Life as A Fox

Chapter 84

NSW- The Forsaken Author.

It was the dawn of the next day, a lone wolf gazed out over the ramparts of Konoha, casting his steely gaze across the battle field. He peered with only his left eye, the right eye felt dim to him. Although he could see through it, it felt as though he was seeing through water, everything seemed to be slightly blurred and...odd.

But he was slowly getting used to the disorientation of his sight. The thing that weighed heavier on his heart and shoulders was the fact that he, Uzumaki Naruto, or also known as WolfHeart of the Anbu, was now Anbu General, the leader of the most elite of Konoha.

He sighed, how could he even begin to think of how to command his troops? He was now responsible for all of their lives, he was the one to tell them what to do, to order them, they counted on him, what if he messed up? What if he was wrong and they paid for it? This was a fear that haunted him and even though Yume and Kakashi expressed and told him over and over that he was right for the job, that Mammoth wanted him for it...he couldn't shake the small feeling as though we wasn't cut out for it, what if they were wrong?

He heard the sound of foot prints, he looked over to see Sasuke coming up to him. He held an arm against his side where fresh bandages had been wrapped around his wounds. He was battered and bruised but he still was alive and kicking. Naruto dipped his head slightly in recognition then continued to gaze out.

Sasuke leaned against the wall next to Naruto, they shared a silence with each other for a bit, a light wind blew across them, shifting his fur or Sasuke's hair about. Sasuke spoke then, "So" he said. Naruto's ear flicked catching the new sound. "I heard about...the General, I'm sorry for your loss" Naruto sighed and gazed to him.

"He was a good man, a great leader, I don't know if I could ever match him, he was the best there was." Sasuke nodded "I have an idea of what it is like to be in someones shadow, the feeling as though you could never be able to match them... in fact" He paused "You don't want to match them, you don't want to go through all they did just to be as good as them, but you feel if you don't do exactly what they did you could never come close to them, it's like the sun and you are just an ant in comparison."

Naruto grunted, thats exactly what he felt like, Mammoth was good because he sacrificed all regular life to do so, could Naruto be as good as Mammoth without sacrificing his family life?" Naruto didn't know how he could balance it, how could he even think about abandoning his family?

Naruto turned to Sasuke "Sasuke, when you achieved what you set out to do, when you became just as good as your older brother, what did you feel be honest" Sasuke gazed out, a sad darkness coming to his eyes. "I don't...I don't like thinking back on those times, but...I do remember how I felt, when I had finally killed my brother, when I finally was as good as him and better, I felt..."

There was a silence "Well I felt empty, I had climbed the mountain only to realize that yeah, the sight is amazing, but I can't stay up here forever I have to get down from here somehow, it was that realization that made me...well I just wanted to find something else to do, I didn't want to go back down the mountain so I tried to find something else to climb, I set my goals higher, I cast my vengeance to a further plane of existence, I thought if I destroyed Konoha, then only then could I surpass my brother."

Naruto blinked "Well then" he said. Sasuke sighed "And of course, I did a lot of things that I regret, but like you, I just keep on trying to convince everyone that I am going to do what I set out to do, I may be stubborn and annoying at it, but...well maybe that's not a bad thing now is it?"

Sasuke said smirking at Naruto. Naruto grinned back "No, it's not, but what are you trying to convince?" "That I really have changed for the better, that I can change the clan, I can bring into the world better Uchiha, who fight not for themselves but for others, like the clan used to do, I am resurrecting and preserving a better path for all of the Uchiha to come."

Naruto nodded "This is good, very good, don't worry this wolf is one less person you have to worry about convincing, and...I will back you up if need be." Sasuke grinned "Thanks" he said. Then absently he patted Naruto on the head. He froze "OH! I'm sorry! I didn't...I well...I just...sorry" he said putting his hands up in defense.

Naruto laughed "Sasuke, It's all right, I actually like it, Kakashi and everyone pets me all the time, I don't have fingers, so...do you mind scratching behind the ears? Please?" Sasuke stared at him a slight pink blush coming to his features, almost matching the pink blush of the sunrise as the sun yawned and cast its light over the earth.

He reached down once more and hesitantly scratched Naruto's ears. Naruto sighed and leaned his head into Sasuke's fingers, giving instruction he finally concurred that blasted itch that had been bothering him for a bit. Sasuke finished scratching then the two re-kindled friends stared out as the light claimed more and more of the land back from the dark night.

With shaking limbs he walked forward, a silence withstanding the entire area, a dull roar of wind screamed deafening as it swept across the battlements of the wall. All around him the subtle flapping of fifty black cloaks. Naruto looked to his men, yes his men, these were the people he commanded, the men and few women within the Anbu were now under his watch, and all of them were there to pay tribute to him, their new leader.

Mouse was by his side. Mouse had served as an office assistant and wing man for forty years in the Anbu, he had served three Anbu Generals, and now an Anbu General wolf demon. Over the years he had come to learn a lot, each leader was different, each had their own little quirks, and each had their own motto's and ways on how he led.

Now Mouse never showed favoritism it was not who he was, it was not what good assistants do. When a new boss stepped up to the plate, you must be like clay and mold yourself anew to the new boss, forget everything that was before. However he was now with a green horn boss, in the middle of a war, at the moment, WolfHeart would need his knowledge and expertise in handling this.

Wolfheart glance to him. "A speech would be very reassuring to them sir" he said softly so only WolfHeart could hear. He nodded than turned. Mouse had faith in him, rough around the edges and maybe having a few flaws, he knew that in time, experience and a guiding hand would buff away the ugly and bring out the shining diamond of a leader to them all, it would only be a matter of time.

Naruto stepped forward, they stood in lines, waiting as if knowing a speech was coming. He cast his eyes over them all. Then he began. He began by saying the truth. "I am not very good with these speeches, I am not very good at a lot of things, truth be told, I didn't expect to ever find myself in this position, commanding and over seeing such a talented group of people."

He took a pause for air. He continued on. "In the Anbu we learned, that sometimes during missions, things don't go as planned, and even though we did everything we could and double checked and rechecked and made sure everything was perfect...it ends up shattering to pieces." He sighed "No one plans for a person to die, especially not someone as important as Mammoth, he was a great man, and leader and I hate to feel this pain."

He looked up "Few know that we demons, especially we wolf demons, form soul lines, lines that bind our souls to others, they let us feel each others fears, know each others weaknesses, know where each other is, that is what they show us, however the draw back is, when we lose even one, we feel unbearable pain in our hearts."

Naruto cast his eyes to each and everyone. "I am in pain, but I know that this pain will help me through it, Mammoth believed that I would be the one to lead you, so gods be damned I will do so! I may be just a lowly wolf demon, I may just be a three-year Anbu member, but I know that in my heart and soul that Mammoth is looking to me to lead you and I promise you all right now."

He looked intently into their eyes, knowing his eyes were burning with resolve. "That I will not let you down, that faith in me is justified, I know it is a lot to ask of, we are in the middle of a war, one cannot so easily just throw his life into another's hands...or in my case paws, but still! Trust in me, and I will lead you as far as this world will take us!"

A silence still loomed over them, but it was different it was a silence of acceptance Naruto could feel it, he could feel and even faintly hear the sounds of soul lines strengthening their resolve within him. This was his pack, his mighty pack, and together they could fight any enemies that came.

The angry blood-red dawn had risen finally. Casting its glare over the field. There was a charge in the air, a crackle of energy. Everyone could feel it, a surge, a connection that lept from one person to the next. Especially among the demons, they had enough, they have had enough of this war and enough of these losses, the same could be said for the ninja as well.

Naruto was past his grief now, he was onto his anger, but this was not the out of control berserk anger that led to trouble, no, this was the calm distant anger that powered one through things, that kept you moving, kept you fighting. Naruto lined up, his wolf pack mates spanning alongside him, shoulder to shoulder they stood alongside any other demon that wanted into the fray, yet another charge, yet another day of battle, would it end today would it finally be over with?

One part of him hoped so, but then another part of him did not wish it to be, he loved battle, the thrill of the hunt, it was his nature, as was the nature of humans, hunting and waging war was how they survived and thrived as a race, eating the flesh of animals that they defeated in long vigorous hunts, it was there way, it was the way of all things to live and to die, a cycle that was not to be broken.

He knew of people, people who said it was unnatural and not right to be violent, that as a species we have over come such things, which in a way is true, we have over come such things, we have learned more to reason and to make alliances and to solve problems without fighting, but the fact of the matter was, no matter how peaceful things may be or get, you still needed to know how to fight and protect yourself, you could not always lean on words, even though he was one of the few who could probably talk his way out of anything, but then again...if that were true why was he in this war?

It just when to show that even the best talkers had to ball up and throw some punches otherwise he wouldn't be able to get his point across. Well Naruto was ready. He turned his head to Kakashi standing on the battlements. He saw the small nod with his good eye. Naruto turned his head "Time to repay the kindness that they gave to Mammoth, let us send them off into a nice retirement from their jobs...INTO THE AFTERLIFE!" The demons around him roared in agreement and then the stepped together as one towards the enemy.

Strange, that was what it was, why did they always return back to these two leggers? Why these certain ones? Why not the others? Why were certain ones the ones they were to kill and the others not to kill? Why was there to sides to this...battle? She could not tell them apart, they all looked the same, pale skins, standing on two legs, arms and hands with... appendages that allowed them to grasp things, their voices, all of them had distinct voices, the males of their kind deeper, the females how few there were lighter, higher.

Yet between the two sides she could not tell them apart, only the markings of bright rock on their foreheads told her which was...friend? Which was foe. Swirl, rock, and blob? Was enemy, enemy who came from the great walled place. Friend was them around her, her fellow...what were they? What did they even call themselves?

The..pack leader? Of the Two-leggers? Called them the 'holy beings' yet she had heard said the first of our races, the ancestors had spoken and called themselves Lumenion. It was strange, why could their ancestors speak and she not? Why could she not open her mouth and speak to her allies, was something wrong with her?

Why did she think of such things? Why did she even think? Why was she not like the others? Vicious, hungry, and wild, fighting over scrap of food and spot to rest. No, she reserved herself away from her kin, watching them confused as to why she was like this, others of her kind could produce more of them from their sides and backs, in sacs filled with fluid that would soon grow to another one of them, she remembered like distant memories that was how she came to be, born on the battlefield as her birth-mother died.

She had as of yet not created a new being, she did not think it proper something inside her told her that was not how her kind should produce. A lot of things inside her told her a lot of things, things none of the others seemed to think of or realize. Did they not see that they were dying? Every time less and less of them came back, and the younglings were not growing up fast enough to replace the ranks, they needed substance and energy to sustain the sacs on their back, and food had run short.

Feasting on each other churned her...insides where food went, made a bitter taste run up in her mouth. She would do no such thing. She sniffed the air, once more the enemy was coming, she wearily walked forward into the mass of her own kind that growled and snapped ready for the fight. She found herself slowing and sinking more and more to the back.

Soon she found herself matching pace with three others, another female and two males. All of them looked into each other's pupiless eyes, and they could sense, that they all had found another one of their kind that thought the same as them. What strange happenings were becoming of some of the Lumenion?

NSW

Sorry for the wait, Holiday break from school.