Chapter 17: Fox

Twilight was beautiful this night. It was the night before the full moon, but it was so big it was easily mistaken for full. The sun disappeared beyond the horizon, painting the sky a deep lilac, which made the moon even more striking. The forest was buzzing with life. There was so much chirping and buzzing and croaking it was almost deafening.

Naruto and Shikamaru made their way down the path, saying very little. Naruto was noticing that Shikamaru was starting to bolt at nearly everything and left him alone for a short time before coming back. When Naruto turned to ask Shikamaru about it, he seemed deep in thought and didn't respond.

"Shikamaru!"

"What? Huh?" He looked up, slightly startled.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"No. What did you say?"

This was happening more often. It was almost as if Shikamaru were wrapped in a spell and wouldn't be able to hear anyone's voice. His eyes also started to change when he was in this state for longer than a few seconds. His entire eye would become a deep brown color, like that of a real deer.

According to Shikamaru, Naruto was also having a similar issue with this. Aside from running off, his eyes were also starting to change. They were looking more cat-like. They wouldn't last as long as Shikamaru's however. At least, that was as far as either of them knew.

In the late evening, they finally arrived at a village. Lights were still on in some of the homes but most of them were dark. It was a decent sized village and almost no one was outside.

"This is perfect," said Naruto. "We can go in and not have to worry about people bothering us."

But why were they here? For what?

"Come on, let's go." Naruto started down the path, then stopped when he realized Shikamaru wasn't coming. "What's wrong?"

"There are people in there. I'm not so sure I want to go in there." Shikamaru cowered behind a tree.

Naruto went back to him. "We both agreed that we had to get to the next village. This is it. Now come on."

"Naruto, this is all wrong!" Shikamaru cried. He was extremely upset. "My mind doesn't work the way it used to and most of the time I can't think straight. Now it's working at least a little bit. Naruto, the village we were supposed to go to in order to fix this is way back there! It was the one we ran from, remember? That was the village. This one... This is the wrong place! We're not going to get any help here. I don't see the point."

"So we run from this one, too? Shikamaru, we're never going to get anything done if we keep running off like we've been. Humor me and let's go."

"No, I don't want to. And it's the wrong place anyway. I don't see the point."

"We have to!" Naruto barked.

Shikamaru flinched at his loud tone and moved away, preparing to run.

"No, no, no, no..! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just need you to help me out. Please? I can't do this alone."

As long as Shikamaru's brain was working, he decided to use it to consider his options and the situation they were in. He kept running away and not out of laziness but out of fear. He had already decided he could not live as a deer. There were too many issues. This was the wrong village so there was little reason for them to be here.

Still, there may have been a chance, however slim.

"Please?" Naruto's eyed pleaded. "Please?"

Naruto needed him. All this time, Naruto had been the one helping him out. He had to return the favor. He had to go into this village for Naruto's sake.

"Ok. Ok, I'll do it."

"Great! I'll be right there with you. Don't worry."

They entered the village together. They walked slowly. Naruto wasn't sure of the time but it must have been close to midnight. Why were there still lights in a few houses? There was no one on the street, which put Shikamaru at ease.

Shikamaru had to work through his fear and not let it get the better of him. He had to resist the urge to run.

"You doing ok, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah. I'm ok."

"That's great. I'm right here. Don't worry." Naruto turned his head, ears moving. His nose twitched, catching a scent. He started to walk away.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru followed him.

Naruto went over to a trashcan and started digging through it. He grabbed half-eaten fruit and bones with meat still attached and started eating.

"Naruto. Naruto, stop that."

He didn't listen and started scooping things out of the trash and dumped them on the ground. He was diving deeper into the can, looking for food.

"Naruto, please. Enough."

Naruto removed his head from the can and lifted it toward the sky. His ears twitched.

"Naruto?"

He turned his head. Naruto's eyes had changed. The sclera had become dark and his irises had changed color as well. They were a deep orange color. His pupils had become narrow, making his eyes look cat-like. Naruto's eyes changed into this only a few times before and only since yesterday.

"Naruto?"

He came away from the can and moved closer to Shikamaru, on all fours. He was sniffing him.

"Naruto, it's me. You know me, right?"

Naruto's lips started to curl. He was growling.

"Naruto? Naruto?"

His eyes changed again. They were blue, but his pupils remained the same. "What?" he asked.

"Are you ok?"

Naruto stood on his hind legs. "Yeah, why?" He didn't realize what had just happened.

"You changed, Naruto. You were..." He didn't want to say it.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"No, what?"

"For a second... it almost looked like... you were..." Shikamaru swallowed. "Coming after me. Like you were going to attack."

"Attack you? No way! I wouldn't do that."

"It looked almost like you were..."

Naruto didn't know what to make of this. He knew he would never attack his friend. Then again, he had been acting a little off lately. But foxes didn't attack deer, did they? He never heard of such a thing actually happening.

Shikamaru's ears twitched, hearing something. "Naruto!" he whispered loudly and started to back up.

More lights were coming on and doors began to open. First a couple of villagers, then more. Now it seemed half the village was out of their homes and coming their way. Some were carrying rolling pins and brooms while others had shovels or large sticks. They were closing in.

Naruto started to growl. Shikamaru came closer. "Control yourself, Naruto. Please don't let your rage get the better of you. Please try to be calm."

That's right. He had a short fuse now. He had attacked humans before. He couldn't do that here. They were not about to find another village and wander further away from their goal. They had to stay here and... and...

And what? What were they doing in this village? What were they supposed to find out?

Soon, the villagers had surrounded them. Lanterns were lit and flashlights were shone. They were mostly focused on Naruto. Worried children's faces appeared in the windows before being pulled away and the curtains were drawn again. Did they consider him to be a threat? He hadn't done anything. Not yet.

"That's the one!" yelled a young man. "That's the beast that attacked me on our walk and scratched me up!"

The couple from before. This was their village. No wonder they were given such a greeting. The man must have told everyone that there was a monster loose and to be on the look-out.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"It's looks awful!"

"It could be a demon trying to take on human form and doing a poor job of it."

"We should get the village healer out here. She'll get rid of it if it is a monster."

"We don't have to trouble her. We'll handle this ourselves."

"Still, what is it?"

Naruto frowned. His temper was starting to boil. He hated them talking about him like this. Hated it! "I can hear you, you know!"

Shikamaru tried to keep him calm. "Just relax. Please don't start something."

"I'm not starting something! They are!" Naruto growled.

"Please stay calm."

The villagers were still talking about him.

"He's so gross."

"He's almost mutated."

"Maybe he is."

"But what is it?"

"What is that thing?"

Naruto stomped his foot on the ground. "I said I can hear you!"

"Then tell us what you are! Some sort of monster? A beast? A coyote? A wolf?"

"No!"

"Then you must be a demon. A demon trying to masquerade as a person."

"That's what it is?"

"It can't be a demon."

"A deformed boy?"

"No, no. But what is it?"

Naruto had enough of this chatter about him as if he weren't here. "I'm a fox!" he snapped.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock. Since when had Naruto referred to himself as a fox? Did he not think of himself as human anymore or did he no longer think that he was? This wasn't a good sign at all.

"Naruto. We-"

"Shut up!" he snarled. "I'll have to teach these guys a lesson. They can't talk to me like that. They can't treat me like this and get away with it."

"But, Naru-"

"Filthy, stinking human scum! I hate humans. All of them! They are better off dead! I'll put them in their place." Naruto's body curved as he crouched down, preparing to spring. The claws on his hands had become longer and his fangs were showing. He growled loudly, fur standing on end. His tail swished back and forth. He wanted to attack them.

"Please, listen to me, Naruto. You can't..."

Naruto felt his anger mounting, raging out of control. He did nothing to stop it. He wanted to give in and do what he desired most. He wanted to make them pay. He wanted to hurt them. He wanted to kill them. Kill them all.

The villagers looked fearful.

"Get out of our village!" shouted a man. "Get out and don't you ever come back."

Naruto snarled at them and started barking. He couldn't speak anymore. Naruto's temper was spiraling into a dangerous rage. Only blood could calm him now.

"Get! Get!"

"Raugh!" Naruto ran forward on all fours and jumped, landing on the man's chest and bit him on the wrist when he tried to defend himself. He then jumped to another villagers and started clawing at his face and arms.

"Naruto, no!" Shikamaru tried desperately to call Naruto back but he could no longer hear his voice. "Naruto! Naruto, please stop!"

He was on a rampage. He jumped from one person to the next, clawing and biting. Women beat him with brooms which he snapped in half. He ran to the next and attacked them as well. A broom came down on his back and he spun around, grabbing it in his hand and snapped it in two. He then grabbed the woman's skirt, dragged her down and started biting her. Her screams only fueled his rage. The villagers tried to pull him off but his teeth were embedded in her arm. When they tried to pull him away, it only caused her flesh to be torn further.

"That's enough, Naruto!" Shikamaru begged. "That's enough! Please, stop!"

This was horrifying. He wasn't going to stop. Shikamaru tried to work through his fear and desire to run. He couldn't bring himself to get near Naruto when he was like this. He had never seen Naruto so violent. Was he not going to be satisfied until every human in this village was dead?

Shikamaru refused to run yet he couldn't bring himself to come between Naruto and the villagers. "Naruto... Naruto, please... Please don't."

Naruto yelped as a man kicked him in the ribs and sent him into the street. Worked into a frenzy, the villagers started beating him with whatever they had on hand. Naruto clawed his way out, snarling like a wild animal. They chased him, kicking him and throwing stones.

"Naruto..." He had to do something. He had to protect his friend. They were going to beat him to death.

The villagers kicked and stomped on his limbs. They beat him with their sticks and shovels. Naruto snapped at their ankles and tore off their flesh. His claws gouged splintering woods, breaking their sticks and brooms. Then he disappeared again behind their legs and swings.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to protect Naruto the same way he protected him. Shikamaru charged in, head lowered and started bucking. He just wanted to pushed them away, not kill them. The humans backed away, fleeing from his antlers. He stood over Naruto, shaking his head and stomping his hooves. "Stay away from him!" he bellowed. "Stay away!"

Naruto found his feet and was snarling again, his tail swishing.

"Are you alright, Naruto?"

He was bleeding but he was otherwise alright. More than anything else, he wanted to continue the fight. He snarled loudly and growled at them, showing everyone of his teeth.

This wasn't working out. No matter where they went, trouble soon followed. No. They were the ones causing trouble. At every village they went to, something happened and they would have to leave. This one was no different. Even if they begged, no one would let them stay here, much less help them.

"Naruto, we have to get out of here."

He snarled, moving forward.

"No, Naruto. We have to leave this village. It's not safe. Please."

He wasn't backing down. He wouldn't leave until he was finished. Naruto moved in front of Shikamaru, head lowered, growling menacingly. He was still after the villagers.

Most of them had backed off and others fled to tend to the injured. Naruto would be chasing them down. They still had the will to defend themselves, but their weapons were broken and now Naruto had backup. Most of them wanted to flee. Some wanted to stay and fight Naruto off. Either they would kill Naruto or they would be killed by him.

"Naruto, we have to get out of here. Please, let's just go."

He wasn't listening. He continued to growl.

"Please, Naruto. We have to leave, now. Please!" Shikamaru desperately tried to convince Naruto to come with him. "Please, Naruto. Please."

Naruto had his back turned to him.

"Please just listen to me! Please! Have have to go! You don't have to hurt them anymore. I don't want them to hurt you. Please, come with me away from here. Please."

Naruto's growling subsided. He appeared to be calming down.

This was good. He was getting through to him. He didn't say anything further, fearing it would annoy Naruto and send him into another fury. He made his point. It was time to leave.

Shikamaru started to walk away, hoping Naruto would follow him. He paused, waiting for Naruto to make a move. He wasn't leaving without him. As soon as he saw Naruto move, he would start walking.

"Naruto."

He wasn't moving. He was staying perfectly still. His ear twitched slightly, rotating in his direction so Shikamaru knew he was heard. Then why wasn't he moving? This was no time for Naruto to do what he wanted. They had to get out of here before the villagers could retaliate. They had to see to Naruto's wounds. They had to get away from this village.

"Naruto?"

Suddenly, Naruto spun around with a snarl. He took the two steps needed to reach Shikamaru, who was standing at a distance behind him, and bit him. Naruto's sharp teeth broke the skin easily and sank deeply into Shikamaru's neck.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock. "Na... Naruto..."

His eyes were different again. His deep orange fox eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, giving him an eerie and sinister look.

He wasn't Naruto anymore. He was gone.

D8

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