He was a beast, a giant horrific, magnificent beast with fur like snow and eyes like a demon. His face was constructed similarly to a dog's, but he stood on his hind legs and walked like a man. He rushed in, tipping a chair with his paws, the great black claws ripping the chair's upholstery. The room was immediately silent and still, except for the heavy breathing of the creature. Beauty didn't move, didn't breathe, and just stared at him. The beast eventually stopped and stared back, and seemed to realize exactly what effect he was having. A dog snort escaped his mouth, and he sat down like a man, cross-armed and not a little amusing. Beauty blinked and sat down as well. The household around them began rushing around to serve them. She continued to sit there, mute and eyes closed. As they began to eat, she heard him speaking.

"What's wrong? Am I that hideous...?" A threat was in the question, but so was a little insecurity. She assumed he was referring to the fact that her eyes had previously been closed. She took a sip of the soup before she answered, she would not be frightened even while she ate.

"The fact is, your manners are so hideous, that I close my eyes so I do not have to witness your supreme lack of breeding." The Beast began to laugh at this, more amused than angry. Beauty was indignant, what on earth had she said?

"Interesting choice of words. Breeding. My clan is famous for its breeding." He said no more, but simply smiled at her now. Beauty wondered if it resembled his smile as a human. She also wondered if he had been told that she had been told about him, his humanity and the curse. He did not seem to be the sort of...being to enjoy having his secrets and faults revealed.

"The master had a tragedy, and became so uncontrollable that the Witch Hokage Tsunade..." said Shino, sounding appropriate for the role of narrator. Beauty had asked him to further explain the story that Ino had told her."She turned him into the form he loved most, but one that was certainly not appealing to the rest of the world. But she also placed the rest of us under this spell, until the master would learn to love and be loved in return."

"But that's not fair!" protested Beauty. "Why should you suffer along with him?"

"Because the master's greatest quality is loyalty. He is trying so hard to break the curse so that we too can be free. Besides, our Hokage had a little bit of a twisted sense of humor."

"She thought we would be adorable like this, dattebaaaaaayo!" wailed poor Naruto.

And so it appeared that he would do so, as clumsily attempted to eat quietly and politely throughout the meal. Beauty was certainly not in love with him, but her heart softened as she watched him. Even little outbursts of anger, such as breaking his fork did not lessen her pity, but instead increased it. She didn't whisper a word without being prompted, and it took him the entire meal for him to ask the simple question of,

"Uh. So what's your name?" Beauty smiled politely at him, and gracefully gestured a hand towards herself.

♥ ♥ ♥

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Notes for the Reader
• This is a slightly promotional fanfiction for my other fanfiction, Dream.
• Please review!