Chapter 20: Regaling

After soaking in the joyous reality after the curse was lifted, Naruto and Shikamaru had to decide what to do then. They both decided to return to the village where the descendant lived and give her the happy news. She was very pleased and happy for them. They didn't stay long. Now that Shikamaru's brilliant mind was working again, he realized that they had to find Sakura and the rest of the team. He had a feeling they were looking for them and most likely had been all this time. He knew they must have been close since they found Shino in the woods only the other day. They left soon after and went back on the road to check. Shikamaru mapped out where Shino's group would most likely be at this point and sure enough he was correct.

"How the hell did you do that?" Naruto asked him when he saw the group coming toward them from up the road.

"Simple calculations on where their position may be coupled with the gut feeling I had about Shino using his bugs to follow after us. I knew they would be keeping an eye on us somehow since running into us the other day couldn't have been an accident."

Sakura was leading the group, carrying Naruto's backpack and his shoes. Naruto ran to her, thinking she was going to give him a huge embrace after seeing him in human flesh. The first thing she did was drop his shoes in the road. Then, using her now free hand, punched him hard in the face. Shikamaru ducked as Naruto went sailing over his head and into a tree.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! You hear me?!"

Naruto clung to the branch he was dangling from. "Me? What did I do?"

"You ran off in the middle of the night and leave us wondering where the hell you went and then you do more crazy stuff and get all feral..!"

"But I'm ok now! See? I'm human again. See, Sakura? See? All better!"

Sakura dropped her arms as well as her anger. "Yeah. Yeah, you are." Now she was all smiles.

Shikamaru watched Ino march over to him and he frowned. "You're not going to punch me, are you?" he moaned.

Instead, Ino put her arms around him and whispered in his ear. "I'm just glad you're back."

Explanations were made, of course. The whole group wanted to know how this happened and what they did to get cured. They explained everything on the long way back to the village. It was a very long story, indeed. In fact, it was celebration worthy.

As soon as they made it back to the village, they decided to throw a party. It was mostly Naruto's idea but the others were happy to go along with it. Shikamaru agreed only on the condition that he not be part of the planning and didn't have to pick up the check. The party was held at Choji's favorite barbeque place. The restaurant had enough room to hold all their friends. Everyone was invited. They got the biggest booth they could get and ordered more food than they knew what to do with. Everyone was having a great time.

"So let me get this straight," said Kiba, pointing his chopsticks at the two men of the hour. "You two were turned into animals? Just like that?"

"Yup!" Naruto declared as if proud of the fact.

"How? Some sort of magic spell or something? Did a witch curse you? I don't really get how this happened."

"It's really cool." Naruto was happy to tell the story again. "See, when we went on our mission, Shikamaru got pissed at me because I made us fail the mission. I got mad at him for blaming me and because I didn't think I did anything wrong. Next thing we knew, we were animals. Neat, huh?"

"Yeah, you told us that part. But why were you animals? Just because you two got pissed at each other?"

"According to the lady at the last village, her grandmother was so upset that when she died, her anger or strong feelings or whatever it was seeped into the land where the first village was so now when people get pissed like we did, they get turned into animals. Or something like that."

Kiba still wasn't satisfied with that answer. "It still doesn't make much sense."

Shikamaru took over from there. "I was away when she explained it to Naruto the first time. When I showed up after we changed back, she gave me the summary. She said even she wasn't sure what exactly the curse is about. From what we can make of it, it has to deal with people not owning up to the truth and fixing the blame on other people and getting really angry at each other."

"Then how come more people aren't animals?" asked Tenten. "If that's all it is, then wouldn't this curse be effecting a lot more people? Not everything can be happy there. I'm sure people get mad at each other and blame them from time to time."

"I think it's a lot more than that. It effected a couple of people before us. They turned into crocodiles and didn't make up in time to change back so now they're stuck that way."

"Yeah," added Naruto. "We even stopped by their village on the way back to tell them that. They had a feeling that would be the case, but they were happy for the information anyway."

"Maybe it only happens during the competitions," said Lee.

"Yeah, isn't that when the first guys changed?" asked Tenten.

"I guess. It's possible. No one really knows." Shikamaru looked at his plate. "I was so pissed off at Naruto and told him we only failed because of him. I said it was all his fault, but deep down I knew that was a lie. I was just speaking out of anger. I knew he made the right call when I looked back on it. So maybe it has to do with putting blame on someone else even when you know they truly aren't at fault."

"So how did you guys change back?" asked Choji.

Naruto grinned. "I told Shikamaru that I was sorry and that I should have listened to him. After that I blacked out. We both had to make amends before the sun rose or we would both stay that way forever."

"At the time, I was in full deer mode. I didn't know what was going on. Then I came back to my senses but then Naruto was the one who lost his mind and became a fox mentally. I felt so bad about everything that I told him how sorry I was and then we both changed back."

"How did you know to do that if you weren't around to know how to change back?" asked Kiba.

"I didn't." Shikamaru shrugged. "I just felt like it was the right thing for me to do if we weren't going to be ourselves anymore. Besides, I really thought I was gonna die at that point. Naruto was coming for me and I didn't think he would stop himself in time. I just wanted him to know before I died."

"Maybe you guys only changed back because you both meant what you said and weren't just saying it to get cured. It came from the heart," said Ino.

"Maybe..."

Kiba tossed a slab of meat to Akamaru and then asked something else that was on his mind. "If Sai was with you, why didn't he get cursed, too?"

"Because he didn't get into a fight. He didn't say anything or get pissed off at anybody."

Sai grinned. "I thought it would be best to remove myself from the situation before it escalated. It's called being passive-aggressive. I learned that from a book as well. It seems to have paid off. I didn't receive the curse."

"Yeah, lucky you."

"Alright, alright." Kiba wasn't done. "So if this lady is the one who made the curse... how does that work?"

"It's like Shikamaru said," Choji explained. "Once she died, her strong feelings left a curse on the land. I've heard the same thing happening in ghost stories. After someone dies, they leave something behind, like a spirit to haunt the land or a curse. It's creepy stuff."

"And check the time line. It all works out. The woman died and after that, people started getting cursed. Like those two crocodile men and these two morons."

"Thank you, Ino."

Kiba rubbed his forehead. "Ugh, this is so confusing. So all this stuff you know is just hearsay? No one actually knows what exactly the curse is and how and why it effects certain people? That's lame."

"Not everything can be a straight answer."

"Here's another question for you." Kiba pointed at Shikamaru. "You're supposed to be a genius. Couldn't you have figured out all this stuff? And couldn't you have known wandering off on your own was a dumb idea?"

"My mind was shot!" Shikamaru half laughed. Now he could look back on all this and laugh. "I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I couldn't think straight. If I had, things wouldn't have gotten as bad as they did. Most of the time, I just followed my animal instincts wherever they took me. Sometimes I realized that I wasn't thinking clearly but didn't know what was wrong or what the right thing would have been. It's like knowing you forgot something but can't remember what it is you forgot. It's troublesome. A total pain."

"So you didn't know what was going on?"

"Not so much that as much as not having a concept... It's like... I didn't know if we were making the right choice for a lot of things that we did. I wanted to separate from the group because I thought it would get us to where we needed to be faster, but then I thought that maybe it wasn't the right choice. I wasn't sure why. Most of the time, I was wondering if I was making these choices based off of human thoughts and logic, or animal. It's really hard to explain."

Neji scoffed. "And of course leave it to Naruto to actually enjoy it. So simple-minded."

"Yeah," Naruto said from across the table. "I guess I should have been more freaked out than I was. Maybe it was because of my training. Maybe I was already starting to change on the inside. Maybe it was the curse that was making me not freak out the way I should have." Then he smiled. "Although... part of me kind of figured I would change back. Like it wasn't going to last and wasn't a big deal. Like getting paint on your hands."

"I'm actually more surprised that Shikamaru got so upset with you in the first place," said Tenten. "I always figured holding grudges would be too troublesome for the guy. Staying mad longer than ten seconds would be hard for a guy like you."

Shikamaru lowered his head. "Actually... I agree with you. I can't believe I got so upset the way that I did. But..."

"But..?" she pried. "Go on."

He sighed heavily. "Well... to be honest... I think the reason I stayed as angry as long as I did was a combination of a lot of things I had been through. First Naruto insisting that he hadn't done anything. Then breaking the rules with that over-used jutsu of his after everything that was said. Then the lecture that man gave me afterword."

"The one who employed you?" asked Hinata. "What did he say?"

Shikamaru was reluctant to say. Maybe he was embarrassed. "A lot of what he said I can't repeat. Basically he said that I was a poor leader who didn't know what he was doing. He called me a worthless moron who made poor choices and one day it would end up costing a lot more than it did that day. He said I could end up leading my friends to their deaths. That I made bad calls and..." He couldn't go on.

"But it was Naruto who did that. It wasn't your fault," said Ino.

"But because I was the leader, everything my teammates do is a reflection of myself. Whatever they do I have to take blame for." Shikamaru sighed again. "That got me pretty upset. But it the other part that sent me over the edge, I think. The part about getting people killed."

"Why?"

Shikamaru played with his empty cup before answering. When he did, his explanation was quiet and slow. "Because a couple years ago, I led a team to go after Sasuke. Two of my close friends almost died that day."

Neji and Choji were quiet and tense. Kiba gave Akamaru a soft pat on the back, being very quiet.

"We failed that mission. After that, I promised myself that I wouldn't lose another mission. Then we failed this one. That alone had me upset because I couldn't hold up my promise. Then him telling me that I would end up getting people killed... It really got to me."

Had Shikamaru been holding onto this all these years? Did he blame himself for their failure? Did he think they almost died because of him?

That scarred man must have triggered something in Shikamaru which was why he became as angry as he did and didn't calm down for a while. He must have been holding in so much.

"Bottling things up isn't good, Shikamaru," said Naruto. "No wonder you flipped out the way that you did. All that pent up stress... It must have exploded when that guy said those things to you."

"Yeah, don't hold on to those feelings, Shikamaru."

"It's not your fault."

"That's right."

"You are a good leader."

"A great one."

"No one has died yet."

All their friends chimed in to reassure him. They all believed in him. It made Shikamaru feel a lot better.

Naruto playfully shoved Shikamaru's shoulder, pushing him into Choji. "The past is the past, right? Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I know." Shikamaru managed a smile. "I think most of it was subconscious. It really wasn't on my mind, but looking back, I think that's why it had the impact that it did."

Choji patted Shikamaru's shoulder. He wanted to remind him that they were all on that mission together. The failure wasn't on any one person. However, he thought it was best to not dwell on it and change the subject. This was supposed to be a time to celebrate, not think about the past and obsess over negative feelings. "Let's not put a damper on this, guys. Shikamaru's not a deer and Naruto can pass for a human being."

"Hey!"

"Come on! There's all this food here. Don't make me eat it all."

Sai grinned. "If you were, you would get really f-"

Sakura clamped her hand over his mouth. "Happy times, guys! Happy time! Eh-heheheh." She hoped Choji didn't notice the forbidden word Sai almost spoke. So far, he did not.

"You know," said Kiba, "I'm sort of surprised at you, Shino. You were pretty useless on this mission, weren't you? Always one step behind these two morons. After all the crap you go on and on about all the time. I figured a ninja would be able to track a couple animals better than that."

Shino kept his head down when he answered. "That was deliberate."

"Say what?"

"I purposely held back the group once Naruto and Shikamaru ran off."

"What?" Sakura looked very upset. "You mean all this time, we could have picked up the pace? But you said to travel slow just in case we came across something important along the way."

"And that was true," he said. "If we hadn't been traveling the way we were, we may not have noticed Naruto's shoes, his backpack or the carcass."

Kiba leaned closer to Shino. "Wait a minute. But I thought you guys had to catch up to them because being around humans was helping them remember they were humans themselves and slow their transformation. Why would you hold back and keep everyone from catching up to them?"

Shino lifted his head. "At first, they were just out of reach and we had no idea where to start and couldn't find them. Then when we reached a point where I knew we could catch up, I started thinking that it may not have been the best idea. Based off of what I observed, the two of them were becoming more wild by the minute. I was worried for my teammates. I wasn't willing to put them at risk. If we ran up to them, Naruto and Shikamaru may have not had the best reaction."

"So..." said Ino. "You were holding us back to protect us?"

"Yes. I didn't think it was worth the risk. When we were close enough, I wanted to test my theory to see if they could be approached, so I sent out my clone to meet them. Naruto attacked with the intent to kill. I knew at that point that there was no point in catching up to them. If he could do that to me when I posed no threat, how would he react to the others? I was afraid Naruto might end up killing someone without meaning to."

"But if you guys caught up to them, you could re-domesticate them. Couldn't you?" asked Kiba. "Just being around humans could have a good effect on them, couldn't it?"

Shino shook his head. "No. What I feared was that once they began their decent, there was no coming back from it. Being around humans upset them. I approached by myself and it was enough to provoke Naruto. If we rejoined the group together, it wasn't going to end well. That would be a crowd. Animals may approach one human, but any more than that would be intimidating. I wasn't going to risk it. It's like an autumn leaf falling from a tree. Once it falls, there's no putting it back on. I wasn't going to take the risk and put them in danger. That's why I held us back, always staying one step behind them. Just close enough to follow without being spotted."

Naruto chuckled nervously. "Yeah, sorry about that. The way I was, maybe you were right to do that. I didn't know that was a clone. If that was the real you, I might have killed you. Sorry, Shino."

Shino knew what he was doing all along. He was looking out for everyone while carrying out the mission given to him. He was doing what he thought was best. As usual, he was the quiet observer, taking all the steps needed to be successful.

"All things considered," said Shikamaru, "I'm sort of glad I went through this."

"Why?" scoffed Ino. "You had fun eating grass and dirt?"

"No." Shikamaru smiled. "It's about what you said about the apology being heartfelt. I think you're right."

Ino looked puzzled. "Hm?"

"Well, I was sorry. And I know Naruto was. And we did apologize to each other about a bunch of things that had happened. But I think we didn't change back because it wasn't enough. Maybe we had to go through what we did in order to truly understand each other and mean what we said, from the very bottom of our hearts. I think we needed to go through good times and bad and be with each other. Maybe that's why we changed when we did. It wasn't for the sake of being cured, it was more than that. It had to be."

Ino raised her brow. "O... k."

"It's too simple," Shino said in his usual tone.

"What is?" asked Hinata.

"It's as Naruto and Shikamaru said before. Even that woman doesn't know all the details of the curse. No one really does so it's open to interpretation," he said. "Maybe it has to deal with everything that was said. I have my own idea of why you were cursed and how you changed back."

Naruto leaned over the table. "Yeah? What is it, smart guy?"

"In addition to your arguing and not taking fault, I think it also had to deal with something on a more personal level."

Naruto tilted his head. "Can you dumb it down a shade?"

"Put simply, I think it has to do with your views of each other. For one reason or another, you found fault in the other person and that started the fight and brought on the curse. Even if you two made amends on your journey, it wasn't enough. It had to be more personal. Maybe you were cured, not just because of a heartfelt apology, but also because the very thing you fought about was the very thing you didn't want to lose."

"You mean what's so special about the other person?" asked Neji.

"Yes. I think the curse and the cure worked to some degree-"

"In other words, why Shikamaru got so pissed off at Naruto is the same thing Shikamaru would miss about him and wanted back?" Ino interrupted.

"Well, in a nutshell-"

"That's kind of weird. And pretty confusing. You sure that's part of this whole thing?"

Shino lowered his head. "Why do I even bother? No one ever hears me out."

Hinata patted Shino on the shoulder.

Shino lifted his head slightly. "But that was another reason why I didn't want to interfere once those two left the group. What if we made matters worse? I had a feeling whatever caused their curse would be lifted by them. Something told me that they needed to be alone to work things out for themselves. And looking back, I think this may have been a different outcome if we had caught up to them and dragged them back kicking and screaming. Sure, there were issues with leaving them alone, but the benefits were..." Shino sighed. "No one is listening to me. Still."

"At least everything worked out, right, Shino?" Hinata smiled, trying to keep the atmosphere cheerful.

No words could ever explain what Shikamaru felt inside just before the sun rose that morning. The shock of seeing Naruto as a full fox, thirsting for blood. Shikamaru had known Naruto for a good part of his life. He knew who he was and who he wanted to be. He knew there was more to him than the goofball from school who got the entire class in trouble with his pranks and failures. He knew that. What he lacked was an understanding. Shikamaru was never hated by the people in the village and no one ever tried to kill him except for on his missions. Now he knew what it was like to be hunted and have people want him to die. But that was only a fraction of the understanding he got from this ordeal. He also understood how Naruto could remain so optimistic despite all the hardships and could still see the world as a thing of beauty. To never give up no matter how hard life got. To always have hope.

Above all, he truly saw just how far Naruto would go for a friend. Even as they were becoming animals, Naruto was always with him. Even at the very end, Naruto came back for him, not just for the sake of curing himself, but for Shikamaru's as well. He returned for his sake. He protected him and cared about him and managed to cheer him up. Naruto's childish antics and playfulness made it easy to love him.

Shikamaru was so frightened when he thought Naruto would drown. He was so relieved when he found out Naruto was going to live. He went through so many emotions along their journey.

The most surprising of which was when Shikamaru found that he cared more about Naruto than he did himself. When he saw Naruto as a fox, it was a massive shock, not just from the surprise of seeing him in such a state but knowing what it meant. He got to know Naruto and learned more about him and they grew closer. He always knew in his heart what kind of person Naruto was. When he saw Naruto with blood-lust in his eyes, he knew it wasn't him. Shikamaru was pained mostly from having to watch Naruto become that. It wasn't him. He knew Naruto. That wasn't him. For Naruto to be transformed into that caused Shikamaru so much pain he could hardly stand it. He couldn't stand seeing Naruto in such a way. He wanted Naruto to return to normal more than he wanted himself to be human again. He wanted Naruto to remain the decent kind person that he was instead of this violent beast.

Through this whole experience, he learned that he cared more about Naruto remaining who he was than he did about returning to human form. He thought Naruto was more important than himself. He would rather be a deer for the rest of his life than lose what was so precious about Naruto.

Maybe that's what the cure was. In addition to being sorry and confessing the truth, most of all, they had to want it for the other person. Shikamaru wanted Naruto to live and be himself more than he wanted to be human. Naruto must have cared more about Shikamaru than he did himself. Maybe that was what they needed to feel deep inside in order for the curse to be lifted.

In truth, Shikamaru did feel closer to Naruto having gone through everything. Maybe this was good for the both of them. He wondered if Naruto felt the same way.

"Hey, deer-boy!" Naruto held up a stick of celery. "Want some grass?" he snickered.

Then again, maybe Naruto would never change.

Shikamaru certainly hoped so.

It was another hour before sunset and everyone had gone their separate ways. Naruto was left by himself, but that was by choice. There was something he wanted to do before returning home.

He walked around the village for some time, thinking. Mostly, he was reflecting on what had happened and was happy everything was back to normal. He was happy Shikamaru was human again and that their dispute was over. He was happy that everything had worked out. He had even gotten over nearly killing Shikamaru when he was in that state. He knew it wasn't really him. Although, it did frighten him that something worse could have happened. He never wanted to hurt his friends. It took him a long time to make them, he wasn't about to lose them. The idea frightened him. What sickened him was the thought that he was nearly the cause. It was one thing to lose them to an outside force. It was another to have it done by his own hands. He had to be careful to never let that happen again.

He had this fear before, but that was the most real it had ever been. It was never this close before.

Naruto stopped, reaching his destination. The gates of the Hidden Leaf. He looked up at the towering doors and the walls closing the village off from the outside like a protective embrace. He stepped forward and stood between the gates, looking out into the woods ahead. The world lay just beyond. The road led far off into the horizon and out of sight. The world was so vast and it started here. When he was little, he always dreamed to going down that road. When he got his first mission, he remembered being so excited about leaving. He packed his bag, shined his shoes, took a long bath, set out his clothes and waited. When he was given his assignment, he was all packed and ready to go. He had even brought his bag with him, even though no one else did. The night before he could barely sleep. He was so ready to leave and see what lay on the other side of those walls. He wanted an adventure.

Seeing this familiar starting line brought back so much nostalgia.

Naruto walked forward onto the path. Then, a short distance from the gate, he stopped and turned around.

This was a familiar sight as well. The gates of the Hidden Leaf, open and welcoming him back home. He remembered this feeling as well. After returning from a mission, this was what he always saw. Without fail, the gates were always here to greet him. The feeling of returning home made him feel... He couldn't describe it. It was home. That was enough for him.

How could he ever think of this place as a cage? When he looked at the walls and the gate now, he saw it as a home. A safe place where he could rest, be with his friends and live a good life. He was protected here. He felt safe here. It was his home.

Then again, didn't a cage work both ways? Didn't it keep things from getting out and things for getting in? A cage protected the one inside from the outside world while it kept the world safe from it.

Naruto turned to the side and looked from left to right. There was the village and there was the road. Where did he belong?

He was so happy when he got missions and was excited to go off training with Pervy Sage. He was eager to leave, but at the same time, he was a little frightened to tell the truth. Part of him didn't want to go. He had a great time out in the world and he trained hard, but he longed for his home. He missed this village and everyone in it. As the weeks turned into months, Naruto found himself thinking of home often and wanted to go back. He couldn't wait to return and show off how strong he had become. Then when he finally returned to the village, he found himself wanting to leave again and go on an adventure.

So where did he belong?

Right. Left. Village. Road.

He started walking. He wanted both. He couldn't live without either. But this... This was his home. This was where his heart was calling him back to.

Smiling, Naruto put his hand on the wooden gate and looked into the village. The chatter, the laughter, the footsteps. This was his home. This was where he had friends.

And he wasn't going anywhere without them.

Naruto rested his cheek against the cool hard wood and put his arms around it. He could feel the vibrations of everyone who lived here with him. This village was alive. He belonged here with his friends.

"I missed you," he whispered into the wood. "But I'm home. This is where I belong."

With everyone.

He heard footsteps beside him which suddenly stopped. He felt a shadow at his back. Naruto turned his head slightly to one side to look. There was another familiar face. The face of his sensei was staring back at him with a confused expression on his face.

"Um... Naruto?"

"Yes?"

Iruka looked from Naruto to the gate then back to Naruto. "Are you hugging the wall?"

Naruto looked at the wooden gate pressed between his two arms and face. "... Yes."

Iruka gave an amused chuckle and shook his head. "You're something else, you know that?"

Naruto pried himself away from the gate, feeling a little embarrassed, and smiled at Iruka expectantly. "You think we can go for some ramen?"

"Didn't you just eat? Oh, why not?" Iruka smiled, knowing this was coming. "You practically live there."

Naruto wanted to make a joke about that statement but decided against it. Instead, he led the way, looking back to make sure Iruka was still following.

"Don't worry, Naruto. And hey, first bowl's on me, ok?"

"Aw, you're not treating me?"

"I said only the first bowl. If I pay for the whole bill again, I'll go broke! I learned my lesson the first time."

"It wasn't that much, Iruka-sensei!"

"I beg to differ! Then again, how was I to know you'd eat thirty bowls in one sitting?"

"It was your fault for not asking."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess it was on me... In more ways than one." Iruka sighed. "Just to be clear, only the first bowl. Got it, Naruto?"

"Yeah, I heard you." Naruto was already sitting down and placing his order for the biggest and most expensive bowl of ramen he could find on the menu. He inhaled deeply, taking in all the spices and and tasty aromas in one breath. "Oh, man! How could I think about living without this?" There was no ramen out in the wild.

Iruka sat down beside him. "No home's complete without ramen, huh?"

"This is the best ramen in the world! Of course not!"

"Heh, a little slice of home, huh? Alright, I'll take a pork and miso ramen myself."

Naruto bounced in his seat, eagerly waiting for his favorite food. This scene brought back memories, too. Eating ramen with Iruka was nostalgic, too. Somehow, eating it with friends made it taste even better.

"Hey, sensei?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure we can't do the whole bill?"

"Not a chance."

"Come on!" Naruto whined. "We're celebrating!"

"I said the first bowl."

"How about two?"

"No way."

"I'll arm-wrestle you for it?"

"Nope."

"Aww!"

There was no place like home.

The End!

Yay! How did you like it? I hope it was good.

What did you think?

Thank you all for reading and please leave reviews! ^-^