Trial and Error

"In the name of the Great Fox, what the hell are you doing woman?" Kenji, the coal-black alpha male of the largest fox skulk in the Land of Fire snapped at his main mate. He was one of the few living foxes with more than three tails; his fourth tail was formed by chakra, and would grow more solid as he became more powerful. Three of his tails were streaked liberally with bold, blood red war paint. Red, the color foxes proudly display to show their allegiance to the Greater Kitsune that once dominated the world of demons. His cold eyes were scrunched up in pain.

Katsu, a sandy colored vixen with two tails and a streak of red war paint along her spine dodged his snapping jaws and lashed out at his muzzle. "Back off!" She snarled, confused and a little hurt by his prickish behavior. "What have I done?"

Kenji glared furiously at her for a moment before raising his head to sniff the air, his tails twitching in unease.

Their relationship had grown strained ever since the cruel murder of their youngest cub. Kenji refused to look directly at her, favoring his lesser mates whenever she was within earshot. As much as she tried to explain that it wasn't her fault, that their kit had wandered away while she was asleep, Kenji would not forgive her.

The necklace of claws her mate wore around his neck clinked as he swung his head from side to side, scanning the area. The fact that foxes were no longer permitted in the demon realm gave Kenji no qualms about sneaking in and killing Moon Bears. Her mate's insatiable desire to kill the ursine demons that murdered all the Greater Kitsune and forced lesser foxes into exile in the lower world often led him to act recklessly; Katsu always accompanied him on these dangerous hunts, knowing fully well she was the only one capable of protecting him if he got injured.

Katsu feared her days as his favored vixen were running short; he had promised long ago that he would never hunt in the demon realm without her, yet, just the other night, he had allowed one of his younger mates to accompany him on his most recent outing. Ever since her kit died, she spent most of her time in her nest in the communal sleeping den, never eating or speaking, leaving only to hunt for the skulk as needed. If not for her erratic sleeping and hunting schedule, she would never have found out he had taken Kiri bear hunting with him. Though they had tried their best to wash the scent from their fur before entering the sleeping den, the reek of bear blood-and the fainter scent of a recent mating- clinging to their pelts was enough for her sensitive nose to alert her to their presence as she slept.

Too hurt to greet or confront them, she pretended to be asleep. For long afterwards she lay, thinking tormented thoughts about her future.

The ideaof Kenji rejecting her for a vain, weak female was almost too much to bear. Was their dead kit the only reason her mate was so distant? Even before that incident, they had begun to grow apart.

Was it the stress of having the lives of the entire skulk on his shoulders that led her mate to distance himself? Or was it her weight gain? Having cubs did that to a body, and she was the first to admit that her figure was no longer as lean and lithe as that of some of the junior wives.

Shaking her head, she followed her mate's example and sniffed the air too. If not for her strong nose, he would have chosen a different wife to accompany him. Too much work to do; the Kyuubi himself had appeared to her mate in a vision and ordered them to keep a sharp lookout in the forest during Naruto's genin exam. He did not specify the danger, nor where it might occur, leaving the entire skulk to split up and patrol the paths of the forest.

As she stepped forward a sharp pain lanced along the side of her body, the force of it so immense she yelped.

"Itai!"

It was her turn now to snap at Kenji, her teeth , managing to graze his cheek as he leapt nimbly away. He opened his mouth to snarl, only for it to turn into a pained yelp as his legs buckled. A wave of nausea engulfed her, and she fought the urge to retch. A dark feeling of foreboding made her cringe. Only the presence of a foreign demon could instill this sort of feeling in a two-tailed fox. An awakened demon with thousands of years' worth of chakra, sluggish from it's slumber but finding speed of foot upon realization of a long forgotten goal.

It was this monster that caused them both this incredible pain.

"Where is it coming from?" Kenji growled at her shoulder, knowing her nose was better than his.

"The forest of death….but the scent is getting fainter…it's on the move!" She looked at her mate with wide eyes. "What do we do?"

Kenji lashed his tails, his brow furrowing in thought. "We need to fall back and guard Naruto." He began to pace, his heavy paws making rough indentations on the ground. "Two or three of us need to stay on this monster's tail, keep it far away from the village."

"I'll go," she volunteered on the spot, and perhaps hoping he'd care enough to insist he come with her, or make her stay behind. Such tactics were useless on Kenji-he knew damn well what she was up to.

"Fine," he said, turning his back on her and padding away. "Wait here for the others I'm sending along; I'll see to Naruto myself."

Kenji ran at a brisk pace towards the area where his skulk made their dens. He was perhaps another five miles or so from his den site when a faint cry of distress reached his ears. He skidded to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust, and charged towards the battle that he knew was at hand. Suddenly, a similar, more agonized scream came from another direction, this one sounding farther away.

He cringed, the hissing of shuriken cut through the air to bury themselves in enemy throats striking rage and fury into his heart. Human kits were being attacked! In multiple areas too. But by whom? Kenji growled under his breath and closed his eyes, focusing his chakra and extending it to the tips of his tails in preparation for a technique. Ninpo, Kage Bunshin No Jutsu! A shadow clone with one tail appeared beside him and immediately ran back along the path he came by. Whatever was happening, the skulk needed protecting. The clone would fetch Katsu back to the dens.

With that, he turned and plunged through the forest, following the faint touch of Naruto's aura, yearning to fight, kill, die for the human child whose soul was intertwined with his master's.

"The three of you are doing better than I thought," Captain Yamato said as the genin team made their way back from their mission. Despite the Sandaime's hint that they might run into an obstacle of some sort, the most trouble the team had was when Kiba did a midair flip without warning Akamaru, causing the small dog to fall from the trees into a thicket. After they fished him out from the bushes, the quiet Hyuuga had volunteered to carry him the rest of the way. The pace he set was brutal for the young shinobi; they would gradually gain more stamina as they went on missions. That is, if they passed their test. For now, though, they would have to use chakra to strengthen their muscles and keep up.

Unbeknownst to the genin and his fellow Tokubetsu Jounin, the Sandaime had chosen him specifically to keep an eye on Naruto, and keep his demon in check. Yamato himself knew what it was like to grow up different, and took pride in knowing that he had so little prejudice that the Hokage trusted only him to gauge Naruto's skills with a fair eye.

What he saw did not impress him, but rather left him intrigued. Naruto seemed like an ordinary genin in regards to his basic skills, but he also carried with him a self-assured air, a patient, calm focus on the mission at hand. His ability to restrain Bijuu hosts came with another, lesser known power: the ability to emphatically link with the Bijuu itself, and by extension the Bijuu's host. He'd had time to use this ability on the Kyuubi's container while they were being briefed on the mission. There was always the danger of a mind-crippling mental backlash, especially if both the host and the Bijuu were adverse to his probing..

A chill had overtaken the jonin's body as his mind linked to the ancient beast's; both suddenly became aware of the other, the jounin trying his best not to make his intrusion too obnoxious. The fox acknowledged his presence with a stab of annoyance, then a calmer lull as the monster made up it's mind to put up as unconcerned an air as possible. Finding Naruto's mind(so small and easy to delve into, unlike the Kyuubi's) was easy to do, and he was immediately reassured by the boy's desire to complete his mission.

Satisfied with his findings, the jounin pressed on, leaping from branch to branch with little thought or effort.

Behind him and to either side, Naruto and Kiba struggled to keep up, determined to outpace the other without passing their squad leader.

Hey kid, don't bother wasting your energy on that brat…Kyuubi warned sagely. A pretty picture you two will make in a fight, all worn out and out of breath because of your foolish games…You know as well as I do that's impossible, Naruto replied, launching himself between overhanging branches that kept appearing in his path. My stamina beats that mutt's by a mile!

Be that as it may, I want you to slow the hell down and breathe properly as you run; your keirakukei may be running fine and dandy, but when your regular circulatory system is being overworked at the same time, it lessens the potency of your chakra system…

I know I know….

The Kyuubi lashed his tails angrily. Damn you Naruto if you know this then I shouldn't have to waste my fucking time repeating myself!

What time? All you do is sit in a cage and bitch and moan at me all day! He fired back, emitting a growl that earned a startled look from Kiba.

"What?" he snapped, cursing himself for allowing his feelings to be visibly read. It was a sign of weakness in times of war; one of the first lessons the unruly fox had drilled into his head.

"You look like you're about to crap yourself," Kiba sneered. "Lighten up, will ya?"

"Fuck off."

"Che."

From somewhere behind them he heard a heavy sigh, and remembered for the first time in several minutes that the Hyuuga girl was right behind them. Sparing a glance behind him, he met her eye for barely a second before he turned his focus back to the arboreal path ahead.

Ever since he'd called her weird back at the student training grounds, she'd been oddly quiet, preferring only to speak to Kiba or Yamato-teichou. Even so, he had the distinct feeling she was quietly studying him, and the thought rankled him.

"We're nearly there," Captain Yamato said over his shoulder, stopping on a broad branch and waiting for the rest of them to catch up.

Facing them was a large, wide gorge, it's edge barely ten yards from the tree line. A waterfall crested the opposite ridge, where the forest, now parted by the river, resumed.

On their side of the gorge, a steep, narrow path led down to the bottom. What lay down there was difficult to see due to the thick bushes and trees that obscured their view from above.

"What is this place?" Kiba asked, placing his palm on a tree trunk and bracing himself as he looked out across the wide expanse.

"Well, legend has it that this gorge is the result of an earthquake caused by a very powerful Bijuu. It is a little-known area among the regular citizens, and most people don't care to come here. And with good reason. Some say demons haunt the gorge at night, waiting for the opportunity to kill unwelcome visitors." Yamato chuckled to himself. "It really depends on how seriously you take these old kunoichis' tales."

"Is the scroll down there?" Naruto asked, peering over the edge.

"Well, obviously," Kiba retorted, shoving him aside.

Naruto's fist was cocked in a flash, but even swifter was Yamato's reach as he seized his charge's wrist in an iron grip.

"Not. Now," He gazed at each of them in turn, the shadowy contours of his face illuminating his eyes in an eerie, if not downright scary fashion. "Are the two of you done?"

"Hai." The boys glared sulkily at each other. Yamato sighed.

"Right then," he said. "As I said before, the point of this mission is simple. There is a special scroll hidden somewhere in this canyon. I want you to use your abilities to find it, and bring it back up here. You have an hour. However…"

"This'll be cake!" Kiba clapped Hinata on the back. "All we need is a little Byakugan action and-"

"No." Naruto gazed at them evenly. " That is way too easy. I say we turn this into a contest." He grinned, showing canines disturbingly similar to Kiba's. "What do you say?"

"Heh, I'm up for it," Kiba cracked his knuckles and motioned towards Akamaru. "Akamaru and I-"

"No Akamaru," the Kyuubi's host said quickly, immensely satisfied with the annoyed look that flitted across his rival's face. "Just us two….unless you're afraid you'll lose."

"Hell no! You're on!" The Inuzuka yelled, tearing down the side of the cliff, Naruto close on his heels. "Watch Akamaru for me!" Kiba shouted over his shoulder.

Hinata stood there with Akamaru in her arms, momentarily stunned by their sudden departure. Hearing a heavy sigh, she turned to see the Captain shaking his head in resignation.

"Um…you weren't finished speaking?" Hinata asked as Akamaru let out a whimper.

"Ah, yes." Yamato rummaged in his kunai pouch and pulled out a handful of walnuts. "I never did get around to mentioning the decoy scrolls….or the fact that coming back with the incorrect scroll even once is grounds for failure…" He cracked open a nut between his teeth and picked out the edible bits on his palm. "I'd hurry up and tell them if I were you."

Your teammates are idiots, The Gobi said bluntly, not for the first time.

Stupid Kiba,Naruto thought silently, furiously, as he peered into holes and crevices within the cliff's walls. I'm going to find that scroll first….and if Kiba still has something to say about it, I'll make him eat it.

If the Kyuubi had been listening in on his thoughts, he made no indication. In fact, he seemed more determined than ever to ignore his host, drawing within himself so that he was no more than a speck in his mind.

Further down the gorge, he heard Kiba curse as he stumbled on some loose rocks.

Smirking to himself, he removed his jacket, tied the sleeves around his waist, and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. The journey there was intense, and the coolness of the sheltering cliff walls was a relief for his overheated body. He quickly shook out his black shirt(sweat had caused it to cling uncomfortably to his skin) and put it back on, feeling better than before. Pulling his goggles over his eyes for protection, he took a good look around his surroundings.

The waterfall ended in a pool at the bottom of the cliff. It was from this source that a stream ran along the gorge bottom; the damp ground was littered with small, smooth stones, while further away from the stream, near the wall opposite, was dense vegetation.

The gorge was about two hundred yards across, slightly wider than the top so the craggy rock walls jutted forward slightly on either side. It was not a bad place, he decided; he made a mental note to come back later for a more thorough examination of the area. There may even be good hunting as well. He swallowed, grimacing at the sudden dryness in his throat. A drink wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

He emerged from the shelter of the bushes where he had been searching and glanced casually from side to side before making his way down to the stream. The clear water was cold to the touch, most likely due to the cool climate down there. He crouched down and plunged his face in almost up to his eyes and drank deeply. Yes...perfect indeed... He sat back and sighed, looking back upriver. He couldn't see any of the others now.

He was just about to resume the search when something glinted at the bottom of the stream. "What is that...?" He said to himself, knowing he would get no answer unless he looked for himself. He leaned over the water and plunged his arm in up to his shoulder. His fingers scraped the bottom, sending up a small cloud of sand that obscured the unknown object from view. By the time sand had settled and the water cleared, his fingers had already grasped it. Fuck... He cursed, feeling some part of it slice through his palm. Digging his fingers under it to get a better purchase, he tugged it, fumbled, then managed to get a more secure grip.

He knew by now that it was some kind of blade, most likely an old or broken blade a shinobi had cast away. His assumptions couldn't be further from the truth. The katana was flawless, unmarked as though it had been recently forged. The blade itself a gold so fine, so light, that it was almost silver. The metal hilt was crisscrossed with strips of leather that felt similar to the skin of a lizard or snake. the edge of the guard was etched in a complicated pattern of tiny dragons, their eyes inlaid with black pearls.

The katana pulsed subtly, as thought it were infused with some kind of chakra. It certainly seemed to respond to touch, and he felt a sudden desire to keep this sword. Youko's silence assured him the weapon was safe. No matter how angry the fox may be, he was always quick to warn his host of the slightest danger to his being.

If I only had a sheath...he thought, eyeing the beautiful blade. Which, he noticed, had the faint image of a celestial dragon etched along it's length. Making up his mind, he dug in his pack and pulled out a roll of bandages, which he wrapped around the blade as carefully as possible. Once he was satisfied it was no longer in danger of being damaged, he trudged back to the bushes and resumed his search.

After several minutes of fruitless searching, he sat back up again and wiped the dust off his bare arms. His neck ached, there was no sign of the scroll at all and, worst of all, Youko was being unusually silent. Frustrated, he looked back towards where he'd left Hinata with Yamato. Perhaps her byakugan would be of some use after all.

No...

He thought to himself. The Hyuugas despised him; asking a Hyuuga for help would be like admitting they were better. He knew he'd have to repay Hinata for saving him the other day as well. His nose twitched as it caught a familiar scent.

Speaking of which...

The bushes behind him rustled, then parted as Hinata stepped into direct view. She too had shed her sweatshirt, and carried it draped over an arm. Akamaru was nowhere to be seen. She froze upon seeing him, then walked toward him warily.

"Any luck?" He asked before she could form a word. He stepped closer, saw the her tense at his advance. Her manner reminded him of a dog or cat with it's ears pulled back in distrust. Her eyes were wide with distress.

"Y-Yamato-Teichou...he said-"

"WHOO HOO! YEAH!"

Kiba's triumphant howl cut across the serene silence. Hinata visibly paled.

"Kuso..." she muttered before, of all things, turning around and running away from him, towards the direction where Kiba's voice came from.

"What the hell," the blond nin swore under his breath before taking off after her. Realizing he forgot the katana, he ran back, picked it up, then launched himself in pursuit. She was faster than he thought, though he managed to overtake her just as they reached the base of the path they had taken to come down.

"Ugh...come on..." She said, hauling herself up the steep cliff face. Feeling completely out of the loop, Naruto grabbed her ankle before she could climb another step.

"Tell me what's going on," He demanded, his touch catching her by surprise. To his own shock she glared at him irately, her lavender irises flashing. His heart skipped a beat.

"I d-don't know what the hell you w-were thinking, but you guys were so busy having your stupid contest that you didn't hear the rest of Yamato-Teichou's instructions," she hissed furiously, startling him into releasing her. "Thanks to you, if Kiba gives Sensei the wrong scroll we're out."

The rest of his instructions? Wrong scroll? Damn it...

His hands shook. Mistakes like that would be fatal in a real mission. There was no doubt they'd fail now. Such an error was inexcusable.

With a heavy heart Naruto made his way up the cliff. As he climbed, the empty feeling inside him began to dissipate. Youkou had overheard everything; he padded forward from the recesses of his cage and lay in front of the sealed gate, his forehead resting against the bars. He said not a word.

Silent support from a ruthless demon.

Yamato stood with his arms crossed, an open book laying facedown on a log beside him. The other two genin stood in front of him, arms clasped behind their backs. He gave the Kyuubi container a curt nod as he took his place among them.

"The scroll, Kiba."

His hand shaking, Kiba handed the scroll over to Yamato, who simply held it without unrolling it to read what it said. After a few seconds, the entire scroll crumbled to dust. Yamato let the fragments fall to the ground. Without a word, he closed his book, placed it inside on of his packs, and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Naruto shouted after him. "What about us?"

Yamato stopped. A branch laden with sakura blossoms arched above his head, sprinkling his shoulders with late petals.

"You fail."

I have no idea what to say. I lost my motivation to write this story. Then, it suddenly came back. 3 whole years...my god. All I can say is, I've grown up, and I fully intend to finish my stories. I apologize if it seems I rushed their mission...there's more to come in this little outing.