[Konoha, The Village Hidden in the Leaves]
Naruto walked the streets of his home village alone. Kicked out of the orphanage and now homeless, Naruto surprised himself by feeling... relieved. It was about time they stopped dancing around the truth and just got it over with.
Even as a five-year-old, Naruto understood he was unwanted. The caretakers barely looked at him, the other kids weren't allowed to talk to him, and he got the last pick of everything—food, clothes, even toys. Aside from the time a caretaker had scrubbed at his whisker marks like they were stains, they hadn't been outwardly cruel, but abuse didn't have to be physical.
They hadn't taught him basic skills like reading and writing, either. Determined not to let them win, Naruto had taught himself by sneaking off with books and writing materials whenever they weren't looking. His reading and writing didn't end up perfect, and he had to slip into lessons to figure out what he didn't understand, but eventually, he'd caught up and even surpassed his peers.
That self-taught literacy was a source of unending pride for Naruto. He didn't need anyone else. He wasn't some genius from a major clan, but he pushed through regardless, spending hours mastering every skill he tried. Even simple math had taken him a month longer than it took other kids, but he'd learned it anyway, mocking his teachers when they realized they couldn't hold him back. He figured that mocking might have been one of the final excuses they used to kick him out, but it was totally worth it.
Now he was out on the street, just as they'd wanted, watching as villagers passed by. Some glanced at him, confused, wondering why a kid so young was alone, but then they'd spot the whisker marks and scowl.
Naruto, ever stubborn, ignored them. Resentment was a feeling he knew all too well, and he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of letting it show that they were getting to him.
Pushing past the scowling faces, Naruto noticed the general aura of happiness in the village. Friends and families laughed and chatted as they passed. Kids ran through the streets, cheering as they played games Naruto had never been allowed to join. Up on the rooftops and at the edge of every street, shinobi stood vigilant, keeping peace in Konoha.
He watched a girl about his age laughing as her father lifted her onto his shoulders. The sight twisted Naruto's chest with an ache he couldn't explain. No one had ever lifted him like that, not even when he'd fallen and scraped his knee back at the orphanage. They'd just told him to stop crying and walk it off. He didn't know what it felt like to be caught when he fell, but he knew he wanted it—wanted that feeling so much it hurt.
The more he watched, the more he wanted—friends, family, someone who'd look at him like that. It hurt, deep inside, to know these were things he might never have. A bit of dust must have blown into his eyes because Naruto had to suddenly rub them furiously to keep any stray tears from falling. Naruto Uzumaki doesn't cry!
He glanced up at the Hokage Monument in the distance, its massive faces visible from anywhere in the village. Seeing his idol, the Fourth Hokage, Naruto felt his resolve surge back.
He would become a great ninja, even better than the Fourth, and make everyone in the village acknowledge him. He'd become so good that people would want to be his friend, even if they hated him now.
Naruto kept walking, his eyes now fixed on the village not as something he was excluded from, but as something he'd one day belong to—believe it!
Eventually, his nose picked up a heavenly smell, and he found himself following it through the streets.
The source? A small stand with a sign reading "Ichiraku's Ramen." Naruto paused outside, fidgeting. He'd tried going into restaurants before and had always been kicked out, learning quickly not to bother, but this food smelled so good.
His mind was made up when a voice called from inside. "Lost, kid? Come on in! Sit down, I'll whip up something for you."
Naruto jumped inside and perched on one of the stools, hands on the counter, eagerly watching the man behind it.
The only words Naruto's mind could come up with to describe him were warm and welcoming. Every survival instinct Naruto had was telling him this man was different.
The chef, who Naruto guessed was Ichiraku, set down a steaming bowl, and Naruto's stomach growled like it had a mind of its own.
Ichiraku flinched slightly at the sound before a warm smile returned to his face. He placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of Naruto with a grin. "Dig in, kid— this here's the best ramen in all the Elemental Nations, guaranteed."
Naruto stared at the bowl, his stomach rumbling again. He frowned slightly. "I... I don't have any money."
Ichiraku's expression softened, a flicker of something Naruto didn't quite recognize. Naruto quickly added, "But I'll pay you back! I promise, and Naruto Uzumaki never breaks a promise, believe it!"
The old man's jaw tensed briefly, but then his face softened into a wide smile. "Don't worry about it, kid. Tonight, your ramen's on the house."
"Really?" Naruto asked, stars in his eyes. He didn't understand why, but he wouldn't give him a chance to change his mind. "Thank you, Mr. Ichiraku!"
He dove into the bowl, practically inhaling it, each bite tasting better than anything he'd ever had. This ramen stuff must be the food of the gods!
Ichiraku laughed, and Naruto knew the laughter wasn't mocking. "Just call me Teuchi, kid."
Naruto looked up at Teuchi, trying to understand why the man was being so kind. "Teuchi," he repeated, almost testing the name, as if it might disappear any second. But Teuchi's easy smile didn't waver, and Naruto felt something inside him relax—a little warmth in his chest he wasn't used to. He slurped his noodles slower this time, savoring the feeling as much as the food.
Before he knew it, the bowl was empty. Just as he was about to regret eating it so fast, another bowl appeared in front of him. Teuchi winked, pushing it forward.
Teuchi looked at him, really looked, and for the first time, Naruto felt like he wasn't just invisible. "Kid, everybody needs a warm meal. Take your time with it," he said, placing the bowl before Naruto, his voice a quiet reassurance.
Just as Naruto was about to dig in, someone else entered the stand. He froze for a second but decided not to look back, focusing on his noodles in case he got kicked out.
"I should have known I'd find you here," a familiar voice chuckled.
Naruto's head shot up, mouth still full of noodles, "Old Man!"
"Most people call me Lord Hokage," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, though Naruto caught the faintest smile.
The Third Hokage was old—old, even by old people's standards—and Naruto wondered if he kept his wrinkles on purpose, like a badge of wisdom. Surely the Hokage out of all people could get rid of wrinkles if he wanted to. The Third wasn't wearing his hat, revealing spiky gray hair that made him look even more like an old man.
"How'd you know I was here?" Naruto asked, swallowing his food. He beamed up at the Hokage, who Naruto thought was just about the coolest person in the world—except for the Fourth, of course.
"I'm the Hokage," the old man replied with a hint of pride, not explaining any further. He glanced at Teuchi. "My usual, if you still remember it, old friend."
"Ha! I could never forget Lord Hokage's favorite!" Teuchi chuckled, getting to work.
The Hokage turned to Naruto, who was trying to eat as much as he could before the inevitable serious talk.
"You were kicked out of the orphanage," the Hokage stated rather than asked. Naruto blanked, only able to nod slightly and stare into his remaining noodles.
"Well then, I suppose I have no choice." Naruto saw him pull something from his coat—a familiar pipe. "Do you believe you're ready to live on your own? You'll also have to enroll in the academy next year."
Naruto blinked as the words sank in, then broke into the widest grin he'd ever worn. Before he knew it, he was standing on his stool, fists clenched in excitement.
The word "ninja" echoed in his head, buzzing like the energy he felt in his whole body. Being a ninja would mean he'd be part of the village, protecting everyone, even the ones who scowled. He'd prove that he wasn't just some kid they could ignore; he'd be someone they'd have to look up to.
"Do ya mean it, Old Man Hokage! I can be a ninja, and I don't have to go back to that stupid orphanage?"
Hiruzen chuckled lightly and motioned for Naruto to retake his seat. Naruto, slightly embarrassed, sat down, still buzzing with excitement.
"I've been meaning to get you out of there," the old man admitted. "I wanted to give you a little longer, but it seems my hand has been forced."
Naruto didn't catch the bitter tone in his voice; all he heard was the good news. He flashed a wide grin. "You're the best!"
Naruto couldn't believe how different everything was. He woke up in a bed with blankets and pillows, sunlight warming his face. A real bed! No broom-wielding hag to chase him up each morning. There was hot water, even soap, and when he first moved in, a dog-masked Anbu left a stack of clothes on his table.
The ninja wearing a dog mask had been really quiet, not answering a single one of Naruto's questions, but he could tell it wasn't out of rudeness. He didn't know what it was, but he had caught the Anbu ninja staring at him a few times, standing stiffly like he had just seen a ghost. Although, Naruto had never actually seen one of those mask-wearing ninjas talk, so he figured it must be something to do with their job.
Naruto was eating warm meals now. Meals he'd cooked himself! Not that they were great, but they still beat the scraps from the orphanage.
He had no idea how to cook, but every few days Naruto would wake up to a fresh stack of notecards on his table, each written in careful, neat script. They taught him the basics of living alone; how to cook and clean, reminding him to lock his door, take frequent showers, brush his teeth, and seemingly anything else his mystery advisor could think of.
On his worst nights, reading through those cards helped a lot more than they were likely intended to. They were a reminder that someone out there cared enough to make sure he was alright. Someone believed he mattered. A vision of an Anbu operative appeared in his mind, and Naruto let out a small smile.
He still didn't have any friends, and the villagers were still some S-Rank assholes to him, but it was safe to say that Naruto Uzumaki's life had gotten a whole lot better.
One morning, snow started falling. Naruto rushed to his balcony, trying to catch a few flakes on his tongue, laughing as they melted instantly. Excitement coursed through him as he darted inside to layer up. He didn't get cold easily, but one of those notes had said to bundle up when it snowed.
After sifting through his drawers, he found some gray pants that were comfortable and a black shirt that had a red spiral on the front of it. He ran to his bed and plucked the orange jacket lying there before throwing it on and running out of the room. He raced to the door, stopped short, then skidded back inside for his scarf.
"Can't forget this!" Naruto cheerily exclaimed, finding the green and white scarf on his kitchen table.
The Hokage had given it to him on his birthday and told Naruto that it had been made for him a long time ago. It easily became his most prized possession.
He clutched it, holding on as if he were afraid it'd disappear if he let go. The fabric was soft, worn in some places, and somehow just having it made him feel like he belonged to something—someone. It was a promise of care he couldn't explain, but he knew he'd defend it with his life
He took the utmost care of it and never let it get dirty. The only times he'd take it off were if he tried to copy the drills he'd seen ninjas do while training, and even then he'd carefully fold it away.
With his treasured neckwear securely tied, Naruto ran out of the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him, and sprinted his way down every flight of stairs and into the village he called home.
Snow dusted rooftops and tree branches, each flake glinting like a shard of crystal under the sun. As Naruto stepped into the street, the cold air stung his cheeks, but he hardly noticed. Drops of snow sparkled under the sun, and he laughed as he sprinted through the streets, dodging the occasional tripping foot from the villagers and weaving his way past them with ease.
He soon arrived at the park, where kids played with their friends in the open field. Surrounding the field was a vast forest that went all the way to the edge of the village. He stood there, alone. Snow drifted down, light as feathers, and the cold air bit at his face. He waited. Maybe today he could…
But the pointed glares from parents and kids alike told him not to bother. An old ache resurfaced as he ducked his head, tightening his grip on his scarf.
Naruto walked over to the forested section with his hands tucked into his pockets. "Stupid adults," he grumbled.
He went deeper and deeper into the park until he was sure no one was around. Once he was sure he was alone, Naruto finally let his shoulders slump down and pressed his back to a tree.
Naruto kicked a flurry of snow up, but the wind sent it straight back to his face. Sputtering, he kicked again—and got a second mouthful of snow for his trouble.
Naruto screamed out in frustration, and was about to go for round three, but stopped when he heard a strange laugh. It was high-pitched and sounded like an odd cross between a giggle and a cackle.
He froze, glancing around, then spotted her: a tiny creature sprawled across the snow, rolling with glee. The fox's white fur blended almost perfectly into the frost, save for the orange-tipped tail flicking playfully in the air and a pair of warm, orange eyes focused right on him. Naruto's breath caught. He'd never seen anything like it—a fox, so close and unafraid, and… laughing at him?
Naruto reached out, his hand hovering just above her fur. For a second, he worried she'd scamper away like most animals did, but she only cocked her head, her ears twitching in quiet curiosity. With a grin, he gently scratched under her chin, fingers sinking into thick, impossibly soft fur. The fox let out a series of happy chirps, wriggling with joy. Naruto laughed, his heart light and his hands warmed by her soft pelt.
She started weaving little circles around him, and his laughter only grew until the cold and the loneliness he'd felt all day faded entirely. When she leapt into his arms and knocked him back into the snow, Naruto didn't even mind the chill seeping through his clothes.
The bright moment was interrupted when he heard a loud, mocking chorus of laughter coming from a different side of the park. Both Naruto and the fox looked towards the noise coming from behind him and started running towards it, their previous game long forgotten. Naruto had heard that condescending chorus all his life, and he wouldn't stand by while someone else had to deal with it.
He burst past the tree line and onto one of the park's pathways, immediately being caught by the sight of three kids surrounding a girl with dark blue hair.
They loomed over her, the biggest one jabbing his finger close to her face, his sneer sharp and ugly. Naruto's fists clenched, heat rising in his chest. He knew that look—they had the same nasty gleam in their eyes that he'd seen a hundred times, aimed at him.
Watching them corner the timid girl, Naruto felt a familiar, white-hot anger bubbling up. He didn't know her, but something about the fear in her eyes made something snap inside him. Taking a shaky breath, he tightened his fists, knuckles going white as he fought back his nerves. Then, he took a step forward and threw out his voice in a sharp shout, cutting through the frigid air: "Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"
Getting a better look at the kids, Naruto could clearly see that he was far from their own size. They were all big enough to be at least a year or two older. The largest of the three, a sorta fat boy that had a blue bandana tied around his head, turned around and sneered at him. "Oh yeah, and who are you?"
The boy walked up to him; his hands stuck in his pockets. Naruto considered trying to use that jutsu he had seen a jōnin practicing but knew he'd just mess it up. Instead, he clocked the bully across the face, sending him straight to the ground.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," he declared to his stunned audience, "and I'm the one that's going to become Hokage someday."
The other two kids stepped up towards him, one was tall and lanky, wearing a beanie over his hair, while the other was just the definition of average. They readied their fists before suddenly backing off as the fox from earlier appeared at Naruto's side, yapping at the two approaching kids. All three of the bullies let out a mix of yelps and screams, taking two steps back as they went.
The sight was quite comical, seeing the pipsqueak blonde and the equally tiny fox readying themselves to throw down, but it appeared to be enough to dissuade the two older kids.
"Pssh, as if we need this," the lanky one commented, throwing his hands into his pockets while his eyes darted between the blonde and the fox. "Let's get out of here guys."
A chorus of varying agreements went out among the group, and they all sauntered off as if they had done something.
Naruto watched them leave, not believing that his bluff had worked. He had planned on just taking the attention off the girl and likely getting beat up in the process—it wouldn't be the first time it had happened, and at least it would've been for a good cause.
The girl was looking at him with wide eyes, and Naruto could only snicker in response. He bent down and stuck a hand out to her, "Are you okay?"
For the first time in his life, his hand was taken.
Naruto tried not to let his shock show and continued to help her to her feet with a slack jaw. He wanted to say something but was at a true loss for words for the first time in his life. Instead, he took the courtesy to brush some of the snow off her tan jacket.
"Thank you," the girl finally said. Her voice had been soft, but her words wracked him with the force of an earthquake.
His brain short circuited for a second, trying to make sense of what she had just said. A flicker of warmth spread out through his chest, and for a second, he forgot how to breathe, only continuing to numbly brush stray snowflakes from her jacket.
One of Naruto's hands grasped at his scarf, holding it like a lifeline. Even in the frigid cold, he began sweating slightly. He had a real chance at making a friend here, and the last thing he wanted to do was mess it up.
Naruto beamed at her, his smile a beacon in the frosted forest. "It's no problem, ya know. Anytime a jerk starts bothering you, Naruto Uzumaki will be right there!"
That earned a small smile from the girl, which only served to magnify Naruto's by a thousandfold.
"I'll be going to the ninja academy soon, and I'm going to learn a whole bunch of kickass jutsu and then I'd really be able to help!" The blonde excitedly exclaimed, mimicking a bunch of the hand seals ninjas made. "They'll never know what hit them!"
The lavender-eyed girl just silently giggled at Naruto's eccentrics but didn't add anything else.
Naruto briefly wondered why she was being so shy before realizing something. "Don't listen to what those idiots were saying," he told her, "I think your eyes are cool, ya know? Those dumbasses had no idea what they were talking about."
Naruto hadn't ever seen eyes like hers before and really did think they were cool, but more importantly, he knew from experience how much hearing those words might help.
The girl's face immediately went beet red and she tucked herself into the jacket she was wearing. However, before she did so, Naruto saw her smile brighten just a little and considered it a mission accomplished.
Her quietness was a little weird, but Naruto didn't mind. This was the first kid his age that had ever really talked to him, even if she didn't do a whole lot of talking. In his mind, she was the nicest person in the whole world.
"I'm… I'm Hinata Hyuga," she almost whispered, still tucked into her jacket. "I'm also going to the academy next year."
Naruto's face exploded in excitement. If someone as nice as her was going to the same school as him, he actually had a shot at making a friend. He was about to voice all of this when he noticed Hinata shiver as a cold breeze blew through the air.
Naruto had barely felt it, protected by his treasured neckwear. His fingers brushed against his scarf, feeling its familiar warmth. A part of him screamed to keep it safe, to hold on to it just for him, but as he saw her shoulders shivering under the cold wind, he knew he couldn't be selfish. She needed it more than he did right now. She looked up, her wide lavender eyes full of awe as he gently draped it over her shoulders. He looped it around her, knotting it carefully so it wouldn't slip. Those awestruck eyes tracked his every movement, and she raised a trembling hand to touch the scarf, as though it were something sacred.
As the warmth of the scarf settled around her shoulders, Hinata's face bloomed pink, her fingers brushing over the fabric as if it were something fragile. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely above the rustling leaves.
He tried for a smile, ignoring the shakiness he felt, "You can give it back to me when we see each other at the academy."
Now understanding that his single most prized possession was with someone else, Naruto started wringing his hands, and a short laugh was forced out of his lips. "Just… make sure to take real good care of it until then. It's really important to me, ya know?"
Hinata's fingers curled into the scarf, holding it close. "I'll take good care of it, Naruto," she whispered, her voice soft but resolute. "I promise."
The moment shattered with a sharp voice cutting through the cold. A man with the same pale eyes was striding toward them, urging Hinata that they had to leave immediately. She had a look of panic before dashing off with a whispered, "Goodbye," hanging on the winds. This time, though, he wasn't sad at being left alone. He knew that he was going to see her again soon.
Besides, he wasn't technically alone yet. He looked down at the white fox next to him. "You're both pretty awesome."
The fox glanced up at him, its eyes squinting in a mischievous smile. "I know right? I'm the best!"
"Ahh!" Naruto yelped, jumping back a step. "You—you talk? Foxes don't talk!"
The fox let out a giggle that sounded like chattering bells. "And yet," the fox said, her tone filled with smug pride, "I manage."
Naruto wanted to retort, but his mind was too busy trying to make sense of this surreal situation. He could only stare, lost for words. The fox tilted her head, her squinted eyes glimmering with a mix of mischief and mirth. Naruto could already tell that for this creature, fun and trouble were practically the same thing
Her ears tilted forward, and her orange-tipped tail puffed out excitedly. "My name's Yuki, and…"
Yuki's excited yips softened, and her sharp eyes opened wide, catching a glimmer of hope. Her confident stance seemed to shrink, ears folding back as she lowered herself, almost… shyly. Naruto blinked, surprised that even this brazen fox could look so uncertain.
"And I was hoping we could also be friends?" She looked down, scuffing her paw in the snow. "I mean, you were super nice to me, and nobody is nice to me, and you said you were an Uzumaki which is awesome, and—"
Yuki's voice grew faster and higher with every word, each syllable bouncing in her excitement until it almost squeaked.
Naruto's mind blanked, his heart racing. Two friends in a single day? He'd spent years being the one kid no one wanted around, and now he had a real friend and… a talking fox who thought he was special?
"Heck yeah! Who wouldn't want to be friends with the coolest fox in the world?"
Yuki froze, her ears perking up, then she puffed her chest, snout lifting in the air. "Naturally," she said, smugly waving her tail, "you have excellent taste."
Yuki darted forward, her tail flicking teasingly as she circled him, making Naruto spin in place. When she finally slowed, she nudged his hand with her nose, something dancing in her eyes that Naruto couldn't understand.
She ducked between his legs in a figure eight and suddenly gasped. "I just got the best idea!"
She ran off, gliding between the trees with a nimbleness that left Naruto scrambling after her in wide, clumsy bounds. "Wait up!" he called, chasing her as she darted around trees and over patches of snow.
Just as Naruto caught up, Yuki jumped down into a small hollow and poked her head out, eyes squinting slyly. "I have a surprise for you." Her eyes sparkled with mystery, and after a moment's pause, she disappeared down the hole. She soon emerged, dragging out a heavy scroll, its rich orange hue glinting with intricate black bands.
Naruto stared, wide-eyed. "Is that… a jutsu scroll?"
Yuki's voice dropped to a low whisper; the kind people used when sharing the most important secrets. "It's not just jutsu. Oh no," she said, her eyes twinkling, "I've got something way better."
She dropped the scroll out of her maw and nudged it open with her snout, letting it roll out at a deliberately slow pace. Naruto held his breath as the words contained among the scroll were revealed to him. He shook with anticipation, wondering what kind of awesome jutsu Yuki could be about to share.
A wave of disappointment washed over him for a moment before being replaced by confusion. The scroll, the first section of it at least, only contained names. He didn't know who these people were, but he recognized one distinct feature they all shared: they were all Uzumaki's.
"What… is this?" Naruto asked, not able to make sense of what he was reading. He planted both of his arms on the ground, looking at it from multiple angles to see if that would help him understand it more.
"It's a summoning contract!" Yuki exclaimed, bouncing where she stood. "If you sign it, you can summon me from anywhere, even if we aren't together."
Naruto's jaw dropped. A summoning contract? Like the one Jiraiya of the Sannin became legendary for having?
"Yuki," Naruto spoke solemnly, addressing his friend with a previously unheard seriousness. The fox shrunk a little underneath Naruto's steely gaze before the Uzumaki's face broke into a toothy grin. "You really are the best."
Naruto snickered a little at the shock written across the fox's features. Yuki quickly recovered and puffed up her chest, her previous trepidation replaced by her signature smugness. "Yes, yes, we all know that."
"How come I haven't heard of a fox summoner before?" Naruto asked. He'd heard countless stories of the mythical animal summons of the Sannin and would've figured that if people went around having companions as great as Yuki, they'd be legendary.
Yuki's gaze softened, her bravado fading as she lowered her head. Naruto noticed her small, almost hidden wince, and his heart squeezed painfully. He hadn't realized it before, but something in her eyes held the same loneliness he felt.
The young fox sunk into the ground, laying with her head on the unfurled part of the scroll. Her eyes glistened with what Naruto knew to be hidden tears. "We were wiped out a long time ago, right alongside your clan."
"We lived in the Land Hidden by Whirlpools and were tied deeply to the Uzumaki clan," she explained, her voice void of all the energy Naruto had associated with her. "During one of the Shinobi Wars, we both were wiped out completely with only a few stragglers escaping the massacre."
Naruto felt a pang deep in his chest, watching the way Yuki's eyes flickered with pain she couldn't hide. He knew that look—the way you'd rather look anywhere but at someone who might understand. He didn't say anything, just gave her head a gentle pat. She leaned into his touch and a small whimpering noise escaped from her.
"My parents died a few months ago, soon after I was born," Yuki's head sank lower, her fur barely brushing the ground as she whispered, "I'm sorry if you were expecting more, but I'm all that's left…"
Her tail curled protectively around herself, a small, solitary figure against the forest floor. Naruto could almost feel the weight she carried—a weight he knew all too well.
As Yuki's story fell quiet, Naruto noticed how the world had gone still around them. Even the wind seemed to pause, like the forest itself was listening. In the shadows, he felt her fur brush against his hand, soft but a little shaky, and he held on, letting her know that he was still there–that someone was listening.
She completely deflated, unshed tears bristling at the edge of her eyes and Naruto felt something stab in his chest at the sight. He glanced at the scroll full of names written in blood, clansmen he had never known, and made a quick decision. He bit his thumb as hard as he could, drawing crimson, and jotted down his name in the neatest print possible.
"I don't care if you're the last one," he declared, pressing his bloody fingerprints to the paper. "You're stuck with me now, and I'm not going anywhere."
Yuki shot up with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape. Now, it was Naruto's turn to look smug. He crossed his arms and puffed out his chest in the same way she had inadvertently taught him to.
"The last fox and the last Uzumaki," Naruto declared with a grin, "We're already legends in the making."
For a moment, Yuki could only stare, wide-eyed. Then, with a delighted squeal, she threw herself into his arms, nuzzling against his neck as he laughed.
"From now on, it's me and you," he said, hugging her close. "We're gonna be the best!"
And as they laughed together, a pair of red eyes watched from the darkness, sharp and silent, taking in the boy and the fox with a quiet, unreadable curiosity.
Author's Note: And there's the chapter! Thank you for reading. It has been a genuine joy to write this story and I honestly can't wait to post more. The next chapter will likely be posted next week so be on the lookout for that! I've got plans to take this story all the way to the end of Naruto, so strap in for the long haul.
Let me know how you guys think I did! Good? Bad? Do you like Yuki or want to punt her off a cliff? Jokes aside, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the characters, especially Yuki's introduction and her dynamic with Naruto. Let me know if the tone and pacing kept you engaged, and any other feedback is always welcome! Thanks again for reading!
If you have any questions, I'll either respond to them here if I think it'd benefit everyone to know or in a PM.
Or just shoot me a question in a PM and I'll eventually get to it. Doesn't really matter to me.
Peace!