Chapter six: And then there were three

-YES!- The black cat pumped his paw in the air. -Finally, we have something to show for our efforts!-

Their leader nodded in agreement, walking to stand over their two captives. He pushed one furry body into the other with the toe of his shoe, pleased when it limply rolled over to lie on the sweatshirt. He shushed his companions, ignoring their happy antics.

-The Hyuuga heirs, one for each branch.- The white cat said gleefully. -Not a bad consolation prize- they may be even more valuable than Sasuke Uchiha!-

It was true; the ransom for these two would be astronomical and not just in dollar amounts. The secret jutsus of the Hyuuga clan were much sought after and would be valuable additions to the already awesome arsenal of their village. Returning home with such a prize, even if they weren't the original targets, could very well get their leader to forgive them their failure and let the trio live.

Smiling, the leader of the kidnappers bent forward to collect their victims…

…And got a face full of talons as a sandy colored blur shrieked and tried to peck out his eyes. The bird's beak tore through the skin of his face as if it was butter and soon blood was everywhere as man and fowl battled. The man was driven back, the bird dive-bombing him viciously until he was far enough away from the pile of clothing on the street. Then the bird turned, swooping down low to the ground and scooping up the two kittens and the sweatshirt they were on with its claws, pumping its wings furiously to gain altitude. It disappeared into the night seconds later behind one of the taller buildings, undoubtedly heading for the forest beyond to eat its prize in peace.

There was a moment of silence as the three stunned would-be kidnappers stared at where the Hyuuga children should have been. Then their leader gave an inarticulate roar, picking up the remaining clothing littering the street and hurling the pieces around in a fit of frustrated fury.

"FUCK!" The man screamed, enraged, stomping the ground and clutching at the gashes decorating his face. He snarled wordlessly, turning toward his incompetent assistants to vent his displeasure but paused when a familiar noise caught his attention.

-No way…- The black cat began.

-You've gotta be kidding me…!- The white feline exclaimed.

His subordinates began hissing, their fur puffing up as they stared back the way they had come down the alley, retreating behind their enraged leader for protection as the first of the pack became visible. Snapping, barking, and howling filled the air as the same pack of canines encountered earlier tore their way through the alley and spilled into the small street, hot on the heels of the fleeing trio as the three sped off into the night.

They were back in the blonde's bedroom, swinging from side to side in a hammock Naruto had pulled out of his closet and set up. The bed mattress was on the floor below them, a precaution if either of them fell out accidentally, the kitten assumed. It was a few minutes before ten and Naruto had only fallen asleep an hour ago something that Sasuke doubted would have happened at all if the blonde hadn't taken some medication to help it along. The Uchiha was lying again on Naruto's chest, feeling the newly washed blonde pant as he slept and watching while his friend's head tossed as he dreamed.

Beside Sasuke was the fox stuffed animal Naruto had received, the blonde having taken it to bed with them, the hand around it trembling violently in an almost convulsive manner. The toy had been the first item he had reached for after he was dry from his shower and dressed, and the blonde had clutched it in a death grip until he had finally drifted off to sleep.

His birthday. Sasuke thought guiltily, reaching out a paw and touching the stitched message on the fox. I didn't know- he never told me. Did anyone in Konoha know?

Naruto made quiet protesting noises, tossing his head again and whimpering. To his horror, Sasuke watched as tears slid down the blonde's lined cheeks. The sight made the Uchiha's heart hurt, though he couldn't understand why, and the kitten found himself inching closer to his friend's face. He allowed himself to rub against the blonde's cheek once before using a paw to readjust the position of the damp cloth covering Naruto' forehead. Sasuke tried to purr again, failed, and sat on Naruto's shoulder sighing in defeat.

The noise of flapping wings drew the kitten's attention toward the open bedroom doorway and several seconds later Yumi flew through it into the room. The hawk, carrying a bundle of cloth and fur in her talons, circled carefully in the tight space and dropped her delivery on Naruto's stomach as she passed overhead to fly back out of the room.

Frowning, smelling the distinctly coppery scent of fresh blood, Sasuke cautiously approached the items, batting at the fabric carefully and jumping back when something inside moved. With more force, the kitten smacked the bundle again, darting backward out of reach when something hissed in response.

-Come out!- He growled, fur fluffing out until he was nearly twice his size. -Come out, or I'll come in after you!- He paused, and blinked as his nose picked up something else. Wait, I know that scent…

-…Uchiha?- Asked a familiar voice and Sasuke paused, confused. He approached again cautiously and batted the fabric bundle once more as he looked for an opening in the material, again jumping back out of range as a feline face abruptly popped up from the far side, followed shortly by another one.

The three stared at each other.

-Who are you?- Sasuke demanded with a growl, moving back to take a seat on Naruto's chest again, effectively-and blatantly- becoming a barrier. He had an idea, a very awful idea, and wanted it confirmed before anything else happened.

-Neji Hyuuga.- One kitten said. Akin to a multicolored cotton ball, it had a fluffy over-coat marbled with shades of brown in a tortoiseshell design. Its chest and paws were pure white and over its shoulder twitched a plume-like tail that reflected all the other colors of its coat.

-Hinata Hyuuga.- The other kitten stated. Unlike the other, this one was a short hair, the fur pure blue and sleek but no less beautiful.

Both had the same milky opaque eyes, the trademark of their Hyuuga heritage.

What the Hell is going on?! The Uchiha thought dazedly.

-So, we were turned into kittens by the same people.- Sasuke stated. He paced across Naruto's stomach, nearly itching with the desire to move.

Neji nodded, his plume of a tail fluffing out even more as he sat on Naruto's chest, moving up and down as the blonde breathed. He seemed to be thinking out loud as he continued his train of thought. -But cats? It's logical that we three would be targets since we are all from influential families but why turn us into kittens of all things?-

-Because we were too noticeable.- Hinata answered after a second of thought, watching the object of her affections toss his head as he slept. Naruto whimpered suddenly and the Hyuuga heiress rubbed her cheek against his until he quieted. She resettled across his collar bones carefully, keeping one of her ears trained on the blonde's pulse point while the other remained directed toward the other felines.

Sasuke stopped pacing and stood stock still as realization dawned, processing this new insight. Recently the village had become aware of a growing feline population problem. Since it was October and well past breeding season, the leaders of the village were at a loss as to why so much of the city was abruptly crawling with the graceful mammals. Plans to cull the numbers were already in effect and, among others, the top choices being considered were one, to offer a bounty on captured cats for relocation until their numbers were within acceptable limits, two, to catch as many as possible for spay and neutering and then selling them to other villages with mice problems, or three, to offer some sort of incentive to coerce people into killing the felines on sight.

It was a bad time to be a cat in the village, especially with the last option on the table.

The important point was that, with so many cats already wandering the streets, who would notice three more kittens? Who would care?

As if pulled against his will, Sasuke's eyes fastened on his teammate's face. He watched the blonde silently and thought about his brush with euthanasia, thought about the scene in the vet's office. Naruto had cared then- had taken extraordinary measures to make sure that Sasuke wouldn't meet such a fate- and still cared, taking in the kitten for the simple reason that it needed his help.

The Uchiha heir felt a pang of guilt knowing that, if their situations had been reversed and Naruto the wounded kitten presented to be beyond all medical help, there was no guarantee that Sasuke would have done the same.

It was a high possibility that he would have even petitioned for euthanasia even as he watched the animal trying to flee the injection meant to save it from pain.

-Anyone else would have listened to the vet.- Neji said, following the Uchiha's gaze. He lay back down, tucking his front paws under him and nodding to himself. -You were extremely lucky that Naruto's little friends found you.-

That was an understatement of earth shattering proportions from Sasuke's point of view.

-What is that?- Hinata asked suddenly into the silence, flicking her tail at the stuffed fox toy the blonde was still clutching.

-A birthday present.- Sasuke said slowly, mentally flashing back to how depressed Naruto had looked when he had pulled the thing out of its packaging.

-It's his birthday?- Neji asked, turning sharply to the tabby. -Why didn't you or Sakura say anything about it?-

-Who's it from?- Hinata asked, getting to her feet and coming over to sit beside the toy. She rubbed her cheek against it, sniffing the fabric delicately.

-Temari, I think.- Sasuke told her before turning to glare irritably at the other Hyuuga. -I didn't know it was his birthday. He didn't tell us.-

-Did you even ask?- Neji asked snidely, tail twitching.

-Did you?- Sasuke snapped back, baring his teeth.

-Temari…From the Village Hidden in the Sand?- Hinata asked and there was something in her voice that implied she was not happy about this information. While the rest of her remained still, Hinata's tail began to twitch, the tip of it doing an interesting impression of an angry rattler, a sight that Sasuke and Neji both found oddly fascinating, both watching intently as the blue fur practically vibrated back and forth.

Naruto chose that moment to shift position, causing his feline companions to utter meows of surprise as he rolled partially onto his right side. One leg hung over the lip of the hammock to dangle out in the air, setting the suspended bed to swinging again as the weight of its occupants became unbalanced. The bundle of fabric that Neji and Hinata had arrived with, abandoned after Neji had extricated himself, tumbled over the side and was lost to sight as a similar fate befell the blanket Naruto had previously been covered with as well as the fox toy, though Sasuke had the nagging suspicion that Hinata may have 'helped' the stuffed animal overboard.

Sasuke popped his head up, feeling his heart in his throat as he looked around. Being forcibly reminded that he was suddenly less than a foot tall was annoying, to say the least and the only gratifying part about it all was that Neji appeared even more at a loss than Sasuke did.

-Is everyone alright?- Hinata asked, head appearing from behind Naruto's left shoulder. She had chosen to go the 'Up and Over' route for safety as the blonde had moved. Cautiously, she put her front paws on his shoulder and peered over at her comrades, finding them caught in a space between Naruto's body and the lip of the hammock. They had been saved from going over it by the blonde's left arm, the appendage having curled protectively around the two kittens and holding them close to Naruto's body.

Sasuke and Neji nodded and headed toward her, scaling the blonde with care, both deciding that seeking refuge by the blonde's head would be the safest way to survive the night.

To say that Naruto seemed confused when he woke up would be inaccurate. Though he did look disoriented, the blonde took the whole situation rather well, all things considered. After all, he had gone to bed with one kitten curled on his chest and woken to three cuddled as close as they could get around his head.

Many people would have found that odd, understandably so, and would have freaked out a since kittens were not known to spontaneously reproduce asexually. But Naruto was not one of them. The blonde's eye lids fluttered open, unfocused eyes looking around as his hand came up and awkwardly felt around his head, investigating, all the while keeping the rest of his body still. He was curled on his right side, he discovered, and if he didn't get up soon, would be on the floor since he was slowly but surely sliding out of his bed.

He found the familiar tabby kitten first. Literally right under his nose, the little kitten was curled up in a tiny ball and easy to spot due to its distinctive markings. It appeared unharmed, sleeping peacefully as Naruto tried to figure out what else had crawled into his bed with them.

Next he touched the small furry weight on his head, cautiously running his hand over the body until he thought he had found its head. Finding two large ears, he ran a stiff finger over the fur between them. The animal moved under his touch and Naruto was able to bury a finger into the soft fur behind the animal's ears, caressing until it purred.

Last was the warm furry weight curled up against the back of his neck. He carefully petted the second unknown body, hastily pulling a hand away as he felt the animal wake. It stretched and four little feet pushed against his skin before the animal got up and draped itself over his neck. It rubbed against his jaw and purred like a motor boat.

What a way to wake up. Naruto smiled, feeling the purring vibrate through his skull, the sensation making him laugh and squirm. I could get used to this!

Sasuke woke up to the sound of Naruto giggling. Relief washed through the Uchiha, the sound loosening a tightness in his chest he hadn't been aware of. He stretched and rubbed his forehead against the blonde's chin suddenly needing –aching for- physical contact.

Naruto's hand came up and tickled the Uchiha's back, making Sasuke arch against the contact. It felt so good…! His throat began to vibrate, air rumbling over his vocal cords in what should have been an unfamiliar way but wasn't.

Sasuke purred as Naruto scratched under his jaw and along his neck, making the feline respond enthusiastically by rubbing his cheeks and sides against the blonde's fingers, driven onward by an incessant need to brush against as much of his teammate as possible.

Neji grunted sleepily before yawned. He was curled up on Naruto's head like a furry hat and when the Hyuuga male stretched, his legs dangled on either side of the blonde's head. Since Naruto was curled on his right side, it created the illusion that the usually hyperactive ninja suddenly had donned some sort of feline shaped mohawk.

-Good morning!- Hinata cried, brimming with energy, rubbing her cheek against Naruto's cheek bone. Though Neji and Sasuke had both stopped, she continued to purr happily and grind her head against Naruto's skin.

Sasuke grunted and stood, suddenly annoyed with himself and his behavior. He was an Uchiha, damn it, even if he was a cat and Uchihas did not allow themselves to be petted by anyone in so familiar a manner.

Naruto scratched behind one of his ears, caressing the furry triangle with a calloused but gentle finger, sending pleasant little shivers down the feline's spine.

Okay, so maybe a little. He leaned into the touch until it disappeared, feeling an odd pang of loss.

With a little urging, the blue kitten jumped off Naruto to sit beside the grey tabby while the Kyuubi vessel carefully sat up. The predominantly brown tortoiseshell kitten tried to remain in place by using its tiny claws but failed however, making a little startled sound as he tumbled head over heels down the incline created by the shift in the blonde's position. Smiling at the feline's antics, Naruto caught the kitten and set it in his lap, eyes watching as the other two kittens slid down the gentle slope in a more graceful manner, coming to a stop against Naruto's thigh.

"I guess it's time to start the day." The blonde said, yawning hugely and rubbing at his eyes. He scrubbed a hand through his hair, absently letting the blonde strands raked from his head fall to the floor. Naruto gave a sigh as his hands came to rest on the brown kitten in his lap, petting it thoroughly and soothing its fur back into place. The other two felines crawled into his lap as well and he gave them the same treatment, oddly comforted by their attention-seeking behavior.

Though he knew he had to get up, if for nothing else then to feed his growing feline family, it still took Naruto several minutes to make his body actually move. He just didn't have the energy to bound down the hallway like he usually did, immediately donning his carefully constructed village-idiot mask. He idly wondered if anyone even realized how exhausting it was to funnel so much energy into that act then remembered where he was and that, oh right, no one cared or knew him well enough to know it was an illusion.

Well, that wasn't entirely true: Hinata and Neji knew him well enough to see through his happy-go-lucky pretense. Actually, the cousins knew him a bit too well.

And that, of course, was part of why he had stopped hanging out with them as much as he had previously. If one was trying to hide a secret as big as his, one did not stay within close proximity of the very people who could see through the disguise, despite how much you may want to do otherwise. Ignoring them made him feel as if he were ripping off an arm but there was just no other way around it, not if he wanted everything to remain as it was. The pair weren't the only ones being subjected to such treatment but he could only evade Sasuke for so long before the Uchiha grew suspicious.

Now, Naruto had a secret that no one beside Kyuubi knew about. Though he continued to speak freely about his attraction to his pink haired teammate Sakura, in truth the blonde no longer had romantic notions about her. For years he had nursed the fantasy that the two of them would one day ride off into the sunset together, that he would succeed in romantically wooing her away from Sasuke and she would profess her undying love for him loudly for all of Konoha to hear.

Right.

Unfortunately, as Naruto found out, there is no stronger force in the universe than the determination of Sakura Haruno's heart. She had her sites set on Sasuke Uchiha and no one else would do, certainly not her weirdo blonde teammate. The harder Naruto tried to win her favor, the more disdainful- and violent on some occasions- the girl became. Well, the blonde got enough of that on a regular basis from everyone else in the village, as Kyuubi pointed out one day after a particularly harsh rejection, so why continue to subject himself to such treatment willingly? Though it took some time and was painful, Naruto ignored his attraction to Sakura until the feelings faded away into mere affection, until the thought of dating her became…odd.

With his blinders gone, Naruto began to notice other romantic prospects, namely a Ms. Hinata Hyuuga. Sakura had initially been the one to point out that the Hyuuga heiress may have more than a purely plutonic interest in him, though at the time he had suspected it may have been an effort to dissuade his unwanted advances. Naruto hadn't paid the observation much heed- had even been a bit annoyed by it- but when his attraction to the pink haired kunoichi waned into brotherly love, he decided to see if the off hand comment about Hinata held any stock.

Awkward but determined, the blonde began putting the theory to the test, slowly familiarizing himself with Hinata. He began making a point of running into her, of talking to her and learning more about her. She was pretty, there was no contest there; only a little shorter than himself, she was ideal cuddling size, her body not having lost the feminine softness despite all the athletic training he knew she participated in. The more they talked, the more it turned out they had in common. The Hyuuga heir already had several checks next to her name in the fox-vessel's book, a big one being that they shared the same shinobi philosophy.

Never give in. Never back down. Never go back on your word.

It was their shinobi way and both held it above all else. They had actually had a discussion about it once of twice over a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's, specifically mulling over their personal views over the integrity, self-discipline, and self-respect inherently implied in the simple phrases. Through their talks, Naruto began to realize that Hinata had hidden depths, that there was an extremely bright and cultured mind inside the pretty packaging, but no one was willing to give her credit for it.

Naruto could relate very well to all of that- except for being cultured, for obvious reasons.

Though her teammates- especially Kiba, who was near fanatical about it- liked to keep her close, the blonde did get to hang out with her alone now and then.

Well, relatively speaking.

Initially, Neji sometimes joined them and Naruto turned those times into a sort of game, a contest with himself to see how much he could make the two smile or laugh, his exuberance usually becoming infectious and turning them all into a bunch of laughing idiots as they trained in the woods. Actually, as time went by, Neji joined them more and more, mostly as a chaperone for his cousin as the Hyuuga family was not too keen on the idea of Hinata spending time alone with the jinchuuriki. It was on one of those jaunts that Naruto realized two very important facts, both of which made his budding love life suddenly all the more difficult.

1) He loved to see Hinata smile, to hear her laugh unabashedly, the sight and sound making his nervous heart swell and face flush with warmth pleasantly.

2) He had a similar reaction when Neji preformed the same actions.

Oh dear.

I do not see the problem Kyuubi had remarked afterward as Naruto worried himself sick over his indecisive and possibly perverted heart. Either would be perfect and I approve of both of them as potential mate candidates. Both would treat you well, as you deserve. Stop fretting- you are going to give yourself heartburn!

This had not comforted Naruto in the slightest; in fact it had done the opposite. While he spent the night pacing his apartment, unable to sleep both from nerves and a sudden case of acid reflux, the blonde had pointed out in no uncertain terms that a romantic relationship with Neji was simply not possible because they were both male.

Love knows no bounds, my naïve little Kit. The fox had sighed dramatically, ignoring her vessel's fervent protests. You humans are the only species who continue to think that the only equation to a successful intimate relationship must always be male plus female. Your intolerance of anything else complicates your lives unnecessarily by this narrow mindset. Look at Iruka and Kakashi- do they not look happy when they are together? Do they not appear to be, as you humans put it, 'head over heels' for one another? That is not merely a plutonic relationship and you know it but, by conventional thinking, their happiness is not possible because both of them are male!If they can be happy with one another, you could be happy with Neji. Your argument holds no water.

Naruto had felt himself pale as he worked through the fox's logic. She had a point but it didn't help him any with his indecisiveness and he told her so.

Again with the tradition equation crap The fox had sighed, shaking her head irritably. Listen Kit, forget what you think you know about relationships because it will only bring you pain and/or drive you crazy. You like them both. Either would be ideal for you. Find out how each of them feels and go from there. If, in your opinion, worst comes to worst and both like you, find out if they'll consider sharing you. Three people can work just as well as two and you'll have an extra shoulder to lean on. It is still not a problem!

Naruto had nearly fainted at this, caught between feeling both horrified and excited by the prospect. At the first sign of dawn's light he had been out on the training fields working off his anxiety, the pace he set exhausting, as if he intended to free himself of his thoughts and agitation by sheer physical exertion. At midday Sasuke had show up and the two had sparred well into the afternoon, the brunette picking up on his friend's anxiety and helping work through it. The Uchiha heir had teased him, trying to get the unusually quiet blonde to open up and talk. The jokes light and stupid since humor wasn't Sasuke's forte and Naruto remembered finally giving up his melancholy mood to laugh at a rather awful tale about a pirate, a priest, and a shinobi walking into a bar together.

Not long after, the pair had called it quits, opting instead to lay in the grass and pant while their bodies relaxed after the intense workout. Sasuke had been the first to recover which was understandable since he hadn't been working out since daybreak, and the blonde remembered opening his eyes to the site of his friend leaning over him, as sweat dripped down the brunette's temple and onto the grass. He offered a hand which Naruto accepted, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. The Uchiha used more force than necessary and hauled Naruto not only to his feet but off them and the blonde had stumbled into his friend nearly toppling them both until Sasuke steadied him.

"You'll never beat me if you can't stand up after a light match like that, dobe." But Sasuke had smiled, taking the sting out of his words. He held on to Naruto's shoulders until he was sure the blonde would stay upright, ignoring the blonde's grousing, simply smiling, not smirking, and the sight had haunted Naruto all night because now the fox vessel had a new problem.

He had paced his apartment, rubbing his chest unconsciously as he thought about Sasuke smiling, the image making his heart and face warm. Naruto fretted to the point that he woke Kyuubi asking the fox for advice since she seemed to know so much about this area. To his surprise the fox had stared at him in silence, her head cocked to the side after she had listened to his telling of the day's events, several moments going by before she spoke.

Oh Kit She had said, shaking her head. Now that is a problem

And so Naruto, plagued by guilt over his own traitorous feelings toward the two Hyuugas and his male teammate, condemned himself to denying his feelings once again and opted instead to remain alone, pointing out that if he could not wholly commit himself to one person, then he deserved no one because whoever opened their heart to accept him merited all of his love without limitations.

Kyuubi, always vocal in her disagreements, had told him how silly his logic was and that he was only causing himself needless pain with such a decision. She was right of course and he knew that intellectually but when Naruto had chosen his course of action he hadn't been using concrete logic. No, he had used something far more motivating and more primitive, rationalizing his decision using fear; fear that he would be rejected and ignored again, that he would be thought of as perverted.

As some sick monster by his precious people.

There were only a handful of them and only four of them knew what he was. Regardless of his feelings, they were all his friends and allies and he would protect them from all threats.

Even from himself.

Eventually, the rest would all find out about why the rest of the village hated him, about the demon that slept inside him, and then they would leave him, disgusted by his presence.

Because, in the end, who really wanted to love a monster?

He couldn't offer any of them anything either and wasn't that the point of a relationship, to find someone who balanced you out? He could only offer his partner a life of hardship, of pain, since undoubtedly the animosity he faced continuously would be directed at them eventually. No one was strong enough for that, even he wasn't, and the thought of someone being hurt just because they were going out with him- because they loved him- made Naruto's heart feel as if it were being ripped from his chest.

He would not –could not- willingly inflict such treatment on any of his precious people, not and live with himself afterwards. The negative possibilities far outweighed the positives, the dangers outweighing any gain. No, it was better to leave things alone; things worked as they were and he didn't want to risk destroying it all.

So Naruto, fox vessel and martyr, bottled up his feelings and ignored them. He settled back into his old routine, the act he had put on before entertaining the idea that someone could genuinely love him- that someone would willingly say such words to him and mean them…!- and fought hard to ignore the heaviness this created within his heart. He began to proclaiming his love for Sakura again-something he had not been doing of late- because it would only draw needless attention if he didn't have some reason as to why he was suddenly withdrawing from the Hyuuga pairs and Sasuke, the objects of his affection that he had spent months getting closer to and falling for.

It was a small price to pay, really, for their protection- a triviality really.

So what if, in the dead of night, he mourned over the loss? So what if in those darkened hours the illusion of the happy-go-lucky idiot shattered and the gravity of it all crashed down upon him? So what if the depression that came from the realization that he would never be happy, that he would always be in pain thanks to the seal, threatened to consume him? So what if he woke to hot tears on his face and hated himself all the more for his own emotional shortcomings?

No one was there to hear him except Kyuubi, who couldn't tell anyone, and that was all that really mattered. No one in the village was the wiser; the illusion continued and everything remained as it had been. Naruto tried to convince himself that his life as it existed was enough to live on and he refocused his attention on his goal of being Hokage.

This had all been months ago and Naruto had begun to feel those wounds healing at long last. The blonde ignored the almost painful tightness in his chest, mentally shoving away the depression that threatened to settle over him and send him back into the self pity trap he had managed to crawl out of. He shook his head to pull himself away from such thoughts, slapping his cheeks lightly to make himself focus.

The kittens needed breakfast.

He had to make as much of the day as he could while he was alert.

These were his priorities for the day.

Chasing the kittens off his lap Naruto lurched to his feet, groaning as his body protested and small stabs of pain shot through him. Unprepared, his knees gave out and his bottom landed on the mattress, thankful that he had had the foresight to haul the extra cushioning off the bed last night. He put a hand to his head in an attempt to stop the feeling of his brain sloshing from side to side and an arm around his waist to try to stop his stomach from hurting. There was a thump followed shortly by another as two of the kittens leapt to the floor nearby, meowing up at him, the sound urging him to get his ass in gear and find them food.

"I'm going." He said, grimacing, his internal organs feeling as if they were being tied in knots. Sweat dripped down his temples as he ground his teeth, using both arms to surround his middle as he hunched over, forehead pressed to the mattress padding.

I can't… I can't move! Naruto thought fearfully as his body failed to follow his commands. He swallowed, nearly choking as he tried to force himself to ignore the pain wracking his body.

As if denying it would make it all go away.

Hadn't worked before in previous years but he was hoping it would this time.

Have to get up, He ordered himself as he tried to straighten out. Must stand up.

But…why? There was no where he had to be, no one he had to go see or meet. No one knew he was even here except his would-be nursemaid and he didn't have to pretend with that person around. Why on Earth did he need to get up at all to do anything? Forget the cats, forget the village with its festival celebration that he couldn't attend unless he wanted to go home in a body bag…

Fuck them all. Why should he care about any of them?

Because you are who you are, Kit The whispered voice from the back of his mind was faint and the comforting effect minimal. You are Naruto Uzumaki. You care. It's integral to who you are, it's what you do.

What if I don't want to care anymore? He snarled angrily. The blonde felt himself fall onto his side, letting out a pained groan as his body curled into a tight ball. What if I want to be like them, not giving a damn about anyone except myself? Then what?!

Distantly a part of his mind was appalled at this statement. Be like them? Like those bastards who sat back and spouted policy from the safety of their cushy little world? Like those miserable morons who never had to think for themselves, who had never set foot beyond their well manicured lawns, complaining about the world while others risked their lives to protect them?

Who wanted that? Certainly not Naruto Uzumaki.

If he did want it, to be like those idiots with their heads up their asses, and not care then that would make him…

You wouldn't be you Kyuubi murmured, her words and tone soothing him. You wouldn't be the caring, wonderful kit I know and love. No one else has the courage you do, no one else is willing to fight so fiercely for friendship, or love, or simply for what is morally right. No one else would have fought for a wounded kitten like you did. If you didn't care, there would be a void. If you didn't care, then you wouldn't be Naruto Uzumaki.

I love it when you give me an ego boost. He told her gratefully, trying very hard to be still. But this still sucks. His insides felt like they were being ripped out through his navel and chewed on while still connected. The pain wound down in a tighter and tighter spiral, increasing in intensity with each pass, rushing toward a climax that he knew was just going to be pure Hell when it crashed over him…

He was right. Naruto sank his top teeth into his bottom lip until he tasted blood, concentrating on making as little noise as possible. If he screamed, like he wanted to, then it would attract attention. People would know he was home and his ruse of being out of town would be shot all to pieces. No one who came to investigate would be here to help him. They would be there to hurt him and he would die because he would never be able to stop them in his weakened state.

He was vulnerable and near defenseless. To put it bluntly, if he was found now it would be disastrous; word would get out and anyone who had ever wanted payback on the Kyuubi would come crawling out of the woodwork for a piece of the fox, its human vessel an inconsequential casualty in their quest for vengeance.

So he kept as silent as possible, forcing himself to swallow back his cries as he rode out the convulsive fit that followed one of these episodes, and turned his thoughts inward, listening as Kyuubi crooned a lullaby for him in a gesture of comfort. He was her kit, her baby, and though she could not hold him as his body shook, she could sing for him.

Naruto's last coherent thought was that he could still hear her singing even after he passed out.

He woke to a small, sandpaper rough tongue lapping at his skin. Frantic strokes against his temple and over his cheeks, small laps over the tip of his nose- they got his attention and pulled him slowly from sleep until his eye lids fluttered open.

At first, all he saw was fur. The blonde tried to fight through the sense of disorientation and confusion plaguing him and figure out why he would have anything made of fur in his apartment when such items always got dirty. Then he remembered the fox Temari had sent him as a present but how a stuffed toy could be moving under its own power, licking him no less, was beyond the fox vessel.

Maybe Kankuro had had a hand in making the object?

I believe you are on the wrong track, my kit The fox told him gently. Please try again

He hated it when she did that, got all condescending on him, like a mother humoring a particularly slow child. Sadly, that was how he felt- as if someone had replaced his brain with a bundle of wool while he was unconscious. Thinking coherently was difficult, more so since his thoughts were scrambled.

There was a meow from in front of him, a cold nose thrust against his cheek, and Naruto's feelings of stupidity increased ten fold.

"Hi kitty." He mumbled, focusing hard to make his lips form words. The fur ball blocking his view backed up and he suddenly found himself looking into pale opaque eyes surrounded by blue fur.

"Hinata?" The blonde said without thinking. He blinked and raised a hand to rub at his eyes, convinced he was seeing things and color blind since he hadn't been able to tell the difference between a white stuffed animal and a real one blue furred one.

By doing so, he missed the shocked expressions on the faces of his new kittens.

Angry with himself, Naruto pushed himself upright into a sitting position, grimacing as his head throbbed painfully. He bared his teeth at nothing and berated himself, screwing his eyes shut as he waited for the massive headache to recede. "Idiot! Moron! She's not here. No one's here. You're alone turning into a crazy cat collector while everyone else is at the festival. No one else is here."

For a moment, he let himself feel the sadness this statement invoked, lowering his hands and looking at them resting in his lap. The loneliness he could usually keep at bay reared up and smacked him, making his heart ache fiercely while the rest of him felt empty. The blonde allowed himself a few seconds of sitting on the floor forlornly, feeling himself walk the emotional edge between not crying and bawling his eyes out.

Though it was there in a small portion, it was not self pity that made him want to shed tears. He had mourned all he cared to for that during his early years, spending most of his young life doing nothing but feel sorry for himself. He had asked, why me?, like anyone else in his position, and had cried himself to sleep hidden under the covers as a form of escape after afternoons spent getting the shit beaten out of him for no apparent reason other than that he existed. But there's a limit about how long you can mire yourself in self pity and you can deal with it in one of two ways.

You can either let it consume you utterly until it dominated everything and, ultimately, took your life.

Or you can use everything you have to fight back and crawl out of the pit before it swallows you.

There is a reason they call it self pit-y, after all.

Sitting there, listening to the everyday sounds of his apartment, Naruto was again reminded of how very alone he was. Head cocked to one side, he closed his eyes and listened, not moving as he tuned out the noises being made by the kittens.

It was so quiet inside the little home. Distantly, he could hear the kitchen clock as it ticked the day away and the refrigerator motor humming as the appliance ran. Water dripped in the bathroom from the sink faucet, something that he had been trying vainly to get fixed for the better part of two years. But that was all; apart from his own breathing and the muted life sounds of the felines as they walked around him and explored, the apartment was silent. For all intents and purposes, the place may as well have been vacant and waiting for a new tenant to arrive. The blonde tried to imagine other sounds, people sounds, and couldn't. These walls had never known laughter- only the sounds of pain.

"This place might as well be a fucking tomb." He smiled mirthlessly, opening his eyes and looking around his room, feeling every shred of his positive nature begin to slip through his mental hands and drain away even as he tried desperately to hang on to it all. "There's no one here- just me."

And me, unless you don't count foxes.

"Yeah, and you too." He smiled though it was only a pale imitation of his usual grin. "You're here too, Kyu, you're always here."

He turned his gaze on the kittens assembled at his feet and smiled, a small but genuine upturning of his lips. And now they are too.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto shifted until his legs were under him and stood, slowly and carefully. Upright, he released the breath he held, trying to imagine his pain going with it. He did this several times, simultaneously calming himself and easing his headache. He would be alright, everything would be alright. His caretaker was on his way. The apartment was locked, stocked and barricaded. Everything would be alright.

He almost believed it.

"Let's go make some noise!" He looked down at the kittens, unable to stop the self-depreciating smile that quirked his lips. Watching his feet, he stepped off the mattress and onto the floor, immediately reaching out to put a hand on the wall as he became momentarily disoriented. His stomach still hurt and he couldn't bring himself to stand completely upright yet as he walked to the bathroom.

The distance wasn't far- only a couple feet, really- but Naruto had to take frequent breaks on the way, forced to lean against the wall and catch his breath, swallowing convulsively to keep from being sick all over the floor as his stomach roiled. The felines stayed with him, keeping pace with him and waiting patiently until he was able to continue. The blue kitten in particular kept rubbing against his legs and meowing up at him as if offering encouragement, while the other two sat nearby, their tails dusting over his feet, their fur tickling his toes.

"Okay." Naruto said when they reached their destination, ushering his new friends into the room while he held the door open. "Since it looks like you guys will be staying with me, there are rules you need to know. First of all, no one eats without washing their hands first." Flashing a grin at them, he closed the door behind him and headed over to the bathtub located on the right side of the room. Once at his destination, he leaned over the side and turned the knobs of the faucet until water began running.

The Kyuubi vessel straightened up but quickly let himself slouch, grimacing and rubbing a hand over his stomach as his knees gave a warning tremble and the blonde realized that he needed to sit down before he fell over. He'd be able to get back up again, he assured himself, giving into the impulse and sinking to the floor. To be a bit more dignified, he tried to fold his legs under him but his knees wouldn't hold the position, instead sliding out to lie on either side of his hips in a reasonably comfortable manner. Naruto leaned his forehead against the cold porcelain, closing his eyes and swallowing, arms resting against the tub lip as he tried to will away the pain suddenly coursing through his body.

"S-since," He paused, licking his suddenly dry lips, his temperature spiking and making it hard to keep his train of thought. "Since all of you probably need a bath anyway, this will kill two birds with one stone…Wow that's a horrible saying. I know cats eat birds but really..."

Stop. Breathe. Kyuubi commanded as he began to ramble. Take your time. That's it, Kit. And again…Good.

"Gotta, gotta name 'em." Naruto mumbled, turning his head to press his temple against the tub, screwing his eyes shut in an attempt to focus. "They're dependent on me now so they should, should… have names."

I'm sure you'll give them wonderful names. The fox whispered soothingly, trying to reassure him while hiding her growing alarm. But first I think you should go back to sleep. He'll be here soon and you have Yumi to keep watch in the meantime. Set the alarm and go cuddle with your kittens in bed.

"Food…" He reminded her, sagging against the tub and beginning to list to one side. "They need…"

"We'll handle it!"

Naruto forced open an eye, watching as the bathroom door opened. Two of his clones walked in and gave him quick salutes before turning to the three kittens gathered next to his leg. One of the clones approached slowly, clicking his tongue at them as he reached out to pick them up but the kittens began hissing menacingly as he closed in and backed up until they were nestled in the dubious safety of the space between Naruto's thighs.

The clone frowned, eyebrows knitting together as it stopped trying to coax them out. Changing tactics, the clone turned its attention to Naruto, gripping him under the armpits and gently lowering him to the floor, hurriedly moving to straighten out his legs from their resulting awkward position. Ignoring the felines for the moment, the clone tended to its creator, fetching and wetting a washcloth to drape over Naruto's forehead.

"You moved too soon." The clone told him reproachfully as it took his pulse. "It's really bad this time- No! Hold still. They're fine." It said as he tried to rise in response to the angry yowling suddenly coming from the tub. "They're unhappy but it'll be over in a few minutes and then your kitties will be squeaky clean. We'll feed them, too, so don't worry. You, though, are going back to bed where you will remain. Got it?"

Naruto nodded tiredly closing his eyes as his head spun, his wits scrambled. He felt something cover him and realized that it was one of his larger towels, the clone slipping a folded one under his head before rewetting his washcloth and taking a seat near his head. It put a hand on his shoulder in what he assumed was supposed to be a comforting manner but doubted since the gesture kept him flat against the tiled floor, his kittens vocalizing their complaints in the background and making Naruto feel incredibly guilty.

Sleep. Kyuubi urged, beginning to croon another lullaby, ignoring his slurred protests. Sleep, Kit.

He tried to argue and remain alert, tried to tell her that she didn't need to baby him like this. He tried to do a great many things at that moment but it was useless and the blonde lost the battle for consciousness, feeling like a failure and hating himself for the weakness as his body shut down.

More's moment:

To give everyone a better idea as to what our three favorite felines look like here's a breakdown:

Neji Hyuuga is modeled after your typical brown tortoiseshell Main Coon Cat. If you've never seen one, these cats are big when they are fully grown. When deciding on which feline to make everyone, for Neji, I wanted something that was not to be taken lightly and could do major damage in a fight despite being a kitten. Don't get me wrong; the kittens are still kitten sized (About six inches at the shoulder and 7-9 inches long at around twelve weeks old. At birth a kitten is small enough to rest in your palm with room to spare.) but, of the three, Neji is the largest feline since as humans he's the tallest. Main Coons are calm in temperament, intelligent and freedom loving, meaning they should not be confined to indoors, with semi-longhaired thick waterproof coats.

Hinata Hyuuga's feline form is based upon your typical Russian Blue shorthair, a quiet, gentle and affectionate cat famed for both its color and quiet voice. A Russian Blue's voice can be so quiet that sometimes it's not even obvious when it is meowing unless you can see its mouth move. The breed's coat is plush, heavy and double with a silver sheen to it because the hairs often have transparent tips. On a side note, the Russian Blue is believed to have a possible connection with the Norwegian Forest Cat from which the Main Coon Cat bloodline is descended.

Sasuke Uchiha as a cat looks similar to the black and cream tabby patterned Tiffanie, a semi-longhair developed in the United Kingdom. Tiffanies come in a wide range of colors and patterns, ranging from solid self colors to tabby and tortoiseshell designs. Unlike the actual animal, Sasuke does not have the traditional plume-like tail; his is the straight forward shorthair version. Tiffanies have an interesting temperament which is what made me choose one for our beloved Uchiha; Stable, dignified, but inquisitive and sociable.

FYI: During the creation of this breed, Burmese (a shorthair with a brown coloring, though several variations are currently accepted, including a very distinctive blue) blood was thrown into the mix and, as rumor would have it, a similar thing happened when the Russian Blue was being developed.

I have put way too much time into this, haven't I?

I'll warn you now, there's going to be a delay for the next chapter since I have projects at school to handle. I'm also working on another chapter to my other story, one I've been neglecting since I wanted to get this chapter up for everyone, so I hope you all feel special. As always, feedback is welcome and I am also taking suggestions for kitty names- trust me, you'll see why shortly.

Teaser for the next two chapters or so! Someone has finally noticed that Neji, Hinata and Sasuke are missing but will Naruto be pinned as the scapegoat for the crime? Things go from bad to worse as a presence triggers Kyuubi to appear and the fox demon heads out to investigate with the kittens for company. The drama continues to mount as Itachi makes an appearance and Sasuke is forced to confront everything he has been led to believe concerning his clan's massacre.

Until next time, happy tails everyone!