Life As A Fox

Chapter 88

NSW

She snapped her eyes open and leaped to her feet, her heart pounding. She looked up into the sky, in the darkening twilight, she could see slight almost invisible forms gliding on the wind. She could hear them with their high-pitched piercing screams. The subtle flapping of their skin that was stretched over such a grotesque body, the snapping of their tendons and the creaking of their bones.

She growled at the sky, her fur on edge. Bearing her fangs she challenged them. She couldn't see them clearly, the sky was foggy and dark, and the fog seemed to be growing thicker by the second. Rolling over like a silver wave over the wall, and it billowed down, seeping to the ground. submerging them all. She could hear the cries and growls in the dark.

Humans were yelling to each other, trying to communicate to each other. Rebel was confused, what was this? This fog? She could barely see through it, in fact she couldn't! She howled, She felt something brush beside her, she jumped and lunged attacking. But a voice called out, stopping her. "It's me!" It was One-Who-Follows.

She stopped and searched for him in the mist. She felt his warmth brush against her once more. She calmed down a little as he spoke to her. "We need to find a place to hide, they can see though this mist, we are vulnerable." She nodded "But...how do you know?" she asked, turning to were his voice came sounding out in the gray darkness around her.

"Because they produce it, so obviously, they know how to see through it." "Since...when!?" she exclaimed, he hushed her. "I remember hearing some of the human talking in the camp before we left, they spoke of the special abilities the flying Lumenion were discovering, they can only do this at night, which is why they are attacking now."

She growled, "So it was their plan all around, and you did say anything?" He sighed "I didn't know what they were talking about, and I had no idea if they were actually going to use it, the flying Lumenion were almost extinct when we left, only twenty were still alive." She shuddered, "That is why there was no fighting the past couple days, they were waiting for the flying Lumenion to re-produce."

He sighed next to her, "Yes, apparently, but now we need to hurry come on." She growled as she ran through the mist, it was unnerving to walk and run and not see where you were going. All around she heard screams and cries. The flying Lumenion attacking blind demons who couldn't fight back until it was too late.

Rebel felt her paws step into something wet and warm, she didn't need to see to know already it was blood, she was walking on blood. She growled, this was not war! This was slaughter, it was not proper! She glanced up, closing her eyes. Trying to sense for her bloody kin. She at first saw nothing, but then from out of the darkness of her closed eyes.

It was as if a filter came through, ghostly grainy images pierced through the darkness. She could see the group of Lumenion flying overhead. Keeping her eyes closed she scanned the battlefield. She extended and pushed out the new-found power that they had. She could see the massacre happening. Five swarmed a Rhino.

He tossed his head about and roared, jabbing blindly at the creatures that gripped him. She growled and ran forward. Ignoring One-Who-Follows warning. She leaped, and landed on the back of one of them. She dug her jaws into its thin, frail neck. She heard the satisfying crunch and black blood welled up into her mouth.

She roared out as she moved to the next, shredding its wing, it screeched, startling its kin, they took to the skies, in confusion. She leaped upon the downed rhino then pushed all her power into her legs, leaping up and snaring one from out of the skies. It screeched as it was dragged back down to the earth, where it received no mercy from her.

She roared as the other flew higher out of her reach. One-Who-Follows came up to her. "How are you-" She turned to him "Close your eyes! Sense for them! Look for them by not looking!" He paused and did so, she spoke "Do you see now?" he nodded "We need to get the others" She nodded she put her head back and howled for Free-One and One-Who-Vanquish.

But not wanting to waste time both dove in and went for the next group of flying Lumenion. Saving one of the mighty gorilla axe-men. He was an older one, with silver fur running through his, and with a scar over his eye. "What the hell is going on!" He roared, shouldering off his pain. She spoke "They secrete this mist, making you unable to attack, form small groups with others, it is your best defense, aim for the skies!" She yelled to him.

He snorted and turned, stumbling around for others. She turned and looked, it seemed that others had come to that conclusion, men stood back to back bracing against each other. Groups of demons stood in small huddles. The strongest on the outside, and the injured or the older on the inside. The wolf demons were surrounding the pups and elders, since the entire nation of them had come.

Pups whined and whimpered, as their mothers and fathers growled defiantly and fought with insane strength. Many a failed Lumenion lay before their prowess. Rebel turned to 'see' Wolfheart running behind a figure. It was a female. With pale skin and dark hair. Who was she? But Rebel had no time to worry. She turned and attacked another Lumenion who was trying to get at the rhino once more.

She killed it swiftly. It screeched as it died, flying into a wall then thudding onto the ground, blood spurting from it's wounds. She growled as she stood over the fallen rhino. He slowly got up. "Thank...thank you" he said coughing. She nodded "Anytime, where is your group?" He staggered up the earth shaking from his bulk.

"I don't know...can't see a damn thing" She felt like an idiot, how could she have forgotten that they couldn't see? She cleared her throat. "Come, we will guide you" He snorted and did so, She paused though. "What is it?" the rhino asked. "It's the enemy, they have discovered the underground tunnels into Konoha!" The rhino swore.

"We are going to be easy prey!" "We already are" muttered One-Who-Follows. "Quiet!" She yelled. "We have to figure a way to stop them!" "Wait, how do you know?" asked the rhino. She growled "because they are swarming up as we speak!" she yelled. She was right. The enemy nin aided by herds of Lumenion like herself were funneling through the underground passages, they must have found them when everyone was distracted from the sky attack.

But she wondered how the sentries and guards posted didn't give a warning, but then again maybe the mist was outside the walls as well. So the few sentries and guards could have been killed quickly before they could give a warning. She growled "The mist must surround the walls as well, they could have over powered the sentries and took the passages for themselves!" She yelled.

The rhino snorted "not for long" he stumbled forward, "We rhino's move earth, the earth is all we know, lead me to the entrances and I will collapse the passages and all within them shall die." She froze as she glanced up "But...the wall is situated on them! If you collapse them, the wall might collapse as well!" The rhino snorted "It is now or never! either we preserve the wall and our certain death, or bring it down on the enemy and save ourselves!"

She sighed, what else could they do? It's not like they could find the Hokage and ask permission, everyone was to busy trying to not get killed. She consented. "Very well" she turned back to him. "Do you need help?" he snorted "They are simple passages, I can do without my kin." One-Who-Follows spoke "I know where the others are, you go ahead and I will return shortly with back up, okay?" he asked her.

She nodded. He brushed his muzzle against hers before running off. Her and the rhino trotted as fast as they could towards the tunnel openings. The Horse demons and water buffalo could smell the enemy and were defending the openings so there wasn't any nin in the village, but it would only be a matter of time. A few Lumenion had escaped their hooves and were sneaking through.

Rebel let a feral growl, surprising her own by attacking them and ripping their unguarded throats open. She spat the blood out and turned "We are there" the rhino snorted "Thank-you again wolf sister." She paused "I am not a wolf, I am Rebel, the Lumenion." The rhino paused. "Oh" he said, then shook his hide "then I thank-you Rebel."

He turned his eyes closing, she saw a faint glimmer of power welling upon the expanse of his horn. He snorted slowly letting his breath out. Then he grunted as he shifted his left leg forward. A tremor went through the earth in front of him. Power expanded from him, she felt the shift of the ground. She felt a tremor of fear go down her spine.

She then heard the loud snap, as the wall began to crack. She heard the sound of muffled screams and cries as earth buried overtop of the enemy nin. She ran forward as the wall splintered more and more as more and more tunnels were caved in. She screamed higher and above the sounds of battle, to the horses and water buffalo and any other present.

"Get away from the wall! The supports are collapsing! Get away! Tell everyone!" Luckily a few hawk demons were present as well. They ducked and glided in circles around her as they listened to her message, she looked up and told them as well. With chirps and screeches they peeled off into all directions, spreading the news all along the line near the wall.

Kakashi was using his sharingan as he stood upon the ramparts of the wall. Killing the flying beasts before they got into the village. Below in the mist he could hear the sounds of demons people he pledged to protect getting hurt and dying. He could hear the sounds of his ninja and the others pledging to fight with them dying as well.

This made him angry, angrier then ever. He roared as he plunged a chidori through three of the flying Lumenion. He then spun around and did the hand signs for his water dragon jutsu attack. It roared to life in a spitting foam and knocked a good twenty out of the sky. They hit the ramparts screeching as some of their bones broke.

Then they screeched out once more as Kakashi's only other ally finished them off. Dragging out a small flint battle-axe from the skull of a lumenion he grinned his feral fangs and roared a great ape roar. This gorilla was the older one that he had nodded to, the one that bared a scar like his. Kakashi still had not yet learned his name.

Kakashi nodded once more and then both turned to fight off more, But a tremor went through the wall. "What the fuck?" Kakashi said. As he stabilized himself. The gorilla gave a grunt. Then flung himself into battle once more. They both killed another good ten or so before the wall began to creak. Kakashi froze, what was happening to the wall?

As if the gods answered his prayer a hawk demon flew up to him. "Evacuate the wall! Evacuate the wall! The rhino's are bringing it down!" Kakashi swore "Why the hell are they doing that!" The hawk dodged a sudden flying Lumenion as Kakashi killed it swiftly. "The enemy have found the passages, they are trying to break into Konoha from underneath, the rhino's are bringing down the passages and while doing so, the wall."

Kakashi closed his eyes, at the moment he would have to accept it. If it meant saving Konoha, sacrificing the great wall would have to be a price to be paid. He nodded "Evacuate the wall!" he roared out as he began to run down it's length. The gorilla followed behind him. Protecting his back. Kakashi screamed down "Get away from the wall! Away from the wall!" Hopefully people heard him.

Naruto stood next to Hinata, she was his eyes in this battle. "To your left, ten feet" she said. He nodded and wordlessly he charged forward, until he scented the enemy. He tore his fangs into the back and dragged it down. Burying his fangs into the flesh, spitting out the accursed blood. Then his ears flicked as he heard Kakashi's voice from above.

"Get away from the wall!" Naruto turned and rushed back to Hinata, following her scent. He spoke "What does he mean?" "Sir!" A voice called out. It was Mouse. Naruto grunted "Mouse, what the hell is going on! It's the rhino demons, they are bringing down the tunnels." Naruto froze, that meant the enemy nin were in there, and that meant that all the braced for the wall would be destroyed, and so, the wall itself.

He growled. "Dammit, no one tells me anything, has anyone been able to break through this fog at all!?" Mouse spoke "no sir, it's not a normal fog, it's seems to be emitted by use of chakra." Naruto growled. "Then...Have all they fire type users use the strongest jutsu's they know and burn through it, we will just have to emit a stronger chakra force and push the other back."

Mouse spoke "hai sir, excellent Idea" Naruto spoke "Talk to the Lightening country nin, they know how to battle this sort of stuff, see if they have any ideas as well. Tell anyone else to start telling those ear the wall to get the fuck out!" Mouse left with another "hai" then Naruto turned to Hinata. "Let's go" She nodded "To the wall?" He snorted "where else?"

Iruka helped move the last gravely injured human more to the back of the medic tents. Within the tents they could see there was no strange mist. Gomeg was ushering commands Iruka and whatever mostly able-bodied demons and human helped him move the more seriously injured to more protected places. Iruka moved to help a limping tiger demon.

But another nin helped him as well, he looked up to see Sasuke. He was surprised. "Oh" he said. "Iruka-sensai" Sasuke said. Iruka glanced down, Sasuke had several bandages wrapping his torso. "I was here for my last medication, when the attack...I have terrible luck" Sasuke said giving a small grin. Iruka froze. Was this Sasuke? Or was he dead and dreaming?

Sasuke helped the tiger to another spot. Iruka looked up, something was at the door. He turned, a kunai in hand. Sasuke nodded to him. Iruka nodded back, Sasuke would return as quickly as possible, until then Iruka would have to hold back whatever was there. Iruka spoke before he could stop himself. "I always knew you and Naruto would be great friends, that's why I had you to put on the same team."

Sasuke paused "You aren't supposed to do that, it's supposed to be random" Iruka smirked "Nothing is ever random Sasuke, everything has it's purpose." Sasuke nodded and turned. Iruka turned as well and walked towards the door. Where the shadow of a few Lumenion figures could be seen through the tent fabric.

A bob cat demon and three hyena's walked with him. Iruka nodded to them as well. Slowly the tent flap was pushed aside. A white muzzle dug through, bearing sharp salivating fangs. Iruka waited until the head had fully pushed through, then he threw the kunai and hit the Lumenion in the wild feral eye. It yelped and fell to the ground spasming.

Iruka was weaponless as three Lumenion burst through. The demons charged forward. Iruka grabbed a tray and used it as a shield. It blocked a Lumenions jaws as one leaped untop of him. It knocked the tray away. Iruka brought his hand back and punched it across the snout. It's head snapped back then it slowly turned to glare at him.

It snapped it's mouth open and pushed it's head forward. Iruka grabbed both jaws and held them back, wrestling with it. He groaned as it's fangs cut his fingers to shreds. This is what he got for choosing to teach kids how to hold a kunai instead of going on missions and keeping his skills up to par. But when he though back, it was good of him to teach, that is what he could do, he taught people like Naruto and Sasuke, people who could really protect others, so by him teaching them, he protected other as well.

So when the Lumenion broke through his defense, and ripped into his neck and shoulder, he didn't mind too much. He didn't really feel anything. He just closed his eyes and remembered all the lessons that he taught, all the students he met, how he had made up for all the bad things he had taught when he wasn't thinking right.

Those children were so surprised in that first week. How Iruka sansei, the 'oni- sansei' suddenly became nice and kind. Now all the children who feared him...he couldn't get them to go home! They had always wanted to say with him! But he smiled as he felt feeling drift from them. Little did they know, those children did stay with him, every smile, every word, every precious memory.

All of it was preserved in his mind, each was a little leaf, that grew and blossomed on his tree. He sighed as he closed his eyes, and embraced its sweet fragrance.

Sasuke came back, he was gone for a few moments, he had to carry a young fox demon with two broken legs into the back rooms. He ran back to the front. Only to see four demons, a bob-cat, and three hyena surrounding the figure of Iruka. A slayed Lumenion lay ontop of him bleeding as well. All around Lumenion bore the marks of fighting a bob-cat and three hyena.

Sasuke ran up to Iruka. He went to his knees. He was gone. His teacher, the one who had taught him everything, the one who gave him strength when he needed it, who helped him after his family was gone. That teacher was dead, and he had died smiling.

Sasuke felt tears come from his eyes. His chin shook as he gritted his teeth. He clenched his hands. The demons could sense that Iruka was important to him, so they bowed their heads and let them be. Sasuke spoke "You are right...Iruka, nothing is ever random, everything has a purpose, thank-you...for your last lesson."

Sasuke rose drawing his sword, he lifted his sword, not to avenge Iruka's death, but to preserve his precious memory. He would fight not to kill, but to protect those that lived. Sasuke gave Iruka one last look, he nodded then he spoke to the demons. "Stay here and guard the others, I will go outside and do the same." The demons nodded and shifted into ready positions.

Sasuke slowly opened the tent flap, activating his sharingan. He saw no one. He went through and stood outside. From far away he could see small groups fighting. But they were distant, and looked like they had a handle on things. He froze when he heard another loud snapping. It echoed, more snapping, followed by creaking.

The ground shifted beneath him. "What the..." he said looking around. Then he saw it, the wall shivered like a great wave, it buckled and soon the great wall of Konoha began to fall.

Well that's what I got so far, Happy valentines Day...huh...maybe I should have did some more lover like stuff...instead of...this...but...ah well, I am the Author, I do what I want.

NSW