji, Ten-ten, they were fine as well. He knew already his demon kin were fine, but who was it? Then it hit him as he came to Mammoths bond, faded and broken.

Naruto howled in agony, not Mammoth! But how!? He leaped from the bed, staggering he weaved and clattered through the healing tent, some demons had been awoken by his cry, they were now going back to sleep, passing him weary sad glances as he passed. Naruto pushed through the tent flap. Already he could see Yume running to him, she must have felt his agony through their link, for a moment he was sad that he had allowed himself to lose control of his emotions, but this was Mammoth!

She came to him "What is wrong?" she asked him. He staggered to her, tears in his eyes. "Gone...he's gone" Yume was afraid, also confused and sad for her mate, clearly something was the matter. "Who?" she asked. "M..Mammoth...he's...he's gone" Yume whimpered and licked him trying to console her love.

He wept, slowly collapsing against her. She held him up best she could but in the end they were both on the ground, he sobbing into her shoulder. Asking and pleading why wasn't he there? Why couldn't he protect him? Why didn't Mammoth send him instead of going himself? Yume shushed him and reminded him that Mammoth knew what he was doing, what he was getting into.

Naruto could only listen to her and agree even though it pained him. Although after a while, when the stars were bright and shining he heard footprints approach. He blinked tears from his eyes and turned his head to the sound that impeded on his personal grieving. It was Kakashi, he walked solemnly towards them, an eye cast sadly to Naruto.

"Hey" he said softly, and kneeled down. Naruto managed to disentangle himself from Yume and sit up, he and Kakashi looked to each other. "I guess you know" Naruto nodded "Soul line.." Kakashi nodded "Figured as much, I guess he really is gone, and here I was hoping...well I need to tell you something...something he told me."

Naruto looked to him "What is it?" Kakashi spoke "before he left, he knew that there was a possibility that he might not be coming back, so that's why he came to me, and told me who his predecessor would be." Naruto froze, "He...told you?" Kakashi nodded "I thought you might want to know, he wanted you."

Naruto was flabbergasted, he really was, he thought there were loads more of people within the Anbu ranks, older seniors who knew more. "I...no...it can't be me!...I...I'm young, I...don't have the experience others have...I'm...a Wolf demon for crying out loud!" Kakashi looked to Naruto, "Since when has being a wolf demon ever stop you from doing what you want to do Naruto? You have the skills, you have everything he was looking for."

Naruto was silent, he didn't know what to say. Kakashi continued, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You have courage, you have ambition, you know how to lead a team, you look out for others, you care Naruto, you care about the men, you see them as men, not as numbers, not as objects or pawns that you can sacrifice, you care about them all, you have heart...which is why you were named Wolfheart, and why he always had you picked out all along."

Naruto shook his head "It's...impossible, really?" he said looking to Kakashi. "It's true" another voice spoke, Naruto turned to see Mouse. The small wiry guy stepped forward. "He knew you were the one to take his place the moment you came back from your final test, when you stood up to him in front of all others, chewing him out for be careless to a guy, you had only just met, it takes guts, courage and a whole lot of heart. you have been marked from day one to be our General."

Naruto shivered, was it true? Was it really all true? He turned to Yume. She gazed at him, her eyes and fur radiating in the moonlight, she looked kindly to him, happy for him. He grinned softly. "I..just...am so honored,...but...I wish...I still wish it didn't have to be this way." Kakashi spoke. "I think that could be the story of your life in a single sentence."

Naruto glanced to him, and he chuckled. He glanced to the stars, so clear and vibrant, for a moment he felt so tiny to them, for a brief moment he wondered if Mammoth was looking down on him, from some far off place. Naruto hoped he was happy, and finally free, and possibly finally have that one thing he had been looking for.

He spoke "This is for you Mammoth" Then Naruto lifted his head back and howled, it was both a sad howl and a triumphant one, it made everyone shiver. It felt like for a moment, that wolf voices were created by gods, for only they could convey the feeling that everyone felt that night, alone, sad, but also...victorious.

NSW