Fox Fire

by swirlheart

Naruto and his team are on a mission to help guard a prince. Strange and creepy things have been happening in his land. Could it be magic? Or something far darker? Maybe it has something to do with the Kitsune who have taken an interest in Naruto, who has now become one of them. Control your fox fire, Naruto! Please read and review. Nothing hurtful, thank you.

9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Naruto was so shocked at first that he couldn't react. Then instinct took over and his body was in motion. He swung his leg back, kicking the person wrapped around his body and tried to get his arms out from their grasp. The person threw Naruto into the wall and they both faced each other for the first time.

It was a man, maybe a year or two older than Kakashi. The man was unshaven and had dark hair, the color of oil. Naruto noticed something else about the man as well. "Hey, aren't you one of the guys who came here today to meet with the prince?"

"I am," said the man. The man scanned him as if he were a pig for sale. "You're not a servant boy, are you? Not with those moves and that outfit."

Naruto remained silent.

At last, the man's gaze came to the headband fastened around Naruto's forehead. "You're a ninja from the Hidden Leaf, aren't you? I can tell. Don't deny it."

Naruto admitted the truth. "Yes, I am. And who are you? You're not a normal rich guy here for a meeting, are you? Not the way you look and the way you're out here skulking around."

"What is a Leaf ninja doing here?"

"I asked you a question!"

"First you tell me why a ninja is here at the prince's palace."

"You first. Who are you?"

The man scoffed. "You here to assassinate the prince?"

Naruto scoffed back. "No! I mean, I don't like the guy. I sort of hate him."

The man smiled. "Ah, you, too, huh?"

"Oh? You don't like him either?" Naruto spoke to him as if he were a new classmate with similar interests. "Why's that?"

"Personally, I don't know the prince very well. But he doesn't sit right with my new boss. Says there's something not right about him. He's different."

"Who's your boss?"

"The young lord you saw before. I'm just posing as one of his assistants."

Naruto frowned. "So... you're not with the lord? You're not a servant or a partner or something?"

"No. I'm an assassin for hire," the man confessed. "He hired me to do a job for him. I'm here to take the prince down."

"What? I'm not going to let you do that!"

"So, you are here to protect him!"

"I said I didn't like the jerk and I do agree with you guys that he's not right. But..." Normally, Naruto could never stand by and watch someone die, even if he found them annoying and certainly not on a mission where he was supposed to protect them. But there was another reason why he couldn't let this man kill the prince. He needed the prince alive to prove that he was really a fox. Until then, he couldn't let anything happen to him. "Can't you just tie him up or something? Do you really need to kill him?"

"That's what I was hired to do. Had I known there were ninja about, I would have been a lot more careful. I was just sneaking around the back here to the prince's bedroom. Then I happened upon you and I sure as hell couldn't let you see me."

"Were you going to kill me, too?"

"No! I wasn't hired to kill you. I would have just tied you up and left you in a closet or something." The man then pulled a knife from his sash and held it firmly in his hand. "But seeing as you're a ninja, I guess it won't be that easy."

Naruto drew his own weapon and got into a fighting stance right there in the grass. "At least I get some action!" Naruto was starved for some action on this mission. He had been so bored these past few days. An assassin showing up was an ironic bit of good news he had been hoping for. Besides, this man wasn't a ninja. He should be easy to take down. This would be over quickly.

With weapons drawn, they came at each other and clashed. Naruto's kunai was nearly knocked out of his hand. This man was a lot stronger than he looked. Taken by surprise, Naruto jumped back to attack from a different angle.

"Don't take me so lightly, boy! An assassin has a different set of skills than some child ninja. Don't get cocky with me!"

They clashed again and this time Naruto showed just how strong he was. The man was expecting the skills of a child, but Naruto wasn't some rookie. Not anymore. He pushed the man's knife back and was about to disarm him. Then the man pulled a second knife from behind his back and tried stabbing Naruto in the shoulder. Naruto grabbed the man's wrist and held him back. Next, with both arms still busy, Naruto kicked the man in the stomach. As he bent backwards from the blow, Naruto ran up his chest and over his back, taking the man's arm with him. The knife fell from his left hand, but not his right. The tip of the knife cut into Naruto's cheek and he began to bleed. Now behind the man, Naruto gave his arm a sharp tug and kneed him in the spine.

Even with that attack, the man did not lose his footing. He remained standing and held onto his other knife. Without turning around, the man ran forward toward the palace. That's right. Naruto was closest to the building before and now that he was behind the man, that put him closer to the palace. Naruto had to chase after him.

"Like I'll let you in! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Five clones blocked the man's path which he quickly slashed away. Naruto wasn't done yet. That was just to slow him down. He ran up and kicked the man in the back, sending him flying teeth first into the wall of the palace.

"Ha! Told you I-" Naruto jumped back to avoid the knife. "If you want to fight, then bring it!"

The man was on his feet again and tried slashing Naruto with his knife. With a quick flick of his hand, Naruto sent another kunai at the man's hand and knocked the knife from his grasp. Before it could land on the ground, the man picked it up, mid-fall, and thrust it towards Naruto's chest. Naruto blocked again and summoned up more Shadow Clones. The man had to fight them all with his one remaining knife.

One pop after another sent his clones away until there were only three left. Two managed to grab hold of the man's arms and held him down. Now Naruto could come in for the finishing blow. This would stop him and end the fight. He stood beside his third clone and gathered up their chakra and air until it formed a perfect ball in his palm.

Naruto took aim at the man restrained in the grass, mere inches from the window, and lunged. It was the perfect shot. His clones were holding him in place and his final attack was ready and on target. "Raseng-"

Naruto's attack disappeared and his clones vanished. Naruto fell to the ground, covered in fur, dusk pressing at his back.

"No! Not now!" By the time Naruto looked up, he saw the man climbing in through the window. "Wait! Stop!"

The man was already in the building, paying no heed to Naruto's demands. Naruto ran toward the window and jumped, grabbing hold of the windowsill with his front paws. His hind legs scrapped the wall outside, struggling to lift Naruto up and inside. Naruto's grip failed and he fell back down. He had to try again. He ran back a few steps and took a running leap at the window. He cleared the frame and soared into the room and landed on all fours. The man was already at the door.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" he wondered aloud to himself. He couldn't use jutsu anymore, he was a fraction of his normal size and he had no weapons. Verbal threats weren't going to be enough to stop this man. "Damn it, I'm useless now. I can't grab him with no hands, I can't use clones or kunai or anything."

"That's an issue for a human." He heard Ryosuke's voice play in his mind and remembered what he had told him the previous night out in the woods. "You aren't a human at the moment. You are a fox. Act like one."

"He's right," Naruto realized. He had weapons: his teeth and claws. It was just like trying to catch those mice. Without hands, he had to adapt. He had to use his mouth. "I'm a fox now. So, I should act like it."

An idea coming to mind, Naruto bounded forward and sank his teeth into the man's ankle.

"Ow! Damn it!" He kicked his leg but Naruto wouldn't let go. "That brat must have summoned an animal to stop me. Get off!"

He didn't know this was Naruto. He must have not seen him change.

Naruto held on tight, squeezing his jaws closer together. He could taste blood.

"Get!" The man used his remaining knife to stab Naruto in the shoulder. Yelping, Naruto released his hold and jumped back. He ran back at the man and bit him again, this time on the arm he was using to brandish the knife. He jerked his arm from left to right, trying to shake him off. "Get, you stupid dog!"

Naruto bit down harder. He started to scratch the man's arm and face with his claws.

"Ow! Stop that!" He started to beat Naruto over the head with his fist. He swung his arm into the wall, trying to shake Naruto loose. Naruto bashed into the wall several times before finally letting go. The man covered the wound with his hand. "Damn thing."

Naruto got up and looked around for ideas. Someone was bound to hear that and come running. If he could subdue this assassin, then he wouldn't have to worry about who came along. Servant or ninja, the villain was retrained.

A short dresser and a bookshelf gave Naruto an idea. He ran quickly and jumped onto the dresser. It barely moved as he landed atop the smooth wooden top and jumped to the bookshelf. Several books and bookends stood at attention on the shelf and Naruto took them all in his mouth and threw them as hard as he could at the man on the floor. The man covered his head with his arms and turned away from the barrage of books and metal stands. Naruto kept tossing until there was nothing left. He stepped back and wedged his paw between the wall and the back of the shelf. He kicked and pulled until it came loose and flew at the man's head.

"Ow!" Now he had a gash on his forehead.

Naruto kicked off from the wall and landed on the man's face and started scratching.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop it!"

No matter how many times the man tried to grab him, Naruto kept moving. His paws moved quickly from shoulder to shoulder and head to back and chest and neck. He sank his teeth into the man's ear and pulled.

"Ow!" He reached for Naruto with both hands. "Let g- OW!"

This was actually kind of fun. Naruto released the man's ear and headbutted him in the back, just for good measure. When the man struggled to his feet, Naruto ran in circles around his heels, trying to trip him up. It worked. He fell back to the ground and Naruto bit him again. He grabbed a curtain and draped it over the man's head, cutting him off from the rest of the room. Naruto ran in circles again, trying to tie the man up in the fallen curtain. He struggled and twisted and pulled, trying to free himself. Even if he did manage to pull it off his head for a moment, it would surround his head once more as Naruto ran and jumped. Soon the man was wrapped up tight and Naruto yanked the curtain, making it even tighter.

This was great! Even without his ninja arts, he could still fight. It was all thanks to Ryosuke's training. If it weren't for him and the other foxes, this battle might have ended differently.

Then Naruto's fox ears picked up a sound. It sounded like ripping cloth.

It was ripping cloth! The man was using his knife to cut away his binds. Naruto had to stop him. He jumped up and tried to take away the knife with his teeth but the blade moved and Naruto got a fresh cut on his cheek. "Aah!" Naruto stumbled back, his face stinging. By the time he looked back, the man was on his feet again and moving toward the door. It was time for something else he learned from Ryosuke. "Fox fire!"

A flame wheel cut off his path and the man jerked backward in surprise. The flame began to take shape and Naruto stood in front of him. The human Naruto. He took out his knife and started slashing but it was all in vain. The Naruto he was attacking was nothing more than an illusion.

Naruto stood back to admire his work. Who needed Shadow Clones when he could do this? It was almost as effective. Though they couldn't grab him physically, the illusions still made him think he was actually fighting someone. The Naruto illusion seemed to dodge his every attack. The man was forced to stumble and attack the illusion in a frustrated fury. Meanwhile, the real Naruto was tending to his wounds. There was no way he could mend himself now. All he could do was examine his injuries and hope they didn't get any worse.

"The hell with this!" The man ran at Naruto and when the illusion moved, the man went around it toward the door. The illusion couldn't stop him from leaving. If he chose to ignore the illusion, there was nothing to stop him from leaving. All the illusion could do was offer a distraction.

"No! Stop!" Naruto ran at the man but he was too late. He was in the hall and the door slammed shut like the lid to a coffin. Naruto was trapped in the room with the man on the other side. "Oh, no!"

Naruto stood in front of the closed door and stared at it. He didn't have any hands to open the door. He was trapped. Determined, Naruto pawed at the door and scratched. He felt like a dog seeking shelter from the cold only his master wouldn't let him in. He threw himself against the door. He tried jumping up and grabbing the latch in his teeth. He pushed with all this strength but it never gave. He started pleading with the door, urging it to move. He grabbed the latch in is teeth once again and kicked the door frame, trying to push the door open that way. The door slid only a crack but it was enough. Naruto jumped down and pushed the door open with his muzzle.

The hallway was empty. The man must have run to the prince's room. Did he know where it was? Maybe he was guessing. Naruto had to find him. He used another trick Ryosuke had taught him. Naruto sniffed the ground, trying to track his scent. It worked! Thanks to the blood, Naruto could easily smell the assassin and ran in that direction.

He moved swiftly through the carpeted halls. Yet something else he owed to Ryosuke. He was able to move stealthily because of his ninja training but moving as a fox was another thing entirely. Running up the carpet steps was challenging due to his shoulder injury. Since he had to run on all fours as a fox, an injury on the shoulder was very similar to an injury on his hip or upper thigh. Whenever he put pressure on it to get to the next step, the wound would throb, sting and ooze more blood. Thankfully, he was almost at the top.

He entered a corridor overflowing with riches. He had been through this hall before. It was brimming with suits of armor and portraits and vases and statues and many more works of art. In fact, he had been hiding by that very same suit of armor earlier today when he tried scaring the prince. Only the suit of armor's head was facing the other direction. Now it looked like it was staring at him. This hall certainly gave him the creeps, especially at night. He hurried down the hall and spotted his target. The man was crouching behind a large stone statue, lying in wait.

Naruto hesitated. If he confronted him head-on, he would only get attacked before he could make it to the assassin. The best way would be to use his ninja arts and take the ceiling. However, he couldn't do that as a fox. He had to come up with something else.

He remembered more advice Ryosuke and the other foxes had given to him during hunting lessons. "Creep and pounce. Tread lightly and moved behind your surroundings. Don't step close to attack. Stand at a distance and leap. They will never hear you coming." Naruto crept behind the artwork and moved silently down the hall, using them as a cover. Just like creeping through the trees at night. It was working. The man hadn't noticed him yet. Naruto slowed his movements, sometimes stopping all together so his prey wouldn't spot him.

The assassin watched the hall with knife in hand. Naruto could tell just by looking at him that he was getting ready to move from that spot. He was too tense. His grip tightened around the handle of the blade.

Naruto bent his legs, preparing to spring. He had to do this now.

Then his ears picked up another sound. This one from further away. It sounded like running footsteps. Thumping next. The assassin seemed to feel it, too, for he looked up and Naruto remained where he was. Something else moved, and this one was much louder. The whole floor began to shake.

A man came running from another set of stairs. He was from the meeting, too. He was the one who got the nosebleed when Naruto used his Sexy Jutsu. This man was running from something. He looked like he was being chased by a beast. It wasn't that far from the truth when Naruto saw who was chasing him.

"CHA!" Sakura came flying down the stairs, her feet never touching a single step, and plowed her fist into the floor by the man's feet. A tremor spread from the point of impact and sent everything shaking. The suits of armor creaked and squeaked, the paintings swayed and rattled. The man stumbled back from shock and fell to the ground.

The assassin emerged from his hiding spot, ready to drive the knife into Sakura's body while her back was turned. She was too focused on the one in front of her that she never saw the second one coming.

"Rah!" Naruto flew through the air and landed on the man's back and sank his teeth into his other ear.

"Ahh!"

Sakura spun around. She saw a man with a knife behind her and a fox on his shoulder, biting him. She watched the man stumble into the wall and reached back to grab the fox but it was just out of reach. The fox slipped and lost its footing, but managed to keep hold on the man's ear. That only made him scream louder as the fox's weight pulled him down. It looked like he was wearing a very large, fox earring. Sakura got over her surprise and looked back at the man on the floor who was trying to crawl away while she was distracted.

A third man arrived, limping their way holding his arm. Neji was right behind him, jabbing him again and again with his fingers. "Ow! Stop it! What are you doing to me? Ow! I said stop!"

"If you want me to stop, then do as I said." Neji jabbed him again. "Down!"

"Ok! Ok!"

It was chaos. It seemed all their fights were converging on one location. Sakura held her opponent down while Neji forced his to kneel on the carpeted hallway.

The one in Naruto's teeth was still trying to fight back. In blind desperation, he threw away his knife and grabbed Naruto by the tail and pried him off his ear. Naruto sailed into a suit of armor which quickly tipped over and landed on the assassin. The tossed knife was caught in midair by Neji who then went after the assassin.

As soon as he landed, Naruto dove into the nearest room he could find and hid. He couldn't risk his friends seeing him. He didn't care about these people or whether or not they got the curse, but he cared if his friends did. He ducked into a dark room and peered through the tiny gap in the door.

"I don't think so." Neji forced the man down on his stomach and held him there at knife point. "Don't move."

Someone else was coming, and they brought friends. Long black inky snake friends. They slithered around the men, wrapping them up tight.

"Thanks, Sai. How did you do?"

Sai marched behind his own captured assailant, wrapped up just like his partners. "I managed fine. Capturing the lord was easy. Personally, I think it's a waste of my skills so I came to assist you guys. I see you made off well."

"Yeah, no thanks to Naruto." Neji growled, putting his hands on his hips. "Where is that idiot? We're under attack and he disappears?"

Naruto was tempted to say something to prove him wrong but kept his mouth shut and remained hidden.

Sai looked at the pink haired girl to his left. "Something wrong, Sakura?"

She was looking at the ground, as if searching for something she dropped. "I was just... Never mind. It's nothing."

Naruto was too busy fighting the assassin to know whether or not Sakura had seen him attack. Was she looking for the fox? Did she spot him? It didn't matter. Naruto never said a word so even if she did, she never knew it was him.

"What the hell happened to you?" asked Neji, looking at the assassin Naruto helped take down. "You look like you got attacked by a dog." He was bitten and bleeding onto the carpet.

"It was your little ninja friend," he snapped. "The one with the clones and attitude."

"He must mean Naruto," said Sai. "So, he was around to help after all."

"But where is he now?" Neji wanted to know.

Someone else wanted answers as well. Several servants came from different directions, asking one question after another.

"Everything's fine. But we really must check on the prince and make sure he's-"

"What is going on out here?" came Akio's voice. He came down from the next wing and stood before them in his evening wear. There stood the prince, as a human.

"Huh?!" Naruto tilted his head in bewilderment. He wasn't a fox. The prince was human. Naruto tried to get a better look. He eyed him up and down. This wasn't an illusion. A kitsune could tell the difference while a human could not. To Naruto's kitsune eyes, Prince Akio was a human being.

"What's all this noise?" he demanded. "And what are my guests doing bound like that on the floor? What is all this?"

"Your highness," explained Neji as calmly as he could. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but these men were trying to assassinate you."

"What?" The prince looked shocked. Then he grinned nervously as if this was all a very poor joke. "That's impossible. There's no way."

"We caught them. We heard them. We saw them..." Neji sighed. "I'm sorry."

Akio gave a disbelieving shake of his head. "That can't be. We've worked together for years. They've always been... How can they do this?"

"These men you said you've never seen before." Neji gestured to two of the men. "You said so yourself."

"Yes, but lords and ladies get new servants all the time. I never thought anything of it."

"We thought it was odd so we kept a close watch on them throughout the day. Some had weapons. We watched them." Neji paused seeing the prince get even more upset. This must have been very overwhelming for him to hear.

Akio looked at the lord on the floor. "How?" he asked, his voice shaking. "How could you do this to me? You hired these men to kill me? After everything my family has done for you and your land? We were always good to you. Always fair. Why?!"

The lord turned away, but not out of shame. He looked bitter and angry.

"Tell me why!"

The lord turned back, glaring. "Because of what you are! You are not the prince of the past! You've changed!"

Akio looked hurt. "Of course, I've changed from how I was then. When my parents died, it was up to me to take over and rule the kingdom by myself. When they were in charge, I was less stressed. I didn't have many responsibilities. But I couldn't be that young boy anymore. I had to take charge. I cannot be innocent anymore."

"You're horrid! The old prince I knew was far better than what I see before me now. That is the prince that has my respect and always will."

Akio looked down for a moment, then raised his eyes. "I'm sorry. I know I'm new to all this. I'm not my parents, but I'm trying my best. But if I've made mistakes, then tell me and I will try my best to fix it. Don't try killing me! Who will rule then? There is no heir."

"You are not the prince!" the lord snapped. "You've changed. I can never accept that. I want the one from years ago. Not you!"

Akio said nothing for a long time. When he did, his voice was quiet. "I'm sorry. But I cannot do that. I have a duty now. I cannot be a selfish child anymore when I have so many people to look after. I cannot be the child from the past. I have to be a man now. I had to grow up."

"You are a monster! A vile piece of-" A snake coiled around the lord's mouth and gagged him.

Sai stood behind him looking indifferent to the situation. "What now? What do we do with them now?"

"Don't you have a dungeon or something in the palace?" asked Neji.

Akio nodded, still looking hurt. "Y... yes. It's in the basement. But we never use it. There was never really a need."

"Well, there is now. We can put them there until we figure this out."

"Very well." Akio summoned his gawking servants. "Please show them to the basement."

"My lord, are you alright?" asked a maid.

"Yes," he said sadly. "I... I just wish to be alone right now. This is all a little too much. I need some time to soak it all in."

"Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm alright. Perhaps some tea in a few minutes. It might calm my nerves."

"Allow me to escort you to your room. Please." The maid helped the prince slowly back to his chamber.

Another servant shook his head and sighed. "Poor prince... This has never happened before. He must be in shock. He's beloved by so many and so were his parents. I'm sure he never dreamed something like this would ever happen."

"Even when people think that, even if they are well respected, there will always be someone out there who wants to hurt them," said Neji. "Trust me, this is nothing new."

As the servants led the ninja and captured men away and the prince was led back up to his room by the maid and several guards, Naruto stood and gawked from his hiding place.

"He's not the fox."

He thought he had it all figured out. The fact that he never showed himself at night and the fact that foxes only appeared at night was a major factor in Naruto's suspicions. He himself changed into a fox at night so he assumed the prince did as well which was why he hid himself at night. Yet here was the prince, after sunset, as a human. Nothing about him had changed.

Then again, the servants did say that the prince always went to bed at sunset from the time he was very young. The routine never changed. According to them, nothing had changed about him at all. The lord said he was different but maybe that was because he had to mature for his role as the ruler of the kingdom after his parents' deaths. Also, nothing about him was really foxlike. He had a disliking of dogs, but so did other people so it probably didn't mean anything. Naruto was basing his suspicions on very few, unimportant ideas.

"I was so sure it was him."

He didn't act like a fox. He didn't look like a fox. He didn't smile or laugh like a fox. He didn't care for pranks. He didn't eat like a fox. Plus, foxes were nocturnal. The prince was busy during the day and slept at night. It couldn't have been him.

"Maybe I thought he was the fox because I wanted it to be him." Naruto wandered into the dark room to think. "I never liked the guy. I hated how he was always hitting on Sakura. Maybe I was looking for all this stuff because I actually wanted him to be the fox. I was focused on the wrong person. I was piecing all this stuff together and trying to make it fit the prince."

There was no way out of this room except back the way he came. Naruto waited for another minute before going back into the hall. He didn't want to risk running into anyone. He crept down the hall and down the stairs. There was an open window in the room the assassin entered. He would use that to get back outside. He had to meet up with the other kitsune.

Once he made it back to the room, he crawled through the open window and into the yard. It was later than he thought. The stars were already out, scattered across the dark sky like grains of rice over blue silk. He squeezed through the front gate and into the woods.

"Naruto!" He was quickly greeted by the other foxes, who all surrounded him looking concerned but relieved. "Where were you? We were starting to worry. Usually you're here by now."

"Sorry. There was a problem at the palace."

"What happened?"

"The prince was attacked. But it's all good now. My friends and I helped stop them."

"Oh, good." The kitsune looked thankful to hear that the prince was safe. "I'm glad the prince is alright. He's always been a decent guy."

"Yes, it is because of his family our lives improved. I would hate for something bad to happen to him."

A decent guy? Not according to the lord they captured. He said that the prince had changed recently. Something still wasn't sitting right with Naruto. His mind was on so many things that he kept trying to piece together only they never seemed to fit.

"Naruto, you're bleeding."

"Huh?" Naruto looked at his injured shoulder. His face was bleeding, too. "Oh, yeah. I sort of got it in the struggle. I turned into a fox right in the middle of the fight. But I was alone so no one saw me." As long as he didn't count the assassin, it was the truth.

The kitsune came closer, examining him. Lunabell and Sonar started licking his wounds. It stung at first but after the first couple licks, it numbed and Naruto no longer felt any pain.

"You need water," said Ishi. "Let's get him to the river."

"No, the waterfall is better for him," said Sammi.

"We should find some berries. That should help," said Egao. "Are there any?"

"They haven't grown back yet." Aurora looked around. "Some basil would be good for him. And bananas."

"That's only for tummy troubles and stress."

"Who's to say he doesn't have those problems?" Aurora spoke to the other foxes. "He needs citrus to help heal those cuts. Strawberries, tomatoes, peppers. It's all good."

"Don't forget eggs," said Lunabell, stopping for a moment to speak. "He needs vitamin A to boost a response so he can heal faster. That will remove harmful bacteria and irritants. Yellow and orange vegetables and anything with dark leafy stuff is a good source."

"Beans, too. Zinc and iron will help rebuild the body. And he needs meat, too," said Sammi.

Naruto was so surprised they were going through such lengths to help him heal. These must have been fox remedies. He had never heard of most of these. He was always taught to bind the wound and keep it clean. A fox couldn't really do that so they must have had their own method of doing things. "Guys, I'm fine, really. You don't have to."

"Those are bad wounds, Naruto. That cut on your shoulder alone is deep."

"I'm fine. I'm a fast healer."

Something was dropped at his feet. Ryosuke was in front of him, rolling something towards him with his nose. He brought Naruto something green and leafy and an apricot covered in dirt. He must have dug this up for him. "There's no point in whining, Naruto. They won't shut up until you show signs of healing. The first step is eating the right foods. Start with these."

"But I'm fine. I don't need-"

"Eat it, Naruto. We won't leave you alone until you do."

There was no point in arguing. Naruto lowered his head at ate the apricot and the green leafy plant offered to him. Only after he swallowed did they look satisfied.

They took him to the waterfall where they cleaned his wounds and made him drink. Naruto was no longer bleeding and he was feeling a lot better. He didn't feel any pain. While they looked after him, he told them about the incident.

"I owe it all to you guys. It's only because of the training you've been giving me that I was able to do what I did. Ryosuke, you were right. When I'm a fox, I need to act like it. It's hard, but I did it. I managed to take him down and protect my friends. Thanks."

"I told you it would be good for you to learn just in case of exactly that." Ryosuke grinned a foxy grin. "I knew it would be of some help to you."

"I want to learn more. Are there any other fox techniques you can show me?"

"Are you sure you don't want to rest and heal?"

"I'm fine! See?" Naruto pranced around to prove his point. "I'm good to go."

Ryosuke smiled. "Alright. But first we have to gather some food for ourselves. We just gave you all that we had saved up."

"Sorry. But you guys told me-"

"To eat it. I know. We meant it." Ryosuke looked at the other kitsune. "Let's go for the farm tonight."

"Eat and carry what we can. Got it."

The whole group set out for the farm. Naruto managed to keep up just fine. There was no pain in his shoulder as he ran alongside the foxes. Even the brush and tall weeds at eye level didn't bother him. And there was the farm. The lights were out and everything was in shadow but Naruto could see as clearly as he could in the daylight. They spread out among the rows and started to pull up whatever they could get their teeth on. Naruto went for a plump tomato which squished and oozed as he grabbed it in his teeth and pulled. He was pretty hungry after what he had been through today so as soon as it was free, he ate it.

Sonar kept watch from the cabbage patch, only taking his eyes off the farm house to eat his leafy breakfast.

Naruto moved closer to the stables, carrying a carrot in his mouth. He sat in front of one of the stalls and waited. He heard hoof beats and saw Jack lower his head over the side. "Hello, Naruto."

"Hey, Jack." Naruto tossed him the carrot. "How have you been?"

"Oh, fine. And yourself?"

"Good enough, I guess." Naruto looked back at the field of vegetables and the foxes munching in the leaves and mounds of dirt.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked.

Naruto didn't even think about what he had to say and just spoke whatever came to his lips. "I thought I found the two-tailed fox but I was wrong. It's not who I thought it was."

"He's eluded the foxes for years. It won't be easy."

"Yeah, I know. I had a feeling he wouldn't be that easy to find. But I was so sure."

"Where did you think you found him?"

Naruto looked back at the horse. "In the mansion over there. Where the prince lives."

Jack looked at the palace at the top of the hill and back at Naruto. "It would be difficult for a fox to live there, even in disguise. Servants working around the clock... If the two-tailed fox left because it wanted an easier life, why would it go there of all places?"

"That's why I thought it was the prince."

Jack snorted. "Unlikely. The prince works hard. If the fox disguised himself as the prince, it wouldn't work. The prince needs to take care of this whole area and all its people. He would have to have knowledge of a great many things. It would be hard to live as the prince. Besides, someone would have known something was off if that were the case. The prince is surrounded by guards all the time. He's constantly around people. Since kitsune only appear at night, he would get caught in his fox form. I heard a fox cannot hold onto a human form constantly. He would have to change back at night when kitsune normally appear."

Naruto nodded. "That's why I waited to see if he changed at night like I do, but I saw him as a human. That couldn't be right. I'm a fox and he's a human? We should have changed at the same time."

"Foxes are also nocturnal. The prince sleeps at night."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto sighed heavily. "I was so sure..." He looked back at the horse. "Hey, Jack? What can you tell me about the royal family and about the prince?"

"The prince?" Jack looked out at the field and at the palace wearing a sad look on his face. "I've lived all my life on this land. I was born in that barn over there behind the farmer's house. I took my first steps ten minutes after being born. I wobbled around the barn and then started trotting. It was the middle of winter, I remember. I could feel the cold but I never saw it. I remained in that barn with my mother for the longest time. Finally, I was taken out with her and saw the world for the first time and wanted to explore it. I tried to eat from the field but the farmer pushed me away. I was told not to eat from there. I tried to follow the farmer into his home but I was told to remain outside. I tried to enter the town but I wasn't allowed."

Naruto listened to everything he had to say and heard in his voice the sadness he felt in his heart.

"I have lived many years, Naruto, and I've never been outside this farmland. I've never seen the town and I know nothing of what happens in the palace. I was never given the freedom to explore and was never allowed to leave this property. I can't tell you much."

"That's ok."

"All I can tell you is what I've seen from this land. The king and queen used to visit the farm sometimes. They were very nice. They brought their son to the stables. He was so surprised at the size of us. I was much smaller at the time. When I was big enough, I pulled the carriage around the farm. The royal family rode the wooden cart and the prince was smiling the whole while. He loved it. They would visit every month or so for business and sometimes for a ride. Then one day, they never showed up and the farmer was sad. I found out that the king and queen were dead. Their young son had to take care of the land now. However, he would not be king until he was either of proper age or got married. I felt bad for him. He only visited me once after his parents were dead and he never came back. He must be too busy."

"I guess so. Handling all that stuff by himself."

"The prince was always kind to me and his parents told him to be gentle with animals. They loved animals themselves. They were good people. The farmer never complained. The only time he ever said anything bad about them was when they asked him to harvest more food for the family and for the people in town. I remember hearing the farmer complain when the family asked for more food for the prince's tenth birthday. They were throwing a huge party for him. I remember the noise very well. The lights never went out that night and I was wakened many times. Otherwise, there's really nothing bad about the family or the prince."

"For an adult horse, you sound so childish."

Jack and Naruto looked at the stall two doors down. A black horse stuck its head out the window and shot them both a look.

"My master said your prince has lost his touch. He does nothing but complain nowadays," said the horse. He looked and spoke as if he was older than Jack. "Seriously, just how old are you?"

"I've never really counted, but I'd say about nineteen."

"Old enough to know better."

Naruto thought he recognized this horse. "Wait a minute. Aren't you one of the horses that was pulling the carriage this morning?"

"Yes, I am."

He knew it. "So, this is where your master left you. I was wondering..."

"Who? The driver who led me here? No, he's not my master. I've never seen him before."

"Then, the lord must be your master."

The black horse shook his head. "No. My master isn't here. He's back at the town we came from. He lent me to the lord to pull his carriage." The horse looked away. "Him I know. The other men with him, I don't. Even the one who was bringing me here, I've never seen before."

"Assassins," Naruto said. "They were hired to kill the prince."

"What?" Jack looked shocked. "Why would anyone want to do that? The prince is a good person!"

"Not according to the lord and my master!" said the black horse. "According to them, the prince has been cheating them for months! I don't know all the details, but it has them very upset. They said he's not the same prince they once knew. He's changed. The lord said that he would end it once and for all and save everyone a lot of trouble by coming here with those men. They didn't talk much during the trip, but I heard enough."

"What did you hear?" asked Naruto. "What did they say?"

"Only what I just told you. And that those men were hired to take care of him. That's all."

"So, you don't know why?"

"I just told you what I know. If you want an explanation, might I suggest going to ask them yourself?"

Maybe he would. He didn't care if they became cursed if they found out he was the same ninja who helped foil their plans. He cared more about his friends. Besides, once the two-tailed fox was found, everyone would be freed of their curse and return to normal. He didn't mind if the enemy was cursed for a short time in that case.

Ryosuke came over and dropped a radish in front of Naruto. "You should eat something. Take it."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"How are your injuries?"

"I'm ok. Really."

"You were injured?" asked Jack. "How? When?"

"In the scuffle in the palace. One of those assassin guys. I was trying to stop him."

"He protected his friends," Ryosuke said proudly. "I didn't see him, but I know he fought bravely."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!"

Jack smiled. "Ha ha! What a brave fighter, you are! I knew you were strong. No wonder Ryosuke is so taken with you. He should be proud."

"I didn't take a liking to Naruto just for his bravery and strength," said Ryosuke. "I can tell he's a good person. So friendly and caring. There are many things I like about him."

Naruto was happy to hear him say that.

After more chitchat, the foxes called Ryosuke away to help them dig out some more food from the garden. Naruto watched them work to free the plants from the earth and gather up as much as they could. They ate quickly and whatever they didn't eat they would no doubt take with them and save for later. He watched how they relied on each other and the joyful looks on their faces as Ryosuke helped gather everything up into a pile. The smaller foxes having trouble pulling the food free were helped by Ryosuke and they, too, looked happy to have him around. He went around, making sure everyone was doing alright. He asked if they needed any help, if anyone was injured or having any trouble. He also made sure the others were getting enough to eat.

If Ryosuke wasn't the leader, he should be. Naruto could tell just from looking at him that he would make a great one.

"He's caring. You can tell." Jack lowered his head to speak to Naruto without the others overhearing. "You know, he was the first one I met."

"The first kitsune?"

"Yeah. I had never seen one before and since I had never been off the farm, I wasn't sure what other kinds of animals there were out there. He came onto the farm one evening, not to raid, but to visit. He was curious about other animals as well. He came to my stall and we started talking. I asked him about the mountain and he asked about the farm. We talked and shared many things. When it was time for him to leave, I asked if we could see each other again. He said he would try. A week later, he returned. We would try to meet once a month if we could. Sometimes he could stay for a while, sometimes only a minute. He was a good fox. I asked if there were others I could meet. I wanted to see his friends and family. He told me it might be difficult but he would try. The next month, he brought Seki along. Seki had never seen a horse so close before and was nervous. They told me about the agreement they had with the royal family, about how they weren't to enter the town so long as they received offerings. Technically, they weren't breaking the rules because the farm wasn't a part of the town and they weren't raiding. Still, they didn't want to come down here very often."

"Because they didn't want to get caught, right? I understand." Naruto knew Ryosuke never went to the palace, but the farm was a different story. It was nice that he made friends with the farm animals.

"But soon that changed," Jack went on. "The following year, I met more foxes and they came onto the farm to take food. They told me that the humans had stopped leaving them food and that they had no choice. The offerings had stopped last month and because there were so many foxes, they were starting to run out of food in the mountain. The plants hadn't grown back and the animals were being driven off. Rather than hunt what remained and eliminate the population, they came here to take the farmer's food. They had no choice."

"How many foxes came here?"

"In the beginning? I'd say around thirty. Maybe a little less."

"Thirty..." Now there were only nine. The numbers had dwindled down so much. "Was it because of the two-tailed fox?"

"Mostly, yes. However, a couple of them were killed by humans. Sad."

"Killed? You mean by hunters?"

Jack shook his head. "Oh, no. There are hunting laws on this land set down by the king and queen. Since humans populate the area, it drove away a lot of the animals. What animals remain, the royal family wanted to preserve. So hunting is restricted. Besides, there were hunting accidents in the past since none of the humans here are expert hunters. Any hunters who were any good are long gone or too old to hunt now."

"Then the humans that killed them...?"

"Are just humans who look out their windows at night, see a fox, and attack it with whatever they have on hand. Most are beaten to death, so I hear." Jack sighed sadly. "I lost fox friends that way. They lost family that way. That's how poor Seki lost his brother."

Naruto blinked. "Seki has a brother?"

"Had," Jack corrected. "Happened a while ago. I don't know the details. All I know is one night he didn't show up and Seki was brokenhearted about it. I felt so bad for them. Either humans get them or the two-tailed fox."

From thirty down to only nine.

Naruto couldn't believe it. So many things had happened to these kitsune. So much pain they had to endure. It really wasn't their fault. Sure, humans could argue that they pulled pranks on them, but so what? Naruto pulled his fair share of pranks, too. Did that make him a bad guy? These foxes wouldn't even have to enter the town at night and raid if the offerings hadn't stopped.

"Naruto."

He looked up at the horse. Jack had a sad look on his long face. "Yeah?" he asked softly.

"I've known these foxes for many years. I like them. I like our talks and visits. But I know they cannot keep coming here. It's dangerous. As painful as it is, I know it has to stop."

If the kitsune kept coming to the farm, they were putting their lives at risk. They could get themselves killed. Jack had grown close to them and loved it when they visited. Naruto saw how much they cared for each other in the littlest things they did. The way they spoke right down to the foxes sharing the food with the horse stuck behind the stall door. But even Jack knew it was for the best that it stop. As painful as it was, he had to return to that lonely life and end the visits. It was a sacrifice. It was for them. He had to protect his friends, even if that meant saying good-bye.

He would miss them. But it was for their protection. They were safer away from the farm.

"I've lived my whole life on this farm, knowing nothing about the world outside. Ryosuke and the others told me about everything I was missing. They taught me about their world up in the mountain. They were always good to me and I care for them deeply. Seeing their numbers dwindle down as much as they have is painful to watch. The dead cannot be brought back but the cursed can be returned." Jack lowered his head again to speak to Naruto. "I see your determination. I know you're true to your word when you say you want to help them. I'm stuck behind this fence and this stall. As much as I want to help, there is nothing I can do and it's painful. So, I must ask you this one favor, Naruto. Please save my friends."

Those dark brown eyes held such earnest emotion, Naruto could tell these foxes meant the world to him. This horse cared deeply for these foxes and knowing there was little he could do must have been so painful for him. He wanted to help but couldn't, so he had to ask Naruto to do it in his stead.

"I'm not doing it as a favor to you or anyone." Naruto stood up tall, swishing his tail back and forth. "I'd do it even if you didn't ask. I was always going to help them. And you're right. I never, ever go back on my word. No matter what. So, you got it. I swear, I'll help protect them. I'll find that two-tailed fox and put an end to this. I promise I'll help them. Count on it."

Naruto's words were just as heartfelt as Jack's pleas. Jack nodded his head up and down, knowing Naruto would do everything in his power to help them.

"Farmer!" Sonar yelled. "Run!"

Jack raised his head, his height giving him the advantage when it came to spotting danger. His eyes focused on something in the distance, straight ahead. The farmer was coming from that direction. The foxes gathered up as much food as they could in their mouths and made a run for it. Naruto ran to the pile of food and grabbed a tomato. It was all he could fit in his mouth. He made a break for the fence.

The other foxes were ahead of him. He could see their tails swishing as they ran into the dark woods on the other side of the fence. Ryosuke was behind them, making sure they all managed to get away. He jumped over the fence and landed on the other side. Without pausing, he continued his run. Naruto tried to make the same leap but his shoulder was acting up from the earlier battle. It hadn't bothered him before, but now that he was running it was starting to ache. Though the pain wasn't bad, it was enough to weaken his muscles mid-jump. Naruto's upper body made it over the fence but his back legs were too low. His leap wasn't powerful enough to sail over the fence the way Ryosuke had done. His back paws thumped against the wooden fence post and sent Naruto tumbling into the grass. The tomato squished in his mouth on impact.

Ryosuke came running back, dropping the radishes in his mouth. "Are you ok?"

Naruto was on his feet. He gave a quick nod, tomato still in his mouth, and started running again. Ryosuke gathered up the radishes and followed Naruto into the woods. He remained behind Naruto every step of the way.

Once everyone made it back to their meeting spot, they all stopped and dumped their collections on the ground. This time, Naruto managed to bring back something. It may have been squished and had teeth marks in it but it was food nonetheless.

"Everyone ok?"

"We're fine."

"I'm alright."

"Naruto, how about you?"

"I'm ok."

Everyone managed to bring back something. They would have something to eat tomorrow night.

Naruto felt proud of himself. Despite the tumble, he managed to contribute and brought back something for the group. He was improving.

The foxes brought their spoils up the mountain and buried them under a tree beside the waterfall. The foxes spent their time chatting and laughing. Some started a game, chasing each other around the grass and leaping over the river.

"Should I practice my hunting?" Naruto offered Ryosuke.

"No, you should rest tonight." Ryosuke was watching Sammi and Superu play their game of chase. "You were injured and that will impair your ability. Give yourself time to rest and heal."

"What about other fox magic you can teach me? My fox fire has gotten a lot better. What other things can you teach me? What else can a one-tailed fox do?"

Ryosuke thought about it. "Well, there is one other thing a fox with one tail can do. But I think we should save it for another time."

"What is it?"

"It's called fox possession."

Naruto knew what that was based on the title alone. "Ohh! I want to do that! Show me that one!" He was excited. "Please, show me! I can do it! It sounds like fun!"

"I'd rather save it for a different time, Naruto. Rest now."

"But I'm fine! I keep telling you that."

"I just want to make sure."

"Come on, Ryosuke," said Seki. "Fox possession doesn't require a lot of strength. It'll be easy."

"But fox possession only works on humans. I don't want to take Naruto into the town. It's dangerous."

"I can use my friends. I'm sure they won't mind," Naruto offered.

"I don't go to the palace."

"I'll take him," said Seki. "It'll be fine. Trust me."

Ryosuke was still hesitant. "I don't know."

"If you're so worried about us..." Seki chuckled. "I'll look after him. No problem. He has to go to the palace anyway when the sun rises."

Ryosuke sighed. "You're going to anyway... Just be careful, ok?"

"We'll be fine. Don't worry so much." Seki gave Naruto a nudge. "Come on, Naruto. Still want to try it? I'm good at it. Next to fox fire, it's one of our easiest tricks. You'll get it for sure."

Naruto and Seki went down the mountain together. Ryosuke watched them from the top of the waterfall, like a watchful protector. Seki took Naruto the long way, just in case the farmer or any other humans were around to spot them. Naruto's shoulder wasn't bothering him anymore. It must have been irritated because of the fast run he was doing. Walking didn't bother him and neither did his climb down the mountain.

"Oh, look, Naruto!" Seki went off the trail and over to a tree. "Look there. See it?"

Naruto stood at the root of the tree and looked up into the branches. A lone peach dangled from one of the branches, almost completely hidden by the leaves.

"It's the last peach on the tree." Seki marveled at it as if the tree was bearing gold. To a fox, it wasn't too far from the truth. To them, food was just as valuable as gold would be to humans.

Seki bent his legs and sprang straight up, clawing his way up the trunk of the tree. Foxes were great climbers. He moved slowly across one branch and then to another, working his way up to the peach. His paw touched a branch that began to creak and snap. Seki quickly jumped off and landed on the ground. The peach was still in the tree.

"Those branches are brittle," he said. "No wonder it's still there."

"I can get it," Naruto said confidently. He started up the side of the tree. He sank his claws into the trunk and up to the first branch. This was the easy part. It was like climbing up a round ladder. The higher he climbed, the more the branches started to creak. The peach was right above his head. As soon as he put his paws on the branch above him, it started to split. These branches were so thin they were more like twigs than actual branches. Unless he used this branch for support, the only other way to reach the peach was to jump. Since the branch would snap just like the one Seki was on, Naruto had no choice. He bent his legs and sprang up, snagging the peach with his teeth and pulled it free. He landed on the branch below just for a second, then started to slip. Naruto jumped down and landed beside Seki, peach closed in his jaws. "I got it!"

"You got it!"

Naruto offered the peach to Seki. "Here, take it."

"No, you got it. It's yours."

"I can eat in the morning when I'm human again. You guys need it more."

"I appreciate that, Naruto, but it's yours." Seki wasn't going to take it. "You have it."

Naruto didn't want to eat this now. He snacked in the garden. Then he thought of something he could do with it. "Ok." Naruto carried it to the palace in his teeth.

The palace was dark and quiet. The guards by the gate were now positioned by the front door and were alert. No doubt they were fearing the prince may be attacked again this night. Everything else seemed calm and at ease. Naruto and Seki went the long way around the palace, emerging onto the same stone wall as before, overlooking their bedrooms. Seki jumped down first and Naruto followed. He set the peach down in the grass while Seki looked for a suitable victim.

Neji wasn't in his room. Maybe he was keeping an eye on the assassins from before. However, Sai was in his bed, sound asleep.

"Want to use him?" Seki asked.

Naruto nodded. "Ok." Naruto was a little worried at Sai would sense them and wake up. Neji was a light sleeper, but Sai was a little different. Due to his training, he must have been taught to be alert even asleep so he could avoid danger. Naruto was never sure. On missions together, Naruto saw that even when Sai was sleeping soundly, he would still wake up to the slightest movement in the room. That was how he managed to avoid many of Naruto's pranks. Once Naruto attempted to draw on his face just for the sake of doing so only for Sai to whisper a warning and grab Naruto's hand without even opening his eyes. He was good.

So far, Sai wasn't moving. He must have been sleeping soundly. But Naruto knew that could change if he sensed them enter his room. He would wake up if he heard them whisper especially.

"But, Seki... Sai is a ninja. Even if he is asleep, how do we make sure he won't wake up and see us?"

"Is he a light sleeper?"

"Well, not as much as Neji, but..."

"Then we can cast an illusion and escape. Besides, I'll tell you what you need to do before we go in. I know if we talk in there, he'll be more likely to wake up. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

Foxes were sneaky. So far, they hadn't done anything to make Naruto question their actions. He had faith in them. "Ok. How do I do fox possession?"

"It's simple." Seki sat on the ground and pointed into the room with his paw. "All you have to do is find a human you want to possess and jump into their body. It's easier to do on a sleeping person because they're less likely to see you do it."

"Yeah, but how do I get inside their body?"

"The easiest way is to enter from either the head or the chest. Back also works, too. This is where it gets tricky if you're a first-timer. You have to imagine yourself sinking into their body, like the person is a tub of water you want to soak in. It's like slipping on a piece of clothing."

"Ok. So, it's like putting on and wearing a costume? I've put on those before."

"Yeah. Think of it like that." Seki looked into the room. "That's the best advice I can give you. Are you ready to give it a try?"

"Wait, that's it?" That wasn't a lot to go on. Then again, a lot of his ninja training was like that. The only way to get better was to give it a try and gain experience. The other fox magic he learned were similar to his ninja arts. Since he could make comparisons, it was a lot easier for him to perform. However, possession wasn't anything like the techniques he had under his belt. Ino would probably be able to understand this better than he could. He just had to hope for the best and give it a try.

"The other thing, Naruto," Seki went on. "Once you enter, a human will fight for control at first. You have to suppress it. This is another reason why using it on a sleeping victim is better. They're less likely to fight back. Try to remain in control. You'll feel them let go and that's when you have them."

"Got it."

"Good. I'm going to manipulate his dream so he'll be less likely to wake up. Keep quiet while we're inside."

Seki waved his paw and a blue flame appeared over Sai's head. The flame flickered and Sai gave a soft grunt. A moment later, he was still and relaxed.

Naruto went in first. His paws made no sound on the floor as he walked over to Sai's body. He sat at his head and watched the flame die out and disappear. Seki entered next and sat further away from Sai.

This was it. Naruto had to make sure he did this right otherwise Sai would wake up. Naruto lifted his paws off the ground and hovered them over Sai's head, trying to imagine himself jumping into a tub of water. He tried to imagine Sai's body as nothing more than a soft gel he could easily pass through. Just like diving into a pool. He just had to enter the water. It would be easy to break the surface. He just had to lean in and dive.

Naruto's paws touched Sai's forehead. Slowly, his paws started to sink into the skin. Naruto kept his eyes shut, trying not to break his concentration. Naruto sank in up to his elbows. Sai flinched. Naruto tipped forward and sank in deeper and deeper until only his tail was sticking out. Sai moaned loudly and his face tightened as if he were in pain. Naruto's tail slipped inside and he was gone from sight.

Seki watched as Sai began to toss and turn, moaning and groaning. "Come on, Naruto. Get control. You can do it," he whispered to himself. "You got this." He hoped Naruto would succeed. Most amateur foxes failed their first time and the human would panic. For Naruto's sake, he hoped things would go differently.

Sai settled back down and lay still on the bed. This was a good sign. Seki stood up and approached the bed, hopeful. Sai rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up. He turned his head and looked down at the fox beside his bed with blue eyes. Naruto's eyes. Seki grinned.

Sai grinned back. "I did it!" Naruto had taken control.

"Alright!" Seki cheered. "You've got talent!"

So, this is what it was like to be Sai. It was so strange. It felt like he was wearing a second skin. When he pulled the covers off, Naruto felt cold. Sai's stomach was exposed. Why he didn't wear a normal shirt that covered his torso was beyond Naruto.

"Try moving. Stand up."

Naruto gave it a try. He started to stand. His legs wobbled and he fell back onto the bed. "Sai's legs aren't working," he complained.

"You're used to walking like a fox," Seki reminded him. "You'll have to get used to it. Take it slow, Naruto. Try again."

Nodding, Naruto gave it another go. Slowly, he got onto his foreign knees. He started crawling, trying to get used to this new body. Once he felt he had gotten the hang of it, he pulled himself up a little further, getting Sai's feet under himself. Then he pushed off with his hands and stood. At first, he wobbled, then he managed to stay upright with his arms out to either side. He took one step and then another. It was like learning to walk. Soon he was taking baby steps around the room with his arms out for balance.

He turned to Seki and gave him a smile which the fox returned. "Good job."

"Thanks." Naruto started to lower his arms. He was getting the hang of this.

"You are a natural."

Naruto smiled again.

Remembering what Jack and mentioned before, Naruto wanted to satisfy his curiosity. He willingly dropped to his knees and sat on the floor near Seki. He had to ask.

"Uh, Seki?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"It's about your brother."

Seki's ears twitched. "Oh." He dropped his gaze. "My older brother, I take it."

"You have others?"

He nodded. "A little brother. I'm in the middle. His name's Reki."

Naruto didn't know Seki had two brothers. If that was the case, then what happened to the younger one? Naruto had already met all the foxes up in the mountain. If Reki wasn't here then...

"What happened to them? Jack mentioned something about your older one but he told me to ask you for the details."

Seki sighed. "It was a few years ago. Right around the time the offerings stopped coming. We ate all the food in the woods and the animals were starting to run off. To better ration the food supply, a few of us decided to go into the town and find something to eat. My older brother took me and Reki into town while two other foxes went in a different direction. We were looking through trash when a human came out of his house with a large blade with a red handle. He shook it at us and we ran. Reki was much smaller than we were and he had never been that close to an angry human before. He started running in circles in a panic. My older brother and I went back for him and we started to run but the human chased us. My older brother told us to go on ahead while he went a different way to confuse the human. He was trying to protect us."

Naruto already knew how the story was going to end.

"The human caught my brother and killed him. He skinned him and kept his pelt." Seki turned away to hide his tears.

It must have been horrible. Especially seeing his own brother being made into a pelt. Some humans didn't think much of it half the time. Fur was fur and it was only an animal. However, if someone were to make a pelt out of a human, that would be a different story. Naruto imagined it would be the very same feeling for a human to see a human skin mounded on someone's wall as it would for a fox to see his own kind. Much less someone he knew so closely. It must have been sickening. The thought of someone skinning someone like Kakashi and putting him on a wall made Naruto's stomach turn.

"What about your younger brother?"

Seki turned back. "He, uh... went looking for Reevo. He saw what the lack of offerings was doing to us. We would go into town to find something to eat and we would get chased away by humans. Other times we wouldn't come back at all. He was sure it was because they had discovered Reevo's whereabouts and placed a curse on them. Since it only happened when we went into town, he was sure that meant Reevo was somewhere in town. He said he would find him and put a stop to this. Every night he went into town not to steal food but to find Reevo. One night he never came back. I have a feeling he finally found Reevo."

"And cursed him."

Seki nodded. "That was a little over a year ago. We're sure he got cursed."

"But he is alive, right?"

"I think so. Every fox curse is different. A common one is to transform people into inanimate objects. Like a statue. If that's how Reki was cursed, then he is alive. Unless the object gets damaged. I heard that if the object a person was turned into gets destroyed, the person dies. As long as that doesn't happen, then Reki is safe."

Foxes, people, Seki's brother. Reevo had to be stopped. Naruto was pumped and ready to take action.

"I promise, I'll find Reevo and put a stop to this. I swear!"

"We've been searching for years, Naruto. Anyone who gets close ends up cursed."

"Hey, I'm already cursed. It's not like he can do it again, right?"

"He might. We don't know."

"Seki, I'll stop him. I'll find him and stop him. I promise."

"That's all well and good Naruto, but do you really think you stand a chance?"

Naruto sat up tall and gave Seki and thumbs-up. "Of course, I do! With my ninja skills and all the fox magic you guys have taught me, he won't stand a chance."

Seki didn't look convinced. "Actually... you only have one tail. He's a two-tails. They're stronger. And if you're facing him at night then you won't have any ninja skills to use on him. The fact of the matter is, only another two-tails stands a chance against Reevo."

"What if everyone works together?"

"Most of us are too afraid to try. Besides, we would need a leader to organize us and we don't have one." Seki looked down. "Well, I had hoped but... he won't."

"Who?"

"Ryosuke."

Naruto blinked. "Ryosuke? You want him to be leader?" He smiled. "That's no problem. I thought he was your leader until you guys told me he wasn't. He has talent for it. He should be."

"We all think he should be. I've always thought of him as a leader. He's stronger, faster and smarter than the rest of us. He may not be the most cunning, but that's fine. Aurora takes that one. But he comes in first with a lot of skills and he makes good choices and thinks about us. That's what we need a leader to be. However, he refuses. Even when I told him he should become the leader, he told me he wouldn't. If he would claim that title, we would follow his orders no matter what. But until he takes up the title, he's just another one of us and no one has to listen to him."

"But..."

"We do need a leader, Naruto. We need someone to keep us organized and safe. Until we have one, we do our own thing and obey no one. We're scattered. Sure, we look out for each other, but we still need someone to lead us. We just do. I'm not sure if a human would understand our need for such a thing."

"No, I get it."

Seki sighed. "Either way, he won't take up the role. And because he doesn't want it, he's holding himself back. He's a lot stronger, but..." Seki turned away.

"What is it?" Naruto crawled closer. "What's wrong?"

Seki looked back. "Ryosuke's tail has started to split. He'll become a two-tails."

Naruto's heart was thumbing loudly in his chest. "Then that means..."

"Yes. Not only would that ensure his title as leader and give him every right to be the leader without question... it also means that he is the only one who can take down Reevo. Being a two-tails gives him a chance."

"That's great! Isn't it?"

"Naruto, I told you that he refuses. Ryosuke's tail started to split two months ago but he's been suppressing it. He refuses to let it split. He won't become a two-tails."

Won't. Not that he couldn't but that he wouldn't. Ryosuke was forcing his tail not to split. He didn't want the change to take place.

"But why would he do that?"

"It's like I said, Naruto. Having two tails among the rest of us one-tailed kitsune would make him the leader automatically. It's like a king's birthright. No one would question him being the leader. There would no longer be an excuse for him not to be. You see? He wouldn't be able to refuse the title even if he wanted to. We would look to him as leader and have his word be law no matter what. Even if he says he doesn't want to be, it's out of his paws. He can't step down."

"Ok. I get it. Having two tails means no matter what he says or does, he's going to be leader, like it or not. I see. It can't be helped. That's why he doesn't want it to split because it would be proof that he has the right to be the leader. I get it." Naruto folded his, or rather Sai's, arms. "But what I don't get is why he doesn't want to be the leader. What's so bad about it?"

Seki gave a weary chuckle. "I have a theory about that. Though Ryosuke wouldn't want to hear it. But I think it's true."

"What is it?"

"I think he's afraid," said Seki. "I think Ryosuke's worried that if he becomes a two-tails, he'll turn into Reevo. He'll become just like him and abandon us for the life of a human. That he'll become cruel. He doesn't want to change."

He didn't want to change into a two-tails because he feared it would change himself.

"But, does gaining another tail change your personality?"

"No. It just gives you new powers and makes you stronger. That's it," said Seki. "But I think Ryosuke is afraid that the new power he gains will corrupt him. That he'll become like Reevo."

"But wasn't Reevo always a jerk? Didn't he always want to live life as a human? Even before getting his second tail?"

Seki nodded. "Yes. Reevo never changed. Only the number of his tails did."

He knew it. Ryosuke was worried for nothing. Gaining more tails wouldn't turn him into something he wasn't. Reevo just used the tails as an excuse to do what he did. Ryosuke wouldn't become like that. Ryosuke was different. He was kind and caring and looked out for others. He was protective and strong and fair. Nothing like Reevo. Naruto knew in his heart that Ryosuke wouldn't become like Reevo. There was no way. They were too different.

Seki looked out the window. "It will be dawn soon. We'd better leave."

"Right." Naruto looked down at Sai's body. "Um... So how do I get out?"

"Just leap out of the body. Like breaking through a paper wall."

Naruto bent and jumped. Sai's body jumped with him. "It's not working. Everything I do, Sai does!"

"You have to move without moving the body you're in. Try again."

Naruto tried to do as he said but it was a lot harder than he thought. It was hard to move without moving. Next to impossible actually. Naruto tried something different. He remained still and kept his eyes shut. He tried to imagine himself jumping through a hoop. His body had to remain stationary. Just leap with his mind. Like moving his spirit. Like making his heart beat faster without moving a muscle. Naruto tried to will himself into position. And then...

"Hah!" Naruto rolled into the wall and looked back. Sai was still sitting there. Naruto looked down at his fox body. It worked.

"Hurry!" Seki whispered and dashed out the window. Naruto followed just as Sai began to recover. They ran out into the yard and hid behind a tree. "Too close!"

"I did it, though."

"Yeah, you did. Great job." Seki looked at the sky. "I'd better go."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto watched Seki climb over the wall and into the trees.

Then he went back to where he had left the peach and picked it up in his teeth. He still had plans for this.

---

This chapter was a bit longer, but we learned a lot, didn't we?

Please review! ^-^