Red Moon's Cry

Chapter 2: Of Wolves and Foxes

Writing Influence: My entire iTunes library. If you want, I'll post a comprehensive list by name and author in my profile.

-#- A/N

---Chapter Begin---

Naruto waded as best he could through the rising water. It was cold and slimy and felt as though it would strangle him if it was given that chance. He had been crawling through this slime for what seemed like hours. Naruto sighed.

"At least I have plenty of time. But once the water reaches the ceiling I'll die…"

A loud voice rang out. "That's where you're wrong. You have until the water covers your body completely and you drown." Naruto choked. He had almost no time left. He began pushing his way through the water with more vigor and strength then before. He pushed against the force resisting him heading for the wall in front of him. As he approached the water began to rise faster. The pipes overhead shrieked and squealed with intensifying pressure. Naruto's mind began to blur and lights began popping in front of him. His head began to swim and he forced the last few steps to the wall in front of him.'

Naruto could barely comprehend what was happening. He saw a fuzzy image of a black fox in front of him with gleaming green eyes. He focused on it as well as he could.

"Are you… my alter ego?" the fox grinned.

"That I am. And reaching me under these conditions, both physical and mental, I have to congratulate you. You seem worthy of the gifts I bring and the powers I hold." Before it could finish Naruto had collapsed, fainting in his own mind. His body drifted down the corridor as the pipes over head shattered in a spray of discarded water and metal shards. Below the fox grinned in a sick devious way. "If your sensei had not destroyed my remaining body, you would not be as powerful as you will be. Not to mention you are the first to feel the bite of Kurotsuki -1-…"

Kyuubi gave a sigh of relief before growling at the rising water. His vessel had made peace with his alter ego but had caused his mind to buckle in on itself. Kyuubi had to do something. His body would not be able to hold this power; he would die no matter what. He growled louder contemplating his next move.

"Quite a predicament hmmmm Kyuubi?"

"What do you want wolf? Or should I say werewolf?"

"I want, no, require your assistance for a task of the most daunting proportions. As I am sure you know, this body couldn't possibly hold both you and me, while sustaining the boy's life. So, I ask for your assistance in my undertaking."

"And what is this 'undertaking' you plan to perform?"

"It's quite simple really Kyuubi. If you have a jar to hold your drinking water, but the jar becomes unsatisfactory, there is only one course of action you can take."

"You… you can't mean… you're going to..!"

"Precisely Kyuubi. If something is not to your liking, you remove it and replace it…"

---Scene Break---

Kakashi kneeled over Naruto's crumpled and crushed body as he cried silent salty tears, staining his mask darker under both his eyes. Naruto had been cut down in his prime, and never had the chance to truly prove how strong he could have been. Kakashi looked over the boy's body once again before lifting his hand to check for a pulse once more. He felt nothing before a slight pulse came through.

"Naruto! Fight it! Stay alive! I might have failed sensei when he needed me the most, but I'll be damned before I let his final wish go unfulfilled, even if it's only one person upholding it, a promise is a promise!" Kakashi spoke to no one in particular. He sighed once more before realizing Naruto's pulse was quickening. It was going faster and faster. His heart was driving itself so hard it was probably ripping apart. Kakashi's eyes widened as he felt the blood boil. Kakashi knew what would happen as he dived behind a large rock and dared not look.

A large sickeningly evil aura surrounded Naruto as his heart began beating at unimaginable speeds pumping blood like a piston. His blood began to heat itself reaching temperatures of 97 degrees Celsius. He began to pant his breath forming clouds due to its unusually high heat. Naruto's body began to shake when his blood's temperature spike to over 200 degrees. His veins began to burn and disintegrate. Then it happened. It started with his right hand. If Naruto could see he would have been riveted to the spot. His right hand first began to bubble on his palm, the skin beginning to melt. Behind his rock Kakashi gagged due to the overwhelming stench of burning flesh. Naruto's hand then began to pulse and inflate. It filled like a balloon. His hand puffed and began changing from pale white, to a sickening red from bursting blood vessels, to a strangling blue, to a dieing purple. It finally changed black as his hand exploded in a mass of flesh, super-heated blood, and bone fragments spattering the rocks in the area around him. It began to happen to his left hand next. Except this time it began with his fingers. Each one exploding in turn before his remaining hand burst in a fresh shower of red.

Kakashi cowered behind the rock shaking from the traumatizing sound of his student's appendages exploding one by one. When there was a lull, Kakashi assumed it was over and stepped out meekly from behind the rock. He gasped and tried to move, but didn't make it in time. A piece of heel bone cut across his face leaving a small cut in his mask, blood flowing form underneath. Kakashi dove behind another tree as the sickeningly loud explosion went off again signaling the destruction of his student's remaining foot. Kakashi grimaced as his student still had his arms and his legs.

Naruto's arms and legs all went off at the same time, spewing blood from where his other appendages were removed. Even while unconscious Naruto continued screaming in horrible pain. He paused, his body shaking and gasping as he lay armless and legless on the now blood covered forest floor, decorated by chunks of steaming, blackening flesh, and charred bone shards.

---Scene Break---

Sasuke and Sakura cringed and attempted to block out the horrendous screams and loud explosions that rang from the forest. Sakura clung to Sasuke's arm in fear and was whimpering. Sasuke just stood riveted to the spot unable to move due to the immense fear of the sounds, and the implications of what they carried with them. If he was correct, both Kakashi and Naruto might both be dead by now…

---Scene Break---

Kakashi lay on the ground panting, his one visible eye as wide as it would go. He drew in shaky breaths unsure of what was happening. He looked from behind his tree during the lull of grotesque animation to see what would happen. He watched in horror at what occurred next.

Naruto's torso literally began to burn. His flesh disintegrated leaving behind charred and bloody ground beneath it. It tore through leaving a part untouched. This part began to regenerate new flesh bone and skin. As the burning reached Naruto's exposed lung it collapsed in on itself before inflating past the breaking point popping like a balloon. A new lung materialized before Kakashi's very eyes. When it reached his heart a large explosion of blood covered everything that had not yet been colored by the life of Naruto. It tore through to his exposed organs. His intestines lashed out like whips flinging huge several foot chunks from within him. His stomach filled with juices and burst. His intestines removed themselves through various explosions and bursts of blood. And following after the destruction was the formation of new skin, organs, muscle tissue, and all other sorts of things required for a body to function and reproduce. (No details for all you sick little perverts! Or you sick big perverts either come to think of it…) Kakashi eyed Naruto's torso. It was strongly built, well muscled and lean, but not overly muscled like a body builder's. Surprisingly the seal was still there.

Next Naruto's hair singed away in an instant, leaving him with a bloody bare scalp. It burned through his scalp to his skull. The fire spread across Naruto's entire head engulfing him. It burned through his throat destroying it. It disappeared revealing a skull set in a horrifying final silent scream. The skull melted into a slop of bone and calcium before sliding the torso. A new skull quickly grew from the end of his spine. It was almost exactly the same, although somewhat harder and a small bit lager. A form of grayish matter formed inside the brain cavity forming an organ of thought. Skin grew over the skull as red hair streaked with black flowed from his scalp reaching his shoulders. A mass of cartilage extended forming a nose, and the eye sockets began to quiver as the ends of optical nerves formed. Eyes grew quickly in the sockets revealing slit pupils surrounded by a dark forest green iris. Eyelids formed over the eyes as ears sprouted from the side of his head. On the inside vocal chords formed as his throat was re-constructed.

From the stumps of his appendages sprouted new arms and legs. First the bone shot out and quickly gave it form. Muscle wrapped around the bones in taut chords to provide movement. A layer of fat slid along the muscle coating it, with skin following closely behind. His legs formed much the same way. When they were finished Naruto had arms and legs to match his toned and well formed body.

Kakashi crept out from behind the tree he had been cowering behind. Looking around the clearing Kakashi gave in and heaved the contents of his stomach on the ground. The pungent smell was absolutely nothing compared to the vulgar stench of burning flesh and hair, and the freshly spilled blood covering the area. All areas that could be penetrated by a sharp object, mostly trees, although some rocks were included, were pierced through by shards and pieces of bone that had been fired from Naruto's body. Kakashi looked over shocked at the change in Naruto. Every single deep cut he had received in his life that had simply healed with no sign, were marked by large scars. Across Naruto's face were three nearly identical slashes crossing over his eyelids and continuing across his face. His red hair lay limp drenched in sweat. In fact, Naruto's entire body glowed in the moonlight. Kakashi looked around for any evidence of the beat that had attacked him, but found none. Kakashi sighed, letting his muscles relax. It was going to take one hell of a massage to get all of this tension out of his muscles.

---Scene Break---

Sasuke stood at the window of Tsunami's house staring outside into the inky black of the night. Sakura still clung to his arm, snoring gently in the quiet arms of slumber after the traumatic events of the night. Sasuke squinted into the darkness as he saw a tall figure approach. He held his breath unsure of who, or what, it was due to the large lumpy shadow where its head should have been placed. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief when it was revealed to be Kakashi. He looked in puzzlement at the figure at the figure on Kakashi's back. He had no idea who this mysterious figure could be. Perhaps it was a cohort of Zabuza's looking for revenge, or a missing nin of some country. Sasuke practically drooled at the praise he would receive for helping to capture the ninja, even though technically, he had done absolutely nothing to help capture him. Sasuke then realized that this man was naked. Sasuke then realized he was drooling, while staring at this guy, while the guy was naked. Sasuke quickly shut his mouth wiping off the drool so fast not even the Sharingan would have been able to follow it.

Kakashi lugged Naruto's body the last few meters to Tsunami's house, not recognizing Sasuke and Sakura at the window. He nudged the door open with his sandaled foot and trudged exhaustedly up the stairs. Sasuke just watched as Kakashi dragged himself tired and bloody up the stairs. Sasuke was horrified by the amount of blood covering Kakashi's person. But neither he nor the guy he was carrying had any wounds. The man only had several scars. Except they were all large scars. Scars of a seasoned warrior. Scars that shouldn't belong to someone only slightly older than himself, or so he thought.

Kakashi flopped lazily onto the soft and welcoming futon in his room. He sighed knowing the inevitable questions that Sasuke would approach him with. He had no idea if it was going to be tonight or in the morning. It all depended on when Sasuke saw and or met Naruto again…

"Kakashi-sensei." Well, looks like it's tonight Kakashi thought with a mental sigh.

"What is it Sasuke?"

"First if all, who was that guy, why are you covered in blood, why are neither of you injured, and why is he here, and what happened to Naruto?"

"Sasuke, that's more than one question."

"…"

"Alright, fine. Now, to answer all of your questions, I must tell you a story. For those questions can't be answered one at a time without further explanation. So, to begin, after I left the house, I located Naruto who was being attacked by… a chuunin." Sasuke did not miss Kakashi's slight hesitation. "Naruto, not being skilled enough to fight off a chuunin sustained heavy injuries. Before I could jump in to assist him he activated a kekkei genkai called Naka no Shintai Kaihoo Shimasu -2-. The explosion of chakra destroyed the chuunin's body causing the massive amount of blood you see. The chakra healed Naruto's body but left several scars due to the severity of his injuries. The Naka no Shintai Kaihoo Shimasu also caused several physical changes in Naruto. Such as the change in the color of his hair, his height, and several other… features." Sasuke just glared at this new information. The dobe had a bloodline? Psh, so the dobe looked different, big deal. His Sharingan was the greatest kekkei genkai to ever exist. Some stupid Naka no Shintai Kaihoo Shimasu couldn't stand up to his Sharingan.

---Scene Break---

Naruto groggily opened his eyes and peered at his surroundings. He was lying in the middle of a large evergreen forest. No sounds could be heard. Even as he moved the pine needles beneath him made no noise. Naruto shouted, but his voice died within meters. The surroundings were calm, but also disturbingly quiet. Naruto jumped at the sound of something behind him. When he turned around he saw it was the same black wolf as before.

"Hey uhh… Kurotsuki was it? Where are we? And what are you doing here?"

"We are in your mind boy. And I am here simply because this is where I will reside for a short time before my position is filled."

"Position? What position does a wolf hold?"

"Well you see boy, I am no mere wolf. Before ending up here I was actually a Shitouken. I am sure you have no idea what a Shitouken (Not a real word) is. A Shitouken is the earthly representative of a specific Jigoku Doobutsu-3-. We are the ambassadors of Jigoku-4-. We live here, on the mortal realm to keep all of Jigoku up to date on current going-ons, and we also keep you ningen in your places. A prime example was the Kyuubi attack. Konoha was growing too powerful and had to be destroyed. Although their total destruction was unsuccessful, Konoha was still crippled, economically, physically, and emotionally. And I was sent here to rectify another problem. The Kyuubi no Yoko was imprisoned inside a mortal body, which was creating an imbalance. So, the closest relatives of the Kitsune Ambassador, was sent. They chose the Henkei Shimasu Ookami-5-. Better known to you human creatures, as werewolves. My job was to destroy you and release the Kyuubi no Yoko once again, to finish its work. But, after certain, intervention, my body was destroyed. But, I had thought ahead to this situation. If I had not considered my death, your shoulder would be unwounded. For you see, the reason I am still here is because my bite transferred a small piece of my soul to you. Unfortunately it shoved me into your damned seal. Therefore anymore of my essence attempting to rejoin with me will only be absorbed by you, as it recognizes you as me. So it is your task to become the next Henkei Shimasu Ookami."

"Does that mean I'll turn into some sort of creepy wolf demon thing?"

"No. You will however become a werewolf. This comes from the venom in our saliva. It is actually more a virus than a venom. It enters your blood stream, before stationing itself in the wall of your heart. From there it multiplies itself and sends itself to an adjacent cell in your heart. This process repeats until the entire heart wall is occupied. Then they begin using your veins as a transport system, eventually infecting every single cell in your body. Now, Tenken Tsuki Akarui, -6- the Moon Goddess, is the one who originally blessed Ookami with the ability to infect humans and make them their followers, but no wolf wants to have a human as a follower, so it originally transformed the infected into a wolf, permanently, at the first full moon he was under. But since then it has mutated to the point where the infected transform under any moon besides the Kuro Tsuki, -7- but only for the time they are under the moon. And since the moon is out even in the day, Tenken Taiyoo Akarui -10-, the Sun God allied himself with humans to give them protection. The moon will not transform them as long as they are touched by, or can see, his light."

"So, basically I turn into a wolf every night due to some virus you gave me?"

"In layman's terms, yes."

"Ok, so if this is my mind, where's that furry assed Kyuubi?"

"Ah yes, follow me."

Kurotsuki stood up and stretched before plodding off into the dense woodland. Naruto jogged to keep up with him. They traveled at a moderately slow pace until they came to a long row of trees, each with a door in the shape of an object representing something.

"Kurotsuki, what are these doors?"

"Those doors boy, are the pathways to your memories. The color dictates its association. The darker ones are worse memories while brighter ones are happier memories. There are also other colors that I will not go into detail at this time." Naruto simply nodded staring at one tree they were passing by. Its door was the shape of an oval. But on the door was a weasel's head crossed by a snake and a dragon…

They came to a very large tree. It had a large cave carved into its side with bark serving as bars. A large leaf was growing form one of the bars and it was covered by the same seal on Naruto's stomach. This was the new cage of the Kyuubi no Yoko.

"So, you have arrived boy. And I see you brought that wolf along with you too." Kyuubi spoke spitting out the word wolf like it was some kind of vile sin. "You can thank that vile creature for what it's done to your body boy. I tried to warn him against it, but he would not listen. He insisted on the changes." The Kyuubi secretly grinned in the shadowy recesses of his prison. This may serve to turn the boy against the wolf and direct the boy to him.

"Changes?" Naruto asked confused. Kurotsuki merely held up a full body mirror allowing Naruto to examine his new looks. He blinked before asking an obvious question that was bound to pop-up in this situation. "Why am I naked?" Kurotsuki just smacked a paw over his eyes while Kyuubi just stared for a second before erupting in a cacophony of laughter.

"Child, just think of you clothed. And if you choose that hideous orange garment I will finish the job I was sent to here to do!" Naruto nodded knowing fully what he meant. The Kyuubi just watched as the wolf threatened the boy. He was starting to like that wolf.

Naruto decided on loose baggy black durable cloth pants with black sandals. To prevent unnecessary trouble he taped the ends of his pants to his ankles. He wore a form-fitting forest green shirt with a black chuunin style vest over it. Emblazoned on the back in red was the kanji for the word fukushuu, or revenge. He wore his hitai-ate over his right bicep. His black streaked hair was tied into a short ponytail at the end of his neck. Kurotsuki raised his eyebrows at Naruto's choice of clothing but said nothing.

"Now, Kurotsuki, about what Kyuubi said about my looks before, he said you had insisted on changing them. Would you care to explain why?" Kurotsuki looked at Naruto a second before glancing at Kyuubi.

"My reason was actually fairly simple. There was no way your pathetic human shell could handle three separate entities. Your body was already much stressed from handling Kyuubi. His chakra was corrosive to humans, and you were no different. Although the seal slowed the flow considerably, your body was unable to build up a resistance. Also, your mind was not in the greatest shape. Early childhood trauma next to have Kyuubi sealed into you, you were beaten many times, causing severe blunt force trauma. Although you lived due to Kyuubi's efforts, your mind suffered severely. Your mind was already killing itself before I arrived, although at a much slower pace. It broke down once I entered because I was not bound by a seal. Seals act as an extension to contain whatever enters. But seals take up mental space, but require less mental focus to control as the seal does that by itself. So when I came in without a seal, and was mentally and physically bonded to you, your mind couldn't take it. And even if your mind could, your body would break down due to Kyuubi's corrosive chakra, the stress of transformations into your werewolf form, and normal injuries and everyday activities. So, to rectify all this, I, with Kyuubi's assistance, destroyed your old body and replaced it with your new one."

"Well, thanks, I guess… So, how'd you replace my body? Remove my spirit and create a new one and insert it into that one?" Naruto asked quite puzzled.

"Hm. That might have worked better, but regardless, we basically overloaded your body with Kyuubi's corrosive chakra causing your blood to boil and evaporate, causing your appendages and limbs to literally well, explode. We then burned your torso away, and grew it out of Kyuubi's chakra and your already existing cells. We also recreated your limbs. Your head was then burned removing all skin before your skull melted. We then reconstructed your head and everything in it. So, overall you got a completely new body. Oh yeah, you're naked too. Your clothes were destroyed." Naruto just gawked before everything started to become fuzzy.

"It seems our tie here has been cut short. How unfortunate…"

"Yes it is. But next time we wil…" Kyuubi's voice faded out of existence as Naruto returned to the realm of his physical body.

---Scene Break---

Naruto slowly opened his eyes squinting them at the glaringly bright sunlight that filtered into his room. He blinked before sitting up slowly. He seemed surprisingly awake. He looked down at his bare chest and noticed several large scars across it. Each one held a tale to be told. The worst was a large X that spanned from the one shoulder to the opposite side of his hip on both sides. It came from that one night several years ago. The ANBU had shown up, and he foolishly thought they were there to save him from the beating. Instead, an ANBU wearing a mask shaped like an owl had drawn his katana and proceeded to attack Naruto. Only the two diagonal slashes were deep enough to leave scars after his transformation. Naruto had since then wondered who it was behind that dreaded owl mask. Who would attack a poor defenseless 5 year old child? Naruto had no solid suspects, but he did have one theory. But it was almost thrown out the window, just almost. Naruto shook that thought from his head before noticing the pile of clothes at the end of his bed. Looking over them, they were a set of roughly cut clothes just like those of Kakashi's. Naruto would have to thank him for sacrificing a pair of clothes for him. Naruto stretched relieving some of the tension in his muscles, and walked into the bathroom carrying the clothes next to him.

After getting dressed, Naruto tied his hitai-ate to his right bicep, and tied back his hair. He looked at his eyes in the mirror, studied his hair, and looked at his teeth. His teeth had gotten longer and sharper, his eyes were now that creepy forest green. His hair, black and red was an interesting touch on his visage. He looked in the mirror one last time before heading down the stairs to breakfast.

As Naruto pulled out a chair and sat down, he noticed Sasuke's glare at him. He also registered the fact that Sakura's chopsticks stopped halfway to her mouth, and the rice held in between them simply fell to the plate below.

"Kakashi-sensei, who is this guy? And where's Naruto! I mean, when you left last night, I expected you to find Naruto and bring him back, but who's this guy?"

"Well Sakura, he's actuall-" Kakashi was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"Shut your mouth you stupid girl. That IS Naruto. Even if he looks different he's still the same idiotic dobe underneath. Dobe, your Naka no Shintai Kaihoo Shimasu is nothing compared to my Sharingan! Even with your new power, I am, and always WILL be better than you in every single way!" Sasuke stated beginning quietly and slowly before gaining force. Sakura just stared at Sasuke before shaking her head vigorously.

"Yeah Naruto-baka! You'll never be anywhere near Sasuke! You're just trying to be cooler than him by making yourself look different! You'll never make me like you that way idiot! My heart belongs to Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, nodding convincingly to herself.

"Yamata! Surely that speech will get rid of Naruto-baka and win Sasuke's heart!" Inner Sakura shouted with conviction. Sakura was apparently convinced, along with her alter ego, that she would be able to swoon Sasuke without any sort of skill of any kind. Naruto just sighed and set down his chopsticks next to his empty plate.

"Kakashi watashi no tomodachi -8-, if you are looking for me I shall be on the bridge awaiting your arrival for our departure." With those words Naruto stepped out of the house and walked away. Kakashi merely watched him leave and glanced at his other two students a slight anger hidden in the depths of his eyes.

'Friend? Is that how you see me Naruto? More than a sensei? I've done nothing to earn your trust. I think it's about time I changed that fact.' With this resolution in mind, Kakashi thanked Tsunami for her hospitality, and quickly left dragging Sasuke and Sakura after him ignoring their cries of protests. Kakashi was in no mood to deal with any of their comments.

---Scene Break---

Naruto leaned against the side of the bridge of the bridge awaiting Kakashi and his two teammates. He had his eyes closed and merely stood there as if contemplating something. As Kakashi walked by he wordlessly started to follow Kakashi slipping his hands into his pockets, never opening his eyes. He simply ignored the two behind him. Sasuke who was right behind him was mad that Naruto was somehow taller than he was. He chalked it up to Naruto's bloodline.

"Feh, just like the dobe his bloodline is useless. So he gets different hair and eyes and he's taller. How useless doesn't he know how useless height is in battle? Being taller creates an inconvenience for you. -9-" Sasuke also forgot to mention to himself how being shorter could also be an inconvenience in a fight. Sasuke just "hmph" 'ed and continued to follow after Kakashi and Naruto brooding over Naruto's special treatment. Treatment HE deserved! Sakura just ogled Sasuke with large fan-girl like hearts ever present in her eyes. Naruto just chose to ignore them continuing to walk alongside Kakashi, almost as an equal.

They passed by two farmers who were eagerly conversing over some strange subject.

"I'm tellin' Yer! Dat Werlf wur as big as yer can burleve! It ated mar den hayve off mah chackies! At blunded in haere and'a sterted gubbleobling all o' me chackies! Duh gapping muw on dat cratter wus as bag as dem crocurdillies dat sumtims seens round dis 'ere parts in de fluwery ploces!" (Eck. So hard to write in such bad grammar. But if you wanna get the whole feel of how I intended for them to sound, read it out loud. It really puts the pronunciation in there.)

Translation for the benefit of readers:

"I'm telling you! That wolf was as big as you can believe! It ate more than half of my chickens. It bounded in here and started gobbling all of my chickens. The gaping maw on that critter was as big as those crocodiles that sometimes are seen around here in the spring time."

End Translation for the benefit of readers.

"Och! Sure yeh did! And mah wee lassie Osstie is 'a gonna run off tah get married in not nigh near twuh weeks yeh crazy uld coot! Aand if dat idn't enough convincerin' for yeh, yee can take it up wit mah fist yah muggit face!"

Tftbor: "Sure you did! And my young daughter Osstie is going to run off to get married in almost two week you crazy old coot. And if that isn't enough convincing for you, you can take it up with my fist 'muggit face.'"

End Tftbor.

"Fah! Wotiver ies yies dis wuntin tar beliver is nottin o' me buzzerness! Bert I's is wurnering yeh! Win dat ald Werlf comes a bounderin inter dis's 'ere place, it is a gerna be yuh felliz huhs gonna beh payins in deh blud oh yuh children!"

Tftbor: "Fah! Whatever it is you want to believe is none of my business! But I'm warning you! When that old wolf comes a bounding into this here place it's going to be you guys who'll be paying in the blood of your children!"

End Tftbor.

With those words the crotchety old farmer making remarks about children walked back into his old hut and slammed the rickety door closed. Sasuke snorted at his terrible grammar. Sakura just continued ogling Sasuke not hearing a word of the conversation. Naruto was still deep in thought, although his thought had changed direction.

'His words hold a ring of truth. Although it won't be the children that pay in blood, and it won't be here in Wave. But the wolf will return. You can pride yourself on that fact… Konoha.'

End Chapter.

5,328 words! A decent count that more doubles the length of this story! Now, for the Author's Notes and Translations I KNOW you guys all love!

-1- Black Moon – The name of the werewolf that bit Naruto. He is also the ambassador for the wolves to the mortal plane.

-2- Inner Body Release – The supposed bloodline of Naruto's used to explain the fact of his change in appearance.

-3- Hell Creature – An animal or creature that resides in Hell. This includes Mortal Ambassadors, their species, summons, and other sort of demonic creatures.

-4- Hell – Underworld. The plane where deceased spirits who are not granted sanction in Tengoku (Heaven) arrives. Also the planes of existence of Mortal Ambassadors, their species, summon creatures, and other various species.

-5- Transform Wolf – Better known on the mortal plane as Werewolves. Originated from a species of demonic wolf with the original ability to take the form of a human. Evolved into the current species of Henkei Shimasu Ookami.

-6- Heavenly Moon Light – The name of the Goddess of the Moon.

-7- The "Black Moon" better known to mortals as the 'New Moon.'

-8- Kakashi, my friend. – This phrase remarks that Naruto sees Kakashi as more than just a sensei after what he did to protect him.

-9- Sasuke is remarking to how being taller makes it harder for you to conceal yourself, and makes you a larger target, He forgets to mention that height also gives you an advantage of intimidation over shorter opponents, makes it easier for you to overpower a shorter person by implying your weight, and extends your reach. Being shorter makes it easier for you to evade and hide, but also makes it harder to overpower a taller person, and to wield larger weapons in combat.

-10- Forgot to add this while I was writing… - Heavenly Sun Light- The name of the Sun God who bestowed his protection upon the mortals infected by the werewolves.

Final Take:

5,656 words.

12 pages.

26,171 characters excluding spaces.

31,892 characters including spaces.

113 paragraphs.

544 lines.

Alright, that ends Chapter 2 of Red Moon's Cry! Do me a favor guys, drop a review! IF you can take the time to read this whole chapter, please take two minutes to write me a review! I don't care if it's simply a compliment, like, 'Good story!' 'Nice work.' Or something simple. If it's a flame, I'll try to answer you in the next chapter. And if anyone has a problem with my translations, feel free to PM me a different language translator. And if you decide to write out a long helpful review, expect thanks! And the offer for a OneShot on whatever topic you want still stands if you can guess the meaning of the phrase "Enki Shimasu Tsugi Kikan!" So, Enki Shimasu Tsugi Kikan! –Hint: Think of PHRASES that would fit there.-