Hello! I'm back :DD. After a long time... .. Anyway, this chapter is a bit longer so just heads up xD. Thanks again for all the comments, follows, and favorites they really mean a lot!

Ch. 3

N

"You can't." Voices announced in unison in a strong authoritative yet simple tone.

"Please," A small voice begged, "Just let me-."

"No." The voices replied curtly, drowning out the smaller voice.

"She's suffer-" The smaller voice started up but was once again interrupted by the bigger voices.

"It is forbidden."

"It is forbidden, knowledge which everyone knows."

"It's true." The numerous voices said this time replying one by one. The smaller voice sighed loudly in frustration before you could hear soft low cries.

"Please, after all, I've done. Just this one favor." The smaller voice pleaded. There was small silence and no one spoke.

"Forbidden, forbidden, forbidden." The voices started, creating a harmonious chant, which felt like a mock to the small voice who screamed in response unable to battle the booming loud voices that drowned out his small puny one.

The smaller voice's screams turned into hopeless cries that grew louder when the booming voices started to fade away still saying the eerie chant. The smaller voice's cry soon started to fade away, and as it was fading a man with blonde hair laid on the ground sweating profusely. With eyes shut, he thrashed around wildly while multiple conversations went on around him causing him obvious discomfort. While he thrashed around a black fog seemed to consume him slowly while the multiple conversations grew louder and darker. Causing him to try to scream out, but as soon as his mouth opened the fog took its chance to force itself into his mouth muffling his cries and also causing him great pain.

The blonde's eye remained shut but tears of pain and struggled slipped down his skin mixing itself with the sweat that covered his whole body. His chest was bare and exposed while the bottom half was covered by the black fog that was determined to cover his whole body. Soon his movement was heavily restricted by the black fog, till he could no longer move. When the black fog first entered his mouth the blond could feel his body go through a struggling motion to vomit the substance back up but failed miserably just creating a tormenting heaving that shook through the blonde's body that seemed like forever.

When the blonde felt himself start to break under the torment something caught his attention, though he was unaware what it was through the dark conversations that seemed to swirl around him and the fog that continued to tighten around him. It was a nagging feeling that seemed to call out to him softly. The blonde then found hope and distraction in trying to find out what the nagging feeling was that called out to him. That was the only thing that distracted him from his torment. Soon he was able to make out what was catching his attention, in the multiple dark voices he could hear it. A soft low one that seemed almost like a hum but the more he focused on it the more he could make out that it was not just a hum the soft voice was talking, repeating only one word over and over. While the other darker conversation would repeat they would change constantly before returning to something they said what felt like ages ago. This voice held a chant, that was not eerie, but it sounded almost desperate. Craving his attention at first, that soon turned into a demand that slowly started to raise up against the other voices.

Slowly he started to make out the soft chat coming from the low voice, it was a name. A name that he couldn't register, it was still to low. Then suddenly the then low voice got loud enough that he could make out the word.

"Naruto!"

OoOoOo

The small fox woke up in a fright it's vision blurred by dark blue hair that seemed to surround his face. He wiggled around frantically trying to free himself from the hair that reminded him of the fog that kept him from moving. That violated his body forcefully while he was unable to do anything. He let out a small cry that made him pause in his tracks when he was taken back by how animalistic it sounded. It was then that the memories flooded his mind.

He was now a fox. He was no longer Naruto Uzumaki Shinobi of the Leaf Village and next Hokage, but a small helpless fox with memories of himself and the things he's done, but not what led up to his current situation. Naruto let his new situation sink in before he heard a soft sigh come from under him. When he lifted his head shaking it free from the hair that blinds him he remembered that he and Hinata had slept together in some sort of comfort. He laid his small head on top of her's and let out a sigh, trying to remember what had become of him.

Nothing made sense he thought he has beaten all the enemies there were out there, there was no reason for him to be stuck in the state he was currently in. He laid in Hinata's arms for a little bit enjoying the warmth that came from her body, before he wiggled out of her grasp determined to not let this stop him.

'I've been through way too much to let this stop me! Maybe if I get to Kakashi-sensei, he could help me.' He thought as determination filled his mind. Clearing through the sadness he felt. Naruto stretched his new small body before taking in his surroundings. His apartment looked just like he left it not to long ago. He wondered how long he'd been missing. A week? Three weeks max, since there didn't seem to be an accumulation of dust on his stuff. He shook his tail before making a running leap to the top of his bed. The only thing out of place was the lamp that laid broken on the ground when he forcefully squeezed his way through the small opening of the window last night, and other than Hinata lying on his ground he was sure he hadn't been absent for very long.

However, when he thought about last night and how upset Hinata had been, he couldn't help but have a nagging feeling pull at his heart that he was just fooling himself. However, he shook that off wanting to deal with one bad thing at a time. It was then that Naruto sensed something a presence other than Hinata and himself, walking towards his apartment and stood outside his door for an abnormal length of time. He let out a growl that surprised himself, even more, when he realized how much of an animal he was now. His growl seemed to wake up Hinata who woke up instantly staring up at Naruto from the floor with those lavender eyes. She looked towards the door at which Naruto was growling at and tensed a bit before letting out a sigh.

"Don't worry it's just a friend," Hinata muttered sleepily doing a quick stretch before heading out of the room to open the door. Naruto could feel his fur stand on ends, the presence was familiar, however, it felt dangerous to him. He quickly jumped off the bed when Hinata left and followed her into his living room, tensing up slowly the closer she got to the door. When the door opened and he saw a familiar sight all animosity towards the presence vanished instantly and all he could do was stare at the person.

'Sasuke!' Naruto exclaimed internally. Before Sasuke could get a greeting out Naruto quickly ran to his lifetime rival relieved to see his face. Sasuke expertly sensed something coming towards him at an abnormal speed and was able to lean to his side to avoid the overly excited fox that crashed into a rail behind him.

"What the hell?" Naruto could hear Sasuke ask out loud at the sudden assault he was able to dodge. He could hear Hinata reply to Sasuke, but could not make out the words as his head was ringing from impacting the rail at a high speed. He was then picked up by Hinata who softly petted his head whispering soothing things into his ear.

"I think he was excited to see you," Hinata said.

"I heard him growl, I don't think he was excited," Sasuke replied cooly. Naruto could feel annoyance build up inside of him at the tone of Sasuke's voice which even when giving him a praise would somehow end up annoying him from time to time. When Naruto looked up to bare his teeth at Sasuke he couldn't help but pause at the sight of his friend that he fought so hard to keep. Here he was in the village staring him with those emotionless eyes that held a bit of curiosity yet caution in it. He would never admit it, but he miss him, and seeing him stand there he could not prevent himself from smiling.

"He's baring his teeth at me." Sasuke pointed out to Hinata. Who frowned down at the fox in her arms.

"It doesn't feel ominous, though." She replied in confusion as to what the fox was doing. Sasuke said nothing probably already reaching his limit of words for today, even though it was just morning. He walked inside Naruto's apartment and sat on the couch. To which Naruto's attempt at smiling instantly vanished at this uninvited guest in his home. Naruto leaped out of Hinata's arms and stood in front of the comfortably seated Sasuke, his tail standing straight in the air. Sasuke scoffed at the small threat and ignored him which annoyed Naruto more. Hinata entered the apartment closing the door behind her slowly.

"You've slept here again," Sasuke announced flatly looking at Hinata who shrugged in response standing near the door.

'Again?' Naruto thought as he glanced over at Hinata who seemed to be finding the doorknob extremely fascinating.

"I didn't mean too." Was her reply.

"You should get home, it's already morning and the reports say you came in just before midnight. Your fathers going to start wondering." As soon as that sentence left Sasuke's lips Naruto could see Hinata tense up before she let out a sigh, nodding her head slowly.

"Did you just arrive?" Hinata asked, to which Sasuke nodded in response.

"This morning." Was his reply. Naruto looked between the two as silence filled up the small room confused in their interaction.

"I found something," Sasuke said out of the blue looking at Hinata intensely. Hinata's head snapped up to meet his gaze, slowly striding over to him and taking a seat right next to him on the couch.

"What?"

"It wasn't much. I don't know if it's anything really, Hinata I don't want to get your hopes up." Sasuke said slowly, to which Hinata sighed in frustration.

"Tell me." She demanded. Sasuke nodded his head slowly leaning forward a bit resting his elbows on his knees.

"There's a rumor that someone got away." Naruto heard Hinata take a sharp intake of breath at Sasuke's words, as her eye's urged him to go on.

"After he visited the village, one person from that village left with him. He was a nobody but he left on a journey that was going in the same direction as Naruto." Sasuke let out and leaned back on the couch staring into Hinata's eyes that stared back at him. Naruto's ears perked up at the sound of his name and he couldn't help but creep a little closer wanting to hear the conversation between them that seemed to him like some sort of secret.

"Who is this person?" Was Hinata's quick response, to which Sasuke shook his head to in disappointment.

"I don't know, there is a rumor that he was being chased so his family moved and hid him, his family was killed, though, so whereabouts to this guy are unknown."

"Then how do you know about it?" Hinata inquired.

"Their trusted neighbor thought he saw a glimpse of the boy, the night he arrived. The family made him promise not to reveal anything for fear of the boy's life when he confronted them about it. He swore he wouldn't and he especially kept his mouth closed after hearing of their slaughter on the way to their new location."

"They never made the move?" Hinata interrupted.

"No, they were killed on their way to the next village. No one even knew until a dog dug up their bones a few weeks later. They found a familiar item on one of the bones that belong to the mother."

"How do you know?" Hinata said.

"The neighbor who swore not to tell when he heard about their death, locked himself in his house refusing to go outside for fear that whatever killed the family would kill him too. Soon his family left him unable to bear his insane acts. He boarded himself up and warded his house, against any and all evil. Using many forbidden Jutsu's." Sasuke explained slowly pausing for a second to let everything slip in.

"I guess he sensed that he was going to die soon because he recently left his house and went to the nearest tavern drinking himself to death, as what the doctors call it." Sasuke whispered the last part.

"What do you mean?"

"In his drunken state, he was crying and screaming loudly about why he's locked himself in his house. A nearby friend would listen to his drunken woes obviously believing him senile. When the drunken neighbor left the next morning people found him dead just outside his house." Sasuke sighed out.

"The medical ninja's suggest that the sudden and large intake of alcohol killed him. He had a bottle in his hand when he died, but his friend swore he left empty handed, and he wasn't one to drink outside."

There was a long eerie silence in the air as both Hinata and Naruto took everything in. Everything sounding as off and unbelievable as that story.

"Why-" Hinata started before Sasuke cut her off.

"Many people heard him exclaim that the family did not take their son with them on the move. Hiding him some place else."

"How would he know that?"

"That part I don't know I wasn't able to go to the village, but you did so I thought you might have more information on the story. However, when I entered it really didn't seem like you had anything exciting to say."

"I didn't even pay attention to the village, I was busy training my team." Hinata muttered looking down to her lap obviously beating herself up for not finding this new information. Sasuke laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is! I was there! If I asked around like I usually do I could have heard this story and searched around before leaving." Hinata replied angrily shaking his hand off her shoulder. Naruto stared between the two, the curiosity of their relationship no longer on his mind, but now the eeriness of his disappearance and transformation into this fox. The way they were talking Naruto was almost afraid to learn how long he's been actually gone.

'What happened to me?' Naruto thought to himself as he stared down at his wooden floor the dreadfulness of his situation sinking in. For what seemed like forever everyone sat in silence Hinata fuming from her mistakes, Sasuke watching her suffer in silence and Naruto thinking about his current situation. For what seem like a while time seemed to be standing still till Hinata finally sighed out in sadness.

"I have to get home." She said to no one but herself. Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"I also need to get home to Sakura. She's probably wondering where I am." Sasuke said his last few words falling flat as he thought deeply about something. Sasuke stood up first and headed towards the door, taking one last look back at Hinata who still sat unmoving on the couch. He let out a small sigh before leaving.

Hinata stood up not to long after Sasuke, and slowly made her way towards the door. When she looked back she noticed the fox sat still in the same place, his ears and tail seemingly drooping to his sides. She didn't know why the scene tugged at her heart, and she assumed the fox was sad all the company was leaving him.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you." Naruto could hear Hinata say under her breath before she lifted him into her arms. Naruto, however, barely noticed anything and unknowingly buried himself deeper into her arms for comfort as his thoughts ran wildly.

OoOoO

When Naruto arrived at Hinata's home his amazement at the size of it bewildered him so much that he had forgotten about his eerie situation. When he thought about it, he rarely entered someone's home growing up he didn't really have friends since many hated and feared him. After all the hate and fear left he still, however, never had the chance to spend time at a friends house unless it was for a mission that required a brief visit.

Naruto licked the back of his teeth nervously hoping nobody would kick him out. So far Hinata was the only connection he had to find someone who would be able to turn him back to normal. He was glad Hinata was nice enough to take him from the forest and bring him back to the village. He couldn't think of anyone who would do that willingly, other than Hinata's student Orumi who seemed to remind him of a young Hinata.

When Hinata walked through the doors of the Hyuga estate the inside was just as impressive as the outside. There were members of the Hyuga clan's main house and branch house walking around, not forgetting their courtesies to give Hinata a greeting followed by a bow. Hinata returned their bows and greetings in a low tone squeezing onto Naruto tighter every time she took a bow. Naruto would have to wiggle around in her arms before she would release her tight grasp on him.

'My back would hurt after all this bowing.' Naruto thought to himself after the twelfth bow. Naruto was pretty sure Hinata didn't have to bow down to branch house members but she did so respectfully anyway when they greeted her. After a while of walking Hinata finally stopped in front of a door and walked inside. When Naruto's nose was infiltrated by Hinata's scent all over the place he knew this was her room. The smell wasn't too strong, it was light and soft.

'Just like Hinata…' Naruto thought to himself as he looked around her room. Her room was nothing like his, it was neat and organized and didn't smell moldy at all. Her huge bed was covered in a lavender colored blanket, that was partnered by white pillows. Her room wasn't too big but it was still bigger than his own room. Even though it was neat and didn't have much in it, it reminded him of Hinata in a way.

Hinata sat on her large bed and laid on her back sighing loudly. Naruto jumped to her side finding the bed awfully comfy beneath his paws. It was then his situation started finding its way back into his head again.

'How am I going to communicate with anyone? How do I let people know it's me, Naruto?' Naruto asked himself as he curled up into a ball, trying to remember everything that's happened. He hardly remembered his mission. Only knowing he went to a certain village to discuss something. That whole day was a blur and he couldn't focus on a specific part, his mind was so scrambled trying to think about the day he was starting to get a headache. Naruto growled in frustration wondering if this was some sort of Jutsu.

"What's wrong?" Hinata's soft voice called out to him. Naruto looked at Hinata before turning to look out the window.

'The people I took with me what if they're in the same situation? Are they lost like me?' Naruto sighed softly to himself, hoping he didn't get anyone hurt.

"Are you sad too?" Hinata said to him as she reached over to scratch his ears. Naruto leaned into her touch, finding it oddly comforting.

"I'll find him…" Hinata muttered to herself. Naruto turned his head back to look at her. Her eyes were on him, however, Naruto could tell she was not focusing on him.

"I'll go to that village and get all the information myself." Hinata whispered softly her finger pausing in Naruto fur as she continued to talk out loud. Before Naruto could wonder who she was talking about a loud knock at her door frightened them both, pulling them out of their thoughts.

"Come in." Hinata said as she quickly stood up. Naruto stayed tense in his place, he wondered if it was his animalistic side, but every noise seemed to make him tense up it was beginning to drive him crazy.

Hinata's door opened and Hiashi Hyuga walked through with his loyal bodyguards following right behind him; however, they stopped at the doorway keeping their head bowed low in respect.

"Oto-sama," Hinata said respectfully before she gave him a bow. Naruto looked at Hiashi who continued to look at Hinata. He still looked the same from what Naruto remembered, since he hardly had time to meet with Hiashi. Only differences Naruto saw were a bit more gray hair's and a bit more lines added onto his face, other than that he still amazingly looked the same and unaged.

"I heard you just arrived." Were his first words out when Hinata raised her head. Hinata averted her eyes but nodded towards her father.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"I-I-I-I w-was just walking around…" Hinata muttered still avoiding his eyes. Naruto didn't like how Hinata seemed to crumble under her father's eyes like she was afraid of him and by the look of it neither did he.

"Do you still stutter? You're a woman now, way past the age of childish stutters." Hiashi said roughly.

"Yes, Oto-sama," Hinata whispered raising her eyes up to meet her father's finally.

"I'll ask again, where were you?" Hiashi asked more sternly. Hinata looked down at her toes at the question unable to lie to her father, however, unable to tell him the truth. After a few seconds of silence, Hiashi frowned at his daughter before talking.

"There was a rumor that his apartment was bought. I thought nothing of it, until the rumors that the person who purchased the house doesn't even live there. Only occasionally though people do hear a noise come from his apartment which started my suspicion." Hiashi started as he continued to stare down at his daughter who continued to stare down at her toes.

"When I got the notice that you were in the village but had yet to arrive after some time had passed, I decided to send someone out to look for you out of worry and also to stop my suspicion. However, when they came to report back, they said you were on the ground sleeping inside his apartment." Hiashi finished. Hinata almost wiggled underneath her strong gaze.

"I'll ask again. Where were you?"

"N-naruto home." Hinata replied. Naruto stood up on the bed starting to get angry at the way Hiashi was treating Hinata.

'It seems he hasn't changed one bit.' Naruto thought to himself angrily when he remembered how Hiashi used to treat Neji and Hinata. Hiashi let out a small sigh and his frowned deepened, showing off more lines that were not visible before.

"Hinata, although you are not the successor of the clan anymore you still play an important role and I cannot have you continue to go on as you are, obsessed with finding the Naruto boy," Hiashi said as he stared down at her daughter.

"I must think about the reputation of the clan, and your actions and behaviors come up in clan meetings. They give me pitiful eyes for my obsessed daughter, who bothers not just everyone in this village but also outside neighboring villages, big or small. They won't say it to my face but I know they talk behind my backs."

"I'm sorry father, I should have been more careful." Hinata mumbled as she bowed to him.

"Hinata..." Hiashi said softly before letting out another sigh. He looked behind him and nodded to the guards. They seemed to understand the motions before shutting the door. Naruto could hear their feet on the wooden floors as they walked away from the door to give both father and daughter their privacy.

Hiashi's eyes seemed to soften as he looked at his daughter. He put a hand on her shoulder and when Hinata raised her head to look up at him the corner of his mouth turned up into a small smile.

"Hinata, holding up the clan isn't the only thing that's important to me. Holding up my family is as well, and it pains me to see you hurt yourself over this." Hiashi said softly looking into Hinata's eyes.

"Oto-sama..." Hinata whispered.

"Hinata, I'm trying to find ways to help you. To stop you from bringing yourself more pain, but I can't do it if you won't let me help you." Hiashi moved his hand to Hinata's head patting it affectionately as he spoke.

"Soon I won't be able to continue being nice. I'll have to force you to move on if you won't do it willingly and I don't want to build a bigger rift between us. A bigger rift that you have between your clan. Stop doing this Hinata, focus on the bigger picture." He finished before bring his hands back down to his side. For a few minutes, Hinata was silent before she took in a deep breath and nodded her head.

"I understand," Hinata started as she closed her eyes obviously processing the words her father just said to her. Hiashi smiled in approval nodding his head towards his daughter.

"That-"

"I just need to do one more thing, before I move on. With or without your approval father I will do it." Hinata announced looking up at him without the shyness Naruto was so use to seeing. She confidently and defiantly stared at her father, even though Hiashi was a few inches taller than Hinata it seemed like she was the one looking down on him. Hiashi stared into his daughter's eyes for a few moments before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Just don't let it interfere with your work now," Hiashi said before he left her room closing the door behind him. Both Naruto and Hinata stayed still not knowing what to do next.