An Apprentice's Spring Fever

I'm in hell - that was my main train of thought throughout my first week. Hell - an apt description of my current apprentice life. Hell - a place where you experience the worst tortures imaginable. Hell - the place you want to escape, yet never able to.

"Why the HELL are we doing D-Rank missions?!" I couldn't help but scream in frustration as I continued to paint the fence. The owner had commented that seeing one demon was enough, so I either had to leave or do it with just myself. Kakashi, of course, wouldn't let me leave. Of course not, it gave him more time to read his filthy book!

That, of course, still amazed me. Despite my state of being in my last life, in this life I couldn't stand the thought of someone reading such... literature so blatantly in front of me. Not when it could be my birth mother's body being described in there…. 'If I find out he writes something about me in there, Jiraiya's dead.' There were other reasons, of course, but that was the biggest.

Coming from my thoughts as I finished the fence, I heard Kakashi appear nearby. "Maa, maa, they're not so bad."

My eye twitched at that. 'The people hate me! Of course it's bad!'

He sighed, as if reading my thoughts, "They're a way for you to get known, and maybe on the good side of the town. People just assume you are what you look like, rather than actually putting thought into it to realize you're a good kid."

'...I am what I look like…..' I got the point though - make them see I can help out, and am not some mindless beast ready to rampage. 'Though if another villager chases me with a knife accusing me of being posses, once they see my ears and tail, I may let them see an actual fox demon...'

I nodded and followed him to turn in our report and get paid - that was the only real benefit, though it was only enough to last for a few meals. But I had my own spending money now!

"MY ETERNAL RIVAL!"

'Oh. My. Gosh! Please don't let him be real...' I turned in time to see a green and orange blur speed past me. 'I'm gone!'

"And who is this beautiful little flower?" It was all but yelled out as I shunshined away, not giving any time for Kakashi to hold me in place. I did NOT want the eternal experience yet. And would avoid it at all costs if I could help it…

I sighed in relief as I managed to escape - just glad Kakashi hadn't thought I would try to run away - probably thought I had no idea what would happen yet, and would let me experience it personally without warning. 'EVIL Shishou!"

I ended up walking to the side of the kage's mountain. There was a small cavern built into the side that I found a little while back. I ended up hollowing it out with some earth chakra - I still didn't have any jutsu for any of the elements, and had instead just focused on trying to do what a technique could without the hand-seals - It took far longer to achieve results, but I could manipulate each element to a significant degree now.

I followed my path down to the bottom - lit by touching a light-seal on the wall, and applying chakra. Down at the bottom, I watched my clones drawing seals, calculating equations, and figuring systems.

A couple looked up at me, but went back to work. The manager clone however walked up to me to give me a briefing, "We have completed the base for the 'Last Resort' seal. It can be applied any time. The chakra requirement is unknown however. There is simply no way to figure it completely without an actual test, and that is something we can't really do. Your size is defined, however your chakra is not. Without a basis to go on, we cannot factor in the exact chakra requirement, and the usage of your chakra for the seal would change the amount the seal would need to use. It will be impossible to calculate.

Our specialized time seal barrier is completed, however it requires four to stabilize for the moment. We are working on setting a defined interchangeable variable to allow single person usage, which should be simple enough. However, we are having trouble stabilizing it to allow outside influences to interact. Whenever there is interaction with the affected organisms, the barrier breaks down. It is only a matter of time, but for now it should at least allow a person to manage a single hit guaranteed, no matter the opponent - so long as you manage to capture them."

I nodded, pleased with the progress. These were the two biggest projects, one to make sure I have a shot at winning a battle, and the other to escape it if all else fails.

"We have managed to produce a single-point spherical barrier to restrict access to specified individuals, or blood-relatives as the only acceptable persons allowed entrance. Animals, summons, and other various parties will walk into an invisible wall, and forced to retreat. The barrier chakra will be concentrated into areas that have higher concentrations of incoming chakra, providing needed defense should a high-level attack be put against it.

Then there is the same type of barrier with a multi-point design, given a specified shape based on relative seal placements - the seal will automatically spread out to find the next set of the closest seals and link to them.

These should provide both a safe environment to work in, and a safe-haven should we ever need to hide. The spherical barrier should be designed easy enough to set up for that."

I nodded to the week-old clone before letting all my clones disperse, flooding my head with memories and specifics. The very slight headache I got soon vanished with my instant regeneration - something I could never be thankful enough for..

I produced another clone to take over immediately - creating another workforce itself. There was something else I wanted to take care of today, something I had long since put off. Something I should have already seen if I had followed the Naruto timeline.

I left, heading to the Hokage's tower.

- Hokage -

I barged through the door like normal - something I had no doubt Naruto did either, seeing as the secretary secretly tried to put me off until the old man actually couldn't see me. I ran over and hugged my jiji.

"Hello Naru-chan. What has happened that would put you in such a good mood?" He chuckled at my childish antics - something I still liked to put him through.

"Hehe, I just realized something a few days ago. I have long finished my study of my ancestry scrolls." The old man was floored by this statement, obviously not expecting me to have mastered everything he gave me, especially 'long finished', but it was true, and I was just polishing everything now.

"I wanted to know if you have anything extra you could add to them, though I have something specific."

"Oh? And what's that?" A curious though cautious glint in his eye.

"I mastered my fuuinjutsu, and have worked on chakra manipulation and control as much as possible. I guess you could say I am extremely proficient. But I have almost run out of material, so I was hoping you could let me see the forbidden scroll?"

He turned pale at that. I couldn't be sure what was in there, but apparently there is something bad that he didn't want me to see? 'The dead demon seal obviously. Possibly the Edo-Tensei?' I paused at the thought. I needed to be rid of Orochi-teme's Edo summons. I couldn't just outright ask about that though.

"Naruna, I cannot allow you to look through the scroll. However I will compromise." I blinked at the unexpected response. I wasn't stupid enough to think he wouldn't sense me stealing the scroll, nor an excuse to get out of trouble if he did, but at least I could get something from it!

"Hai! Arigatou jiji!" I smiled gratefully at him.

"Come by tomorrow afternoon. I'll have a Kage-Bunshin put together what I believe you can handle." Obviously he means both mentally and physically. The things a child shouldn't use. 'Actually, shouldn't the Shiki-Fuin have been included in my inheritence scrolls? I guess he really did remove the immoral or dangerous seals.'

I slipped away to let him get to work, only to crash into a child trying to sneak into the door with a kunai in hand. Kohonamaru… 'I had tried to avoid him, I kinda didn't want to be a sensei right now.'

"OUW! What's the big idea?!" He looked up at me expectantly, as if I would apologize once recognizing him. Though it was my fault... I won't apologize to a kid trying to assassinate his own grandfather.

"I saw a threat to the Hokage, and neutralized it…" He was a little dumbfounded at that, and I'm sure the hidden ANBU were laughing at us, they would obviously have let the child pass, and known I ran into him.

"HMPH! Don't you know who I am? Injuring me is sure to get you in trouble!"

'...Injured? What is he talking about… He's even more of a brat than I remember!' I sighed lightly, "Yes, I know who you are…" I bonked him on the head, hard to get through the helmet. "There, now you're injured. And I apologize." I walked away, leaving him dazed. I know he would try to follow me, but I didn't care anymore. At least this would stop his brat from his stupidity, if only even a little…

"HONORABLE GRANDSON! YOU! How dare you! DE-" He was cut off by the snap of my head turning to glare at him darkly. I don't care if I was a demon now, at least I was still innocent. He had no right to act that way to me.

"Tell me, what do you know about me? I mean personally - how I act, what I have done myself, any actual reason to hate me, especially for something I never did myself…." He just gave me a hateful glare, but didn't say a word. "That's what I thought; nothing. The beast you hate has been removed from the picture. I was born that day, human. I was also cursed that day, against my will, with something terrifying. Something I. am. not." I growled the last bit out. His eyes held a bit of confusion, wavering a bit, but he was still glaring.

"If you can't even see the difference, then you have no right to teach. Especially when you fill their heads with thoughts of fake promises and easy ways to do things that don't exist. Reality isn't easy, and life does NOT go the way you expect it to. But you can't blame others for actions that are not theirs. And make no mistake, I hadn't even been old enough to make an action at that point." He had actually snarled once at me, but made no action to attack me yet. My words pinning him in place, despite his displeasure, and my tail swishing angrily as I continued.

"The thing you hate, it was nearly released when I turned four. I am like this now because of the burden I carry, yes. But it was through others actions I was given this form, the only thing I have done is live. And by living, I kept you all alive. I am a hero, as the fourth has called me. For carrying a burden of hate, for keeping this village from being torn down by that which you hate, I am your saviour whether you like it or not, given to you by the 4th Hokage himself. I am his legacy!"

I turned and left him to his thoughts, obvious confusion in them, and a wide-eyed Konohamaru staring at me with wonderment next to him. I looked back through the door to see the Hokage silently crying with a small smile on his face. He knew I had more than one meaning in my words. I heard Konohamaru asking his grandfather if I was everything I said I was in the distance with my enhanced hearing, and jiji's reply of affirmation.

I didn't want any more attention after that though, I was already burning up. So I left fast, walking out the door, headed to my practice field, hoping to get in some self-practice while blowing off steam. Something had set me off, and I had no idea why.

Going through kata's I got my thoughts off of the situation I left behind, but it didn't help me much. My body was just growing hotter throughout the whole ordeal. I didn't understand what was happening. Eventually I was panting with a flushed face, unable to continue on with my training. I fell to my knees, and laid back on the grass, hoping to sleep it off.

I felt my clothes caressing my body, the silky smooth flowers that made up the seamless material flowing smoothly over my skin. The scent of the flora wafting into my nose mixing with my own. My head was going numb. I just couldn't understand what was going on with my body.

Eventually I got up, unable to sleep midday, and headed over to the large creek flowing through my personal training ground - something that still hadn't been removed from me yet. Deciding I could cool myself off with cold creek water, I untied my Obi, and left my short-kimono behind, revealing my growing breasts, and pantied form. I willed my sleeves to fall from my gloves, letting them detach and fall with the rest of my garments.

I didn't care about the rest, I left on my long gloves, high socks, and shoes. At least I wouldn't step on any sharp rocks, not that they wouldn't heal, but I'd rather not feel the pain in the first place.

Stepping into the water, I felt the cool waves rush over my form. It felt wondrous. My long hair flowing down, my body being caressed in tandem by the water, and the leftover wear. The mix was exquisite with the little bits of water being absorbed into me and the plants around my limbs. The swelling massaging my form. I dissolved into the water, unable to help myself.

But the heat wouldn't leave, if anything it only got worse. I was panting for breath, for dear life. My body was on fire, my tummy was burning, and I ached. I whimpered in despair at my realization. I jerked myself up. I had to get out! I was starting to get delirious, and I couldn't allow myself to lose it. 'I need to know what's happening to me!'

Then I had a thought - 'The Elder! She's had to have some human interaction, or even some knowledge! Or get kaa-chan! Something! She has to be able to help! I don't know if I can get back to the house on my own...' I whimpered at the thought of being stranded here, helpless.

Immediately I moved to higher ground, uncaring for my left-behind clothes. I went through the hand-seals I had only gone through a few times before. I pushed plenty of chakra into my hand, making sure it was the strongest I summoned.

Before me there was a large poof, and snow-white fox, seven beautiful tails swishing behind her. Proud eyes looking at my exposed kneeling form, my flushed face, slightly glazed eyes staring back at her snow-white ones.

"Y-Yuki" I gasped out. "I n-need help. I don't know what's happening to me. I feel weak, and so hot!" I huffed through breaths. "My body, it's on fire! It just won't cool off…" I started whining, my ears drooping, tail sagged in connection.

Yuki sniffed the air, and just stared blankly at me for a moment before huffing out laughter. Sure I wasn't in my right mind, and probably looked pretty pathetic, but that didn't mean she could laugh at me.

She stopped once she saw my indignant face through her huffs. "Sorry kit. It's just been a while since I've had to deal with this myself. A few hundred years…" She was quiet for a moment, but my worry poked through, since she immediately added on, "You'll be fine. But you'll be like this for a week or two."

My face turned from worry to relief and finally utter horror. 'A week or two?!'

She continued after my horror stricken faced calmed down some, "You'll be fine child. You will experience this quite often actually. I don't know if your human form will affect the cycle though."

I whined slightly in response, I didn't want to experience this at all! But the question on my mind - 'just what is she talking about, anyways?!' - was plastered on. I wanted to know what was going on so very dearly.

She looked slightly sympathetic as she watched on. The old fox smiled as she voiced the situation, "You're in heat. Your body is telling you it is ready to produce kits of your own."

I stared at her in confusion for a moment, and blanked out from the world. 'kits? As in children? As in MY children? As in I will give birth to a child? As in I can become PREGNANT?!'

My mind was going haywire. For some reason ever since I had come to this world, that was the one thing I had never thought about. Rather, that was the one thing I had forced out of my mind. I had avoided any thoughts pertaining to my own body giving birth. My body was the one producing the child, and I had never wanted to think about that part, so my subconscious banned it from conscious thought involuntarily. Even when it was mentioned around me, my mind forcefully broke the connection between another's ability to produce a child and my own.

Eventually my haywire mind couldn't handle it anymore, and I passed out.

Yuki looked on as the dear kit fought with herself to understand what was happening to her. It was obvious she had never once thought about something like this. She didn't have another fox around to rely on. And she wasn't around her own kind enough to know about it in general. Humans didn't have these periods, they didn't understand, couldn't understand. They couldn't prepare her, and it was too late to do so. If only she was able to visit the clan for a longer period of time than a couple days like before, it might have been okay, but it was too late at this point.

She watched on as the kit's tails emerged from themselves. One bushy tail turned into five slightly less bushy tails under her prone form. Pushing up under and around her. Their length about as long as her own legs, maybe longer if stretched taught. But easily long enough to completely wrap around her own thin body in comfort.

Sighing, she curled up around the young kit, her furry body sidled up alongside the youngling, tails curling around her limp form, protecting her. It would be a long week, she would stay with the kit until her week is over. Maybe she would be able to find a mate; maybe one in the pack? She was still young though, it would be best to wait another few years for her full power to settle in first, and let her grow to full size.

I woke up to a fuzzy embrace. It was oddly comfortable, smelled nice, and safe from the world. I moaned a little, turning over to see a world of white as I opened my slitted eyes. I blinked a few times to remove the slight blur from my sight. I groaned a little at my aching body. It felt little better than before, but it was tolerable at this point.

I shifted a little, peeking through a couple tails, and noticed it was morning. 'I slept all night long. Under Yuki's tails... Makes for a great bed though, my tails under me, and her tails over me. So soft. Such a nice place to wake up.' I couldn't help but smile and rub my face into her tails. I promptly fell asleep in her cozy embrace.

Unnoticed by the kit, Yuki had awoken to the young kits antics. Enjoying her curiosity at her situation. She left her to fall back asleep in the comfort of furry comfort, and promptly followed herself.

A while later, her heightened senses detected an intruder in the area, disturbing her sleep. She was content to let the kit sleep of what of the heat she could, but that wouldn't happen if they were disturbed. She waited for the intruder to protrude from the treeline before she lifted her head.

She saw a pretty purple long-haired woman walking into the clearing only to stop. The woman blinked in slight astonishment before shaking her head quickly, shrugging off whatever caught her thoughts. She slowly made her way up to the snow-fox only to stop a short distance away.

Yuki produced a quiet growl right as the woman before her stopped, letting her know she wasn't welcome to come closer. She could smell the kits scent covering the woman, so Yuki knew she was at least acquainted with the kit, but that could be a cover. There wasn't a definitive way to verify her without waking the fox-child from her haunting. Something Yuki was fortunate to avoid.

"Are you the elder fox Naru-chan spoke of?"

Yuki blinked at the address, before nodding.

"Do you know where my child is?"

'So she is her mother? It would explain why the kit's scent is coming from her...' she thought. The old fox nodded in confirmation before she looked back at her tails and pointed her head towards the sleeping kit.

"So she slept here, and summoned you to protect her?"

Yuki finally decided to speak up. If this was the kit's mother, then she would need to know what is happening. "Your kit has entered her heat cycle for what I assume is her first time."

The mother paled as this. She had expected a period, but not an animalistic heat cycle. It was completely opposite, but it would explain the lateness.

"I do not know much about human anatomy, but I do know that it is different. You are in heat all year around, while barely feeling the affects. We are in heat once a year, however, and it seems that the effects are heavy with your kit. She could barely hold herself together when I was summoned."

The armor-clad woman nodded slowly at this, "I had expected to talk to her about it when she started her first human cycle, which occurs about once a month on average. The first sign is bleeding. For a nin-child, it was taking quite a while, but this explains it."

The fox quietly explained the rest, "Her heat cycle may differ slightly from ours as she was born from humans, most likely it will happen more than once per year, considering your human cycles. Her offspring will most likely be determined by the form she take shape as in her heat cycle - odd as that may be, I believe that will be the case. I suggest you let her rest during her cycles, if they are to be this intense. If she can avoid activity and potential mates during this time, it would be fore the best for now. It was fortunate her mind didn't understand her instincts and lead her to a mate she did not want, nor pull one with her scent she would be unable to resist."

The nin-mother pales several times during the quiet speech. Going from one shade of white to another. She was hopeful that her child would only have to deal with a short time a year for her cycle, but was told it may happen more often, and more intensely than normal apparently. Then being told that she could have gone after a male unwillingly, or been raped by one? This was dangerous.

She bowed to the beautiful fox protecting the young kit. "Thank you for everything. I will explain this to her, unless you plan to yourself, and keep her indoors during this time. I will refuse contact from males until she is hopefully capable of herself. I need her awake to hide her extra tails though, if I am to move her home." She smiled to the snow-fox.

Yuki lifted her tails from the kit to rouse her from the beautiful heated sleep. That didn't work, however, so she brushed her tails over the sleeping form. A gurgled moan was her response, until a lifted head appeared from behind her golden-tipped red tails blearily blinking around until she spotted the purple haired woman.

"Kaa-chan?"

"I'm here to take you home. You can't put poor Yuki out for too long, among other things…"

The young kit just nodded, still slightly delirious, and definitely still tired for a reason that escapes her.

"You need to hide your tails if we're to go home… And where are the rest of your clothes…?" She asked slightly amused at the sight - Gloved armed, socked legs, panties, but nothing else. It was quite an attractive look, the slight bed-head adding to her sleek features.

The child obeyed, hiding her tails while muttering something about 'water' that sounded something slightly perverted, but couldn't really catch it, though the nearby fox-shaped form started huffing a little in what looked like laughter.

She went to the nearby creek, quickling finding the discarded outfit. She gathered up the piece, transported them back to the now standing form of her adopted daughter, wrapped her battle kimono around her, and tied the silken obi enough to keep the outfit on. She turned and nodded to the snow-fox who disappeared in a puff, and turned to head home, tired child in her arms, carried like a princess, ready to pass out again.

I woke up aching. I couldn't tell why, but my whole body ached for something. It wasn't nearly as bad as before, but it was different. It had need this time. I needed. What I needed I didn't know yet though. I walked out of our room, not noticing I was back down to panties, gloves, and socks. I followed the scent of food, what had awoken me from that strange dream that I couldn't remember.

I found myself at the table staring at delicious looking homemade ramen. Somehow it got there, and I didn't really care about that. It looked good, and I was hungry. I needed something, and this might be it. That was it my body was hungry for something. I wanted to fill myself up with something. And I was hungry for it. Food fit that category, so I had to be hungry for food.

I pulled out the chopsticks and ate the fresh meal, not noticing my adoptive mother sitting down with her own dish across from me smiling. She had only made homemade ramen on special occasions, but that didn't register yet. I dug into my food, and it was good.

I finished it off slightly better in the head. Eventually some things clicked, "Kaa-chan? Why are we eating ramen for breakfast?"

She giggled a little in her reply, "It's dinner-time Naru-chan"

I nodded sluggishly, "My body feels weird…"

"You're still in heat. I'm surprised you're as tired as you are. I don't think that usually happens."

I looked up at her blankly. Eventually it clicked and my eyes widened in horror. 'That's right… I can get pregnant! oh kami. Maybe this body isn't so great after all... This girl business is so complicated! And I am immortal now! I will be in heat every year!'

"Yuki-dono explained a few things. She seems to think that since you started with a human body, you will have multiple heats a year. She didn't expand her thoughts on the issue though."

My horror had just been amplified, 'I can barely even tell what's going on like this, I don't even know if I can control my own body this way! And she said it will happen not just once, not just yearly, but at least twice a year?!' I shivered at the thought, my ears had flattening to my head. Though I flushed, thinking back to the creek.

"She also explained that you would be pulled to males, and they to you. Most likely you will put out pheromones excessively - most likely much more than any human." She gave me a sympathetic smile.

I just started whining and whimpering, my tail drooped down low behind my chair. I couldn't stop shaking at my embarrassing and horrific thoughts, 'Males will be attracted to me unconsciously, and me, I would be unable to stop them. I am hardly in control of my body, or even my mind right now. If a male comes at me, I probably couldn't even defend myself! Not just that, but I think my body wants them! I never wanted to experience the other side! Not like this!'

Yuugao just reached over and hugged the pubescent child to her shoulder, gaining her attention. "It will be fine. I'm here with you. Yuki's orders, you sleep in, you get bed rest, and stay home until it's over. I'll let the others know you're to be out of commission until then."

I nodded confirmation. I would endure my delirium until it passes. At least I hoped I would. My aching body tells me it's going to be a long embarrassing week...