Ch 3
It wasn't until almost dawn the next day that Shino came to the clearing to get Naruto. It had rained overnight and he was expecting Naruto to be curled up inside the hollowed out tree to stay dry.
That was not where he found him though. Naruto had collapsed in the middle of the clearing the previous day and hadn't moved since, not even when it began to rain. He was soaking wet, very dirty, and shivering from the cold.
Naruto heard him approach, and wearily stood up, ignoring his stiff joints. Wordlessly he walked over to Shino, his eyes never moving from a spot a few feet in front of him. They walked back in silence.
The first thing Naruto noticed when they returned to the cabin was the shadowy form of Kiba leaning against the wall next to the door.
He could feel the slight amount of killing intent in the glare he was receiving from the Inuzuka too.
Right before Naruto stepped into the cabin, Kiba spoke. "You will make this up to her. I don't care what you have to do, but you will make this right. If you don't, Kami herself won't be able to find your body."
Naruto tried to swallow the lump in his throat, and dipped his head a little farther, before slowly entering the cabin. It was fairly dark inside, as the only light inside came from a lantern and a few candles. He stayed as low to the floor as he could as he approached the couch, tail firmly between his legs.
He knew that Shino and Kiba were watching him from the other end of the room, and didn't dare to look up at Hinata, who was sitting on the couch in front of him. Instead, he spoke to the ground right in front of her.
"Hinata…I'm sorry. I acted without thinking, but that's no excuse. I shouldn't have said what I did, and if I could take it back I'd do it in a heartbeat. I am prepared to accept whatever punishment you choose."
No one spoke for a moment, until, "I think you have punished yourself enough already."
Naruto was just about to let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding when he heard another voice.
"I don't know how, but Hinata has forgiven you. We, however, have not. You fucked up real bad, and I can't just let that slide."
Naruto didn't reply to Kiba right away. He sat and thought for a few moments, before deciding on what he was going to do.
He slowly walked over to him, and said, "Behind my leaf there is a pocket. The only thing I can offer is in it."
Though confused, Kiba untied the knot holding Naruto's forehead protector on, and began to feel around behind the metal plate. His fingers soon found the pocket, and pulled a small black pouch out of it.
When he opened the pouch, it took him several seconds to realize what he had just been given.
"You know what this is, right? What I can do with it?"
"I know what it is, and what it does. I realize it isn't enough, but it's all I have."
"What is it?" Shino asked, unable to see what Kiba had retrieved.
Kiba just held the item up, getting audible gasps from both Shino and Hinata. It was the size of a large marble, and was of a milky white color.
"Is that what I think it is?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah, it's Naruto's hoshi no tama. As long as I have this, I can pretty much make him do whatever I want."
Hinata looked ready to object to Naruto's decision, even after recent events, but Shino held up a hand to hold her off.
"You are sure this is the course of action you wish to take? You have essentially placed your life in the palm of his hand. Also, if you are thinking that we will kill you with it, and you should know that we are able to, we will not. We are more honorable than that."
"No, I didn't give it to Kiba so he could kill me with it. If one of you was gonna kill me, you would've done it by now. The reason I gave Kiba my hoshi no tama is because I want you to know that I meant my apology."
Kiba and Shino stared at each other for a while after Naruto spoke, and while they weren't saying anything, Naruto somehow knew that they were holding a conversation.
Eventually Kiba looked away and sighed, having seemingly lost their discussion. He then stuffed the orb he was holding back into its pouch, and slid it back into the pocket it came from.
"The fact that you were willing to give that up is enough, Naruto," Kiba told him. "Do it again, though…"
Shino picked up the statement, "That won't be a problem, will it, Naruto?"
"Then our purpose has been accomplished," he said to the fox, before turning to Hinata, "While you were resting earlier I took the liberty of removing a slight termite infestation in the foundation."
"My sister is supposed to be stopping by later too. Just thought I'd let you know."
"Uhh…..why?"
"Beats me. Probably 'cause she's a vet, but that's just my guess. It's orders from Hokage-sama through Sakura, so it's probably some kind of medical thing."
"Is there anything else you require our assistance with Hinata?" Shino asked.
She shook her head, but stopped abruptly, "No, unless you want to help me give Naruto-kun a bath."
"I wish I could offer my assistance in this matter, but I just recalled some urgent clan business that I have neglected to attend to," Shino said, before quickly, (but not so fast as to be rude) walking out of the cabin.
"I gotta go too. Shino said he'd let me use his shower so I can try and get rid of Naruto's scent before I go back home." He glanced at his watch, "Shit, I'm already gonna be late. Sorry!" he called out before quickly running after Shino.
Naruto was just confused, "Why is it such a bad thing if Kiba has my scent on him?"
"It's not a bad thing," Hinata replied, "but since Hokage-sama is still trying to keep your…current status a secret for the time being, it's easier if he doesn't have to explain strange smells to his clan. Now, about that bath…"
"I can bathe myself just fine," he bit back, not having regained full control over his emotions just yet.
Hinata got an uncomfortable look on her face, before saying, "I don't wish to offend you with what I'm about to say, so please don't take it like that, but are you sure about that?"
"Of course I'm," his back foot lifted and scratched behind his ear, "oh….."
"Yeah…"
"Uhh….. I fell in a couple rivers on the way to the village, does that count for anything?" he asked.
"It works for the surface dirt, but that's about it," she replied.
"Am I really that bad?" he asked next, as he twisted his head around to look at himself.
"Naruto-kun, you're filthy. I really don't know how you can stand it."
"Oh…. I hadn't really noticed. How am I supposed to get clean then? You just gonna dump a bucket of water on my head?"
"No; one of the things I picked up earlier was a large wooden tub that I had intended to use for Akamaru, but I think you'll fit just fine."
It was at that point in time that Naruto's stomach made it known that it was empty, and he quickly hid his face in embarrassment.
"After we get you clean I'll make something to eat," Hinata told him, but he shook his head.
"I was actually going to ask you if you'd let me out for a bit first. There are some rabbits around that smell good. You don't need to make anything for me."
Hinata screwed her face up trying to think of a polite way to ask her next question, but Naruto saw her look and beat her to it.
"Yeah, I know, it sounds weird to me still too. Anyway, I have found that rabbit tastes good, even though it isn't cooked. Just don't watch me eat one; it made Ero-sennin throw up."
"Oh…..how long do you think you'll be gone?"
"I don't know, maybe an hour?"
"Ok, I'll get the bath set up while you're gone then. It'll take a while to fill the tub up anyway."
Xxxxxxxxxx
Forty minutes later, Naruto was preparing for his first bath as a vulpine. Once he actually managed to get in the tub, which was rather difficult, seeing as it was as tall as Hinata's waist, he determined that all the dogs he had done this to on D-ranks were stupid. The warm water was rather relaxing, and Hinata's fingers massaging the shampoo into his fur felt really good.
"Neh, Hinata, how'd you get so good at this?"
"Lots of practice," she replied, doing her best to keep herself dry. Her jacket had been left in the other room, and so far she had managed to keep most of the water in the tub. "With Akamaru being so white, he has to get washed a lot, since it shows whenever he's even a little dirty. This shampoo also helps cut down on the wet dog smell, which me and Kurenai-sensei aren't particularly fond of."
Hinata continued to wash Naruto in silence for a while, with the only noises coming from the water, or when Naruto would let out a groan whenever she hit a sore or sensitive spot.
"Why are you doing this for me?" Naruto asked eventually. "I mean, I completely blew up at you yesterday, and you're acting like….like nothing happened. Shouldn't you still be mad at me or something?"
Hinata stopped her motions, and looked him in the face. "I already forgave you for that," she replied quietly, "Like I said before, your whole life has been flipped on its end; you're entitled to some time to adjust. Besides, I'm partially at fault for that too. I should've been more tactful with Akamaru's food, instead of just pulling it out in front of you like that, and I'm sorry."
She then rinsed him off, and helped him out of the tub, motioning over to a large towel so she could dry him off. Naruto though, being somewhat oblivious as he is, just started shaking himself, flinging drops of water everywhere.
Hinata, who was kneeling right next to him when he did that, threw her hands in front of her face and fell backwards, letting out a rather undignified yelp in the process.
Naruto heard the yelp, and immediately looked over to see what was wrong.
"You ok Hinata? I didn't knock you over, did I?"
She quickly sat up, her face red. "I-I'm fine, and no, you didn't knock me over, you just startled me."
"Oh…. I think I kinda got you all wet too, sorry."
"It's ok; Akamaru tends to do the same thing. Now hold still while I dry you off properly," Hinata told him as she ran the towel across his fur, pulling as much moisture out as she could.
It only took her a couple minutes to dry him off, and once she pulled the towel away she just stared at him for a minute before erupting in a fit of giggles, that despite vigorous attempts to suppress still came out.
"What? What's so funny?"
"N-Naruto-kun, you're all…poufy," she replied between giggles.
"What? I am not poufy!" he yelled back. Hinata just pointed to a mirror, and he quickly looked himself over. "Holy shit! I really am poufy! What the hell?"
Indeed he was; all of Naruto's hair was standing on end, as if he had recently been electrocuted. "It'll go away in a little while, so stop worrying about it. It's actually rather common in longer-haired animals, so don't think it's just you. You should see Akamaru when he gets wet in the spring or fall. All the hair he's shedding then just makes it worse."
That got both of them laughing, as they both pictured Akamaru as a gigantic white puff ball. Still laughing, Naruto left the bathroom, allowing Hinata some privacy while she got ready for bed, even though the sun was starting to peak over the horizon.
Once she had finished, both dropped into a much needed sleep.
Xxxxxxxxxx
It was approaching midday when Naruto awoke, his sensitive ears having warned him that someone was approaching the cabin. He stood up as they got closer, and nudged Hinata awake, as she had fallen asleep next to him again.
"Hmm…whazzit?" she mumbled, not wanting to wake up.
"Someone's coming," Naruto replied, "and I don't think you want them to see you sleeping in the floor. I hear…three people? Maybe four? At least two, one male, one female, and- oh, one of them's Kiba, and he just called the other one nee-chan, so I guess that she's here to do the vet thing."
Hinata finally sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Huh?"
Let it be known to all; this Hyuuga is not a morning person if she can help it. Sure, she could go from sound asleep to mission ready in less than five minutes if the need called for it, but if not, well, better start waking her up at least an hour before she was needed for anything.
"Ugh, Kiba's here with his sister," he told her, just as they heard a knock on the door.
The younger Inuzuka entered first, greeting his teammate with a smile, before greeting Naruto with a slightly forced grin.
"Naruto."
"Kiba."
Hana just huffed, and shoved her brother out of the way. "Boys," she muttered under her breath, though both of them heard her.
"Hey!"
So you're Naruto?" Hana asked, looking at the fox, and completely ignoring the boys' outburst.
"Uhh, yeah," he replied slowly, uncertain as to whom he was talking to.
"I'm Inuzuka Hana, Konoha's best vet. Hokage-sama says I'm supposed to check you out, give you the works."
"O…..k….?" Naruto replied nervously. Kiba started snickering off to the side, and Hana quickly called him out on it.
"Kiba, stop snickering, or I'll get mom to give you the works," she snapped at him, and her sibling immediately stopped laughing, instead having his face go pale. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyway, why don't you and Hinata go somewhere for a while? I have no idea how long this is going to take, and I'm sure that there will be parts that Naruto doesn't want you to witness."
Naruto and Hinata were both confused by that statement, and made their confusion known.
"Come on, Hinata," Kiba called as he pulled her gently out of the cabin, "I'll tell you about it in the way to the village, and Naruto's about to find out first hand."
Once they were gone, Hana turned to Naruto. "Alright, I've never examined a human-turned-fox before, so bare with me. I will do my best to not make you uncomfortable, but there are certain things I have to do that you probably won't like. Actually, there's one or two things I have to do that I know you won't like, so I'll warn you before I do them. Now, do you have a table in here sturdy enough for you to stand on?"
Naruto shook his head no. "Sakura-chan brought her own. The table that was here was completely rotten, and Hinata hasn't gotten around to getting another one yet."
"Right then, outside we go," she said, leading him around to the back of the cabin. She then flipped through a couple signs, and slammed her hands into the ground, resulting in a table-sized block of stone sprouting from the ground.
She then pulled several storage scrolls from her pack, and went about setting up her equipment. Once that was all set, she pulled out some papers and a clipboard, and started the exam.
The first few minutes went by quickly, with her asking Naruto questions, and then recording the answers he gave. After that, she took his weight, temperature, and blood pressure, as well as his pulse and breathing rate. She listened to his heart and lungs and felt around his other organs, checking for anything out of the ordinary. His eyes, skin, ears, and teeth were examined. A blood sample was also taken.
"Alright, you're doing good so far; all that's left is the uncomfortable stuff. I have some more questions to ask you, and then some more physical examination. I really have to do these things, and I'm bound by vet-patient confidentiality to not tell anyone about what I find, unless you are in need of emergency treatment, or the Hokage orders me to."
"O…k…?"
"Before you…changed, were you sexually active?"
"What? What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Naruto yelled out, clearly offended by the question.
Hana just showed him the form she was filling out. "I told you, I have to ask these questions. Trust me; I don't enjoy asking them any more than you are having to answer them. Now, were you sexually active before you changed?"
"No."
"After?"
"No."
"Any pain or discomfort while urinating or defecating?"
"No."
She continued asking him several more embarrassing questions, and after recording all his answers, moved on to the physical examination.
A very, very uncomfortable, personal, and humiliating physical examination. She poked, prodded, and felt up everything he had, and he was immensely grateful to the woman for sending Hinata and Kiba away while she worked. He was embarrassed enough with just him and her.
She even took a semen sample, which utterly destroyed any shreds of dignity he had managed to hold on to through the examination.
"I know you said that you have to do all this stuff, but why did you have to grab…..you know….."
"Why did I grab your testicles?"
Too ashamed to answer, Naruto nodded.
"Well, do you want to have a family someday?" Naruto nodded. "Well, I was checking to make sure both of your testicles had dropped. When they don't, their ability to make sperm is basically ruined, and they become much more likely to develop tumors and cancer, neither of which you want to have, and both of which usually result in the removal of said testicle."
Naruto's eyes widened dramatically, "Yeah, you don't want that to happen. Now, I'm going to take all this stuff back to my office and go over the samples I took, and I'll get back to you with the results as soon as I have them. Hokage-sama will also get a copy. No one else will know unless you tell them. Some of the people I work with will see the samples, but they won't know that they actually belong to you," she told him while packing up her equipment and re-sealing it all.
"You should get your results in a couple weeks. Later!"
Once the smoke cleared from her shunshin, Naruto just curled up on the stone platform, and went to sleep, hoping that he would forget all about what had just happened.
AN: for those of you who dont know what a hoshi no tama is: in japanese folklore, or at least as far as i can tell, the hoshi no tama (star ball) is a small white orb carried by kitsune. if someone manages to take it from them, they are said to be willing to do just about anything to get it back. it acts as a means of control over the kitsune, after a fashion. naruto giving that up willingly just shows how sincere he is really being.