Honestly, I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter but I hope you enjoy.
Note: I know this is out of timeline but it fit so well with the story, I couldn't help myself.
I walked in between Temari and Matsuri, trying to think up worse scenarios. The only thing I could think of was if Gaara had an overprotective mother that really wanted grandchildren had come along too. Thank the gods that hadn't happened.
Meanwhile, the pair was chattering away like bunnies hopping about on a spring day. I had tried several times to get out from in between them, since I really wasn't up for conversation, but it had been to no avail. Temari would just pull me back in, like I was some type of criminal being transported.
"Why are you so solemn?" Matsuri finally asked me. I glanced down at her, intrigued by the question.
"I'm not solemn. I'm thinking about other things."
"Like what?" I sighed and puffed at my too long bangs. I really needed a haircut.
"Nothing of your concern." She frowned and glared at me, almost thinking it was a challenge. "I don't have to tell you everything about me," I pointed out hotly. "So stop acting like my business is your business."
"Perhaps if you weren't acting like you just buried someone she wouldn't be so concerned," Temari retorted. I glared at her. I didn't like being double-teamed, especially not by these two. Honestly, why did Matsuri have to come along? Temari is more than capable of backing me up if we're attacked. Matsuri would just get in the way at this point. She doesn't know anything about my fighting style.
"I'm just thinking…" Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared up at the sky. It was a little cloudy, but they were white and fluffy. The sky was a nice, light teal. I couldn't smell even a hint of rain in the air.
"Nari…" I glanced over at Temari, expression softer. "What's bothering you?"
"Nothing. I just feel… left out. I don't really belong in between the two of you."
"If we actually thought you'd talk with us we'd have changed the subject to something you could relate to long ago. What do you want to talk about?" Matsuri asked. I was shocked by this act of kindness. A little unsure, I simply shrugged. Temari was the one who actually started the conversation. It was on jutsu, something I excelled at. Matsuri wasn't so good, but even she had a few skills. An hour or so later, we made it to the Hidden Leaf. A guard was waiting for us and directed us to the Hokage building.
"Thanks," I told him, taking the lead. Temari and Matsuri followed close by. I reached the building first and headed up stairs. "Lady Tsunade," I greeted the Hokage as we strolled into her office. She glanced up from her desk and stared at me. She looked grave, almost upset. I frowned but didn't ask about it, pushing myself out of her mind. It wasn't any of my business. "I was told to come see you." Temari and Matsuri came in behind me, standing on either side.
"I didn't expect you to come with anyone else," she admitted, surprised by my company. "Still, I suppose it's for the best. This world's a dangerous place to be walking around alone." I nodded in agreement. We knew of the dangers all too well.
"I don't mean to sound like I'm in a rush, but I would like to return to Suna as soon as possible. Could you tell me where I need to report to, please?"
"Since Shizune is currently busy, you'll be examined by Sakura in your human form and by our veterinarian in your beast form." I opened my mind slightly to hers to see where these examinations would take place and when. We were about to leave before I remembered something.
"Is Naruto here? I'd like to see him again."
"I'm afraid not. He's training."
"Too bad," I muttered. "I wanted to see how much he had grown. Well, goodbye, Lady Tsunade." She waved me off. "You two didn't have to be so silent," I commented once we were out of the building. Matsuri blushed.
"I didn't have anything to say," she admitted shyly.
"Shocker," I breathed. "So, where are we staying tonight?" Temari directed us through town to the hotel she had stayed in when she was planning the Chuunin Exams with Shikamaru. We ordered a room for three days. It shouldn't take any longer than that. As Matsuri and Temari scrubbed off the dust from travel, I said goodnight and climbed to the roof of the building. While I liked the cold of the desert nights, it was nice to enjoy a warm one for once. I laid on my back, hands behind my head, and stared at the stars.
Sunrise came sooner than I would've liked. I slipped off the roof and jumped back into the window of our room. Matsuri was still asleep but Temari was wide-awake, getting ready for the day. "Going so soon?" she asked. I nodded. There was no point in holding it off any longer.
"I'll be back soon."
"We'll be waiting." I nodded again before walking out. The entire reason I went into the hotel room was to check on my companions and tell at least one of them where I was headed. Nothing more. I strolled leisurely down the streets of Konoha until I reached the building Lady Tsunade had thought off the day before.
"Hello? Anyone here?" I called, pushing open the door of the veterinarian's office. A girl with red marks on her cheeks appeared. "Hi. My name is Nari. Lady Tsunade sent me here for an examination."
"Oh, yeah. She told me about you. My name is Dr. Hana Inuzuka."
"Right. You're Kiba's sister, correct?" She nodded.
"Well, come on in. I have some other things I need to get to so this will have to be quick."
"Of course," I agreed, following her into a small room with a metal table in the center. The walls were covered in various cabinets and shelves of supplies. I shifted before jumping onto the table. I had a sense for how these things would go. It wouldn't be enjoyable but I'd handle it.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax as the veterinarian ran her fingers up and down my back, checking my vitals. It was so uncomfortable, the way she pressed here and there. What was worse were her thoughts. She honestly wished there was another one of me, that way she could dissect it and study it further. I shivered a little, feeling extremely awkward. She didn't notice.
"Well, as far as I can tell, you're internal organs are the exact same as those of a normal fox. The only difference is your chakra system. Yours is three times as complex, if not more. But there is a problem. Even with the extreme size of your chakra system, it's still not large enough to contain the massive amounts of chakra in your reserve so it appears as a cloud around you. It's actually quite phenomenal."
I flicked up my tails in response, trying to signal that I already knew all this. "I believe it's because of your ability to change size that your chakra system is so large. Normally, a system the size of yours would only appear in the body of an animal nearly six times your current size. Evolution definitely worked in your favor." I chuckled a little, come out as an awkward bark. She knew what it meant.
"Anyway, that's all I can discern, I'm afraid. I'm going to report my findings to Lady Tsunade now. You're free to go." I shifted back into human for, extremely glad at moments like this that my clothes shifted with me.
"Thank you, Dr. Inuzuka." She just smiled and shrugged.
"It's my job." As she went to go write everything down, I left and headed back to my hotel room. Temari and Matsuri were there waiting for me, looking a little grave. "Nari, Kankuro just sent word that we're wanted back in the village," Temari said.
"But I haven't finished my medical exams."
"I know but Matsuri and I have to leave." I frowned and stared at them.
"Well, alright then. I guess I could stay behind by myself. It's not like I'm in danger or anything. You can go." Temari frowned at me. She didn't want to leave me by myself, feeling as if that would somehow be betraying Gaara. Still, she had her orders.
"Okay. Goodbye, Nari."
"See you when I get back."
"We can't go!" Matsuri protested. "Nari needs our protection. Gaara-sensei sent us on this mission to protect her!"
"Nari is more than capable of handling herself. She's not a child." Matsuri stared at me, a troubled look crossing her features. While she wasn't particularly fond of me, she did care about the relationship I held with Gaara. She was afraid that if I got hurt, it would hurt Gaara too.
"Listen to Temari, Matsuri. I can take care of myself." She bit her lip but finally agreed and headed to pack her stuff. I watched them and then escorted them out of the village. This confused the guards a little, but they let it be. Not really having anything better to do, I went to the training grounds and practiced some new jutsu. The next day, I went to my last medical exam. The day after that, I'd be heading home.
Before I left, I said goodbye to Lady Tsunade and wished her well. "You're a good ninja, Nari, but you're also a big risk. It's better for everyone that you stay away from the fighting for a time."
"I understand," I assured her. Honestly, I wasn't very upset about being taken off active duty anymore. It'd give me time to think about where I wanted my life to go, and what I hoped to accomplish before my time was done. So far, I'd just been living to live. It was time to find a purpose. There had to be something only I could do for the world. I thought about this as I exited the village.
I was just out of the walls when I heard new minds spring into my head. I glanced back at the village, watching as seven figures sprang to the earth. Are we under attack? I wondered silently. The explosion that followed confirmed my suspicion. I ran back into the village, not caring whether or not I had been taken off active duty. This was an emergency and until I reached Suna, I was still a ninja of the Hidden Leaf.
One of the enemy ninja immediately confronted me. "What are you doing here, Pain?" I asked, confused by his appearance.
"We are hunting the nine-tailed jinchuriki. Do you know where he is?"
"Not a clue. I haven't seen him for years." Pain stared at me, considering whether or not to attack me in hopes of finding more information. Eventually, he decided to let me be. I could be useful to him yet. Then he took off to attack more citizens. If they're after Naruto, they're out of luck. He's not here. I didn't bother to tell him that. I wouldn't betray a comrade.
People were being evacuated left and right as monsters ravaged the village. Occasionally, I would fend one off when it tried to attack fleeing citizens. Most of the time, though, I was digging people out of the rubble and transporting them to the hospital. Suddenly, a giant slug found me.
"My name is Katsuyu, Lady Tsunade sent me here to help you."
"Don't worry about me. I heal perfectly fine on my own. Go to the hospital and see what you can do there. You know what? I'll take you there myself." I wrapped my arm around her fat body and jumped towards the hospital, only to find one of the beasts about to attack it. "Never mind, Lady Katsuyu. I need to keep this thing away from the hospital." I put her down gently.
"I understand. Good luck." I nodded and ran towards the monster. It fell on top of the buildings, smashing them. I stared up at the summoning, finding it strangely creepy. Still, I had a job to do. "Come on!" I shouted, throwing paper bombs at the head of the centipede. I had to keep the thing away from the hospital at all costs. It roared and lunged after me. I kept at this, leading it further away from the inured. Finally, when we were a good distance for the hospital, I began to form signs.
"Blast style: internal implosion!" I put both my hands on the underside of the beast, a tricky place to get to, and watched as its organs began to burst out from inside of it. I dropped to the ground, exhausted by the massive jutsu. The thing was so big that the one jutsu had trained nearly half of my chakra. Suddenly, I heard another roar as a second head confronted me.
"How the hell are you still alive!" I shouted in my frustration. It simply screeched and whipped out for another attack. I barely avoided it. Suddenly, the thing disappeared. I saw one of the Pains going into the air as another headed out of the city limits. I wasn't sure which one to follow, their minds confused messes to me. Finally, I went for the one heading out. Just as I jumped into the air, a white light blinded me, and sent me hurling towards the ground…
►§◄
"Where am I?" I breathed, staring at the strange, water-like surface above me. My own reflection stared back before morphing and disappearing. Suddenly, I was laying in the desert and a nine-tailed fox stared back down at me. "Mother?" I asked, recognizing the face almost immediately.
"Oh, Narimi. You always were the difficult child, finding trouble wherever you went."
"Narimi?" She smiled sadly at me.
"You don't even remember your full name. Oh, my little one." Tails wrapped around my sides and my head, holding me to her. "Yes, your name is Narimi. It was your brothers that called you Nari. You were always so fond of them… I remember the day you were born. Your father and I were so proud. After five litters, we finally had our first daughter. You were quite a sight, with white paws and white-tipped ears and tails. We thought for sure you'd be the next alpha."
"Father?" I didn't remember my father at all. As I stared at my mother, I got even more confused. She was almost entirely orange, like the original nine-tailed fox. But I knew alphas had the white-tips. If she didn't, was she not an alpha?
"Yes, your father. You probably don't remember him. He wasn't around much after your first shift."
"After my first shift? You left me on the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Leaves after my first shift."
"That's not true! That's not true at all!" she protested. "You were only three months old when you first shifted, far too young to be taken to the Hidden Leaf. In my opinion, anyway. The Elders, and your father for that matter, thought differently. Still, I couldn't abandon my only daughter so young. I cared for you until your first birthday and then I left you."
"But why abandon me when the Leaf didn't accept me? And why didn't you look after me those first couple of years? And why aren't you an alpha and…? I mean, what do I really know about my heritage? I thought only rogue nine-tailed foxes have long ears but the original one does, and where am I anyway?" The female fox laughed a little, amused by my questions.
"You were also the curious one. Only female nine-tailed foxes with white markings like yours can become alphas. Their considered noble. What do you know of your heritage? I can't answer that. What I do know is that you were far too young to remember most of what I taught you. For example, your misconception on rogue nine-tailed foxes. They don't exist. Foxes are solitary by nature. The wish to live in groups comes from our human side. If a nine-tailed fox decides to leave the group, they go. They're not forced to stay.
"And I never said that rogue nine-tailed foxes have long ears. I told you that the original did, but that gene has long since disappeared. There hasn't been a nine-tailed fox with long ears since the original nine-tailed ninja. But honestly, Narimi, none of that matters now."
"Why not? What if I meet other nine-tailed foxes one day?"
"You won't. And this leads me two your first two questions. Why did I abandon you when the Hidden Leaf didn't accept you? Because I wasn't allowed to take care of you anymore. I had been ordered by the alpha of the pack to leave you, whether or not they honored the treaty and took you in. After that, I did watch you. I even led your first teacher to you. You didn't need my help anymore when he came along. You got by just fine."
"But when he died?"
"I was already dead." I froze, staring up at my mother in confusion. "When Kurama, the original nine-tailed fox, attacked the Leaf, he created a tailed-beast ball. In order to protect the village, the fourth Hokage sent the ball into what he thought was an uninhabited area. In actuality, he sent it right above the place where all the nine-tailed foxes were gathering to discuss the issue of having Kurama sealed within the body of humans. The tailed-beast ball wiped us all out." My jaw dropped.
"You mean to say then, that Kurama's attack on the Hidden Leaf was completely random?"
"No. There was a purpose behind it, but it had nothing to do with us." I frowned, trying to take this all in.
"Wait a second. If you're dead, am I?" She nodded solemnly. I began to panic, thinking about Gaara and Temari and Matsuri. I had promised them all that I'd be alright, that I'd be the one protecting people. I couldn't die now. I had to get back to Suna. I hadn't even told Gaara that I loved him yet. "No. I can't be dead. I have to go back!" I pushed myself to my feet and turned behind me. It was all desert and sand. No. There had to be some way back.
"Narimi, please. Don't do this. If you don't accept your death, you can't move on."
"Mother, you don't understand. I made a promise. I have to keep it!" I turned in a complete circle. There had to be some way…
"Narimi…"
"Mother! I love him! I told him… I have to go back!" She frowned, wrapping her tails around my leg and peering up at me with pleading eyes. "I have to, Mom." Suddenly, as if on cue, a bright green light wrapped around me. She stepped away from me. Surprised. "Mom, I have one last question before I go. Is the original nine-tailed ninja still alive?" She frowned but nodded. "Thank you. Goodbye." I started to rise above the sand, embraced by this light.
"Happy birthday!" she screamed after me. Birthday? Today's my birthday? I thought. It didn't matter though because the green light was beginning to smother me. I couldn't breathe. I…
►§◄
I gasped, taking in my first breath. I glanced around and began to push the rubble off me, clawing my way to the surface. I coughed up blood as I went, my ribs feeling as if somebody had smashed them with a hammer. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I uncovered the sky. I pulled myself out of my hole and collapsed, gasping for air. No one was anywhere near me, and the Hidden Leaf Village was gone. Still, I could sense the minds of dozens of people, overwhelming me. But I pushed all of that away. I needed to get up. I needed to go back to the Sand.
I tried to stand but my legs gave out from beneath me. I didn't give up though. It took me five minutes to get my feet right, and even then my movements were clumsy and uncoordinated. It took me an hour to reach the village walls and jump to the top. I stared back at the annihilated village. No building was left standing and a giant crater lay at the center. Still, I knew everyone was still alive somehow. I could feel it.
I closed my eyes and let every thought, every pain slip out of my brain. I needed to get back to Suna. That was my priority. Not only did I need to get there to receive medical attention (why I didn't stay in the Leaf for that I couldn't say), but Suna needed to hear of the destruction. Perhaps they could help in the relief effort.
Mentally prepared, I set out for home.
Before we depart, I want to apologize about how updates are slowing down but school starts Wednesday and I've been kind of busy. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review.