Hello and welcome to the fourth chapter of Fox Demon. I have been busy lately worry about how I am going to pay for my college and will be doing lots of packing before I go so I will have to slow down more on my posting time. Sorry about it but it can't be helped. I have been asked repeatedly about whether or not Sakura will stay a fox forever, well I have been thinking about it and have been thinking about her being able to change at certain times. I am still uncertain about that but I will think on it some more. This chapter will be shorter than usual but there is a reason for that. Oh and this chapters song is Stand My Ground by Within Temptation.

Chapter 4: Fight

Over the next two days, the servants and I get the castle clean enough to satisfy Kyuubi and some extra. His office, his room, his library, and his personal private dining room all were cleaned by me and Obaa to make sure all of it was done to where he could have nothing to complain about. I already have some new furniture much like the ones in there being built so that the old ones may be replaced. Most of the furniture in his office is going to be replaced because it is falling apart from not being repaired in twenty something years. We also got one of the smaller gardens looking better by adding a pond to it and some of the flowers have reappeared on the Sakura Tree.

"Kitsune-sama, one of the guests has arrived early," Saya, a young servant peach like colored fox, tells me.

"Name," I demand in a somewhat tired tone.

For the last two days Kyuubi has kept me busy all day. I have had to tell all the servants what to do, come up with meal plans for when the nobles are here, make sure that all of the rooms are clean to satisfaction, as well as doing everything else he needs done. If I did not have my chakra reserves, I would have dropped dead from exhaustion more than a day ago.

"The Asayan Family," she replies in a quiet voice as if scared of a beating for having spoken that name.

"They are to be placed in the Southern Wing on the second floor third room on the left," I tell her.

A few more hours pass and things seem to be going fine. My mind keeps recalling for me the sound of scared of a beating over a family name. I hope that this is not going to get either of us in more trouble for something so simple. Around dinner time, I walk to the kitchens and grab Kyuubi's dinner before walking to his study to give him it. For some reason the castle is uneasily quiet as if it is the calm before the storm or something of that like. I push open Kyuubi's study door and walk inside. Holding the dinner tray just right, I bow to where my chest hits the ground.

"Master, here is your dinner," I tell him coming up from my bow.

"Place it in its usual spot. What are the reports for the day," he demands not even looking up from his paper.

"Another ten rooms have been cleaned along with two more bathing rooms. All of the halls have been cleaned and repaired as much as they can be in time for the meetings. The pond in the viewable gaden has been finished and has a few koi in the pond," I reply placing the tray on the corner of his desk with practiced ease.

"Is there any other news that I need to hear about today," he asks looking at me for a second before signing the paper he was working on and placing it in the completed pile.

"The Asayan Family has arrived early," I tell him as I turn to leave having finished my reports for the day.

Usually a master would have beaten someone of my position for turning their back on the master. The thing is Kyuubi always dismisses me in silence not even caring when I leave as long as I have heard what he wants done and have answered all of his questions. This time as I near the door, my words register in his head and he growls in a very agitated way. What the heck is this about? Why is he so agitated about this one family being early?

"Why was I not informed sooner," Kyuubi growls loudly as I turn back to face him.

"Master, this morning you demanded not to be disturbed for anything until dinner," I answer in a careful tone trying not to anger him more.

Sadly my tone fails and Kyuubi grabs me by the back of my neck. He drags me to the training fields in the northern side of the castle away from the side that the Asayan family is staying at. I do not resist him seeing as he is extremely pissed at this point and time; if I were to resist right now it would only result in a fight much like the one on my first night here. When we reach the training grounds he releases me from his grip and walks to the other side. I am glad he has not taken me up on my offer until now or I would be in no shape to fight him even now I am not in my best fighting shape. I have had little sleep these last few days seeing as I have been looking after affairs all day and some of the night.

"Face me, Kitsune," orders Kyuubi in a gruff voice that shows his anger.

I turn to face him and keep my body relaxed. I do not want to be tense during this fight it would only hinder me not help. Kyuubi uses his speed to make it seem like he has disappeared. I close my eyes and allow my ability to sense chakra to let me know exactly where he is. Kyuubi is racing towards me from the left. I dodge his attack and swipe my claws down his side. The smell of iron in my nose lets me know that I have drawn his blood. Damn, that is only going to piss him off some more. Kyuubi turns to face me and charges again. This time as I dodge he turns his head just in time to catch one of my ears in his teeth. One of his teeth catches on the earing making me yelp out in pain from his dirty move.

It is time to stop holding back and show Kyuubi why I was the ANBU Captain back home. A smirk crosses my face as he charges me again. Instead of dodging I leap into the air above him and bite one of his tails before picking him off of the ground with it and slamming him into a tree a few feet away. He is up once again less than a second later. He hisses at me before beginning to circle me. I keep myself still not wanting to waste my energy on just following him mindlessly.

My only chance at beating him is to either out smart him or to tire him. Seeing as I am tired in both mind and body, and he is in much better condition than I am seeing as he gets at least seven hours of sleep each night and is doing less strenuous work on papers. I dodge and attack to keep him away from me. Occasionally I can get hold of his tails or his neck but he gets lose or I throw him away from me. One time he catches me by the tail and throws me away from him and into a stone wall. I can hear the sound of the wall cracking ominously. I move quickly away in fear of the wall falling down on top of me and ending my life or causing me to be very hurt. After about an hour, my body is starting to give out on me. I am much slower than I was when we started. I am bruised and battered but Kyuubi is in worse physical shape than I am. I know that I will soon make a mistake that will end this battle but I have done the purpose of this battle and that is calm him down. A grin is spread across Kyuubi's face. Most likely he has not had a fight like this in a very long time.

I run forward to strike at his throat but just as I am about to land the blow my front knees give out on me making me collapse to the ground. Kyuubi takes advantage of my collapsing and grabs ahold of my neck with his teeth and uses his superior body weight to force me into submission. I tilt my head forward and to the side to show my submission to him. Kyuubi growls in a happy way. He lets me up slowly and not taking his eyes off of me. I can tell he does not trust me to not go after him should he turn his attention to me. If this had been a mission, yes he would be right about it but I am not on a mission really.

"You are as good as Naruto thought you were. I never believed a female could be early on par if not on par with a male," Kyuubi said with a hint of amusement on his face.

Had I of been human still, a blush would have been covering my neck and face. The thing he just said was too close to a complement in my opinion to be safe; did he really just compliment me. I shake my head to get those thoughts out of it. I should make nothing of it because it can be nothing more than him thinking. I am nothing more than a slave and that is how it shall stay. I bow to him in respect before shaking my body to get rid of the tingles from the healing I had done on myself a few seconds ago.

"Kitsune, mine," he says looking at his wounds from my claws.

I nod my head before approaching him carefully. I move one of my tails carefully not wanting him to think that I am going to use it to attack therefore making him attack me in "self-defense." I move the tail gently across him back making sure to seal and heal all of the wounds that I gave him. I turn to walk away not wanting to cause any more problems.

"Kitsune, I expect you up before ten tomorrow," he tells me.

I look him in the as he says it and can see a small amount of admiration in his eyes. I turn away in surprise from his words and the look in his eyes and jog off to my rooms. I can feel my heart beating fast in my chest. I wonder what the hell is wrong with me. I have never felt the need to act this way let alone have my heart beating this fast without a reason. What the hell is wrong with me? I will just ask Obaa-chan about it tomorrow.

Well that is it for now. Now I know it is short but I did not want to mix too much into one chapter and I thought you all might be happy with this ending. Please review the chapter and let me know what you think about it. Thank you for reading and until next time, bye.