Chapter Thirty Six: Getting Back

"So whaddya think we gotta do, Big Boss?" Naruto piped up, anxiety obvious in his voice. Mononoke's lips curled in distaste as she watched Shukaku tore off chunks of ice from his body. The ice wasn't strong enough to hold the creature down, which was a frustrating surprise to her. This had never happened, but then again, she hadn't fought a Tailed Beast before.

If you have an idea, Great Toad, I suggest you tell us now! It's not going to hold for long! She snarled, her tails writhing in response.

Gaara was watching her solemnly as the monster beneath him was wreaking havoc. Mononoke felt her spine turn cold at the blank, empty look in his eyes.

The toad grumbled loudly, obviously miffed by this issue, "The boy is controlling the demon, right? Use your pretty head, dog." Mononoke sent another blast of ice at Shukaku before he broke free, trapping him for a moment longer.

She thought for a moment before responding to Gamabunta, Unless of course, you have teeth and claws, you can hold him down.

"Don't you have them yourself, mutt?" The toad asked in aggravation.

I appreciate that you think highly of me, Great Toad, but I think you forgot that I'm about the size of his palm. Mononoke retorted before her tails flew out in a fan behind her, Watch out!

Gamabunta leaped into the sky, barely missing the wind missiles aiming at him. Mononoke immediately curled her body around Naruto, pinning them down on the toad's head. Naruto had shrieked as he was caught by surprise.

The blond gripped tightly onto her soft fur, wrapping his arms along her large neck as Gamabunta made leap after leap, trying not to get shot down. He could feel her muscles rippling around him as she steadied herself and he barely noticed the tails that were wrapped around his waist.

Naruto!

He could hear Mononoke called to him, her head still snugly tucked into his back, Listen! I'm going to let go of you so make sure you stick your chakra onto the toad so you wont fall off like the idiot that you are. I'll distract the Beast. Once he's not paying attention, get the Great Toad to hold him down and knock Gaara out. It might not do much but it could stop this madness.

The Genin could only gulp, taking in the order as well as he could, before he gave an affirmative "Got it!" He couldn't help clenching his fists into her fur for a final gesture of comfort.

Don't get chicken on me now, dumb ass!

Even though her tone of voice was mocking, Naruto couldn't help but feel encouraged.

Then the fur slipped through his fingers and he felt a rush of icy cold wind lapping at his face. Naruto grunted as he fell forwards, and looked up.

A comet of white light began hurtling towards Shukaku. The creature was starting to regain consciousness. It shook its head this way and that to get rid of the ice shards. The ball of light danced towards it, jumping and bobbing as it rode the air currents.

A neat twist and Naruto could see Mononoke pouncinf from one tree to another, closing the distance between the demon and her.

He looked up and sucked through his teeth in surprise.

Gaara was glowering down at him, his hands interlocked in strange way before his mouth moved. Then the redhead grew limp and sunk his head, his arms flapping uselessly downwards.

From his vantage point, Naruto immediately noticed the change in the One Tail. The creature shook itself violently once more, as if it had just woken up, before it looked around, its black and gold eyes looking this way and that, taking in its new surroundings. The following moments were quiet and tense when Naruto caught the small ball of light closing in to the Beast in his peripheral vision. But a large gust of wind halted Mononoke's movement. Shukaku swung its tail in a wide swoop, crying out.

Then, it leaned back, its arms pumping up in the air victoriously, "Whoopee! I'm ouutt! I'm free! Let's get this partayy stttaarrrrtteedd!"

Naruto made a face as the Tailed Beast celebrated, "He seems kind of funky."

Gamabunta snorted in reply, obviously miffed with the Tailed Beast's progress, "More deadly too."

With a whip of its head, Shukaku immediately took noticed of the great toad before it and it shrieked with bloodcurdling laughter, "Woohoo! Looks like I've got someone to kill, huh? Come on then! Let's dance!"

Before Shukaku could send an attack, a small white creature entered the fray.

Shukaku threw a blast of air at her, causing her to dodge and leap into the air. Making a tight roll backwards, she floated up and stabilized herself in mid air, her tails looping loosely behind her.
Mononoke cocked her head curiously for a heartbeat before gaping her jaws, sending a chilling vortex of ice towards the demon.

The wind twisted and curled, rolling across the sky like an whirling tornado. The ice hit it full blast, sending icy spikes into its thick hide. The One Tailed roared, before it made an attempt to swipe at her in vain.

Mononoke pranced away in the air before making her way towards its head. She leaped and darted gracefully as Shukaku tried to smack her out of the sky, as if she was an irritating bug buzzing around it mercilessly.

Naruto immediately yelled at Gamabunta, suddenly remembering his initial mission, "Mononoke-chan told us to attack when she's keeping him busy! What do we do?"

Gamabunta grumbled for a moment before he started, and asked suddenly, "Hey, kid. Do you know how to transform?"

Mononoke was still jabbing at Shukaku, desperately trying to take its attention away from Naruto and his toad summon so they can figure out their next move. Just as she thought, Shukaku wouldn't allow her to come close to its head, where Gaara was hanging like a zombie.

She snarled and her tails straightened out in the air, the fur gleamed once before the tails shifted into a sword-like state. Mononome threw balls of ice at the beast from her jaws as her tails began to dance into a deadly flurry, cutting up Shukaku's arm bloody.

It worked well enough to get it royally pissed.

"Get back here, you little worm! I'm going to crush you into a slimy pulp!" Shukaku bellowed, swiping at her in vain.

I'd like to see you try, you lumbering clown! She taunted back, before shooting another ball of fox fire at the beast.

But at its last attempt to snatch her out of the sky, a large air current took Mononoke by surprise, causing her to stumble and lose her balance.

Seizing the chance, Shukaku made a grab for her.

The canine yelped as large claws closed around her tightly, and Shukaku burst out in maniacal laughter, "Any last words, scum?!"

Mononoke cried out in pain as it tightened its hold on her, the sound sharp and pitiful.

"Hey, ugly! Let go of her!" A voice called out and both Shukaku and Mononoke turned to the source, the latter let out a soft gasp at the sight.

Naruto had a grin on his face as he stood proudly on the head of Kurama, the Nine Tailed Fox, who was snarling at Shukaku, his tails whipping about wildly. Jabbing a finger at the One Tailed, Naruro hollered, "Hey, didn't you hear me? I said drop her!"

Shukaku took in the sight for a moment before smirking, dangling Mononoke between his claws, "You want the mutt? Come get it." Without warning, he slammed her into the ground hard enough to form a chasm.

"Mononoke-chan!" Naruto cried in horror, and with a roar, Gamabunta, in his Nine Tailed form, launched himself at Shukaku. With sharp teeth and claws, he held the One Tailed down and growled, "Now's your chance, Naruto!"

He didn't need to hear it a second time. The blond raced across the mounds of fur and leaped towards Gaara.

"Time for payback!" He yelled as he landed head first at the Sand Ninja, colliding with the redhead's skull.

Naruto groaned in pain as he watched Gaara who was flanked by his teammates. The blonde tugged him up gently, but Gaara's eyes remained unwavering on the Leaf Genin.

"We will meet again." He said finally, once he was safely tucked in between Kankuro and Temari. Naruto gave him a tired half-smile before his eyes closed and he relaxed.

Without another backward glance, Gaara's siblings whisked him away.

As they began their journey, Gaara spotted a deep chasm. And in the middle of it was a white creature. He gasped in pain, as he rasped, "Wait, take me there."

Temari and Kankuro leaped to a stop and exchanged worried looks. Temari looked down at her youngest sibling, "Where?" Gaara nudged his head towards the limp body below.

The other two followed his gaze and sucked their breaths.

"What the hell is that?" Kankuro breathed in disbelief and awe.

Even though she was covered in dirt and dust, the ethereal creature on the ground still looks humbly majestic. Gaara grunted before taking a wobbly step towards her impatiently. He needed to go to her. The other two got the message and quickly crossed the forest to land beside her.

Gaara stumbled as he released himself from his siblings to kneel beside the large canine. Mononoke's body was riddled with cuts and wounds, marring the beauty of her fur. Gaara felt a flare of anger at whoever who caused of this, then bottomless guilt when he realized he was the one.

Her breathing was weak but steady. He raised a hand to touch her, to comfort her if he could but stilled for a moment. Temari noticed that his hand was shaking uncontrollably.

Gaara felt his eyes prickling with heat. He wasn't worthy of touching her. He knew it as much now. He remembered all the trust and care she had given him. All those smiles. All those laughs he didn't deserve. And instead of the vicious cycle where his loved ones betrayed him in the past, this time, it was he who betrayed Mononoke this time.

The Sand ninja took in a shuddering breath at the realization and dropped his hand on his lap before closing his eyes shut tightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Is this what they called guilt? This pain in his chest?

And without another exchange between any of them, Temari and Kankuro carried Gaara and they disappeared from the Land of Fire.

When she opened her eyes, all Mononoke could feel was pain.

Pain. Everywhere.

She groaned as she lifted her head and looked down. Well, the good news was she was alive. The not so good news was she was still in her demon form. Shaking the debris off her fur, she tried to get up on wobbly legs. She failed twice before she managed the push herself from the ground.

Curling her tails in an easy loop behind her, she sniffed the air, trying to track Naruto.

Suddenly, her head swerved giddily, cursing at herself as she did so because a monster headache entered her brain. It took her a moment to right herself before she focused on the empty space beside her. The strong scent of the Sand ninjas were right beside her. She lowered her head closer to the ground to take in the smell. An hour ago. They were here an hour ago.

Mononoke snarled for a moment but stopped. No, she knew something wasn't right. There was no point getting mad at him now. Gaara wouldn't have done this for the fun of it. There must be a reason why he would betray her.

For now, she would just need to deal with the damage to her village.

She shook her head before looking around. This is not the time to be pondering over this. She needed to look for Naruto. Walking in around the chasm in a loose circle, Mononoke tried to catch a whiff of a scent.

A single tell-tale trail of her comrade's scent came to her. A surge of relief flowed through her and she leaped out of the chasm and into the forest.

When she finally got to him, there were a few Jonins crowding around the blond. She slowed her pace and started sniffing around, skulking in the shadows.

Mononoke watched from afar when she finally recognized them as Leaf Nins. She spotted Kakashi in the midst of the bustle, with Pakkun loyally sitting by his feet. Asuma was beside him, talking softly to another Jonin in charge. A few medics were beside Naruto, taking note of his condition. She flicked her ears this way and that as she picked up snippets of their conversation.

It seems Naruto was unconscious. Mononoke flattened her ears against her skull with worry. Would he be alright? She began to stalk closer for a better view.

The Jonin thag Asuma was talking to nodded in affirmation, and gave him a few quick words. He walked towards the medics and spoke to them. Mononoke heard them talk something of the hospital before the Jonin carried Naruto on his back with the medics flanking him. They left the scene quickly.

Mononoke then noticed the others were becoming agitated and uncomfortable, some of them stealing glances at each other. The handful of Jonins that remained in the scene exchanged a few words before leaving as well, with excuses of "scouting the area".

Kakashi and Asuma were left behind in the clearing. After a moment, Asuma turned to Kakashi and patted his shoulder, "You alright?"

The Copy Ninja sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping immediately, as if he was holding on to his composure when the others were here. His calm demeanour shrivelled away as he rubbed a hand across his face, "No sign of her."

His hand fell and he looked towards his colleague, his dark eyes knotted tightly, "I shouldn't have sent her along with them. She should have stayed by my side, where I could have kept my eyes on her. Who knows what could've happened to her?"

Asuma gave him an encouraging albeit a little tired smile, "Mononoke's a tough kid, you know that and I know that. She won't let anything happen to herself. I'm sure she'll be fine."

In the shadows, Mononoke lowered her head and whimpered softly.

She didn't know how to approach them. Not on this form. But it wrenched her heart to see Kakashi looking so forlorn, worrying about her.

He sighed as he shook his head, "Yeah, I know. But I will never forgive myself if something happens to her." Asuma heaved a deep breath but said nothing as he stood by his fellow Jonin. Kakashi stared at the ground, deep in thought before he visibly collected himself.

"She'll be fine. She's Mononoke." He said aloud, reassuring himself and Asuma made a hum of agreement, "I'd bet she's going to saunter back to the village any moment and she's going to be all right."

Strangely enough, Mononoke felt something was missing. And then it struck her.

Pakkun was silent the entire time, which was a little strange since he knew what had become of her. She stiffened a little.

Her eyes drifted towards the small canine and found him staring at her general direction curiously. He knew she was in hiding. Mononoke gave a soft warning huff before slinking back into the shadows swiftly.

She didn't want Kakashi to worry about her, but she's in her demon forme right now. She couldn't just waltz up to him like this. She wasn't sure how well he would be able to take the transformation and she sure as hell don't want to find out.

So she turned tail and ran to someone who could help her.

She needed Shikamaru.

Two days.

Shikamaru jiggled his legs before getting up again. Then he sat down. Two whole days and no word of Mononoke. He couldn't take it anymore. He stood up again and paced across the corridor. He bit his lip as he looked to the sky. The clouds were looming today. Grey, dark and gloomy.

Her favourite kind of weather.

That train of thought made him start walking again.

The moment the chaos died down, Kakashi had immediately came to him, asking for Mononoke's whereabouts. He told him what he could, even about how Mononoke transformed because he was sure the Copy Nin knows about Gintaro, and the Jonin just took it in silently, thanked the boy and left.

The Nara didn't know what to do. He knew she needed him, more than ever. But he could only sit and wait. The very idea frustrated him.

"You're going to wear down the wood if you keep sulking like that." A voice nagged him gently and Shikamaru whirled around to meet his father.

"Have you found her?" He asked urgently, his eyes scanning his father's face for clues. Shikaku gave him a wane smile.

"Yeah. But it's... Complicated."

Shikamaru released a deep breath of relief but Shikaku interrupted him, "I don't think you could see her now. She's in distress." The Nara leader wasn't surprised in the least when his son glowered at him.

"It's because she's in distress that it's important that I go to her," Shikamaru argued.

The man wasn't inclined to do so at first but with his son's incessant prodding, he gave in.

"All right. Man, kids nowadays are a handful." Shikaku sighed, finally admitting defeat. It's not like he could keep the two kids apart for long anyway.

When they reached the edge of the Nara's territory, Shikamaru looked over to his father but Shikaku's face was kept neutral.

They kept on walking towards the heart of the forest. A few of the deers came to greet them, some following after them curiously. Shikamaru noticed a handful of them were slightly agitated. This worried him to no end.

Finally, Shikaku stopped a few ways from the center of the Nara forest before looking down at his son, "I won't go any further. Be careful when you approach her. Even though she's a human, this form must have gave her some complications. When she came to me, she was like a wild animal. But Rikumaru is with her now. She trusts him." Shikaku gave his son a sidelong glance at this.

Shikamaru looked at his father for a moment before turning away. He entered the clearing, unsure what to expect.

He sucked in a breath through his teeth the moment he saw her.

Mononoke was as majestic as ever, her fur glistening in the soft sunlight that was pouring through the trees. She lay her head on her paws beside Rikumaru, who was calmly nibbling her ears. She looked so relaxed and serene that Shikamaru wondered for a moment if Shikaku had got it wrong after all.

But the moment Shikamaru stepped through the clearing, she straightened immediately, her entire posture was stiff and wary. Yet she looked so proud and regal, the Nara almost bowed to request an entrance. Shikamaru noticed that when she lifted her head to her full height, only the tips of Rikumaru's antlers reach the top of her head.

He swallowed thickly as he walked towards her with uneasy caution. He could see why his father told him to approach carefully. Mononoke's eyes were anything but human. They looked far too intelligent and wild and otherworldly.

She was kept her eyes on him steadily as he approached closer. But as if he crossed some sort of boundary, her fur bristled and she lifted her head higher, revealing the canines that were hidden beneath her rounded muzzle like a shark. Shikamaru frozed and took a step back and Mononoke's fur flattened.

"I... How are you feeling? Everyone back home is worried about you." Shikamaru started, trying to keep his tone of voice calm and assertive, unsure what effect it would have on the creature.

Mononoke did not reply. He tried again, "Why didn't you come back to the village? We could have helped."

She regarded him silently before turning her gaze away. I can't exactly go back in this form. She said bitterly, I became the monster they all think I am. The village won't accept me, they'll chase me out. Shikamaru felt his heart clench from her next words.

Kakashi, you, everyone. How could you accept me now? Mononoke voice curled with self-pity.

Shikamaru couldn't help but take a step forward, wanting to comfort her. She looked so broken.

"We will accept you. I do. And I know that Kakashi would too. We can figure out how to get you back." He continued, hoping that his words could get to her.

It's going to take time. She answered softly.

"It's okay. We'll still-"

Mononoke looked at him in the eye, No, I meant reverting back into a human. It's going to take time. This is my first transformation. Gintaro gave me the power to morph into his image. She pondered for a moment.

Well, more or less. But it's going to take some time before I return into my human self. I would need to shrink first, which would be a few weeks, give or take, then the painful process of returning into human flesh

She closed her eyes tightly, as if there was a bright light shining in her eyes, even though it was shady in the clearing.

That would be the hardest part.

Shikamaru took it in for a moment before speaking up, his voice sure, "I'm sure we can work something out. Who's going to take care of you if you are going to shift back?"

She just stared at him. He felt apprehension rising inside him as her gaze lingered but he forced himself to stay calm.

Finally, she relaxed, lowering her head to the ground and gave a soft huff, looking anywhere but at him. Tension slid off her back like water off a duck.

He took it as a good sign and took a tentative step towards her. Rikumaru, who was watching their exchange curiously, gave a snort of approval before he nudged Mononoke with his snout. Her ears flicked a few times in reply, as if driving off a fly.

Taking a risk, Shikamaru settled an arm's length from Mononoke but she didn't show any signs of protest.

I do suppose you're right. But my size right now isn't exactly what you called 'stealthy'. Mononoke said, her eyes focusing ahead.

Shikamaru nodded, his fingers fiddling with the hem of his pants, "I guess. We could wait till you're smaller before taking you back." He looked towards Rikumaru fondly, "I'm sure the herd can keep an eye on you for a few more days."

Rikumaru returned a snort of agreement, before nuzzling Mononoke's ear one more time, Then, he stood up. The stag gave them a swift glance before darting off into the forest.

Mononoke grunted at this. He left them alone. For a reason that was beyond her.

Since she was in her demon forme, she could understand most animal's form of communication. Or language. Whichever you'd like to think, that is. Rikumaru did gave her a stern talking to, firmly telling her that she should go seek help from the Nara when she came to him, since after all she had been with them since forever.

That was why she went to Shikaku. She found him tending to some of the older deer and was worried how he would be taking her transformation. Strangely enough, he recognized her the moment he saw her, even though she was pretty wild, snarling at him when he got too close. She was afraid he wouldn't accept her.

But he had made sure she was well looked after by Rikumaru before going off to fetch his son, with a purpose in mind. He said that Shikamaru was worried sick of her, as well as everyone back home. She wasn't sure why he would go to his son to help her.

And now Shikamaru was here. Even though she was cautious, she realized now that she needed him to be with her. She needed his familiar scent, his comforting presence. All those years, he was the one who was always beside her to soothe her from her fears. But she was too afraid, too proud to ask for help.

With a final huff, she turned over and promptly dumped her head beside the Nara's lap, her tails swaying leisurely.

Pet me, human.

Shikamaru jumped in suprise at the sudden change in her mood. He stiffened when she growled before burying her large head underneath his hand, fidgeting until his fingers were on top of her head. Another snort brought him out of his daze and he began scratching the back of her ears instinctively.

He felt her vibrating in contentment against his lap. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile at this, "Do you mean to tell me that was all an act?"

I don't know what you're on about. Move a little to the right, please. Yes, right there. The boy obliged and shifted, earning himself a tail wag.

He clamped his mouth shut. The boy did not want to push her. Shikamaru had a feeling that he had just accomplished the greatest achievement in his life so far.

Almost two weeks have passed and Mononoke was shrinking, day by day. By now, she was about the size of a full grown wolf. Her head had reached Shikamaru's waist and Shikaku felt that it was a good size for her to return to Konoha.

No one knew of her condition, except for a few. Naruto had went on a trip with Jiraiya to look for the would-be Fifth Hokage. Sasuke was unconscious. The entire village is still a wreck until now. It was a mess. They don't need a new plot twist in their lives. At least, in Mononoke's opinion.

But my tails are a dead giveaway! Mononoke protested. She hated looking up at the humans. It made her feel so small. Her eight tails swayed this way and that to prove her point. Shikamaru had knelt down beside her, soothingly twisting his fingers into her fur as Shikaku stood in front of them, his arms crossed.

"A few ninjas saw you and rumours has spread about the guardian of Konoha. They know you were there to protect them. The villagers won't be a problem." Shikaku reasoned and Mononoke growled her dissatisfaction.

I don't want to draw attention to myself! She countered. Sure, she was obviously stalling so that she didn't have to go back. She was already used to staying with the herd. Maybe she could shift back here. Shikamaru sighed before looking into her eyes, "Is this because of Kakashi?"

Well, it was part of the reason she didn't want to go back. Not the entirely the truth but just a part of it.

Mononoke shook her head side to side before letting out a soft bark, No! The Inuzukas would definitely know my scent too!

Shikamaru watched her carefully as he replied, "You were gone for two weeks. Could you really bear letting everyone worry for you for so long?" Mononoke looked away and Shikamaru heaved a deep breath.

"Just imagine, if any one of us were gone for two weeks, without a trace, would you be worried? Would you be able to sleep or eat?" Shikamaru grew quiet, "I saw Kakashi yesterday. He looked like he hasn't sleep in months. You need to tell him at least."

Mononoke curled her lips and flattened her ears to her skull, her tails drooping. Kakashi. She closed her eyes, imagining the man with his head hung over, worrying over his girl. The days passing by without a proper meal or enough sleep. The eyebags under his eyes. His voice husky as he croaked out words to people, which happens when he has insomnia.

She almost gasped aloud with physical pain. Her heart squeezed painfully at this. Mononoke couldn't bear hurting Kakashi any longer.

Okay, I'll go back. Give me an hour.

UURRRRGGHHH. Writer's block is such a pain in the bollocks. You have no idea how much I'm forcing myself to write this chapter. It's like I'm almost getting sick of it. *cries* DON'T WORRY THOUGH, IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE FOREVER TO GET THIS DONE. *ugly sobbing*

But, I really want to thank you guys for your support so far. Thanks so much for staying by this fic, I LOVE YOU GUYS.

And because I'm not having the greatest mood for a few months now, I just wanted to give you guys some encouragement, in case you're going through some tough times too.

You're worth it. No matter what. You are worth more than you think. You have a value, and a place in this world. You made it this far, and you will go further. You have so much more room to improve. You can rest. You can say no. You are WORTH SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU KNOW. Remember that. Okay? Just hang in there.