Chapter 5: Hunting

Shikamaru was the first one awake the next morning. He didn't get much sleep last night. Being a deer was a major handicap for him. He felt so useless. As a deer, he couldn't perform hand-signs. Not with hooves. He couldn't talk either and had to rely on Naruto alone to translate everything he said. He was having problems eating as well. Unless someone put the food in front of him in bite-sized pieces, he couldn't eat. He couldn't cut up his food, he couldn't hold anything. This was a huge pain. Not only that, but he was worried that there was no way to reverse this. He didn't want to be a deer forever. He was also worried for Naruto's sake. So far, he didn't seem to be taking this seriously. He was the one who needed to worry the most because of the nine-tailed fox. In addition, what would happen if he lost his ability to speak, too? Then who would translate? They could probably figure something out, but this was turning into one problem after another.

Slowly, the others started to wake up and fix themselves something to eat. They had all brought food with them while they traveled. Shikamaru didn't have anything. He approached Ino and pointed to her bag with his nose. He couldn't tell what she was eating, but he didn't care. He was hungry.

"What? This?" She held up the bag. "You want some?"

He nodded.

"Fine. Help yourself."

He stomped his hooves on the wooden floor and snorted.

"Oh, yeah. No hands." She shrugged. "I guess you're on your own."

He stomped his hooves louder.

"Ino, give him something to eat," Sakura told her. "Don't be a little pig."

"What did you call me?"

Shikamaru backed away. Now that they were going at it, it looked like he was on his own. He looked around for Shino but he was nowhere to be found. Then he spotted Naruto still sleeping in his sleeping bag. His backpack was close by. Naruto had food in there. It was either that or starve.

Shikamaru grabbed the bag with his teeth and carefully pulled the zipper open and stuck his nose inside, sniffing around. It smelled like wet wool, dirt and salt. Then he found something good and pulled it out. It was a small box of snacks for the road. With no hands, Shikamaru had to smash it open with his hoof and pull it apart with his teeth. The contents spilled onto the floor, but he didn't care and started eating. When all of that was gone, he looked inside for something else. His appetite was back. The only thing left were cups of instant ramen. He couldn't eat that, could he? It needed to be heated up and cooked, right? Maybe he could try it.

Naruto rolled onto his back and stretched. "Morning..!" he yawned widely. His tail slapped against his legs and then hid behind him. He stroke his tail, feeling the softness. Then he turned. "Shikamaru!"

Hearing the sudden loud voice, Shikamaru backed up, startled. His hoof landed on one of the ramen cups, smashing it open. When he moved to the side to examine it, he stepped on the other one.

"Stop that! Hey!" Naruto rushed to the ramen cups but the damage was done. There was no way he could eat them now. There was no longer a container to hold any water, the hard noodles were crushed and all over the ground, and everything Shikamaru had picked up on his hooves was now mixed into the food. "Great! Now what am I supposed to eat?"

"You ate through a lot of food yesterday," said Ino. Their argument had stopped when they heard Naruto's yelling.

"I was hungry. And I'm hungry now!"

"Sorry..." Shikamaru hung his head.

"What did you do that for?"

"I didn't mean to. You startled me. And I said I was sorry."

Shino entered the room, walking right into a mess. "Can't I use the bathroom without a fight breaking out?"

"Shikamaru smashed all my ramen and ate the rest! Now what do I do?"

"You know how to find food on the move, don't you?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded his head up and down matter-of-factly. "It's basic ninja survival. I've been doing it ever since I graduated from the academy."

"Then it shouldn't be a problem for you to go out and find your own food."

Naruto frowned. "Are you saying I have to go out in the woods and find my own food, Shino?"

"Why not? When we run out of food, we'll all have to do the same thing. It's not that hard. In fact, there are a lot of berries growing on bushes nearby. They're good to eat. There are a lot of things you can eat around here."

"Yeah, just not that." Naruto pointed to the useless ramen cups. He got to his feet. "Fine, I'll find my own breakfast."

"If you can, try to bring back some stuff for the rest of us," called Sakura. "We'll need to stock up on food if we want to keep going."

Naruto turned at the first step. "What?!"

"Might as well since you're going out there anyway."

If it was coming from anyone other than Sakura, he might have argued. Naruto agreed and left the hut. They watched his blond head bob between the bushes and tree trunks and disappear.

The forest was thick with trees and bushes, but there were natural paths where animals seemed to travel often. Their tracks were still trapped in the dirt. There were plenty of berries growing on the bushes he passed, but Naruto didn't pick any. He was too busy muttering to himself.

"Why do I have to be the errand boy? Can't they get their own food? No, they have to send me out."

He wasn't that put out by their request. It was just something to complain about. He was still upset that Shikamaru had ruined his ramen cups. He had kept the rare finds back at home, but still. There went his shrimp and miso ramen. The beef one, too. The one with the big thick mushrooms. He was looking forward to that. Of course Ichiraku made the best ramen there was. The instant ramen cups couldn't compare to the big beef bowls he made. That broth was amazing, and the soft yet firm noodles soaking up the flavor. Naruto's mouth watered just thinking about it.

"Oh, man. I could sure go for some ramen right now. He knows just how to make it. He knows what I like. And the boiled egg, yum!"

Naruto stopped, looking around. He had wandered a little further than he wanted. He knew how to get back, but now it would take him a little longer. The others might complain. His tail swished from side to side as he thought. At least he didn't grow any new appendages since last night.

Come to think of it, nothing seemed to have changed since getting the ears and claws yesterday morning. Was this as far as he was going to change? No, Shikamaru was a full deer which meant if they were under the same spell then he should become a full fox. Maybe the nine-tailed fox had something to do with it. Maybe it was slowing his transformation.

"Is the nine-tailed fox protecting me somehow? Maybe that's why Shikamaru is a deer already and I'm changing much slower. Maybe the chakra I have gives me some sort of immunity or something. No, not immunity. Just slowing things down. It might be days before I look like Shikamaru."

That was an interesting thought. Maybe the nine-tailed fox was protecting him from the spell without meaning to. Over time he may become a full fox, but for now he just had to go around with a tail, claws and pointed ears. He was perfectly fine with that. The tail kept him warm at night, his claws were sharp and his ears were very keen. So far, being a fox wasn't so bad. Aside from some minor changes, he didn't notice much of a difference. He was still human. But there were changes.

It was weird being a fox. Or at least part of one. His hearing had improved so much, he could hear the tiniest sound in the dense forest. The buzzing of insects, the flapping of wings, even the scurrying of the smallest mouse in the grass. Naruto's ears would twitch as they picked up each new sound and turn in different directions. He sat on the forest floor and listened to nature's symphony. He inhaled deeply, taking in the smells around him. The trees, the grass, the fallen leaves, damp wood, nuts and berries. Even smells he couldn't easily identify. It was so tranquil here. He sat perfectly still for what seemed like an hour. He didn't care. He enjoyed every second.

A new sound got his attention and he turned his head. He could still hear it. Curious, he got up and walked over to it. He crouched down on all fours and peered through the tree trunks. It was a mouse scavenging for berries. Naruto held his breath as he watched it. It was such a small little fur ball. So tiny and helpless. He watched it take a berry into both hands and nibble at it, slowly rotating it as it ate.

A new feeling came over Naruto in that moment. The longer he watched it, the more he wanted to act. His legs were slowly filing with restless energy. He wanted to spring. That little mouse looked so soft. He started to wonder what it would taste like.

The mouse paused, listening. Its ears moved back and forth and stopped. It was sensing something. Naruto had to act now.

Seeing his chance, Naruto pounced on the mouse, mouth agape. It started to flee, but he managed to catch it in his left hand. He held it in place by its tail then grabbed it with his teeth and bit down. He could feel it pop in his mouth and something wet touched his tongue. He did it. He caught the mouse.

He felt so proud of himself. He actually did it. He was so full of energy. What a rush that was. He wanted to do it again.

He listened for the sounds and reacted to them on instinct. He heard another in the bushes and pounced. They got away. He chased after them. One started to climb up the side of a tree. He followed and caught it in his mouth like he did the first. He climbed up the tree and snatched up a third on a branch with his hand. "Gotcha!" He climbed further up the tree, looking around at his new surroundings. What a nostalgic feeling. Sitting perched on this branch brought back memories and made him feel at home. So peaceful. He jumped to the next branch. It bent under his weight but did not break. He jumped to another and then onto the ground, spotting another mouse. This was fun! He wanted to catch more and more!

Back at the campsite, Sakura started to wonder where Naruto had gone. "He's been gone a while. I hope he's ok."

"Maybe he just had to use the bushes or something," said Ino.

"No, he would have been back by now. In his condition, something could have happened. That's why I'm worried." There were plenty of berries on the bushes near the wooden building. It would only take a few short minutes to gather some up for the road. There was no reason for him to go any further.

"Hey, guys! Guys!" Naruto came through the bushes carrying something in his hands. He looked thrilled.

"Where have you been?" Sakura asked. Naruto was covered in dirt and his hair was messy and had a leaf stuck between the blond locks. He didn't seem to care. He looked very excited, holding out his hands. "What do you have there?"

"Guys! Guys! Check out what I got in the forest! Look! Look!" Everyone gathered around and Naruto dumped the contents of his hands onto the floor. "Ta-da!"

Sakura and Ino shrieked and jumped back as seven mouse carcases were dumped in front of them. Some were still twitching.

Taking no notice of how disturbed the girls were, Naruto bounced in place, looking very proud of himself. "I got you guys a snack! What do you think? Pretty good, huh? Not bad for my first run, don't you think?"

"You disgusting idiot!" Ino screamed, backing away from the mice. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Naruto's ears lowered. "I thought you'd be hungry. So I brought you something to eat."

"This is what you come up with?!"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Duh! They're a pile of dead mice! Gross! I can't eat that! What's wrong with you?"

Naruto pouted. "Fine. More for me."

Ino continued to carry on.

"As long a you cook them, they're ok to eat," said Shino. "I don't think Naruto intended for you to eat them raw."

"Of course not!" said Naruto. "I just brought them back for you guys to cook."

"Ew!" Ino whimpered. "Dead mice! Ew!"

Naruto turned his back on her, folding his arms. "So this is the thanks I get for bringing you guys food. Hmph! Maybe I shouldn't have bothered."

"Wasn't there anything else?" Sakura asked. She had eaten mice before when there was nothing else available, but Ino was a very picky eater. That wasn't to say Sakura wasn't either. If she had no other choice, she would. It was just the shock of seeing dead mice being dropped at her feet with no warning. Anyone would be startled by that. She didn't want to come across as ungrateful, but Naruto's approach needed some work.

Naruto's ears twitched. "Well... there were some nuts and berries a little further away."

"Then bring us that!" Ino screamed. "Use your brain for once!"

Naruto's ears pinned back. "Hey, when I was with Pervy Sage, I was taught to not be too picky. We had money, but because I wasn't getting paid for any missions during that time, I had to be careful how much I spent. I'd run out in no time. We also had to pay for rides and rooms at inns and things like that. He showed me how to grill mice. It wasn't that bad."

"Gross!" Ino whined.

"Actually, the first time I ate them, I didn't know what they were. He put it in a strew and didn't tell me until after I ate it. It wasn't too bad. I didn't even notice."

"You know what they say," added Shikamaru from inside the building. "Everything tastes like chicken."

Naruto agreed. "Yeah. But they didn't really taste too much like chicken. There's not much meat on them in the first place."

While everyone else was talking, Shino was studying the mice on the floor. Some looked like they had teeth marks in them.

"Fine, if you want nuts, I'll get you nuts." Naruto started to go back into the woods.

"Wait." Shino stood up. "Maybe someone should go with you."

"No, I got this."

"You'll bring back more food with a second person."

Still Naruto declined. "Nah. I'll just grab some stuff off bushes and come back. But if you want, you can start cooking those mice so I can have something to eat." Naruto hopped down the mossy steps and started to head back into the woods.

Shino watched him with a frown. He didn't like this.

When Naruto returned later, he had stuffed his pockets and hands full of nuts and berries which he then dumped onto the floor. Sakura and Ino had started a fire and were cooking the mice Naruto brought back. Ino didn't touch them but at least she helped build the fire. Naruto bounced over to Sakura and watched the mice slowly roasting on the fire. He snacked on some of the nuts while he waited.

"Are they ready yet? How about now?"

"Just a minute, Naruto."

"What about now?"

"Shut up and wait a minute!"

Shino poked his head around the side of the building and watched them. Naruto was busy watching the roasting mice and eating nuts. He didn't seem to want to eat them until they were finished cooking. Shino then turning into the building to see what Naruto had brought back this time.

There was a small pile of berries and nuts on the floor... and Shikamaru was eating them.

"Shikamaru!" Ino had walked in and caught him in the act at the same time Shino had.

Taken by surprise, Shikamaru backed away from the pile and ran to the other side of the room, watching no with wide eyes.

Shino frowned again. Not at the fact that Shikamaru was eating their food, but by his reaction.

Naruto pried himself away from the fire to see what was going on inside. Ino was giving Shikamaru quite the lecture while he remained in the far corner. "He says he's sorry."

"You just gathered this stuff up. Now you have to go back into the forest."

"I don't mind. I'll bring back even more."

"But this is going to slow us down. We should be leaving soon and now we have to wait because he ate the food you brought back for the trip."

"He said he's sorry. And he also said that he was hungry and no one would feed him anything. He even asked you for some and you told him to get his own."

"Ino..." Shino started.

"Hey, it was my special diet food I packed before we left. I'm not sharing that with him."

Shikamaru sighed. "I said I was sorry. But I was hungry." He looked down at his body. "I am bigger now. Maybe I need to eat more and more often. Deer graze for a good part of the day."

"Then why don't you eat grass?" Naruto suggested.

"I'm not a real deer. I'm still human, so I'm going to eat like one." His hooves clomped on the wooden floor as he walked to the other side of the room. "It's just a lot harder to do without hands."

"No problem." Naruto grinned widely. "I'll go back into the forest and bring back a whole bunch of food. Then you don't have to worry."

Shino tried to prevent him from going back into the woods. "Maybe you should stay here and let one of us go."

"Why?" Naruto was puzzled. "I'm good at it and I'm pretty fast. I'll be back here in no time."

"I'm not concerned about..."

Sakura put out the fire. "There! It's ready."

Naruto scampered over and grabbed one of the mice and started to nibble at the hot flesh. "Not bad. Thanks, Sakura." He sat down and started eating.

Shino was very troubled but no one seemed to take notice. Apparently the girls weren't seeing what he was seeing.

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