'You will never be alone again, my pup. You will find people who will love and accept you for who you are.'

And with that, they disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

GOLDEN GUARDIAN

"Calm down, pup," a voice said amusedly. A now 10-year-old, in body, boy grinned as his ears twitched. It had been several decades since little Inuyasha met the blonde-haired man named Naruto. To him, it seemed to be adventure after adventure while traveling. Yes, there were some lonely days where the fox demon disappeared…


Flashback

"Where'd you go?! Why did you leave me?! I've been beaten and nearly eaten because of you! Do you hate me like all the others?!" Inuyasha blew up in hysterics. Naruto quickly scooped the still fragile (emotionally-yet-physically) 5-year-old into his arms and whispered soothingly in his dog ears.

"Gomenasai, My Pup. It was not intentional. There is a reason why I was gone for so long," he replied. Naruto showed the tearful pup his necklace, "I disappeared because I have to constantly absorb youki from this jewel."

Inuyasha sniffled and looked at him questioningly, "Why?"

"I am, currently, not in my real body. What you see is my soul which has taken on a material form. My real body lie somewhere beneath the Western Palace. This necklace allows me to solidify my soul by taking energy from the Nature around us and converting it so my soul has a physical body to inhabit. I left because the jewel ran out of youki. I hope you can forgive me, Inuyasha." the blonde explained solemnly. Inuyasha looked down toward the man's chest and nodded a bit, but then he glared (read: pouted) up at him.

"Fine! I'll forgive you this time, but don't do that again! At least tell me before you disappear again!" The pup demanded. Naruto grinned and tightly hugged the child to his chest.

"My Pup, you are so cute!" He exclaimed with a blush. Inuyasha's face flared crimson and yelled indignantly.

"I am not CUTE! Let me down, kitsune-baka!" The silverette shouted as he wriggled in the man's hold. Naruto merely laughed and hiked the younger onto his shoulders.

"Whatever you say, koinu. Now, hold on." Naruto warned. Inuyasha settled down and held onto the older man's head and hair.

And they disappeared.

END FLASHBACK


... But that was okay because little Inuyasha knew that the blonde fox would always come to his aid. Besides, he was getting older now and Naruto had begun to train him a few years ago. Inuyasha felt like he was to a point where he could defend himself against some of the other demons. Maybe even the daiyoukai!

"Come on, slowpoke! I smell a demon and I want to test out my skills!" The hanyou shouted in glee. Naruto just chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair.

"I don't think you're ready for that level of a demon yet, Yasha. Maybe a lower level demon would be more in your range." He tried to deter the golden-eyed child. Inuyasha huffed and turned away. When Naruto turned his attention away to listen for any lunch, Inuyasha sprinted in the direction of the ogre demon he smelled not too far from them. He would show the kitsune-baka that he was strong enough to defeat a higher level demon. He wasn't weak, dammit!

Naruto swung his gaze in the direction his charge sped off to and swore under his breath. He quickly forgot about capturing lunch and ran after the wayward child.

Inuyasha broke through the foliage and immediately ran at the ugly dark green demon with a yell. The ogre turned toward the shout and swung its arm in a wide arc. Inuyasha ducked underneath the swing and pierced the demon in the shoulder with his claws. The ogre cried out in pain and anger before it swung its arm out with the intention knock the hanyou away.

It worked for Inuyasha collided with a tree from the unexpected attack. The ogre stomped toward the boy as he tried to catch his breath. He was bleeding on his side from a thick branch that protruded from the side of the tree. The ogre roared out in anger and descended upon the wounded koinu. Inuyasha shook in fear and pain as he saw the demon approach. He clutched his side and looked up with wide, frightened eyes.

The demon was about two feet away with its claws aimed at the boy. Naruto arrived at just that moment when time seemed to slow down. His eyes widened at the sight of his injured pup and hurried toward them. He had an awful feeling that he would not make it in time because of their distance and the rapidly incoming claw to the white-haired hanyou.

Inuyasha felt something within himself fester. It spread from his toes and fingertips to his stomach. He heard nothing but his blood rush through his veins. Demonic energy surged through his body.

Suddenly...

A voice...

"BLADES OF BLOOD!"

GOLDEN GUARDIAN

Naruto being surprised was an understatement. He was stunned at what the white-haired boy had done. Just when he'd been about to reach his injured pup, the inu-youkai had done something amazing! He had used his own blood to kill the disgusting demon!

"Inuyasha?" He questioned as he stepped over the downed body of the green monstrosity to his panting pup. Inuyasha looked up to him with wide eyes full of surprise as well.

"W-what...? What did I just do?" He asked with a stutter. The blonde studied the slowly disintegrating body and answered.

"Well, Koinu, it seems like you're ready for the next level of training."

Inuyasha beamed before he was knocked to the ground with a bump on the had. He sat up rubbing the lump while glaring and growling at the blue-eyed male.

"Oi! What'd you do that for?!"

"Do not growl at me, pup. You could've gotten killed pulling a stunt like that!" Naruto glared angrily at the scolded child.

"But I—!"

"There is no 'but's! If I tell you that you cannot handle such adversaries that are leagues above you, you do NOT go jumping at the first chance to fight them! What do you think would have happened if you were injured during the night of the new moon? You would be a sitting duck if demons caught any trace of your scent and you'd be dead! I do not want that to happen to you! I've seen and lost many of my precious people because they refused to back down to fight a battle they knew they weren't going to win! I've watched families get torn apart by guilt because of believing that it was their fault a loved one died!

... I blame myself for letting them run off to their deaths... I can't bare to do so again – not when I've got you to protect... So please, Inuyasha... Promise me you won't become too reckless... Promise me you'll be careful..." Naruto trailed off with pained eyes.

Inuyasha was quiet as he looked down to the ground with guilt for bringing back the man's painful memories. He knew the blonde fox only meant every word he said. After all, Inuyasha himself could not imagine the misery and self-loathing the whiskered blonde has gone through. So he did the only thing that came to mind; he entwined his pinky with the man's much larger one and looked up at him with determined eyes.

"I promise, Naruto. Gomenasai for scaring you by rushing in without thinking. But I promise you; I'll get stronger and I'll be more careful." he said with conviction. Naruto's eyes softened and he gave a soft smile.

"Arigato, Inuyasha," the inu-hanyou grinned. "Now, before we eat," Naruto lifted the boy up by the back of his Fire Rat robe, "I think it's time to get cleaned up." he finished with a smirk and carried the struggling hanyou to the nearest river.

"Wha?! No! I don't want you to wash me! I can do it on my own!" Inuyasha protested loudly.

"Oh~ I won't do that. You are perfectly capable to do that on your own~! It's just that you tend to forget one certain part of your body."

"Wha-what's that?"

"Your hair."

A loud cry of 'NOOOOOOOOO!' filled the air as the two continued on their way.

GOLDEN GUARDIAN

Inuyasha now had the body of a 15 year old though he was technically the age of around 150 years. He was alone, for Naruto has returned to the gem on the necklace. He was trusted to keep it safe until Naruto's body and soul merged back together… whenever that is.

He was currently travelling through a forest near a human settlement as he had heard that the Shikon no Tama was held by a priestess and that the jewel could turn him into a full demon. That was when he caught the scent of a human woman.

And this began the story of Inuyasha the Inu no Hanyou.