Thank you everyone who's chosen to give this story a chance.
I do not own anything.
FOX TAILS AND WHIRLPOOLS
Chapter 2 - Beginnings
Hakuno never had any memories of waking up to a burning sun and clear skies. He didn't have memories of anything at all, but he was sure at one point in his life he'd been woken up to golden rays folding his face. It wasn't all bad, he'd made new memories in the form of waking up to digital sunlight and in the arms of a beautiful fox-eared girl who actually embodied the sun itself. All that said, there was still a difference between what was virtual and what was real. Real was better.
While most people spurred having the sun hit them in the face in the morning, Hakuno actually welcomed it. Two days in and he was still somewhat lost in the wonders that came with having an honest-to-God flesh and blood body. Naturally he tried to keep his wanderlust in moderation least he come off as strange, he was already off to a bad start given the little…run he and Tamamo had taken through the village courtesy of Naruto. Though Tamamo had bore the brunt of it, he was still subject to a few odd looks and passing glares. To his Servant's chagrin half of those looks had come from females, young females either his age or a few years above.
Stifling a yawn, he reared upwards throwing off the covers. Turning to his right, he was greeted with the sight of golden rays blasting through an extremely thin layer of curtains along with a pleasant breeze tickling his face. How long would he insist on keeping the window to the bedroom open just so he could feel real air kissing his face? Probably until late fall when the weather began to turn cold heralding the arrival of winter. Hakuno was looking forward to that, experiencing seasons for the first time in his living memory. The hotness of summer, the coolness of autumn, the snowfall of winter, and warmth of spring. Those were all things he might have experienced once but lost, and he wasn't going to squander the chance to experience those things all over again. More so with the most important person in his life at his side. Speaking of said person, they seemed to be in the midst of waking up as well.
Hakuno felt he was never going to grow tired of the image of Tamamo's peacefully sleeping beside him, her bright pink hair undone and spread out along her neck and shoulders. On several occasions he'd awoken to find himself tangled up in those bubblegum-colored locks and toyed with them until his Servant awoke. She was never angry with him, quite the opposite. This time she seemed to be fighting the sunny rays flooding the room as evident by the constant twitching of her furry fox ears. A yawn came through her lips before she turned over. "Massster," she whined, reaching out for his hand. "Let's sleep in, just this one. Please?"
"As appealing as that sounds, we still have some shopping to do today. Food, decorations, and furniture, remember?" He playfully said, causing the Caster to pout. "Come on, you haven't been able to cook for me in a while. I've been hungering for your cooking, like your sukiyaki, tonkatsu, sashimi, and your tempura." In a single blink Tamamo was on her feet in front of the bed, passion shining in her eyes.
"In that case there's not a moment to be wasted! Besides, if this will be our home for the time being then we need to decorate it as befitting of the Liberators of the Moon Cell." Rather it was a village of ninja or the digital world of .PH Tamamo was still Tamamo, get her going and it was like watching a star shooting across the sky. "Besides, at least this time I'll have you all to myself for almost the entire day."
The first morning they awoke in the Hidden Leaf Village, Hakuno made good on his promise to fix up their home. Hiruzen and Tamamo were actually a little taken back by how vigorously the young man threw himself into his work. Unfortunately, while Hakuno worked he attracted quite a bit of attention.
"I'm afraid your little…ahem, jog through the village raised quite a few eyebrows. You know I had several people come to me asking if the village was under attack." The Third Hokage had stated while he and Tamamo watched the brown-haired youth work. Both veteran fighters could sense the dozen or so eyes behind them, watching them.
"If it's anyone's fault, I believe fault lies with Naruto and your Anbu. They are supposed to be your village's elite yet they couldn't catch one little kitsune." Responded the pink-haired woman somewhat arrogantly. Though she didn't say it, a part of her was a slighty proud the little blond was able to successfully outrun his pursuers for almost an entire day. Who knows how much longer he'd been able to remain hidden if she and Hakuno hadn't literally come falling out of the sky. "Have the Anbu given calls for a rematch, or demands for my head?"
"No, I've actually had them scouring the surrounding area for any other…visitors."
The temperature between the two dropped to near subzero levels. Still keeping her eyes locked on Hakuno, she spoke, "Have you found anything…or anyone?"
Minute by minute Hiruzen was living up to Tamamo's original profile of the man-an old but sharp and intelligent individual. Clearly the mantle of leadership had remained in his hands for a reason. "No they did not. You and Hakuno can breathe a sigh of relief, I've put the word out for them to be on the lookout for anyone looking…out of place."
"How observant of you, what of the lord of the Land of Fire? The Fire Daimyō?"
"I've been…holding off on giving my report." The bearded man spoke after something of an extended silence. Though she'd taken steps to hide them, Hiruzen could practically feel the nervous fidgeting of her tail and ears. "Rest assured, I have no intentions of turning over either of you. Yesterday aside nothing has happened to shatter my trust in either of you."
Tamamo took that statement with a grain of salt, Hiruzen was kind of enough, but he was a ruler meaning he had obligations. Hakuno had been the optimist in hoping that trust would be prolonged, Tamamo was less sure and walked with an air of caution. Call it paranoia, but she'd seen and been through enough betrayals and double-crosses. Strange looking as they might have been, ninja were ninja and treachery was part of their job description. Caution was still the rule.
Although it was going to be a while before she could get back to creating their own clothes, they'd managed to make due with a little shopping. Hakuno had boxed up his survival gear and hidden it in one of the closets where he was hoping it wouldn't have need of it for a good while. Tamamo had settled on a traditional blue and white kimono, hoping it wouldn't draw too much attention. It was hard enough on her keeping her foxy features a secret without people freezing up, remembering her as the one who flash froze half of dozen Anbu. Still, in the confines of her home were a different story.
"Out of curiosity are you going to use magic or do you want me to uh, cut out holes for them?" The human inquired, coming upon his wife looking herself over in the bathroom mirror. He'd seen her in kimonos before, though the one she was in now was a great deal less revealing than her personal one.
"Oh, it all depends. Why, Master, do you want to personally tailor all of my clothes?" In the blink of an eye, she spun on her heel and brushed herself up against the chest of her lover.
"Nope, clothing and fashion is clearly your department so I'll leave you to it. As your husband I have the utmost faith in you, Tamamo!" Hakuno continued calling out to her even as he walked down the stairs and waited at the door, an annoyingly straight smile still plastered on his face. "Hey, remember, you told me I could handle the furniture and house appliances while you took care of everything else, you gave your word, remember!"
"Maaaster! You're being mean again!"
Leaning against the door frame, Hakuno glanced at his right hand where the three Command Seals marking him as a Master lay emblazoned in magical red ink. Why am I glad that these things made the trip with me? Then again, so long as I have them we have three aces in the hole. When Tamamo came down to meet him, he saw a bright yellow shopping bag slung over her left shoulder. "I'm assuming you…um, enchanted the bag?"
Stupid question, the giant cartoon-like fox sewn onto the front of the bag was proof enough the fox-eared Anti-Hero had added her "personal touch" to it.
Eh, at least on the positive side, we don't have to worry about lugging around two tons of groceries. Turning the knob, he threw the door open to find himself basking in the rays of the early morning sun. "Some things never change."
"If they're perfect the way they are, why should they?" The fox questioned, stepping out of the door arm-in-arm with her beloved.
It could have just been his eyes still adjusting to genuine sunlight, but he was sure he saw the furry ears that sat atop her head happily twitch. Hakuno knew if he said it he'd lose her for the rest of the day, but he wanted to get the shopping over with as soon as possible so she could shake off the disguise and be her true self. They were almost ten steps out the door when he looked back at their newly gifted home. Memories, new memories, better memories. He resolved craning his head to place a light kiss on the forehead of his Servant.
For Tamamo, it was hard to recall the last time they were able to do casual shopping. In the days leading up to the final battle at the core, things had been…hectic. She'd heard stories of war and what life was like on the front lines, where every day the warriors at the front found themselves locked in a strange limbo between contemplating life and facing death. She'd gotten a taste of that during the Holy Grail War and then a full dosage in the war against her sisters. All of it had caused her sense of time to bend and break, making it hard to recall when times were peaceful.
As she and Hakuno walked through the countless stories of Konoha those times began to come back to her, and the warm sensations with them.
First, they started the day off with breakfast at a local dinner not that far from their home. They could have gone with a more classical meal to start their day, but instead they went for scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Personally, Tamamo didn't mind, for her the real treat was simply begin able to watch her lover chow down a well-cooked breakfast, even if she wasn't the one that had prepared it. Just like him, she took some pleasure in the fact that the food they were ingesting was one-hundred percent real. It made Tamamo look forward to the day when she could get back to cooking for her beloved; hopefully that day wasn't too far off.
On Tamamo's instance, they went for cooking utensils first. It was more for her since cooking had become something of her stress-relieving, that and sewing. Hakuno resigned himself to being a human mule as his Servant fared herself from one spot to another, her eyes turning into bright stars or narrowing as she examined every detail of ever utensil she picked up. One could have been forgiven for thinking she was some investigator searching for evidence from her sharp analytical glare. Hakuno himself didn't find it too strange. As a former courtesan for the emperor of ancient Japan, it was practically her job to have an eye for detail; several times those piercing eyes had kept him alive and got them out of trouble. In the end they'd gone through four stores and in every one of them the shrine maiden had subjected every item on sell to a quality test, those that had passed were either thrown into Hakuno's waiting arms or cart while those that didn't were quietly set aside.
"This is why I don't go shopping with you, because I don't have the patience to put with her subjecting every little item like its nuclear material." Gazsi bemoaned one evening after they'd all met up for some downtime. He'd taken one look at the collection of shopping bags Hakuno had dropped to the ground and groaned. A great many of his male friends had given him similar responses when they saw first hand what the pink-haired Caster got up to when she had free time on her hands.
"How in God's name do you put up with her?" Almost all of them had asked.
Store after store, Hakuno quietly followed her and gave his input when asked to or thinking that it could help. Feels nice being able to do this again without death hanging over our heads.
As he suspected they got plenty of odd looks wherever they went, thankfully none of the looks they received were venomous. Privately, Hakuno wondered how often strange events such as two people falling out of the sky happened in the Hidden Leaf Village. Subconsciously each of them cast cautionary glances upwards, half-expecting to see another hole in the sky open and deposit another one of their own, or turning their heads expecting to find themselves be tailed.
"You think I'd be crazy to say we're home free?" Side by side they sat on a park bench, freshly scooped cones of ice-cream held tightly in their hands. A noon treat they'd chosen to indulge in given how well the day had gone so far. Hakuno greedily munched down on his chocolate cone while Tamamo was far more reserved in her consumption of her strawberry flavored scoop. Under the blazing rays of the summer sun, it was already beginning to melt sprinkling the ground with slushy reddish-pink puddles. "I can finish up the rest if you're not hungry."
Thankfully, no one was watching so when Tamamo's fox ears manifested at the sound of his voice. Only half-registering what he said, she immediately took three licks of her cone then downed the entire thing, somewhat smearing the remains across her face. "M-My apologies, Master, this is supposed a day about the two of us, yet here I am worrying myself over what could be nothing."
Rather than speak, Hakuno held up one of his napkins and calmly whipped the remaining icing and cream off her face. The few times his fingers accidently brushed up against her skin sent her nerves ablaze and left her wanting more. Her hands free, she gently grabbed his hand then brushed it against her cheek. "You don't seem all that worried about everyone else."
"I'm just taking your advice." He responded. "Gazsi and Robin would be telling me to enjoy the time I have with you while I got it so I'm doing that. Emily and Maire would have my head if they found out I had some alone time with you and I was worrying about other people instead of you"
"Hm, I'm almost jealous those women have managed to teach you things I was supposed to as your wife. However, I suppose I can forgive them, after all, that's what big sisters are supposed to do." Clapping his hand in hers then setting them down her lap, Tamamo turned to the sky. "How do you think they're doing?"
"Hopefully well. I'm just hoping none of them are causing trouble wherever they are."
"Need I remind of the…habits of our dear allies such as the Beowulf, Nagayoshi, Fionn, Yasunao, and Azzo?" Lightly squeezing his hand, she dropped the frown allowing genuine worry to show on her face for the first time. "I'm worried about Kiyohime."
She could have tried to act tough for the rest of the day, yet Hakuno knew at some point there was going to be a crack. Of all their allies it didn't surprise him in one bit that her pen-pal was the one Tamamo was the most worried about. The fox and dragon were practically sisters. "As long as Akihito's with her then I don't think we have to worry. Honestly, I just wish at least some of them landed in the village with us. Would have made things less awkward."
On that Tamamo disagreed, and it wasn't just because she got to keep Hakuno all to herself. Her being a kitsune was already hard enough, she really didn't want to go through the trouble of explaining the nature of a loud-mouth muscle-head with a near insatiable hunger for battle, a pair of superhuman archers who could quite literally snipe celestial objects out of the sky, or a shaman capable of communing with the spirits of nature. No, from what she'd seen this world wasn't ready for the power and general instability Servants brought with them when manifested. The very fact the last two days had been peaceful with no incidents was something of a miracle onto itself. For her, it wasn't a matter of if their past troubles caught up to them but when. Would they be ready?
"Hey, we've gotten stuff for the kitchen and a few things for the living room, think we should looking for some better curtains?" Came her lover finishing off his half-melted ice-cream. Using his remaining napkins, he wiped off the residue of their evening snack before lifting Tamamo up to her feet. "If any of them do show up in the village, shouldn't we make our home look as decent as possible."
"Yes, but only for a few." She proclaimed, getting a sour look on her face. "If the likes of Beowulf, Fionn, or Hijikata show up Mister Sarutobi will have to find homes for them and their Masters. I am not sharing a roof with any of them again, Arash and Abhimanyu I can tolerate, Kintoki and Robin possibly, but none of those three. They're sleeping out in the back if it comes down to it."
Even if it drew them an audience, a part of Hakuno couldn't help but desire to see that very thing happen. Pleasant as it was having some alone time with Tamamo, a part of him couldn't help but fathom if a day would come when their new home was filled with three or even four voices, precisely those of children.
We're both flesh now, Hakuno thought, glancing towards Tamamo's right hand which was still holding his in a gentle embrace. Maybe here, one day we can…really start a family of our own.
Hakuno and Tamamo were almost ten feet away when they heard the shouting. Immediately and simultaneously, their ears perked up recognizing one of the voices.
"Seriously! I've got the money right!" Shouted the childish voice of one Naruto Uzumaki.
"I don't give a rat's ass if you've got a million yen! I told you once, I'll tell it to ya' again, I don't do business with monsters like you!"
Sharing a glance between each other, Hakuno and Tamamo quietly made their way to the front of the store where a young Naruto defiantly stood before the counter, a collection of housing curtains held tightly in his arms. Before him stood a bearded man they judged to be the store owner. The man had a vein on his forehead that was growing at lightning speed.
"That was when I wasn't around. I don't want a demon like you hanging around here bringing me bad luck! Now get the hell out of here!"
The spectacle had drawn quite a bit of attention, and not all of it was good. They caught the venomous glares more than a few of the shop-goers were shooting Naruto while others were looking at him with sheer annoyance. Tamamo felt an uncomfortable rumble in her stomach at the sight while Hakuno felt himself fighting back the urge to step in. Every cell in his body was screaming for him to move, to defend the little blond child that he'd unexpectedly sheltered and protected just the other day.
Eventually, the stand down ended when Naruto realized he had no chance of winning. To his credit, he didn't throw the sheets down in a childish fit but placed them on the nearest rack and quietly exited the store. Hakuno and Tamamo could practically see the heavy aura of muted rage and despair that went with him. As soon as he was gone, the crowd began to break apart and chat amongst themselves. Most of it was normal while some of it was focused on Naruto, and it wasn't positive.
Hakuno glanced at Tamamo, who'd managed to keep her own emotions in check. Her face was twisted into a tight frown and the items in her hands were held tightly against her chest. Rather than look up she looked down, towards the ground as if hoping it would swallow her whole any second now.
"You're going to do something, aren't you, Master?" She whispered, keeping her voice low so only he could hear.
"You know me, I…can't exactly be silent after seeing something like that." The teen answered, eying the curtains that the owner was gathering up.
Sighing Tamamo placed her head on her love's shoulder, her once tension-filled expression replaced with a cute pout. "I suppose I'll need to do something as well, I can't exactly leave fellow fox to suffer in anguish, even if he is a little annoying."
"Hey, weren't you just like him when you were young."
Tamamo wanted to retort his claims, but as evident by the hot bright pink blush on her cheeks she couldn't. Looking back, she couldn't deny even before she awoke with fox-ears and a tail she had a mischievous streak a mile long that drove her adoptive parents up the roof. Some things were simply in the blood as they say. "Maybe, but I was cuter and could get away with more than him."
If there was one thing besides hatred, fear, and spite Naruto seemed to attract it was pebbles. No matter where in the village he went or what time it was, he always seemed to find enough pebbles to kick around to blow off some steam. He guessed compared to all the other things in his life that was a small fortune.
In total he'd gone to six different stores and had been kicked out of every one of them, in the case of two, literally chased out once the store owners and clerks realized who he was. Their aim was about as lousy as their attitudes. He'd shopped at a few of the stores before, but it seemed today those that were lenient with him with him had the day off. He hoped those people didn't suffer too bad for serving him.
As much as he hated them, the alleys were amongst the few places he could be by himself and not get called out for it. The villagers loved him staying in the shadows, out of sight and out of mind. Naruto hated it, but it wasn't without its advantages. He wouldn't have been able to perform half of his pranks if he didn't know how to blend in to the shadows and hide where no one would look. In times like this, it gave him the chance to cool his head and catch his nerves before he set out to try again. He'd made a vow he was going to replace his vandalized curtains and one way or another he was going to do that.
"Alright then," he said, sitting up with his fist raised. "Seventh time's the charm, for sure this time!"
"Seven times? My, you're more hopeless than I first thought."
A colored veil fell over the six year old's head, blocking his vision as well as sending him into something of a tailspin. "Huh-what? Hey! Get this thing off me!"
"I'd advise you not to dirty those curtains, especially since my Master and I used our precious money to buy them for you." Came a female voice he recognized.
Perking up at that statement Naruto hastily threw aside the curtains he'd held in his arms, almost an hour ago to find himself looking up into the gold eyes of Tamamo-no-Mae. "Fox Lady!" He proclaimed, scanning the area until he found Hakuno standing right behind her. Leaning over, he smiled at the boy in a way that made his heart flutter with excitement. Looking back down, he took hold of the curtain sheet he'd picked out then looked back to the pair. "Did you two…um, did you two…get this…for me?"
"We…heard your argument with the store clerk. Sorry we didn't step in to help you." Hakuno stated, stepping forward with a evident shame on his face.
"N-No! I-It's fine, really! I mean if you guys had you probably would have been thrown out with me. Whenever I'm with anyone besides Gramps, it happens."
Even though she knew it was coming, it still hurt Tamamo a little to hear that. It appeared this world truly was no different from her own time. "Then you're lucky my husband and I were there when it happened." Kneeling down so they were almost eye-level Tamamo examined the child, trying to find the source of the unease that arose within her whenever she focused on him. While he certainly looked human and felt human for the most part, there was still something off about him that was bothering her. A nagging sense of familiarity she couldn't shake. "Does this happen to you often, Naruto?"
"Y-Yeah, it…most of those people are just jerks. Really mean jerks." He said, trying to act tough. The act failed to fool neither the human nor Servant who silently exchanged a look between each other. Perhaps as a gift from above the unfolding drama was cut short by the rather loud rumbling coming from the child's stomach. Sheepishly, he blushed. "Um, so-sorry about that, a-and thank you for the curtains. I-I guess I should get going."
"Come to think of it, it is around lunchtime, isn't it?" Hakuno began taking a step forward, smiling all the way. Naruto wasn't sure why, but there was something in the smile that reminded him of the Third Hokage. It was…calm, peaceful, free of malice. "You wouldn't happen to know any places to eat around here, would you?"
"U-Uh, e-eat? Y-You mean like for lunch?"
"Well, naturally, it is about time we had some real food. Besides," Allowing a soft giggle to ring out, Tamamo reached out and ruffled the tops of Naruto's blond spikes. "I believe you owe us for yesterday and today. Treat us to lunch and we shall consider things even."
If neither didn't know any better they could have sworn Naruto was looking like he was ready to slap himself. He looked between the male and female trying to figure out rather what was happening was a dream or actual reality. "You two…seriously want to have lunch with me?"
"Ahem, as I said, you do owe us, and you're a native of this village so my Master and I are willing to-"
"I know just the place, follow me, Hakuno and Miss Fox Lady!" Exclaimed the child, grabbing hold of Tamamo's hand and yanking her along while the older kitsune lost her mental footing. In spite of that she followed closely behind Naruto, not once attempting to shake her hand free from his.
This did not go unnoticed by Hakuno, who slowly but surely followed behind them, his usual calm and self-assured smile remaining on his face. Eventually, he caught up to the pair and took to the side opposite of Naruto. "So, mind telling us where we're going?" He asked.
"The best place to eat in the whole village!"
Admittedly, Tamamo wasn't expecting much when Naruto decided to treat to lunch. Given the boy's low standing and general mindset, she'd set the bar low for where she and her beloved were going to be eating, and she felt her expectations were fulfilled when they came into view of the small ramen stand nestled in a nice corner of the village.
Ichiraku Ramen.
Eh, it could be worse. She told herself, following Naruto into the booth. The boy seemed to have done a complete one-eighty since beginning their short trip. She saw it in his general aura, adbasal-looking as this place was it was a haven for him.
Two seconds later and she believed she might have spoken too soon.
"Hey, Old Man Teuchi, three bowels this time!" Shouted the blond, quickly jumping into an empty seat with Hakuno and Tamamo taking space beside him.
"Three bowels, huh, you must really be…" Turning around, Hakuno and Tamamo were greeted with a mature yet kind-looked man dressed as a chef with closed eyes. Almost immediately, both sized the man up and found he held a similar aura of kindness and warmth as Hiruzen. "Ah, I see you brought some guests, hm, I haven't seen either of you two. Are you new to the village?"
"We are," Hakuno began, half-hoping this man wouldn't put the connection between them and the incident from a few days ago together.
"Ah, I got it, you two must be that new couple!" he turned to Tamamo, a jovial smile tugging on his face. "And you must be the woman that froze half of dozen Anbu and took this little guy out on a joy ride through the village."
It was amazing how fast hope could flicker and die.
To her credit Tamamo maintained a friendly demeanor, her body language even speaking of a more relaxed posture. If Hakuno had to guess it was probably because her enhanced senses could pick up the sizzling smell of food. Naruto wasn't the only one that was hungry. "Yep, that's us. Since Naruto was less than forthcoming with certain information, he brought us here to make up for it."
"Hey! It wasn't my fault!" Whined the boy, causing his elders to burst into a fit of collective laughter.
"Well, then, in that case, I'm Teuchi Ichiraku, owner of this proud establishment." The chief said, reaching out his hand.
Graciously, Hakuno shook it and was pleased that he felt no malice or deceit behind it. "Hakuno Kishinami, this is my…"
"Tamamo Kishinami, his wife." The Caster-class Servant spoke with an obvious air of pride and affection in her voice. It'd taken some time, but eventually she'd gotten used to referring herself to such and took pride in doing so.
As with the Hokage, Teuchi had a brief moment of shock looking between the two teenagers, as did Naruto. Thankfully, he recovered quickly. As he did so another figure came into view, a female with brown hair and youthful face. She probably wasn't much older than Hakuno. "Hi there, Naruto, I see you found some friends to have lunch with."
"This is my daughter, Ayame. On behalf of the village, welcome. Now then, what'll it be? Naruto, can I assume the usual for you?"
"Yep! Miso pork, and don't skip out on the meat!"
After a quick glance at the menu, Tamamo came to her decision quickly. "A bowl of shoyu, only two or three slices of pork if you don't mind."
"Then I guess I'll have the shio broth." Hakuno stated.
"Coming right up!"
While the father and daughter duo quickly got to work preparing the food, Naruto turned to his right where Tamamo sat. "Um, Miss Fox Lady, what happened to your ears and tail, did you lose them?"
A visibly shudder ran through Tamamo at the boy's bluntness. Obviously, this boy had been raised without any sense of tact or manners. She would have liked to have had a word with his parents. I obviously can't trick him into thinking they were just illusions or fake, but neither of those two seemed to notice. Before answering she shot her Master a cautionary glance, silently asking for his permission which he quietly gave. "I…hid them. As a seasoned kitsune, altering my physical appearance is child's play for me."
"Altering your…appearance? You mean like a Transformation Jutsu?" He inquired.
"No, no, my Skill, Shapeshifting. One day, when you're older I'm sure you'll be capable of doing the same thing." With a light smirk, she poked the young boy on the forehead. "It may help you mask those whiskers of yours which seem to be a dead giveaway."
Naruto paused in thought before looking directly into the Servant's eyes. "Can you teach me how to do that?"
"…Perhaps when you're older and more mature."
"What do you mean more mature? I'd say I'm pretty mature for my age."
"So says the boy who goes around causing pranks every other day, and actually getting away with half of them." Ayame called with a childish giggle that made Naruto's face blush while he attempted to deny the statement.
"So, out of curiosity what do you two think of the village so far?" Called Teuchi over the sizzling and cackling of his craft.
"It's…similar to our homeland." Hakuno spoke up, feeling like it was his turn. Besides, he was actually meaning to talk with one of the villages and this Teuchi seemed like the kind of man he could get along with. "To be honest, this isn't exactly the first ninja village we've come across, but it's definitely the biggest."
"Ah, I see, in that case you two must be from off the continent. Trust me, Konoha's the biggest and brightest of the all the Hidden Villages. Not to mention it serves the best food!"
Naruto's bowl came first, and as expected he wasted no time in diving into it. Second came Hakuno who patiently blew over the noodles before putting them through his lips. His content sighs of pleasure were practically music to the Ichirakus' ears. It could have been Tamamo's imagination but she could have sworn Ayame's gaze lingered on Hakuno for a bit longer than what was acceptable. Keeping a close eye on the girl, even when her plate was served, she mindlessly bite into it.
For a hot second, the shrine maiden's body froze with widen eyes as her organic senses registered the taste of the freshly cooked noodles. The second passed and Tamamo made her response evident, "Mikoooon!"
"Mi…kon?" Naruto questioned with a mouth half-full of noodles, turning to Hakuno.
"That means she likes it." The male answered happily, waving his hand while Tamamo began to calmly yet firmly tear into her bowl.
"Yes! That makes two more customer satisfied!" Proclaimed the ramen chef, holding up his right fist in triumphant.
"So, um, Hakuno, where exactly did you and Tamamo come from? Word on the street is your two…um," Ayame stammered, looking at Tamamo who seemed to catch her sideways glance. "Word is you two fell out of the sky."
"They did! They did fall out of the sky, Ayame. I saw it myself, a big hole opened up in the sky then they fell out. Though when they did, I saw this weird square-looking thing. It actually looked kind of cool!" Naruto stated.
Simultaneously, Hakuno and Tamamo locked eyes. So THAT'S what happened. They thought jointly, now having a clearer picture of how their trip across worlds had gone.
"You see, Teuchi-san, Miss Ayame, my husband and I come from a very distant land. As you guessed, whole continents away." Tamamo spoke up, attempting to look dignified. "Through some…rocky events we ended up here and we've decided to set down roots."
"In that case, welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village." Teuchi proudly proclaimed. "If either of are ever in need of a nice hot meal, just stop by and we'll have a bowl waiting for the both of you. And you too, Naruto."
Naruto's grin was wide and joyful as befitting of a child. Hakuno's smile was small but comforting, the sort that drew Ayame's attention and made her smile in return. Though reluctant Tamamo smiled as well, not only because of the lingering taste of the masterfully-cooked ramen, but because of the warm blanket that had fallen over her since entering this little ramen stand. She could understand why Naruto's mood had changed. This place was warm. It was safe.
They talked and chatted with the Ichirakus until at last the Master-Servant pair as well and young jinchūriki were soundly filled. Hakuno took the initiative and paid their bill, promising the old chef he and his Servant would return.
"Thanks again for breakfast, and for buying me this. Heh, I should probably get them home before someone sees them and think I stole 'em or something. See ya' later, Mister Hakuno and Miss Fox Lady!"
"It's Tamamo! Tamamo, you little one-tail!" Shouted the pink-haired Caster watching the child hurry down the street, his arms filled with a bag full of items she and Hakuno had watched him eye and bought when he was out of sight. Sighing she turned to her Master, whose face had become passive. "Master, are you going to follow him?"
"Huh? You mean you know?"
"I sensed we were being watched while we were eating. Clearly that child has enemies, and I know you far too well." Came her response along with a heavy sigh. "Again, I can't in good faith leave a fellow fox to suffer in blissful ignorance."
That wasn't the real reason, the truth was they both felt the an all-too familiar uncomfortable tugging in their guts. As a Heroic Spirit meant to battle with the finest and worst of humanity's history, Tamamo was no stranger to the feeling as it was partially how she managed to read the flow of battle. For Hakuno it had become a developed skill, instinct.
"That feeling deep in your gut, don't ignore it. Sometimes that's the only warning you're going to get."
Calmly yet with an air of urgency the duo crossed countless streets and corners, making sure Naruto never left their mental field of vision. Tamamo sensed malice, great malice building up where the boy was heading and picked up her pace with Hakuno following closely behind her. He felt it too as evident by the growing firmness of his face. Their feelings were finally validated when the a collection of voices shouting from up ahead.
"What the hell is this! It wasn't enough for you guys to trash my windows, you had to do my entire apartment!" Screamed a positively furious Naruto.
"Hey, freak, you're the one who likes running around the village pulling pranks! Don't dish out what you can't take!" Came a haughty male voice followed by a chorus of snobbish laughter. "If you want to you can always just move to a more upscale part of town, oh wait, you can't because this shithole is the only place that'll accept you!"
Coming to a stop just at the corner of an alley, overlooking a building they theorized to be Naruto's apartment they took stock of the situation. The first thing they noticed was that the building had been set on fire then quickly doused, though the damage was apparent in the black marks stretching from the roof down. Second, they both took stock of the broken windows and smoke coiling out from within. Lastly, there was the various kanji engraved onto the side of the building: "monster", "freak", "demon", and "evil" as if some had taken a giant paint brush and decided to turn the entire building into a canvas. Stand in front, his shopping bag at his side, was a shaking Naruto who did his best to look strong in front of a trio of older teenage boys.
All three of them wore the green vests they'd come to recognize as signifying chunin rank or higher. At the front the apparent leader twirled a kunai knife in hand while looking down at Naruto with a pair of cold and merciless reddish-brown eyes. His pepper-colored hair was somewhat spikey and appeared to be on the verge of reaching shoulders. To the teen's right stood a thick-armed male with jet-black hair that roughly fell across his face. The sleeves of his uniform were torn off, revealing to Hakuno a pair of muscular arms that far exceeded his own. He noticed on the right teen's left shoulder was a bright right kanji for "strength". The last of the group was of equal height to the leader, though he was distinguishable by a long scar running down his left eye. Strapped to his back was a giant paint brush the pair summarized was responsible for the defacing. His hair was chestnut brown while his turquoise-colored eyes shining with a teenage malice Hakuno was all too used to seeing.
"A shame you don't have anyone so you could go stay with for the night." Chuckled the paint brush wielder.
"Actually, he does, Old Man Hokage. That's right, brat, go on running to the old man like you always do. I'm sure if he's not too busy, he'll let you stay the night in a kennel or something!" Roared tallest of the group, causing the entire lot of them to break out in laughter while Naruto's face grew redder.
"Shut up!" He yelled, looking ready to charge them all.
"Or what? You're just some orphan brat the Hokage takes pity on. What the hell can you do to experienced ninja like us? Throw rocks or pepper bobs?" Cackled the leader. "I see you went to the trouble of going out and buying some stuff to repair the damage. Heh, talk about a waste of money. You should have bought yourself a ticket out of here."
Balling his fists Naruto stood defiant as he did in the shop, his blue eyes radiating fragile courage. "This…this is my home. I'm not leaving!"
"The hell if you aren't!" Barked the leader, now tightly gripping the kunai in his hand. "You destroyed this place six years ago, you damn demon! Killed my father and my uncle! Your only home is in hell where monsters like you belong! It's high time someone sent you there!"
A quick series of hand signs preceded the leader hurling the now glowing kunai at Naruto, who frantically threw up both arms expecting to be turned into a pin cushion for his defiance. If he didn't die then he was going to be spending another night in the hospital. Somehow, he thought that sounded better than going to the Third Hokage and asking him for a place to stay, again.
Out of the view of both sides came a violet and pink-colored whirlwind. Though Naruto felt stronger than average winds, it was the trio of boys who took the true brunt of the backlash of the wind blast. All three of them threw up their eyes and screamed in alarm as they were pushed backwards.
"What the hell is that! What did you do you little-"
"Call this child a demon one more time and it will be the last word to ever come out of your mouth."
Cutting through the air like a sharpened blade was the voice of one of Japan's Three Great Monsters. Dread fell over the street like a curtain of invisible black rain frightening all present and even those who were out of range. Every person with an ounce of awareness felt the sudden aura of malice causing them to freeze in deer caught in headlights, all save for one.
Naruto withdrew his hands, finding he'd been spared several dozen blades digging deeply into his flesh. Twisting his head, he gulped in partial fear and partial awe at the imposing figure of Tamamo-no-Mae standing behind him, one of her talismans held loosely in her right hand. The aura surrounding her had completely changed as had her eyes, they were now black slits in golden orbs that held nothing but pure disdain for the teenagers before her. Strange as it was, Naruto didn't exactly feel scared gazing up at her. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact he could tell the malice she was exerting wasn't being leveled at him but at his aggressors. He didn't realize he was staring until he felt a cool pair of hands fall upon his shoulders causing him to turn around.
"Naruto, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Questioned the worried victor of the Moon Cell, carefully looking the child over for any sign of injuries.
"N-No, Mister Hakuno, I-I'm fine." Looking back up, he marveled at the near visible red aura enveloping Tamamo. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto couldn't help but notice it looked like thin waves of fire and felt like fire took as he began to break out in a hot sweat from being so close to her. "Mi-Miss Fox Lady?"
"You were about to harm, no, MURDER this child in cold blood." She proclaimed in a cold voice that sent shivers down the spines of the three chunin. "You three, who I wage are sworn to defend this village and its people, were about to murder this boy after vandalizing his home. I ought to rip those headbands off you and melt them atop your heads." The fox snarled.
A response was building in the mouths of the three boys but fear paralyzed their lungs preventing them from speaking. Tamamo knew what category these boys fell into, and she hated them with a passion. She didn't need to summon her mirror to dispatch these three or her spear, doing so would only sully the weapons with the blood of these cowardly brats.
Still keeping his hands on Naruto's shoulder, Hakuno looked between his wife and the three boys. One move and he knew the three were either going to be spending a couple of days in the hospital or in the psych ward, maybe both. Glancing to Naruto, he was a little surprised to find the boy looking at him with worry. He knew that look in his eyes well as his eyes had held that shine too many times before. Calmly and quietly, the sixteen-year-old rose to his feet before stepping in front of his enraged Servant. "Leave now and never come near here or after Naruto again, is that clear?"
Hakuno's voice wasn't like Tamamo's, which carried a visible air of danger and malice to it. Instead his was quiet and flat, near emotionless in its delivery, yet a promise could have been made out-accept or pain was going to follow, great agonizing pain. Completing the sell was the absolute cold look in the young man's usual cheerful and bright brown eyes.
Slowly, the lead shinobi nodded his head as did his compatriots. Gathering themselves they took their level, throwing several cautionary glances back at them before finally disappearing from out of sight.
Completely star-struck, Naruto stared at the two teenagers who'd just defended him. To the young blond, they might as well have been angels, his personal angels considering everything they'd done for him in the last couple of hours.
"Sorry about your house." In a flash, Hakuno's eyes had regained their merciful and gentle light. Tamamo kept her senses alert though she did flicker her gaze to the young host, her eyes softened if only by a fraction.
"D-Don't worry about it. I'm kind of used to it." He said, attempting to look away. In doing so, Hakuno and Tamamo felt their hearts drop. "I'll go stay with Gramps, he lets me stay the night in the office whenever someone…"
"How about you stay with us?"
"Huh?"
Completely turning her attention to the young child, Tamamo decided to take the lead in offering the child a place to stay. "We did a lot of shopping this evening and though my darling is no slouch, it'd help to have some extra hands to unpack everything." Allowing a soft smile to come to her face, she reached for the boy's hand and was happy when he allowed her to grip it. Soft and innocent, he truly is a one-tail. "How about it, Naruto? Are you comfortable with spending more time with us?"
Neither responded to the tears building up at the corner of his eyes, not they blamed him. Gripping the hand of the shrine maiden then smiling towards the brown-haired survivor, Naruto nodded. "Sure thing! I'll help out in any way I can!"
Chuckling the two silently vowed to do something about Naruto's wrecked home, for now they were going to turn their attention to the blond child currently giving them the brightest smile he could muster. They still had quite a few hours of daylight left, and they were going to make the most of it before the sun began it journey towards the horizon.
This chapter didn't exactly turn out as I'd hoped, but hey, stuff happens. I'm pretty sure you all can guess where this story's going but you'll have to wait until next chapter to confirm things. The next chapter ties up things up and truly sets the stage for this story to begin so hopefully it should be up in a few days.
