Chapter 2:

As the sun began its decent in the sky, the shinobi were shown to the washroom. There was more than one. According to the servants many of the washrooms were for the staff only. Some were in better condition than others. The boys were taken to a large one the male staff used while Sakura, as the only girl, was taken to a different one by one of the maids.

This washroom was as big as the bathhouse in the Leaf Village. There was even a huge tub for soaking. Naruto and the others got washed up and talked about the mission thus far.

"That prince is a jerk, flirting with Sakura like that."

"We told you he was just being a gentleman. Will you drop it?"

"I have my suspicions of the prince for another matter," said Sai.

"I agree," said Neji. "If he hired us for a mission, he's being pretty vague about it. Then again, he's a busy guy and said he would tell us more about it in the morning. I suppose we can let it slide one night. I'm sure he has his reasons. At least we got the bare minimum of the layout of this place. Plus, I'm glad he's being so hospitable."

"Yeah," scoffed Naruto. "To some more than others."

"Let's just try to find out what we can, ok? We can ask the staff a few things."

After their bath, the boys ran into Sakura on the second floor. She was wrapped in a fluffy pink robe and smelled like sweet flowers and melon.

"What took you so long?" asked Naruto. Sakura was bathing by herself so Naruto figured she would be done before the rest of them.

"Oh. Well..." Sakura turned her head as if embarrassed. "I couldn't decide from all the different soaps he had. It was like a spa in there. There was even a servant girl in there who offered to wash my back for me. And my hair."

Naruto frowned. "We didn't get that."

"Oh. Oh, well."

Naruto frowned even harder. "What? What else?"

"Nothing else. I just took a bath, that's all."

"Where?"

She bit her lip. "In the royal bath."

"The what?"

"It's the washroom used by members of the royal family," said one of the servants.

"I knew it!" Yes, Naruto was a bit jealous. She was being treated better.

"It's not a big deal, Naruto!"

The servant nodded. "It's true. She did not use the prince's private washroom. That's in his wing. And since he is the last living member of the family, that washroom is rarely ever used. Now, please follow me to your rooms."

The servant took them down another carpeted hallway with more paintings and works of art. This floor had sculptures and busts on wooden tables or mounted on the walls. The paintings seemed to be watching Naruto as he walked down the hall. The eyes followed him wherever he went. It gave him an uneasy feeling. Some of the sculptures did the same. Some of them were not natural poses and it looked like the creature trapped in stone was contorted in pain.

"Excuse me," said Neji. He was speaking to the servant. "Is there a reason why no one is allowed in the prince's wing?"

"Oh, only during evening hours when he's asleep. It's for that reason we are not allowed up there. He's a light sleeper. We do have guards up there, however. Not in his room, though."

"And that's normal?"

"Yes. The prince is so busy all day long. He's still young. He's only nineteen. He needs his rest so he can function. We all understand that. Besides, his parents were the ones who gave him such strict rules to follow. He had to be in bed at certain times and had to get enough sleep, always."

"Does he also put off work?" asked Sai. "Like asking us to wait until morning for further details about our mission?"

"He's a teenager." The servant laughed at her own joke. "But I'm sure it's because he's tired. He had a hard day today. He wasn't sure when you would be coming. It also may be force of habit as well. But if you are asking if he is behaving strangely, not at all. He's always been like this. If you think it's odd, assume it's nerves. He's never asked for a ninja's help before. This is new for him."

"I see."

The servant stopped and pointed. "These are your rooms. You each get your own. Your belongings have already been delivered."

"Thank you."

Naruto watched Sakura open the door to hers and quickly pushed her out of the way to look inside. "Naruto!"

Her room was spacious. At first glance, it looked like her bed was on the ground. Then he realized it was actually built into the floor, which was lower than the rest of the floor. It was a sunken bed. Just like a sunken living room. Her bed had several pillows and blankets and even a stuff teddy bear to keep her company. She had a desk in her room, too. A wardrobe, a trunk and a huge window with a view of the side yard and its small garden. Despite being on the second floor, the grass reached her window. This part of the mansion must have been perched on the hill. She had a lovely view. Naruto couldn't help but notice something else. A floral kimono was waiting for her on the foot of her bed with a rose, freshly plucked from the garden.

Sakura kicked him out of her way. "Do you mind?"

Naruto sulked all the way back to his room, two doors down. "Can't wait to see my room. I knew hers would be awesome."

"Good night, guys." Sakura went into her room for the night. Mostly to get away from Naruto. He was getting on her last nerve.

Naruto opened his door and peered inside. His belongings had been delivered and were sitting beside a bed in the middle of the floor. It wasn't a sunken bedroom like Sakura's. It was just a mattress on the floor. He had one pillow and one blanket. His view was obscured by the tree outside his window. He did have a wardrobe, however, but no desk and no trunk. No rose or stuffed animals either. Naruto sighed. At least it was a bed. He still thought Sakura was getting far better treatment, however.

"Naruto." Neji was at his door. "At breakfast tomorrow we'll continue where we left off. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Please stick to the mission. I don't want to hear any more about how much Sakura is getting or how much better it is."

"I got it."

"Good. See you at breakfast. Good night."

"Good night." Naruto closed the door and went over to his bed. "Well..." he said as he got changed into his night clothes. "It could be worse."

Despite his long travels, Naruto was having a very restless night. He couldn't get to sleep. His bed was comfortable enough. He was just having restless thoughts. He still found it unfair how Sakura was being treated so differently from the rest of them. He didn't like this prince very much. At least he wasn't a selfish brat. Sakura had a point there. The palace itself seemed a little eerie as well, the way the paintings' eyes followed him around the halls. There was no artwork in his room so those weren't keeping him up.

Every time Naruto thought he had fallen asleep, his eyes would open and he would find himself back in his borrowed bedroom. He pulled the blanket over his head and tried to block out his thoughts.

Something outside his window rattled.

He threw off the blanket and looked at the window. It was locked up tight. It seemed like a still night. Then he heard it again. He jumped out of bed and went over to the window and looked outside. There was nothing there.

There was a bump behind him. He turned. He saw nothing but he heard creaking.

Naruto didn't want to be in this room alone. His uneasiness drove him into the hallway. The hallway was dark. He looked to his right. Sakura's room was in that direction. As he moved to knock on her door, he thought better about it and decided not to disturb her. He didn't want to deal with anymore of her lectures or risk getting punched in the face. She might have thought he was a peeping tom.

He then looked to his left. Neji and Sai's rooms were right beside his. Maybe they were doing something. Naruto went to the room right beside his.

Neji was in his bed, his back facing the door. Naruto crawled on his hands and knees over to his bed and touched his shoulder. "Neji? Neji?"

"What do you want?" he hissed.

"I heard a noise."

"Congratulations."

"Did you hear it, too?"

"I'm asleep!" Neji turned away.

Naruto sat back with a pout. "Did you make that sound?"

"How should I know if I was asleep?"

"I was just asking. I wonder what that was...? Maybe an enemy...?"

"Naruto," Neji sighed, getting annoyed. "We're in a palace, which is very big with a lot of people. Don't you think maybe it was one of the servants walking around?"

Naruto gave it some thought. "I guess so."

"Why do you always run to me in the middle of the night?"

"You were closest and you're team leader. I figured..."

Neji turned to look at him. "I just gave a peek around the building. There is no one here who shouldn't be. Go back to bed."

"Are you sure? We didn't meet everyone in the staff."

"We're fine. Go back to bed."

"What if I hear the noise again?"

"Are you a ninja or not? Go investigate for yourself and leave me alone. Now go to bed." Neji turned away and hid under his pillow.

Naruto frowned. "Fine." Naruto went back to his room and left Neji alone. "Didn't have to be so grumpy about it."

He tried going back to sleep but once again it eluded him. He lay in bed for what seemed like hours. He kept his eyes shut. More than once he thought he had finally gotten to sleep then he would find himself back in his room. This was going to be a long night.

Another noise caught his attention and he opened his eyes. It was a shuffling sound. He got out of bed. If this was an enemy, he was going to handle this himself. He took a kunai from his bag and crept to the window.

Something moved.

He opened the window and closed it behind himself, leaving it unlocked. He could handle this himself. He had all the back-up he needed in clone form. There was no need to wake the others if this turned out to be nothing.

He moved carefully around the tree and pounced, hoping to surprise whatever it was. He saw a shadow move swiftly to the right, lightly brush the front of his chest and run off. It was big whatever it was. Naruto chased after it. He saw it turn its head and saw two bright yellow eyes gleaming at him in the dark. As quickly as saw them, they disappeared and he saw the shadow move down the steep hill. Naruto was not about to let it get away. He ran after it as fast as he could. Even when he lost sight of it, he kept running.

He made it all the way to the front gate of the palace. There was nothing there. The large fountain trickled softly, the water shimmering in the moonlight. He walked carefully across the yard and over to the front gate. The guards were missing. Suspicious, Naruto approached. The gate was locked up tight. He couldn't get them to budge no matter how hard he tugged and pulled.

A shadow moved beyond the gate at the bottom of the hill and fled.

Naruto frowned. He had to follow it. He scaled the white wall and jumped to the other side. He landed in the grass and ran down the hill into the town. Everything was dark and quiet. Everyone was safe in their beds. But something was moving.

The shadow appeared again, moving quickly. Another shadow joined it. There was more than one. He ran after them. A third shadow joined them and they ran as one through the street. Naruto followed quickly but silently. The moving shadows took him down another street and through to the next. Then they fled the village and into the woods. Naruto followed close behind.

The trees were so thick. This was a dense forest. It was easier to use the trees than run on the ground. When the trees began to thin out, he dropped to the ground and went on foot. Deeper and deeper he ventured. The town was far away by now.

His footsteps slowed, hearing something. Voices. At least three. Naruto crept through the forest, keeping close to the tree trunks.

"This is it?"

"It's all we could manage."

"That's it?"

"This is hardly enough."

"Then you go try!"

"Calm down. This is fine."

"No, it's not."

"We can always go back tomorrow night."

"Why not now?"

"There was a human out there."

"Were you followed?"

"I'm not sure. Humans never go into the woods at night. I doubt it."

Curious, Naruto peeked.

It was a gathering of foxes. Less than a dozen sat in the clearing, talking to each other. These foxes could speak. There was a strange blue light hovering over the group. It looked like a fireball. It wasn't attached to anything and simply hovered overhead.

"Who's there?"

Naruto flinched.

The foxes started to get to their feet and move away. Were they afraid of him? Naruto couldn't let them leave. He had to get answers. This was his best chance to find things out.

"It's ok," said Naruto. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Then come out."

"Ok. Here I come." Naruto came out slowly and kept low to the ground. "See? Everything's ok. I mean no harm."

The foxes watched him carefully from where they stood, saying nothing. The fox who had ordered him to come out was sitting on a stump and didn't seem frightened of him at all. It was a male fox with green eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. I'm here on a mission."

Some of the foxes looked at each other in surprise. Even the green-eyed fox seemed curious.

"You can understand us? Aren't you surprised that we can talk?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not really. I've come across talking animals before. It's no big deal."

"I see."

A female fox spoke up next. "You said you were on a mission? What sort of mission? Are you here to skin us and make coats out of us? Are you a hunter?"

"What? No! I'm here on another mission."

"Then why do you have a knife in your hand?"

Naruto looked at the kunai he had been carrying. He had forgotten it was in his hand. "Sorry. Sorry." Naruto tossed it behind his back where it landed in a shrub. "See? All better. I was just carrying that because I thought you were a human enemy. That's all."

The foxes still looked like they didn't trust him.

"So..." Naruto started slowly. "You're foxes, huh?" He really wasn't sure what to say. He rocked on the balls of his feet, thinking about what he should say next. "Um... Were you guys just in the town? What were you doing there?"

"We were looking for food," said the fox with green eyes.

Naruto looked at the ground. There was a small pile of garbage in front of the green-eyed fox. An apple core, and ear of corn and some more scraps. "Oh. Are you guys really that hungry?"

The fox spoke again. "There are quite a few of us as you can see. We used to receive offerings from the humans but that has stopped some time ago."

"Why?"

"No one is certain."

Naruto looked at all the foxes watching him carefully. They all seemed very fit. They didn't look like they were starving. But they weren't overfed either. "So, you got offerings from humans?"

"Yes. They used to leave us food. When they stopped, we started going into the town to get it ourselves."

"By digging through trash?"

The foxes didn't look very proud of that fact, nor did they seem to appreciate Naruto calling attention to it.

"Isn't there enough food out here for you guys?"

The lead fox sighed. "It's nice to have help sometimes. Hunting takes time and energy. We enjoyed getting the offerings. We're not sure why it stopped."

"So, you raid the town and take their food in its place?"

The female fox spoke again. "We've always gotten offerings. If they stop, then it's only fair for us to go in and take it. Doesn't it make sense to you?"

"Not exactly."

The foxes started sniffing the air, eyeing him up and down. They started whispering. The green-eyed fox was smiling. "Well, it should."

"Why?" asked Naruto.

"Because you're half fox already."

Naruto blinked. "Huh?" What was he talking about? Did he mean the Nine-tailed fox inside of him? Was that what he was talking about? Did this fox know about the beast dwelling within?

The green-eyed fox seemed to read his thoughts and gestured to his own head with his paw, miming what he wanted Naruto to mimic.

Naruto reached up with both hands and felt the top of his head. Something soft brushed his thumbs. It wasn't his hair. They twitched. Ears. He had furry pointed ears. Naruto felt the sides of his face and cheeks. His face felt furry. He had a muzzle and a wet nose. He looked down at his hands which had now become a pair of furry black paws. Feeling his heart skip a beat, he turned in a circle to see behind him. He had a bushy tail wagging behind his back. A fluffy fox tail.

"I... I'm... I'm a... fox?" Naruto checked again. He certainly had fox appendages. Naruto's heart started racing. "I'm turning into a fox?"

The green-eyed fox came down from his perch to talk with him. "Don't panic. The changes are quick. You're not going to scream, are you?"

Once the shock had subsided, he was able to think more clearly. His mind didn't feel cloudy and his body wasn't heating up, nor was he in any pain. If this were something for him to worry about, these would be warning signs. Certain he wasn't in danger, he was able to conclude that this had nothing to do with the Nine-Tailed fox inside of him. Since the other foxes didn't seem too alarmed, this must have been nothing to panic about. Clearly, they knew what was going on. It was either this or the possibility that this was a dream; in which case, he should enjoy it.

Naruto shook his head. He was grinning in a very foxlike fashion. "No way. This is pretty cool."

"You're... not going to freak out?"

"Nah-uh." Naruto chased his tail, having fun. "I'm good with this. This is kind of fun."

"Huh." The fox seemed amazed. "I expected you to freak out. Most humans would."

"Not me. I'm actually kind of used to turning into different things. This isn't so bad." Naruto stopped spinning, realizing that something was amiss. Something else had changed. He was now eye to eye with the green-eyed fox. When he looked down, he realized he was now a complete fox, fur and everything. "Man, you weren't kidding when you said the change was quick."

The green-eyed fox looked overjoyed. "Well, well. Look here, everyone. We have another kitsune in our company."

Naruto's ears twitched. "Kitsune?"

"Yup. We're all kitsune. Every one of us."

So that's what they were and why he could understand them when they talked. They were fox spirits.

Naruto had never seen a group of kitsune before. He thought they would be different. He didn't have any expectations to be honest. Somehow, he thought they would be a little more intimidating. Although, he was still in awe, staring back at all the gawking fox faces. They all looked like red foxes except for the fact that they could speak and their facial expressions were closer to that of humans. Animal expressions tended to be more subtle.

"There's no way he can be one of us!"

Naruto turned his head. Some of the foxes were starting to argue.

"This must be some sort of trick."

"And a trick it is. You know how the two-tails can be. No doubt this is his doing."

Naruto was confused. He wanted answers himself. "Uh, hey. How is it I'm a fox anyway? What happened to me?"

The green-eyed fox turned. "Let me explain. You see, this is the work of someone in the town who's in hiding. He did this to you."

"So... like a magic spell?" Naruto cocked his head.

"More or less. It's a curse. All kitsune have an ability called curse inducement. You're the latest victim."

Naruto looked down at his paws. "So... this is all some kitsune curse?"

"Yup. However, there's a rule about this curse." The fox came closer. "You can't tell anyone about it otherwise they'll receive the curse, too. So be very careful. Don't tell anyone about this. You don't want to curse them, too, do you?"

Naruto nodded. "Right. I got it. No telling." Naruto was only half paying attention. He was still admiring his new fox body.

"What's your name again?" asked the fox.

"Huh? Oh. Naruto. My name's Naruto."

The green-eyed fox smiled. "I'm Ryosuke. Nice to meet you." He gestured to the other foxes. "That's Sonar, Lunabell, Aurora, Sammi, Egao, Superu, Ishi, and Seki."

"Don't introduce us to him!" snapped Aurora. "I don't trust him. He shouldn't be treated like one of us. He's a human!"

"Not right now he isn't. He's a kitsune so that makes him one of us."

The others looked unsure but seemed to be leaning toward the side of acceptance.

"Besides, Naruto has asked us about ourselves. We should answer him. We'll show him how we live."

"Is that such a good idea?" asked Seki.

"I say it is."

The foxes backed down and accepted his answer. Ryosuke grinned in satisfaction.

Naruto felt he should say something but wasn't sure what. "Uh... can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"When we were called here, it was because the prince said he was being threatened. Were you the ones doing it?"

"No. We avoid humans unless we're pulling pranks on them. Which we only did before the offerings started. No, we stay away from the palace. They don't put their garbage out where we can get it."

"Ok." Naruto smiled happily. "That's that. So now what?"

Ryosuke grinned. "Want to see where we live? It's got a great view."

"Let's go!" Naruto was on all fours. This sounded like a lot of fun.

"Follow us!" Ryosuke took off running. The foxes followed after him. Naruto raced with the kitsune.

It was hard running on all fours. Actually, he felt faster on fours. The problem was all the grass and sticks that got in his face. Running this low to the ground was a pain. He somehow managed to keep up with the group. When they reached the edge of the forest, the foxes started climbing. Naruto stopped and watched. They were scaling up the side of the rocky mountain, leaping from one stone to the next. They made it look easy. Naruto felt confident. Climbing something like this was easy for a ninja. He tried climbing and slipped. He stood at the base of the mountain and watched everyone one else climb with ease. He couldn't get a good grip with these paws. He couldn't even stick to the stone using his chakra.

"What's wrong?" asked Ishi. He stopped on a rock to check on the newcomer.

"I'm having a hard time getting up there." Naruto gripped the rock in front of him with both paws while his hind legs kicked the dirt and sides of the stone. It almost looked like he was giving the rock a hug.

Ishi called to Ryosuke who perched on the rock above Naruto and watched him.

"Balance yourself on the rock," he said. "No, not like that. I mean... Hang on. Stop, stop. Put your front paws on the rock in front of you. Yeah, just like that. Now, use them as your ground. Know what I mean?"

Naruto nodded. He placed his paws on the rock, making sure they weren't going anywhere.

"Good. Now, use your hind legs to push off from the ground hard. Jump!"

Naruto pushed off the ground with his hind legs and onto the rock. He was off the ground. Naruto's face broke into an accomplished smile. "Hey!" He did it.

"Very good. Foxes are great jumpers. Just keep doing that. Once you pick up enough speed, jump from one rock to the other as fast as you can." Ryosuke climbed up the side of the mountain and waited for Naruto on one of the high rocks.

Naruto tried to do as he said and climbed up the rocks. It was hard to climb without thumbs or hands, or chakra. He had to learn a different way entirely. He was basically jumping from one rock to the other, keeping himself balanced with his front legs and using his back legs to jump. He slipped a few times but never fell. Once he reached Ryosuke, he took off to another high perch and waited for Naruto there. He was one of the few who waited for him. Finally, he reached the top of the mountain and crawled onto the grass to catch his breath.

"No resting. Let's go."

Naruto hurried after the group. He could hear something getting louder and louder as he ran. It was the roar of the falls. They were near the waterfall Naruto had seen when they arrived. The fox group led him to a stream and stopped for a quick drink. Naruto bent down and gulped the water with his muzzle. Forgetting that his nose was at the end of his face, he snorted in some water as he drank and pulled away, coughing. He kept forgetting he was a fox now.

"Check it out, Naruto. What do you think?"

Naruto lifted his head. Ryosuke was standing by the stream looking out at the night sky. Naruto came to stand beside him.

It was gorgeous. They were standing on the top of the mountain right beside the falls. Naruto looked over the edge to see the water disappear into a cloud of mist below. The forest was an endless patch of dark green from where he stood. The houses on the other side of the forest looked so tiny. The sky was so big and the clouds stretched endlessly. From up here, he felt as if he were flying. At this height, it was almost as if he could reach out and touch the sky. He felt so powerful up here. Like he could rule the whole entire town and all the land surrounding it.

"So, what do you think?"

Naruto took in a deep breath through the nose. The air was so cool and crisp. He could smell the waterfall beside him and the grass and the trees. Even the evening sky seemed to have a scent all its own. He was still suppressing the urge to jump from the cliff and into the sky. "This place is great!"

"I knew you'd like it."

"So, you guys actually live here?" Naruto asked turning away from the sky.

Ryosuke nodded. "Everything you see here is ours. This whole mountain is our domain. This waterfall, those trees, these rocks. Everything is ours."

"Wow." Naruto looked back at the amazing view. He felt so powerful up here. Like a king.

"Do you have your fox legs yet?"

Naruto turned back. "Why?"

"Would you like to race?"

The other foxes looked excited. They wanted to race, too.

Naruto smiled brightly at them. "Sure! Oh, but can I do something real quick?"

"Like what?"

Naruto turned back to the sky, stood on the edge of the cliff and howled. The other foxes looked embarrassed at first, not expecting Naruto to do something so... well, childish. Then they had the same urge and howled with him. Maybe they didn't want him to feel left out. Naruto howled again and his voice echoed for a moment then got dragged into the roaring falls and trapped in its waters. "Narutooooo!"

The foxes laughed at him.

"What?" Naruto howled again. "I am Narutooooo...!"

"Ryooooosuke!" howled the green-eyed fox.

The foxes all laughed and howled their own names into the stars. Once they were finished, the race began.

They tore up the grass, racing from the stream to the rocky field that was the top of the mountain. Then down the steep rocky hill and into tall grass. Then down the mountain and the massive pile of stone. It was easier and even more terrifying going down the mountain. Naruto had to make sure not to miss a single step otherwise he would go tumbling down the rocks. Ryosuke told him to land on all fours when he went down, just to be sure he would be safe. He started to pick up speed again and a rock slipped from under his paws. Naruto surfed down the side of the mountain on the stone. He landed at the bottom and jumped off. He stumbled and bumped into a tree root.

"You ok?"

Naruto was laughing. "That was awesome! The wind in my fur! What a rush!"

The other foxes seemed to be warming up to him. They all came over to see how he was doing and joined in the laughter.

"Race through the trees?"

"You bet. Ready, set, go!"

Naruto was getting faster. He was lost in the crowd of foxes racing through the forest. He felt like he was one of them. He looked like a fox, he ran like a fox, now he was going to act like a fox. This was a blast! He never thought racing with foxes through the trees in the middle of the night could be so much fun. He was wide awake and ready to race all night. He was so full of energy. When he howled, the foxes howled with him. He tested his legs, seeing how far he could jump. He could almost make it to the tree branches.

"This is amazing!" Naruto cried, leaping through the air. He truly felt like he could fly.

"Liking this much?" asked Ishi.

"Loving it! Being a kitsune is the best!"

He laughed. "We think so!"

Naruto was gaining ground. He was going to win this race. All he had to do was catch up with Ryosuke who was leading the pack. No matter how hard he pushed himself, Ryosuke was always just out of reach. After a while, he no longer cared and just wanted to enjoy this race. Running felt great. Being a kitsune felt great.

Told you it would get interesting ^-^

Please review!