Gomen about not writing in so long. I got distracted... ;; But I will work hard to make up for it.

Constructive critique is encouraged, but please don't just bash. Ex:

Critique: "You're plot is really sketchy and I think you made Kiba too brutal."

Bash: "This sucks."

Chapter 3 "Home"

The rest of the ninja introduced themselves, the more load and simple ones pushing through each other to get ahead, while the quiet genin thougt about the disturbing incidence with the dead plants and wondered if it was alright to keep her.

'Heh...' Shikamaru mused to himself, 'They're treating her like she's a pet, all jumping up to have their turn to play with it.' But nobody was looking at his smirking face, because they were all too occupied with their 'pet'. The friends eventually decided what they would do with her. Sasuke and Naruto would watch over her in the Uchiha district, and the girls would help her out with clothing. They would have to eventually take her out into the town after making up some story to explain her presence, or just say nothing and act like she belonged there. The jounin and Hokage couldn't possibly know everyone in the whole village, because despite being called a village, it was actually quite large and chalk full of people. Everyone was gathered around the slightly disoriented Seien, when their loud series of conversations were interrupted by a small voice.

"A-ano... It's q-quite dark out... Sh-shouldn't we... Be g-getting back soo-soon? Sakura's mother will b-be expecting us..." She blushed slightly and fiddled with her fingers. She didn't want to break up their fun, but... She also didn't want them to get in trouble, and Sakura's mother was already stressed out from having so many girls over. Sakura looked up, and then remembered that her mom had told them to come home before it got too late.

"Hinata's right, actually. Come on girls, we'd better get going. We'll bring something for Seien tomorrow morning, Sasuke!" After a few exaggerated sighs, and suggestive goodbye waves to the guys, the girls went off towards Sakura's house. The guys split up, going their separate ways until only the two rivals and the plant killing girl were left. Sasuke sighed and glared at the other two. Seien, who had not said a word since she introduced herself, looked at the two boys for direction. After one more glare at the two who would be imposing on his quiet home life, he started down the road. Neither Sasuke nor Seien said much, and after many failed attempts to start some semblance of a conversation with the two, Naruto shut up.

The whole place was deserted. Nothing stirred; no life present except the three of them. After passing many empty buildings, and taking many winding turns, Sasuke stopped. The place wasn't huge, but it wasn't small. He opened the door of the old manor and walked inside, acknowledging the other two only in the fact that he left the door open. When they followed, the Uchiha was already gone, but a small closet door was left open for them to retrieve tami mats and comforters for their bedding. Sasuke honestly didn't see why Naruto had to stay with him as well; he was more likely to do something to her than he himself was. The dobe probably just wanted an excuse to see his house so he could prank him later when Sakura rejected him again.

Naruto's mid was not, however, on pranking Sasuke at his house. Oh, the thought would come to him later, of course, but he had something else weighing heavily on his mind. "This place is creepy." He spoke mainly to himself since Sasuke had left them and Seien was not much for talking. No wonder Sasuke was such a freak, living in this place and all. It was silent as the grave. He placed a hand awkwardly on the back of his head and started laughing. Nothing was funny, but it filled the silence. He disliked it when it was quiet. His mind would echo with the lack of sound. And then she would speak. The voice of his mind was, he could only assume, the Kyuubi.

As his eyes were closed, he did not notice Seien. Through her lashes she studied every inch of the room they now stood in. One could not go so far as to call it fear, but it was… Uncomfortable to be within walls. She was walking again, if unsteadily. She would need to feed on something more… Potent than the life force of the environment. If she did not, her surroundings could suffer permanent damage. The area where she had been kept all these years would never be the same. The outside world was just as fascinating as the first day she set foot on the physical plane. Her mother had finally come to get her. The body was different, but she could sense her mother's life force in the boy's body.

What kept her mother there? Surely she did not willingly stay in the body of a mortal. But perhaps it had been to search for her? It would not have taken this long if that had been the case. She crouched down to be at eye level with the boy's stomach. Naruto, that was what they called him?

"H-hey! W-wuh… What are you doing?" That looked very wrong. He took a step or two back before falling on his butt. His face glowed bright red. He was so confused, so embarrassed, he couldn't think straight. It didn't help that she was now on her hands and knees in front of him with her long pale fingers lifting up the edge of his shirt. "Stu… Stop-p t-that! I mean, I like you and all, but… I'm in love with Sakura!!"

She leaned over him wondering what he was talking about. His shirt was now pushed up to his chest, leaving his stomach open for her to see. She lightly brushed her fingertips in a swirl on his stomach coaxing the seal to show itself. His senses tingled at the soft touch of her fingers sending him into a half dazed look. The mesmerizing contact abruptly stopped allowing him to breathe easily once again. He looked down to where she had been touching and was surprised to see that his seal was showing.

Seien stood up, satisfied that she had discovered the seal that kept her mother bound to this human form. It was very powerful; nothing short of it would have restrained her mother. Her mother had attained the most powerful rank a kitsune could hope to attain. She herself only had five tails, but four of them were currently sealed away in her hoshi-no-tama. She did not know where it was, but she knew that anathema of a man had taken it from her. Sealing her own tails had allowed her to sustain herself on this plane without draining too much of the environment, and it had ended up sparing her from sinking back into the astral plane during her long imprisonment. If that had happened she might have never been able to find her mother again.

But the years of being locked up in that hole had taken a great toll on her strength. She needed to feed. She could not feed off Naruto, his energy belonged to her mother. She needed all her power if she was to fight the seal, and even if that were not the case kitsune did not feed off each other. It was not done. The other boy… His life force was vibrant. But she should wait for him to sleep. It would be easier. She knew close to nothing of human kind, for all that she knew their language. They wore strange garments that were nothing like the kimono her mother had taught her of. They had… Odd metal pieces and circle bits the fit into holes in the cloth. She had been stolen away before her mother could teach her the mannerisms of people.

Naruto snapped out of his daze. What was that about? Well, he grudgingly admitted that she had not, in fact, been coming onto him. She had somehow brought forth the Kyuubi's seal, though. The girl, Seien… She had… Called him mother before, right? The gears in Naruto's brain could almost be heard grinding against each other. So she must know…. Something about seals or of demons… And she thought he was her mother even though he was obviously a studly man. Then…. "AUG!" He grabbed his head in pain. He had a major headache from thinking so much!

He had decided to forget what had just happened. She obviously hadn't meant to come on to him. She had been looking at his seal. Why? He did not know. He'd ask her later, but now it was time for sleep. Action was the best way to alleviate an embarrassing situation! He hadn't been so embarrassed in one day when the embarrassment wasn't cause by his own actions. It was bewildering. He inwardly congratulated himself on knowing the large word he had just used. Scooting back a few paces-- for safety--, he got to his feet and started to make his way towards the open closet with the bedding. He gave the girl a wide berth and retrieved the mats and comforters. As if approaching a wild animal, he laid one set as close to her as he dared as if giving an offering of peace before he set up his own spot.

The boy had placed a bundle of strange cloth in front of her. "…." She stared at it wondering what it was for. Examining it, it seemed to be a thick mat and a large fluffy thing filled with the down of an owl. A sidelong glance at Naruto gave her a vague idea of what she was supposed to do. Thus, she copied his every move until there were two places for them to sleep laid out on Sasuke's living room floor. Naruto was wondering why she didn't get into bed when he realized that she was staring at him.

"Er…. Do you need something? Eh heh….." Man, she sure did know how to make a guy uncomfortable. That blank stare was really getting to him. He pulled at the collar of his very bright orange jacket. "I'll just… Go to bed now. Yeah… Oyasumi."

Humans made unusual sleeping nests. Well, at least now she knew what the purpose of the strange cloth was. So many feathers… She wondered how many baby owls had given them up to make these. Tens, twenties; probably more. But how could they sleep like that? Strange. Well, since he was going to sleep, she might as well make like she was as well.

Not that she really needed to sleep. Kitsune did not make their own life force like humans, which was the main purpose of sleep in any case. Of course simple movement did not drain them of it either so they had the potential to store much more than humans. What they called the soul was really the ability to die and be reborn with a different life and the ability to change. Most spirits did not die; they simply retreated to the astral plane after their mortal bodies died. Weaker spirits did not have a great memories and thus remembered nothing, but that was not the case among her race.

She rearranged her carefully made bed and turned it into something more comfortable. Curling up in the position closest to a ball that this human body could get, she closed her eyes and listened to his breathing. She must wait until… There; his breathing was coming slower now. Long shallow breaths. He was asleep. She idly wondered how he could sleep with his mouth open like that. And that weird position did not look comfortable either. Well, humans seemed peculiar.

No sound was made as she rose to her feet, not that anything could have woken this deep sleeper. It was in her nature to be careful. Carefully, past the heavy doors, through the empty hallways. If she was accustomed to human dwellings she would have realized how strange the house was. So empty. So quiet. Alas, she was not and so she did not notice. Only the tempting aura ahead drew her forward, its bright light made the surrounding dark in comparison despite her excellent night vision. She… Needed it. Now.

The last door, the last barrier between her and the effervescence of his life force, his chakra… She moved it to the side, grimacing at the minute sound of wood on wood. His breathing didn't change. He was still asleep. She approached and knelt down to the floor beside the human's strange bed. The feeling of need intensified with the closeness. She held herself back-- she couldn't afford to have him wake up. Still, she drew closer but it was painfully slow. The closer she got the more it hurt to not devour his life then and there. She would not. She had control over her feeding. Even if… Even if human life force was so much more satisfying…

She was right over him now. She could almost feel the chakra seeping into her from where she was, but it was just her imagination. And then… Her lips met the tender skin, the skin of his neck just beneath the curve of his jaw. One of the body's major blood vessels lay there. This was one of the many places in the body that chakra was very concentrated. All organs and major blood vessels were full of it. Pure pleasure filled her as she felt a trickle of power ebb into her body. A small gasp cut through her daze. Her eyes widened. Had she started too fast?

Sasuke felt a jolt of pleasure surge through his body and awakened with a small gasp. He felt soft lips on his neck, the sensitive skin was tickling with a strange sensation. Was he dreaming? No. He definitely was not. His dreams had always been strictly nightmares. With the dark realization he flipped himself over, pinning his… Attacker… Under him. It was Seien.

"What… The hell are you…" Another strangled gasp escaped from him, to his embarrassment. Her hair fanned out around her, strangely untangled even at the sharp movement. She seemed unfazed for her face shoed no apparent emotion. She simply stared at him. Suddenly reminded that the large coat was all she was wearing, a small blush crept across his face. He was too surprised to speak, and where others would have stuttered about in an attempt to say something comprehensible, he stayed silent, not sure what would happen next.

"I was feeding." This she stated as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Which made him feel really stupid when he did not understand what the heck she was talking about.

"Feeding?" He repeated her last word in a half question. That was feeding? If food made people feel that good everyone in the world would be fat. He was too confused to scoff at this thought, however.

"Yes. Unlike humans, we do not make our own life force. I cannot feed off the environment without harming it because I am too drained. If I were to do that it would permanently alter the surroundings." If she continued to stare at him like that….

"You were feeding… On me?" He was being a bit slow on the uptake. It was expected, she supposed. He was human after all. However, first contact had been made. She no longer needed to touch him to feed. But he knew. So now she needed his consent. She nodded as much as she could without knocking her face into his which meant that she barely moved.

"I would not take from your life force without giving you something in return, of course." She turned her face away as if the very thought was shameful. "I will, of course, compensate. What is it that you wish for? A favor, perhaps?"

For those of you still reading, thank you and I will try to update more often now that my plot is more solid.