Chapter 1
Something is wrong.
No, something feels... Different.
He blinks his eyes open, feeling dizzy. Pain sparks behind his eyes and he grabs at his head.
His whole body hurts, an ache he has only felt briefly before, during one of his extra-long training sessions.
"Huh, an omega? Who would have thought..." A harsh voice chuckles somewhere to the left of him.
He flinches. He flinches?! He hasn't flinched in years!
What the hell?
"Get up, brat. No point lying there all day."
A part of Naruto doesn't want to. He knows, instinctively, that the voice is talking to him. Yet, he doesn't feel like responding to "Brat".
Something nudges him and he flinches, again. He rolls away with a yelp, only to stumble and fall, hard.
He groans, rubbing at his chin which is sure to turn blue later on.
The voice chuckles and he looks up, eyes narrowed.
Only to freeze.
There is a fox before him. A very large fox. With bright red fur and as many as nine tails dancing in the air behind it.
The space they are in looks like a cave. There is what remains of a statue in the background, with broken pieces strewn everywhere.
And, is that... A body?
He gulps and looks away from the two legs sticking out from under a big piece of debris.
"There you are." the fox speaks, speaks, reclaiming Naruto's attention.
The fox eyes him with a focus that Naruto isn't used to receiving. It sounds male, with a deep, rumbling voice and it smirks at him. How though? How is it an animal is making all these expressions? Showing these emotions?
What the hell is going on? What happened here?
Why does he feel this calm in the middle of such carnage? There is blood everywhere!
"Don't recognize me, brat? Figures." The fox scoffs, getting to its feet. "No time for you to scramble whatever is left of your brain right now. We need to go."
"Wait, who are you? Where are we? What happen-"
The fox's teeth flash though the air and suddenly Naruto is hauled up to his feet and draped over something soft and then said soft thing is moving. At top speed.
It leaves him dizzier and he has to fight not to vomit.
"Don't you dare get sick now, you brat!"
Like he can help it!
He clutches at the softness, only now realizing that he is clutching fur and is draped over the big fox's back.
The fox is running. Far away from whatever has happened.
"Who are you?" He manages to say, hoping the wind passing them by don't carry his words away.
"You know who I am brat. We've been together since the day you were born."
That makes no sense.
Naruto has been alone.
Always.
And he has never met any foxes.
…
Unless…?
For the entirety of his life, people have called him a Demon Fox, a Kitsune. For as long as he can remember anyway.
Said to such an extent, that he started to believe them. Sort of.
Because people wouldn't call him that if there wasn't a reason to, right?
So maybe, just maybe…? The fox did say he'd been with Naruto since his birth, right?
Does that make him… Naruto's father?
Naruto isn't a fox, or at least, he doesn't think so?
He looks human enough. The whiskers may have been a clue though?
And, honestly, even if he gets called brat, this fox has been nicer to him than almost everyone else. Ever.
So, that has to count for something, right?
And maybe, this means his father wants him? He probably had a reason to stay away, if he is here now? Right?
He watches the fur his face is buried into. The color is nice. He likes it. It is almost clear enough to be orange, instead of red.
Besides, this fox feels...
Huh, Naruto hadn't realized it before. But there is a reason he hasn't struggled. There is a reason he hasn't tried to run.
He feels safe here.
What a novel feeling.
He nuzzles into the fur, thoughts flitting around like paper planes on a windy day.
Why is he behaving like that? It feels good - don't get him wrong - and soothing. And he basks in the feeling, because this is the very first time he has ever felt like this.
Safe.
And isn't that depressing?
It hurts, realizing that he, in his twelve years alive, has never felt like he was safe.
He wonders how long it will take people in the village to notice he's gone?
It's like for the first time ever, he can think clearly. No random thoughts popping up and distracting him, no below level standards to compare new situations to.
He clutches at the fur, realizing something.
"Careful there, little omega. No need to give me bald spots." The fox sounds wry, but not angry.
He relaxes his grip a bit, but doesn't let go.
What happened? He tries to remember, but...
Wait...
Those red eyes...
A pair of wild, spinning red eyes, with a pattern in them he has never seen before.
That is all he can recall.
Yet, it strikes fear in him like nothing ever has before.
The fox makes a soothing noise, and it is only now that Naruto realizes he is shaking.
"Just a little further," the fox mutters, and now Naruto looks up. Because they are climbing. Or rather, jumping up a mountain side.
"Where are we?" He asks softly.
The air is thin up here.
"Mount Inari." The fox sounds a little out of breath.
Naruto has no idea where that is. Or why they are here. He just holds on, exhausted.
They are clearly climbing up an impressive mountain. It is getting colder the higher they go, and Naruto isn't sure he's ever been this cold before. Konoha doesn't really get cold, except at night in the winter, but this is completely new.
Gentle white flakes of something even colder start falling down, and the landscape transforms completely.
Is this snow? It's cold, in general, but the fox is warm enough to keep him comfortable and Naruto has trouble keeping his eyes open.
At some point later, they stop, and Naruto blinks the sleep away. Really? He had been getting ready to nap? While climbing a mountain?
What is wrong with him?
The fox is shaking as he comes to a standstill. Naruto can hear the heavy breathing and he gets himself together.
He gets of the fox's back. And it sinks to the ground, breathing heavily.
"Are you alright?"
The fox sniggers. "You are worried about me? You? Guess more changes then I thought."
Naruto watches the fox. "Why wouldn't I worry? I still can't remember much. What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
Naruto thinks hard, but ends up shaking his head.
"Last I recall, I was sleeping after a harsh day at school and detention?"
"You really have no idea who I am, do you?" The fox asks, a stunned look on it's face.
"I said so, didn't I?" He can't help but say in reply. "Can you tell me? I'd like to know what is going on?"
He's never felt as confused and yet as at peace at the same time, in his entire life.
"Not right now, we need to get inside, where it is safe." The fox says instead.
"Inside?"
The fox stretches and suddenly, his shape changes. It stretches upward, looking like a man in between two blinks of an eye. If Naruto hadn't seen it for himself, he never would have believed it possible.
A man, human looking, with fox ears on top of his mop of long red hair, and the same dancing tails as before.
"What?" Naruto gapes. "You are... Human?"
"Don't have a heart attack. I am not human. I can look human if I wish to, but that is all."
"What? Who exactly are you?"
"I am a Yokai, kid. Your village has cursed who I am for generations now."
"What? I don't get it?"
"Inside, please. You are shaking from the cold."
And indeed he is. But so is the Foxman! Naruto doesn't point it out though. He can't wait to get inside.
Which reminds him. "Where is inside, exactly?"
The fox-man grunts, and motions him to follow. They start walking and a shrine appears out of the mist. Or a beautiful, well maintained, shrine-like building. Naruto can't wait to see the inside of it.
Though, to be honest, he has never been allowed inside one of the shrines in Konoha, so that is more the curiosity speaking and the longing for warmth.
There are torches that light up as soon as they step inside and he can't help but let out a sigh of relief as warmth washes over him.
He eyes the building, and somehow, this looks more like a very cozy house, than what he imagined the inside of a shrine to look like. It is big, twice as big as his own apartment, at the least. There is an open fire in the middle of the room, with a pot hanging over it. This fire also started burning as they stepped inside. There are some cabinets and appliances against the walls, and a screen wall at the opposite wall, keeping the space behind it hidden for now. There is a nice tatami raised floor, so he follows the man's example of taking of his shoes. His balance is off though and he nearly falls on his face.
The fox-man catches him while chuckling at him. "I guess you aren't used yet to your new form? It may take some time to adjust."
"New form? What are you talking about?" Naruto asks as he rubs life back into his fingers.
The man grins at him, and Naruto's eyes grow even wider at that. No one has ever smiled at him like that. Not even Jiji.
The fox-man reaches out with exaggerated movements and Naruto can only briefly ponder why he does that, when that hand reaches his hair. It starts scratching at something, something he knows deep inside hadn't been there before, but this new feeling of bliss envelops him and he feels himself turning to jelly.
He may have made some sort of noise. He can't be sure. His eyes have closed by themselves to enjoy this strange, wonderful feeling to the maximum.
He actually feels like he's turned to jelly while the fox-man keeps a tight hold on him.
Then the feeling abruptly stops and he blinks, feeling a bit thrown off balance.
Why has he stopped?
He glares at the man, who only chuckles at him.
Wait?
What just happened? While true Naruto has had no one do that to him before, he has touched his own hair before. He's never felt that way...
With hesitation, he reaches out towards his hair, gently patting at the blond strands.
Only he doesn't touch his actual hair. There is something else there. Something firm, but soft.
Continuing his exploration, he can't help but study the man. Does he have ears just like this stranger does? It sure feels like it?
His heart rate speeds up and a smile threatens to break free.
Is he really...? Actually...?
"You have a tail as well." The man says, amusement dripping from his voice.
Naruto startles, and moves to see, dislodging himself from the fox-man's arms. He falls to the ground, again, hard, as the fox-man is chuckles again, and didn't catch him this time, for some reason.
He shakes his head, and gently takes his new tail in hand. It keeps on twitching, as if it has a mind of its own.
It's orange though, with a bright white tip. So awesome!
"Are the ears in the same color?!" He can't help but ask with a wide grin.
The fox-man laughs out loud this time, and gently helps Naruto up.
How had he missed that tail before now? He can feel it, he can actually choose to move it and it feels weird. But awesome at the same time!
"Let's sit down for this talk. Something tells me that explaining things will take a while."